Dear Killer (Marley Clark Mysteries) (29 page)

“I’m sure we’ll get the lowdown if Gertie’s allowed to
talk,” May added. “Nobody saw wife number three give Jake a little push, did
they?”

My aunt must have seen the dismay written on my face. She
backtracked so fast her tongue practically performed a somersault. “Sorry,
sorry. Sometimes my mouth outruns my brain. I forgot Darlene’s an old friend of
yours. I didn’t mean anything. Just a stupid joke. Work in a hospital long
enough and black humor becomes a bad habit.”

Ross cleared his throat. “At least no one’s going to accuse
this wife of helping her husband overboard. Two of my deck hands swear Jake
wandered off and was completely alone when he doubled up and pitched over the
side.”

A crewman jumped to the dock and secured the Queen’s lines.
At a neighboring slip, two Iowa Lakes Patrol officers tied their speedboat. The
Queen had towed even more law enforcement in her wake.

As soon as the gangplank was set, paramedics hustled aboard.
Hardly a minute elapsed before they wheeled Jake Olsen’s body to the ambulance.
A plaid wool blanket covered the body. Darlene trailed the official procession.
“Can I ride with him? Please.” Her voice broke, her pain evident.

“No, ma’am. Sorry.”

The ambulance doors snicked shut, and the sirens emitted a
few high-pitched burps to warn milling officials. A news photographer snapped
pictures of Darlene staring after the vehicle as it peeled away. I lost sight
of my friend when the sheriff clamped her arm and steered her toward the
museum.

That’s when I spotted a tall interloper amid the confusion
on the pier. He stood ramrod straight, watching Darlene. With his face averted,
I could only see his salt-and-pepper hair, styled not barbered. The way his
suit molded to his body proclaimed it wasn’t off any ready-to-wear rack.
Definitely a Mr. Moneybags. He looked eerily familiar. I shuddered.

He turned to stare at the Queen, and my stomach clenched.

Quentin Hamilton.

What the hell is he doing here?

***

Marley Clark Mystery Series

Dear Killer ©2011

No Wake Zone ©2012

Romantic Suspense

Final Accounting ©2012

A native of Iowa, Linda has
called the South home for more than thirty years. She lives with her husband
beside a peaceful South Carolina lake, where she regularly perturbs the geese
and one honking big turtle by jumping off her dock for a swim or pedaling (yes,
pedaling not paddling) her kayak. Linda is a member of Romance Writers of
America (RWA), Sisters in Crime, and the South Carolina Writers Workshop. She
feels quite lucky to have found both close friends and exceptional critique
partners—snarky, funny, talented and generous—through these organizations.

Linda can’t imagine going to bed
at night without a book in hand. Thankfully her husband shares her passion for
reading so she doesn’t have to use a miner’s light to indulge her nocturnal
habits.

DEAR KILLER was selected as a
finalist in the Golden Quill competition for best novels published in 2011. Her
manuscripts have made the finals in 15 other contests, including RWA’s
prestigious Golden Heart® and Daphne du Maurier competitions and mystery
contests such as Deadly Ink, Murder in the Grove and Malice Domestic. Her
stories dish up a main course of suspense, action and adventure with a generous
side of romance.

For more information about the
author, visit her website:
www.lindalovely.com
.