Gold Strike Mysteries | Diana Orgain

Murder at the Clocktower (Gold Strike Mysteries: Book Three) Sneak Peek – Chapter Three Continued

From Murder at the Clocktower  Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss Chapter Two? Did you miss part one of Chapter Three? Chapter Three Continued Sonny cleared his throat. “Now, before you get too shocked by what we’re proposing, just know we’re estimating a huge rate of return for what this new commercial center would bring to your town. Bradley’s passing out some of our spec sheets on what Revival estimates on the profits Golden could make with the influx of tourists.” “Not to mention,” Adam added, “this new design includes a significant amount of recycled material. Going green is in.” I snorted, and Adam shot me a look. I looked at my fingernails to avoid his gaze, but I caught Tori grinning in my direction. Tori shook her head when Bradley reached her, not even wanting to take a sheet. “We didn’t ask you to come in and bulldoze half our town,” she said. “We wanted a bid on updating the Clock tower, museum, and miner statue.” Dustin took Tori’s sheet for her and placed it in front of her. “Before you all get upset with Revival, I should probably admit my part in this,” Dustin said, opening his briefcase. He handed papers to the other committee members. “This is the preliminary inspection report on the clock tower which you will see has been deemed potentially unsafe. You all know we had to close it to the public last year due to a leak, and it’s yet to open, except for those working on the clock. It’s been a nightmare. While the structure can be reinforced and...

Murder at the Clocktower (Gold Strike Mysteries: Book Three) Sneak Peek – Chapter Three

From Murder at the Clocktower  Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss Chapter Two? Chapter Three I sat in my car the morning of the meeting with the restoration committee, my heart pounding. My run-in with Dustin had been bad enough; I couldn’t imagine who I’d potentially run into at the town center if I dared to actually step outside of my car. I had driven through town late several times since Tori first told me about the job, looking at the Clock tower and picking up blueprints. But coming in the middle of the day was a different story. “You can do this, you big baby,” I said to myself, sitting upright and turning my rearview mirror towards myself. “Your meeting is in two minutes, and you’re not even sure what room it’s in… so why are you still sitting here like a big dope?” I took a deep breath, and as I reached for the handle, I spotted Dustin hurrying across the parking lot. He was dressed in a flattering suit, a small briefcase at his side. “Typical Dustin,” I muttered. He always overdressed, and the briefcase was just a step too far for the occasion. Glancing in the direction he was sprinting, I saw a young man in an even more uppity business suit with an even more unnecessarily fancy briefcase. They met and shook hands. Two other gentlemen were standing on either side, and he seemed to be introducing Dustin to the group. “Must be the reps from Revival,” I muttered, realizing they were likely about to be escorted by the president of the...

Murder at the Clocktower (Gold Strike Mysteries: Book Three) Sneak Peek – Chapter Two Continued

From Murder at the Clocktower  Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss part one of Chapter Two? Chapter Two Continued “Oh, shut up!” I said. “Right now, I’m debating on whether or not to get groceries for just another week or if I should play it safe and get enough for two….” “Get enough for two, so it’ll last you until after you get the job,” Tori said excitedly. “But then again, if that happens—which it will—you’ll get a place closer to town, I assume. And you don’t want to have to move a bunch of groceries from the motel to wherever you wind up. So… maybe just shoot for a weeks’ worth? I’m going to drag you out to eat at least one more time before the committee meeting. We could go rental shopping together tomorrow and grab lunch if you want?” “I can’t even think about that right now.” I grabbed a few cans from the shelves, including baked beans. I could make tacos one night. I didn’t have much to do at the motel other than work on my presentation and plan out meals, so I resisted the urge to buy too much processed stuff. In the past few days, I’d snacked too much out of boredom. “You want the job. The job means staying in Golden for a while, you know?” Tori said. “You can handle that, can’t you, Hope?” “I can handle it,” I said, though I didn’t feel it. Tori missed my tone. “If you can handle it, stop wearing a disguise to the store,” Tori insisted. “Look, I know this is...

Murder at the Clocktower (Gold Strike Mysteries: Book Three) Sneak Peek – Chapter Two

From Murder at the Clocktower  Did you miss Chapter One? Chapter Two  I knew this would happen eventually. For the last two days, I’d been surviving on eggs and potato chips, in denial of what needed to be done: a grocery run. I’d stuffed my bags with enough food to avoid having to leave the motel until after the committee meeting, but now the meeting had been pushed back a week, and I was down to one slice of bread and a half-empty jar of mayonnaise. I was in a rather unfortunate predicament. I could go to a store outside of town, I thought and whipped out my phone to find the nearest store outside of Golden. Anything to avoid going home just yet. “An extra fifteen minutes just to get off the freeway….” I mumbled. Looking at the time, I knew that fifteen minutes was an understatement given the traffic outside of town. Golden might have been a small town, but larger cities with heavy traffic surrounded it. I was bound to get caught up in an early lunch rush. “Am I going to drive thirty minutes to avoid bumping into anyone I know?” I asked aloud, staring at the keys in the little bowl by the door. “Maybe I could just grab lunch at that sandwich shop again…” But I didn’t need to spend frivolously when I wasn’t sure I’d land the clock tower renovation job. The tiny one-bed motel room had been more than enough in the past two weeks, but it was already beginning to feel cramped. Sooner or later, if I managed to get...

Murder at the Clocktower (Gold Strike Mysteries: Book Three) Sneak Peek – Chapter One Continued

From Murder at the Clocktower  Did you miss part one of Chapter One? Chapter One Continued  “Order up, Tori!” the server said playfully as she placed our paninis in front of us. “Can I get you, ladies, anything else?” “I think we’re good,” Tori said. “You, Hope?’ “I’m fine, thank you,” I said, and the server trotted off. “So, when are you going to stop hiding in a motel outside town?” Tori asked. “There’s plenty of little inns and rental homes closer to where you’ll be working if you get the job.” “I know,” I said, taking a bite of my ham and cheese panini. “Didn’t want to jump on a rental right out of the gate, though. You said I had some competition, right?” Tori rolled her eyes. “If you can call it that. Some big conglomerate called Revival.” I nearly choked on my food. I gulped down some coffee to clear my throat before speaking. “I’m up against Revival Architecture?” “Is that bad?” “Tori!” I exclaimed. “They’re the name for small-town renovations in the west. For starters, there’s no way I could ever match their prices.” “Their ideas suck,” Tori said. “They’re too… what was the phrase you used? Cookie-cutter. They want to get in, get paid, and get out. You’re a Golden girl—” “A girl from Golden,” I corrected, and we laughed. “My point is, you know what this town needs better than these guys in suits. You know what the Clock tower means to us, and you know how to keep that Golden charm. These people don’t know anything about Golden and our history. They’re...

Murder at the Clocktower (Gold Strike Mysteries: Book Three) Sneak Peek – Chapter One

From Murder at the Clocktower  Chapter One  Thanks to the rising price of gold, my hometown of Golden, California, was amid an unprecedented economic boost. That was one of the reasons I was returning home for the first time in over five years. Nerves fluttered through my belly as I parked my car, hiding under a sunhat and glasses. My hometown hosted many faces I didn’t care to revisit, as well as a hoard of memories I didn’t want to relive. But sometimes, that’s what being an adult is all about, facing traumas and ghosts, trying to better oneself despite them. At least, that’s what my therapist said. And goodness knows, I’d done my best to avoid both her advice and my trauma by practicing Balasana on the beach in Bali. For the time being, only one person knew that I was back: my childhood best friend, Tori Kemp. Despite my anxiety, I walked into the small café on the outskirts of Golden. With chipped paint and discolored tiles, the café was in desperate need of updating, but that was hardly surprising. The café had been here for over fifty years. It’d been my favorite place to visit with Steven. Steven. My throat tightened at the thought of him, and I pushed down the painful emotions bubbling in my chest. Across the open space, I spotted Tori in a corner booth. We had ruled the schoolyard together and seeing her now warmed my heart. She leaped out of the booth and launched herself at me, giggling as she threw her arms around my neck. Even though Tori and I...