18 Caliber Read online

  18 Caliber

  Maizie Albright Star Detective 6

  Larissa Reinhart

  Contents

  Books by Larissa Reinhart

  Larissa’s Gift to You!

  On Chinese Names

  1. #EyeSpyANotSoDeadGuy

  2. #MotherFunder

  3. #WedgiedInLove

  4. #NemoDoesIt

  5. #ShutTheShotDoor

  6. #LovelyLili

  7. #GoneFishing

  8. #SignsPointToNotGood

  9. #MotherCoverUp

  10. #ConstructionOnTheRoadToDestruction

  11. #ResistantReassess

  12. #KungfuPapa

  13. #TommyBahamaGoner

  14. #AllAboutMyFakeFather

  15. #23andVicki

  16. #SleepingWithTheEnemies

  17. #TheNeuroticPsychopath

  18. #MonsterInLaw

  19. #MuleKicker

  20. #DinnerWithTheSpayberrys

  21. #DaddyDaughterDanceOff

  22. #LoveGeometry

  23. #AShotAtChic

  24. #MissionTotallyImpossible

  25. #WhenAManLovesAWoman

  26. #FloridaDreaming

  27. #NotSoHappyCamping

  28. #TwoTicketsToParadise

  29. #NoCubanosForYou

  30. #IDreamedOfMandalay

  31. #DeliveringBadNewsAndFruit

  32. #ALifeLyft

  33. #BlackKnighted

  34. #NonComplianced

  35. #WannabeAdulting

  36. #SopranosAtDownton

  37. #HeavyMetalMeltdown

  38. #BlackPineConfidential

  39. #GaryCoopering

  40. #HoldingOutForAHero

  41. #SurpriseNotSurprise

  42. #DoorbellDitching

  43. #IckyThump

  44. #CrushingIt

  45. #FreshMeat

  46. #WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin

  47. #CrouchingTiger

  48. #ClueRevisited

  49. #DeathAndTaxes

  50. #ForFork'sSake

  51. #HiddenDragon

  52. #DressedForSuccess

  53. #NotACoroner

  54. #NotTwiddlingThumbs

  55. #FinalistForWorstDetective

  56. #HowItDoesn'tEnd

  57. #ButIDidn'tShootTheDeputy

  58. #18Caliber

  59. #ShutUpAndKissMe

  Movies and TV Shows Mentioned in 18 CALIBER

  60. Bonus Chapters

  Also by Larissa Reinhart

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Books by Larissa Reinhart

  A Cherry Tucker Mystery Series

  A CHRISTMAS QUICK SKETCH (prequel)

  PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY (#1)

  STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (#2)

  HIJACK IN ABSTRACT (#3)

  THE VIGILANTE VIGNETTE (#3.5)

  DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE (#4)

  THE BODY IN THE LANDSCAPE (#5)

  A VIEW TO A CHILL (#6)

  A COMPOSITION IN MURDER (#7)

  A MOTHERLODE OF TROUBLE (in YEAR-ROUND TROUBLE)

  Audio

  PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY

  STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW

  Box Set

  CHERRY TUCKER MYSTERIES 1-3

  Maizie Albright Star Detective Series

  15 MINUTES

  16 MILLIMETERS

  NC-17

  A VIEW TO A CHILL

  17.5 CARTRIDGES IN A PEAR TREE

  18 CALIBER (2020)

  19 CRIMES (2021)

  Box Set

  #WANNABEDETECTIVE, MAIZIE ALBRIGHT 1-3

  Audio

  15 MINUTES (2020)

  16 MILLIMETERS (2020)

  NC-17 (2020/21)

  18 CALIBER (2020/21)

  A Finley Goodhart Crime Caper Series

  PIG’N A POKE (prequel, short story)

  THE CUPID CAPER

  THE PONY PREDICAMENT (2020)

  THE HEIR AFFAIR (2021)

  Larissa’s Gift to You!

  THE PIG’N A POKE

  A Finley Goodhart Crime Caper prequel

  When a winter storm traps ex-con Finley at the Pig'N a Poke roadhouse, she finds her criminal past useful in solving a murder.

  Free for my VIP Readers!

  Tap this link to join Larissa’s email group where she shares exclusive content, news, and giveaways — https://www.larissareinhart.com/larissasreaders — and receive The Pig’N A Poke as a gift.

  Note: Larissa will not share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

  To my girls

  Be proud of your heritage.

  On Chinese Names

  Even though I included Chinese citizens in a murder mystery, the characters are human with flaws and foibles, strengths and gifts, as in any of the Americans in my stories. I have a great love for the Chinese culture and people. If you didn't know, I have two Chinese daughters. They have western names, but we also kept their given Chinese names. I used syllables from their names in some of the characters' names as Easter eggs in this book. I thought the information below would help those who struggle with pronunciation or were just curious about the names I chose.

  Chinese names are generally ordered as surname (xìng 姓) first and given name (míng 名 or míngzì 名字) last. In Western writing, the characters of the given name are sometimes written separately. For example, Mao (surname) Zedong (given), can be written as Mao Ze Dong. In the list below, I'm using the Western style of given name first and surname last. I don't separate the syllables to make reading easier. I included the hanzi, Chinese characters, and meaning just for fun.

  "Chinese given names usually consist of two syllables (though it is also common to only use one). Those syllables can be any of the thousands of Chinese characters so the combinations are almost limitless. In practice some characters are chosen more often than others, such as Mei, ‘beautiful’ for girls. Sometimes the first character of the given name is shared by all members of a generation in a family. Chinese parents do not typically name babies after relatives or famous people." [Behind the Name, https://www.behindthename.com/glossary/view/chinese_names]

  18 CALIBER Names

  Shifu

  Shīfu 师傅

  Master; qualified worker; teacher; respectful form of address for older men.

  Lili Liang (lead actress in Unlucky 18)

  Lì lì 丽丽 Liáng 梁

  Lili (sounds like Leelee): beautiful, beautiful.

  Liang: also the surname of the scholar in the famous folktale Butterfly Lovers, the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet.

  Stanley Wu (supporting actor in Unlucky 18)

  Sī tǎn lì 斯坦利 Wu 吳

  Stanley: a popular Western name in China, also a town in Hong Kong originally called Chek Chue.

  Wu: tenth most common surnames in China; from the ancient sate of Wu meaning Gateway to Heaven.

  Zhihao Zhao (Associate Producer for Unlucky 18)

  Zhì Háo 志 豪 Zhào 赵

  Zi (sounds like Gee): will, purpose, ambition.

  Hao: heroic, chivalrous.

  Zhao (or Chao) (sounds like tch[a]o): from an ancient family line; refers to ancient city-state in now Shanxi province.

  Shifu Xiang Xi (Lili Liang's shaolin kung fu master)

  Xiáng翔 Xì 郤

  Xiáng (sounds like shaang): Soar, glide.

  Xi (sounds like shee): a common surname; also a city around the lower-reaches of present day Quin River in Shanxi province.

  Master Kevin Yuan (Maizie's Kung Fu Kate kung fu master and Lili's new trainer)

  Kè wén 克文 Yuán 园

  Kevin: a popular Western name in China.

  Surname Yuán: garden, park.

  Shiyu Kang (Lili Liang's assistant)


  Shí Yù 石玉 Kàng 亢

  Shi (sounds like shee): Stone.

  Yu: Jade.

  Kang: a common surname; one of the 28 constellations; excessive; overbearing; high.

  Harvey Lee (Producer forUnlucky 18)

  Hā luó dé 哈罗德 Lǐ 李

  Harvey: a popular Western name in China.

  Lee: a common surname (Li); plum

  Ning Lee (Producer for Unlucky 18)

  Níng 宁 Lǐ 李

  Ning: Peaceful

  Lee (Li): plum

  One

  #EyeSpyANotSoDeadGuy

  You'd think with the explosion of DIY home security, Nash Security Solutions would lose a lot of clients. Not so when a celebrity management company acquires your private investigations office. Our clients — rich and posers alike — wanted to hire someone to set up their Ring and Google whatnots. Except for the paranoid few who want their homes to look like a Mission Impossible set, most were content with the self-service models, not the high-tech systems we specialized in.

  We — Wyatt Nash, a professional PI, and me, Maizie Albright, his apprentice — had gone from private investigations and security specialists to handymen. Or handywoman in my case. Makes me miss cheating spouse surveillance.

  Still a paycheck is a paycheck.

  "Hand me the screwdriver, Miss Albright. Phillips." His eyes on the door of a trailer, Wyatt Nash held out a hand. A large hand. Calloused. Pocked with a few small scars. But with long, nimble fingers capable of a gentle touch.

  A touch that can induce feelings of wondrous and rapturous delight, I might add.

  Nash glanced at me. "The one you named Phyllis."

  I grabbed the screwdriver from his adorable red metal box and placed it in the center of his big hand. Then dragged my fingers across his palm before he could close it.

  His ice-blue eyes darted to my sea glass greens. "Miss Albright. We're working."

  Holding back a pout, I examined the bright blue sky with bare puffs of clouds gliding on the horizon. Winter in the North Georgia mountains was much colder than winters I'd experienced in LA, naturally. But there were days like today, when the sun changed the temperature from chill to brisk. The blue and gold sky lit the tops of the tall Georgia pines, disguising all the dull brown that became more apparent with gray skies.

  The sun made me hopeful. I looked back at Nash, who concentrated on screwing in a peephole camera. The tall, muscular body leaned toward the door. The sleeves on his flannel-lined denim jacket straining to accommodate his biceps and chest. Levi’s fitting him snugly in all the right places.

  I gave into a pensive and mournful sigh. Wyatt Nash was no longer my boss. Officially, I had dibs on him romantically. But he was still the southern gentleman through and through. Which meant a strong division between work and play. Stronger than concrete, steel, or diamonds. And not even flexible-strong like bamboo or spider silk.

  He was carbon fiber among men.

  And it wasn't just because our boss, Vicki Albright — still-owner of Always Albright Celebrity Management and new-owner of Nash Security Solutions — made clear the rules for our working relationship clear. No hanky-panky on the job site.

  As if.

  Nash had been offended she'd even raised the issue. And I had morals and ethics and all that. Even after growing up in Beverly Hills.

  Sort of, anyway. The more time I spend in Georgia, the more I wondered about my prior values.

  The real problem lay with Vicki's celebrity connections. We worked non-stop. Which is totally awesome if you're trying to re-establish a foothold in the once slippery position of private investigations and security systems in our town of Black Pine, Georgia. Not so awesome, if you want to date your co-worker and you're working twenty-four-seven-three-sixty-five.

  Not that I was working. Not at the moment, anyway. We'd split up the trailers and I had finished my jobs. Yay me for grabbing the electric screwdriver first.

  "I'm going to check the special case," I said to Nash. "See what extras were added to the list."

  He nodded and continued to screw the camera into the door.

  Times like these made me jealous of Phyllis.

  I hiked my Golden Goose sneakers across the backlot's pavement. The trailers were rented by a new production — some kind of martial arts action film — and would be hauled to various locations in the mountains when they weren't sitting behind one of the big sound stages that took a large chunk of land on the outskirts of Black Pine. Black Pine Studios was new to the area, although the land had been bought and construction started several years ago. The film industry had recently exploded in Black Pine due to Georgia's generous tax shelters, cheap land, and cheaper labor.

  I entered the three-room trailer. Checking the clipboard lying on the table near the door, I noted their security needs. Nothing over-the-top — not like the retinal scanners we'd recently installed in a producer's rented home — but it would need more work than the others. Alarms on all the windows. Emergency button in the bathroom. Scan for hidden cameras and microphones.

  I made a quick list of supplies we'd need, then began my walk-through for the alarm count. Like their security feature wish list, the trailer was lavish but not outrageous. The roomy living area had a galley kitchen featuring an eat-in peninsula. Cherry wood and marble. Below a large flatscreen was an inset fireplace. In the mountains, Georgia did get cold this time of year. Large makeup station in the bathroom, complete with Hollywood lighting. King-size bed in the bedroom.

  Where a man lay dead.

  "Holy Hellsbah," I shrieked and backed out of the room. "Not again."

  The dead man rolled over, then sat up.

  "Thank God." I slapped a hand over my heart. "You're not dead."

  From the doorway, I examined the youngish man. Dressed in (rumpled) trendy clothes with sandy brown hair, he didn't look like a derelict. But if he worked in the business, he would know he shouldn't be in the trailers. "Why are you sleeping here?"

  "I was tired." He had an impish smile. "Why did you assume I was dead?"

  "Long story but mostly bad luck." I folded my arms. "You can't sleep in these trailers. And you shouldn't be on-set without permission."

  Sliding across the bed, he grabbed a lanyard from an end table and held up a plastic badge.

  "Then you should know you can't sleep in these trailers." I raised my chin. "Who are you?"

  "Jeff Johnson." He grinned. "Who are you? Besides a ginger with a nice…clipboard."

  I narrowed my eyes. "What are you? I mean, what do you do?"

  "Awesome." He waggled his brows. "And wouldn't you like to know."

  "I would. Like to know. Considering I'm installing the security in this trailer."

  "No worries, doll." He slid to the edge of the bed.

  I wasn't security-security. I was a contractor who screwed in doorbell cams then uploaded the app to the client's phone because they were too busy (lazy) to do it themselves. However, I should report Jeff Johnson. For unofficial napping.

  "Before you go, let me see your badge." I used my official security voice, one I'd developed for a Julia Pinkerton, Teen Detective movie that went into production but was abruptly canceled after the producers (and their marketing department) decided the script wasn't pro-STEM enough. Julia had already graduated from high school and the writers decided as a vigilante she'd major in pre-law.

  Instead of engineering as the marketing department would have liked.

  At the time, I had majored in criminal justice at U Cal Long Beach, so pre-law made all kinds of sense to me. But what did I know about pre-teen demographics? Anyway, I'd had a two-year hiatus from starring in the Julia Pinkerton, Teen Detective TV show, and thought for the movie, I could make her more edgy with a scholarly, pandering raspy drawl. I had the college sneer down pretty good, too. Now I used it with on-the-job pests.

  I loved finding new uses for old character traits. Recycling always made me feel like a productive citizen.

 
"Badge," I repeated, extending my hand.

  "I'll show you mine if I can see yours." Jeff Johnson countered my collegiate sneer with a frat boy smirk. He crooked a finger and deepened the smirk. "Show and tell time."

  "Yours first." I'd reverted from collegiate to grammar school.

  Jeff chuckled and held out the badge. "Feisty. I like that."

  Instead of calling him something that would lower me to his standards (and possibly get me in trouble), I snatched the badge from his hand and examined it.

  "You're a visitor for Unlucky 18? The martial arts movie? How did you get this?" I handed him the badge. "They haven't started filming. This is pre-production. You shouldn't be here."

  "That's an all-access pass. Ask around. Everyone knows me."

  "Visitors have restrictions. Someone from the set should be accompanying you."