Killing in the Caribbean

by Jennifer Fischetto

  Thank goodness for these two flanking me and keeping the conversation going until I had the nerve to start yapping. I figured we could all fill our bellies first.

  "Yes, in an art gallery," Mimi said with a soft smile.

  Shawn raised his brows and further softened his expression with a grin. "That sounds exciting."

  She nodded and seemed to ease up some. "It can be."

  No one asked what Greer's plans were when he returned home. Maybe no one cared. I sure as heck didn't.

  "How did rehearsals go?" Whitney asked.

  I glanced to Cady and said, "Cady has an amazing voice."

  "That didn't quite answer the question," Cady said with a chuckle. "They went fine."

  I rolled my eyes. "I fumbled a bit. I need to practice more. I was preoccupied."

  "I can't imagine what with," Greer said with a big smile.

  I wasn't sure what he referred to exactly, so I chose to ignore him.

  "She was great," Shawn said. "I couldn't tell any missteps from the audience."

  That had to have been a lie. Didn't he see me dancing in the opposite direction of everyone else?

  "Ha, you're being too sweet," I said to him.

  "You guys are cute," Whitney said.

  Shawn's dimple appeared. It could've been an adorable moment if her words hadn't seared my brain with the words "you're flirting" in neon lights, because I suddenly felt the jitteriness take over, and it was all I could do to stay seated. Darn, I really thought my awkwardness had dissipated back on the boat.

  I looked away and concentrated on my food, even though the grease was souring my stomach.

  Greer set down his glass and leaned back in his chair. "Now that the niceties are out of the way, let's get some truth."

  "Truth about what?" Finley asked.

  Greer stared directly at me. "Why did I see you running out of our room last night?"

  Crap.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Everyone, except Cady and Shawn, stared at me, waiting for an answer. I was momentarily stunned and not sure how to respond. The expression on Greer's face was a mixture of anger and triumph. He was happy he'd called me out in front of everyone. He'd probably been waiting this entire time for the best moment, when my guard was down and we were all enjoying ourselves. He'd played it perfectly. Little did he know, however, that I wasn't going to be deterred by the unexpectedness of it all. If anything, I'd dig my heels into the floor and flip it on him.

  "I stopped by the hotel after the police station. I wanted to talk to the four of you about your friend being murdered, and while you were arguing in their room—" I pointed to the other couple "—I slipped into yours to see if I would find something to suggest if you killed Barclay."

  There. How was that for a response, Greer? The truth always made people nervous.

  His expression fell.

  I would've smiled if this wasn't a serious situation.

  "Why would you think he was responsible?" Whitney asked, but before I got the chance to explain, aka finally come clean, Finley and Greer piped in as well. It was voices overlapping voices. I didn't fully understand what anyone was saying, so I sat there and stayed quiet.

  When they were done talking over each other, I set my fork down, pushed my plate away, and pulled my phone out from under my thigh. I kept it beneath the table so no one, other than Cady and Shawn, could see. A couple of swipes and I turned on the camera.

  "Fine. Let's discuss this. First, yes, I believe it was one of you who killed your dear friend."

  Finley opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off with: "Obviously the police suspect the same, or they wouldn't have taken your passports."

  He shut his mouth, and the rest of them shifted in their seats. I'd only assumed the police had taken all four passports, and when no one said otherwise, I knew I was right.

  "Why?" Mimi asked.

  I scoffed. I didn't mean to feel so confrontational, but nearly being drowned did that to a girl. I'd place odds on one of them having pushed me into the ocean too. It was definitely time to get to the truth. Aiden deserved to not worry about his business or family. Plus, there was that little snafu about how we only had several more hours before three of us turned back into pumpkins or lost our glass slippers or however the story went.

  "Why do I suspect them? It's simple. They each had something to lose."

  "What does that mean?" Greer asked with a sneer.

  "Barclay knew all of your secrets. He kept them on an SD card, which he had in his luggage," I said.

  Greer's face flushed. "You're lying."

  "How would I know he had secrets on you if I hadn't found it?"

  Finley softly asked, "Did you look at it?"

  "Yes, I did." I felt self-conscious admitting this. It was wrong to snoop, to read the drive, and to discover their secrets. It felt worse admitting it to them.

  "And what did you see?" Finley asked. He held his head high and looked down his nose at me. It didn't come across as him being snooty but at him bracing himself for whatever I was about to say.

  "You really buy into this, man?" Greer asked with a chuckle.

  I looked at Finley and said, "He had a file on each of you, and in yours are images of exams. It looked as if a cheat sheet had been created."

  Finley sucked in a breath and looked away.

  Whitney touched his arm. "What does that mean?"

  He didn't respond.

  "This is bull," Greer shouted.

  Cady and I flinched. Shawn tensed. His jaw was set tight. I hadn't a clue what he was thinking.

  Several other tables of customers glanced our way.

  Aiden stayed behind the bar but walked its length and started wiping down the area closest to our table.

  Greer tossed his napkin down and pushed his chair back. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to this."

  Cady squeezed my arm.

  If he left, the others would too, and this would all be for nothing.

  "Sit down," I said as almost a growl. I was sick of his attitude. Everything pointed to him being the killer, and I was not letting him get away with it.

  He stood up and shook his head, scoffing and acting as if he didn't have time for this.

  I scooted to the edge of my seat, deepened my voice, and spoke very slowly. "I said sit down."

  He stared at me and froze.

  "You think Finley cheating his way through college was the only thing on that drive? How about the fact that you've been embezzling money from your company?"

  Greer turned three shades of pale and lowered his butt back onto his chair.

  Mimi gasped but didn't reach forward to comfort him the way Whitney had with her man.

  "You know nothing," Greer said, still trying to deny it, but his voice was weak.

  "You should stop while you're ahead," I said, feeling rather wicked all of a sudden. I held all of the cards. It made me feel equally strong, powerful, and sick to my stomach. I didn't stop though.

  "There's also a video of Barclay calling you out on the embezzlement and blackmailing you. The time when you threatened to kill him," I said.

  Now he turned even paler. It was as if his tan had been sucked away.

  "There was also a business card in Barclay's luggage. The FBI had contacted him, trying to get him to give up information about you. So your motive for murder is pretty strong."

  "How do you know what the agent wanted or did?" Finley asked.

  "I had a friend contact the agent, and he confirmed it."

  Shawn glanced my way. He was likely connecting my call with Kyle as being this friend. Something I had neglected to mention when we set up the tables.

  The group fell silent.

  Then Greer asked, "What about the women? You said Barclay had something on each of us."

  Wow, so chivalrous. His mother must've been proud.

  "He didn't have anything on Mimi," I said.

  "Of course not," she said. "How could he? I haven't known him lon
g."

  I looked to Whitney, and from the look in her eyes, she knew that I knew.

  She glanced away and started to get up. "I need to use the restroom."

  But Finley grabbed her wrist and wouldn't let her go. "Wait. I want to hear this."

  She tugged, but his grip was too strong or she hadn't yanked hard enough. Her face screwed up as if she was close to tears, and my heart went out to her. She had always treated me fairly, even when I was accusing Barclay, someone she cared for, of being a drug user. I didn't want to destroy her relationship, but at the same time, she'd done this to herself. That didn't mean I needed to be the one to tell though.

  "Go ahead," Finley said to me.

  "They…" I couldn't do it. I shook my head and turned to Cady.

  I wasn't sure why I'd felt more sympathy for Whitney than the men. Maybe it was the whole "women support women" thing, but it felt like more than that. Deep inside, I didn't believe she'd murdered her lover. She obviously cared for him somewhat, and whether he was capable of monogamy or not, he had cared on some level too. I wouldn't have been surprised if the only reason she hadn't broken things off with Finley was because she knew Barclay couldn't give her a faithful marriage.

  "Please continue," Finley shouted. His voice wasn't as loud as Greer's had been.

  "Stop. I will tell you," Whitney said and managed to break free of his hold. She twisted her hands together and looked at her lap. There was no way she was going to be able to meet Finley's eyes. "Barclay and I had an affair."

  Finley immediately paled. It looked like he hadn't expected it. "What?"

  Greer's and Mimi's wide-eyed expressions said they hadn't known either.

  "I'm sorry. It just…" Whitney reached out to Finley.

  He jumped up, knocking his chair backwards. "What? It just happened?"

  Nearby tables quieted, and Aiden came out from behind the bar.

  "I'm sorry," she said in a tone higher pitched than normal.

  "He was my friend, and you…" Finley took a step away from the table.

  Whitney stood up, ready to block his path. "We need to discuss this."

  "Oh, now you want to talk about it?"

  "I-I think you need to hear—" she said.

  "What? How I didn't pay enough attention to you? How the campaign is the first love of my life?" His voice got low and deep.

  "Well…"

  He scoffed and looked at her in disgust. "You knew how devoted I was to this before you agreed to marry me. There is nothing new here."

  Greer jumped up, causing Finley and Whitney to look his way. Greer pushed the tables apart, ramming one pointy corner into Finley's hip.

  The plates and glasses rattled. Shawn scooted his chair back before water sloshed out of his glass and onto his plate. My plate was set on the second table, but I was seated in between the two, and now half of my lap and legs were exposed. The leg I had my phone resting on. I quickly moved it to my other side, but Cady gently took it from me, careful to not accidentally turn the camera off.

  Greer shouted, "This is all your fault."

  I looked up, a bit dazed to all that was going on, and realized he was glaring at me.

  Without warning, he held out his black-gloved hands like two giant claws and lunged straight at me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  I squeezed my eyes shut because that was safe and helpful. Shouting and screams surrounded me, but I didn't feel any pain. No hands around my throat, no violent shaking, no punches. I opened my eyes and saw the women standing by their chairs and Shawn and Finley holding Greer back.

  I scrambled to my feet, and Cady tucked me behind her left shoulder. My phone was seated on her chair. She whispered, "You should've seen how fast Shawn jumped up to protect you."

  My heart swelled a little, and I wished I had witnessed it, but this wasn't the time to get all gooey.

  Greer fought against the men, growling in their faces about me and using the B word, which totally got my shackles up. Ugh, how rude.

  A couple of tables of people left, one before their food was served. Aiden hurried around the dining room, trying to keep people calm and seated.

  Greer continued to yell about how I was the problem and I was the one who probably killed Barclay.

  I stepped out from my Cady shield. "That's absurd. I didn't even know the man. He certainly didn't have any secrets on me."

  "How do we know that?" Greer shouted.

  I started to say how ridiculous he was being, but I couldn't because I had something hidden too. Except my secret was keeping my family and me alive. I hadn't hurt anyone.

  I glanced to Whitney, whose mascara had pooled under her red eyes. Well, I technically hurt one person.

  "He hit on you that first day. Maybe you slipped something in his food or drink," Greer said.

  Shawn looked at me over his shoulder but then turned back to Greer, who was practically foaming at the mouth.

  "Barclay hadn't eaten anything here that night, and he only drank seltzer. Besides, the police said the poison was in his insulin bottle."

  Whitney gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

  Greer frowned, and for a moment I actually believed the news surprised him. The killer would know this. But it would be just as easy to fake surprise.

  "Calm down," Finley shouted at his friend. "What are you going to do? Strike a woman?"

  Cady and I exchanged glances before looking at Mimi. She had backed away from the table and was cowering near the bar.

  Greer shoved Finley off him and stepped away from the two men.

  Shawn glanced my way. His expression was stoic and unreadable, and for a second I wondered if he'd blame me for everything that happened. It was my doing. I could've kept my mouth shut and minded my own business, but no. I had to investigate the death of a stranger and antagonize my prime suspect. Too bad Shawn wasn't a doctor of psychology, because maybe I needed my head examined.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  I nodded but couldn't find any actual words.

  Sergeant Clarke and Constable Newton entered the bar, and I assumed they had great timing. Until Aiden walked to the kitchen with an armful of dirty dishes and mumbled, "I called them."

  The sergeant took in the disarray of tables and how we all stood.

  "Was the food so good you had to jump up and cheer?" he asked.

  The constable grinned.

  "No one thought that was funny?" Sergeant Clarke asked. "I heard there was fighting going on. Someone speak."

  We all remained quiet.

  "Oh, come on," he said. "And here I thought we were all friends now."

  The corner of his mouth lifted. He was having fun.

  "Okay, if you don't want to talk, I will. Someone left me an interesting SD card today."

  Everyone glanced my way, including Shawn.

  "Will that person be arrested for breaking and entering?" Greer asked and stared at me.

  Oh sure, he was quick to point out my misdeeds, but what about his own?

  "Because if so, Zibby did it." Greer pointed at me, as if there were three other Zibbys in the room.

  Cady scoffed so loud, spittle flew out of her mouth. "Then Greer should also be arrested for hitting Mimi."

  His eyes widened, and his complexion deepened to a shade of pink. "I didn't touch her. She walked into a door or something. Right?"

  Mimi seemed to withdraw into herself and didn't say a word. She was probably frightened to death. The poor woman.

  "Seriously, Mimi?" Greer shouted.

  "Okay, you and me outside to talk." Clarke pointed to the door and pretty much ordered Greer to move. He glanced to Newton. "Watch the others."

  The constable nodded and folded his arms across his chest. "Yes, sir."

  The rest of us spread out.

  Aiden mumbled about getting more rum, and Cady decided to join him.

  Shawn and I straightened the tables and cleaned up the spilled glasses. "He hit on you?" Shawn asked.

 
I was so focused on the most recent events that I didn't understand the question at first. "Who? Oh, Barclay? Yes. Right before lunch, he asked me up to his room later that night."

  "Would you have gone if he hadn't died?"

  I frowned so hard I felt a twinge in my temple. "No. I wasn't interested in him."

  He nodded and grabbed a handful of napkins to sop up the spilled water. "So what now?"

  I sighed, not quite sure. "I don't know. I guess this is it. I'm done. We're not going to get answers before the ship leaves port."

  I realized I hadn't said before I or we sailed away

  What did this mean for Aiden though? Cady was going to be heartbroken that we'd have to leave and his name hadn't been cleared.

  Most of the customers that had been there during the excitement had left, and a couple of new ones had entered.

  Finley stood by the front doors and looked out. I wasn't sure if he was watching Greer with Sergeant Clarke or gazing off. He'd learned a lot, and he and Whitney hadn't spoken about it yet since he'd been avoiding her.

  Speaking of the puffy-eyed brunette, she headed to the bathroom and Mimi followed. Maybe they could comfort each other. And if Mimi chose to press charges, I wouldn't be unhappy. Greer's temper was hot and unhinged.

  Suddenly a young boy, seated at one of the tables, started wheezing. His mother jumped up and ran around to him.

  Shawn was immediately by their side. "Is he allergic to anything?"

  "No, it's his asthma. The fighting must've worked him up." The woman reached into her bag for an inhaler, but her nerves made her fumble.

  Shawn's back was to me, blocking the boy, so I couldn't see much.

  The woman pulled the inhaler out and pressed it to her son's mouth.

  Within a few seconds, the wheezing stopped.

  "Let's get him outside into the fresh air," Shawn said and helped the child to his feet.

  As they walked out, shouting was heard. It sounded like Greer.

  Finley and the constable stepped outside.

  I rolled my eyes and turned toward the bar. This night had been a bust. We may as well have gone back to the ship. I needed to make a decision shortly. If I was leaving tonight, I still needed to pack my things.