A Killer Plot (A Books by the Bay Mystery)

their quarry. Olivia remained still, watching them.
    As usual, Max wore a tailored business suit, but Dean was more casual in tan slacks, a green polo shirt, and hiking boots. As he drew nearer, Olivia could see that the baseball hat he wore was embroidered with the logo of an exclusive golf club in Scotland. His mirrored sunglasses made it impossible to tell what he was thinking as he headed Olivia’s way. Max followed closely behind his boss, dabbing at his perspiring brow with a wad of tissues.
    “You’re a hard woman to find,” Dean stated without preamble as he mounted the gazebo’s first step. “May I come in, Ms. Limoges? I don’t want to interrupt your meal.”
    “Do what you like,” Olivia responded ungraciously. “This is public property. At least for the time being.”
    Haviland bared his teeth.
    The real estate tycoon looked at the poodle with disingenuous amusement. “Does your dog see me as a threat?”
    Olivia folded up the map she’d been studying. “I don’t know. Are you?”
    “Not at all. Our proposition is sound.” He gestured at the maps. “However, I’m glad to see you doing your research. It makes our job easier when we’re dealing with informed board members.” Dean leaned with deliberate nonchalance against the support post, and Olivia was satisfied to keep a measure of space between them. Being on higher ground than the ambitious real estate mogul and his crony made Olivia feel as though she had an advantage. Haviland’s proximity also solidified her sense of confidence. She wasn’t afraid of either man, but this was her town they sought to change and she wanted to come to a decision without their influence.
    “Since you’ve come all this way to see me, I’ll tell you exactly what I think of your proposal. While the new park seems to be quite people-friendly, it does not provide an equitable habitat for the wildlife that will be displaced from the current park. There is a great deal more marsh-land here.” She watched their faces closely for signs of irritation or anger, but both men kept their expressions guarded. “And I cannot approve of the burial ground’s destruction. I think you should build around it. If someone doesn’t want to live in a house too close to it, then surround the graveyard with additional green space.” She tapped one of the maps. “I consider Cottage Cove’s current amount to be minimal, at best.”
    “You’ve raised valid points, Ms. Limoges, but surely you agree that this new Talbot community means homes, jobs, and revenue for Oyster Bay,” Dean replied pleasantly. “The fishing industry is waning. As a native of the town and the daughter of a fisherman, I’d have thought you’d want new opportunities to be available to the men who work from sunup to sundown and still can’t make ends meet”
    Olivia flushed. He’s done his research , she thought, doing her best to quell a surge of hostility.
    “Your tenants and employees will all benefit from this project,” Max Warfield added smoothly. “I’m sure you’re more interested in their futures than in the nesting locations of a few birds.”
    “I hope that isn’t the tack you took when speaking to Marlene Gibbons.” Olivia took a sip of Wheeler’s sun tea. His secret was that he steeped fruit-flavored tea bags in the open air for hours. On any given sunny day, one could walk behind his eatery and find rows and rows of covered glass pitchers lined up on a pair of old card tables. No one else in Oyster Bay could rival the flavor of Wheeler’s iced tea. Today, the tea was peach flavored and tasted like bottled summer.
    Dean gazed around the park, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “We have something to offer everyone , Ms. Limoges. For example, Talbot Fine Properties has decided to add a feature to our new park. Would you care to see it?”
    Olivia inclined her head and Max stepped into the gazebo, his nervous eyes fixed on Haviland.
    “He won’t bite unless commanded to do so,” Olivia remarked coolly. “At least, not usually.”
    Skirting around the poodle as though Haviland might suddenly lunge forward and sink sharp teeth into the costly material of his pant leg, Max unfurled another bird’s-eye view of the new park and tapped on a section of green toward the lower right-hand corner. Olivia wasn’t sure if the man was addressing her or Haviland when he said, “This space is specifically for dogs.”
    “Yes, I can read the words ‘Dog Free Play