Toes in the Water, Murder in the Sand: OWL Investigations Mysteries, #6

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-nine

Author’s Note

Meet Alina Popescu

More Books by Alina Popescu

Chapter One

I STARED AT the fresh stack of business cards that had just been delivered to the OWL Investigations office and scowled. Shaw Cutt, Private Investigator. Right, that he was. A PI. And I, Emmett Naoki, had hired him to work for OWL. Knowingly this time.

Behind his desk, David laughed. He tried to hide his amusement, but his entire body shook with it. Maybe my talent acquisition abilities didn’t suck that badly. I’d hired David, hadn’t I? And back then he was nothing but a guy I’d tutored in high school and lusted after from afar, because he wouldn’t even look my way when we weren’t safely hidden in my room.

I frowned, wondering if I made better human resources choices when I was drunk out of my mind. That’s how I’d ended up with David in the first place. One drunken evening at our high school reunion and here we were. Preparing to take our first real vacation as a couple and as work partners.

I scowled at his ever-growing amusement. Stop laughing.

Sorry, babe. I’m trying, really.

Do or do not.

He laughed harder. Are you seriously quoting Yoda at me? Wow, and I thought you staring at Shaw’s business cards as if they’ve personally offended your entire family was funny.

I’m going to fire you.

David shrugged. Okay, but can you do it after our vacation? I don’t want it to be awkward.

You’ve grown too bold. I liked you better when you pretended to respect me as your boss.

David sighed and wiped his eyes. You’re my favorite boss, and I’ve had quite a few. Take that with a grain of salt though. I’ve seen you naked.

I pushed a rebel and annoyingly long strand off my face, wondering how it had escaped the tight bun I’d tied my hair into. I didn’t know why David was bringing up my body. He was the one who put the famous statue of the same name as his to shame! Classically handsome and built like a fitness model, only much more graceful and all natural in terms of muscle growth, he turned heads everywhere we went. Sure, I’d been a model, but I’d never thought of myself as being as charismatic and appealing as my boyfriend.

Look, Nao, if this is too hard for you, we can just go away somewhere close for a weekend.

I shook my head stiffly. No way! Nothing is going to stop us from going on vacation. I want us to be lazy and drink cocktails and swim in the sea. And spend ridiculously long days together. No interruptions.

Are you going to ignore your brother during these imaginary long days where we only have eyes for each other?

Right. Tate. My brother had been moping around a lot lately. Finally coming to terms with his bisexuality and accepting he wasn’t homophobic for not realizing it sooner should have helped him recover a little. But… he’d screwed up a budding relationship with some mysterious man in the process of dealing with his newly emerged sexual identity. A man he so fiercely protected, I didn’t even know his name. At least my brother had stopped being a dick to me and everyone else. But the sadness had grown stronger.

It took a lot of effort to convince Tate to join us on this vacation. We were going on some secluded island I knew nothing about. A place Mateo, a model acquaintance of mine, had bought recently. Mateo himself claimed we were friends, but I would never acknowledge that sort of relationship. Who befriended a crazy kid who bought an entire island on a whim? I heard he’d at least had the decency of getting a small one. Why I ever trusted Mateo with anything of importance, like my safety and wellbeing for three weeks, I couldn’t say. The last time we’d done something fun together, he’d made us hurl ourselves off Babadag Mountain to paraglide close to two thousand meters down to the main beach in Ölüdeniz. I thought after that stint in Turkey I’d never hear from Mateo again, but he’d wormed his way into my life, and we were now… acquaintances. Definitely not friends. God, even thinking it hurt!

Babe? You all right?

I sighed. Yeah, just thinking about Tate. Also, I should check my health insurance. See if they pay up if I get injured after knowingly putting my life in the hands of a crazy person.

Tate’s going to be fine. Even if he’s complained about this vacation we’re forcing on him to anyone who’d listen.

Tate’s main point of contention was the secluded attribute of our destination island. This was a very private vacation. Mateo had invited some of his model and photographer buddies, along with their significant others. We’d be part of a relatively small group and… well, Tate was kind of right. There would be quite a few couples and you couldn’t exactly have a proper hook up with someone you’d be in close proximity with for the following three weeks.

Unfortunately, my brother refused to go on a vacation of his own choosing. Our only other option was for him to stay home and sulk alone or go stay with my parents and let Mom dote on him. I dreaded the former, he refused the latter. So, he was stuck with this private island option.

Easy on the cards, boss. David winked. If you ruin them and they have to reprint, they’ll charge us again.

I set the damned stack on my desk, upset I couldn’t really tear it to pieces. Shaw can handle things for three weeks, right?

All trace of humor disappeared as David stood and came to park his ass on my desk. We’ve both vetted him, right? And he’s been on probation here for two months. Shaw can handle whatever comes up while we’re away.

But what if he can’t? Even I cringed at how whiny I sounded.

This agency is your baby and I understand you’re worried. But I promise it’s going to be fine. Deb said she’d check on Shaw. And if he really can’t deal with everything, it’s not like he can’t contact us at all.

Right, there was a lone satellite phone in the one villa at the heart of the island. And the thought of my best friend and Major Crimes detective extraordinaire keeping an eye on Cutt put me at ease.

Okay.

I promise if there’s any sign of trouble, we’ll cut our vacation short. Okay? David leaned down and kissed my lips.

He’d probably intended it as a chaste peck, but I was feeling particularly needy that morning. I grabbed the collar of his crisp shirt and held him close, licking at his lips. David groaned and let me deepen the kiss, threading his long fingers through my hair.

Miss Bigallow’s high heels clacking against the hardwood floor made us jump apart. Just as she entered the office with a tray of divine smelling coffee, David sat behind his desk.

How was your client meeting, dear?

David groaned. Fine. Annoying and boring, but fine. He pulled at the collar of his shirt and muttered something about annoying clients. Global Electric Inc. was a far smaller enterprise than the name suggested, but their CEO was obsessed with security and wanted David there for every single internal meeting. Even if it was a cybersecurity meeting where Tate was the better choice. David had picked up a lot of tricks from my brother, but meetings like these were still above his pay grade. He was basically there for a slightly paranoid CEO to feel better.

You should have meetings with corporate clients more often, I said, staring dreamily at my boyfriend. He did look spectacular in a suit. Or what was left of it now that he’d taken his jacket and tie off.

David winked. I can dress up just for you, babe. Just say the word.

I narrowed my eyes. Okay. Put your tie back on.

The perfect boyfriend that he was, he buttoned up his shirt and pulled the tie out of his desk drawer.

Kidding, you’re fine.

David arched an eyebrow at me and tightened his knot. Not true.

He got me there, I hadn’t been joking. I loved seeing him dressed up. And David was way too eager to please me.

Miss Bigallow chuckled as she placed a steaming cup in front of me. You’re spoiling our Emmett too much, my darling boy.

David snorted. Pot, kettle.

She shrugged sheepishly and brushed off another errant strand. We’ll both pay when it gets to his head.

David grinned. Too late, it already has.

The door burst open and Shaw Cutt strolled in. I immediately bristled at his general cheer and the spring in his step. Hey, boss. David. Miss Bigallow.

Good morning, dear. I’ll be back with your coffee right away.

Thank you, Miss Bigallow.

I smirked at Shaw’s obedient response. During his first week, he’d tried to tell her he could get his own coffee. She’d gone pale, pressing her hand to her chest, and he’d followed suit, afraid he’d caused a nice old lady to have a heart attack. He’d then stopped trying to be nice and self-sufficient and accepted that we were all in her house and under her relentless care for as long as she saw fit.

Here, I said, throwing the cards on Shaw’s desk. His arrival had changed the nice L shape of our office into a weird mirrored J. I still had the largest desk on the far wall, with David and Miss Bigallow’s workstations making up our former L. Tate had set up Shaw’s desk to my right, facing David’s. I would have felt much better if he could move on the other side of the wall. It would give him a chance to admire Miss Bigallow’s flower beds.

Sweet! It’s official then. You should take me out, boss. Celebrate me joining the team. Shaw wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.

Sounds like an awesome idea. David rubbed his hands together. Let’s go out tonight, after work. Emmett’s paying, of course.

Kill. Me. Now.

Chapter Two

EM, YOU’RE HERE! Mateo clapped his hands, then turned to the young man accompanying him and jumped all over him, hooking his arms around his neck and smooching the life out of him.

Yes, I showed up for the vacation I confirmed I’d come on two weeks ago. You also called me every night since to make sure I wouldn’t back out.

Mateo laughed, his eyes twinkling. He looked happy and mischievous, much like the time he’d forced me to paraglide with him. His partner was busy rearranging his artfully styled green hair.

Em, this is Lee, my boyfriend.

The young man nodded, his bangs falling over his face. Nice to meet you.

You too, Lee. This is David. I pulled my boyfriend closer and clutched his arm, needing someone my own age next to me, to help me feel less decrepit.

Where’s your brother? Mateo got on his tiptoes to look over my shoulder. His frowny face broke into a wide grin. There he is! He pushed us apart and darted to Tate’s side.

Tate and Mateo had bonded over their mutual interest in everything tech. Which… I was secretly thrilled with, because it had made Tate bitch less about this vacation I was forcing him to take.

I tried to catch Lee’s eyes, but it was a hard thing to achieve with all those draping bangs all over his face. Where’s everyone else?

"Oh, they’ll be