Eat, Prey, Love

by Laura Durham

  “I know it’s awful to be so petty considering what happened,” Mack said, “but the dinner at Sky Bar has been canceled, and we just finished the decor.”

  “That’s the second event that’s been a bust.” Buster’s voice was an even deeper rumble than usual. “This is getting discouraging.”

  “I thought you weren’t doing much decor for tonight,” Kate said.

  Mack absentmindedly fiddled with the silver hoop piercing his eyebrow. “The tables weren’t the focus since it was designed to be more of a cocktail party, but we came up with some fun design elements for the stations.”

  “Is it still set up?” Fern asked.

  Buster nodded. “The hotel is having photos taken, so even if the party doesn’t happen, they can use the images for marketing.”

  “Then why don’t we go use it?” Fern asked. When we all stared at him, he continued. “It’s a shame to let the work go to waste, and we have to eat. Why not order some food and eat it there?”

  Richard shrugged. “It beats eating in our rooms.”

  Mack’s face brightened. “Would you really do that?”

  “Why not?” I said. “We don’t even need to get dressed up.”

  He spun on his heel and beckoned for us to follow him. “It’s just through here.”

  We walked from the lobby down a long hallway to a door that led outside. A sidewalk lined with low palms and flowering bushes took us to another section of the resort and around another pool. We passed a glass-walled restaurant and then went up a flight of marble steps.

  “Voila!” Buster spread his arms wide when we reached the top of the stairs and the rooftop bar. From the second floor vantage point, we could see over the pool to the Indian Ocean where the fading sunlight cast a hue of gold over the teal-blue water. Sleek white rattan chairs and scoop-backed couches were arranged throughout the space around low square tables. White standing umbrellas dotted the perimeter of the rooftop while high-top metal tables ran along the glass-and-chrome railing.

  A wall of greenery had been erected near the entrance, centered with a floating sign of the word “Cheers” in shiny gold script. An old-fashioned claw-foot bathtub filled with glass balls that looked like shimmering, oversized bubbles sat to one side.

  “What’s in the bubbles?” I asked when I noticed the glass balls weren’t empty.

  “Salad bites,” Buster said, rocking back on his heels. “The bottom of the tub is filled with ice packs to keep them cold.

  Kate picked up one of the bubbles, inspecting the leafy greens inside. “Pretty clever.”

  Richard plucked a miniature silver fork from the metal bath caddy stretched across the tub that held cocktail napkins and silverware, then picked up a salad bubble and took a taste. “Is this a tropical vinaigrette?”

  Mack held up his hands. “We just do the decor. You’ll have to ask the chef about the contents.”

  “I wonder if the chef would share his recipe?” Richard said. “I can’t tell if this is papaya or something else. But whatever it is, it’s out of this world.”

  I walked from the bathtub to a Plexiglas cube that held a display of fruits carved to look like flowers. “Who carved the mango to look like fish?”

  Kate leaned close to the elaborate carvings. “And are the fish swimming through leaves cut from mango, too? It’s like looking at a fruit diorama.”

  “All the chef’s doing,” Buster admitted. “And his staff. But what do you think of our floral life rings?”

  He pointed above the bar to a pair of life rings made from pink roses in shades ranging from blush to soft pink to fuchsia. Below them sat a long, deep bucket made out of ice, filled with more ice and packed full of bottles.

  I patted Buster on the back. “You and Mack did a great job. I’m sorry no one else will get to see this.”

  Richard pulled two bottles from the ice bucket and handed one to me. “I’m not normally a beer drinker, but I think today calls for it.”

  “Agreed.” Kate grabbed two bottles by the neck and pulled them out, passing them to Fern before pulling out two more.

  Buster and Mack twisted off their caps and raised the bottles in the air. “To this week getting better.”

  Fern clinked his bottle against mine. “Yes, please. I’m getting tired of dead bodies.”

  “Do you know who died today?” Mack asked as we made our way over to a cluster of low white furniture grouped around a wide table, a box of wheat grass adorning the center.

  I took a seat on the long couch between Mack and Richard while Kate, Fern, and Buster each took chairs facing us.

  “Do we know?” Kate jerked a finger in my direction. “Annabelle is the one who discovered the body.”

  Buster’s jaw dropped. “What? We had no idea.”

  Mack put a hand on my knee. “Are you okay?”

  I smiled at him, trying to force the image of the dead woman’s face out of my mind. “I’m fine. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Dina was on a lounge chair, and I tried to wake her up.”

  Buster scratched his bald head and the black motorcycle goggles he wore on top rode up a few inches. “Dina. Which one was she?”

  “Pale with dark hair,” Fern said. “She wore it up in a high bun last night. Probably to give her a poor woman’s face lift.”

  Mack gave his head a shake. “I don’t think we met her.”

  “She was friends with the other victim, Veronica,” I said.

  “The blonde with split ends,” Fern said.

  Richard arched a brow. “Someone has good eyes.”

  Fern fluttered his eyelashes. “It’s a gift.” He leaned over and patted Richard’s shoulder. “And you could use a deep conditioning, sweetie.”

  Richard narrowed his eyes at Fern but put a hand to his dark, choppy hair. “We’d just walked up when Annabelle discovered Dina.” He gestured to Kate and Fern. “These two were sitting a few chairs away from her the entire time.”

  Fern gasped, reaching for Kate with one hand. “He’s right. We were only feet away from a corpse for who knows how long.”

  I’d been so caught up with the shock of realizing Dina was dead, then the chaos that followed calling hotel security, I’d forgotten two of my best friends were the closest witnesses. I thought back to the row of lounge chairs and the three empty ones separating Dina from Kate and Fern. “Was anyone sitting between you at any point?”

  Kate reclined in her chair and swiveled it in a half circle so that she faced Fern. “I don’t think so, do you?”

  Fern tapped a finger to his temple. “Wasn’t there someone between us when she arrived? But then they left right afterward?”

  “Someone you recognized?” I asked.

  Fern looked heavenward, shaking his head. “It might have been that talkative bride, but it’s a bit fuzzy.”

  “Fuzzy because of all the drinks you had?” I tapped a foot on the marble floor. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the empty cocktail glasses when we came back.”

  Fern pressed a hand to his heart. “Are you implying that all those were mine?” He winked at me and laughed. “Honey, I wish. Those drinks were delicious, but half of those glasses were Kate’s.”

  I turned my gaze on Kate.

  “What?” she said. “It’s not a crime to have a cocktail or two on the beach. It wasn’t like I knew I’d need to remember everything because someone was going to turn up dead.”

  I let my shoulders relax a bit. “No, you’re right. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.”

  “I can tell you that Dina talked to a few people on her way to her chair but not much more than saying hi,” Kate said. “Once she picked out her chair and ordered her drinks, she wasn’t very talkative. She seemed to want to be left alone.”

  Since her friend was murdered, I wasn’t surprised she’d wanted a bit of solitude to go with her sun.

  “We did recommend she try the elderflower and the lychee drinks,” Fern added.

  Kate nodded. “Because she asked about the frozen green drink Fe
rn was drinking.”

  Fern closed his eyes as if remembering the cocktail. “The frozen lychee martini.”

  “And she ordered one?” I asked.

  “The frozen one, yes,” Fern said.

  I thought back to the empty glasses on the table next to Dina. “But there were more than one empty glass when we found her.”

  “She said she was dying of thirst.” Fern shivered. “We thought she was exaggerating, but I suppose not.”

  I thought back to Reese asking me if the victim had seemed dehydrated.

  Kate snapped her fingers and looked at Fern. “She was sent a drink, remember?”

  “That’s right.” He bobbed his head up and down at Kate. “And I told you that it was unfair that someone with those laugh lines was being sent a drink and we weren’t.”

  I overlooked Fern’s critique of the dead woman. “She was sent a drink? Are you sure?” Was this how she was killed? It would fit the killer’s MO since Veronica had also been poisoned.

  “Don’t you remember?” Kate said to Fern. “Once we heard what the waiter said, we thought it was especially unfair.”

  Richard sat up. “What did the waiter say?”

  “That the drink was a kickoff cocktail for tonight’s dinner,” Fern said, looking over his shoulder even though we were the only people on the rooftop bar. “Compliments of Carol Ann.”

  Chapter 13

  “Clearly that was a lie,” Richard said as we gathered in the lobby the next morning, continuing our conversation from the night before. “But why name Carol Ann?”

  “Because Dina must have trusted Carol Ann enough to drink it,” I said, tucking my pink T-shirt into my long black-jersey skirt and hiking my black Longchamp tote bag higher onto my shoulder.

  “If Carol Ann had sent us a drink to kick off the evening, wouldn’t we have drunk it?” Kate asked, slipping the spaghetti strap of her minidress back onto her shoulder.

  She made a good point. Since Carol Ann was the trip organizer, it would have made sense. Not to mention that Dina probably knew Carol Ann from other wedding planner trips and conferences and would have trusted her.

  “We need to question the bartender who delivered the drink,” I turned to Kate and Fern. “Would you recognize him again if you saw him?”

  Kate dug through her bag and produced a pair of oversized sunglasses. “Probably. Maybe.”

  Fern leaned against the round marble table and sighed. “The real question is, where is the coffee?”

  “Very helpful, you two,” I said.

  “Isn’t the real question what’s going on with this outfit?” Richard waved a hand in front of Fern who arched an eyebrow at him as he adjusted his white Balinese hat so the fabric knot faced the front.

  Even though Fern wore white Bermuda shorts and a white sweater tied around his shoulders, he’d managed to get his hands on a traditional black-and-white checked shirt and a red sash to go with his hat. “What? We’re visiting a traditional Balinese town today, so I’m wearing a traditional Balinese outfit.”

  Richard gave him the once-over. “You look like a Balinese man who tripped and fell into a Ralph Lauren ad.”

  “At least I’m making an effort to meld with the culture,” Fern said, crossing his arms.

  Kate held up a hand. “Until I have some coffee, I’m not going to be able to meld with anything.”

  I pointed to the coffee station behind us and breathed in the rich aroma. I’d always loved the smell of coffee more than the taste, but the coffee in Bali was changing my mind. I recognized the baristas behind the cappuccino machines as the same men who’d made our coffee yesterday morning, and I followed Kate as she walked over.

  “I’m with you,” I said. “You-know-who called me again this morning.”

  “Nutso Natalie?” Kate asked. “Please tell me it wasn’t at four a.m.”

  “It wasn’t,” I said. “It was at five.”

  Kate shook her head. “You’re going to have to block her number.”

  “At least her wedding is only a month away,” I said.

  “And at least she gave up the idea of carrying her cat down the aisle in a basket.” Kate scanned the chalkboard coffee sign. “I don’t know if we have enough Bactine in our emergency kit for that.”

  I’d gotten used to having dogs at weddings, but drew the line at cats, ferrets, and any other pet that didn’t readily follow commands. Not that all of our dog ring bearers had been angels, I thought, remembering chasing a pair of Jack Russell terriers (and the platinum wedding rings they wore around their necks) through two parks before catching them.

  “Why are we the first ones down here?” Kate asked after we’d both placed our orders.

  “I might have told you an earlier start time,” I said, not meeting her eyes, “to make sure you were ready on time.”

  She took the to-go coffee cup from the barista and glared at me over the top as she took a sip. “Have I mentioned how evil you are?”

  “A few times.” I cupped my hands around the cardboard sleeve on my vanilla latte and let the warmth seep into my fingers. Even though Bali had no shortage of heat, the warmth of the coffee felt soothing.

  Richard eyed my coffee when we rejoined them. “Don’t forget that we have a long car ride ahead of us.”

  “How long does it take to reach Ubud?” Kate asked.

  Richard pulled his guidebook out of the black crossbody bag he wore slung across his chest. Usually his little Yorkie, Hermes, rode in the bag, and I missed seeing the black-and-brown furry head poking out. I had not missed the experience of a long-haul flight with an energetic dog, so I was grateful Richard had left Hermes with my nutty neighbor, Leatrice. “I can’t tell from the map, but at least an hour.”

  Kate took a swallow of coffee. “Are Buster and Mack joining us?”

  “Don’t you remember?” I asked. “They told us last night that they would be going ahead of us to set up the decor for the lunch.”

  “That must have been after a few of those Indonesian beers,” Kate said, rubbing her forehead. “Do you think I’ll be able to nap on the drive up?”

  “I wonder if we’ll have the same type of vans we took to the waterfall and temple,” Fern said. “Those vans were set up for napping.”

  “Wonder no longer,” I said as I heard the low rumble of multiple cars approaching the portico off the open lobby.

  Fern clapped his hands as a row of cars appeared. “This is much better than vans.”

  Vividly colored vintage Jeep buggies with convertible tops pulled up and idled in front of us, each one decorated with a cluster of matching balloons tied to the front bumper.

  Kate’s mouth fell open. “I guess we’re not going incognito, and I guess I’m not getting my nap.”

  “Are those cars for us?” Alan asked as he joined our group, linking his muscular arm through mine. “Ripper!”

  Richard gave him a dismissive glance. “Where were you yesterday?”

  “I heard about all the commotion on the beach.” Alan grimaced. “I stayed in my room to get some work done on my lappy. I have a big event coming up in Sydney.” He patted my hand. “Was it awful?”

  I shrugged, trying not to dwell on the moment I pulled Dina’s sunglasses off her face and stared into her lifeless eyes. “It was disturbing.”

  Alan shook his head. “Hard to believe another person carked it.”

  Between Alan’s Aussie speak and Kate’s routine mangling of expressions, I was fast on my way to needing a personal translator.

  “You know a couple of Australians died here in Bali when bartenders watered down drinks with antifreeze?” Alan rubbed his arms as if trying to warm up. “Horrid way to go.”

  “What happened to watering drinks down with water the good, old-fashioned way?” Kate asked.

  Richard sniffed. “I don’t think this is a case of bad bartending.”

  “Let’s hope not.” Fern put a hand to his throat. “I’d hate to have to cut back on cocktails.”

  �
�Don’t worry,” Richard said. “If the bartenders here were serving antifreeze in every drink, you’d be dead already.”

  Fern gave a sigh of relief, then the smile slipped off his face, and he made a face at Richard. “Hilarious.”

  Alan looked at us. “You all seem to be handling it well.”

  Kate winked at Alan. “It’s not our first rodeo.”

  “Should we pick our cars?” I asked before Alan could question what Kate meant. Other planners were starting to gather behind us, and I did not want to get stuck in long conversations about Dina and how we’d found her body.

  Carol Ann strode through the group with Dahlia running behind her, the Plexiglas clipboard clutched tightly in hand.

  “Good morning, everyone.” Carol Ann’s voice was artificially cheery and her smile almost disturbingly bright. “These fun buggies will take you up to Ubud for the day. Each vehicle holds three people, but I’d like you to split yourselves up so you’re not riding with people you traveled here with.” When there was a quiet groan throughout the group, Carol Ann raised her voice. “The point of this trip is to make friends and meet new people. It’s no fun if you stay with the same people all the time. Mingle, people. Mingle.”

  Richard huffed. “I have all the friends I need, thank you very much.”

  I patted him on the arm. “This won’t kill you. And you might meet someone fun.”

  “If I get stuck with Jeremy, I’m throwing myself out of the car,” Richard said as he stalked off toward the Jeeps.

  “I second that,” Kate spotted Kristina who’d just walked up. “See you on the other side.”

  I watched the trip’s cutest couple, Jacob and Katherine, reluctantly part ways and head to separate buggies, and, for a moment, I wished Reese was with me. I shook the thought from my head and grabbed Alan’s hand as I made a beeline for a Creamsicle-orange buggy. “Come on. We didn’t travel here together. It counts as mingling.”

  I opened the door to the backseat and slid in while Alan hopped in the front, next to the driver. I saw Brett walking down the lobby steps to the row of cars, but before I could call out to him to join us, the door to the other side of the buggy opened and Sasha sat down next to me, accompanied by a cloud of Shalimar perfume.