“She’s registering for the slots tournament. We stopped by the tour desk and bought an excursion to Tulum for us and Brie. I hope you don’t mind if Brie goes along. We figured she’d like to see the Mayan ruins.”
“It’ll be fun for her. We had considered going, but Dalton doesn’t have the patience to ride a bus for half a day. I’d rather go shopping in Gozumel.”
“Good choice,” Irene told her, then sipped her drink. “Oh, you’re sitting next to Heidi? Is that an extra chair I see?”
“I was saving one for Kate and John, or Brie.”
“I can’t sit in the sun,” John said. “Brie won’t surface until lunch, and Kate is occupied. So you go ahead, Irene.”
“If you’re looking for Dalton, he may be in the sports complex,” Marla suggested.
“What, are you trying to find things for me to do?” John scoffed. “Don’t worry, I can entertain myself. I’m quite used to it by now.”
You don’t sound so happy about that, pal . Dalton had told her very little about his parents. Certainly, they weren’t as provincial as he’d let on. Could it be that he knew them less than he’d admit, or did he steer away from familial intimacy for a reason?
Marla’s intuition made her skilled at sensing emotional nuances, and John’s responses told her that something wasn’t right at home base.
“Marla, can I get you a cocktail? I need a refill,” Irene offered after he’d disappeared behind a glass partition designed as a windbreaker.
“Thanks, but I’m still digesting my breakfast. I’ll go with you to get a cup of water, instead.”
“I see you were talking to Heidi. She married for money, you know,” Irene said after they were served by the handsome Jamaican bartender. Other boozers were getting their morning start, Marla noted as she jockeyed for a stool. She wondered if Irene made a habit of drinking every morning.
“Heidi seems fond of Thurston.” The cool water refreshed her after sitting in the heat. She downed most of the contents in a few gulps.
“Heidi is more fond of Cliff Peters, darling. The security guard might have been more attentive to his job and prevented the accident if Heidi hadn’t been around that day.”
Marla straightened her spine. “You mean the day Alden Tusk died?” Maybe now she’d find out what really happened to him.
Irene nodded, fingering her gold hoop earring. She wore a heavy gold chain and a matching bracelet. “Heidi was supposed to be working with Brooklyn, our cafe manager, for the benefit that evening, but Olly ended up confirming the catering arrangements with him when Heidi disappeared.”
“The fund-raiser was a dinner party?”
“Right. We had the patio set up with tables and chairs, and a florist was due to arrive later with centerpieces. Ordering the decorations was my job,” Irene explained. “I was outdoors when I heard a man shriek in terror.”
“And then what happened?”
“Everyone rushed inside. Alden lay on the tile floor. Oh, God, it was awful.” Her hand shaking, she guzzled down a long drink.
“So the benefit was canceled?”
“Postponed. We had too many contributors to thank and art pieces that had been commissioned just for this event. The gala dinner took place on the following weekend.”
“But without Alden Tusk’s triptych, I understand?”
Irene’s eyes narrowed. “Someone stole the middle painting. Helen Bryce, the head docent, thought it would reappear, because sometimes when she took tours around, a picture would be missing on the wall. She’d learn afterward that Eric had been repairing the frame, or that Thurston had taken the picture to an appraiser in town who couldn’t make it into the museum.”
“So the middle piece never turned up?”
“Not until now. I can’t wait to see the completed set.”
“You’re very devoted to the art world, aren’t you?”
“Olly and I have that much in common. He works in the field, while I’m a real estate agent for luxury homes. I just
“It’ll be fun for her. We had considered going, but Dalton doesn’t have the patience to ride a bus for half a day. I’d rather go shopping in Gozumel.”
“Good choice,” Irene told her, then sipped her drink. “Oh, you’re sitting next to Heidi? Is that an extra chair I see?”
“I was saving one for Kate and John, or Brie.”
“I can’t sit in the sun,” John said. “Brie won’t surface until lunch, and Kate is occupied. So you go ahead, Irene.”
“If you’re looking for Dalton, he may be in the sports complex,” Marla suggested.
“What, are you trying to find things for me to do?” John scoffed. “Don’t worry, I can entertain myself. I’m quite used to it by now.”
You don’t sound so happy about that, pal . Dalton had told her very little about his parents. Certainly, they weren’t as provincial as he’d let on. Could it be that he knew them less than he’d admit, or did he steer away from familial intimacy for a reason?
Marla’s intuition made her skilled at sensing emotional nuances, and John’s responses told her that something wasn’t right at home base.
“Marla, can I get you a cocktail? I need a refill,” Irene offered after he’d disappeared behind a glass partition designed as a windbreaker.
“Thanks, but I’m still digesting my breakfast. I’ll go with you to get a cup of water, instead.”
“I see you were talking to Heidi. She married for money, you know,” Irene said after they were served by the handsome Jamaican bartender. Other boozers were getting their morning start, Marla noted as she jockeyed for a stool. She wondered if Irene made a habit of drinking every morning.
“Heidi seems fond of Thurston.” The cool water refreshed her after sitting in the heat. She downed most of the contents in a few gulps.
“Heidi is more fond of Cliff Peters, darling. The security guard might have been more attentive to his job and prevented the accident if Heidi hadn’t been around that day.”
Marla straightened her spine. “You mean the day Alden Tusk died?” Maybe now she’d find out what really happened to him.
Irene nodded, fingering her gold hoop earring. She wore a heavy gold chain and a matching bracelet. “Heidi was supposed to be working with Brooklyn, our cafe manager, for the benefit that evening, but Olly ended up confirming the catering arrangements with him when Heidi disappeared.”
“The fund-raiser was a dinner party?”
“Right. We had the patio set up with tables and chairs, and a florist was due to arrive later with centerpieces. Ordering the decorations was my job,” Irene explained. “I was outdoors when I heard a man shriek in terror.”
“And then what happened?”
“Everyone rushed inside. Alden lay on the tile floor. Oh, God, it was awful.” Her hand shaking, she guzzled down a long drink.
“So the benefit was canceled?”
“Postponed. We had too many contributors to thank and art pieces that had been commissioned just for this event. The gala dinner took place on the following weekend.”
“But without Alden Tusk’s triptych, I understand?”
Irene’s eyes narrowed. “Someone stole the middle painting. Helen Bryce, the head docent, thought it would reappear, because sometimes when she took tours around, a picture would be missing on the wall. She’d learn afterward that Eric had been repairing the frame, or that Thurston had taken the picture to an appraiser in town who couldn’t make it into the museum.”
“So the middle piece never turned up?”
“Not until now. I can’t wait to see the completed set.”
“You’re very devoted to the art world, aren’t you?”
“Olly and I have that much in common. He works in the field, while I’m a real estate agent for luxury homes. I just
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