Handbags & Homicide

by Anne Marie Stoddard

  "If you're not going to let me send for an ambulance then at least let me call Noa," Jamie said, eying me nervously. "He'll kill me if he finds out you were hurt on my watch."

  "No!" I protested. As badly as I wanted to see him, I couldn't let him know I'd put myself in harm's way again. That, and I wasn't even sure if he was still speaking to me. "Leave him out of this," I pleaded. "I promise I'm fine. I just need some aspirin." A whole bottle of it. And make it extra-strength.

  Jamie chewed her lip. "Okay," she said after a few moments. "But at the very least, you have to let me call Rikki."

  I sucked in a breath. I wasn't sure which would be worse: dealing with my worried not-quite-boyfriend or my worried aunt. "How about option C?" I suggested. "We leave them both out of this, and you can stay at the resort with Emma and me tonight to make sure I'm okay. If I'm dead in the morning, you can say I told you so."

  Jamie shook her head, but in the moonlight I could see the smile slowly spread over her face. "At least your sense of humor is still intact," she said wryly. "Deal. Come on—let's get out of here before someone catches us." Her grin faded. "Think you can walk?"

  With her help, I slowly climbed to my feet. Then I took a couple of wobbly steps through the sand. "Yeah, I'll manage."

  Jamie slung my bag over her shoulder and then grabbed the metal detector. Using her free arm, she helped me slowly make my way back to the boardwalk. I could hear the sounds of the luau still in full swing over on the pier as we turned toward the courtyard. By the time we reached the room, my migraine had lessened to a splitting headache. I slipped off my shoes and immediately sank down onto the bed without changing out of my dress.

  Jamie dug around in her purse and retrieved a bottle of aspirin. She dumped two of the little pills into my palm and then handed me a glass of water. "Let me get you a cold compress, too," she offered. She grabbed the ice bucket from atop the mini fridge and disappeared out into the hallway for a few minutes. When she returned, she wrapped some of the ice cubes in a hand towel and gave it to me.

  "Thanks." I winced at the pain as I gently pressed it to the goose egg that had formed on the back of my head. Within a minute or two, the cold numbed the pain and made my existence a bit more bearable. I pulled the towel away from the wound and held it up for a closer inspection. "No blood, at least." I touched the compress to the bump on my noggin again and frowned at Jamie. "This has got to end."

  "So you're giving up?" Jamie studied me from under twin, furrowed eyebrows. "Maybe it's for the best. This is starting to get dangerous."

  I shook my head. "No. I can't just sit around and wait for Detective Ray to decide he wants to charge me with the crime. When I saw him this afternoon, he still seemed to suspect me. He found some of my hair on Val's corpse." I met her gaze. "So, I can't give up—but I also can't go chasing after the killer all alone. I still need your help, if you're up for it."

  Jamie sat down next to me on the bed. "What do you think we should do?"

  I was relieved that she was sticking by me. "I haven't figured it out yet," I admitted. A yawn escaped me, and I settled back onto the pillows and closed my eyes. "Maybe a good night's sleep will clear my head. We can start fresh tomorrow."

  * * *

  The next thing I knew, Jamie was shaking me awake. "Get up, sleepyhead," she chirped in her annoying morning-person voice. "The shuttle will be here to take us to the marina in half an hour."

  I sat up groggily and blinked at her. She was dressed in aqua board shorts, and her metallic green bikini straps were peeking out from underneath her purple halter top. She must have gone back to her apartment at some point to grab fresh clothes. "How long have you been awake?" I mumbled.

  She shrugged. "Long enough to head home, knock out a quick three-mile run, shower, and drop by the Blue Manu Coffee House for a couple of your favorites." She held out a brown paper bag and a Styrofoam cup. "One Kona brew and a macadamia scone. Oh, but first—" She pulled the food away just as I reached for it. "You should probably take some more aspirin." Jamie gestured to the two little pills and glass of water she'd already laid out for me on the bedside table.

  "Thanks, Nurse Jamie." I quickly popped the aspirin into my mouth and chased it with the water.

  "How are you feeling?" She gave me a concerned look.

  "A little better," I answered honestly. The pain hurricane in my head had downgraded to a tropical depression.

  Jamie studied me for a few seconds and then nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Good," she said, handing me the coffee cup and the paper bag. "Well, eat up. The food and caffeine will help you feel even better, and you're going to need all the energy you can muster when we're out on the water."

  I smiled to show my gratitude and then closed my eyes as I took a sip of the rich Kona brew. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

  "Are you talking to me or the coffee?" Jamie grinned.

  "Both." I took another sip and then pulled the lid off the cup so that I could dip my scone into the hot liquid.

  "By the way," Jamie said, gesturing to the bedside table. "You might want to check your phone."

  "Huh?" Brow furrowed, I set my breakfast down and reached for my cell phone. My heart fluttered as I noted the three calls I'd missed from Noa this morning. A moment later, it nearly stopped beating altogether. Though he hadn't left any voice mails, he had sent one text message containing four of the most dreaded words in the English language:

  We need to talk.

  "That can't be good," I groaned. I held up the phone so that Jamie could see and watched her expression fall as she read the screen.

  "I'm sure everything's fine," she said, though she sounded uncertain. "Maybe he wants to accept your apology for yesterday in person. Or he could even want to apologize himself for being kind of flaky lately."

  I sighed. "You don't send the we-need-to-talk text unless you've got bad news." I swallowed the lump in my throat and blinked a few times, warding off the tears threatening to form behind my eyes.

  "Good morning," Emma called as she pushed the bathroom door open and stepped out. She was dressed in a canary yellow tankini and had her hair wrapped in a towel. If she was still upset about the events at the luau last night, she didn't let it show. "Your turn, Kaley," she said, pointing to the shower.

  Feeling miserable, I grabbed the macadamia scone and took another huge bite before grudgingly rising from the bed. I slunk into the bathroom without a word.

  "What's wrong with her?" I heard Emma ask Jamie as I closed the door behind me.

  I turned on the water, fretting over Noa's cryptic text. Perhaps I really had pushed him a little too far the day before. If he wanted to hit the brakes on what was happening between us, I supposed I couldn't really blame him. Things had been going so well up until the past week—so of course I had to be a complete jerk and mess it up.

  Even though it was all my fault, I indulged in a little self-pity as I washed my hair, careful not to irritate the whelp on the back of my head. Then I toweled myself off and pushed Noa out of my mind. I'd call him back after our snorkeling excursion and set up a time that we could meet so he could drop the ax in person. Until then, I would focus what little energy I had on drawing a confession out of Valentina's killer today on the boat. When we were out on the water, he or she would have no place to run.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  "All aboard," Jamie called thirty minutes later as we stood outside the main entrance to the resort. The wedding party began filing onto the same shuttle that we'd rented from Gabby's Island Adventures on Thursday night. Koma was our driver again, and he gave me a friendly nod as I stepped onto the bus. "I'm glad you were able to get your purse back, Kaley."

  "Wait a minute." Coco, who was boarding the bus in front of me, turned around. She took off her dark sunglasses and looked at me, eyes narrowed in confusion. "Wasn't your purse found with Val—"

  "Coco!" Jamie cut in, coming to my rescue. She scooted past me and ushered the other woman toward one of the seats. "Ho
w's that hangover treating you? I've got some aspirin and a bottle of water in my bag if you need it."

  "I could really use that," she said wearily. "I got a little carried away with that rum punch at the luau last night." She sank down into the seat and pulled her sunglasses back over her eyes.

  I smiled at Jamie as she sneaked me a quick thumbs-up. The front row of seats was still open, so I slid in and then turned around to survey the rest of the group. Bryan and Tom took the back row, with Dante and Emma in front of them. Bryan caught my gaze and quickly looked away. He'd been avoiding me since our little group had met in the lobby. Perhaps he felt guilty about his outburst at the luau. Or maybe his guilt is over something else—like whopping me over the back of the head with a metal detector, I thought. He'd let his true, violent colors show when he'd grabbed me as I'd tried to leave the table, so it was less of a stretch now to picture him trying to hurt me again. Or hurt Valentina.

  Freddy grabbed a row to himself across from Will, who was cuddled up next to Mia. In front of them, Coco was slumped in her seat, her face twisted in a look of hangover misery. As I watched, she reached over with one hand to gingerly rub her other shoulder.

  "What's wrong with your arm?" Mia asked from behind her.

  "I think I slept on it wrong," Coco said, giving a little groan as she continued to massage her shoulder.

  "Or maybe she pulled a muscle when she whacked you in the head last night," Jamie whispered as she slipped into the seat beside me.

  "Yeah, maybe," I agreed, still frowning over my shoulder at the bleached blonde bridesmaid.

  As Koma pulled the little bus away from the resort, I turned to stare out the window. A short drive later, we arrived at the Aloha Lagoon Marina. The dock was lined with dozens of sailboats, speedboats, and other small water vehicles. We filed off the bus and followed Jamie toward a medium-sized vessel docked near the far end of the port. The word Ariel was painted in red across the side of the boat. I wouldn't have expected anything less from my mermaid-obsessed friend.

  "Isn't she a beaut?" Jamie said, grinning. "My favorite sea maiden."

  I nodded. "Hey, isn't that Javi?" I asked as I spotted the tall, bald man waving to us from on board the boat.

  Jamie gave me a sheepish look. "Emma said it was all right if he joined us. I hope you don't mind."

  "Not at all." I smiled at her.

  When we reached the edge of the dock, Javi held out his hand to help me on board the Ariel. "Hi, Kaley," he said warmly. "How's Noa? I was hoping I could convince him to hit the waves with me sometime next week."

  My heart clenched at the mention of Noa. "He's fine," I said, forcing an even tone. Though Javi wasn't the type to pry, I didn't want him to know we'd hit a rocky patch. "I'll ask him to call you when I see him."

  "Cool." Javi smiled at me before turning his attention to Jamie. His grin widened. "Hey there, beautiful." He helped her onto the boat, and I couldn't help but notice that his hand lingered on the small of her back for just a moment. "Thanks for letting me tag along."

  "Glad you could make it." Jamie tucked her chin, and a rosy color appeared in her cheeks. She really likes him, I thought, pleased that my two friends were hitting it off.

  Once everyone was on board, Jamie distributed life jackets and then took the helm, piloting the boat away from the marina. I took a seat on one of the cushioned benches and settled back against the railing, relishing the feel of the cool sea air on my face. It reminded me of the trips I'd taken out on the water with my parents and Aunt Rikki as a child.

  After twenty minutes, Jamie slowed the boat to a stop. She and Javi set about dropping the anchor. The early morning sunlight shimmered across the water.

  "How far out are we?" Freddy asked from beside me.

  I squinted in the direction of the shore and could just make out a few tiny buildings in the distance. "Probably a few miles from land," I guessed.

  "For those of you who aren't strong swimmers, I've brought several boogie boards," Jamie said, holding one up. "Feel free to grab one of these and use it to float on. The water's really clear today, so it'll be easy to peek below the surface with your goggles and check out some of the gorgeous marine life." Jamie placed the board back on top of the stack at the rear of the boat and then went about distributing snorkeling gear to everyone.

  Once they'd donned their fins and goggles, Jamie and Javi climbed down into the water and beckoned for the rest of us to follow.

  "This is going to be so dope," I heard Freddy exclaim to Tom as he fastened the rubber flippers to his feet. He pulled his dreadlocks back with a hair band then slipped his goggles over his face before waddling over to the edge of the boat. Freddy climbed over the side, and there was a loud splash as he hit the water. Tom followed.

  Dante started to climb in after them but turned at the last minute, his gaze resting on Emma. "Are you coming, boo?"

  Emma gave him a pained smile and then shook her head. "Not just yet. I'm feeling a little queasy." She grimaced. "I think I might be seasick."

  Dante took off his goggles. "Then I'll stay with you." He took a few steps toward her, but I held up a hand to stop him.

  "No, you go ahead, Dante," I told him. "I'll stay with her. I'm not feeling so great myself." If I was being honest, that bump on my head was still making me a little woozier than I cared to admit. Fighting the currents might not be the best idea right now. I forced a smile. "Plus I can go snorkeling out here anytime."

  "Are you sure?" Dante looked from Emma to me, his brow furrowed.

  "Of course," I insisted. "Go on and enjoy yourself."

  Emma nodded. "Have fun, honey."

  Dante reluctantly put his goggles back on before returning to the ladder.

  "Thanks for that," Emma whispered to me as he disappeared over the side of the boat. "I'd hate for him to miss out on all the fun just because I'm…" She trailed off, her forehead puckered. "Under the weather," she finished.

  I scooted closer to her on the bench. "Em, is everything all right? I know the stress of the wedding and what happened to Val have been a lot to bear, but I can't help but feel like there's something else you've been keeping from me." After Bryan's revelation that Emma and Dante hadn't been in the upstairs suite when he'd returned after his spat with Valentina, it seemed clear to me that my friend was harboring a secret.

  Emma looked away. "Kaley, I wish I could talk to you about it—really." She grimaced. "But I just can't."

  "We used to tell each other everything, Em." I studied her, not sure what reaction I was looking for.

  She dropped her gaze to the deck. "Just trust me. Please?"

  I wasn't sure what to say. I glanced over at Bryan, who was slipping his feet into a pair of blue fins. Will and Mia sat to his left, and Coco was on the other side of Mia. I watched the petite blonde stand up and cross the boat, peeking warily over the side. She reluctantly grabbed one of the boogie boards and then climbed onto the ladder, muttering about not wanting to get her hair wet.

  Bryan stepped over to the side of the boat next, poised to descend the ladder. My gaze flitted to his back, and I froze.

  "Is that a no?" Emma asked, noticing when I stiffened beside her. "You don't trust me?" She sounded hurt.

  "What?" I jerked my head back toward her. "No, it's not that. Excuse me for a sec." I rose from the bench and retrieved my tote bag. I'd left the photos I'd taken from Andrew the PI back in our room at the resort, but there were still images on my phone from my time spent hiding in his closet. I pulled out my cell and flipped through the photos, noting the Atlanta Falcons tattoo just inside the right shoulder blade of the man walking beside Valentina. My gaze moved between my ex-husband and the image on my screen. Bryan's back was entirely ink-free, just as it had been when we were married. That was what had been bothering me before.

  This isn't Bryan in these photos. Perhaps Val really had been cheating on him—which would give Bryan a motive for her murder.

  "Hey, Will. Want me to help you put on some sunscre
en?" Mia's voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up to find her batting her eyelashes at him in a flirty manner as she held up a blue bottle of SPF 50.

  He shrugged. "Sure." I watched as Will tugged his black tank over his head and then turned around to allow Mia to slather the lotion on his back. I gasped loudly.

  "How long have you had that tattoo?" I asked him, unable to keep the tremble from my voice.

  He twisted around to look at me. "A couple of months," he said. "I got it to celebrate the end of my physical therapy." Will must have seen the shocked look on my face, because his own expression clouded. "Kaley, what's wrong?"

  I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. "How long had you and Valentina been sleeping together?" I asked, loud enough that Bryan could hear. "Did you kill her so she wouldn't come clean about it to Bryan?"

  Bryan froze on the ladder, his head snapping toward Will. "What?" he demanded, beginning to climb back onto the boat.

  Will placed his hands in the air in a show of surrender. "Whoa. I don't know what you're talking about," he protested, though I could plainly see the guilt creeping over his face. "I—"

  He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. There was an angry cry from behind him, and Mia launched her sunscreen bottle at Bryan's face. It slammed into his forehead with a loud smack. Startled, Bryan let go of the ladder and tumbled backward off the boat. There was a loud splash, followed by the startled cries of the others already in the water.

  I whirled around to face Mia in time to see her lunging for me, her arms outstretched and her face twisted with rage. "Leave Will alone!" she shrieked, clawing at my face with her hands. I ducked out of her way and rolled across the deck, but she was on top of me before I could get back on my feet. "I won't let you ruin him like Val tried to," she growled, pulling at my hair.