“Wow, you’re just skeptical of everything, aren’t you?”

  “Can you blame me? I’ve seen some seriously crazy things during my time on the force.”

  “I know you have. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to be able to take everything at face value. To believe that today is the first of many peaceful days that are yet to come.”

  “Do you not believe that?”

  “I hate to admit it, but I feel like this is just the calm before the storm.”

  “I had a feeling you were going to say that.”

  “Really?”

  I nodded.

  “You either know me really well or you happen to think exactly like me.”

  “I think it’s a little bit of both.”

  “Maybe I should try to be like you. To just stare out into the distance and enjoy what’s in front of me.”

  I grimaced. “I hate to break it to you, but you completely misread the situation.”

  He threw out his arms. “What are you talking about?”

  “When I was staring out at the ocean a few moments ago, I was actually just asking myself if something terrible is on the horizon.”

  “No way.”

  “I’m not proud of thinking that way, but a weird feeling just crept up on me.”

  “Out of nowhere?”

  I nodded. “It was completely out of the blue. I was just relaxing and taking in the scenery. Then my gut started acting up on me.”

  “In that case, what crazy thing is about to happen?”

  “I wish I had an answer for you.”

  He squinted. “But you just said that your gut was acting up on you.”

  “It was. It just didn’t happen to give me any specifics to work with.”

  “That’s a shame.”

  “You’re not kidding. But that’s just how things go sometimes.”

  “You just get a general feeling of dread?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You’re a one of a kind woman, you know that?”

  “Was that meant to be an insult? Or a compliment?”

  “Oh, it’s definitely a compliment.”

  “All right. I just wanted to be sure.”

  “There’s that skepticism, making another unscheduled appearance.”

  “What can I say? I can’t help myself.”

  “I hear you. And that’s great…when you’re working on an investigation. Not so much when you’re trying to have a peaceful afternoon.”

  “I guess the question is, what exactly was my gut trying to tell me?”

  “Only you can answer that.”

  “I’ll have to get back to you on that one.”

  He put his hand up. “Here’s another interesting question for you. Does your gut ever give off any false alarms?”

  “Not to my knowledge.”

  “Well, maybe there’s a first time for everything.”

  “Look at you, displaying some rare optimism.”

  “Why wouldn’t I? This is a beautiful day. It would be a shame if it was spoiled by some heinous act.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Chapter Three

  A few minutes later, Scott got called away. Thankfully, it wasn’t to handle some dire matter. Instead, it was to deal with an intoxicated man who refused to leave a convenience store. While that was still an unfortunate situation, it wasn’t life-threatening.

  If I had to guess, that wasn’t what my gut was trying to warn me about. Most likely, something else was on the horizon.

  Whatever storm was brewing, it didn’t make itself known that afternoon.

  I made it through the rest of my work day without any calamities occurring.

  That evening, when I finished up at the office, I had a dinner scheduled with my mother. I had intentionally skipped out on having a snack earlier in the day in anticipation of the meal that my mom was going to make. My mother was an amazing cook. And ever since she retired a few years ago, she had plenty of time on her hands. That was good news for my taste buds. Especially since she made most things from scratch.

  When I pulled into the driveway of her mid-century home, my appetite was raging out of control. I was really hoping that my mom had dinner ready. Otherwise, I’d get ravenous in a hurry.

  Imagine my surprise then when my mom wasn’t in the kitchen as I arrived. Instead, she was sitting on the couch staring at the TV.

  “I’m so hungry,” I said.

  My comment didn’t generate any response from my mom.

  She remained glued to the TV.

  My eyebrows knitted. “What are you watching that has you so captivated?”

  “Band practice.”

  I thought that my mother’s reply would clear up any confusion that I had. That didn’t happen. Right then, I was more confused than ever.

  All that changed as I got closer to the television. It was then that I realized my mom wasn’t watching a television program at all. She was watching an old video. It was a home movie that was recorded decades ago.

  In the video, I was playing guitar with my old bandmates. You see, back in high school, I was briefly in a rock band with Kristina and Alicia. We called ourselves the Majestic Cove Three. I know. What an original name. What did you expect? We were just three girls in high school.

  Like most garage bands, we never really went anywhere. In fact, we rarely even made it out of the garage. Our one notable gig was playing a few songs at a friend’s birthday party. By the end of our senior year of high school, the band was no more.

  If you’re wondering, it wasn’t over animosity. As you know, I’m still good friend with both Kristina and Alicia to this day. The three of us just all went off to college and took up different interests. Also, it was pretty clear to all of us that we didn’t have careers in music ahead of us.

  Watching this video was like seeing a time capsule dug up from the ground. I wasn’t quite sure why my mother was so enthralled by it. I immediately started to blush. In the video, I looked so awkward. My hairstyle was wild. My clothing was unique, to say the least. And I looked incredibly moody.

  If it was up to me, this video would be buried in the ground and never dug up again. Or just destroyed.

  I threw out my arms. “Where did this video come from?”

  “Don’t you remember your father recording this?” my mother asked.

  “Yes, but I thought this tape had gotten lost.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. It turns out that it was in the attic all this time. I was going through some old boxes and I found this. Pretty crazy, huh?”

  I grimaced. “Crazy is definitely one word for it.”

  My mother and I appeared to be having completely different reactions to the video. I was totally embarrassed by it. Meanwhile, my mom couldn’t seem to get enough of it.

  “Do you remember how excited you were about your band back then?” she asked.

  “How could I forget?” I replied.

  “You were really good. All three of you.”

  “Mom, you don’t have to say that.”

  “I’m not just saying it to be nice. I always believed in you. In fact, I think the three of you should have stuck with it.”

  I snickered. “You’re the only one who believes that.”

  “Did you have room to improve? Yes. But I really think if you had kept the band together that you would have hit it big eventually.”

  “That’s doubtful.”

  My mother squinted at me. “Why are you so down on yourself?”

  “I’m just a realist is all,” I said. “Unlike you, who is incredibly biased.”

  “I admit that. At the same time, I also know how to spot talent. And let me say this. You’re more talented than Cooper Gullickson. And he just got a record deal.”

  “I saw a post about that on social media.”

  “How could you miss it? He plastered the news all over the internet.”

  “It’s pretty crazy to think that he was in your music class once, isn’t it?”

  Up until her retirement a few years ago, my mother was a music teacher at Majestic Cove High School.

  “Do you know what the craziest part is, though?” my mother asked.

  “What?”

  “Cooper wasn’t even the most talented student in that class.”

  “That is pretty wild.”

  “If you had asked me years ago if Cooper had a career in music ahead of him, I probably would have said no. Yet, he’s going to have his own album.”

  “To be fair, you were a music teacher, not a psychic. You can never truly predict what’s going to happen.”

  “Isn’t that the truth? Take you, for example. When you were growing up, I was completely convinced that you would become a professional rock guitarist.”

  “You were the only one who believed that.”

  “Watching this video again, I had every reason to think that way. You were good.”

  “Mom, you can stop with the act.”

  “I’m being serious.”

  “All right. Well, in the end, it doesn’t really matter how much talent I did or didn’t have. I’m a private eye now.”

  My mother stared off into the distance. “Honestly, all three of you girls really surprised me. With all of the talent that you had in that band, it’s wild to think that none of you pursued a career in music.”

  “I disagree. In my mind, things worked out the way they were supposed to. I definitely answered my true calling.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  I folded my arms. “Mom, what are you doing?”

  “Haven’t you ever thought about taking up guitar again?”

  “No.”

  My mother shook her head in disbelief. “What a shame.”

  “Says you.”

  My mom stared back at the TV again and didn’t say a word.

  I put my hands on my hips. “Mom, what is going on with you tonight?”

  “This video just got me thinking is all.”

  “So, wait. You found one old video of me playing guitar and suddenly you think that I missed my calling?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Being an investigator is a dangerous job. Being a rock guitarist isn’t.”

  “I can’t argue with you there.”

  “I can’t tell you how much I worry about you when you’re working on a case. It would be nice if you were in a line of work where bodily injury wasn’t a possibility.”

  “I understand that. On the flip side, you know that I take every precaution possible.”

  “You say that, but the best precaution you can take is to not have a dangerous job in the first place.”

  “Mom, are your instincts acting up on you or something? I haven’t seen you this worried in a long time.”

  “Honestly, this is how much I normally worry about you. I usually just do a better job of keeping my anxiety to myself.”

  I leaned over and gave her a hug. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Mom, I’m not even working on a case right now.”

  “Not at the moment, but you and I know that it’s only a matter of time before you’re called into action again.”

  At that point, I became desperate to change the subject.

  “Here’s an idea. Why don’t we head into the kitchen? I’m curious to see what we’re having for dinner.”

  “I hope you’re in the mood for some lemon and garlic chicken.”

  My eyes lit up. “You bet I am.”

  “Although, the real treat is going to be desert.”

  “Why? Did you make something special?”

  She nodded.

  “What is it?”

  “A fruit tart.”

  “Now you’re talking,” I said. “I can’t wait until dessert.”

  Chapter Four

  The fruit tart was a taste explosion. It was absolutely incredible. My mother hadn’t lost her touch at all. If she wasn’t retired, I would tell her to team up with Kristina and start making tarts like this at the bakery.

  While I was busy thinking about how good dessert was, my mother had something else on her mind.

  “When was the last time you picked up a guitar?” she asked.

  “Mom, can we please talk about something else?” I replied.

  She threw out her arms. “What’s the problem with this topic?”

  “Look. I know that you wanted me to pursue a career in music. But I’m an investigator. And that isn’t going to change.”

  “I realize that.”

  “You do?”

  She nodded.

  “Then why are you talking about music again?”

  “Just because you’re a private eye doesn’t mean that you can’t play guitar in your spare time. Just for fun,” she replied. “Now, answer my question. When was the last time you picked up a guitar?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. It was probably a few years ago.”

  “That’s a real shame. It might be time to pick it up again.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Given how tense you have been lately, I think playing a few tunes would be really good for you. It might calm your nerves.”

  “Who says I’m nervous?”

  She put her hands on her hips. “Just because you’re a professional investigator doesn’t mean that I don’t have some good instincts of my own. I’m your mother. I can tell when you’re not yourself.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  “What’s bothering you?”

  “It’s Alicia. She’s just been having a tough time lately.”

  “That’s unfortunate.”

  “I’ll say. I want to help her out, but I don’t know what to do.”

  “Have you told her that you’re there for her?”

  I nodded.

  “That’s all you can really do.”

  I took a deep breath. “It doesn’t seem like it’s enough.”

  “Honey, you’re not a magician. There are some problems that Alicia is just going to have to figure out for herself.”

  “I get that. At the same time, it still upsets me.”

  “That’s all the more reason to pick up your guitar.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “You just won’t let that die, will you?”

  “No. And here’s why. In a world where things don’t always make sense, music does. Playing a tune has a way of taking your mind off of things. It allows you to refresh and recharge. To just be in the moment. And what a great moment it is.”

  I laughed.

  My mother squinted. “What’s so funny?”

  “You may have retired from teaching, but you just gave me quite a lecture.”

  “You need to trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”

  “All right. Maybe I’ll give it a try.”

  My mom smiled. “Good. I have a feeling that you won’t regret it.”

  Chapter Five

  About an hour later, I returned home. On the drive back to my place, I became introspective. Part of that was due to the discussion that I had with my mother. Even though I would never give up investigating, much less for a career in music, I had forgotten what an escape playing music could be. Not just putting on a nice tune on my phone, either. The act of playing the guitar had a very soothing effect on me.

  As I arrived back at my mid-century modern home, I reached into my closet and pulled out my acoustic guitar. When I began strumming on the guitar, I quickly realized how out of practice I was. It took a few minutes to tune my guitar and get into a little bit of a rhythm, but when I did, I ended up playing a few songs.

  During that time, all my worries about life melted away. For fifteen solid minutes, all that mattered to me was playing the right chords.

  I had to admit. It felt really good to see all of my worries melt away.

  ***

  After I was done messing around on my guitar, I got ready for bed. As I looked into the mirror, I ended up focusing on the necklace I was wearing. The necklace was a custom piece of jewelry featuring a music symbol and a magnifying glass. My mother had bought it for me for my birthday when I was a kid. I had worn it every single day since then.

  In my mom’s mind, the necklace was perfect for someone with the name Melody Clue. She was right. I had worn the necklace every single day.

  Tomorrow would be no different. The question became, would my mood improve in the morning? I was curious to find out.

  That night, I got a surprising amount of sleep. As a matter of fact, I didn’t toss or turn at all. Talk about refreshing.

  In the morning, I woke up energized. I was also really hungry. To the point where it was difficult to hold off until nine o’clock to put any food in my mouth. By the time I reached Tolliver’s Diner, I was ready to order every item that was on the menu.

  That didn’t happen, however. In fact, I didn’t order a single thing.

  Why not?

  Because Alicia didn’t show up. At all. When she was just a few minutes late, I figured that she had overslept. As the minutes ticked by, I gave her a phone call. When she didn’t answer the phone, I left a voice mail and then sent her a few text messages. Those went unanswered as well.

  At that point, I was at a loss for words. This wasn’t like Alicia at all. During the entire time that I had known her, she had always been very punctual. Then again, according to her, this had been a brutal week for her.

  As hungry as I was, my curiosity ended up taking center stage. My instincts were telling me to head over to Alicia’s apartment to check up on her. Before I left the diner, I grabbed a blueberry muffin to-go. That would be just enough to keep me from getting ravenous.

  Alicia lived on the ground floor of an apartment complex on Baker Street. It only took me about five minutes to get there from the diner. When I parked in front of the complex, Alicia was a full forty-five minutes late for our breakfast get together.

  I got out of my car and went up to Alicia’s beige-colored front door. I rang the bell a few times, fully expecting her to answer.

  She didn’t.

  I waited a moment and then knocked.

  In addition, I called out for her. “Alicia. This is Melody. Are you okay?”