Clint Faraday Mysteries collection A Muddled Murders Collector's Edition
Read Clint Faraday Mysteries collection A Muddled Murders Collector's Edition Online
Authors: CD Moulton
Tags: #adventure, #murder, #mystery, #detective, #clint faraday
Clint Faraday Mysteries Collection A
Muddled Murders
5 books
Smashwords edition
© 2014
all rights reserved: no part of this
publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, either electronic or mechanical, including photocopy,
recording, or any other information retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the copyright holder/publisher, except
in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or
reviews
These are works of fiction. Resemblances to
actual persons or events are purely coincidental unless otherwise
noted.
About the author
CD Moulton has traveled extensively over much
of the world both in the music business, where he was a rock
guitarist, songwriter and arranger and in an import/export
business. He has been everything from a bar owner to auto salvage
(junkyard) manager, longshoreman to high steel worker, orchid
grower to landscaper, tropical fish farmer to commercial fisherman.
He started writing books in 1983 and has published more than 200
books as of January 1, 2014. His most popular books to date are
about research with orchids, though much of his science fiction and
fantasy work has proven popular. He wrote the CD Grimes, PI series
and the Det. Nick Storie series, Clint Faraday series and many
other works.
He now resides in Puerto Armuelles, Panamá,
where he writes books, plays music with friends, does research with
orchids and medicinal plants – and pursues his favorite ways to
spend his time: beach bum and roaming the mountain jungles doing
his botanical research. He has lately become involved in fighting
for the rights of the indigenous people, who are among his closest
friends, and in fighting the extreme corruption in the courts and
police in Panamá.
He offers
the free e-book,
Fading Paradise
,
that explains what he has been through because of the
corruption.
A
Sometimes
Thing
Book one of the
Clint Faraday
Mysteries
© 2005 by C. D. Moulton
10 shorts
For Julie Lin, who was the inspiration for
one character in this book. It’ll be our secret which one.
Clint Faraday is a retired detective from
Florida who has moved to Bocas del Toro, Panamá. He falls into the
business in Panamá when there are murders. He works with the
police. His neighbor, Judi Lum, is an attractive and smart oriental
woman who was born in Taiwan. She is a genius at getting
information.
Table of Contents
A Fantastic Opportunity
A Fantastic Opportunity
New
Home
Clint Faraday walked out onto the deck of his
little hideaway cottage across from Saigon Bay and plopped down on
the canvas-covered chaise lounge (sort of) to watch the sunrise
over Isla Carenero. Magnificent reds, oranges and hints of
purple.
“
Red sky
in morning.” A warning to sailors, but not so much here. It was a
calm place and that applied to the weather. It rained a lot, but
that was part of the Caribbean Tropics. Clint – or “Cleent” as the
natives (few as there were here on Isla Colón) called
him.
He remembered Florida where he had heard the
old cliche’ “A Florida NATIVE! I didn’t know there was any such
thing!” ten thousand times.
He sipped the ever-present coffee and waved
as Silvio and Jorge went past on their way to the genetic research
institute on the point. Botanical genetics research station #3.
They had two passengers, a man and a woman.
Both looked a bit shocked, even at this distance. Clint hadn’t
bothered to put on anything this early, not yet deciding what he
was going to do. It was going to rain this time of year, but that
wouldn’t be for an hour or two.
What the hell. He’d worry about that when he
actually started his day.
Public nudity wasn’t allowed here anymore
than most places, but this was his home so wasn’t really public. If
he showed up on the streets like this they would probably not much
care, though some would raise a stink. The place was casual and
open to a degree he hadn’t found elsewhere – which was a major
factor in why he was here at all.
He was lucky. Not many ex-detectives had the
funds to live this kind of life.
Face it! Not many would WANT to! It was a
life of no responsibilities and no rush and no pressure. Most
people got so bored after a couple of months that they couldn’t
wait to get the hell out of there! People thought that was what
detectives wanted from reading the stupid novels and watching TV
back in the states.
Hank Elmore came by in his fancy overdone
boat. He waved and looked his criticism at Clint, who stood (just
to shock hell out of the obsequious snob) and waved back
disinterestedly as he turned to go inside for another cup of
coffee. Judith (Judi) Lum, on the deck of the next house (and the
only one that could be seen from Clint’s place) waved and wagged a
finger at him. She was used to his dress – or lack of it. He
grinned and waved back.
He glanced in the mirror as he passed and
decided he needed a shave and he’d cut his hair a bit. He liked the
amber-colored mass (with a touch of grey here and there) long, but
that meant it stayed wet too much so he kept it a couple of inches
above his shoulders.
He would have liked to say “broad shoulders”,
but ... well, he was a bit better built than most. He hadn’t let
himself get paunchy or flabby and he stayed limber. At 47 he could
still bend stiff-kneed to place his palms on the floor and had the
envy-producing six-pack (when he first got up and for a couple of
hours. As you get older water builds up under the skin as the day
progresses and the definition goes). His steel-hard blue/gray eyes
were still clear, though he needed reading glasses, which tended to
bug him. He did see a bit better at distance so there were
compensations.
He was glad most of his scars had faded and
the tan hid them on top of that. He wasn’t so bad-looking if he
wasn’t any movie star.
Mosquitos weren’t bad today so he’d wear
khakis and a tee shirt. Like that wasn’t an everyday choice!
One thing was damned certain. He was NOT
going to wear another suit in this lifetime!
Silvio waved at Clint, noted the shocked look
on the faces of his passengers and said (in Spanish, of course)
“Clint is our famous detective. He says it is too bad there’s
nothing for a detective to do here,” then laughs. “He’s very
handsome and the women like him.” He noted the even more shocked
look on Mrs. Graham’s face, so added, “So do some of the ... men,”
just to shock her even more.
He did NOT like Dr. Graham, though he was
more or less neutral about Dr. Porth, who shot him a small
grin.
“
You mean
... you mean ... the malecons?” she exclaimed.
Jorge winked at Silvio and said, in broken
English (he actually spoke English very well), “The docks? You mean
the doctors? How would a dock like anybody?” He knew she had meant
to say “maricon”, but he didn’t like her, either. Malecon is a
pier, maricon is a homosexual.
“
I meant
homosexuals,” she spat, acidly. “You knew that perfectly
well!”
“
Homosexuals? What?” Silvio asked. “Clint isn’t homosexual,
I don’t think. Nobody would care if he was. That kind of thing is
your own business.”
“
I meant
does he sleep with homosexuals?” she asked, sneaking another look
at Clint, who was standing to wave at Miss Judi next
door.
“
Dr.
Graham, we wouldn’t answer that if we knew!” Jorge was pretending
shock now. “That is none of our business unless he wants to sleep
with us and all we’d do is say ‘no’ if he did. We would never tell
anyone else if you slept with someone so why would we tell you if
somebody else slept with someone even if we knew or
cared?”
“
Lydia,
such questions are inappropriate here!” Dr. Porth said, sharply.
“We are not in the tabloid society here. No one here CARES who
somebody else sleeps with!” He winked at Silvio who decided he was
probably alright.
“
Not
quite true!” Jorge said quickly. “If it’s my wife or sister – or
little brother – I would care!
”
Well, my
brother could decide for himself.”
Dr. Porth grinned and gave him the bird.
Jorge decided he liked Dr. Porth right then. He wasn’t one of those
snob types.
Lydia Graham noticed the VERY handsome man on
the deck of the rather attractive house built partly out into the
bay. He was stark naked!
Still, he was MOST attractive!
What was the matter with her?! This place was
getting to her. She was NOT the sort who ever even noticed such
trashy people. Nude and right out there with everything showing for
the entire world to see! He was some kind of degenerate!
A detective? THAT figured!
He slept with both men and women? Bisexual?
Or was he some kind of gigolo for whoever had the money? What did
they mean, none of her business? She most certainly wanted to know
if any man she was intimate with slept around and as definitely
wanted to know he did NOT sleep with other men! That WAS her
business!
Whatever was the matter with her? There was
absolutely no chance she would ever consider an affair with some
man she didn’t know!
Well, she considered it all the time. It was
simply that she must never let the people in her later life know
about her early life. No one must ever learn how she paid her way
through eight long years of college. She had brought herself up
into unquestioned respectability.
What was the matter with her? One look at
some naked man from two hundred feet away and she was suddenly ...
horny? She was wondering if that one could deliver what none of
those dozens who had paid her way through schooling could give
her?
What was the matter with her?! Now she was
embarrassing herself in front of these people! Even Ed was
chastising her for her remarks!
God, he was gorgeous! He fit the place so
perfectly! He would never give her another thought if he even
noticed some average-looking middle-aged librarian type was in the
passing boat.
But ... still. He was a DETECTIVE and that
scared the piss out of her.
It also added to the attraction.
Ed Porth grinned at the man running the boat
and flipped him the finger. He got a grin in return.
That was probably as interesting a character
as one would ever meet on that deck. He certainly fit the easy
ambiance of this place!
What was the mater with Lydia? She had never
acted in such a way in his experience with her. She was always
reserved and distant, but she was flushed and very bright-eyed as
she stared at the guy. She had years of experience in medical work!
Why would a nude man affect her so?
He was probably handsome in an untamed,
earthy kind of way. He would be the type who attracted women and
gays alike and maybe he slept with anyone who had the time and
energy, but so what? How did that affect Lydia?
Ed noted the flush and fluster and grinned
again. She was more primitive than she wanted to admit! She wanted
a roll with that one!
Ah! When we revert to our primal self! It can
be a real shock!
Still, why was it affecting Lydia in such a
manner?
He didn’t fail to notice how the fact the man
was a detective had affected her. It made him wonder what she was
so afraid of.
Judi waved at Clint, wagged a finger at him,
shook her head and giggled. He was fairly attractive and
uninhibited and she was used to him and his ways. He was the kind
who was your best friend or your worst enemy – or totally neutral.
He never jumped to conclusions about anyone, waiting for you to
show your real self. She knew that (much like herself) once you got
on his bad side you would probably stay there for the rest of your
life.