The Scargill Cove Case Files: An Arcane Society Story (A Penguin Group eSpecial from Jove)

BOOK: The Scargill Cove Case Files: An Arcane Society Story (A Penguin Group eSpecial from Jove)
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Table of Contents
 
 
 
 
Titles by Jayne Ann Krentz
 
Copper Beach
In Too Deep
Fired Up
Running Hot
Sizzle and Burn
White Lies
All Night Long
Falling Awake
Truth or Dare
Light in Shadow
Summer in Eclipse Bay
Together in Eclipse Bay
Smoke in Mirrors
Lost & Found
Dawn in Eclipse Bay
Soft Focus
Eclipse Bay
Eye of the Beholder
Flash
Sharp Edges
Deep Waters
Absolutely, Positively
Trust Me
Grand Passion
Hidden Talents
Wildest Hearts
Family Man
Perfect Partners
Sweet Fortune
Silver Linings
The Golden Chance
 
 
Titles by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Amanda Quick
 
Quicksilver
Burning Lamp
The Perfect Poison
The Third Circle
The River Knows
Second Sight
Lie By Moonlight
The Paid Companion
Wait Until Midnight
Late for the Wedding
Don’t Look Back
Slightly Shady
Wicked Widow
I Thee Wed
With This Ring
Affair
Mischief
Mystique
Mistress
Deception
Desire
Dangerous
Reckless
Ravished
Rendezvous
Scandal
Surrender
Seduction
 
 
Titles by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle
 
Canyons of Night
Midnight Crystal
Obsidian Prey
Dark Light
Silver Master
Ghost Hunter
After Glow
Harmony
After Dark
Amaryllis
Zinnia
Orchid
 
 
eSpecials
 
The Scargill Cove Case Files
 
 
Anthologies
 
Charmed
(with Julie Beard, Lori Foster, and Eileen Wilks)
 
 
Titles written by Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle
No Going Back
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have control over and does not have any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
 
THE SCARGILL COVE CASE FILES
 
A Jove eSpecial / published by arrangement with the author
 
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Jove eSpecial / December 2011
 
Copyright © 2011 by Jayne Ann Krentz.
Excerpt from
In Too Deep
copyright © by Jayne Ann Krentz.
Excerpt from
Copper Beach
copyright © by Jayne Ann Krentz.
 
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate
in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
 
ISBN : 978-1-101-53880-7
 
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Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
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MEMO
 
FROM:
Fallon Jones, Director of the West Coast office of Jones & Jones.
 
SUBJECT:
Scargill Cove Case Files
 
CLASSIFICATION:
Top Secret. Authorized Eyes Only.
 
NOTE FROM FALLON JONES: These are my private notes, the confidential records of the cases handled by J&J here in Scargill Cove. The Cove is a small town and the local cases are small, too. Definitely not the sort that attract attention from the outside world or the media. Hell, the outside world and the media couldn’t even find the Cove on a map of Northern California. As far as GPS is concerned, the town doesn’t exist. That is exactly why I decided to establish the West Coast office of J&J here. I like my privacy.
 
Most of the cases handled here won’t ever make it into the official files of the Arcane Society. But it turns out people get murdered in small towns just like they do in big cities. The Cove being a paranormal nexus, however, nothing is ever normal here—including murder. In this town there are no coincidences.
Case # 1
 
Death in a Bookstore
 
(Timeframe: Just before the incidents in
In Too Deep
)
July 6
 
Got a walk-in client today. Named Fitch. Guess it’s what I get for being the only psychic detective agency in town.
 
 
Fitch just bought the bookstore, which sells mostly books on vegan cooking and metaphysics. Don’t think he knows much about either.
 
 
Fitch says he thinks something bad happened in the bookstore, like maybe someone got killed there. Wants me to investigate.
 
 
I told Fitch I don’t do ghosts. I’m a real psychic, not one of those phonies who claims to speak to the dead. Can’t waste my time.
 
 
Fitch said he’s not hiring me to get rid of a ghost. Just wants to know what happened.
 
 
Something about Fitch. May be a low-grade sensitive who really is picking up on some bad energy.
 
 
Still digging my way out from under the Hawaii case but told Fitch I’d take the job. Probably a mistake.
 
 
This is a small town. If I refused the Fitch case, people would talk. Fitch might bring in an outside investigator. Not good.
July 15
 
Up all night again. Probably can’t go on like this indefinitely. Maybe I do need an assistant.
 
 
Getting low on coffee. Got to remember to pick up some more soon.
 
 
Another report of a body found near a campground. Same MO. J&J agent says it’s a rogue. Like I needed a psychic serial killer problem.
 
 
J&J will have to deal with the rogue. Regular law enforcement doesn’t stand a chance against guys like that.
 
 
Regular law enforcement won’t even admit there is such a thing as the paranormal, let alone killers with psychic talents.
July 17
 
Crashed last night. Fell asleep at the computer in the middle of reading the new classified report on the Nightshade case.
 
 
Promised Fitch I’d stop by his bookstore today. Don’t have time for this. Should focus on Nightshade and the rogue.
 
 
Need more agents. Like that’s gonna happen. J&J isn’t the CIA or the FBI. Don’t have unlimited resources.
 
 
The rogue struck again. Another campground, another body. I’ll call the illusion-talent in Seattle. Guy gives me chills but he gets the job done. Sometimes it takes a killer to catch a killer.
 
 
Went to see Fitch. Pretty sure now that he’s got some talent. Probably doesn’t know it yet, himself. He’s right. Bad vibes in that store.
 
 
Back in the office with a cup of coffee. Thinking about Fitch. No such thing as ghosts but violence always leaves a psychic stain.
 
 
Illusion-talent took the job. Same arrangement as last time. He deals with the rogue and I don’t ask any questions. Works for us.
 
 
It’s raining but I’m going to take a walk on the beach. Need to clear my head.
 
 
Only enough coffee left for one more pot. Got to remember to pick up some at the store.
July 20
 
Just got off the phone with Zack. Knew he’d be a problem once they made him Master of the Society. Always demanding status reports.
 
 
Should focus on Nightshade but I keep coming back to the Fitch case. Need to do some research on the former owner of the bookstore.

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