Chapter One

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Arlo smiled at Olivia as he wiped the bar with his cloth.

“I’m meeting someone here, so I thought I’d hang out with you to catch up.” She looked over her shoulder and then back to him. “I don’t have to ask about business, the place is packed.”

“It’s been like this all summer. I thought the crowd would back off a little after Labor Day, but if anything more people showed up. Hold on a minute. Have to take this to the table over there.” He held a tray with three beers and a bubbly soda.

Olivia watched his tall lanky frame move effortlessly through the crowd. He carried the tray aloft, stopping to speak to a couple. Then he moved on to the next group. Four young adults sat at a high-top table near the small stage. The man looked up as Arlo approached.

He must be asking for IDs, Olivia observed. Three of the four handed over their driver’s license before he set the glasses on the table. I’ve never seen those people before. Probably up from LA.

Arlo returned with an empty tray at his side. With deft efficiency, he slid the tray under the counter and then checked his iPad for the next order. He poured a flight of beer, four samples from the pub brewery, then checked his order again before putting the flight on the tray and hoisting it in the air.

After a few minutes Arlo returned, the empty tray under his arm. He polished a glass and looked at her with a smile. “The usual?” he asked, using his tongs to drop ice in the glass.

“Thanks.” When he didn’t keep talking, she realized he was looking over her head at the busy room filled with customers. She ducked to give him a better view. He reached for the hose to fill her glass with soda water. Pulling a lemon from under the bar, he gave a skillful squeeze, sliding the drink closer.

“Waiting for Mike?” He reached for another clean glass.

“He’s been staying late at the construction site.” She eyed the slice of lemon he’d balanced on the rim of her glass. “I’m actually here to meet up with a potential new percussionist for Sweet Four O’Clock.”

At the mention of her band, Arlo nodded. “The other one didn’t last too long.”

She took a long sip. The liquid hit the back of her throat with a tingle. Olivia stopped drinking to explain. “We took on a drummer for our tour this summer. But she had another gig for fall so we’re looking for someone new. A guy named Malone contacted me on Gig Masters. He said he’d meet me here at five to talk.”

Arlo leaned over the bar. “Malone…” His face looked quizzical. “You don’t mean Beats Malone, the old drummer for The Eclectics?”

“That’s him.” Olivia’s eyes grew wide. “He’s famous in certain music circles.”

“He’s well known to a lot of people, plays old-time music and rock and roll. He got a mention in a recent percussion documentary on Netflix. I call that really famous.”

Olivia grinned. “Am I supposed to be honored with his presence or something? Do we roll out a red carpet when he shows up and then stop everyone and make a big introduction? That kind of famous?”

“You gotta admit, it doesn’t take a lot to be famous in Lily Rock. But I think we can forget about the red carpet. If he stays even a weekend, I’m so naming a beer after him, probably an IPA.”

Olivia held up one finger to temporarily halt their conversation. She looked over his head at the bar clock on the wall. It’s a little past five.

“He’s late,” she told Arlo. “I’m not impressed.”

“He’s a drummer. Being late goes with the territory,” Arlo said with a smirk.

“Actually coming in late can be catastrophic for a drummer and the entire band. We depend on the percussionist to come in right on time.” Olivia put the phone on the bar top. She took another sip of her soda water. “So do you think Beats is his nickname? I mean, he’s a drummer and all.”

Arlo reached under the counter again and refilled her glass. “I thought his name was weird the first time I heard it. But then I read an interview in Rolling Stone. Apparently Beats is his given name. His family comes from Switzerland and Beats is as common as naming your kid John.”

Olivia’s eyebrows raised. She checked her phone again. “Okay, I’m not an expert but culturally speaking, the Swiss are even more particular than the Germans about time, and if that’s the case, where is our potential new drummer?”

Arlo didn’t answer. He moved to the other end of the bar to take an order. Olivia sipped on her water, thinking about the phone call she’d received the day before.

“This is Olivia Greer,” she’d answered.

“Saw your ad on Gig Masters,” came a male voice. “Thought I’d call about your job. My name is Beats Malone. Heard of me?”

“I can’t say that I have,” she’d responded.

“You’re in Lily Rock, right? I want to make sure I have the right band, Sweet Four O’Clock?”

“We rehearse here. Are you familiar with the town?”

“Yeah, I read up on it: a couple of hours from LA, in the mountains. Small-town vibe, something about a dog who’s the mayor. I know a few people who live up there. I’m a percussionist, by the way. It said in the ad you were looking for one.”

Once she realized he was a drummer, she’d dropped her guard. “Give me an idea about other bands you’ve played with.” After a salvo of name dropping, they’d arranged for a meeting the next day.

Olivia glanced to her left and then to her right, waiting for Arlo to return. People stood at the bar, beer glasses in hand, chatting loudly. She felt people standing behind her as if ready to pounce on her chair when she stood up.

I wish Sage were here to meet Malone. Then the decision could be made by both of us. When I told her he was coming up to talk, she pulled away from the conversation so fast. I suppose she has a lot on her mind, what with…

Arlo called out, “I’m going to check on that table again.” He glanced over her shoulder, his eyes narrowing. “Those kids drink fast.” A ding from the kitchen cut through the sound of loud voices. Olivia saw four plates slide under the warming lights.

Arlo grabbed the plates, stacking them on his arm. “Food for the table over there,” he told her as he hustled past. She watched as he placed the food in front of the young people and then reached back to grab a bottle of catsup off another couple’s table.

When Arlo returned to the bar, his mouth was drawn in a tight-lipped expression. Olivia raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to explain. “They wanted me to speak to the people leaning on the wall waiting for their table.” He raised his voice to explain further. “The boy said, ‘They keep staring at us. It makes me feel uncomfortable.'” Arlo shook his head. “We got people waiting for seats because it’s Friday night. I can’t afford to turn away customers. My motto is: drink a beer, eat the food, and then go.”

“So who is that group anyway?” Olivia asked.

“Three of them are siblings. I only know that because they live with their mother up by us. The fourth one may be the boy’s girlfriend. I don’t know that for certain.” He slid his towel over the counter again. “They moved here six weeks ago. Cayenne keeps her eye out. I don’t think she feels quite right about all those older kids living with their mother in a mountain cabin.”

“Cayenne’s intuition is kicking in again,” Olivia agreed.

Before Arlo could say more, a loud bark pierced the crowd of voices, most likely coming from the parking lot downstairs. “Is that the mayor?” Olivia set her glass down.

“Sounds like him.” When the barking continued, Arlo focused his gaze toward the railing. Every barstool at the long counter was filled with people drinking, the forest providing atmosphere from a distance. Those who liked the view of the trees came early to grab seats. Plus it was a good place to start up conversations with strangers.

The barking continued as the pub grew quieter, more and more people pausing to listen. One man shoved the shoulder of his companion, holding his finger over his lips.

“That is Mayor Maguire!” Olivia spoke loudly and then stood up from her stool. She snatched her cell phone off the bar, slipping it into her pocket. She began to push past people standing in the way, heading toward the exit.

“Let me get this,” Arlo shouted after her. “I don’t want you going all hyper-sleuth on me. You’re always getting in over your head.”

Olivia paused. “Why don’t we both go together to see why he’s barking so ferociously?” She waited for Arlo to untie his apron and walk around the bar as people resumed their conversations.

“See anything?” Arlo asked as they passed people sitting on the rail looking over.

One man shook his head. “Whose dog is making all the racket?”

Arlo took Olivia’s elbow. “It’s not someone’s dog, that’s the mayor of Lily Rock you’re talking about. He doesn’t bark for no reason.” Arlo made his way through the remaining crowd with Olivia close behind. When people began to follow them, Arlo turned around.

“Stay put. We’ll figure this out. You just keep drinking.” The crowd did not need a second invitation. Those who stood now sat back down as the voices grew louder in conversation.

Once outside, Olivia followed Arlo down the metal stairway. At the foot of the stairs, she stopped to listen. “I think M&M is over at the end of the parking lot near the woods.” She followed Arlo as they made their way closer.

The barking grew louder as they passed parked vehicles and reached the area where the pavement ended and the woods began. “Stay behind me,” Arlo insisted. “I’ll go first and see what the commotion is about.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

“Hey, Mayor,” he called out. The sound of his voice only made the dog bark louder.

“It’s me, M&M,” Olivia shouted. As soon as Mayor Maguire caught sight of her, he jumped up and down and then stopped barking. His tail wagged, urging them forward. He turned his back on them, his head bowed, sniffing something on the ground.

The closer they got, the more her stomach tightened. Arriving at the same time, they flanked Mayor Maguire.

“I see now,” Olivia said, her voice filled with concern.

A body lay on the ground, facedown in the dirt.

“This doesn’t look good,” Arlo said.

The body was awkwardly posed, with one arm folded underneath, blood oozing on the dirt from under his body.

Arlo grasped Mayor Maguire’s collar with one hand and spoke in a calm voice. “Good dog,” he said. Once he’d secured the dog, he stooped down to look more closely at the body. Olivia came up next to him.

“Looks like a male; he seems to be unconscious,” Arlo stated flatly.

She felt her heart beat in her throat. “That’s a lot of blood. Can you check his pulse?” Taking Mayor Maguire’s collar, she moved him back so that Arlo could look more closely.

His fingers wrapped around the exposed wrist of the unconscious man. After a moment he dropped the hand and then backed away. “I can’t feel a pulse. You’d better call 911.”

Olivia let go of the mayor’s collar to reach for her cell phone. Her hand trembled and her breaths came in short gasps. She tapped in the numbers. Mayor Maguire gave one sharp bark as if to hurry her along.

“We’ve got this, Mayor,” she assured him.

The labradoodle lifted his head, round black eyes looking directly at her. He seemed to be considering her words as if seeing for himself whether she had the situation under control. Satisfied that she meant business, he nudged her knee with his nose.

Olivia patted his head with one hand as she spoke into her cell phone. “There’s an emergency at the Lily Rock pub. We’ve found a body at the edge of the woods.”

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