The Last Word (A Books by the Bay Mystery)

was part of the message. I was supposed to wait for you to refuse and then tell you the rest. I wonder how she knew . . .”
    Her impatience morphing into full-blown annoyance, Olivia growled, “Oh, please! What’s the magic word then? What’s going to convince me to hire a boat and douse myself in mosquito repellant so I can waste an entire day finding some crazy hag?”
    Dixie gestured at the hollow in Olivia’s throat. Resting there was a golden starfish pendant attached to a delicate gold chain. Olivia’s mother had given it to her only child shortly before her tragic death. Since reclaiming the necklace from the dollhouse in her childhood room, Olivia wore it every day. She touched it during rare moments of uncertainty or distress. It was her talisman.
    Knowing that she was pointing at a sacred object, Dixie swallowed hard and then continued. “Munin said she has your mama’s starfish, and if you want to know why, you’ll have to come. And soon.”
    Olivia reached her hand out for Haviland, and he obediently moved closer. Her fingers sank into his soft curls, and her tilting world steadied itself. “This is a hell of a way to start my day,” she grumbled, overpaid Dixie for breakfast, and strode out into the sunshine, one hand gripping her laptop case, the other curled protectively around the gold starfish on her neck.



Berkley Prime Crime titles by Ellery Adams
    A KILLER PLOT
A DEADLY CLICHÉ
THE LAST WORD