Guest Blogger: Jan Morrison aka Kitty MacDonald

Thank you, Carol, for inviting me to share a whiskey sour under The Tiki Hut. I’m Corporal Kitty MacDonald, and I don’t often get time off from my busy existence as an officer with the RCMP in Nova Scotia. We have beaches but sometimes it seems like I only see them when there is a body on them – not a sun-bathing body – but a dead one. I love my work though.

My first real murder case was after a baby was found on the rocks at scenic Peggy’s Cove – no beach there – but huge boulders. The baby, named Pearl by the young woman who found her, was alive, but alas, her mother, a notorious party-girl from Halifax, was not. She was found at the Dorey Motel – deader than the summer is now. Hopefully you’ll be able to read about it soon in the book my writer has written about the story – The Rock Walker.

I’d like to talk a bit about Thanksgiving. In Canada, Thanksgiving is held the 2nd Monday of October – a good month before it is celebrated in the States. Makes sense when you think of it – our harvest is earlier, as is our winter. 

A few years back I was called to the small town of Annapolis Royal. One of the gardeners at the Historic Gardens had been found pegged out on a heather bed. It was just before Thanksgiving and the town of Annapolis Royal was busy rolling up its sidewalks. A place that is over-run with B&B’s, wonderful historic sites and glorious scenery, it becomes a bit of a ghost town after the last turkey sandwich is eaten. 

The locals really get down to fun when all the tourists and summer folk have left. They are a very cultured bunch, into fine art, philosophy and in this case, murder. I had my hands full with this case, which Jan has named Earth Bound. I won’t tell you how it all came out – not even Jan knows that – but Thanksgiving in small town Nova Scotia can be more complicated than you might imagine. 

For you who like gardening – I learned a lot hanging around the crew at The Historic Gardens. One of the perks of this job is finding out how different people live and work. I also learned quite a bit about Buddhist statues and what people will do for lust and greed!

When I’m not working I am busy with my own home. I’m single now, my husband and I split up a few years ago. I have two teen-aged sons who keep me on my toes. I like walking and my mum is always trying to get me back to the social whirl of Chester, a drinking town with a sailing problem on the South Shore. I stay put in my home close to Peggy’s Cove. It is quiet and just what I need after days out in the world of murder, chicanery and drug dealing. Or is it?

Oh, my cell is ringing. Must be my boss, D’Entremont. He is always on my butt, but I adore him – just don’t tell him that. We have to pretend animosity to keep the others wondering! And in case you’re speculating, we have no romantic interest in each other.

See you later, Carol. Thanks for having me on your beach. Come on up to Nova Scotia some day and I’ll show you a murderous good time!