Treading Water

The swim meet was supposed to bring excitement to Waterford Haven, not tragedy. When Margaret Gaines arrives at the community pool for her regular Sunday morning swim, she finds Richard Danforth floating face-down in the deep end, a weight belt strapped around his waist and no witnesses in sight. The charismatic AquaFit sponsor had spent the weekend networking with coaches and parents, selling dreams of athletic glory and exclusive opportunities. But as Margaret quickly discovers, not everyone at the meet was thrilled with Richard's presence. The weight belt is buckled incorrectly, his belongings tell a contradictory story, and according to everyone who knew him, Richard Danforth had no business being in that pool alone.

As Margaret digs deeper, Richard's golden promises begin to tarnish. The sponsorship deals that seemed too good to be true were exactly that. The coaching partnerships he promoted didn't exist. And the "opportunities" he sold to desperate parents came with a price that went far beyond money. Someone at the swim meet had a secret they couldn't afford to have exposed, and Richard had made the fatal mistake of threatening to bring it to light. With Chief Patterson reluctantly accepting her help and her faithful dog Freestyle at her side, Margaret must navigate a web of blackmail, shattered dreams, and financial desperation to find a killer who thought they'd drowned the truth along with their victim.