Hijinks in Ajijic: Viviane's Adventures Mysteries, #1

By Vikki Walton

 

Viviane Masters is celebrating her sixties with a new lease on life as a globetrotting petsitter. But her inaugural assignment in a sleepy ex-pat town in Mexico turns sinister when threatening notes appear at the casa.

 

Against her daughter's wishes, the spunky senior has embarked on this adventure seeking excitement and freedom. But Viviane quickly senses a dark undercurrent in the seemingly placid locale. As she starts poking around, she stirs up scandals and rumors.

 

Are the ominous warnings meant for Viviane or the homeowner? And will the fireworks at dawn signal the end of the amateur sleuth's first mystery...and her last adventure? 

 

If you love armchair travel, animal companions, and clean mysteries with a delightfully sassy senior sleuth, you'll adore this short introductory tale! Don't miss grabbing this novella introducing you to Viviane before devouring the first book in the series, Deception in Devon!

 

 

Hijinks in Ajijic (pronounced A-he-he or A-he-hek) is the introduction to Viviane

Deception in Devon (Book 2 in the Viviane's Adventures Mysteries) is the next book in the series. 

 

Updated and expanded version 2024

• Language: English
• Publisher: Morewellson, Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393227557

Vikki Walton

Vikki Walton loves to travel so it was no surprise when the idea for a travel mystery series germinated. Vikki has also done house and pet sits across the globe so she knew there would be lots of opportunities for fun, new mysteries for senior sleuth, Viviane Masters. In addition to travel, Vikki enjoys design, gardening, and hiking in the beautiful Colorado mountains where she lives.

Book preview

Hijinks in Ajijic

Viviane's Adventures Mysteries

Vikki Walton

Morewellson, Ltd.

Copyright © 2021 by Vikki Walton

Updated and Expanded Version © 2024 by Vikki Walton

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

1.CHAPTER 1

2.CHAPTER 2

3.CHAPTER 3

4.CHAPTER 4

5.CHAPTER 5

6.CHAPTER 6

7.CHAPTER 7

8.CHAPTER 8

9.CHAPTER 9

10.CHAPTER 10

11. CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 1

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I’D EXPECTED MY DAUGHTER'S response, but maybe not as dramatic as all this. I watched as she paced the floor, her face red with anger. Listen, sweetie. It’s no big deal; people travel solo all the time.

But Mom, my daughter, Anne, pushed her curly blond hair behind her ears, You’re—

Here it comes. Old?

I don’t mean you’re old, but... um, have you looked in a mirror lately?

Boy, howdy, had I!

It occurred around six months after my dear Bryce had passed. I stared at the pale, drained, elderly woman staring back at me. Who was that person? Not the Viviane I still envisioned in my mind.

Even more disturbing, when had I become an invisible shell of a woman? Certainly, my body bore the scars of childbirth and many accidents from my youthful lapses in judgment. I twisted and turned my neck, taking in every facet. Sure, I didn’t look like I used to look. But was that so important?

My face bore the wrinkles and laugh lines of a life well lived. All of its joys and heartache were evident on a face that had seen and felt so much over the years. Even my hair’s pigment had fled, leaving my hair a term I prefer to call antique blond, thank you very much.

Even worse, while the hair on my head had thinned, fresh ones popped up, moving south to my chin and upper lip. Just why. Was it that your body was so confused that it forgot the areas that required hair and those that didn’t?

Yes, I had seen that woman. No need for my young, vibrant daughter to remind me. One day she would be staring at the woman in the mirror, questioning how life had changed her.

I glanced over to the desk, my new passport sitting on top. Viviane Masters. World traveler. Okay, so there were no passport stamps in it—yet. I didn’t think they even stamped them anymore, which was a pity. But other than quick trips around to national locales for vacations, international travel hadn’t even been on our radar as a young couple. Our primary concern had been making ends meet while both attending college. Life had flown past while I had been too busy living it. Now I wanted to make up for all the times I’d put things off for ‘later.’

Mom! Did you hear what I said?

Sorry, sweetie. My mind drifted a bit. What were you saying?

She slumped into the chair next to me, crossing her arms. It was a warm reminder of her as a child when she knew she wasn’t going to get her way. She pouted. What’s the point? You’re going to do what you want, anyway!

Well, you’re right there. Just because I’m about to turn sixty doesn’t mean I’m decrepit. Just wait; if you’re lucky, you’ll get old too. And trust me, sixty is far from old. I’ve heard it’s the new forty.

Anne reached over and clasped my hand in hers. Mom, I’m worried about you, that’s all.

I patted her hand. I’m not going to Antarctica. I didn’t let her know it was on my new wish list for travel. After plodding through day after day doing the same thing, I’d had enough. I stared at the four walls that had become my self-made prison. One day, a simple word came swiftly to mind.

Enough.

I stopped what I was doing and grabbed some paper and a pen. Yep, I’m that old school. Pouring myself a cup of coffee, I sat down and wrote out sixty things I wanted to do when I turned sixty. Things I’d put off over the years, because of children, work transfers, and the inevitable tomorrow. Nothing was stopping me now, but I still dragged my feet. I wrote out numbers one through sixty. Then I jotted down anything and everything I wanted to do.

Once the intensity of the moment had calmed, I sat back in my chair, staring at a long list of desires. Some simple.

Number one. Buy something frivolous I’d never done or worn. I tapped my pen on the paper. A thought quickly came to me. Red lipstick. I’d stuck with my typical boring beige-pink for years. A pop of color would be just the ticket. And not some off-the-shelf one. I wanted to go to a cosmetic counter and try some on. And no cheaping out on the price either. I wanted the package to be something beautiful.

Number two on my list was more involved. Visit the Chelsea Flower Show in England. I loved gardens and had seen pictures of the variety there. That one would take some planning.

I continued to add to my list, more excited with every item I added.

Sitting back in my chair, I smiled with satisfaction. Why hadn’t I thought of doing this before? Of course, I’d heard of bucket lists, but that sounded morbid to me. I preferred a life list. I planned on living until I was ninety at least, but to achieve my list, I’d need to combine things. Which made it even more fun to think about. Why had I never realized that dreaming and planning are as satisfying as actually doing something? Because at that moment, I felt better than I had in years.

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Over brunch with my old friend, Cheryl, I’d told her about my sixty list, with travel being one