I knew it was going to be one of those days the moment I opened my eyes and found Captain Morgan sitting on my chest.
Not beside me.
Not at the foot of the bed.
On my chest.
The giant Maine Coon stared down at me with the patience of a cat who believed he had waited too long for breakfast.
“You’re impossible,” I muttered.
He answered with a chirp and stepped directly onto my stomach.
Five minutes later, I stood in the kitchen of the Victorian house I’d inherited on Fifth Street, pouring coffee while Captain Morgan supervised from his usual spot on the counter. Morning light streamed through the stained-glass window, scattering pieces of amber and blue across the worn floorboards.
Most people probably imagined inheriting a historic house would be romantic.
They’d never spent a Saturday hunting for a leak in the attic while wondering whether someone had hidden clues inside the walls.
Life has a way of adjusting your expectations.
I carried my coffee onto the front porch and settled into the swing. The neighborhood was waking up. A dog barked down the block. A bicycle rolled past. The Gulf breeze stirred the azaleas along the fence.
For a few minutes, everything was ordinary.
Then my phone buzzed.
Lorna’s name flashed across the screen.
That should have been my first warning.
I answered the call.
“Oh good, you’re awake.”
“It’s nine o’clock.”
“I have news.”
That got my attention.
Lorna never had information. She had announcements.
“What kind of news?”
“I think Captain Morgan is trying to solve the mystery before we do.”
I stared at the phone.
“Lorna.”
“I’m serious.”
An hour later, she was standing in my living room making her case while Captain Morgan sat cleaning one paw.
“Look at him,” she said.
“He is bathing.”
“He is observing.”
“He is licking his foot.”
Lorna pointed dramatically. “Exactly.”
Before I could argue further, a knock sounded at the front door. Herman stepped inside a moment later carrying a small toolbox.
“I figured if the two of you were together, something probably needed fixing.”
“That is deeply unfair,” Lorna said.
“It’s also accurate,” I replied.
By lunchtime, Herman was repairing a loose cabinet hinge, Lorna was convinced the house was trying to tell us something, and I was attempting to organize a stack of records from my aunt’s attic.
That was when Captain Morgan appeared.
A piece of paper dangled from his mouth. He crossed the room and dropped it at my feet.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Herman shook his head.
“Lorna’s never going to let us hear the end of this.”
“You’re absolutely correct,” Lorna said.
I sighed. “Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
I picked up the paper and shook my head.
Life on Fifth Street rarely goes according to plan. Some days begin with coffee. Some begin with clues. And occasionally, the clue has whiskers.
Honestly, I’ve learned not to question it. That’s just another day in my life.
THE HOUSE ON FIFTH STREET
Series: A Bailey Rae Vaughn Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Southern Cozy Gothic Mystery
Release: June 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
When Bailey Rae Vaughn inherits a weathered Victorian on Fifth Street in Galveston, she expects dust, memories, and maybe a few family secrets. What she finds instead is a house that feels…watchful. Inside, her great-aunt Midori’s belongings remain untouched, stacks of papers, hand-stitched quilts, and fragments of a past no one ever fully explained. Hidden among them are clues to a buried history tied to a long-forgotten community whose story was never meant to survive. Then a squatter is found dead on her porch.
As developers close in on Fifth Street and pressure mounts to sell, Bailey realizes this is no ordinary inheritance. The deeper she digs, the more she uncovers: missing records, hidden messages, family secrets, and a legacy that stretches back generations. With her sharp-witted best friend Lorna at her side, a keen-eyed Maine Coon named Captain Morgan nearby, and a neighborhood full of whispers and half-remembered truths, Bailey follows a trail of clues that someone is determined to keep buried.
Because this is not just about a house.
It is about history. It is about legacy.
And someone is willing to kill to erase both.
About the author
Tish Bouvier is the author of Knot Before You Enter, her debut novel and the first book in the Maxine Gerimatter Cozy Mystery Series. A native Houstonian and former geriatric and hospice nurse, she draws inspiration from the resilience of everyday people and the stories that connect communities across generations. When she’s not writing, she enjoys journaling, playing cozy games, attending craft shows, and exploring secondhand bookstores. She lives in Texas with her husband and is the proud mother of four daughters. Visit tishbouvier.com for more information.