Death in Sandpiper Bay: A Riley Harper Mystery, #1

Chapter One

Riley Harper clung to the slick railing of the Sandpiper Bay ferry as swirling white caps pounded repeatedly against the steel hull. This was no sleek vessel to cross smooth waters, but an iron and steel barge meant to withstand harsh conditions. These days she identified with the barge.

She glanced back at her mom, Susan, who huddled on a steel bench with Kyra, Riley’s fourteen-year-old daughter. Kyra’s skin had a green tinge as she crossed her arms over her belly. Susan patted Kyra’s back. The past two days of travel from Phoenix had been a series of misadventures compounded by Kyra’s pouting resistance. Riley understood. Kyra had been forced to leave behind her friends, her school, her home, all so that Riley could take a job as a police officer on a remote island.

Poor darling snuggled next to her grandma, her tears mingling with the unrelenting wind as the ferry plowed ahead. Riley signaled for them to join her for some fresh air. With seeming reluctance, the two gave up their middle row bench and weaved their way past other people to the rail.

Are you okay, hon? She touched her daughter’s forehead, noting that it was damp with sweat, her flesh clammy. Keep your eyes on the horizon. It will help you get your equilibrium back and you’ll feel better.

Take deep breaths. See that patch of blue beyond the rocks? We’ll be out of this soon, her mom said to Kyra. As a career neo-natal nurse, Susan Meyers had a calming influence on most anyone, especially her beloved granddaughter.

Kyra lifted her face to the brisk gusts, her long brown braid fluttering back. I don’t feel good.

I’m sorry, sweet pea. Riley gave her daughter a brief hug and kiss on her head before she could pull away. This journey has not had an auspicious start. But what do you do when life gives you lemons?

Kyra rolled her eyes. Make lemonade. So lame. I don’t see it getting better if the last two days are anything to go by.

Riley winced and tried not to dwell on the awful flight, lost luggage, or spooky hotel. We’re moving forward. The front of the ferry hit a rough chop. The barge lifted about four feet and then dropped, covering them all with sea spray.

Seriously? Her daughter’s voice exuded affronted teenager. "You book us a room in a place that’s scarier than the Bates Motel. I wasn’t the only one to skip a shower this morning. Kyra raised a fist and grimaced like a madwoman as she made stabbing motions in the air. Ca-reepy!"

"It was a tiny bathroom reminiscent of Psycho. It even had the white shower curtain." Riley rubbed the chill from her arms.

Maybe we should all think of this as an adventure, Susan suggested. Riley’s mom always gave everything a positive spin.

Forget lemonade. This move is a mistake. Kyra repeated the stabbing motion, then closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue as if she’d fainted.

Susan laughed at Kyra’s dramatics.

Riley hoped her daughter was wrong about that but to be fair, things hadn’t been smooth.

A traffic jam near the Phoenix airport had caused them to be late for their flight, but they’d run and made the gate just as it was closing. Kyra had lost her headphones in the race to the plane and had been miserable without her music. When they landed, Riley bought Kyra a new pair to keep her happy, conscious of the bank account but deciding the purchase was worth it.

With a three-hour wait in Dallas for their plane to Boston, the trio shared a cheese pizza with a soggy crust before boarding. They were too hungry to complain. Good thing they’d eaten, as they were only offered an expensive snack menu during their four-hour flight. The grand finale was a commuter plane to Knox County with twenty-four passenger seats, small overhead bins, and pencil-thin aisles.

They were shaken but not stirred for the half-hour bumpy flight, where they were to catch a ferry in the morning to Sandpiper Bay. Somewhere along the way, they’d lost Riley’s suitcase, but the airline promised to deliver it by morning to the hotel. Her mom had her bag, at least. Kyra had shared with Riley.

The Bates, their nickname for the atrocity that awaited them, was built out of stone with one square window per room. Dark in color and in mood, it resembled something from a horror movie. Too frightened and wound up to sleep, they’d played cards, told scary stories, and giggled until daylight. Riley’s suitcase, scratched and dented, was in the lobby when they checked out.

Fine, Riley conceded. Maybe lemonade is too much to ask for. I just hope that the bad times are behind us.

Her mom and her daughter both nodded vigorously. Kyra gulped and kept her eyes on the horizon, snugged between Riley and Susan for warmth. They’d all dressed for summer in shorts and thin T-shirts—which didn’t cut it here on the ferry.

Fifteen minutes later, Captain Wyatt steered the barge away from the protrusion of rocks that formulated uninhabited islands, toward a protected waterway. It was like stepping into a new world; the waves flattened as smooth as Lake Pleasant and sunlight flickered through the swift-moving clouds.

The captain’s deep tones bellowed over the speakers. It’s a lot less bumpy from here on out, folks.

It better be, Kyra muttered, one hand on the railing, the other on her tummy.

Relishing the reprieve, Riley snapped pictures of the area with her cell phone. Shamrock-green patches of land covered the bigger islands. Dozens of lighthouses dotted the rugged coast.

There are so many lighthouses! Susan said.

Riley had read up on the remarkable structures after seeing the white and red Sandpiper Bay Lighthouse on the island’s website. Aren’t they great? Some of them are over a hundred years old and still in service, guiding cargo ships and sailors through fog and hurricane-strength storms to a safe harbor.

Kyra shrugged and turned her back on the water to scan the crowds around them. Unimpressed…or pretending to be.

Susan nudged her but got no response. Come on, Kyra. You have to admit the scenery is beautiful. Nothing like this in Phoenix. Can you imagine a lighthouse in the desert? Think about the stories you’ll tell your friends when you get back home!

She flinched at her mother’s innocent remark. Riley had sold her three-bedroom home in Phoenix when she’d gotten the job here. The contract was for a year. Who knew where they would end up after she proved herself a worthy cop, but it was doubtful she would ever call Phoenix home again. Too much bad blood.

Mom made sure we can’t go back. With her nose in the air, Kyra turned and moved a few feet away from Riley. Riley felt miscast as the Disney villain when she wanted to be the hero.

Kyra’s anger was magnified by her shame of her mother, which caused a deep, helpless ache inside. Being labeled a snitch by the police force that had once held her in high regard had destroyed them. Kyra didn’t understand why she wasn’t invited to her friends’ houses, or worse, maybe she did. Riley hated that she’d been forced to testify against a man she’d considered a brother-in-arms. Family. Her conscience, and Kyra’s safety, demanded she follow through and do the right thing.

Kyra stepped closer to Susan, who smoothed back a wisp of Kyra’s long brown hair. Forehead to forehead, the two had an animated but whispered conversation. Their words were caught in the wind and her stomach tightened.

…I could sue for emancipation. I’m fourteen!

Kyra. How would you support yourself?

I can get a job at the Phoenix bowling alley. I’d be free to do whatever I want and not be forced to spend a year in exile.

Riley’s breath caught as her mother stayed calm and smiled softly at Kyra. Do you have any idea how that would affect not only your life and well-being, but that of your mother’s and mine?

I already hate it here. Kyra’s lower lip jutted. Can I really do that?

"You come from a long line of strong women who don’t quit. They don’t give up on their families because things are hard. Your mother and I love you so much that if you chose to leave us, it would break our hearts."

Riley’s heart thundered and her nose stung. Her daughter wanted to be free of her? Had she made the wrong decision? It wasn’t as if there’d been job offers lined up after she’d testified. She’d had to take this job or give up being a cop, which was all she’d ever wanted to be.

Kyra kept her head bowed and whispered something Riley couldn’t catch.

Susan leaned her elbow on the rail behind her. If you let it, this can be quite the adventure. Someday, when you’re much older, as old as me, you’ll look back at this year with fond memories.

I doubt that. No friends, new school. Might as well kill me now.

Don’t say that, her mother said fiercely. Give this place a chance, give your mom a chance. She isn’t trying to ruin your life…she’s providing for you. It hasn’t been easy for her either.

Riley sent her mom a grateful smile from four feet away.

Kyra, back to Riley, gave a small nod. Okay. But if I still hate it later, maybe I could live with Sammy? Kyra’s best friend in Phoenix had taken the news of the move hard, and the girls had been inseparable for the past month.

Susan veered the subject away from Sammy. I can’t wait to see the cottage. Four bedrooms? We will each have plenty of space. I’m ready to try new things.

Like what? Kyra’s petulant voice made it clear that she wasn’t letting go of her reservations.

Well, we’ve never lived next to a bay before. I’d love to rent a boat and water-ski. And learn to kayak. That seems like fun. I know you’d be great.

Kyra laughed. No way, Nana! You, water-skiing? I can’t even imagine it.

I did as a young girl. My parents took my sister and me camping every summer for a few weeks. We rented a boat and had the best time.

Riley’s heart lightened as Kyra smiled and tossed her side braid over her shoulder. Her dark-brown hair was highlighted from the Arizona sun. "I don’t know, Nana. I prefer a nice, chlorinated pool. There’s snakes and gators and all kinds of creatures lurking beneath the surface. I saw Lake Placid three times."

Nonsense! Susan snorted. You might be too young to remember, but when you were five, Gramps and I took you to Maui for a vacation. You loved the ocean. You were fearless and as slippery as a dolphin when we tried to catch you to go back to the hotel. She laughed and tickled her granddaughter on her exposed tummy, avoiding the silver naval ring she’d had done with Sammy before leaving.

Stop that, Nana. Kyra’s mouth twitched as she tried to keep a straight face. You know how much I hate to be tickled.

Admit this is going to be fun. We’ll be able to try new things. Think of it as an extended holiday.

Kyra giggled and squirmed. Nana!

Susan stopped tormenting Kyra and put her hands in the air, her smile fading. All right. I’ll stop…but I want you to know that we love you very much. When you get overwhelmed or sad or lonely, you can always talk to me, okay?

Her mother glanced her way, and Riley nodded her appreciation. Her mother had moved with them, no hesitation at all when Riley had asked for her help. Unlike Riley, Susan had rented out her condo rather than sell.

One year.

Would the Phoenix police department forget her sins in that amount of time? Accusations of disloyalty from her fellow officers had made staying there impossible. TV, the papers, the trial, and the verdict had all portrayed her as a cop condemning another cop, though she’d done the right thing. She’d been thrown to the wolves by the same people who should’ve had her back.

She’d hoped to make a new start in Sandpiper Bay where people wouldn’t whisper or give her snide glances. Where she’d be judged on her own performance and behavior. Yet she’d heard the doubt in the chief’s voice when he’d confirmed the position was hers, and she knew in her bones that she’d have to fight for his respect.

How much longer, Mom? Kyra appeared at her side, lifting her hand to shade her eyes. Her skin had lost the goosebumps at last beneath the August sun and the subdued breeze off the water. The light-blue midi T-shirt showed off a young woman’s figure. Her shorts revealed long legs. Riley hoped that she had a chance to preserve Kyra’s innocence here on the island, away from the fast pace of the city.

She checked the ferry schedule and the time on her phone. Another twenty minutes, sweetheart. Riley wouldn’t let her daughter know that her feelings had been hurt by her careless words. Are you getting anxious for our first view?

Hardly. I’m just hoping the stuff we shipped here has arrived already. I need my winter clothes even though it’s summer.

It should be there now. Riley gave her a hug and prayed that their things weren’t lost like her luggage had been. While you and Nana were chatting like squirrels, you missed several small islands that I think we can explore. There will be so much to do here! Oh, look at that seagull dive for lunch!

The bird flew straight down into the murky water and pulled out a wriggling fish. It gulped half down.

Gross! Kyra squinted. Its fins are still flapping.

It’s the way of the world, I’m afraid. The strong survive, and the weak get eaten. Riley gave a chomp.

Kyra laughed in surprise. What happened to being positive? Lemonade out of lemons?

She raised her hands and grinned at her daughter. We are strong, you and me, and won’t get eaten. That’s a fact.

Kyla scrunched her nose in doubt. I’m kinda skinny, and you aren’t much bigger, Mom.

It was true that at five-four, Riley was only a hundred and twenty pounds, thanks to the Stress Diet, but she was tough…so was Kyra, to handle the last year without letting her grades slip. She saved her moods for her mother. We have determination and willpower, and that makes us formidable opponents in the game of life.

Kyra snickered. Have you been drinking?

Kyra! Riley hooked her arm through her daughter’s, happy they weren’t arguing. Please don’t make up your mind about Sandpiper Bay until you’ve been there awhile. I have a good feeling about it. She let her gaze go to the surrounding sea. I’ve never seen water like this before, emerald in some places, dark blue in others.

We could have seen it on Instagram instead of moving here. Tossing her long thick braid over one shoulder, Kyra took a step back.

So much for the warm fuzzies.

Riley reached for her hand, hoping she wouldn’t shake it off. I’m sorry that you’re unhappy, but I promise the time will go fast. Next month you’ll be going to school with the other kids off the island. Taking a ferry every day—how cool is that?

I prefer a school bus.

Boring! Maybe Nana can go with you at first? Until you get settled. You’ll be able to get all your homework done before you reach home. She tried to be upbeat for her daughter’s sake, but it was hard work.

"I don’t need a babysitter.