Campus Casualty (eBook)

Marcia Dove (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2022 | 1. Auflage
274 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-6678-5539-4 (ISBN)

Infos

Maggie's excitement about moving into her new office on the PSU Campus is short-lived when her nemesis, Dr. Harrison, picks a fight with her when she arrives to collect the key. Frustrated and fed up with Harrison's bullying, she threatens to report him, further inciting him; his shouting attracts a gathering crowd. The troubling realization that Dr. Harrison's office is located across the hall from hers becomes problematic when she finds Harrison dead in his office the day after their altercation - her sketchy alibi is sure to place her on the top of the detective's suspect list.

Meet the Author - Marcia Dove Marcia Dove is an avid reader of mystery novels, inspired by her late grandmother, Edith, a faithful follower of Agatha Christi. A former hospitality professional for over thirty years, Marcia writes about what she knows best; hospitality, the business of people- no stranger to the glamourous but often stressful world of hotel management. With a minor in Psychology, she approaches character-building introspectively-real-world people with all their frailties. Her books include a splash of romance, and a peek at hotel life from a former general manager's perspective. Earning her MBA in International Hotel and Tourism in 2004, she embarked on a new career as a Hospitality Instructor. She continues to teach part-time online and loves interacting with her students from all walks of life. Marcia lives in Ocala, Florida, with her three orange cats, Freddie, Cupcake, and Pumpkin. Much of her time is devoted to writing her upcoming three-part Maggie McManus Mystery series.

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Finding a dead body feels like Deja vu to Maggie McManus. Her first-semester teaching at PSU was already off to a "e;deadly start."e; While taking her students on a field trip to the River Town Hotel and Conference Center, Maggie discovers the dead body of the Director of Sales and Marketing in the hotel boardroom. While working together to find the killer, Maggie and Hotel Manager Trip Evans's friendship evolves into a budding romance. But Trip's housewarming party with unexpected events leaves Maggie wondering if their blossoming romantic relationship is doomed? Adding to her troubles, Maggie finds the dead body of her nemesis, Dr. Harrison, in his office directly across the hall from hers. The same detectives who had bungled the murder investigation of the director of sales and marketing are assigned to Harrison's murder looking no further for possible suspects; Maggie is the only one on the clueless detective's list. Faced with finding the killer herself, Maggie discovers that Harrison had harassed faculty and students alike when their race, gender, religion, or nationality were offensive to him. Who had finally had enough of this oppressive bigot to kill him? How could he get away with bullying, intimidating, and enlisting fear in so many people for so long?

Textauszug

Chapter One

My relocation to River Town five months ago was the change I needed. As a new instructor, I am on a learning curve and spend considerable time creating lesson plans and organizing classroom and online activities. I love working with students, and memberships in the Rotary Club and the local Chamber of Commerce became the catalyst connecting me with my community. Several members of the Chamber of Commerce volunteered to work with my students on class projects. A win-win for all; the members benefit from the students’ services, and students gain the hands-on experience needed to enter the workforce in their field.

Attending weekly luncheons and networking events hosted by these organizations fulfills the sorely needed social aspect of my life. Daily walks around my neighborhood are spirit-lifting opportunities to interact with neighbors and provide exercise.

Mondays are one of my most challenging workdays, and I don’t always have time to walk

My spirits are especially low today, and I don’t want to spend the day in a glum mood, a good sign I need to fit in a walk. I dressed in a navy-blue spandex two-piece walking suit, lifted my curly auburn hair into a ponytail, and slipped on socks and sneakers. Taking a water bottle from the refrigerator, I opened the front door, stepped off the porch, and started walking at a steady pace. It is a picture-perfect fall day; the trees are showing off their vibrant colors, the air is crisp but not too cool, and the sun is shining; it feels so good to be moving.

Halfway through my walk, I spotted one of my newest neighbors, Nancy, and her dog Henry, an adorable Jack Russell Terrier puppy. With his patch of brown and black around one eye, Henry reminds me of Spanky McFarland’s dog, Petey of Little Rascals fame.

Nancy stopped walking, waiting for me to catch up.

“I am so glad I ran into you this morning. We have relatives joining us for Thanksgiving this year. Can you recommend a good restaurant?”

“Yes, The River Town Hotel and Conference Center serves a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. They are taking reservations for both the dining room and the ballroom, but I wouldn’t wait too long; they are sure to fill up fast.”

“Thanks, Maggie. I will give them a call when I get home and be sure to tell them you recommended them.”

Henry, always looking for attention, began excitedly jumping up and down in front of me. Bending down, I rubbed him gently behind his ears, and after stroking his velvety fur for a few minutes, I left him happily wagging his tail and Nancy smiling affectionately down at her little Henry.

I wish I hadn’t brought up The River Town Hotel and Conference Center, a reminder of why I feel so down. The hotel’s manager, Trip Evans, and I had been dating when our relationship hit a significant bump in the road last Saturday night. On a long-overdue visit, Trip’s parents arrived in town to attend his housewarming party. Unbeknownst to Trip, they arranged for his gorgeous, gregarious ex-wife, Sissy, and Abigail, her three-year-old daughter from a second marriage, to crash his party. I have not heard a word from Trip since I left the party last Saturday. After mentally revisiting the events of the housewarming party, I returned home feeling deflated.

Mondays, I have back-to-back late afternoon classes that end at 7:30 p.m., and there is no time to eat anything except breakfast until I get home. My emotional upheaval left me with little appetite, and I opted for an easy out; V8 juice and Cheerios. I placed a coffee pod in the Keurig, hoping the first cup would perk me up.

After breakfast, I took a long hot shower and shampooed my hair. Wrapping a towel around my slim, five-foot-three frame and a second towel around my shoulder-length curly auburn hair, I wandered into my walk-in closet.

Clothing for me is mood-altering; I need to find something uplifting and cheerful. Searching through my closet, I found a fern green dress I remembered my mother buying last Christmas. We loved shopping together; Mom was a serious bargain hunter, and this dress was one of her great deals. I selected a floral, orange, yellow, and green scarf from the vast assortment I had collected over the years and took a pair of matching green shoes off the shoe rack. Rummaging through my jewelry collection, I added a chunky gold bracelet and coordinating earrings to my perfect fall outfit.

Trip always noticed what I wore and would undoubtedly have said something witty about today’s selection. ‘You look like a falling leaf,’ accompanied by his signature wide grin, would have been very appropriate given my down-hearted mood. Pushing that thought aside, I applied makeup, dried my hair, and went into my home office to get some work done. Since the beginning of the school year, I have been working from home, and Monday’s routine starts with preparing for my two-afternoon classes.

The Panhandle of Florida was hit by a hurricane last year, severely damaging many PSU campus buildings, including the hospitality wing of the College of Business that houses faculty offices.

The only place to meet with students is in the classroom, and I plan my arrival for 1:30 p.m. The students have come to confide in me, and many show up for class early just to chat. Their conversations are varied and often have nothing to do with their academic endeavors—no surprise, clothing and boyfriend problems are always hot topics.

Both classes were fully attended today. I was relieved that most of the students had read the material making for engaging discussions instead of a painful tooth extraction like it does some days. I closed my notebook at 7:25 p.m. and dismissed the class.

I used to enjoy eating out after classes on Mondays. Adopting Lily, my sweet little gray and white kitten named after my mother, changed that. Mondays are a long day for Lily, too, and I have taken to eating at home. However, instead of going directly home to brood today, I stopped by Hooligan’s Diner for some adult interaction and one of their nurturing dinner specials.

It was pushing 8:00 p.m. when I arrived, and there were not many people in the restaurant. The hostess showed me to a booth and presented me with a menu. A smiling waitress named Tammy followed on her heels with an order pad and pencil, poised to take my order.

Quickly scanning the list of entrees, I ordered chicken pot pie and coffee. Tammy returned a few minutes later with coffee and cream. I sat sipping my coffee, trying not to think about Trip while waiting for my dinner to arrive— hard to do; I am mystified that he hadn’t called—in my mind, it could only mean one thing, and that wasn’t good.

Tammy delivered a crusty pot pie filled with creamy, rich gravy, chunks of tender white meat chicken, potatoes, peas, and carrots, well worth the wait. After savoring every last morsel, I flagged Tammy down. Declining her dessert offer and a coffee refill, I handed her my credit card, adding a generous tip for her attentive service.

Arriving home, I was disappointed to find there were no phone messages. I fed Lily and got ready for bed. After a long, hectic day, I was exhausted and fell into a troubled sleep.

My heart wasn’t into starting my Tuesday morning routine just yet. I decided to call my friend Jennifer Davis first. Jennifer and her husband, Todd, relocated to River Town from Maine over twenty years ago. Jennifer and I have a few things in common; Irish ancestry, and we hail from New England. Jennifer is fifty-five with mid-length dark brown hair and large expressive chocolate-brown eyes. She stands five feet four inches tall, a bit on the chunky side, and matches me freckle for freckle. I kiddingly told her that our freckles are attributed to the New England drinking water, not our Irish ancestry … I suppose anything is possible.

The Davis family is a close-knit group; the children, now grown adults, spend most weekends at their parent’s home. Trip and I are often part of their family gatherings. Jennifer is a warm, caring woman who has befriended countless people, Trip and I included. Trip refers to Jennifer as ‘a mother to the world.’ I heartily agree.

I met the Davis family through Trip; Jennifer is the real estate agent who sold Trip his house. If anyone had heard from Trip, it would be Jennifer. I dialed Jennifer’s number, grateful she answered right away, and we wouldn’t be playing telephone tag like we often do. I confided that I hadn’t spoken to Trip since Saturday night’s housewarming party.

Jennifer hesitantly responded, “That’s odd. Trip called me Sunday evening and told me he intended to contact you as soon as we hung up.

“I wasn’t pleased with what he had to say, but I did my best to hold my tongue and reserve judgment. I am sure this will hurt, but you need to know that Trip’s parents and Sissy will be staying through Thanksgiving. He plans on having Thanksgiving dinner with them at the hotel.”

“But, that’s not until next week!”

“Yes, I know, and I realize a lot can happen in that time. Trip...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 12.9.2022
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
• ISBN-10: 1-6678-5539-5 / 1667855395
• ISBN-13: 978-1-6678-5539-4 / 9781667855394