The Boat Across the Bay

Ted and Tricia own a modest home on the shore of an island bay. Their pride and joy is a 50ft sleek powerboat. Ted is a real-estate broker but has recently had major knee surgery and is recuperating at home. Tricia is getting used to having him around full-time. A visiting boat pulls into their cove and anchors in an area that doesn't always hold well. When Tricia alerts the captain and guest of the boat, she comes away with mixed impressions. Next morning the boat appears to be abandoned and disabled. Tricia contacts the Coast Guard who get in touch with the owner. The boat belongs to a Charter company, which chartered the boat to a single chap for cruising in the northwest islands. Since Ted is disabled, Tricia reservedly helps get the boat towed to a local boat repair facility. There, her interaction with a new employee seems out of character with other employees she knows. Based on a fortunate small finding, Tricia travels to Canada to check out a possible lead on the charterer. Back home Ted helps with some investigative Internet work. The mystery of the disappearing boat charterer only deepens however. A dead body found in the nearby major shipping strait adds to the concerns of Tricia and authorities. But Tricia, with her investigative instincts, suggests a solution to the local police. A little work on their part finds illegal cross-border activity that is nipped in the bud. A spicy cozy mystery.