Read Online Death By Blue Water (A Hayden Kent Mystery Book 1) by Kait Carson - Free Book Online Page A

brought them back up. Uncertain of what else to do, she double locked her front door, dropped the key in her junk drawer, mixed the contents with her hand, snugged the drapes closed to keep out even a hint of light, grabbed an icepack from the freezer, and went back to bed. The actions felt all too familiar. Except for hiding the key, she’d done them on Friday.
    She set the house burglar alarm on instant, hoping the alarm would wake her if the house caught fire. She figured she’d toss Tiger from the window and go out that way herself. It would mean breaking the jalousies, but she knew she’d never find the key in her junk drawer. Experience had taught her finding anything in there took a good fifteen minutes. She hoped this would be enough to keep her in the house until the pain passed. Then she hoped she’d be able to remember where she put the key.
    The ringing of her phone and a pounding on her door woke her from what seemed a drugged sleep. Slowly swimming to consciousness, she answered the phone first.
    “What...” Taking a deep breath, she tried again. “Hello?”
    “Hayden, you sound awful. Did you hear the news? That guy you found, they identified him. You knew him.” Cappy practically screamed in her ear.
    “What do you mean I knew him? I never saw him in my life,” Hayden said, while the pounding at the door continued.  “What the hell is going on here?” she mumbled half under her breath. “Who the heck is banging on my door? Cappy, are you here?”
    “No, I’m only trying to…”
    “Oh God.” She clamped a hand over her mouth. “I have a migraine, I…” Hayden dropped the phone and bolted for the bathroom, overcome with nausea.
    Running a cold washcloth over her face and wiping her mouth she prayed for relief. She returned to the kitchen and rummaged through the junk drawer, looking for the key. The pounding had stopped. Maybe whoever it was had left. Remembering she had a phone call, she found and picked up the receiver. “Cappy?”
    “Yeah, I’m here. You trying to get my license taken away? I’m not at your damn door.” Cappy was obviously angry about something.
    Hayden finally found the key and headed toward her door. “Cappy, I have no idea who that guy was or why you think I know him.” She turned the double locks and opened the door to her boss.
    “Richard Anderson. Remember Richard Anderson? Kevin’s brother?” Cappy continued in her ear. “You said Kevin told you he was interested in selling his boat and Kevin didn’t want it. You were supposed to go see it Friday night. Now are bells ringing? You had me standing by.”
    Hayden’s head pounded. She looked down at herself and was relieved to find she was dressed in running shorts and a tank top. She motioned for Grant to come in. Too many things were happening at the same time. Hayden couldn’t track them all, not now when all she wanted to do was go back to bed and her ice pack.
    “Grant, Cappy is on the phone. The guy’s been identified. He says I knew him.”
    Grant took the phone from Hayden’s hand. “Cappy, she’ll get back with you. I need to speak with her right now.” He clicked the off button and put the phone on the counter top.
    While he talked, Hayden walked to her junk drawer and tossed in the key.
    “I told you, Grant, I never met the guy. I called and canceled. I had a migraine on Friday. A bad one. They come in cycles and I guess I’m in a cycle. Anyway, I was supposed to follow him to Faulkner’s Marina. I forgot that I’d called Cappy, asked him to be available to meet me when I called. That must have been what he meant yesterday when he asked about calling. I don’t know anything about boats. My headache was so bad that I called Richard and canceled. Ask him. Bring his number up on the handset, push talk and ask him. I called and canceled.” Hayden put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, God.”
    She moaned. A wave of nausea hit her and she bolted for the bathroom again. Grant couldn’t call