Murder at High Tide Read online

  Murder at High Tide

  a Rosa Reed Mystery

  Lee Strauss

  Norm Strauss

  Contents

  Summary

  More from Lee Strauss

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Afterword

  Rosa & Miguel’s Wartime Romance

  Murder on the Boardwalk Sneak Peek

  About the Authors

  Acknowledgments

  Summary

  Murder's all wet!

  It's 1956 and WPC (Woman Police Constable) Rosa Reed has left her groom at the altar in London. Time spent with her American cousins in Santa Bonita, California is exactly what she needs to get back on her feet, though the last thing she expected was to get entangled in another murder case!

  If you love early rock & roll, poodle skirts, clever who-dun-its, a charming cat and an even more charming detective, you're going to love this new series!

  The Rosa Reed Mystery series is a spin-off of the acclaimed Ginger Gold Mystery series.

  This book has been edited and proofed, but typos are like little gremlins that like to sneak in when we’re not looking. If you spot a typo, please report it to: [email protected]

  More from Lee Strauss

  On AMAZON

  THE ROSA REED MYSTERIES

  (1950s cozy historical)

  Murder at High Tide

  Murder on the Boardwalk

  Murder at the Bomb Shelter

  Murder on Location

  GINGER GOLD MYSTERY SERIES (cozy 1920s historical)

  Cozy. Charming. Filled with Bright Young Things. This Jazz Age murder mystery will entertain and delight you with its 1920s flair and pizzazz!

  Murder on the SS Rosa

  Murder at Hartigan House

  Murder at Bray Manor

  Murder at Feathers & Flair

  Murder at the Mortuary

  Murder at Kensington Gardens

  Murder at St. George’s Church

  The Wedding of Ginger & Basil

  Murder Aboard the Flying Scotsman

  Murder at the Boat Club

  Murder on Eaton Square

  Murder by Plum Pudding

  Murder on Fleet Street

  LADY GOLD INVESTIGATES (Ginger Gold companion short stories)

  Volume 1

  Volume 2

  Volume 3

  HIGGINS & HAWKE MYSTERY SERIES (cozy 1930s historical)

  The 1930s meets Rizzoli & Isles in this friendship depression era cozy mystery series.

  Death at the Tavern

  Death on the Tower

  Death on Hanover

  A NURSERY RHYME MYSTERY SERIES(mystery/sci fi)

  Marlow finds himself teamed up with intelligent and savvy Sage Farrell, a girl so far out of his league he feels blinded in her presence - literally - damned glasses! Together they work to find the identity of @gingerbreadman. Can they stop the killer before he strikes again?

  Gingerbread Man

  Life Is but a Dream

  Hickory Dickory Dock

  Twinkle Little Star

  THE PERCEPTION TRILOGY (YA dystopian mystery)

  Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing. Noah Brody, a boy on the outside, is the only one who can help ~ but can she trust him?

  Perception

  Volition

  Contrition

  LIGHT & LOVE (sweet romance)

  Set in the dazzling charm of Europe, follow Katja, Gabriella, Eva, Anna and Belle as they find strength, hope and love.

  Sing me a Love Song

  Your Love is Sweet

  In Light of Us

  Lying in Starlight

  PLAYING WITH MATCHES (WW2 history/romance)

  A sobering but hopeful journey about how one young German boy copes with the war and propaganda. Based on true events.

  A Piece of Blue String (companion short story)

  THE CLOCKWISE COLLECTION (YA time travel romance)

  Casey Donovan has issues: hair, height and uncontrollable trips to the 19th century! And now this ~ she's accidentally taken Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time. Awkward.

  Clockwise

  Clockwiser

  Like Clockwork

  Counter Clockwise

  Clockwork Crazy

  Clocked (companion novella)

  Standalones

  As Elle Lee Strauss

  Seaweed

  Love, Tink

  1

  Hugging was a very “un-English” thing to do.

  Rosa Reed, rather British through and through, had yet to acclimatize to the exuberance of the American branch of her family and had endured more hugs in the few days she’d been in Santa Bonita, California than she’d had for most of her life growing up in Great Britain, the war years excepted. Now that she and her cousin Gloria had arrived at her Aunt Louisa’s charity event on the beach, Rosa braced herself for even more.

  Drinks and cigarettes in hand, a crowd of people milled about, standing or sitting at round tables covered in white linen. Catering staff, all dressed in white, were busy fussing with the food.

  “I feel overdressed,” Rosa remarked to her younger cousin Gloria Forrester. Red ribbons adorned Rosa’s white dress that was sprinkled with black polka dots. Short chestnut-colored waves were crowned with a white straw sun hat trimmed with matching red ribbon.

  “You’re a Forrester,” Gloria said. With dark hair curled tightly around her ears, and dark lipstick on a bright white smile, Gloria spun to show off the fancy baby-blue crinoline skirt of her swing dress. “You’re supposed to overdress.”

  Rosa grinned. Gloria Forrester was seven years Rosa’s junior and often seemed younger than her twenty-one years.

  “And that dress,” Gloria continued, motioning a white-gloved hand toward Rosa, “is fabulous!”

  “Another perk of having a mother who owns a prestigious Regent Street dress shop,” Rosa said.

  “I love Feathers & Flair! Shopping there was the highlight of my trip.” Gloria’s eyes, briefly wide with wonder, now darkened in shock. Her gloved hand flew to her mouth. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “It’s fine, Gloria,” Rosa said, forcing her voice to sound light. “Ancient history.”

  If one considered a month ancient. Perhaps in California, but not in England. A month was like a breath, and Rosa still felt the sting and humiliation of what had, in front of many witnesses including the members of the Forrester family, been a failed attempt down the aisle.

  Gloria removed her sandals, hooked the straps over one hand, and motioned for Rosa to do the same. Rosa grinned at the sight of the two of them, dressed for a party yet barefoot on the beach. She was glad Gloria had reminded her not to wear stockings.

  Gloria linked her arm with Rosa’s and pulled her down the beach—those bad memories left behind them, for now.

  “There’s Mom.” Gloria pointed to a slim, attractive woman in her early fifties who held a martini in one hand.

  Louisa Forrester, the half-sister to Rosa’s mother Ginger Reed, saw the young ladies appr
oaching and broke into a smile. Handing her drink to one of her companions, Louisa gracefully stepped toward them, the hem of her stunning black evening dress flirting with the sand.

  “Girls! There you are!” Aunt Louisa spread her arms wide apart.

  Rosa hesitated, then briefly succumbed to the squeezing, despite the public setting.

  With one hand still on Rosa’s shoulder, her aunt stepped back and appraised her with a long glance. “You do look pale, though, Rosa. We need to get you in the sun.”

  Rosa grimaced inwardly. Affection mixed with criticism was Aunt Louisa’s way. Besides, she’d spent plenty of time in the sun, though she did concede to being a shade dweller. Her fair skin burned easily.

  At least Aunt Louisa had stopped commenting on her accent. She was determined to, in her words, “make an American out of you again”.

  “Gloria probably didn’t fill you in on the purpose of this event,” Aunt Louisa started. “It’s a fundraiser for one of my charities. I serve on several boards. This one is for the California Polio Research Foundation. You’ve heard of the March of Dimes that President Roosevelt instituted in the thirties? There’s a loose association with that.”

  Aunt Louisa pointed to a large banner that hung over the buffet tables with the CPRF—California Polio Research Foundation—logo emblazoned on it. “I want you to meet some people who help with the charity.” She turned back to the lady still holding her martini. “This is Florence Adams, or ‘Flo’ as we like to call her. She was invaluable to me in planning this whole evening.”

  Florence Adams, in a red crushed-satin party dress, handed the martini back to Aunt Louisa. Flicking her blonde ponytail over her shoulder, Flo smiled to reveal straight white teeth and a wide, expressive mouth. An attractive woman with tanned skin that crinkled slightly around the corners of her blue eyes, regarded Rosa.

  “Hello, hello,” she said rather loudly. Her arms opened wide, and Rosa accepted the unsolicited hug. Miss Adams’ speech had a slight slur, and the smell of brandy on her breath was strong. “Your aunt has told me all about you. I hope—I hope your stay in Santa Bonita goes well. Are you here for very long?”

  That was a question Rosa didn’t know how to answer. Her nuptials disaster had made Rosa desperate to escape London. She’d taken a leave of absence of an undetermined length from her job with the Metropolitan Police and booked a one-way flight.

  Lifting a drink from a passing cocktail tray, Gloria handed Rosa the delicate crystal glass and answered for her. “She is going to stay for as long as she likes.” She launched into a faux London accent. “This poor copper needs a break, and I intend to make her enjoy every minute of it.”

  Aunt Louisa interrupted two people seated at a nearby table who seemed deep in conversation. She put her hand on one of the young men, his khaki shorts exposing steel and leather leg braces.

  “Please excuse me,” she said. “I’d like you to meet my niece. Rosa, this is Rod Jeffers. Rosa just arrived from London.”

  “Great to meet you,” the young man said, nodding his head.

  Aunt Louisa went on. “Rod works with us in public relations and is excellent with the press and any aspects of promoting our charity.”

  Continuing her introductions, Rosa’s aunt motioned to the man Mr. Jeffers had been engaging with. “This is Raul Mendez, the treasurer of our little organization. But don’t think him a bore. He’s also a great bassist and is playing in the band we have here tonight.”

  The young man smiled thinly as he stood and briefly took Rosa’s hand. “Welcome to Santa Bonita. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get some food, ya know, before the band’s finished its break.” Mr. Mendez shuffled through the sand toward the makeshift stage in the distance.

  Rosa continued to smile as she was put on display and introduced to her aunt’s many friends and acquaintances. She just hoped she could keep all the names straight, should she meet these people again after tonight.

  Aunt Louisa waved an arm and shouted, “Shirley! Shirley!” She was loud enough that Rosa thought, perhaps, Florence Adams wasn’t the only one to have had a bit too much to drink. However, Rosa knew her aunt well enough to know that she would never get to a point where she was out of control. Control was far too important to her.

  Shirley, a middle-aged woman with a thick waistline and round cheeks, turned at the sound of her name, and if Rosa’s instincts were right, forced a smile she didn’t feel.

  “Rosa, this is Mrs. Shirley Philpott, Flo’s cousin and the wife of our chief medical examiner, Dr. Melvin Philpott.” Shirley nodded at Rosa. “Shirley, this is my niece, Rosa Reed, from England. You’ll get a kick out of her accent.”

  Mrs. Philpott laughed at that. “Now, you must say something!”

  “How do you do?” Rosa said politely.

  “Oh, you’re right, Mrs. Forrester. She’s adorable. Come now, give me a hug!”

  “Oh,” Rosa muttered as Mrs. Philpott, soft and doughy, almost squeezed the wind out of her.

  Mrs. Philpott released her but held her shoulders with two strong hands. “Say something else.”

  “I find your accent charming as well.”

  “Oh,” Mrs. Philpott laughed. “Just like the Queen.”

  Being a novelty conversation starter for her American family was becoming the norm for Rosa. If she wanted, she could revert to the American accent she’d picked up during her stay at the Forrester mansion during the war years. Having spent her impressionable teens under Aunt Louisa’s tutelage had left a deep and lasting mark. She just didn’t know if she wanted to. Her London heritage had a deep meaning for her.

  An older, jovial man wearing dark-rimmed spectacles and a cream-colored three-piece suit joined them, and it was Mrs. Philpott’s turn to make introductions. “Honey, this is Louisa’s niece, Rosa. She has the most adorable accent. This is my husband, Dr. Philpott.”

  Only in California could one get away with wearing a formal suit while barefooted, Rosa mused.

  He extended his hand. “Your aunt tells me you are a police officer! Well then, I'm sure you are very familiar with us pathologist types.” He chuckled as he took a puff from a cigarette.

  “Yes, I am,” Rosa replied. “In fact, vampires and medical examiners are my specialties.” She pronounced it “speshee-al-i-ties” and immediately realized how British she sounded at that moment. “One can usually find both hovering over someone newly cold,” she quipped.

  “Ha! I like this girl!” Melvin Philpott chuckled and raised his glass. “To one of London’s finest.” They all raised a glass and took a sip, and Rosa couldn’t help but feel a tad embarrassed.

  The group continued chattering, and Rosa soon wanted to be alone, even if to simply walk the beach and watch the sunset. With her shoes in hand, she placed her empty glass on the buffet table and wandered away from the crowd. Soon, all she could hear was the distant music from the band and the crashing of the surf. She sat down on a large piece of driftwood and released a slow breath. Had it only been five days since her mum and dad had taken her to the airport and waved her off?

  The voices of two women coming from the beach behind her interrupted her thoughts. Turning to the sound, Rosa saw the two were immersed in an intense argument. In the fading light, Rosa could just make out the forms of Shirley Philpott and Florence Adams, seemingly too engaged in verbal sparring to notice her.

  With the crash of the waves and the squawking of the seagulls flying overhead, Rosa couldn’t make out what was being said. Mrs. Philpott pointed at Miss Adams, who immediately slapped her cousin’s finger away. Shirley Philpott tried to placate the younger woman, but Miss Adams was having none of it.

  Florence Adams shouted at the top of her lungs, “My glass is empty, and I know where to get some more of the good stuff!” She then stormed off in the opposite direction of the party. Shirley Philpott threw her hands up in the air one last time before she lumbered back to the gathering.

  Rosa wished she hadn’t heard or seen the family spat and
determined to clear her mind of it. Rising to her feet, she walked into the water and enjoyed the feel of the warm, gentle surf on her toes. She continued along the beach as it curved inward until the party was no longer in her line of sight, and the music had faded away.

  Just up ahead, Rosa saw Flo Adams walking toward a bank of houses, each with porch lights illuminating the beach. Near a beach access stairway, Miss Adams met up with a man who wore khaki pants and a loose-fitting Hawaiian shirt. Even from this distance, Rosa could see he was fit and good-looking.

  Determined to ignore the couple, Rosa continued her walk, but when she saw the man grab Florence by the arm, her police instincts kicked in, and she stopped.

  Great, she thought. Just what she didn’t need in her life—more drama. How far did she have to travel to find peace?

  After a moment, the man released Miss Adams’ wrist, but when she turned to leave, the man stepped in front of her. It disturbed Rosa when the man cupped the back of Florence’s head as if he intended to force a kiss.