Murder on the Equator Box Set

by Becca Bloom

  She blew a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. “He didn’t approve of my decisions. I would rather be a designer and run my own business than spend an eternity studying for a career I’d grow to despise. I was supposed to be the doctor and Jake, the lawyer. If only I could get Abuelita on board.” She paused to breathe. “She, of course, wants me to be a cook like her and Mom.”

  Jake turned around, letting us catch up. “Adi just wants an excuse to boss other people around just like Abuelita. These two have behaved themselves while you’re with us, but you should see them battle it out in the kitchen.”

  I was all ears. “Seriously? What do you fight about?” That was all I could get out before my lungs screamed for air.

  Jake stopped, resting his hand on my shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. Animal is playing a wild drum roll on my pulse is all.” I dropped my hands to my knees and breathed.

  One side of his mouth curled up and he dropped his hand. “You like The Muppets?”

  I was afraid to admit to it until he added, “That’s cool.”

  So, of course, to further solidify my coolness, I told him and Adi about my Kermit key-chain which some kleptomaniac tried to take away from me in the Miami airport on my way here. I had fought so hard to keep that key-chain only to let it go when it became part of a murder scene. No amount of bleach could wipe away what I knew had stained it. I left that part out of my narrative, though. No sense casting a macabre shadow over an otherwise entertaining story.

  “I would have loved to see you stand up to someone like that. You come across as more of a peacemaker than a fighter. I wish I could be like that.” Adi sighed. Or maybe it was a heave for breath.

  We continued up the trail slowly. “It’s kind of my job as the middle child of the family. It has its perks, I suppose, but you have no idea how many times I wish I could throw caution to the wind and say what was on my mind.”

  “It explains how you’re able to put up with Abuelita and Tia Rosa so well. Maybe you should give Adi conflict management lessons. She always finds herself stuck between those two when they fight and, instead of staying quiet, she adds fuel to the fire by taking sides.”

  I cringed. That was a bad move on every level. “Seriously? What makes you involve yourself like that?”

  “Clothes. We fight about clothes. It sounds stupid when I say it out loud, but there it is. I want to design everything from wedding dresses to everyday wear for women of all shapes and sizes, but while Tia Rosa supports me, Abuelita thinks I’m wasting my time and talents. She doesn’t understand how badly I want this. Not yet anyway. She may be stubborn, but I can be stubborn too.”

  “That’s the spirit. Nothing worth getting is ever easy,” I panted between gasps for breath. Listen to me being all philosophical. Me, who was blissfully ignorant of life’s challenges in the comfortable little bubble I’d created for myself. Until arriving to Ecuador. Nothing had been comfortable since the start of my vacation.

  “Like getting a murderer’s confession for a double homicide? Or do you do things like that in Oregon all the time?” asked Jake, once again slowing to let us catch up. He had the lungs of a Kentucky Derby racehorse. Mine were on fire and I didn’t even want to think about my thighs. I wouldn’t be able to move tomorrow.

  “Nope. Never. My life there is nothing like it has been here.” How strange how drastically I’d changed. And how much I didn’t miss normalcy. Instead, my skin tingled when I pondered what new adventure awaited me at the top of the hill or during our tour starting tomorrow. Jessica James, Adventure Explorer!

  Reining my rambling thoughts in before I roared or did something equally embarrassing, I focused once again on my surroundings. The path led us to a cobblestone road with several areas marked for parking.

  “You made it,” Jake said, pointing ahead to a sign telling us that half a kilometer ahead was La Casa del Árbol (The Tree House, I knew, thanks to my Spanish lessons with Hugo and Esmeralda).

  Only one more steep slope remained to climb, but it was short and shaded. A large group of tourists slipped and slid down the loose gravel and dirt pathway. So much for their fancy boots, I thought smugly, as I looked down at my trusty sneakers.

  We paid the entrance fee at a tiny booth manned by a teenage girl in her school uniform and her toothless little brother. The way she puffed her bangs out of her face and picked at her fingernails reminded me of Fernanda, an edgy teen who turned out to have a soft heart. I would miss her when I returned home. There was nothing like murder to bond new friends together. I was just grateful she and her family were doing well after what they’d been through.

  “Woo hoo!” I heard someone shouting. Looking in the direction of the noise, I saw the top of the tree house. A few steps later, I saw the swing hanging over a steep drop. And I suddenly had the urge to pee.

  Chapter 4

  The proximity of the restroom to the swing told me that I wasn't the only person to react that way. After a quick pit-stop, I came back out to notice our group had grown. Dressed in a red tracksuit with white stripes down the side and a sweatband around her forehead, Abuelita stretched from side to side. She looked like a race car.

  Tia Rosa had been the source of the gleeful shout we’d heard. In a lavender velour tracksuit that made me want to pet her like a soft blanket, she unbuckled the rope around her waist and descended from the platform that launched the swingers out over the edge of the steep, grassy cliff. Just looking down made me dizzy.

  Adi asked, "How did you get here so fast? We didn't see you on the trail."

  Tia Rosa smiled at her feet while Abuelita said haughtily, "Is easy trail. We run for exercise."

  I knew she was full of beans, but Tia Rosa confirmed it. She pushed her pink, horn rimmed glasses up her nose and whispered to me, "We pay five dollar in taxi."

  Jake crossed his arms, clearly the more responsible of the three. "You didn't leave Mom in the restaurant without any help, did you?"

  "She have two waitress and I pay Fernanda for to wash dirty plates." Abuelita crossed her arms, her neck craned back in an attempt to meet Jake eye-to-eye.

  Jake was not impressed. "You hired a minor to do your work?"

  "Fernanda more tall than Rosa. Why you no complain I hire midget, huh?" Abuelita was only an inch taller than her older sister, but she was mighty proud of that inch. She stretched up as high as she could, nearly reaching Jake's elbow.

  Tia Rosa ignored the insult, adding, "Fernanda ask for little job. She save money for travel. Her mother agree is good. Fernanda like the boys and Martha feel is better her daughter work."

  I was happy to hear Fernanda was taking some initiative in her life. She had not had an easy one. And I had to agree with her mother, Martha. Fernanda’s taste in boys left more to be desired. She actually drooled over Christian.

  The line moved, turning my attention back to the swing. We were next. I looked up and appreciated how the tree branch of the swing had been reinforced, inspected the rope for frays, and tried to bolster my courage. As terrified as I was, I had not come all of this way to chicken out at the last second.

  But that did not mean I had to go first either. I leaned toward Adi. "Are you going to get on the swing?"

  Her answer was emphatic. "I see no reason to thrust myself off the edge of a mountainside. I'm perfectly content watching other people put their lives at risk while my feet remain firmly on solid ground, thank you very much."

  Okay, so that only left Jake. I looked at him, hoping my eyes displayed the same pleading look Lady had given me when she followed me home the first time.

  Jake chuckled and shook his head. "I’m the photographer, remember? Besides, the swing is perfectly safe. Adi’s just being dramatic, as usual."

  Adi rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, then reached for my messy bun. Tugging on it, she said, “If you insist on this craziness, at least let your hair loose. The pictures look better that way.”

  The breeze swirled my fine hair aroun
d my face and tickled my nose, but I was too nervous to care. It was my turn.

  My determination being greater than my fear, I simply gave myself no other option but to climb up to the top of the wooden platform. Before I had too much time to think about it, I launched myself off the top, kicking my legs out and feeling my hair fly behind me. Hey, if I was going to do something crazy, I was going to do a good job at it.

  I flew over the edge of the cliff, my hands gripping the rope of the swing so hard, it dug into my palms. My breath evaded me so that I couldn’t even scream, but when I swung out and back a couple of times without plunging to my death, it surprised me to realize I was having fun.

  Beneath me, I saw Jake snapping pictures. Unafraid, I hammed it up for the camera, pointing my toes and leaning back as far as I could without flipping over. I had never been the photogenic one in the family, but I would make sure my mom got a picture worthy of framing. That would make her happy.

  After a few minutes, more tourists arrived and it was time for me to get down. I didn't want to. My whole body shook as my feet grounded on the platform. Adrenaline. It made me feel brave and fearless. It also made standing still impossible.

  Jake smiled at me. "I think you're ready for waterfall rappelling. You’re much braver than you thought, huh?"

  "I've never felt anything like that before, but it’s like I can do anything now."

  Adi snorted. "Good. You'll need that for the hike down the mountain. My legs already feel like Jell-O."

  The sky was so clear, we had a perfect view of Tungurahua, the giant volcano Baños was situated at the bottom of. I took several pictures while Adi told me how sometimes the mountain rumbled just before belching a cloud of ash into the sky. I was happy today was not one of those days, but even had it happened, I was soaring too high for it to bother me.

  Abuelita and Tia Rosa decided to hike with us down the trail. Lady was happy to be moving again. She sniffed everything and barked at the butterflies fluttering near her nose.

  We started down the steep incline leading to the trail that would take us home. Like a gentleman, Jake stood to the side while all of us ladies started down the slope, holding onto both Abuelita and Tia Rosa in case they should fall. I didn't even need to hang on to the handrail as Lady and I charged down at a quick clip. I was so hyped, I could have run down the mountain to Baños.

  We were near the bottom when I thought it would be a good idea to turn around to see how Abuelita and Tia Rosa fared. It turned out not to be such a good idea. My feet slipped out from under me and, in my effort to not crush Lady, I didn’t do anything to break my own fall. A sharp pain shot up my back and down my legs as my bum connected with the edge of a rock. I rolled onto my side, wishing I could have injured any other part of my body. There was nothing cool or elegant about hurting a tailbone.

  Heat rushed to my face and burned my cheeks when Jake leaned over me.

  "How are you doing, Jess? Where are you hurt?"

  My butt (but I wasn't about to admit that to him). I considered grabbing my ankle to feign a sprain, but I was a terrible liar and I would forget to limp after a while and I'd just end up having to tell him what was wrong anyway.

  Lady nudged my face and licked my shoulder. I appreciated her support.

  "Are you able to stand?" Jake held his hands out to me.

  I tried to stand on my own, but when I saw how pointless that was, I accepted his help.

  He stood looking at me expectantly, waiting for an answer I really didn't want to give. Especially after he had been the one to warn me about the worn tread on my shoes.

  Because my timing is perfect and I like to make sure that when I embarrass myself, I do a thorough job of it, I remained mute until everyone in our group had circled around to stare at me. Great.

  Taking a deep breath and exhaling all of my pride, I said, "It’s nothing big. I think I've just bruised my tailbone."

  Adi winced in sympathy. "Oh my gosh, I did that once when I fell down the stairs of my apartment. It hurts like the dickens and I couldn't sit for weeks. Are you sure it's just bruised? That fall was pretty bad."

  I didn't even want to think about the implications of having a fractured tailbone, so I shook my head. "It hurts, but I'm able to put weight on my legs. If it hurts too bad or I don't notice any improvement, I'll go see a doctor." I prayed that would not have to happen. Going to the doctor was bad enough. Having to drop my drawers to have my butt examined was enough for me to wish the ground would swallow me whole.

  A chuckle escaped Abuelita and I heard her comment to Tia Rosa, "Jessica broke her butt," which earned her a poke in the ribs and a shush from her nicer sister while they both struggled to control themselves.

  I was so mortified, there was nothing left for me to do but laugh about it. It hurt, but it soothed my pride. Jake was the only one who didn’t join in. While I appreciated how seriously he took my injury, I almost wished he would shrug it off like I was attempting to do.

  His eyes bore into mine. "Do you need a ride down the hill?"

  I was impressed by his reference to the mountain as a hill as well as his total lack of an “I-told-you-so” tone, even though he had every right to it.

  "No, thank you. As badly as it hurts, sitting would be worse." This really threw a wrench in my jungle tour trip. If I couldn't even sit on a cushioned car seat, how would I be able to ride a bicycle for the greater part of a day or do any of the other activities which would require me to sit?

  Adi wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Jess. This kind of changes our plans, doesn't it?"

  I knew how badly Adi disliked the jungle, but she still sounded disappointed. Although, not nearly as disappointed as I was.

  “Maybe I’ll be better tomorrow.” I wasn’t ready to give up yet. I had a high pain tolerance.

  Jake nodded. "If you’re still in too much pain tomorrow, there are alternatives. We'll just plan other activities closer to home. As soon as you're up to it, maybe we could cross the river in the cable car to the waterfalls. If we ride the bus out there, you'd be able to stand the entire way. It's not too far for that."

  It was the perfect thing to say. In the same breath that essentially put an end to a trip I had been looking forward to, he offered me an adventure better-suited to my current circumstances. Had I not been in the least bit attracted to him, I would've given him a big hug.

  Jake, however, did not share my timidity. He wrapped his muscular arms around me and I could hear his heart beat as he pressed my head against his chest. It was steady, just like him. Relieved he viewed me as a friend, and disappointed he saw me as nothing more than that, I felt free to return his embrace. I was stupid. Why would he want to start anything with me when I would be leaving in two weeks anyway? I wasn't interested in a quick fling. Those were messy and feelings always got hurt. And I didn't have confidence that I could capture the interest of a guy as handsome as Jake and hold it in a long-distance relationship. And where would we live after we got married?

  Gosh, that escalated quickly! The guy gives me a hug and I'm already turning down his offer of marriage. My turn of thought made me empathize a little bit more with Mrs. Bennet and her obsession with marrying her five daughters in Pride & Prejudice.

  I stepped back and out of his hold, taking Lady’s leash and turning toward the trail. "I might be slow, but I can make it down."

  I didn't pause long enough to give anybody the opportunity to contradict me. Nor would I listen to them if they did. I was just fine on my own and I needed to remind myself of that fact by acting independently. Adi looped her arm through mine during the slippery parts of the trail. Each step hurt more than the last, but I would make it down that trail if it killed me.

  The high afternoon sun beat down on us mercilessly. The breeze we had enjoyed that morning was a mere whisper now. By the time we reached the edge of town, we were a hot, sweaty bunch. As much as I wanted to lay down with a pack of ice on my bum, there was one thing I wanted even more. Rum ra
isin. "Who wants to come with me to Victor’s for an ice cream?"

  The girls agreed enthusiastically, while Jake offered to take Lady home and then join us. While Victor might allow Lady inside his ice cream parlor, Edgar certainly would not.

  There was a crowd outside Victor’s shop. Not surprising considering how hot it was. There was something about a cloudless sky to make people crave an icy treat.

  I peeked around the line to the counter, but I didn't see anyone there. Victor must have run to his freezer to get more ice cream. From the looks of things, the power was still out.

  A group of people left, grumbling about the bad service. I looked at the counter again and, still, nobody was there. Odd.

  Abuelita pursed her lips and tapped her cross trainers against the sidewalk. Her patience was running out. When Jake made it back to us and there was still no sign of Victor, she took matters into her own hands. Grabbing my hand, she said, "Come. We find Victor."

  She flipped the far corner of the counter up and unlatched the door separating the serving area from the customers. Several people checked their watches and milled about.

  There was nobody around. Victor's ice cream shop was one large rectangle only separated by the counter where he displayed his flavors and punched numbers into his cash register. I went to the only room which was not openly visible to everyone and knocked on the door. "Victor? Are you okay?"

  Abuelita clucked her tongue at me. "Why you check bathroom?"

  Thinking the reason was pretty obvious, I didn't bother to give her an answer. Instead, I asked, "Where else are we supposed to look?"

  She pointed to the walk-in freezer. "I bet he here. We save him from become Popsicle."

  "Wouldn't he shout or bang on the door if he was trapped?" A feeling of unease crept over my body. I tried to shake it off. It was nonsensical. Still, I dreaded opening that freezer door.

  If Abuelita felt the same, she didn’t let on. She nudged her chin toward the door. "You open."

  I hesitated. I didn’t want to do it.