THANKSGIVING IN PARADISE

  Praise for the Tj Jensen Mystery Series

  “Daley’s characters come to life on the page. Her novels are filled with a little mystery and a little romance which makes for a murderous adventure.”

  – Tonya Kappes,

  USA Today Bestselling Author of Fixin’ To Die

  “Daley’s mysteries offer as much sizzle and pop as fireworks on a hot summer’s day.”

  – Mary Kennedy,

  Author of The Dream Club Mysteries

  “I’m a huge fan of Kathi’s books. I think I’ve read every one. Without a doubt, she’s a gifted cozy mystery author and I eagerly await each new release!”

  – Dianne Harman,

  Author of the High Desert Cozy Mysteries

  “Intriguing, likeable characters, keep-you-guessing mysteries, and settings that literally transport you to Paradise…Daley’s stories draw you in and keep you glued until the very last page.”

  – Tracy Weber,

  Agatha-Nominated Author of the Downward Dog Mysteries

  “Daley really knows how to write a top-notch cozy.”

  – MJB Reviewers

  “Kathi Daley writes a story with a puzzling cold-case mystery while highlighting…the love of home, family, and good friends.”

  – Chatting About Cozies

  The Tj Jensen Mystery Series

  by Kathi Daley

  PUMPKINS IN PARADISE (#1)

  SNOWMEN IN PARADISE (#2)

  BIKINIS IN PARADISE (#3)

  CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE (#4)

  PUPPIES IN PARADISE (#5)

  HALLOWEEN IN PARADISE (#6)

  TREASURE IN PARADISE (#7)

  FIREWORKS IN PARADISE (#8)

  BEACHES IN PARADISE (#9)

  THANKSGIVING IN PARADISE (#10)

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  Copyright

  THANKSGIVING IN PARADISE

  A Tj Jensen Mystery

  Part of the Henery Press Mystery Collection

  First Edition | October 2019

  Henery Press, LLC

  www.henerypress.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including internet usage, without written permission from Henery Press, LLC, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Copyright © 2019 by Kathi Daley

  This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Trade Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1-63511-539-0

  Digital epub ISBN-13: 978-1-63511-540-6

  Kindle ISBN-13: 978-1-63511-541-3

  Hardcover ISBN-13: 978-1-63511-542-0

  Printed in the United States of America

  This series is about family and I have a large one.

  I want to dedicate this book to the entire network of people with whom I share a bloodline and a history.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  They say it takes a village and I have a great one.

  I want to thank all my friends who hang out over at my Kathi Daley Books Group page on Facebook. This exceptional group help me not only with promotion but with helpful suggestion and feedback as well.

  I want to thank the bloggers and reviewers who have pretty much adopted me and have helped me to build a fantastic social media presence. I want to thank my support staff including my book club moderator Jayme Maness, my tech guy Bruce Curran, my graphic artist Jessica Fisher, and my editors Randy Ladenheim-Gil and Peggy Hyndman.

  I want to thank the entire Henery Press family who have been so incredibly awesome and fun to work with.

  And last but certainly not least, I want to thank my super-husband Ken for allowing me time to write by taking care of everything else (and I mean everything.)

  Chapter 1

  Tuesday, October 31

  “You’ve really improved since we last played, but I can see that you still haven’t learned the most effective use your queen.”

  I frowned as I considered the image of the grizzly old man sitting across from me. “My queen is protecting my king.”

  Zachary slid his hand forward, picked up his chess piece, and knocked my queen gently off the board. “Not anymore.”

  I groaned as I realized that he had bested me yet again. “Why are you here?”

  He chuckled. “Beats me.”

  “You’ve been dead for four years. You really shouldn’t be here. Unless… Am I dead?”

  “No, you aren’t dead.”

  I looked around at the dense fog that surrounded the small table where Zachary and I sat. “Today is Halloween, the anniversary of the day we met. You’ve been on my mind so I suppose that could explain your presence in my subconscious. I must be sleeping.”

  “Actually, I think you’re unconscious.”

  I frowned. “Well, that can’t be good.”

  Zachary shrugged and began setting the board up for a new game.

  I glanced at the gossamer image across from me. “This whole thing is really weird, but I am happy to spend time with you. I’ve missed our games.”

  “As have I, although we do still have one game left to play.”

  “Tj,” a voice beckoned. I swatted at the hand on my face as someone outside my dream pulled me out of the fog.

  “Wait,” I called to Zachary as he began to fade. “I’m not ready for the dream to end. I didn’t have a chance to tell you about Kyle and me.”

  “Come on, sweetheart. I need you to wake up.”

  I fought the voice that pulled me toward it. Not only did I have so many more questions for Zachary, but as my mind cleared, the throbbing in my head and the pain in my leg, became very real. I struggled to stay in the dream, but the voice was too compelling. I silently screamed as I was pulled into a world of hurt, where sirens blared, lights flashed, and the images around me spun like the tilt-a-whirl at the county fair.

  “That’s it, stay with me,” the annoying voice insisted as I struggled against it.

  “Kyle?” I croaked.

  “No. It’s Hunter. Can you tell me where it hurts?”

  I opened my eyes just a slit. My face was wet, and there was something heavy on my leg.

  “Hunter?” This couldn’t be right. Hunter Hanson was one of my very best friends, but he’d been hurt that I’d hooked up with Zachary’s grandson, Kyle Donovan, and he hadn’t been coming around lately. I supposed I could still be dreaming, although if this was a dream, it was a poor substitute for the calm and peaceful world I’d been forced to leave behind.

  “That’s right. It’s Hunter. I’m going to get you out of here, but I need you to lay perfectly still until I can.”

  As the last of the fog from the dream faded, I became aware of the wet ground and the debris around me. It seemed like it must be raining. I could barely make out the images within my line of sight, but I was pretty sure I was inside a building. Or at least I had been inside a building. At this point, all that was left were half collapsed walls. I wanted to ask what in the heck was going on, but I felt my mind drifting back toward the darkness. Maybe I’d just rest f
or a moment before I tried to figure all of this out.

  “Doctor Hanson,” a female voice said from somewhere beyond the fog. “The emergency crew are here with a jack. They should have Ms. Jensen free in a matter of minutes.”

  “That’s good news. Do you know what is going on with the other victims?”

  “Two are dead, and four are on their way to the hospital.”

  “Okay. Keep me posted.”

  Hospital? I played with the concept in my mind. That didn’t seem right. I remembered that there was somewhere I needed to be, but I was pretty sure that a hospital had not been involved. Although now that I thought about it, I was beginning to remember the loud noise, bright light, and flash of pain before the world went black.

  “Just a few more minutes, sweetheart,” Hunter said as he shone a bright light into my eyes.

  I tried to speak, but my mouth felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton candy. The fog surrounding me had cleared, and the pain that had been nothing more than an impression was beginning to get very real. “Leg,” I groaned.

  “Your leg is pinned beneath a beam,” Hunter said as he stroked my hair. “The emergency crew will get you free, so just hang in there.”

  “Beam? Where am I?”

  “The town hall. There’s been an explosion.”

  I realized the rain must actually be water from the fire hoses used to put out the fire. “Kyle?”

  “He is being looked after. Now, I need you to try to relax. Just take a deep breath and focus on the sound of my voice.”

  I felt myself drifting away. Hunter said something I really didn’t follow, so I turned my focus toward my dream where visions of Zachary blocked the pain and noise from my mind. I’d first met the elderly Zachary Collins on Halloween night almost eighteen years earlier. My friends had dared me to sneak inside the gated estate where the monster-like recluse lived, knock on the door, and then run away. Never one to turn down a dare, that’s what I did. Zachary had caught me, and we’d become close friends. He’d been murdered four years ago, and I’d missed him every day since, so I wasn’t at all surprised that it was him I’d hallucinate about if I was, in fact, hallucinating.

  “Zachary, are you still here?” I called into the fog.

  His image appeared. “You know I am always here, watching out for you, guiding you through life’s trials.”

  The fear and pain I’d experienced faded as Zachary held out his hand to me. “Are you sure I’m not dead? Things seem pretty serious back there.”

  “You aren’t dead, but death is present. As much as I’d love to keep you here with me, your friends are going to need you. It’s time for you to go back and face what you must.”

  “But…”

  “It looks like she is coming to,” said a voice somewhere on the other side of the fog. “Her leg is free, and what’s left of this building is about to come down. Let’s get out of here while we can.”

  I recoiled in pain as I was lifted onto a backboard. The whirling lights reflecting off the wet surfaces made me woozy, so I closed my eyes. Hunter still clung to my hand, so I squeezed tighter as I rode out the crazy waves of dizziness and nausea.

  “She is the last one, so I’ll just ride to the hospital with you,” I heard Hunter say to someone, I assumed the ambulance driver.

  “Sure thing Doctor Hanson. We’ll get you there as soon as we’re able.”

  I heard a door slam just seconds before the world around me jerked into motion.

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” I managed to say as the vehicle transporting me took a sharp corner.

  “Take a deep — slow — breath,” Hunter said. “We’re almost there.”

  “Almost where?” I struggled to keep my dinner on the inside as the vehicle whipped around yet another corner.

  “The hospital,” Hunter answered. “Once we arrive, I’m going to need to leave you in order to help the others. How is your leg?”

  I moved my leg and wiggled my toes. “Now that the pressure is gone, my leg feels fine.” My nausea had passed, so I dared to open my eyes to find Hunter’s blue eyes staring into my own.

  “I can’t know for certain without an x-ray, but it appears as if your leg isn’t even broken.”

  I smiled. “You always did say that I might be small, but I was tough.”

  “Titanium tough. It isn’t everyone who can have a building come down on them and walk away with only a few cuts and bruises.”

  The remainder of the building coming down made me frown. “Kyle? He was just a few steps in front of me.”

  Hunter squeezed my hand. “He was taken to the hospital. I don’t know his status at this point, but I promise you I’ll personally check on him when we get there.”

  “And the others?”

  Hunter shook his head. “I don’t know. I stayed behind with you after the others were transported to the hospital. I’m going to do everything possible to save those I can. The others were closer to the blast, but you don’t need to think about that. I want you to try to slow your breathing and calm your mind. Your blood pressure is off the charts. We need to get it down, and for that to happen, you need to relax.”

  Relax? Was he kidding?

  The vehicle stopped, and the back door opened. I watched Hunter as he got up.

  “Don’t go,” I said, suddenly scared of being left alone amongst all the chaos and uncertainty.

  “I have to go,” he said. “You are going to be fine. I am turning you over to a very capable nurse, and I’ll check on you later. I had the hospital call your dad. He’s probably already here.” Hunter kissed me gently on the lips and then disappeared.

  The next few minutes were like a nightmare. Bright lights, people hovering, IV’s being inserted even though I was sure that other than having a raging headache, I actually was, as Hunter had promised, just fine. I looked around for my father whose voice I could hear but whose face I couldn’t see. I could hear people yelling and running, and smell blood and burnt flesh. It was then that I finally lost the dinner I’d been so valiantly trying to hang onto.

  Chapter 2

  Thursday, November 2

  I clung to my dad’s arm as the snow outside a nearby window drifted gently toward the soggy earth. Tears pooled as the funeral director tried to explain the options available to us. I knew there were decisions to be made, but I had to admit I wasn’t really listening. I glanced at my best friend, Jenna Elston, who clung to her mother, but they didn’t appear to be paying any more attention to the man than I was.

  “I think a simple service on Saturday would be best,” I heard my dad say. “I spoke to Pastor Dan, and he is available in the afternoon. If you call him, he’ll coordinate the specifics with you.”

  Jenna’s mother, Helen Hellerman, had been named as the executor in the last will and testament of her best friend, Harriet Kramer, but given the fact that Helen’s new husband was in the hospital clinging to life, she really wasn’t in any shape to make decisions. I wanted to do what I could to help, but I wasn’t in all that great of shape myself, so I’d enlisted the help of the man who’d always been there for me, my father, Mike Jensen.

  “I’ll need someone to fill out the paperwork required for the cremation of the remains,” the funeral director said.

  “Is this something I can do?” Dad asked.

  “Yes, that should be fine.”

  I looked at Jenna. “Why don’t you go ahead and take your mom home. The poor thing hasn’t slept in days. I’ll stay and finish up here, and then I’ll call you with the final times and whatnot.”

  Jenna glanced at Helen. “Okay. Thank you. I think that would be best.”

  I got up and limped across the room. The leg that had been trapped by a beam from the frame of the building after the explosion that had killed two people and injured four others had left me feeling battered and bruised, but, as Hu
nter had suspected, I hadn’t broken a single bone. The beam had miraculously fallen in such a way that it trapped my leg but did not crush it. I’d been lucky. The other occupants of that room hadn’t gotten off so lightly.

  My dad seemed to have everything under control with the funeral director, so I decided to walk Jenna and Helen to their car. I said a few words to Jenna, hugged both women, and tucked Helen into her seat before waving them off. I turned to head back into the building when I noticed my grandfather, Ben Jensen, arrive with his best friend, Doc aka Stan Griffin. I paused and waited while they parked.

  “You didn’t have to come,” I said after the men climbed out and headed in my direction. “Dad seems to have everything under control. The funeral will be on Saturday.”

  Grandpa tightened his lips and furrowed his brow revealing his anger and pain.

  “We went by the hospital to check on the others,” Doc explained. “Bookman and Hank are still unconscious, but Jeff has been moved out of the ICU and is expected to make a full recovery. The only one we were actually able to speak to was Kyle, who is chomping at the bit to get out of there. From what I understand, he will be released today unless his labs come back less than ideal.”

  I sighed. “I’d hoped Bookman would be awake by the time I stopped by today. I know the uncertainty is taking its toll on Helen.”

  “Maybe he will wake up before the end of the day,” Grandpa said, taking my hand in his and giving it a squeeze.

  “I hope so.” I let out a long breath. “I still can’t believe that both Lloyd and Harriet are gone. The whole thing seems so pointless.”

  Grandpa, a tall and sturdy man with white hair and faded blue eyes, walked toward me with outstretched arms. I walked into them, relaxing just a bit as his strong arms tightened around me. I closed my eyes for just a moment as I rested my head on his shoulder. It had been two days since the explosion, but I was still having a hard time coming to grips with the reality of the whole thing. My dad had always told me that when life threw you a curve, the only thing you could do was to deal with each moment as it came. That, I decided, was what I was going to do now.