Beach Bags and Burglaries (A Haley Randolph Mystery) by Dorothy Howell

fists in the air. “All because that stupid girl got herself murdered!”
    I didn’t need the Hubble to see where this was going.
    I backed away, but Yasmin lunged and grabbed my arm.
    “You all have to come to my wedding!” she screamed. “You have to!”
    Oh, crap.

C HAPTER 6
    “N o way,” I said. “Forget it. I’m not going to that wedding.”
    “But if guests aren’t there, her wedding will be ruined,” Marcie said.
    “No,” I told her.
    “Where’s your compassion?” Marcie asked. “Just look at her.”
    Yasmin had collapsed into a chair. Her arms hung at her sides, her head was thrown back, and she was bawling so loud that the other lobby guests had gotten up and moved.
    “I’m not doing it,” I told Marcie. “Look, when I said earlier that I hated her, I meant it.”
    “Oh my God,” Yasmin wailed. “My wedding! My wedding! What’s going to happen to my wedding! ”
    Sandy looked at me. “She’s really upset.”
    “What is Tate going to think?” Yasmin screamed.
    “She can’t have a wedding with just family and a couple of guests,” Sandy said.
    “Yes, she can,” I insisted. “She’ll still be married, no matter how many people are there.”
    “And, oh my God, what will happen if there’s no one to catch my bouquet? What if I’m the one who breaks the Heart of Amour chain of weddings?” Yasmin panted for a few seconds, then let out another sob. “Tate’s family will talk about me forever!”
    Sandy shrugged. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go to the wedding.”
    Bella rolled her eyes at Yasmin and said to me, “I’m with you.”
    “It’s no big deal, really,” Sandy said. “All we have to do is show up for the ceremony, which won’t take long. Then we can go to the reception. It might be fun.”
    “And it isn’t for a few more days,” Marcie said. “There’s a good chance the police will solve the murder by then, and if that happens, her guests will come after all.”
    Yasmin’s caterwauling was giving me a headache, and I was annoyed beyond belief.
    This wasn’t supposed to happen—I’m on vacation.
    “Okay, fine,” I told them. “We’ll go—if she’ll just shut up.”
    “Yasmin,” Marcie said.
    She kept crying.
    “Yasmin!” Marcie shook her arm. “We’ll go to your wedding.”
    She sniffed and blinked up at Marcie, then looked at all of us. “You will? You’ll all go?”
    “Sure,” Marcie said, and gave her an everything-will-be-fine smile.
    Yasmin burst out crying again.
    Good grief.
    “I’m out of here,” I said.
    I guess everyone’s good intentions had played out.
    Marcie headed for the stairs, pulling Sandy along with her, and said, “We’ll change and meet you and Bella back here for dinner.”
    “I’m going to find that head security guy and see what he’s doing to find my lucky panties,” Bella said, and walked away.
    I headed across the lobby, then heard sniffing and panting behind me. Yasmin jumped in front of me. She drew in a really long breath and swiped at her face with her palms.
    “You’re saving my wedding, Haley,” she whispered, then gulped a few times. “And to thank you, to really thank you, I’m going to throw my bouquet directly at you.”
    Oh, crap.
    She sniffed. “Tate will be so proud of me.”
    I hate my life—but I’m not supposed to. I’m on vacation.
    Yasmin headed up the lobby staircase and I shot eye-daggers at her—which she didn’t see, but still.
    No way was I going to that wedding. No way was I waiting around for the cops to solve Jaslyn’s murder so the guests would show up and get me off the hook. I would find the killer myself.
    Right after I found the Sea Vixen.
    Everybody has their priorities.
    I headed down the long corridor at the rear of the hotel, searching for the shop where Geraldine had bought her she-doesn’t-deserve-it-but-I-do tote. I followed the signs, turned down a corridor, then another.
    Jeez, how big was this place?
    Finally, I came upon a row of shops, their windows