Handbags & Homicide

by Anne Marie Stoddard

  "I actually saw her upstairs earlier," I admitted, choosing my words carefully. "I went to the guys' suite to make sure that someone had notified Bryan and the others, but she'd beaten me there. Tom answered the door." I grimaced. "He hates me. He wouldn't let me into the room, but I saw Coco in there, comforting Bryan."

  "Oh." Mia's frown deepened. "Poor Bryan," she said softly.

  "Coco went with Val to The Lava Pot last night, didn't she?" I asked, trying to get the conversation back on track. "Did they come back together?"

  Mia shook her head. "I'm not even sure if Valentina came back at all. She headed straight for the bar as soon as we got off the party shuttle. Coco came in for a few minutes, but then she took off."

  "Did she say where she was going?"

  "No, but I assumed she went to join Val for a drink."

  "So you were alone in the room?" I asked.

  Mia shook her head again. "I might have had some company," she said, a sly grin spreading over her face.

  I raised my head in surprise. "Really? Who?" Had she met a guy her first night on the island?

  Her eyes sparkled. "You know Will, right? The hot groomsman with the sandy hair and perfect dimples?"

  "Will Bolero?" I brightened. "That's great!" Of all of Bryan's teammates, I'd always liked him the best. He deserved to find a nice girl. "Will's such a sweet guy," I told her.

  "And he's a great kisser too." Her smile widened, and her eyes got a dreamy, faraway look. I could tell she was completely smitten with the hunky placekicker.

  "How did you two get together?" I asked.

  Mia shrugged. "Oh, I don't know," she replied with a coy smile. "I mean, we're not dating or anything—not yet, at least. I met him through Emma, and we've been flirting back and forth for a while now. Then last night there was a knock on the door, and when I opened it, there he was. I was surprised to see him standing there—not that I'm complaining." She giggled.

  "Oh. I see." I smiled in understanding. I glanced at the crumpled sheets on the other bed. "You said you're pretty sure Val never returned to the room, right? What about Coco?" I asked. "Were you and Will still awake when she came back?"

  "No," she replied, stretching. "Will didn't stay the whole night, but he was here for a couple of hours. I went to sleep right after he left. I never heard anyone else come in, but when I woke up this morning, Coco was fast asleep in the other bed." She grimaced. "I didn't think anything was wrong when I didn't see Val anywhere. I just assumed she'd gotten up early to go for a jog on the beach or to hit the gym."

  "You couldn't have known," I said, offering her what I hoped was a sympathetic look.

  She nodded, giving me a strained smile. "Thanks." She stifled a yawn.

  "I'll let you get some rest," I said, rising from the love seat. I had the feeling I'd already learned everything that Mia knew about Coco's whereabouts the night before. "I should see if I can find Emma."

  I stepped around Coco's bed, pausing when I heard a soft crunching sound under my feet. I glanced down to find a light dusting of fine, white sand coating the carpet, along with a few tiny shards of broken seashells. Several thicker clumps formed a trail that led under the bed. We hadn't gone to the beach before leaving the resort for the Lanai Lounge the night before. That meant someone must have been out there last night and had tracked sand back into the room.

  "What's wrong?" Mia asked, seeing me frown down at my feet.

  I didn't answer. Crouching low, I lifted the comforter that was hanging over the side of the mattress. My heart gave a hard thump as I stared at the sparkly, black wedge sandals underneath the bed, their soles caked with sand. The strappy shoes belonged to Coco.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  "Wasn't Coco wearing these last night?" I asked, trying to tamp down the excitement mounting in my chest.

  Mia rose from the other bed and stooped down beside me. "Yeah," she replied, nodding. "I remember because I complimented her on them. They're super cute, huh?"

  I lifted one of the sandals for closer inspection. The same powdery sand dusted the straps, and there were tiny fragments of broken shells wedged into the grooves of the rubber soles. Bingo. Thanks to Mia, I now knew that Coco had left the room, allegedly in search of Valentina. Had she caught up with her frenemy at the bar and then lured her to her doom on the beach? I felt hope bloom in my chest. Could this be my first real lead?

  The door to the room suddenly flew open. Startled, I dropped the sandal back onto the floor and kicked it under the bed just as Coco appeared in the doorway. She stepped into the room and paused, casting me an annoying look. "What are you doing here?"

  Play nice, I thought. Now was a good time to see if I could get a read on her. "Mia and I were just talking about what happened to Valentina. I'm so sorry, Coco," I said, giving her what I hoped was a sincere look. "I know you two were close."

  The busty cheerleader narrowed her eyes. "Are you really sorry?" She stomped across the room and flung herself onto the bed. "You hated her," she said, rolling over so that her back was to me. "For all we know, you're the one who killed her." She twisted her body so that she was facing me again, her eyes blazing with accusation. "And then you sent the cops after Bryan to throw suspicion off yourself."

  Mia turned and gawked at me. "You did?"

  I sucked in a breath. "I didn't mean for the police to go after him," I said, forcing an even tone. "The detective asked me for the names of everyone who traveled here with Valentina. I had no choice but to tell him about everyone in the wedding party—including Bryan." I clasped my hands in front of me to keep from fidgeting. "Valentina and I didn't get along, but I wouldn't have wished for something like this to happen. I really hope they catch whoever killed her."

  "Why didn't you call me back, Coco?" Mia asked, pulling herself into a seated position on the other bed. "Emma and I tried to find you after the police came. We were worried about you."

  Coco sat up on the bed. She casually shrugged one shoulder but avoided Mia's gaze. "I was flirting with that sexy lifeguard," she said smugly. "He totally wanted me, but I decided he wasn't really my type."

  I felt a smirk tug at one corner of my lips. I knew for a fact that Remy hadn't been interested in Coco. He was only attracted to male bodybuilders.

  "Anyway, I didn't feel like going out to the beach, so I went upstairs to see what the guys were up to," Coco continued. Her arrogant smile faded. "That's when I found out about Val," she said quietly, a slight tremble in her words.

  I studied her closely. Was the grief in her expression just an act? "Did you go to the tiki bar to meet up with Val when we got back to the resort last night?" I pressed. "What happened there?"

  Coco narrowed her eyes in mistrust. "Why are you asking so many questions?" she demanded. "I came back here for a nap, not an interrogation." She rose from the bed and stormed across the room. "But since that's obviously not going to happen, I'm going for a walk." Coco turned around to give me the stink eye one last time. "And it'd be great if you weren't here when I get back, Kaley." She stepped out into the hallway and slammed the door loudly behind her.

  I exchanged a glance with Mia. "I didn't mean to agitate her," I said, shrugging.

  Mia gave a dismissive wave. "Don't worry about it. Just give her a little time to cool off. She's upset. We all are." She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle another yawn. "A nap does sound like a good idea, though," she said, settling back onto the bed and resting her head on one of the fluffy pillows.

  I said goodbye to Mia and ducked back into Emma's and my room, trying to decide my next move. I wasn't sure when Emma would return, and I couldn't stand the thought of sitting in there alone while my name was getting dragged through the mud with the local homicide department. I decided to use the free time to follow up on Valentina's last whereabouts before she'd been killed. If she'd actually made it to The Lava Pot, perhaps someone else who'd been there last night had seen something. I decided it couldn't hurt to go grab a cocktail and see what information I could di
g up. I quickly changed out of my bathing suit and cover-up, donning a pair of khaki shorts and a navy blue halter top. I left a note on the resort stationery for Emma to let her know I'd be back soon and then set off for The Lava Pot.

  Even in the midafternoon, the little beachfront tiki bar was teeming with activity. Guests were crowded around the counter, barking their drink orders to the tall, blond bartender. I took a seat at the opposite end of the bar and waited patiently for several minutes. When the rush died down, I held up a hand to catch the man's attention.

  He regarded me with a courteous smile. "What can I get you, love?" he asked in a charming British accent.

  "Hi, Casey," I said, reading his name tag. "I'd like a Blue Hawaiian, if it's not too much trouble." My hangover was long gone, and the stress of the morning had left me in need of a drink. Plus, sitting at the bar and enjoying a cocktail gave me an excuse to chat him up and see if he knew anything.

  "Of course." He flashed me his pearly whites before turning around to grab a bottle of Blue Curacao off the shelf.

  "Mind if I ask you a few questions?" I called, leaning over the counter so he could hear me over the chatter.

  He shrugged. "Sure. Just a sec." Casey tended to another couple who had wandered up to order some daiquiris. When he was done, he returned to my corner of the bar. "You're Noa's girlfriend, right?" he asked, cocking his head as he looked me over.

  I bobbed my head in what I hoped was a noncommittal manner. We hadn't exactly reached the stage for labels just yet. "I'm Kaley," I told him. "I work over in the Happy Hula Dress Boutique."

  "Nice to meet you, Kaley," he said with a smile that showed off his dimples. "What's on your mind?"

  "I'm sure you've heard about the body they found on the beach this morning," I began.

  Casey cringed. "Right. It's practically all that anyone has been talking about today. The police came by earlier to speak to the few of us who were working last night."

  "You were here last night?" I tried not to sound too eager.

  He nodded. "The poor girl who was murdered came in about an hour before closing," he said, grabbing a clean rag from beneath the counter and beginning to wipe the surface. "I think one of the other bartenders served her a couple of Shark Bites." He grimaced. "I'd have turned her away if she'd tried to order from me—she already seemed rather snockered."

  "Was she here alone?" I asked. When Casey gave me a curious look, I decided I'd better explain myself. "The girl who was killed—Valentina—came to the resort with a close friend of mine. As you can imagine, my friend is distraught about Val's death. I'm just trying to find out what happened in hopes of giving her some closure."

  "I see. Doing a little detective work of your own?" Casey's lips twitched, and there was a faint twinkle in his eye that told me perhaps he had some experience in that department himself.

  "Caught me," I said, holding up my hands in mock surrender. I sipped my drink while I regained my composure. In a more serious tone, I repeated my question. "So, was Valentina alone?"

  "As a matter of fact, no." Casey set the rag down and propped his elbows on the counter.

  "Really?" I leaned forward in anticipation. Was he about to confirm that Coco had met up with Val at the little bar?

  Casey lowered his voice. "She sat in the corner, over there," he said, inclining his head to a table on the other side of the bar. "With a blond fellow."

  "A guy?" My eyebrows rose. Not Coco after all.

  "He was tall, about my height, though maybe a bit more muscular."

  Something stirred in my gut. Bryan. "How were they acting?" I pressed on, feeling my pulse quicken.

  He shrugged. "They appeared to be arguing about something. They both stayed until last call. After that, they took off in separate directions."

  I frowned. What had they been fighting about? Had Bryan really gone away on his own, or had he followed Valentina out to the beach, where their argument had taken a deadly turn? And what about Coco?

  "You didn't happen to see a petite woman with bleached blonde hair come in around the same time they were here, did you?" I asked. I held one hand level with my chin. "About this tall, busty, with a face that looks like she's constantly sucking on a lemon?"

  Casey's jaw went slack. "As a matter of fact, yes," he said. "That's a pretty spot-on description." He glanced around the bar. Seeming satisfied that no one was listening, he continued. "It was strange. She sat at the bar alone and ordered a few rounds from me. She appeared to have a keen interest in your friend and her beau—she barely took her eyes off them the entire time she was here. When they left, she was quick to pay her own tab and then scurried after them."

  "She never spoke to them?"

  Casey shook his head. "I don't think so. She never got up from the bar, and I'm not even sure if they saw her. Every time I looked their way, they seemed rather wrapped up in their argument."

  Interesting. Bryan had been the last person to be seen with Valentina before she'd been murdered, but it sounded as if Coco may have been stalking them. Had my ex-hubby attacked his girlfriend on the beach, or had Coco lured her out there after the couple had parted ways?

  "You told all of this to the police?" I asked.

  "Every word," Casey replied.

  I placed a tip in his jar. "Thank you. You've been very helpful." I took a sip of my drink. "And this is delicious, by the way."

  His eyes twinkled again. "My pleasure, love. Cheers." He gave me a slight bow before walking to the other end of the bar to attend to another thirsty guest.

  I finished my drink and rose from the stool, feeling a bit more optimistic about my future. If Casey really had told the police the same story he'd just shared with me, surely Detective Ray would have to shift his attention to Bryan or Coco. Wouldn't he?

  I thought about it for a few moments. My gut didn't seem convinced. I'd seen the burly homicide detective and his team fixate on the wrong suspect before. To be safe, I'd have to continue digging for the truth on my own. There was no turning back now—I was officially on the case.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Friday evening was uneventful. Emma returned from spending time with Dante and headed to bed early, insisting that all she wanted to do was sleep. With our snorkeling plans canceled, Mia took off to see what Will and the other groomsmen were up to. Coco kept to herself in her room, and I didn't bother trying to speak with her again, thinking it best to give the not-so-cheerful cheerleader some time to cool off before I made another attempt to pry any information from her. After all, thanks to my trip to The Lava Pot, I already had my suspicions that she'd been stalking Valentina at the bar and that Bryan may have been the last person to be seen with the doomed woman while she was still alive—unless there was a witness somewhere on the resort who had spotted Val with Coco after my ex-hubby had returned to his suite.

  Though I thought my next move should be to speak to Bryan, I'd unfortunately have to wait until I could get him away from Tom—assuming Bry would even speak to me now that he probably knew I'd been the one to send Detective Ray up to his room. Instead, I spent my evening at the pool bar with Jamie, sharing my theories about Val's murder.

  "My money's on Bryan," she said between sips of her mango daiquiri. "He was seen with her right before she was murdered, and the bartender even said he saw them arguing." She shrugged. "Seems pretty open and shut, if you ask me."

  "Not necessarily," I countered. "Coco stalked Val to The Lava Pot, and when I tried to ask her what happened after that, she totally shut me down. Then there are the sandy shoes under her bed. What are the odds that Coco decided to go for a solo moonlight stroll by the shore at the same time that Valentina was being murdered on the very same beach?"

  "Fair point," Jamie said. "Still, does Bryan have a supposed alibi?"

  I took a pull from my own daiquiri. "I'm hoping to ask him if I can ever get past Tom 'The Brick Wall' Evans." I made a face.

  "You'll figure something out," she said, playfully chucking me on the shoulder.
Her phone dinged, and I saw her eyes light up as she scanned the message on the screen.

  "Who's that?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity. "New guy?"

  "Maybe," Jamie replied, her attention still fixed on her phone. Her lips lifted at the corners.

  "You didn't tell me you had a new boyfriend."

  "Who said anything about boyfriends?" Jamie wagged a finger at me.

  "Yeah, yeah." I gave a dismissive wave and leaned over and tried to peek at her phone screen. "Anyone I know?"

  "Maybe," Jamie said again, though she avoided my gaze.

  I jokingly reached for her phone. "Oh, come on. Who is it?"

  She pushed my hand away. "Remember that cute bouncer from the club last night?" she asked, grinning.

  My eyebrows reached for the sky. "Javi? How'd he get your number?"

  She winked. "I slipped it to him on our way out."

  "Very nice." I nodded my approval. "So you two are…?"

  "Just texting right now," she supplied, though her smile widened. "But he did just ask if I'd like to get dinner with him at the Loco Moco tonight before his shift at the Lanai Lounge."

  I clapped my hands together. "Go for it! Javi's the best. He and Noa are really great friends." I let out an excited little cheer. "Ooh! We could go on double dates."

  "Whoa. Slow down, Speedy Gonzales." Jamie set her phone on the counter and held up her hands. "It's just dinner. Don't start planning the wedding just yet." She slurped down the rest of her drink and slid off the barstool. "I told him I'd meet him in half an hour, so I should go freshen up. I'll see you tomorrow at the spa." She grinned again. "I'm overdue for a mani-pedi."

  "You and me both." I pushed my own drink aside. "Have fun," I called as I watched Jamie saunter away from the bar. I hopped off the stool and headed back to the room, slipping into bed and pulling the comforter up to my chin.