to an end, right?”
Nodding, she gave him a sympathetic smile and then asked, “Did the police find the guy who broke into the honeymoon casita?”
“Unfortunately, they didn’t,” he said, remembering his disappointment when the head of security had shown him the surveillance tapes. The cameras were positioned at odd angles, and the intruder had been able to avoid being captured on film. “But I’m sure they will.”
“Marco said there was no forced entry.”
“No, there wasn’t,” he confirmed, making a mental note to remind the security team not to divulge any information about the investigation, especially to any staff personnel who were prone to gossip.
Speculation had to be contained before it got out of control and spread to his guests, who might allow unfounded fears to drive them away from the resort.
“This mess with some man breaking into the honeymoon casita is not good for business,” Marie said. “You don’t need people thinking the resort isn’t safe. Folks don’t go on vacation to get robbed. They will stay away from places where people get slapped around and tied up.”
After Marie left and he was alone in his office, with nothing but the ceiling fan whirring above him, chaotic thoughts swirled through his mind, from the attack on Spencer Edwards to the lapses in his security to his ex-fiancée’s ridiculous story. Mostly, Marie’s dire predictions took precedence.
Sione rubbed his eyes, then opened the bottom drawer, and took out a bottle of Blue Label and a shot glass. He couldn’t take Marie’s unfounded worries as a criticism of his abilities to manage and maintain the level of success his uncle had obtained. But there was a warning in her ominous words he couldn’t ignore. Nothing could jeopardize the success of the resort. Failure would ruin him.
chapter 15
San Ignacio, Belize
Belizean Banyan Resort – Honeymoon Casita
“You asshole!” Spencer screamed into the burner phone seconds after Ben answered. “First you steal my passport so I can’t leave the country! Then you have some psycho break into my casita and tie me up!”
“Sweet girl, please,” Ben said. “You need to relax.”
“Why don’t you just call the cops on me,” she said, stalking back and forth across the bedroom. “Just go down to the D.A.’s office and tell them you want to file a formal complaint against me and give them that damn video tape!”
“Sweet girl, calm down,” Ben said. “Think rationally. You don’t want me to show the video to the police.”
“Yeah, I do! Because I would rather go to jail than be forced to do a favor for a man who hates me so much that he would steal from me and have someone break into my casita!” she yelled as she cried. “I already feel like I’m in prison anyway!”
“Sweet girl, do not be melodramatic,” he said. “You need to get ahold of yourself. You are not in prison. If you were, you would be out of your mind or dead.”
“I feel like I’m out of my mind,” she raved, her head spinning with hysteria as she stomped toward the bureau chest across from the bed. “I feel like I have died and gone to hell!”
“Will you stop these damn histrionics!” Ben thundered.
His deep lilting roar broke something within her and she burst into tears.
After a moment, Ben said, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
Clutching one of the bamboo bedposts, she held on for support as she sobbed. “No, you’re not.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“I already told you,” she sniffed. “That guy you told me about, the one with the green snake on his face? He broke into my casita, and he tied me up like an animal, and I know you told him to terrorize me!”
A few seconds of silence passed and then Ben said, “Did you call the police?”
“Sione Tuiali’i called the cops.”
“Why did Sione Tuiali’i call the police?” Ben asked. “Was he there when you were attacked?”
“He saved my life,” Spencer said. “He heard me screaming
Nodding, she gave him a sympathetic smile and then asked, “Did the police find the guy who broke into the honeymoon casita?”
“Unfortunately, they didn’t,” he said, remembering his disappointment when the head of security had shown him the surveillance tapes. The cameras were positioned at odd angles, and the intruder had been able to avoid being captured on film. “But I’m sure they will.”
“Marco said there was no forced entry.”
“No, there wasn’t,” he confirmed, making a mental note to remind the security team not to divulge any information about the investigation, especially to any staff personnel who were prone to gossip.
Speculation had to be contained before it got out of control and spread to his guests, who might allow unfounded fears to drive them away from the resort.
“This mess with some man breaking into the honeymoon casita is not good for business,” Marie said. “You don’t need people thinking the resort isn’t safe. Folks don’t go on vacation to get robbed. They will stay away from places where people get slapped around and tied up.”
After Marie left and he was alone in his office, with nothing but the ceiling fan whirring above him, chaotic thoughts swirled through his mind, from the attack on Spencer Edwards to the lapses in his security to his ex-fiancée’s ridiculous story. Mostly, Marie’s dire predictions took precedence.
Sione rubbed his eyes, then opened the bottom drawer, and took out a bottle of Blue Label and a shot glass. He couldn’t take Marie’s unfounded worries as a criticism of his abilities to manage and maintain the level of success his uncle had obtained. But there was a warning in her ominous words he couldn’t ignore. Nothing could jeopardize the success of the resort. Failure would ruin him.
chapter 15
San Ignacio, Belize
Belizean Banyan Resort – Honeymoon Casita
“You asshole!” Spencer screamed into the burner phone seconds after Ben answered. “First you steal my passport so I can’t leave the country! Then you have some psycho break into my casita and tie me up!”
“Sweet girl, please,” Ben said. “You need to relax.”
“Why don’t you just call the cops on me,” she said, stalking back and forth across the bedroom. “Just go down to the D.A.’s office and tell them you want to file a formal complaint against me and give them that damn video tape!”
“Sweet girl, calm down,” Ben said. “Think rationally. You don’t want me to show the video to the police.”
“Yeah, I do! Because I would rather go to jail than be forced to do a favor for a man who hates me so much that he would steal from me and have someone break into my casita!” she yelled as she cried. “I already feel like I’m in prison anyway!”
“Sweet girl, do not be melodramatic,” he said. “You need to get ahold of yourself. You are not in prison. If you were, you would be out of your mind or dead.”
“I feel like I’m out of my mind,” she raved, her head spinning with hysteria as she stomped toward the bureau chest across from the bed. “I feel like I have died and gone to hell!”
“Will you stop these damn histrionics!” Ben thundered.
His deep lilting roar broke something within her and she burst into tears.
After a moment, Ben said, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
Clutching one of the bamboo bedposts, she held on for support as she sobbed. “No, you’re not.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“I already told you,” she sniffed. “That guy you told me about, the one with the green snake on his face? He broke into my casita, and he tied me up like an animal, and I know you told him to terrorize me!”
A few seconds of silence passed and then Ben said, “Did you call the police?”
“Sione Tuiali’i called the cops.”
“Why did Sione Tuiali’i call the police?” Ben asked. “Was he there when you were attacked?”
“He saved my life,” Spencer said. “He heard me screaming
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