A Common Death

After their adventures at Daybreak House in Maine, Dan Jamieson and Rachel Maguire have settled into a happily blossoming relationship and Dan has opened a branch office of his private detective agency in Boston, since he has been spending less time in Maine and more time in Boston lately. He even hired a young operative, former military cop and computer expert Charlie Waterson, to work with him on financial investigations. When Dan is asked to investigate alleged embezzlements at Thornton’s Emporium, it doesn’t take long for him to figure out that Ronald Thornton is less interested in the theft of company funds than he is in seeking revenge on a beautiful female employee who rebuffed his very unsubtle carnal propositions. Dan’s refusal to play a role in Thornton’s blatant sexual harassment and his victim’s termination of employment might have been the end of it, except a few days later Thornton is found in Boston Common, quite dead and with a bouquet of daffodils on his chest. Certain elements of the case suggest a Chinese connection and with Dan and Charlie’s specialized knowledge of the community, the police ask Dan to become a consultant to their investigation. Dan has his own reason for wanting in. He and Rachel had warned Thornton’s victim that he might seek reprisals, one attempt had already been thwarted, and now Emily was missing.