by Diana Orgain | Sep 23, 2021 | Maternal Instincts Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss Chapter One? From Cereal Killer Chapter Two In the tow truck, Fred turned the key in the ignition. “Why don’t I drop you folks off at Luz’s place, and then I’ll take the car into the mechanic for you. I’ll call when I have an update.” “That’d be great,” replied Vicente, fiddling with the AC vent. “Really appreciate you coming out so quickly.” “Benefit of being a tow truck driver in a fairly small town—I usually get three or four calls a day from people in the surrounding area, but not so many that I get backed up with multiple urgent calls very often. Which is especially good on a hot day like this. Glad you folks were all right.” I didn’t say anything. I was wedged between Fred and Vicente in the cab of the truck, grateful for our ride to the vineyard but still steaming over the cover story Vicente had invented. Hello, 911? I’d like to report a murder. The victim? My dignity. I shot Vicente a death glare that burned hotter than the California sun, but he ignored me. If he expects me to giggle and hold his hand and act like we’re in love, he’s got another think coming. The tow truck eased out onto the road. “So,” Fred said. “When’s the wedding?” Vicente said, “In a few—” “We’re still discussing that,” I interjected coolly. “There’s been a little trouble in paradise, I’m afraid.” Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a look of amusement on Vicente’s face. Two can play this game. If he was going to dress...
by Diana Orgain | Sep 23, 2021 | Maternal Instincts Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss part one of Chapter One? From Cereal Killer Chapter One Continued… He let out a sigh. “So, that’s some background of why we don’t want people to know we’re investigating. I told you that she received some threatening notes?” I nodded. “We’ll look at them when we get to her house, but she told me that, whoever this person is, they know she bought someone else’s grapes. She thinks that may be the reason they’re harassing her.” “A rival vineyard?” He let out a sigh and turned up the air conditioning. “Maybe. Or maybe an ex-boyfriend. Thomas.” His lips curled into a sneer. “I always hated him. Smug idiot. He runs a local wine bar, and he recently expanded his business—bought the building next door to his bar and fixed it up as an all-inclusive wedding venue. Luz’s vineyard is beautiful, and people rent it out for events, especially weddings. Thomas is still in love with her and is trying to win her back, but he’s also trying to undermine her business and poach her catering and event contracts. It’s like he’s obsessed with her. The weasel.” “How long ago did they break up?” “About a year. And good riddance,” he muttered. A white Prius appeared, driving the opposite direction. I clumsily leaped out of the car and waved frantically, but I was too slow; the car passed us by. With a sigh, I sank back into my seat and closed the door. “We could always walk,” he said. I pointed to my pregnant belly. “Then again, maybe not,” he conceded. A horn beeped, and I...
by Diana Orgain | Sep 23, 2021 | Maternal Instincts Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
From Cereal Killer Chapter One “But what do you mean there’s no cell service?” I wailed, staring at my phone. Zero bars. From the driver’s seat, Vicente Domingo flashed his trademark smirk. Most women in most situations found his roguish, tall-dark-and-handsome shtick charming. In the best of times, I found it only mildly obnoxious. This was not the best of times. “No worries,” he crooned in his lilting Spanish accent. “I’m sure we won’t be stuck on the side of the road too long.” “It’s four thousand degrees outside!” I sputtered. “You’re exaggerating by exactly 3900 degrees.” The temperature gauge flicked from 100 to 101. I pointed to it. “Make that three thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine.” “Really—don’t worry, quierda. I’ll pop the hood and see if it’s an easy fix.” He opened the car door, letting in a whoosh of heat. “I’m not your love,” I muttered as he closed the door behind him. I traced the BMW’s black leather seat. Shouldn’t a car like this be too expensive to break down on us? When Vicente Domingo—a rival PI—had invited me out to the town of Golden to solve a mystery, I’d been excited . . . and a little confused. But I definitely hadn’t planned to end up stranded twenty- seven minutes from our destination, in ten-thousand-degree heat, while more than seven months pregnant with twins! How busy was this road, exactly? After passing Sacramento, we took highway 49 toward Golden, but a traffic jam a few miles earlier had sent us onto a back road through the middle of nowhere. I tried to remember how many...
by Diana Orgain | Sep 23, 2021 | Gold Strike Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
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...
by Diana Orgain | Sep 23, 2021 | Gold Strike Mysteries, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
From Runaway Murder Chapter One “So how is the new job going anyway?” my best friend Vanessa asked as she swung the cab into the station’s car parking lot. It was already busy, people hurrying through the turnstiles, drag‐ ging their luggage or clutching a toddler’s hand. I couldn’t help but smile. The hustle and bustle of the station always got my heart pump‐ ing. It reminded me of my time in Europe as a young adult, when I’d splurged on a Eurail Pass after graduating college. I’d crisscrossed the continent, meeting new people, drinking in experiences, and growing beyond what I’d thought possible. And falling in love for the first time. Yes, I fell in love with travel, Europe, and a sweet, sweet French boy, Laurent. Trains would forever equal excitement to me. I got out of the cab without answering Vanessa and looked around, my arm resting on the open door. I found the mix of old and new intoxicating—the state-of-the-art commuter trains next to the luxury vintage carriages that captured people’s attentions. The scent of diesel clung to the air, the quintessential smell of the station complemented by the aroma of summer. Whenever I smelled diesel anywhere else, I was instantly transported back to the station, back to huddles of eager people waiting to discover what their day had in store for them. Back to the thrill I felt every time I stepped onto the train. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on us mercilessly, and it brought with it that peculiar feeling of possibility and hope that summer always brought. I raised...
