Murder by Nature (Organic Tropical Mystery Series) Read online

  Murder by Nature

  By Lynn Ambers

  APublishing©2020 All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or means without written consent from the publisher.

  Please send correspondence to: [email protected]

  Cover by Germancreative

  Thank you to Germancreative for a great cover.

  I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Chris for all his love and support. I forever appreciate his energy, help, and inspiration. I also thank very much, Kathryn V, a teacher for 25 years, for editing the book and being positive about the project and my crazy brainstorms. Thank you both, always!

  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

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter One

  Shaking the box of organic kale into the plastic containers on the mixed lettuce table, I was not going to cry. Ruffled pieces fell out of the box onto the booth table. I would not let sadness get the better of me that day. I tossed the rubbish kale in the trash for quality control along with my sadness. It was the first market day of the season on Marina Key, and I was determined to make it a good day.

  Organic carrots to passion fruits in clean containers took up most of the space on the tables. The produce was all part of my farm’s harvest. I needed the day’s sales to be over the top. I was a month away from losing my organic farm here in the Florida Keys. The summer was slow, my fiancé, John, left, and I owed money to everyone and their mother.

  I am Felicity Krop the sole owner of Marina Key Organic Farms. My ex, John, and I used to own the organic farm together until about a year ago. John became addicted to drugs and devastated my heart by running off with one of our blond skinny legged farm workers. I was able to buy my ex out and get the farm in my name, but I was struggling.

  I looked up surveying the booth tables startled by the sound of Valerie Ceres screeching my name. Valerie pranced through the market crowd towards me; her usual cleavage bubbled over her tank top doing nothing to help her annoying voice.

  “Felicity, Felicity hurry. I must get back to the bakery. Can you bag some fruits for me? I’ve got so much to do. You bag three passion fruits, two bunches of romaine, and two lemons for me, quickly,” she said.

  “What’s the hurry, Valerie?” I said looking at the walkway between all the white canopies of the market vendors to see if something was chasing her. I saw lots of folks wandering about looking to buy from the vendors at our Marina Market, but there was also a man standing very still staring at Valerie. He was very Miami, flamingo slick with a pink button-down shirt and chest hair coming out from under the top of his shirt. He had razor sunglasses on, and he gave me the creeps.

  “Please, just do it. I have got to get back to all to the bakery,” she continued to yell at me. I looked towards the Miami man again, but he was gone.

  “Um, okay,” I said turning my attention back to Valerie a bit annoyed. I gathered the items Valerie asked for. I handed them to David, my Florida manager who had a tan and full head of sun kissed hair.

  David took the items with a love-struck look in those eyes. I crinkled my nose at him. I was sure that look was not for me. Then I realized, he just looked at Valerie.

  I nudged him a little and nodded towards Sophie, his fiancé. I did not want a domestic dispute on my hands Sophie, his fiancé was one of my best crew members and a friend. She is pretty and petite with long red hair and green eyes. I could not live without the two of them to run my organic farm and the booth.

  Sophie was busy with a customer and did not notice David’s temporary loss of balance over. Sophie and David were my hero couple. I wanted it to stay that way.

  Valerie Ceres is the owner of the Marina Key Bakery. She makes Puerto Rican desserts that make you melt with just one bite. Her pastries are of all sorts with exotic fruit, like guava and passion fruit. She also makes bakery puffs and treats that are recipes passed down from a long line of women in her family.

  I think most of us in town gained an inch since she opened Marina Key Bakery. Valerie’s chocolate colored curly hair falls to the middle of her back. I am a bit jealous as my medium brown humidity frizzed hair will only look healthy above my shoulders. I have to swing it into a bun on top of my head, most of the time, to look decent.

  “I don’t have time to talk.” Valerie said, “How’s that handsome delivery boy of yours, Mathew? Can he deliver to the bakery this week?”

  Valerie’s reference was to my “friend” Mathew, who also happens to be the local sheriff in town. He did me a favor and delivered some fruits to her awhile back. I guess she wasn’t aware of his real job.

  “Funny Valerie,” I said. “Matt is busy dealing with Marina Key crime, he is the sheriff in case you forgot. One of my other guys will make your delivery,” I said. “What else would you like, dear?”

  “Ah phew, that’s no fun. What’s taking so long?” she said with her slight Spanish accent. David and I looked at each other. We were moving fast. Valerie was acting a bit odd even for her.

  “I also want three avocados and two coconuts. This is all I need for now. I want a delivery to the shop tomorrow. I need it like first thing. Someone has to do it?” Valerie whined.

  Now, I have tolerated a lot of customer bashing from all my jobs and got over it. Valerie was starting to get on my nerves.

  “Hurry Felicity, I need to go.” Valerie said.

  I paused for a second and took a small paper bag and put in three avocados. Our town, Marina Key was small, and we had to work together. I would have loved to tell Valerie off now, but… I needed Valerie’s business to keep my business afloat.

  “Valerie,” I said, “we can deliver for you if you put orders in. I have told you this many times. Everyone else puts in their orders in on time.”

  “I should be priority,” Valerie
said. “I buy so much food from you. I have the girls working on the passion fruit pastries. We can hardly keep up with the demand. I need more honey.”

  “There is honey here,” I said. I pointed to the end of the booth where the honey was set up on a table with samples.

  “How am I gonna to carry this big order?”

  “A basket maybe or we can load your car over on the loading area.” She just looked at me.

  “I can check and see how many deliveries we have lined up. I’ll try to squeeze you in, but this will be the last time. Please get one of your girls to put the order in. I know they are computer savvy.”

  “Listen, Felicity,” Valerie said rolling her eyes at me. “I’ll pay whatever extra it costs for the delivery if that is what it takes to get some service around here.” I inhaled long and hard to contain my aggravation.

  “It’s not the money Valerie. We are remarkably busy and have a lot of orders. I like to be fair to all my customers. Your one-time extra payment is not going to cover the money I could lose if my other customers cancel,” I said. She rolled her eyes again.

  “There’s always VIP service for more money,” she said. “In Puerto Rico, I would not be treated like this. Let me know if you can’t handle the delivery then I will have to go somewhere else.”

  I looked at her with a smile and said,” somewhere else to get fresh organic passion fruit, organic honey, organic free-range eggs, and key limes in a moment’s notice. I will see what I can do as soon as we see the order come up in the system. But you are free to do what you want,” I said. She rolled her eyes again.

  Valerie moved here from the Puerto Rico two years ago. Money never seemed to be an issue with her but ordering people around like we were all meant to serve her, was.

  Those of us in the town who gossip were sure a baker’s salary doesn’t afford a million-dollar home since my best friend; Angela lives in a small cottage near Valerie on Dolphin Street. Angela owns, The Red Reef Shop and makes a modest salary. Most of the homes, Angela nor I could afford on Dolphin Street as they are waterfront properties on one of the many canals that run up and down the Florida Keys.

  Angela was lucky to buy her house behind the mangroves right near town where the canal starts from the sea. It remained a mystery to us all how Valerie got all her money and could afford her expensive house.

  My head turned at the sound of a very loud whistle. Valerie looked over towards the parking lot. A man with those same razor sunglasses was motioning to her. It was the same man I saw before. He had an incredibly angry look on his face. He was standing near the open rear window of a large dark SUV with tinted windows.

  She waved her hand in his direction in five small little flits as if to say, “go away”. I looked at him. His already angry face seemed to get angrier. He slowly reached in his pocket and took out a cellphone. He dialed a number.

  Valerie’s phone chimed. She answered the phone but did not say hello. I looked from her to the creepy guy at the car and from him to her. Valerie’s face turned from in control diva to a shade of white fear. She took the phone away from her ear and hung it up.

  Chapter Two

  “I want to come by and get some of your delicious passion fruit pastries,” Blake Dalefort said as he came up to her and thankfully interrupted the tense mood. He sauntered in from the crowd with his sexy man voice. He nudged his sports worthy body into Valerie and smiled showing off his laser white teeth. I continued working.

  “Whatever you like hon,” she said shaking the fear from her face and smiling while leaning into his chest with her shoulder.

  Blake Dalefort, the heir to the Dalefort fortune could always be count on to lighten the mood. Blake was wearing a white t-shirt that read “Sea Life Is My Only Life” with a big fishing hook and a fish’s mouth going for it. His broad shoulders and fantastic thick hair screamed “great genetics” and “lots of money” about him. He had on stylish khaki shorts to finish his southern preppy look.

  Blake’s father owns a corporation Diabolis Inc., which is my worst nightmare. They sell pesticides and other chemicals to many of the conventional farmers in America. My farm in contrast was an organic farm. My aim is to provide safe fresh fruits and vegetables free of harmful pesticides.

  The Dalefort’s products are suspected to be linked to causing cancer. This fact has been hard to prove since cancer can develop over time with no known link. These days, people like the Dalefort’s get away with selling products that hurt people with extraordinarily little consequence.

  Blake did not work for his dad but enjoyed his dad’s money. He did work though. Blake owns “The Reel One” a deep-sea fishing boat. He takes tourist out onto the beautiful turquoise waters around Marina Key.

  Blake is a good fisherman and helps vacationers from the rest of the country live out their fishing dreams on his boat in the open waters of Bluemarada Key, best known for the marlin fishing. He does well on his own but doesn’t have to work if he doesn’t want to.

  Blake Dalefort was not my favorite person in the world. For all his good looks, all I can see is a guy who is privileged from a product that can be killing people.

  “Maybe, I’ll bake something for Marina Fest with a little chocolate and coconut.” Blake said.

  “You?” Valerie said with sarcasm.

  “Yes, me, I can bake,” he said.

  “I know you can turn up the heat but bake?” Valerie said.

  “Oh, I can show you my baking moves,” he said.

  “Oh Blake,” she said, giving him a flirty swipe across his chest. I felt nauseous. Didn’t she tell me she was in a hurry. She suddenly acted like she had all the time in the world.

  There were rumors always flying around about Valerie sleeping with men in town. Everyone turned the other cheek as people do. Her love life was not my business. Okay, maybe I was a bit curious.

  “Good Morning, Madam Felicity,” Blake turned to me. “How is everything? Are you and the Rehab Center ready for Marina Fest and the float contest?” Blake turned to me.

  “I’m great, Blake thanks for asking, we are working on it. The rehab is pretty much got the plans in place, but it is top secret. You know how it is,” I smiled. “So, what can I get for you?”

  “My dad is determined to win this year!” Blake said.

  “I am sure he is. He wins every year. In four weeks, we will find out. Good Luck to him and his crew.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Organic, kindness always follows you. D’yawl have any watermelons back there? I need about four of them. I thought I’d treat the tourists to a little southern refreshment. You know- to take the edge off the heat from the sun. The little perks keep them coming,” I smiled.

  “Don’t tell my father,” Blake said. “He’d rather me be in the stores buying from those who use our products, but I saw you two beautiful ladies down here and had to say hi.”

  “That’s nice of you, Blake. I’ve got some fresh ones back here, just a second.” I walked to the back of the booth where the last box was hiding under a table. I grabbed a few watermelons and brought them up front.

  “You have a separate cooler from the fish, I suspect,” I said.

  “Why?” he said.

  “You probably don’t want to give your guest watermelon that smell like fish.”

  “Oh yeah, you’re right Felicity, thanks. I ‘ll get a foam cooler and put them in there or something.”

  “I have something even better.” I ran over to our merchandise table and grabbed one of Angela’s nylon cooler bags.

  “This has a special liner, so you can put ice and whatever else you like in it. When you’re not using it for your guests, you can throw some beers in, and they won’t smell like fish. A part of the proceeds from purchasing this bag helps an organization save the water and coral reefs around the keys from plastic and destruction.” Upselling is just a part of business, I thought, I might as well suggest.

  “Wow yeah, that’s great. Anything to save the ocean around here. I’ll throw the beer
s in along with the watermelon. Thank you for the suggestion,” He said. I smiled.

  “You’re welcome. Is there anything else we can get for you two?”

  “No, that’s about it.” They both said at the same time smiling and giggling. I handed the items to Sophie who rang up the order while I squeezed two of the watermelons in the bag.

  “Thank you for your business you two, enjoy this beautiful Saturday, “I said, moving towards the next customer in line.

  “Thank you, Felicity, see you around.” Blake said.

  “It’s about time, I got through here.” Valerie said. Blake looked at her strange.

  “Someone’s in a bad mood today” Blake said.

  “Only because I missed you,” she said while taking his arm and smiling coyly. He smiled back and then they gave flirty laughs and pressed into each other.

  “Just a second hon,” she said to him. “I’ll be expecting that order tomorrow from you,” Valerie said to me.

  “Make sure to make one online, and I will see what I can do.” I said as nicely as I could. I caught another eye roll which she showed to Blake and then smiled at him. It was my turn to roll my eyes

  .

  Chapter Three

  I turned away from the odd couple and spotted Shelley, the market coordinator, in the middle of the market. She had a big white hat on with large white feathers leaning out the top. I quickly grabbed and fastened our Marina Organic Farm sign on one of the hooks in the front of the booth.

  Many of our regulars knew us by our looks and our leaf green t-shirts with the words Marina Organic Farms on the front. Most of the customers didn’t need the sign to recognize us.

  I didn’t want to make Shelley mad. She would scold us for not following the rules. She liked everything in its place. I escaped Shelley’s wrath this time thanks to spotting her. She had her clip board and was for sure on the hunt for errors. I thankfully saw her pass by. I smiled and she smiled back.

  The morning had flown by. Along with Sophie and David, I also had Heidi, Mitch, and George to help. Their weekly salaries were another reason for needing this market season to be a successful one. Each of the crew was vital to making the farm run smoothly. They counted on me for their living and I did not want to let them down.