One of the scenes in my second mystery novel, Fatal Whispers, takes place at DiMillo’s On the Water in Portland, Maine. DiMillo’s is a floating restaurant located in a boat on the waterfront in the Old Port area. True to its location, the restaurant rises and falls with the tides twice each day. In operation since 1982 as a floating restaurant, it is one of the largest such eateries in the country. The interior is decorated with nautical artifacts like handcrafted boats and old lanterns and provides a superb view of the harbor from every table.
DiMillo’s offers a wide selection of scrumptious lunch and dinner menu items, and it was an easy decision to place my characters, ghostwriter Megan Scott and investigative reporter Michael Elliott, in a scene there. The hardest part was choosing from the mouthwatering lunch options on the menu. I finally decided my characters would order the fried seafood sampler, which includes scallops, clams, haddock, and Maine shrimp. Yummy!
In the scene, Michael meets with medical examiner Dr. Trudy Sayer to coax the young woman into sharing information crucial to his investigation of three unexplained deaths in the city. Since Megan plays a key role in gathering evidence for Michael, he introduces her to Dr. Sayer as his “research assistant” and, as agreed, avoids mentioning their romantic involvement. Dr. Sayer all but ignores Megan, but a congenial ambiance, appetizing food, and Michael’s charm persuade the enthralled medical examiner to disclose key information regarding her findings.
Here's an excerpt as told from Megan’s perspective -- in a lighter moment -- after Dr. Sayer thanks Michael for lunch and leaves:
I waited until the top of her head disappeared down the stairs. “What can I say, Michael? She’s perfect for you.” I smiled and batted my eyelids at him.
He chuckled. “Sometimes ya got to do what ya got to do.”
“Including bribing the medical examiner with a delicious lunch on a floating restaurant and suggestive body language?”
“I’ll do anything to get to the bare bones of the matter.”
“Oh, and funny too.” I poked him in the arm. “You owe me another favor for this one.”
“Even if my reasons from lunch were personal as well as professional?” He reached for my hand and squeezed it.
“Admit it. You asked me here to protect you from her.”
“Could be. She did seem disappointed after you joined us, wouldn’t you say?”
To find out how Megan and Michael risk their lives to solve three mysterious deaths in Portland, Maine, click here to find out where you can obtain your copy of Fatal Whispers.