Beach Thriller(112)
“Sold. It’s going to be quite a windfall for you.”
She and Conrad share an embrace.
“I’m so excited. I’m ready for a new start. Goodbye to Miramar and good riddance, especially after all that happened there.” Conrad shudders.
He and my mom have been reconnecting. They have many years and a lot of pain between them, but I’m hoping they’ll eventually find their way back to each other. Conrad wants to stay in Beauport, even after he’s out of the mansion, and I believe that’s because of me, but also because of my mother.
Serena passes by, her face buried in a copy of Woof-Woof Well-Being, the latest smash publication from the author of Meow Mindfulness. She peeks over the cover. “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do for my own windfall. How about Canine Consciousness or Connect With Your Pet Psychically?”
“You may need a catchier title,” I suggest, and we all laugh.
Holly and Ethan come over, arms wrapped around each other. Scarlet notices, and from her smile, I can tell what she’s wishing for.
“You two lovebirds are in luck as well. That cute little three-bed I told you about? The owners will be putting it on the market soon. So get your checkbooks ready.”
“Thank goodness for Beach Thriller,” says Holly.
We’re all excited. The publisher’s advance was much bigger than any of us expected. The advance reader copies should arrive soon, and there’s already movie interest, too. I wonder who will play me? She needs to be a total badass, that’s all I can say.
Speaking of badass, I’m in the acknowledgments section of Beach Thriller. And not just for being another victim in the story, but for helping solve the case and for editing Holly’s second draft. I’m obsessed with writing. I’ve signed up to take the GED exam, and I plan to study creative writing. But for now, I’m learning from one of the best and connecting with family at the same time. That’s the most important part.
After lunch, we all find ourselves on the beach, but Scarlet is the only one playing in the sand. Aunt Holly’s phone warbles. Yeah. She’s been Aunt Holly since I found out. It’s her friend Shae, calling from California.
“Let’s take a group photo,” Holly tells her. “I’ll hold up my phone so you can be in it as well.”
Shae has been helping Holly recover the money that Spellman stole. The good news is that Spellman kept various bank accounts, so Holly should get some of it back.
We gather for the photo with the ocean as our backdrop. Aunt Holly puts her arm around me. I rest my head on her shoulder while Ethan hands his phone to a kind man who volunteers to take our picture.
“I love you,” she whispers, squeezing me tight against her.
“I love you, too,” I say, and I mean it.
We break apart, and I wander to the shoreline, looking out over the water. It’s a beautiful beach day, but I shiver. Maeve Carmichael’s body has never been found. Maybe the currents carried her away. But it feels strange. I can feel eyes burning at the back of my neck. I turn around, and no one’s there. I’ve had that feeling a lot lately. Like someone’s hiding in the shadows, waiting.
And watching.
Acknowledgments
With everything I do, it’s a team effort—and that team starts with my partner in work and in life, Kathleen Miller. She’s part of the story from before there are any words on the page to the hard-fought ending, and with it through the final edits to after publication, when we’re promoting the work. Without her incredible contributions, Jamie Day would be something else entirely, and for that I’m eternally grateful.
Others have infused their talents into these pages, most notably Clair Lamb, my longtime wordsmith guide, who praises only what is earned, and whose endorsement of this book in its near-final form is a testament to the power of collaboration. Her instincts and talent serve not only the reader, but also this humble writer. Thank you, Clair, always.
Also at the top of my couldn’t/wouldn’t want to do it without you list is my longtime editor, Jen Enderlin, who believed in Jamie Day from the start, supports my creativity in every way, is patient, kind, but also profoundly creative herself, and deeply perceptive. If you enjoy these books, please send Jen some gratitude, because her brilliance shaped every page.
My supportive agents have been remarkable stewards of my career, and I thank Meg and Rebecca for insights and suggestions that I took to heart, worked into the manuscript, and got a much-improved story as a result.
There were a number of critical readers along the way, whose feedback I value, but none more so than Colleen Rowe-Joyce, Judy Palmer (aka my mom! Go Mom!), Sue Miller, and Greta, our book-loving Chiweenie, who you can follow on Instagram (@jamiedaybooks) and see her hot takes on what makes a novel work.
But if you’ve read this far, you should know it really takes a village, and that includes my amazing team of marketers, Brant and Erica especially, the production team at St. Martin’s Press who gets the work into stores (thank you, Christina!), and all the sales and design professionals who lend their talent to this work of fiction.
It’s a magical thing to create a world from our imagination, but what makes it special, fun, and so worthwhile is doing it with amazing people, and connecting with you, my readers—so from the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming along for the ride.