by Diana Orgain | Sep 23, 2021 | Gold Strike Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss chapter one? Did you miss part one of chapter two? From Runaway Murder Chapter Two Continued… “I’m considering moving here to start a new winery. I unfortu‐ nately lost my old one, which had been in my family for generations, in the canyon fires earlier this year.” “I’m sorry to hear that, Mrs. Lyonel, but I have to get to the kitchen.” “I only have a few questions,” she said, stepping further into the aisle. Not one to be easily accosted, I took a step closer to her, making it clear I wanted to pass. “Mrs. Lyonel, the start of any journey is the busiest time. I will come and find you later on during the trip, and I promise I will answer all your questions.” “Oh, but it won’t take long,” she said, pulling a sheet of paper from her bag. “Really, Mrs. Lyonel,” I said, more firmly this time. “I must get on, but I assure you I will help in any way I can once the barbecue prepa‐ rations are underway.” I took another step forward, and thankfully, Mrs. Lyonel stepped aside, but not without a confused look on her face. “Barbecue?” she asked, her voice high-pitched. “Yes,” I replied as I passed her with a smile. “Today’s feast . . . The Annual Summer Barbecue Excursion.” I could feel her frowning at my back as I carried on down the aisle, but I forced it out of my mind. Perhaps I had been a little harsh with her; she’d been friendly enough, and she was only looking for help, but I hated...
by Diana Orgain | Sep 23, 2021 | Gold Strike Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss chapter one? From Runaway Murder Chapter Two “Morning, Greg,” I muttered as I made my way up the metal steps, my footsteps clanking as I went. He didn’t move at first, asserting his dominance by making me brush past him, I’m sure. But one quick glare from me had him hopping onto the platform to give us space. “Good morning, Jessica, and what a lovely morning it is, too.” “What’s got into you this morning?” I asked. He was always either far too happy or far too irritable, never in between, although part of me was convinced he acted the tempera‐ mental boss for my benefit. “Can a man not be happy at work, Jess?” he asked. I just shook my head and walked past into the waiting area as Vanessa pulled herself up. Greg Kendrick was one of the less pleasant parts of my job. He was the train’s chief conductor and general manager—and my ex-lover. Our affair had been brief, and long before I took the job on the train, but there was no escaping the fact that it had happened. I hadn’t been in the best of places after my divorce,—and even though my two kids and my stepson had long ago flown the nest, I’d still felt guilty divorcing their father. Greg had been a nice distraction from all that, but boy, had it come back to haunt me when I started working on this train. Whenever he disagreed with me or refused to entertain my ideas— which was often enough—I wondered whether he was punishing me for ending things when I...
by Diana Orgain | Sep 23, 2021 | Gold Strike Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss part one of chapter one? From Runaway Murder Chapter One Continued… “Excuse me,” a young woman said, slipping past us and through the crowds. I stepped out of the way. “You’ve heard about the heist, right?” Vanessa asked, pulling me back to the conversation we hadn’t quite started earlier on. “Of course I have,” I said, moving out of the way of a well-dressed man pulling an enormous trunk. He looked like something out of the 1920s, like I’d somehow stepped back in time, and I stifled a chuckle. How delightful! “Hey,” I said. “Would you like a hand with that?” “Sure,” he replied. “Thank you.” I leant down and grabbed the handle on the far end of the trunk, swinging my bag around my back. “Where to?” I said once it was in the air. “Luggage locker,” he replied, nodding over to the small room in the far corner. “I had to check out of my hotel early this morning. I sure was glad when I found out I didn’t have to lug it around with me all day!” “Yeah, there are some pretty great resources here at the station.” Vanessa ran ahead of us and opened the door. “And I hope you don’t mind my saying, but I love your trunk.” “Not very convenient, like these modern ones with wheels,” he admitted. We put the trunk down and he grinned as we straightened up. “But I never was one for all things modern. Thanks for your help.” “No worries,” I said. “Maybe catch you later.” “Morning, Jessica,” another man cried as soon as we...
by Diana Orgain | Jul 17, 2021 | Maternal Instincts Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
From Prams and Poison Chapter Three Despite the slight chill in the air, it was a glorious day. The sky was the perfect crystal blue you only find in California, and even Paula’s spirits seemed to soar as we hurried past the packed out dog park at Alamo Square Park. “You brought Paws here yet?” I asked, gesturing toward the running dogs. “Just once,” she said, “but I need to come back. He had so much fun meeting the other dogs. That’s actually how I met Glenn and struck up the conversation about the upcoming renovation. He was waiting for his bus, and I was out with Paws.” We reached Postcard Row on Steiner Street, and Paula laughed giddily. “I just can’t believe I was even considered for one of these jobs,” she said as we took in the Victorian architecture and bright colors—buttercream yellow, light and dark blue, bright red and faded burgundy, mint green. She motioned toward one of the houses, where a light-haired man paced in front of a garage. “That’s Glenn, with the black sweater.” She waved as we approached, and he raised an eyebrow at her as if daring her to explain the delay. “I was beginning to worry you weren’t coming,” he called as we crossed the street, threading our way through the multitude of tourists and locals who had come to gander at Postcard Row on such a beautiful day. But Paula maintained perfect poise and professionalism. “I wasn’t coming,” she said, “until you texted. I thought Carrie had canceled the meeting, but once I got your message, I figured I’d better...
by Diana Orgain | Jul 16, 2021 | Gold Strike Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss Chapter Two? Did you miss part one of Chapter Three? From Dying for Gold Chapter Three Continued Even though I tried to focus on her chatter, my mind was on the bloody shoe. When we turned the corner to Jason’s block, a chill crept up my spine. What exactly was I going to do with the shoe if I found it? We entered the alley, and a cat hissed at us, then ran off. A black cat no less. Wendy screeched, “Bad luck!” I poked her in the ribs. “Don’t worry about that. It’s the neighbor’s cat.” I said it to calm her down, but the truth was I was superstitious too. The alley was curiously clean. There were no drops of blood like before. It was as if someone had scrubbed the concrete clean. I flipped open the lid of the black garbage can. There was no shoe. There wasn’t anything, not even garbage. “How weird! It was here,” I said to Wendy. “Where?” she asked. “The place is spotless. Garbage pickup isn’t until Monday,” I said. “Somebody must have picked it up,” she answered. I looked through the other bins quickly. The recycling and compost bins were half-full and seemed the same as before. “It doesn’t make any sense. Does it?” “No,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense that you would drag me out here to look at an empty trash can.” I poked her shoulder for her to be quiet, but she was just getting started. “It’s like the time you hauled me over to the Dress Stop...
