Her Deadly End - A Murder Mystery - The Stranger
A West Coast FBI K9 murder mystery thriller
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One chapter of the story dropped every Tuesday morning at 5AM PST
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HER DEADLY END: A Crime Thriller with a Twist
A brutal murder shatters the peace of Paradise Cove. As the body count rises, FBI Agent Tanya Stone and her K9 dog, Max, hunt for the twisted secret that lies buried beneath this small town. But the serial killer is lurking in plain sight, ready to strike again.
A deadly game of survival has just begun and FBI Agent Tanya Stone’s next decision could cost her life....
What you’ll find in this serialized story on Substack:
A strong-minded detective & her faithful German Shepherd K9
A cold-blooded serial killer with a haunted past
A small seaside town & an affluent neighbourhood
Dysfunctional & toxic family dynamics
Betrayals, deceit, & psychological suspense
A closed circle of suspects. The killer could be anyone
Unexpected plot twists & an explosive ending
All Rights Reserved. Copyright ©Tikiri Herath
*There is no graphic violence, heavy cursing, or explicit sex in my stories. No dog is ever harmed, but the villains always are…
Previous Chapter Recapped:
Eveline is brutally interrogated by a man with a distinctive scar on his hand. When she refuses to give him the information he’s looking for he leaves her tied to the chair to ransack the house. Eveline frees herself, retrieves the revolver in her deceased husband's red Porsche SUV and flees her home. The man pursues her in his truck through the quiet streets of Paradise Cove, until she crashes into the Cora’s Corner Cafe….
Her Deadly End - Chapter Three
AGENT TANYA STONE
The Stranger
It’s too early for cold-blooded murder.
Tanya Stone gazed out the window of Cora’s Corner Café, one hand absentmindedly caressing the sunflower pendant on her neck.
Her Ukrainian-born mother used to tell her sunflowers were a symbol of peace and hope. It was now her good luck charm.
Tanya took a deep breath in. The pleasant aroma of freshly baked buns and chocolate croissants wafted in the air. Asha always knew how to pick the best coffee shops for breakfast.
Seated at a patio table just outside the café doors were her best friends and only family. A slim Asian woman in her early thirties with her long black hair pulled into a ponytail, and an attractive, curvy redhead with bright red lipstick to match her hair. Their heads were bowed, deep in discussion.
Tanya was glad Asha and Katy had wrapped up their most recent cold case. She had been looking forward to spending this week with them, but she wished they’d stop hashing their murder mystery to death.
Didn’t they know they were on holiday?
“One dark coffee for you, honey. A Ceylon tea brewed to perfection, and a large chocolate caramel latte with whipped cream for your gal pals.”
Tanya turned around to face the café owner.
“That’s fifteen dollars,” said Cora.
Tanya reached into her cargo pants’ pocket, pulled out her wallet, and handed over the cash with a five-dollar tip.
Cora smiled in thanks. “You all new to town, then?”
Tanya nodded.
Cora pushed aside a bag of freshly baked sugar buns and leaned across the counter.
“So, where are you gals from?”
Tanya hated small talk. She hated small talk from strangers even more, but Cora didn’t seem to be the type you could ignore and get away from easily.
“Seattle.”
“What are you doing in our neck of the woods, honey?”
From the edge of her eyes, Tanya noticed the only other customer in the store, a middle-aged woman with a cane, had stopped browsing the cookies behind the counter and was watching her curiously.
“Just wanted to get away from the hustle for a bit,” said Tanya. “Plus, my dog’s at the vet in town.”
“Aw, sorry to hear that. Is you pup feeling ok?”
“Just a routine operation. He’s recovering.”
“Don’t they have vets in Seattle?” scoffed Cora. “Three lovely ladies like you should be out and about in the big city, shopping, catching a movie and stuff. There’s not much to see in our quiet little town.”
“We like quiet.”
Cora cocked an eyebrow.
“Anything special you were looking to do in Paradise Cove?”
Tanya gave her a half smile.
Will you stop prying if I tell you I’m an FBI agent? A rookie, but still. And those two ladies outside are my private detective pals.
But Cora was looking up thoughtfully, a finger tapping her chin, as if she was cooking up something.
“There’s the sailing club at the end of Sunset Drive. You should ask Hudson Wyatt to take you out on the bay on his yacht this weekend. I think you gals will enjoy it. Tell him I sent you.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Well, he’s the most eligible bachelor in town and he likes his women tall.” Cora winked. “A pretty girl like you should have no trouble finding a date, but he’s quite the catch if you’re single—”
The bread oven in the back kitchen pinged loudly, distracting her from her nosy inquiries.
Tanya picked up the drink tray and stepped away from the counter before Cora could ask more questions. Just as she reached for the door, a gaunt teenager in a grungy blue hoodie crashed through, almost bowling her over.
“Hey,” said Tanya. “Watch it.”
The girl brushed past her with a grunt, leaving an unwashed smell behind her.
Shaking her head, Tanya stepped out to the patio to join her friends. She had just handed Asha her tea when they heard the commotion.
“Stop, thief!”
“Someone stop her!”
Tanya jumped up from her chair and spun around.
The teen was scurrying through the door with the bag of sugar buns tucked under her arm. Cora dashed out, yelling.
“Get back here! Thief!”
Tanya leaped off the patio and grabbed the girl by the arm.
“Hey,” cried the girl. “Lemme go!”
Tanya kept her hold. The kid couldn’t have been more than sixteen years old. Her face was scrawny and her arms were so skinny, Tanya could feel her bones.
She was trembling, either out of fear or hunger.
Or both.
“Stop struggling,” said Tanya.
The girl’s shoulders drooped. She let go of the sugar buns, making the package fall to the ground.
Cora marched over and grabbed the bag. She wagged a furious finger in the girl’s face.
“You think you’ll get away with this? Just wait till the sheriff hears about what you did. Bad deeds never go unpunished.”
“I’ll pay for it.”
Cora snapped around to Tanya, her chin jutting out.
“What did you say?”
“I’ll pay for the buns,” said Tanya, still holding on to the girl who’d gone limp. “No need to call the cops. She’s just a hungry kid.”
A creaky noise made her turn. The woman with the cane was stepping out of the café’s front door.
“I phoned Sheriff Reginald,” she called out as she limped over to them, her mouth set in a thin, stern line. “He’s sending a car over right away.”
“Thanks a bunch, Pat.” Cora turned back to the girl, who had her head bowed now. “You hear that? The sheriff doesn’t like hobos or thieves. He’ll throw you in jail. Let’s see if you’ll try that trick on me again.”
“That’s enough. I think she got it,” said Tanya. “I’m willing to compensate you. I’ll pay double for your inconvenience.”
Cora turned a stubborn face to her. “Inconvenience? Try living here and see what we have to put up with.”
“Let her go, Cora,” said a male voice.
Everyone turned.
Tanya stared at the strange man in a tailored blue suit and waistcoat strolling over with a Great Dane on a leash.
Behind him, she spotted a green Jaguar convertible parked on the street, right in front of her Jeep. She had been so caught up with the sugar bun incident, she hadn’t noticed the car pull up to the café.
The man looked close to her age, in his early thirties or late twenties—too young to go around dressed up like a nineteenth-century Englishman. His most distinguishing feature was his piercing blue eyes that seemed like they could cut through steel.
Tanya felt a red flag go up.
He might have looked like the most respectable man she’d seen in this town, but something about him was off.
To be continued next week….
Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Question for you: What would you do if you caught a teen stealing food from a bakery?
*Chapters drop on Substack weekly. If the next chapter isn’t up yet, hang on. It’s coming in a few days!
NOTE: Canadian / British spelling is used here as the author is Canadian. The final completed book in bookstores will have American spelling.
Click here to read more stories from the award-winning Canadian mystery thriller author, Tikiri Herath.