The Girl in Dangerous Waters (Emma Griffin FBI Mystery Book 8)

by A J Rivers

  "Well, we are always looking to expand our staff family with high quality, reliable members who are just as passionate as we are about giving our guests the most incredible experience possible. If you think they would be a good fit for that, feel free to give them my information."

  "Great. Thank you," I say. "I'll do that."

  "Do you have any plans for this afternoon?" he asks before I can start to walk away.

  "I'm just exploring," I tell him, then point ahead to where the group went. "I haven't been on that side of the resort yet."

  "There isn't anything in that direction but the staff village and a few buildings and lots used for running and sustaining the resort. Nothing for guest access."

  "Oh," I say. "I was also considering renting one of the boats and going out into the water a little later."

  "An excellent choice."

  "What is out at the rock formation that juts out into the water?" I ask.

  He narrows his eyes just slightly.

  "I'm not sure what you're talking about?" he asks.

  "Down past the building with the guest rooms, there are rocks that look like they go a pretty good distance out into the water. When my friends and I took a hike up to the cliffs the other day, I noticed a fairly large boat out there by the rocks. It looked like it was just sitting there, and I was wondering if there was some sort of tour or sailing I could sign up for."

  "I'm not sure what you saw, but there is nothing like that offered at the resort. There are small watercrafts available for rent, and there is also the option of hiring someone to operate the craft for you for private tours and dinner cruises, but they are quite small. Nothing large enough for you to notice at that distance."

  "Oh. It must have been a trick of the light," I shrug.

  Alonso's smile returns.

  "If you are open to suggestions, might I recommend a massage? It might help you relax. A technician can come right to your room for maximum privacy and indulgence."

  "Thank you for the suggestion. I might just do that."

  "Good." I start away, and he calls after me again. "Oh, and if you want a truly breathtaking experience, have Constance arrange for Joshua to give you his directions to the Cascada Esmeralda.”

  “What’s that?

  “The name means Emerald Falls. It is, pardon my pun, a hidden gem of the island. You might find a visit there enriching."

  "Thank you again. I'll see if I can find a time."

  "If you'll excuse me, I have guest requests to arrange. Please don't hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

  "Your suggestions are plenty. Thank you," I tell him.

  He gives a nod that is almost a bow and starts toward the lobby. I stare down the path toward the staff village before reluctantly turning back around. Bellamy coming down the path toward me is a surprise, but she looks relieved when she notices me.

  "There you are," she says.

  "Was I supposed to be somewhere else?" I ask.

  "No, I was just looking for you and haven't been able to find you. I wanted to say I'm sorry for earlier. Eric and I shouldn't have talked to you like that."

  Walking past her, I shake my head.

  "You're right. You shouldn't have," I tell her.

  She falls into step alongside me.

  "It's not that we think something is wrong with you or that you are making things up," she says.

  "You're doing really well putting together this apology," I comment.

  "We want you to be happy. We want you to relax and just get your mind off everything."

  I stop and whip to the side to look at her so quickly she stumbles back a step.

  "You don't think I wish I could just turn my brain off and not think about anything? You don't think that every day I just want to be happy and be able to relax? To not constantly have questions and theories and ideas running around in my thoughts? That's not what this is about, B."

  "Then what is it?"

  I hesitate.

  "Do you really want to know?"

  "Yes. Obviously, something is really bothering you about this."

  "Come on. I don't want to talk out here."

  We hurry to my room, and Bellamy sits down, looking at me with expectation.

  "You already know the issues I have with the way Rosa's body looked and how she ended up in the water. But that's not it. Remember when I went back to the room to get my sunglasses when we were on our way to the pool?"

  "Yes."

  "When I went into the building, I almost interrupted a conversation in the hallway. I immediately recognized one of the voices. It was Alonso. He called the woman he was talking to Rosa."

  "He's a manager of the resort. He interacts with everybody who works here," she points out.

  "Yes. But you have to admit; there's something about him. The way he talks to everybody. He's nice, but it seems slimy. Like it's not that he's purposely being nice to people. He's just following some sort of script. He's playing a part. And the way that he acted when we found Rosa's body and were waiting for the police. He wanted to just hurry up and get rid of it all. He seriously thought it was fine to drain the pool."

  "Being creepy, tone-deaf, and insensitive don't necessarily mean something is wrong. He seemed genuinely surprised Rosa was floating around in that pool."

  "Yes, he did. And I'm not saying he wasn't. But that's not it. I'm still focused on the conversation he was having with Rosa. He was telling her that a guest requested cabin three for that night, and she was to prepare it for him and make sure his expectations were satisfied."

  "Cabin three?" Bellamy asks. "I didn't know the resort had cabins. I looked at the website because I was considering booking another trip here, and there were only guest rooms and suites listed."

  "Right. There are no cabins for guest rental. The only cabins I've heard about are the ones in the staff village."

  She looks at me quizzically. "He was telling her to get staff quarters prepared for a resort guest? I know they keep saying to let them know if there's anything that will make our stay better, but that seems like a very strange request. I mean, I guess people with this kind of money might not have ever seen anything but all the luxury and indulgence of the resort and be curious about the way the staff lives. But that still doesn't seem like something they would actually do."

  "No, it doesn't. And I just talked to Alonso. He introduced me to the other manager while they were showing new staff around. He mentioned the staff village, and then when I said I was going to explore that area of the resort, he stopped me. It's for staff only," I tell her.

  "So, what are you going to do?" Bellamy asks.

  "He really didn't give me any option. I'm going down there tonight to check it out," I tell her.

  "Of course you are."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “So, what are we going to do up until then?” Bellamy asks.

  “Where is Eric?”

  “A guy we met at the pool recommended he go to the spa. Apparently, they do hot shaves and the types of manicures and pedicures that are acceptable for men. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but Eric thought at least the hot shave sounded like a good idea, so that's where he's going to be spending the afternoon,” she tells me.

  “Good. That means he's distracted and less likely to start in on the guilt trip again. I would like to try to find out more about Rosa if we can. I was thinking we could speak with some of the other girls on staff. And maybe a couple of the attendants. I've noticed that there only seem to be women cleaning the rooms. The room service and bellhop services are men. Most likely the girls would know Rosa better. Not necessarily, but if she's going to socialize with anybody, it would probably be with women who have similar jobs to her. So, if you could talk to the woman who cleans your room, I'll talk to Graciela. We can find out how they came to work here, what they know about Rosa, and see if we can get any information out of them about anything that might be going on at the resort without letting on that's wha
t we're trying to do,” I tell her.

  “There’s actually a different woman taking care of my room today,” Bellamy tells me.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. She came this morning, and when I asked where Tracy was, she said that she's on leave and that she'll be back.”

  “When I was talking to Alonso earlier, he introduced me to the other manager, then he reminded Frederick that the next round of leave begins tomorrow,” I explain. “I thought that sounded really strange.”

  “It does,” she shrugs. “But maybe that's part of working here. You get a certain amount of time off every so often?”

  “Maybe,” I say. “Well, see if you can talk to the one standing in for her. Find out what you can, and we'll meet back up later to go down to the village.”

  Bellamy agrees and leaves. When she's gone, I call the number listed on the directory in my drawer to get in touch with the housekeeping services. I request extra towels and wait for Graciela to get there. When she does, she has a confused look on her face.

  "Did I forget to bring you towels this morning?" she asks.

  I shake my head. "No. You did. I just wanted a few extras."

  She laughs softly like she doesn’t really know what to think about the request but isn't going to question it.

  “Well, here you go. Is there anything else?"

  “I actually have a question,” I say. “You were telling me about how you got this job and all the perks and everything. It seems really amazing and like it would appeal to a lot of people. How often do new girls come here to work?”

  “I have only been here for a few months, but there have been new girls that have come every couple of weeks. It can get very busy, and management never wants any of us to be overworked or end up with too much to do and not be able to get it done to their standards,” she explains.

  “Makes sense,” I say. “Do you know which room my friend Bellamy is staying in?”

  “Yes,” she nods. “It's at the other end of the hallway.”

  “Right,” I say. “And you know Tracy, the woman who takes care of her room?”

  “Sure, she is one of the newer girls. She started here about a week ago. Maybe a couple of days more than that.”

  “That recently?” I ask.

  “Yes, why?” she asks.

  “When you first started working here, when was the first time they gave you leave?”

  “Leave?” she asks. “I haven't taken any leave. I get two days off every week, but that's it.”

  “Bellamy said that she was told Tracy is on leave right now,” I tell her.

  “I can't imagine why she would get leave after only working here for such a short time. Maybe she has a personal issue going on that she needed the time off?” she suggests.

  “Possibly,” I shrug. “But I overheard the manager Alonso earlier. And he mentioned to Frederick that another round of leave was beginning tomorrow, which sounds like it happens regularly.”

  Graciela thinks about this for a few seconds, then shakes her head.

  “I don't know. Like I said, she was hired at a different time than me. Maybe that was something she requested or a perk she was offered and I wasn't,” she tells me.

  “I have one more question. And this one might sound completely ridiculous. Have guests ever been able to rent one of the staff cabins for a night? Or are they used for any type of guest activities?” I ask.

  Graciela shakes her head firmly.

  “Definitely not,” she says. “That is one thing that is strongly emphasized during training. No guests are permitted in the staff village. Not for any reason. Most of us live in the dorm buildings, anyway. There are some who live in the cabins, but those tend to be the married couples who work here, the older employees, and the upper-level staff.”

  "So, you live in the dorm?" I ask.

  "Yes."

  I nod. "Do you know who lives in cabin three?"

  Her eyes narrow, and she shifts her weight.

  "Why are you asking all these questions? Is something going on?"

  "No," I tell her. "I'm just curious."

  "That probably comes with being in law enforcement, doesn't it?" she asks.

  "I think it does," I confirm. "My parents always encouraged me to be curious and figure things out, and both of them had careers that had to do with criminals and helping people."

  She told me about how her mother encouraged her and supported her dreams, so hearing me mention my parents and finding that similarity between the two of us seems to put her at ease.

  “I don't know who lives in the specific cabins,” she says. “Why cabin three?”

  “I just thought I heard somebody talking about it,” I tell her. “It must have been a mistake.”

  “Anything else?” she asks.

  “No, thank you. I really appreciate you humoring me.”

  “No problem. Let me know if you need anything else,” she says.

  When she leaves, I take out my phone and text Bellamy that I'm going down to the lobby but will be back in my room soon. I make my way directly to Constance's desk.

  “I was just talking with Alonso a little while ago, and I mentioned to him that I may know some friends who could possibly be interested in working here. He said if they are, to reach out to him, but I forgot to get his card. Do you happen to have one available?” I ask.

  “Absolutely,” she says. She reaches into a drawer in front of her and pulls out a card. “This is his hiring information. It's probably what he meant for you to have. Anyone who is interested can just follow this link and fill out the initial application from there.”

  “Oh, perfect,” I say. “Thank you.”

  Tucking the card in my pocket, I start back to my room. Before I get all the way to the door, a figure steps out from around the side of the building and startles me.

  “I'm sorry,” a deep voice says, and when I turn to look at him fully, I realize it's the man I saw both Graciela and Rosa speaking with.

  “You,” I say.

  “Is it true you're with the FBI?” he asks.

  “I am a special agent, yes,” I tell him. “But for now, I am mainly a consultant more than an active agent.” I hold out my hand to his. "Emma Griffin."

  Eric is right. The Bureau has no jurisdiction here, which means we have no real right to be involved in the investigation. We can’t perform any arrests and we have no legal standing. Distancing myself from my role as an agent will not only put people at ease so they are more likely to cooperate but might lessen the negative press that might happen if this all explodes.

  For now, I’ll lean into being a consultant. It sounds official enough to earn trust, and distant enough to not make someone feel as if he is facing imminent arrest.

  He doesn't take my hand but looks almost frantically from side to side and takes a step closer.

  “Emmanuel Vargas,” he says quickly, more like an appeasement than an introduction. “I need to speak with you.”

  "You were with Rosa before she died," I say. "And I saw you speaking with Graciela."

  "I can't talk about it right now. I'll contact you tomorrow. It's extremely important."

  I barely have a chance to nod my acknowledgement before he rushes away. As I head up to my room, I call Bellamy.

  "Remember the mysterious man Graciela insists I didn't see her speaking to, and who hasn't made a statement or anything even though we saw him with Rosa, not a full day before she died?" I ask.

  "Yeah," she replies.

  "I just had a talk with the phantom."

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The sun has already started to set, and the temperature has dropped enough that my shorts aren't enough anymore. I head up to my room and change into jeans, then call for room service for dinner. I don't want to go down to the staff village too early, but I also don't want it to be so late that everyone is asleep. Part of the reason for going down there is to see how much activity I can witness and if it will tell me anything.

&nbs
p; When I finish eating, I call Bellamy to ask if she's ready to go. She says she'll meet me downstairs, and I grab a light jacket to put on over my tank top before heading downstairs to meet her.

  Unsurprisingly, Bellamy is already outside the building when I step out.

  “Have you spoken to Eric?” she asks.

  “No,” I tell her. “Have you?”

  “No,” she shakes her head. “I sent him a couple of texts, but he hasn't responded since he left the spa.”

  “I'm sure he's fine. He probably got a deep tissue massage and ended up passing out when he got back to his room. You know how wound up he gets. He's like a rubber band. Really effective when it's tense, but as soon as you loosen it up, it's no good.”

  She laughs.

  “That's true. Alright, so what's the plan? How are we going to do this?”

  “We're going to walk down the path to the staff village,” I tell her.

  “That's it?” she asks. “We're just going to walk down there?”

  “If we don't want to call a bunch of attention to ourselves, yes. If we have to come up with something else when we get there, that's what we'll do. But for the most part, the least complicated path is the best one to follow. And in this situation, the least complicated path is the brick one that leads right past the lobby and down to the village,” I tell her.

  She looks a little disappointed, but she doesn't argue, and we make our way down the path. As we go, I pay attention to the people around us. Like I did the first night, I notice couples walking around together, and in some places, small groups gather and head off to different areas of the resort.

  For the first time, I notice a few of the faces look familiar. I recognize two of the housekeepers standing with one of the men who carried our luggage and another man I don't recognize. They have their heads close together and are talking quietly, then another man approaches, and the conversation ends. The women smile at him, and they walk away with the attendant close behind.