The Secret of Poppyridge Cove

  The Secret of Poppyridge Cove

  Seaside Inn Mystery, book 1

  Rimmy London

  Contents

  Foreword

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Foreword

  Wishing you the very best as you enjoy book 1 of the Poppyridge Cove anthology. A delightful mix of mystery and sweet romance.

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  www.rimmylondon.com

  Chapter 1

  The forest was ageless. Dark and rich with color, like the deepest part of Crystal Lake where Abby could remember swimming as a child. Redwoods were crowded with ferns and small pines among their massive trunks.

  She breathed in the heavy pine smell, sweetened with the fragrance of sap that leaked from nearly every notch in the bark of a hundred trees. Her boyfriend, Chase, had yet to crest a small hill in the trail, and she waited for him in a giant shadow of the widest trunk she’d ever seen. It could span the width of her apartment, she was sure. It left her feeling powerful to be near it, and she wondered how she’d managed to live her life in the same state and never visit the redwoods.

  Perched against the misty Northern California coastline, the woods had been invaded at every edge by tendrils of fog-like feelers, stretching out through the clearings in the trees. It was like a mysterious friend, haunting and welcoming together.

  “Bee, where’d you go?”

  Chase’s voice called her back to the present, and she spun around with her deep brown curls bouncing. They naturally tightened in the coastal air, and she brushed a few tendrils out of her view.

  “I’m here,” she answered, just as she caught the first glimpse of him. The summer sun had tinted his honey-brown hair quickly this year, leaving lightened streaks of blonde threaded throughout. It was something she hadn’t yet told him she admired. A smile crept across her face at the thought.

  Emily and Ryan were farther down the trail, mutual friends they’d attempted to set up, but their bickering could be heard through the forest. The blind date wasn’t going so well.

  “I don’t think they’ll be thanking us,” Chase whispered, glancing behind him as Emily’s voice rang out.

  “Why don’t you just jump in your little yacht then and sail the seven seas? I’m sure that would be a great solution to world peace—at least for me.”

  Abby cringed, remembering her words again as she’d insisted Emily give Ryan a chance. “What are they even talking about?” she groaned, “Why do they have to debate the mysteries of the universe on their first date?”

  Chase stood next to her and settled one hand against the bark of the mighty redwood. “I guess I should have told you Ryan isn’t exactly chivalrous.” He shrugged. “If he has something to say, he says it regardless of who he might offend.”

  Abby sighed and stepped under Chase’s arm, happy at the way he easily dropped it around her, letting it settle heavy and comforting. Like a dance they’d rehearsed, their movements complimented each other naturally. It was something that came with time spent together, and they’d had a lot of that.

  Emily trudged into view, her pixie-cut blonde hair pasted to her forehead in all the dewy mist. Her usual dedication to that selfie-ready appearance had vanished. She grumbled and scowled and finally lifted her eyes to Abby’s.

  Abby forced her mouth into a smile.

  “I’m gonna take a minute,” Emily growled, her eyebrows pressing even closer together as Ryan clomped up the trail behind her. She didn’t acknowledge him and instead turned into the trees and continued until she was out of their view.

  “Don’t go too far, Em!” Abby yelled, knowing from experience not to press her friend. If she said she needed time, she meant it.

  “Why can’t you just be agreeable for one date?” Chase complained.

  Ryan settled his hands on his hips and cast an irritated gaze to where Emily had last been seen stomping through the forest. “Well maybe if you’d set me up with someone who didn’t constantly contradict me, I could!” He glanced at Abby. “Is she always like that? Seriously, every word out of my mouth seemed to be so repulsive she fought it off like an attack. And yeah, maybe I could have tried harder, but so could she!”

  Abby shrugged, lifting her hands from her sides and searching for the words. She knew Emily could be a tough personality, but she was also fun and bubbly… when she wasn’t picking a fight.

  “Sorry Ryan,” Abby finally said. “I’ll go talk to her.” She slid her hand across Chase’s strong back appreciatively, catching his eye in a parting glance before heading into the woods.

  The ferns underfoot grew as she continued away from the trail, dampening her legs and boots. “Emily?” she called, stopping to listen for a reply.

  There was a fluttering sound of birds leaving their roost at her intrusion as their wings beat against the branches above. “Can we talk, please?” She continued, walking in a wide arc around a particularly enthusiastic section of undergrowth. The small trail underfoot wasn’t a trail at all—just a space between the ferns and trees that allowed her to move forward without the constant bath of fog-soaked underbrush.

  The darkness deepened, and she looked up at the few patches of sky left. Trees almost completely blocked it out, and for the first time, she felt a twinge of fear at the absolute quiet around her. “Emily!” she called, harsh and almost angry. Why wouldn’t she answer? She held on to a young tree and stepped around it, trying to squeeze through the brush.

  Her foot skidded on a sudden drop-off, and she gasped, clinging to the tree. Hidden in ferns, a cliff dipped hundreds of feet down. It looked like a landslide that had scooped out the dirt and been overgrown again, leaving it completely camouflaged. Trees still grew right up to the edge, with a few angled outward, daring to steal the sunlight at a precarious angle. The ocean could be seen far beyond, cold and churning against the rocks and shoreline.

  Abby panicked and searched with wide eyes. “Emily!” she shouted louder, and this time it was pitched with fear. She swung around the way she’d come. “Chase!” Her voice echoed against the cliff and the trees, bouncing back to her. “Ryan!”

  Someone.

  “Are you okay?” Chase’s voice came from all around, first one direction and then another. “Where are you?”

  Abby spun around, searching out his voice. She’d been sure of her route, but now it all looked completely foreign. She turned again, scanning the trees to her right. And then her left. “I can’t find her!” she shouted, hearing movement in the brush from far off.

  “Just come this way,” Chase shouted again, and Abby turned to her left, stepping over ferns and berry bushes and weaving between trees.

  “We’re coming,” Ryan yelled.

  “Follow my voice,” Chase repeated, but this time, the sound seemed to come from behind her, by the cliff. She turned, confused. Had they already passed her? She started to backtrack the way she’d come. A small trail appeared between the ferns and led around the cliff, farther down the coastline. Perhaps Emily had found it too. She followed it slowly, cautious of how much ground she’d traveled.

  “Emily?” she called again. There were faint impressions of footprints
in the trail, and her mind reeled. What if Emily couldn’t answer? What if she’d been running down the trail—how much farther would she have gone by now? What if she fell? Abby took off at a run, jumping over roots and rocks and letting the decline move her legs faster.

  It wasn’t until her arm brushed against the worn wood that she noticed the rickety, faded fence along one side. She slowed to a walk and rounded another tight grove of trees. But then she stopped in her tracks.

  A mansion stood beyond the trail, spread out in what she could imagine used to be complete luxury. It was badly faded and nearly falling apart, with a railing that only had two rungs left. Various spots in the siding had broken away completely, leaving crumbled, splintered piles of wood framing its foundation.

  But the view.

  It stood on a cleared section of land, facing the Pacific coastline, with almost a 360 degree view of the glorious ocean. From her current vantage point, the cliff was considerably lower, and a wood-and-rope trail could be seen at the edge, as if the climb down to the beach were merely a stroll.

  Abby’s heart was beating hard. And while she still felt anxious for her friend, she’d become dizzy with excitement. The house was incredible and so obviously abandoned. Perched between the ocean and the deep redwoods like absolute perfection.

  She’d never thought of owning her own home, let alone fixing something like this up. But to imagine gazing out at that coastline for every sunrise and sunset was like a dream she’d never fully developed. Only now it blazed in her mind and surged through her veins. She belonged here.

  A breeze pushed past her, and she wrinkled her nose. Sewage and rot filled her nose, and she choked on her next breath. She covered her mouth with one hand, feeling suddenly sick. The breeze shifted just in time, bringing sweet, fresh ocean air. A hint of wild poppies cleared her head, and she pulled in a deep breath, stepping into the breeze and away from whatever had nearly gagged her.

  “Abby!”

  She could hear Chase calling, but the stillness of the house made her hesitate. It felt like she’d found something that could fleet away at the slightest disturbance. She walked past the structure, gazing out at the ocean and what now could be seen as more of a hill than a cliff. It was exquisite. Abby’s eyes drank it in, scanning the view and every inch of untouched wilderness. The coastal breeze pushed her hair back and whipped at her shirt, then relented.

  When it lifted again, she was surrounded full force. A smell like death itself, pushing its way down her throat and filling her lungs. Her eyes stung with it, and her skin crawled. She choked out a breath, forcing the smell from inside her and clamping both hands over her face.

  Spinning around, she glimpsed the back porch for the first time. It was littered with the most repulsive sight she’d ever seen.

  A tangled mess of fur and claws, wings and tails. Birds, raccoons, cats, and even a large yellow dog. Her heart broke, and then her eyes widened as she suddenly realized what was similar about every variety of dead animal. A shock jolted from her head to her toes. Each one had been decapitated, with its head lying on top of or next to its body. Dark stains of what she could only imagine used to be fresh blood were visible on almost the entirety of the deck, with one paw mark streaking down the side of the house.

  Her head began to spin, the scene before her swaying nauseatingly until she wasn’t sure what was real and what was imagining. A moment before, she’d been reeling from the euphoric vision of adventure the estate symbolized, and now she was reeling from something else.

  She tore her gaze away and ran, her throat strangled and stomach churning, holding back a scream. Past the house and toward the trail, until suddenly she felt her stomach revolt. Lunging for the nearest tree trunk, she was overcome with sickness, leaning into the bushes. It didn’t relent until her stomach was empty, and she was left coughing and gasping for breath.

  “Abby!”

  Chase sounded terrified, and Abby tried to find her voice. But he raced down the trail before she had the chance. She was sure her face was ashen white.

  “What happened?” He held her shoulders, steadying her as she swayed on her knees. He glanced into the bushes. “Are you ill?”

  Abby shook her head, bringing her hand to her forehead. It felt clammy and cool.

  Dead.

  She swallowed suddenly, forcing the images from her mind. “No,” she said weakly, “I just saw something.”

  Chase kept a strong arm around her, supporting her. “Well, what on earth was it?” But he’d also caught sight of the house, and in between concerned glances for Abby, he gazed at it.

  Emily and Ryan came down the trail, eyes wide as they took in Abby’s face and then the house beyond.

  Abby could tell by the faint ring of red around Emily’s eyes that she’d been crying. And as proud as she knew her friend to be, she guessed that was why she hadn’t answered their calls. After all, they’d known each other since the third grade, and Abby had never seen her cry. She studied the way Ryan navigated around her, like he was being careful to place himself where she might need him. Like he wanted to be close to her.

  Emily had changed as well. She no longer glared at Ryan. Instead, her eyes found him again and again, as if she was curious. And perhaps interested.

  Abby’s shock began to clear, leaving warmth in her face and a settled calm in her mind. The group, turning to her expectantly, was poised and waiting. They observed the color returning to her cheeks in perplexed silence.

  Finally, it was Chase who spoke. He looked deeply into Abby’s eyes, resting a hand on her arm.

  “What did you see?”

  Chapter 2

  The drive back to San Francisco was unusually quiet, with bits of polite conversation here and there. Abby couldn’t help but marvel again at how the dynamics between Ryan and Emily had changed completely. Their conversation in the back seat was unremarkable, mostly focused on comments about the view as they passed. But in between was a heavy space of quiet, and Abby wondered if their eyes were doing more talking than their lips.

  She fought the urge to glance back and watch them, curious to see if her hunch was right and Emily really was developing an interest in Chase. Or she’d been so deflated after crying that she’d given up the desire to argue. Abby hoped it was the first option.

  “I still can’t believe all those animals,” Emily said.

  Abby glanced back to see her sitting a little closer to Ryan than when they’d first entered the car. She smiled.

  “It was definitely a shock,” Abby agreed, “but really, we were so deep in the forest. I’d bet that place has been abandoned for a century. It’s probably just become a dumping ground for wild animals.”

  Abby had come up with this idea as they’d walked out of the forest, and she wanted so badly to believe it. The house was still aching to belong to her, and though she hadn’t confessed it to her friends, she was planning on finding out who owned it, if anyone. Her meager starting salary would never be enough, but she didn’t care. She’d find a way.

  Chase’s eyebrows had risen in a wide arc, although he didn’t speak right away. Abby hoped that meant he was going to let her idea stay awhile.

  But he finally shook his head. His voice was serious where hers had been light. “I don’t think so, Abby,” he glanced across her face with his lips stretched into a grim line. “I’ve never seen a wild animal do that.”

  The pit of Abby's stomach sunk deep and heavy, and she looked back out the window with her eyes scanning the view. Instead of housing developments and coastal shops, her mind was bombarded with torn animal carcasses, heaped up and left to decay.

  “Why would anyone kill a bunch of animals and leave them at an abandoned house?” Ryan’s question hung heavy in the car. His shock and disbelief at what they’d seen were etched into each word, and it seemed no one knew how to answer. The car hung in silence until they eventually crossed the Bay Bridge.

  Abby spied her favorite shop in all of San Francisco. “Let’s sto
p and pick up some sourdough,” she offered, looking back to see Ryan and Emily agreeing with her. Their hands were lying very close together on the seat, as if they’d suddenly released their hold.

  Abby faced front again, catching a sly grin from Chase as she did. “That sounds like a great idea,” he said, dropping their musings and giving her a wink. A smile spread out on her face as well, and she turned to the window, hiding it from the backseat.

  The shop was as delicious to look at as its sourdough was to eat. Tall windows, stacked one upon the other, let the light become a focal point. Night was just settling in, and the store seemed to glow beautifully in its dusky surroundings.

  They gazed up at a giant, towering silo as they entered that left Abby feeling wondrously small.

  She couldn’t help stopping at the entrance when she spotted rows of magazines displayed against the wall near a drinking fountain. After a quick scan of their titles, she finally found what she’d been searching for: Coastal Fixer-uppers For Sale: Northern California.

  She snatched it from the shelf and began flipping pages while following Chase to the display case. No one had noticed her distraction; they chatted pleasantly about artisan breads, rolls, and loaves.

  And then she saw it. The same rickety, abandoned house. Even in its obvious neglect, it was beautiful. Windows larger than they should have been at the time it was built. A few were broken, but they were obviously placed to take advantage of the sprawling coastline views. The dimensions seemed more modern than she’d noticed, and it complimented the rugged wilderness surrounding it like a sparkling gem on the neck of a beautiful woman. To Abby, all it needed was a little shine.