thriller | 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...

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...