The Full Cup of Murder: Cozy Murder Mystery (Full Cup Mysteries Book 1) by Ruby Jones

Carrying on Traditions
    He is sitting on the bar stool waiting for me to finish my shift, as he always does. He is my best friend and confidant, a big, fluffy, one eyed cat named Carl. He is the greeter of all who enter my bar. The Full Cup is a local bar in a small town in coastal Maine. It was handed down to me from my parents, as are most businesses in this community. If the children are willing to stay here, most businesses are passed down from generation to generation. The Full Cup is one of only two bars in this small town and it does fairly well. Many locals often come, many a bit more often than they should, but Carl greets them all with a tired eye and perhaps a small purr provided they give him a pat on the head.
    My name is Ali, short for Alison Emily Sarah Jameson. I have so many names because my parents considered me the only child they would have and tried to stick all the names they liked into one. Funny how with all that worked, it was shortened to Ali. Anyway, my dad ran the bar for 40 years before handing it over to me. My mom died when I was six, leaving my dad to raise me on his own. I have many vague recollections of my mom, taking me to the beach or into town for ice cream. Mostly I have childhood memories of the bar. My dad worked a lot, probably more than he should have with a young child to care for and all, but we all do our best. As a child, I loved coming to the bar. The patrons always made me feel like family, perhaps because they felt sorry for me spending so much time here but I really did not mind. I never knew any different and besides, being at the bar meant I was rarely ever alone.
    As I clean up the bar, put all the stools in order & sweep the floor, my mind drifts back to the events of the evening. Dan, a nice man who was once the chief of police for our small town of Sea Harbor, comes in as he does almost nightly. After his retirement a few years back, he has become a fixture here. A lonely man just looking for company. On many occasions, I have had to call Jason, his grandson and current chief of police to take him home. Not something Dan is ever crazy about, but usually only grumbles a bit. Dan was reminiscing about his life, prior to the death of his wife, on how much he missed her. When he has a bit too much to drink, his conversations somehow always end back with Pat. He misses her, sadly has found solace in liquor. He was talking with a couple of fishermen who always come in when their boat is in. Jeff is a big husky fisherman type. One would pick him out as a fisherman in an instant. The other is Ray, a skinny, rather clean cut kid who works the boats with him. Ray is a super smart person who had hoped to go on to college and get the hell out of this town but sadly, he never made it. Rumor has it that money was the issue but no one knows, as it seems to be an off limit subject with him. He is always coming in and saying, "Ali, you and me, we should go on a date, marry, raise some kids and get out of this town." I know he is right in some aspects, getting out of this town would be the best thing for most people here. Other than that, he is way off.
    I recently started dating a man who we all joke is a transplant, someone from away. I find it refreshing to spend time with someone who does not know everything about me, as do most of the locals. We all know each other’s secrets; it is just part of living in a small town. It is both a blessing and a curse. Anyway, Reese, the man who took a job in our town as a school superintendent and I have been dating for a few months and he seems like a nice person. He comes into the bar on weekends to visit and if we are lucky, we get to sneak a kiss out back, kind of like teenagers.
    Something happened between Dan and Ray tonight. They were in heavy discussion over fish or law enforcement or some other subject that could be discussed between the two, and Ray abruptly left. Very unusual, as the two men always hit things off, in grand fashion. I