Final Settlement (38 page)

“To think all this stemmed from Lorraine,” Alison Dyer commented. “When I think of all the times I watched her walk on that Breakwater, never knowing that she was such a schemer. The news report said she was blackmailing several people. Imagine!”

Terri Dodge glanced up quickly. “Lorraine Delvecchio was like a spider, preying upon her victims’ weaknesses.”

“All of those people, stuck in her little web,” said Bitsy. “But Connie didn’t cooperate.” She sighed. “If only Charles hadn’t gotten involved.”

“He needed to know the truth.” Darby’s voice was gentle. “That’s the kind of man he was.”

“A good man,” Bitsy said. She swallowed, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m not going to let this town forget that.”

“Won’t be easy to find someone to replace him,” Deputy Allen said. “I’ve heard there’s a lady detective from out west who’s interested in the job. She says she knows you, Darby.”

“Me?” She thought a moment. There was a detective in Northern California, a woman named Nancy Nardone,
whom she’d met only a few months earlier. “If we’re thinking about the same person, she’d be a terrific candidate. Only one problem: I don’t think she’s ever been to Maine.”

Donny Pease lifted a forkful of sweet lobster meat wrapped in a crepe. He dabbed it in a creamy white sauce and grinned. “She tastes one of these and it’ll be a done deal.”

Tina took a long swig of her Bloody Mary. “Lobster’s all well and good, but I truly don’t see what some big-city cop from California’s gonna do on a little island like Hurricane Harbor.”

Darby tucked her long black hair behind an ear and gave a rueful laugh. “You don’t think she’d find enough to keep herself busy?”

Tina shook her head, sending her red curls bobbing back and forth. She met her friend’s almond eyes with a mocking half-smile. “Heck no, Darby. You know as well as I do, nothing much
ever
happens around here.”

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Top-producing Realtor Vicki Doudera uses a world she knows well as the setting for her series starring crime-solving, deal-making real estate agent Darby Farr.
A broker with a busy coastal firm since 2003 and 2009 Realtor of the Year,
Vicki is also the author of several nonfiction guides to her home state of Maine.

When she’s not writing or selling houses, Vicki enjoys cycling, hiking, and sailing, as well as volunteering for her favorite charitable cause, Habitat for Humanity. She has pounded nails from Maine to Florida, helping to build simple, affordable Habitat homes, and is currently president of her local affiliate.

Vicki belongs to Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the National Association of Realtors. Sign up for her newsletter, find signing events, book club questions, Darby Farr recipes, and much more at www.vickidoudera.com, or drop her a line at [email protected]

Author photo by William von Wenzel.

Table of Contents