Stalked in Paradise
Page 17
Harriet took a sip of her lemon water and looked around the space with appreciation. Payson’s cottage was larger than her own Mermaid, with two bedrooms and a larger living room.
While it had the same luxurious standard of furnishings she had come to expect from the resort, she could see that Payson had added his own touches to the space. This cottage was obviously used by no one else.
A collection of finely carved wooden masks dominated the room, reflecting every human emotion along with several non-human faces that fascinated Harriet. She itched to get up and inspect them much more closely, but she was acutely aware of the imposition her barely-announced visit made on her host and didn’t want to take advantage any more than she already had.
Several antique, hand-knotted rugs in blues and tans covered the floor. The doors to the two bedrooms were closed. Harriet idly wondered if Payson had converted one to an office so he could work from the island.
Fortunately she didn’t have long to wait for Alex. Less than ten minutes had passed when he roared up on his motorcycle and, tapping lightly on the door, let himself in.
“Payson? You needed to see me?” He stopped short when he saw Harriet. His eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”
“I had to talk to you as soon as possible and it needed to be somewhere where we wouldn’t be seen. This was the only place I could think of.”
Payson stood. “Why don’t I step outside while you two talk.”
“No.” Harriet reached out and grabbed Payson’s hand. Horrified by the familiarity of the gesture she hastily dropped it. “Please stay. Really. It’s nothing you can’t hear. In fact you might have an idea of what to do.”
“All right then. If you want me to stay, I will.” He took his seat again and waited expectantly.
Harriet watched Alex. “Lana came to see me at the office after I returned to the island. Oh, that reminds me.”
She turned her attention to Payson. “Thank you for telling Mr. Wade about losing all my things. Please thank him for the generous credits. I replaced everything today and what I didn’t spend I’ll return to him tomorrow. I’m sure the bank can just reverse them back into his account.”
Payson’s pale blue eyes sparkled. “You’re quite welcome, my dear. And may I say that I look forward to seeing one of your new outfits when we lunch next week.”
Harriet smiled at him and turned back to Alex, her expression serious again. “Lana was upset that we flew together to the mainland. She told me that she watched me get on the shuttle after you boarded. She accused me of chasing you. Alex, I think Lana is stalking you.”
“If she is it’s nothing I can’t handle. Is that why you dragged me out here?” He sounded more irritated than grateful for the warning.
“No. There’s more. She threatened me. She said that if I don’t stay away from you then next time I’d find the knife in my chest.”
Alex huffed out a breath. “That’s a lot more serious.” He gave Harriet a speculative look. “You think Lana might be the person who destroyed your things?”
“It makes sense. She’s warned me three times now to keep my distance from you. She claims that you . . . that you are her man. Think about it, Alex. If you didn’t tell anyone, and I didn’t tell anyone that we kissed, how did she even know? She must have followed you to my cottage that night.”
Harriet’s hand flew to her mouth as she felt the warm blush creep up her neck. But when she glanced at Payson he merely winked at her and smiled.
“There’s nothing wrong with two people feeling attracted to each other, my dear.”
Alex leaned back in his chair, stretched out his long legs, and steepled his fingers. Harriet was beginning to recognize this as his thinking mode.
“What you’re saying is you think that because Lana knew we flew together to the mainland today and also knew we kissed, that she must be stalking me.”
“It makes sense,” Harriet said stubbornly. Couldn’t Alex see what was blindingly obvious to her?
“It does make some sense,” he admitted, watching her, “but there could be another, simpler explanation.”
“How else can you explain it?”
“Maybe she was walking the beach past your cottage and just happened to see us.”
“Fine. What about seeing us board the shuttle today? She had no reason to be at the air shuttle pad. And what about the crack she made about the knife?”
Alex tapped his finger tips together several times. “Like everyone else she heard what happened to your things. She was upset and seized on that to threaten you.”
Harriet stood and pointed her finger at Alex’s chest. She was starting to feel angry. “How did everyone know about what happened to my things? Solly knew. You knew. I knew. And Payson knew. I’ve told you before Solly is like a vault. He would never, never ever, gossip about my personal business. Ever. So that leaves you. You must have told Lana about the knife and the destruction of my clothing and hippos.”
Alex shook his head. “No. I didn’t say a word. But people seemed to know. It was all over the resort.”
Harriet threw her hands in the air. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. How, Alex? How did they know? The only other person–besides the four of us–who knew about the knife was the person who put it there.”
They glared at each other for several beats. Harriet dropped back into her chair. The day’s activities and travel were catching up to her. She felt ragged, tired, and hungry.
“Okay, let’s think about this. Neither you nor Solly told anyone about the knife.” Alex’s voice sounded calm.
“Right.”
“I told Payson about the knife.” He turned to Payson. “And you–?”
Payson held up a hand, palm out. “I never said a word to anyone.”
“Except to Mr. Wade,” Harriet pointed out.
“Yes, of course. That’s right.”
“I feel reasonably certain that Mr. Wade has more on his mind than spreading gossip around the resort,” Harriet pointed out dryly.
“Right. So if none of us talked about it, that would mean that the person who left the knife in your mattress started the gossip,” Alex stated. “Okay. I agree with you Harriet–that makes the most sense.”
He tapped his fingers while he thought. “The trouble is nailing down exactly where the gossip started. Half the people who passed it on won’t remember who they heard it from.”
“Cassie told me that she heard it from Lana.”
“All right, I can at least ask around. And I’ll have a serious talk with Lana about threatening you. I find it hard to believe that she’s stalking me, but your argument makes certain amount of sense.”
Harriet’s head jerked up in alarm. “Don’t do that. I don’t think that talking to Lana is going to do any good, and it might make things worse. If she finds out I talked with you she might come after me with more than words.”
Alex scowled at her and stopped tapping his fingers. “I can’t just let a threat like that go.”
“Please, Alex,” Harriet pleaded. “You have to. I only told you about her threat to warn you about the stalking. Just focus on finding the killer. Lana is bound to cool down eventually. Especially if I don’t see you anymore, which is probably the wisest course of action at the moment since we both have our hands full.”
She ignored Alex’s frown and stood. “I need a shower and food. Call me at the office tomorrow and let me know what you find out. Please?”
Alex and Payson stood as well. “You’d better let me leave first. If Lana is following me around then she won’t like seeing us both leave here.”
“Fine.” Harriet watched him leave with mixed feelings. He had seemed skeptical about the stalking. Maybe she should have tried harder to make him understand the malice she’d seen in Lana’s eyes. Harriet didn’t need to trace the source of the gossip. She felt sure that Lana was perfectly capable of destroying her things.
“Harry.”
Harriet started. She had forg
otten she was standing in Payson’s cottage. She must be more tired than she realized. She turned to him. “I’m so sorry I intruded on you like this.”
Payson waved her apology away. “It’s not a problem. What hippos?”
“What?”
“You said your clothes and hippos had been destroyed.”
“Oh.” Harriet gave a half-laugh. “I had a collection of hippos carved from different woods. I love real wood but it’s frightfully expensive to own anything made from it, so Solly gave me a hand carved wooden hippo for my birthday one year. I loved it. He’s found me one every year since, always carved from different woods.”
She smiled. “I don’t know how he remembers so he never duplicates the woods, but he hasn’t so far. In the big picture they’re nothing I suppose, but I loved those silly hippos. They made me feel loved, like someone cares about me.”
“Solomon sounds like a good friend.”
“He’s the best. I can’t imagine one better. I was fortunate he found me.”
Payson gave her a long, considering look. “Something tells me that Solomon must consider himself just as blessed to have you for a friend, Harry. You’re both very fortunate. Good friends are meant to be treasured as the rare gift they are.”
“I definitely treasure Solly. Without his help I don’t think I could have survived my teen years.” She stepped toward the door. “If Lana was following Alex she should be gone by now. Thanks again for letting us meet here. I know I inconvenienced you.”
“No inconvenience, Harry. You just made my day more interesting.” Payson flashed a smile. “Feel free to do so anytime.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Solly gave an appreciative whistle when Harriet modeled her new work suit for him the next morning. They had risen early and taken a run on the beach in the pale gray twilight of pre-dawn, then breakfasted on fruit and granola on the lanai.
Harrietfelt it was the perfect way to start a day.
“That has to be one of the prettiest things I’ve seen on you,” Solly said. He whirled his finger in a circle. “Turn,” he ordered.
Harriet obliged by spinning a slow circle. She loved the outfit she had carried home. Made of a lightweight rose colored silk, the cap-sleeved dress skimmed over her torso, flaring slightly at the hips into a fluttery skirt that ended just above her knees. She pulled on the flowing matching jacket with three-quarter length sleeves and felt glamorous.
“Beautiful. Great color for you.” Solly fingered the silk and narrowed his eyes at her. “Nice fabric. I don’t recall you ever wearing silk before. Or such a strong color.” He raised his eyebrows. “Care to explain the fashion change?”
“The silk makes more sense here in the tropics than it did in Portland. Do you really like the color?” She had no intention of letting Solly know she’d had help choosing her clothes.
Alex had argued with her about the dress, insisting she take it after she’d set it in the discard pile because she thought it wasn’t “professional” looking. Seeing it on her body again in Solly’s bedroom mirror, Harriet had to admit that Alex had been right about the dress. What constituted professional attire in the tropics was different from professional attire in New England.
She loved the way the rose color of the dress looked against her lightly tanned skin and how it made the color of her eyes pop. Alex might have the face of a street fighter but he truly had good taste in women’s clothes. His sister had been wise to to bribe him to shop with her.
After a rocky start and other than the mini-meltdown in the alley, Harriet had had a great time shopping with Alex. Without him she would have shopped as quickly as possible and headed right back to the resort. She would have treated the trip as one more chore to cross off her to-do list.
Alex had turned the day into an adventure and made it extra special–exploring Miami’s boutiques and out of the way shops, and finding an excellent, casual lunch spot , all the while exhibiting a degree of intelligence, patience, and wit she hadn’t expected.
Alex Hayes was more than a sexy body–he was exactly the type of man she hoped to end up with one day. She felt a stab of regret that they had agreed not to see each other again but resolutely pushed it away. She had work to do and knew better than to dwell on what-ifs.
Slipping on the stylish sandals she had purchased to replace her heels–heels made no sense on the island–Harriet headed for the door.
“I’m off to the office,” she called to Solly, who was still in the kitchen. “I’ll cook tonight. They’ll deliver the rest of my new clothes to my office today so I’ll see if Albie can give me a ride home. By the way, I’m moving back to Mermaid Cottage tonight.”
She slipped out the door before Solly could start an argument about her moving back to her own cottage and hurried toward the office.
The sandals had been an excellent idea, Harriet decided as she walked briskly along the shell road. No more balancing on five-inch icepick heels that liked to sink into the road or grounds.
It was still early enough that the sun cast long shadows across the road. The birds sang, the insects hummed, and Harriet wished she could carry a tune so she could sing with them.
“You look lovely today, miss.” Jeeves held the front door open for Harriet and ushered her inside her office building.
“Thank you, Jeeves. You look pretty spiffy yourself.” The droid looked pleased by the compliment. He wore a blue suit with a white shirt and folded handkerchief today, the reverse of his usual uniform.
“Thank you, miss. Shall I screen all visitors again, Miss Monroe?”
“Please call me Harry, Jeeves. At least when it’s only you and me. And no, I don’t think screening will be necessary today, but thank you. I’m nearly done with the planning portion of my ad campaign so I’m in good shape and I won’t be in my office all that long.”
“Very good, Miss Harry. Ahh, Miss Montgomery, good morning.”
Harriet turned and saw Cassie coming through the door, looking flustered. “Hi Cassie. You look a little rushed. Is everything all right?”
Cassie fluttered a hand, then ran it through her short brown curls. “I am a bit rushed this morning. My divorce lawyer called me last night. He’s coming today with the final papers for me to sign and I have a few things on my plate to deal with before he arrives.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help you need only ask.”
“Thanks, Harry, but I’ve got it. Or I will if I get to it. Ta.” Cassie disappeared through the hall door.
Harriet decided to follow suit. She needed to finalize her ad campaign, then grab the motion camera Mr. Wade had provided at her request and head to the amusement park.
She hoped to run into Braxton Holliday while filming. She wanted to include him in her ad. The big bear of a man was so passionate about his park–she knew that his passion would hook viewers and add an irrestable element of human interest to her ads.
The morning passed without incident. Lana didn’t show with lemonade, making Harriet wonder if she had been cut off. She could almost feel sorry for Lana–being so intensely hung up on Alex couldn’t be easy when the man barely acknowledged her.
Unfortunately it looked as if Lana’s feelings for Alex had crossed over into obsession–a potentially dangerous obsession. Not unlike Bradley’s obsession with her, she realized.
Harriet wrapped up her script and found the motion camera in one of her lower cabinets. She pulled it out to inspect and was very pleased with what Mr. Wade had provided. The camera was a thing of beauty; small, sleek, and incredibly easy to use. Nearly foolproof.
Although Harriet hadn’t done any filming since her advertising classes she felt confident. She had a clear vision of how she wanted to portray the resort and that made her job easy.
She had always loved everything about advertising–coming up with the ad concepts and working them out, physically creating the ads and editing them to get exactly the mood and message she wanted. She enjoyed every piece of the process.
Harriet returned the camera to its protective case and gathered her rucksack and notes for the shots she needed to get, then locked her office and headed back to Solly’s to change into clothes she could get down and dirty in.
Forty-five minutes later she was driving one of the resort’s golf carts down to the amusement park with a big smile on her face. This was her first chance to really show Mr. Wade what she could do for his resort. She was ready to shine.
Alex’s morning wasn’t going nearly as well as Harriet’s.
He’d arrived at his bare office out of sorts and grumping at the world.
First, he hadn’t slept particularly well. He hated to admit it, but it bothered him that Harriet had so easily told him that it was better if they didn’t see each other. All because of that busybody Lana.
He knew–knew, dammit–that Harriet had responded to that first kiss in her kitchen. And he had felt a slight shiver go through her body when he’d barely kissed her on the air shuttle.
She wanted him, but was too much of a coward to admit it.
He scowled down at the list of suspects in his hand. He wasn’t going to let Harriet brush him off as if he was nothing more than an irritating bug. He had a few things to deal with first, but once he found Bradley Higgins’ killer he intended to see a lot more of Miss Twinkle Harriet Monroe. She would just have to deal with it.
There was something about Harriet that challenged and deeply attracted him. It wasn’t her physical beauty–he had dated plenty of women more beautiful than Harriet Monroe.
It was some inner quality she had, an essence of character, that made him want to get to know her better, that made him want to learn what made her tick. He already knew that she was intelligent and innocent and interesting and had a kind heart. She was even polite to the resort’s droids for crying out loud.