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Harvest House Publishers - Mary Ellis

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163 pages

English

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What Happened on Beale Street is an exciting addition to the Secrets of the South Mysteries from bestselling author Mary Ellis. These standalone, complex crime dramas follow a private investigators quest to make the world a better place...solving one case at a time.A cryptic plea for help from a childhood friend sends cousins Nate and Nicki Price from New Orleans to Memphis, the home of scrumptious barbecue and soulful blues music. When they arrive at Danny Andres last known address, they discover signs of a struggle and a lifestyle not in keeping with the former choirboy they fondly remember.Dannys sister, Isabelle, reluctantly accepts their help. She and Nate arent on the best of terms due to a complicated past, yet they will have to get beyond that if they want to save Danny.On top of Dannys alarming disappearance and his troubled relationship with Isabelle, Nate also has to rein in his favorite cousins overzealousness as a new and eager PI. Confronted with a possible murder, mystery, and mayhem in the land of the Delta blues, Nate must rely on his faith and investigative experience to keep one or more of them from getting killed.

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Publié par	Harvest House Publishers
Date de parution	01 avril 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780736961721
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0480€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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BOOKS BY MARY ELLIS

S ECRETS OF THE S OUTH M YSTERIES
Midnight on the Mississippi
What Happened on Beale Street
Magnolia Moonlight
C IVIL W AR H EROINES
The Quaker and the Rebel
The Lady and the Officer
T HE N EW B EGINNINGS S ERIES
Living in Harmony
Love Comes to Paradise
A Little Bit of Charm
T HE W AYNE C OUNTY S ERIES
Abigail s New Hope
A Marriage for Meghan
T HE M ILLER F AMILY S ERIES
A Widow s Hope
Never Far from Home
The Way to a Man s Heart
S TANDALONES
Sarah s Christmas Miracle
An Amish Family Reunion
A Plain Man
The Last Heiress
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Cover by Lucas Art and Design
Cover photos Dave G. Houser / Corbis; grynold / Masterfile
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
WHAT HAPPENED ON BEALE STREET
Copyright 2016 by Mary Ellis
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ellis, Mary, author.
What happened on Beale Street / Mary Ellis.
pages; cm. - (Secrets of the South mysteries; book 2)
ISBN 978-0-7369-6171-4 (softcover)
ISBN 978-0-7369-6172-1 (eBook)
I. Title.
PS3626.E36W48 2016
813 .6-dc23
2015027110
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to Riley B. King, known professionally as B.B. King, who died on May 14, 2015, just as I was finishing this book.
Mr. King was a Blues Hall of Fame singer, songwriter, and extraordinary guitarist who will be missed by lovers of the blues everywhere.
The thrill is gone with your passing.
Contents
Books by Mary Ellis
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Discussion Questions
About the Author
Midnight on the Mississippi
Magnolia Moonlight
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Dale Canter, retired Chief of Police for the cities of Maple Heights, Moreland Hills, and Richfield, Ohio, for assistance with police procedures. Without your professional help, my story would be even more fictional than it already is.
Thanks to the helpful guides at the Mississippi Blues Trail Museum and lovely Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis. Your hospitality is legendary. Although my tale about the Carlton jewels is purely a figment of my imagination, I found inspiration walking the halls and hanging out in your gorgeous lobby. Love those ducks!
Thanks to Memphis writer pals Johnnie Alexander and Patricia Bradley for your help, and also the Wayne County Writers Guild, especially Ruth, Bobbie, Christina, Darrell, Cyndi, and Kira, for brainstorming the subplot with me.
Thanks to my dear friends Pete and Donna Taylor, and my husband, Ken, who allowed me to experience the city of Memphis in all its glory. Researching with friends and family is so much more fun.
Thanks to my agent, Mary Sue Seymour; my lovely proofreader, Joycelyn Sullivan; my editor, Kim Moore; and the wonderful staff at Harvest House Publishers. Where would I be without your hard work?
ONE
New Orleans
N icki Price opened one eye to find an irate face looming over her in the dark room.
Why do you pay a phone bill if you refuse to answer the thing? Her roommate slapped the phone down on Nicki s solar plexus, none too gently.
I do pick up when people call during daylight hours. Letting her cell fall to the floor, Nicki turned over and snuggled deeper under her covers.
Chloe Galen plopped down on the edge of the bed. Nic, you re a partner in a big-time PI agency. You need to be ready for adventure twenty-four-seven.
Spoken like a true artist-in-residence, who paints solely when the creative impulse strikes but under no circumstances before noon. Besides, Price Investigations is not a big-time agency. I work for my cousin for chump change. Nicki tried to bump Chloe off the bed with her hip. Isn t it the middle of the night? Why are you still up?
Because whenever I doze off, your stupid phone wakes me up. How can you stand the theme song from a TV Western for a ringtone? If you don t answer the next time it rings, I m coming back with a bucket of cold water. Chloe picked the phone from the rug and handed it to her friend just as it began its annoying tune again as though on cue.
Nicki sat upright and kicked the tangled covers to the foot of her bed. Hello? she demanded crossly. Whoever you are, do you have any idea what time it is?
Nicki? A familiar voice on the other end sounded distant. It s Danny Andre.
Danny. I would recognize your Barry White imitation underwater. Nicki changed her tone as every trace of sleepiness vanished. How are you? Where are you? I heard you moved to the big city to seek fame and fortune. I have major news too-a new job, cool apartment, and a real live fee-ahn-say . She couldn t help grinning as she said that last bit.
That s great, Nic. I m happy for you, he said. But the subsequent moments of silence didn t convey much enthusiasm.
Nicki s smile vanished from her face. Hey, what s going on? I don t hear anything from you for months, and then you call in the middle of the night?
Sorry about that. I keep forgetting normal people keep normal hours.
Forget about normal. What s wrong, Danny?
Anything I can do? Chloe whispered. She was lingering in the doorway.
Nicki shook her head as she dug through her nightstand for pen and paper.
Remember our promise that we d be able to tell each other anything? I didn t know who else to call since my sister has had enough of me lately. This might send Isabelle around the bend. His laugh sounded hollow.
The fact that her childhood best friend resurrected a playground pledge sent a chill through Nicki s veins. Of course I remember. Nothing has changed, so spill your guts. What did you do? Knock over the Natchez Savings and Loan? Why not hide out in New Orleans? Providing you dress like a tourist, no one will find you in the French Quarter.
Her jest fell short of its mark, while the sound of his labored breathing tied Nicki s gut into knots. Danny, please say something. You re scaring me.
Then that makes two of us. I m in real trouble, Nicki. I got myself into a mess.
She closed her eyes, trying to rectify his pleas with her best friend from the sixth grade until their high school graduation. Danny Andre was the sweetest guy she knew. Everyone liked him, from their Sunday school teacher to the surly old man who kept every ball that landed in his yard. Even her mother liked him, despite insulting every other male that crossed the Price threshold. Danny was more diplomatic than a Swiss banker and twice as generous.
How much trouble can someone get into playing a saxophone in a Memphis orchestra? she asked.
I play in blues clubs where I pick up gigs and fill in for regulars. My job is a far cry from the New York Philharmonic.
What ? Your granny told you to stay out of the bars when you left town. Nicki waited for a sarcastic retort, but she heard the sound of muffled sobs instead. Sorry. No more bad jokes. Tell me what I can do to help.
Could you come to Memphis? Maybe bring your cousin and that new fianc of yours? Bring some of his friends too. The more the merrier.
Unfortunately, she hesitated a second too long. Sure. Hunter and I will drive up as soon as he s done testifying in court. Shouldn t be more than a few days. I would love to see Memphis as soon as he can break away. I ll check if Nate can-
I m sorry, Nic. How stupid of me to think you could drop everything and hightail it upriver. We ain t in the seventh grade anymore. Let s get together when things calm down for Hunter. I ll call you.
Wait, Danny! Give me your address and I ll come this weekend even if Hunter can t. I m not too busy for my friend-
But he had already hung up.
What s wrong with him? asked Chloe.
Nicki turned to face her future sister-in-law. I have no idea. I m obviously terrible at crisis intervention. If somebody was out on the ledge contemplating suicide, I d probably ask them to wait till after my pedicure. She put her face in her hands and groaned.
Give yourself a break. It s hard to be Johnny-on-the-spot at two o clock in the morning. Chloe walked over to the bed and bent to give her friend a hug. Who is this Danny person? Does my brother have something to worry about? I know for a fact Hunter is crazy about you, crazy being the operative word.
Because trying to get back to sleep would be a fruitless endeavor, Nicki got out of bed, slipped into her robe, and then padded to the coffeemaker in the kitchen. Danny Andre was the only person in high school