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The Perfect Pitch is book 1 in the Seaside Boulevard Series.
BLURB
Francine and Richie Ragglio are high school sweethearts. Francine owns
her own real estate business and Richie pitches for the New York
Pelicans. Richie hurts his shoulder while pitching the first game of the
season, not the way he wants to end his career. When Francine is left
an abandoned restaurant from someone from her past, things begin to
spiral out of control. The mystery of a hidden basement brings Francine
and her friends together to do their own investigation, which puts them
in the middle of a smuggling ring.
Will Richie's get through his surgery so he can retire on top of his game? And will Francine and her friends solve the mystery of the hidden basement?
Will Richie's get through his surgery so he can retire on top of his game? And will Francine and her friends solve the mystery of the hidden basement?
EXCERPT
Francine went along with the laugh. No
way would she try to explain to them what they were up to. As far as Francine
was concerned, they were just appeasing Toni. If the basement had been closed,
then there would have been another blueprint in the book. Or maybe Marvin
closed it up and never bothered to change the blueprints, so he didn’t have to
hire an architect and file permits. He might have said screw it in order to
save money.
Francine walked out the backdoor and
there was Amy along with Toni on their hands and knees, pushing grass with
their hands off the concrete.
“Well if it isn’t the Nancy Drew dream
team.” Francine laughed, resting her hands on her hips.
“Are you going to help us or are you
going to stand there watching?” Toni asked.
“I’m going to help you. But I think
before we go crazy, we take another trip down to City Hall to see if there is
another blueprint beside the two of them.”
“Just keep looking,” Toni snapped. “I
went through the book twice.”
“Okay, I believe you,” Francine said. “I
didn’t mean to agitate you.”
“I think the opening has to be over here
somewhere,” Amy said, pointing to the metal tape measure. “I’ve followed the
dimensions on the blueprint to a ‘T.’ If I calculated right, the opening should
be right around here.”
Francine dropped to her knees. She joined
Amy and Toni in pulling the overgrown weeds and grass off the back of the
building, exposing the concrete foundation.
“We’re going to have to dig some of the
dirt away from the building,” Amy concluded.
“I think we should take another look at
this.” Francine stood, shaking her right leg that had become stiff. “I’m going
to grab the shovels. Using my hands isn’t cutting it.”
“I agree with her.” Amy stood. “I’m
thinking something is here. A basement just doesn’t disappear.”
Francine handed Amy and Toni a shovel.
Immediately, Francine and Amy began, while Toni tapped her shovel around the
area. As she shoveled, Francine kept her eyes on Toni who seemed to be on a
mission of her own.
“What’s she up to?” Francine asked,
nudging Amy.
“I don’t know. She didn’t say a word to
me.”
“I’m going to keep digging.” After
digging a foot down and six feet wide, Francine finally was able to see the
difference in the concrete. The smooth concrete had turned into unleveled
bricks held together sloppily by cement.
“Hey, I found something here,” Francine
called out.
“Where?” Amy asked.
“So have I,” Toni said.
Francine leaned her shovel against the side
of the building. “What did you find?” she asked walking with Amy toward her.
“I’m not sure if it’s anything. But
listen.” Toni banged the shovel two feet behind her to the dirt and then three
feet in front of her. “I hear an echo. Do you?”
“Do it again,” Amy ordered.
Toni tapped her shovel again in front of
her and behind her. The sound was different. But how could it be? Francine
thought.
Toni lifted her shovel. “Let’s dig over
here.”
All three women started digging. After a
few minutes, they hit something hard. They dropped to their knees and used
their hands to move the dirt, to reveal a metal plate with a big thick round
metal handle.
“I knew there was something fishy about
those blueprints,” Toni gloated.
“What should we do now?” Amy asked
standing.
“Open it, see what is under the door,”
Francine said.
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