Diana Orgain | Diana Orgain

Double Trouble (Maternal Instincts Mystery Series: Book Twelve) Sneak Peek – Chapter Two

Did you miss Chapter One? From Double Trouble  Chapter Two “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!” called Paula, standing on an upside-down bucket in my living room. “In five minutes, we’re going to have the gender reveal for the twins! Everyone start thinking about making their way into the kitchen. David is arriving with the cakes any moment.” She placed her hand dramatically over her chest. “I was starting to worry the bakery wasn’t going to finish them in time!” From across the room, I made mournful eye contact with Jim. Paula’s idea for a gender reveal was a pair of cakes—cupcake-sized, I hoped—that she wanted Jim and I to smash into each other’s faces like an enthusiastic bride and groom at a wedding reception. The idea didn’t thrill me . . . but Paula had been so enthusiastic, and it seemed easier to play along. I was too pregnant to argue. Our house was packed out with friends and family. My mom and her boyfriend Galigani sat on the couch in conversation with Jim’s brother, George, and George’s wife, Kiku, who was holding her little one. My dad and stepmom stood near the doorway to the kitchen with Deb, my policewoman friend. Laurie shuffled across the floor, chasing Paula’s toddler son, and our poor cat Whiskers hid under one of the couches evading Paula’s nine-month-old-daughter Chloe. A knock sounded at the door, and I opened it to find my friend and rival PI, Vicente Domingo and his cousin Baramendi, with Sergeant McNearny a step behind them. “Sorry we’re late!” Baramendi said. “We were just wrapping up a few loose ends...

Double Trouble (Maternal Instincts Mystery Series: Book Twelve) Sneak Peek – Chapter One pt 2

Did you miss Chapter One part One? From Double Trouble  Chapter One Continued… I frowned. “It was in dire need of organization. I think it hadn’t been done in a whole year.” “A year,” said Paula, overenunciating the words. “What happened a year ago?” Oooooooh. I pushed the cart forward a few steps, feeling sheepish. “Okay, so maybe I go into nesting mode in the last month of a pregnancy. Is that a crime? Should we call a detective?” Paula’s serious expression wavered, and she suppressed a giggle. “You are a detective. Wait—you don’t have any cases on your plate right now, do you?” I shook my head. “No. No way. The next few months are going to be crazy busy, and I can’t take on any new cases. I told Galigani that already. He agrees.  I deserve a little maternity leave.” Paula stood in front of the cart, her arms crossed. “Exactly! That’s what I’m saying. You don’t need to vacuum again—give yourself a break. Remember how you ended up on bedrest for the last week of your pregnancy with Laurie?” With a scowl, I protested, “That was preeclampsia! It had absolutely nothing to do with overexerting myself nesting.” She studied me skeptically. “In fact,” I added, “Dr. Greene told me that staying active might even help me avoid preeclampsia bedrest.” “You and your facts.” She turned away from me to riffle through another rack of clearance items. “But I’m still not going to let you cut short our girls’ day so you can go vacuum. We have a party to plan!” I fell silent, glancing up at...

4 Sleuths & A Bachelorette ~ A Killer Foursome Mystery ~ Preview of Chapter Four Continued!

From 4 Sleuths & a Bachelorette  Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss Chapter Two? Did you miss Chapter Three? Did you miss part one of Chapter Four? Chapter Four Continued…      “Too bad. With your Sophia Loren looks and height, I could make you a star—your very own baloney commercial.”      “Baloney?” Rock boomed before I had time to process the processed meat offer. “You been holding out on me, Zelda?”      “Like I told you, Rock, the Oscar Mayer gig doesn’t showcase all of your talents.”      “Does too. I went to Higgly Piggly and saw Babette passing out wieners with her hands.”      “Sure, and those wieners are heated. You wanna get a burn?” She blew out a mouthful of smoke to emphasize her point.      Rock retracted his hands in horror, then slipped his glove back on.      Zelda pointed her cigarette at him. “I didn’t think so. Now, I didn’t tell you this before because I didn’t want to get your hopes up, but I’m trying to negotiate you a deal with Ball Park Franks. They sell ’em cold in the package, so there’s no risk to your hands. And the best part is, you can flex your biceps when you tell customers the slogan about how they plump when you cook ’em.”      Rock’s eyes gleamed like the sheen on a hot dog fresh off the grill. “Heeeyyy, I see where you’re going with this. I could piggyback off the franks deal to break into bicep modeling.”      I smirked. Based on Rock’s...

4 Sleuths & A Bachelorette ~ A Killer Foursome Mystery ~ Preview of Chapter Four!

From 4 Sleuths & a Bachelorette  Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss Chapter Two? Did you miss part one of Chapter Three? Chapter Four Franki      “Here we are, lady.” The cab driver eyed me in the rearview mirror. “It ain’t the Ritz.”      I could see that. The hotel was maybe a half a Trip Advisor star above the level of rooms by the hour. I climbed from the backseat with my charcoal overnight bag and handed the driver two twenties. “Keep the change.”      “Thanks.” He removed the cigar from his mouth. “Now I got a tip for you—don’t spend the night in this dump.” The tires squealed as he peeled out of the lot.      “And people say New Yorkers aren’t friendly.” I pulled up the handle of my bag and wheeled it into the lobby, which reeked of cheap cologne and pepperoni. As I approached the reception desk, a fifty-something male with thinning hair and a name tag that said Mo put a half-eaten Hot Pocket on the counter and wiped tomato sauce on his gray uniform.      “I’m Franki Amato. I’ve got a reservation for the weekend.”      He eyed the computer. “I don’t got anyone by that name. You sure you’re in the right place?”      I’d been asking myself that very thing since the cab sped off. “Our research assistant at Private Chicks made the reservation, so it could be under my full name, Francesca Lucia Amato.”      “Private Chicks?” His gaze meandered from my face to my chest. “That a men’s...

4 Sleuths & A Bachelorette ~ A Killer Foursome Mystery ~ Preview of Chapter Three Continued!

From 4 Sleuths & a Bachelorette  Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss Chapter Two? Did you miss part one of Chapter Three? Chapter Three Continued…      “Anyway…” Chelsea ignored my question. It was very difficult having a conversation where you were being ignored. “Take a look at the food. The cake is a scream. Babette will love it,” she said in a voice that implied that she didn’t love it. “And those balloons are so…so fun.”      I spoke up in support of whoever brought them because they seemed like a kindred spirit. “I like the balloons and cake.”      The woman continued to act as if I hadn’t spoken. “I’m sure you all did the best you could on such short notice.” She patted my arm. “Anyway, Charlie…the groom, is around here somewhere. I should introduce you to my family to make you feel more welcome.” She stared into the dim recesses and pointed out a woman reading. “That’s my sister.”      The woman seemed to know we were talking about her and looked up in annoyance. She had thick, black-framed glasses and a hairstyle that screamed Velma from Scooby-Doo. An angry Velma, it appeared, as she scowled before turning back to the book. Now I knew the names of three people—Chelsea, Charlie, and their sister, Charlene—whose name I recalled from the guest list. It seemed like a win, but I kept it to myself.      “And who are the others…” I looked around, but Chelsea had left me for the bar.      What just happened? Chelsea had passive-aggressive down...