This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 Carolyn Arnold
All rights reserved. Except as permitted by U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database, or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.
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Chapter 1 - Dying For Murder
Chapter 2 - The Spencers
Chapter 3 - Stormy Waters
Chapter 4 - Swimming With The Dolphins
Chapter 5 - Déjà Vu
Chapter 6 - Fine Dining
Chapter 7 - Disillusioned
Chapter 8 - Honeymoon Ransom
Chapter 9 - It’s All About The Money
Chapter 10 - In The Name Of Love
Chapter 11 - Break & Enter
Chapter 12 - Grounded
Chapter 13 - Striped Umbrellas And Fake Friends
Chapter 14 - Shades Of Red
Chapter 15 - On The Trail
Chapter 16 - Face-Off
Chapter 17 - For Better Or Worse
Chapter 18 - Undercover
Chapter 19 - On The Run
Chapter 20 - It’s All About Perspective
Chapter 21 - A New Dawn
Chapter 22 - Road Trip
Chapter 23 - Jungle Fever
Chapter 24 - Taking A Chance On The Jaguars
Chapter 25 - Four’s A Crowd
Chapter 26 - Look, Don’t Touch
Chapter 27 - In Hot Water
Dying For Murder
HERE SEAN WAS IN PARADISE and yet he was dying for murder. Lying on his side watching his bride of a few weeks, he thought back to the events of the last month. They had been a true whirlwind—coming into a fortune large enough to carry generations, finally being able to have the woman he had loved for two years, not to mention, lucky that she loved him as much he did her.
Their wedding was an intimate gathering of close friends and family—the family being Sara’s adoptive parents, since neither Sean nor Sara had siblings, and Sean’s parents were both gone.
While he was surprised she hadn’t wanted the big event, complete with caterers, a slew of bridesmaids, and the rest of the “fun” that went along with it, he was pleased. She’d wanted to solidify their relationship too, so, he had promised her a large party when they got back from their honeymoon.
Sean adjusted his pillow, plumping it up a bit more to support his neck, smiling as Sara’s chest rose and fell, carrying the soft purrs of a snore.
Beyond her, a gentle breeze played with the curtain, and revealed the Caribbean Sea. The sun was already up and made the water sparkle as diamonds. On the horizon, the cerulean blue of the sky and water merged as if stroked with the brush of a master painter who could rival Claude Monet.
She shifted to her side, facing away from Sean, a moan escaping her throat.
Her sleepy response to a new day caused him to smile again. It was starting to feel like this would be his permanent expression.
One thing he had always known about Sara but that became amplified since they’d gotten married—she didn’t do mornings very well. She preferred to laze around, sleepy-eyed and cradling a mug of coffee—which she refilled periodically—for a good hour before she’d shed the shell and admit to being up.
This was where they differed. Sean typically loved waking early and getting a jump on the day, although, things might change a bit in that regard now. He was retired at the age of thirty-three and had no place he needed to be, nothing he needed to do.
He pressed tightly against Sara’s back and put his arm around her, sweeping back the cascade of dark hair, baring her neck, and pressing his lips to her warm flesh.
“Morn—” A yawn, that seemed to stem up from the tips of her toes, shuddered through her entire body.
She angled her head back, kissed him, and then nuzzled into her pillow. “What a beautiful view.”
“It is.” While she had referred to the view outside, a different one had his attention.
She rolled over to face him, and smiling, she took in his features, and brushed a strand of hair off his forehead. Her eyes settled on his.
If he had to die, he would want this woman by his side. So many nights had been spent dreaming of the time they’d be together—and he wasn’t the kind to resign to such whimsical fairytales. Before he met Sara, he would have been content to live out his days as single man. She was what people termed a game changer.
He squeezed her tighter and took her mouth, his hand caressing her shoulder, running down the length of her torso. She curved into him, melding her body into his.
He didn’t want to let her out of his arms—not yet—even though her caffeine craving would have her bounding from bed any minute. While he may have been growing tired of soaking up the sun every day, he would never tire of this—of embracing her, inhaling her smell, caressing her. Loving her was timeless, and part of the reason he was on earth. He knew he sounded like the romantics he had always mocked.
“There’s one problem with this resort, Sean.” Sara slipped out of his arms and out of bed, pulling the sheet with her and wrapping it around her trim, naked frame.
Always so modest. Always a lady.
Her dark cherry lips pouted. “No coffee in the room.”
“Let me fix that for you.” He sat up and reached for the phone to call the front desk.
She bounded over, snatched the receiver from him and replaced it on the cradle. She dropped on the edge of the bed, dangling her legs and swaying them like a child. “Just because we can get whatever we want, doesn’t mean we should.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” She patted his leg and got back up. “Come on, let’s go down for coffee.”
He smiled at her enthusiasm and her attempt at appearing awake, but she was still fawn-eyed and likely dough-headed.
“What do you say we do something today?” he asked. While he was eager to spend another day with her, Sean wasn’t so certain about another day of doing the same thing—bobbing in the resort pool, sipping on cocktails, soaking up the sun, and getting involved with poolside games such as volleyball. Neither of them relished playing any of the drinking games.
“Do something?” Her eyes widened, the largest he had seen in days.
“Yeah, we could rent a boat, go deep-sea fishing.”
“Oh, Sean, I don’t—”
He laughed. He couldn’t picture Sara baiting a line and being in the salty brine air with stinky dead fish at her feet.
She grinned. “You really see that happening?”
“We could go see the ruins. I’ve heard great things.”
“Or swim with the dolphins.”
“We could also check into going to Xcaret. It seems to be a huge attraction here.”
“Sounds good, but let’s plan for either that or the ruins tomorrow. Do you think we could swim with the dolphins today?”
He went to her side, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and kissed her temple. “My dear, anything is possible.”
The Spencers
THEY WENT DOWN A SIDE hallway to the sight-seeing travel desk. A woman sat behind a counter that was littered with brochures. She was in the midst of helping another gentleman arrange a day trip and didn’t make eye contact with Sean.
“You look into the dolphins, and I’ll get a coffee.” Sara went to leave, but Sean pulled their clasped hands to his chest, positioning them over his heart.
“We stay together. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Oh, Sean.”
“You don’t realize how beautiful you are, do you. Any number of men could whisk you away when I’m not looking.”
“They could try.”
He smiled at her. Old Man Quinn surely went to heaven. He had left Sean so much more than money—he’d left him with the ability to have the life he had envisioned.
Sara’s large sunglasses were perched on top of her head, nested in a bed of brown curls. She wore a white dress that was strapped at the nape of her neck. Her shoulders were bare and the front resembled the shape of a bikini top, but its length flowed out from beneath her bodice and draped to the floor. Navy blue bangles adorned her wrists and diamonds accented her earlobes. The bangles tied her outfit into Sean’s—he wore white shorts with a navy blue stripped collared t-shirt.
The man talking to the Mexican woman asked if they took Visa, and she responded by pulling out the appropriate paperwork. She explained to him, as she took all of his information, that the transaction would be processed at the front desk. She told him to stay seated and that she’d be right back.
Sean pulled Sara tighter to his side and sweat dripped down his back. With the open nature of the resort, the morning heat already kissed the air and the salty trace carried on the breeze induced a type of high.
“We could come back, Sean. Maybe we’re not meant to go anywhere today.” She swung their arms and he steadied the motion.
As much as he loved to watch her in a bikini, toying in the surf, or lounging by the pool, he wasn’t sure he could handle another day of such monotony. He needed to do something, and her suggestion of swimming with the dolphins fit that bill.
She smiled up at him. “Ah, never mind. You’re attached to the idea.”
“You know me too well.”
“I always have, hon, but now I don’t have to hold back.”
The Mexican woman had excused herself to run the man’s credit card and, after several minutes, Sean, too, was starting to wonder if this was a sign that they should hang around the resort again today.
“We should have asked the Spencers to come with us,” Sara said.
“It’s probably too late at this point.”
As if they sensed her speaking of them, the couple came out of the resort’s restaurant, heading in their direction. They both smiled, but Catherine waved and hugged Sara.
“Good to see you guys,” she said, as if they hadn’t seen each other in days.
Catherine tapped a quick kiss to each of Sara’s cheeks and then proceeded with hugging and kissing Sean. She smelled of floral perfume and coconut oil. Her bleached-blond hair was styled just above her shoulders, with long bangs framing her face.
The couple, in their mid-fifties, had both mentioned they’d fallen in love quickly and didn’t have to search long for the right one. They were here celebrating their thirtieth wedding anniversary.
Although neither Sara nor Sean had gotten much of their background out of them, they did know the couple owned a business back home in Maine and, based on Catherine’s diamonds, weren’t hurting financially.
While Catherine seemed eager to discuss her husband’s success, Earl preferred to change the subject whenever it came up.
The cop inside Sean found that interesting. Assuming Earl had worked to build his company from the ground up, why not bask in that accomplishment? But Sean knew from his life journey that some people didn’t know how to celebrate successes, only mull over failures.
Catherine went back to Sara and held her hand. “What are you two up to today?” Catherine traced a finger around one of her hoop earrings.
“First, let me tell you, I love your outfit.” Sara gestured to Catherine’s fuchsia-colored bikini wrap-dress.
Catherine beamed. “Thank you. How sweet. You look stunning, as always.”
A few awkward seconds passed before Sara picked up on answering Catherine’s previous question. She glanced at Sean. “He’s taking me to swim with the dolphins.”
“Hope that’s nothing like swimming with the sharks.” Earl chortled. His gray hair, mussed as always had strands going this way and that. His thick mustache and bushy eyebrows were both in need of a good trim. While his wife took care with her appearance, he was dressed down, wearing a white t-shirt and pair of red swim trunks in place of shorts.
“Oh, Earl.” Catherine batted a hand toward her husband. “He thinks he’s funny. Dolphins. That sounds like fun.”
“Would you like to come with us?” Sara extended the invitation.
“We were going to hang out by the pool,” Earl said.
“Oh, let’s go with them, dear. We’ve been by that pool every day since we got here. We haven’t even ventured out to see any of the ruins.”
“There are more than one?” Sara’s eyes widened.
Sean watched for the Mexican lady to return. Thankfully, she was on her way now.
“Yes, there are a couple, and from what I understand, several options. I looked into them quickly yesterday, but this stick-in-the-mud said he paid for the resort, why dole out more cash?”
“You make me sound like a penny-pincher, Cathy.”
“Aren’t you?” She smiled pleasantly at her husband, but the tension sparking between them was hard to miss.
Sean put his arm around Sara. They would never become the Spencers.
“Señor,” the Mexican travel woman called Sean over.
Sean addressed Sara. “Ah, darling.” He shuffled the few feet to the desk, keeping his hold tight on Sara so she had to move with him.
“So, what do you say?” she asked the Spencers over her shoulder. “Dolphins or the pool?”
“Oh, Earl.” Catherine laced her arm through Earl’s.
“All right, we can do the dolphins today, but I don’t want to go see any ruins. I heard it’s a two-hour drive out there. There’s a lot of heat and a lot of walking.”
“My husband’s so fragile.” She patted his arm and he scowled at her verbal stab.
Sara grinned. “Sean and I are doing that tomorrow, aren’t we, darling?”
“Of course we can.”
The woman glanced between Sara and Sean. “Actually, Señor, if you want to see the ruins, you must reserve for Thursday. The bus is already full for tomorrow.” Every word she spoke came out kissed by her Spanish accent.
Sara nodded her head rapidly. “Let’s do it, Sean.”
He leaned in and whispered into her ear. “It’s not the appropriate place or time for that, but we could skip the dolphins.”
“Sean.”
“The shuttle to take you to the boat for the dolphins arrives in twenty minutes. Do you want to make a reservation for today?”
“Yes,” Sara answered.
The woman looked at Sean and he nodded in agreement, handing her his credit card. “Run through four tickets for the dolphins and two for the ruins,” he said.
“Sean, that’s not necessary.” Catherine placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Maybe your husband can treat us to a nice dinner when we get back. One outside the resort.”
Her face lit into a huge smile. It had her cheeks balled and her eyes glistening with life. “Agreed.”
“One moment, por favor.” She took Sean’s credit card and went off to charge it.
The one thing he noticed with Mexicans was they knew how to take life one thing at a time. They were hard workers, and whe
n they started a task they stuck with it until completion. But what she likely considered a hurried pace to the front counter, back in America would have been a slow saunter.
People passed by while they waited. Sara was an abundance of light. It thrilled Sean that he could make her happy. Catherine didn’t stop smiling, but Earl appeared to be uncomfortable. He kept shifting his stance and averted his eyes whenever Sean glanced over.
A woman in a yellow sundress, paired with a large-brimmed white sunhat approached. A gust of wind rushed through, blowing her hat off.
It fell at Earl’s feet and they both bent over to pick it up, knocking heads.
“Oh, my apologies,” she said. Her one hand rubbed her forehead while she reached out for the hat with the other one.
“No prob—”
His words stopped when he straightened out and leveled eyes with her. They retained eye contact for a few seconds until Catherine tugged on her husband’s arm.
Earl let go of the hat. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.” She never returned it to her head but keep it in front of her as she excused herself.
The Mexican woman came back with Sean’s receipt and dug out four tickets from her desk drawer. She handed those to him, along with the two passes he purchased for the Chichén Itzá ruins.
“You may want a one-piece suit.” The travel woman pointed her finger, going up and down Sara. “Sometimes bikinis fall off with the dolphins.”
Earl tsked. “They are little perverts.”
Sara turned to Catherine. “All right, I’m going to get a change of clothes.”
“Sounds like a good idea.”
Carolyn Arnold - McKinley 02 - Vacation is Murder Page 1
