big meal when we’re done talking,” he added.
Okay, that’s not fair.
My stomach rumbled loud enough for us both to hear.
He smiled.
“Oh, all right,” I picked up the picture I had shown Ramon. I talked as I paced. “This is Betsy Ruiz. She was a member of the cruising group, along with my parents, three other couples, and a woman who brought a different man every time. Betsy said Carmelita was like a professional cruising escort, but really nice.”
I pointed to the picture of my parents on their last cruise. “My parents were killed after the last time they took this cruise. Betsy’s husband, Adam, was actually killed, well not exactly killed, but he died during their last cruise. It was so sad. But according to Brenda, he cheated on Betsy. What a scum! And they were newlyweds. The last cruise was their honeymoon. You go on your honeymoon and your husband dies. How creepy is that?”
I glanced at Tom and he nodded.
I continued, “And another woman was killed during my parents’ last visit to this hotel. I don’t know who she was. But I’m thinking maybe she was a prostitute like those three women we saw arrested earlier. Adam cheated, so maybe he was the last guy to be with her before she died. That would be three deaths that might be somehow linked and then there’s my parents’ deaths. Could that be related too?”
When I finally stopped pacing and faced Tom, he had his hand over his eyes and he rubbed his temples with his thumbs. I’d seen this before. It wasn’t a good sign.
“What?” I said and sat down next to him.
He removed his hand and took a long deep breath. “It’s a date thing. One of those, my computer gave me a wrong date, so I’m going to investigate it and put myself in danger again. A date thing, right?”
“Well, kind of.”
He stood.
“I’m not going home. This cruise cost me half my savings account.”
“Let’s go get something to eat.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost six and I’m starving. Then we’re coming back here and you’re going to tell me how this all started, detail by detail. And then we’ll figure out if we’re going home or not.”
I stood, too. “I’m not going home, Tom.”
“Food, Liza.”
“Fine.” I headed toward the door.
“You might want to grab a sweater, honey. It’s going to get cool outside, later.”
I turned and smiled at him.
“What?” He raised his hands, palms up.
I stepped into his arms, got on my tiptoes and kissed him. He looped his arms around my waist and pulled me close.
When I pulled away, he asked, “What was that for?”
“You’re ticked off at me, maybe even more than a little mad. You know I lied to you about why we went on this cruise and still you’re concerned I might get cold.”
His eyes glistened at me. “Loving you is always an adventure, Liza.”
“Want to skip dinner?” I said, as I put my arms around him.
He leaned down and kissed me again. It was luscious. The kind that spreads a nice warm feeling all over my body and makes my toes curl.
My stomach growled.
He chuckled. “Let’s fill your stomach. I don’t want you thinking about lesson plans and food.”
“School’s out. I don’t have lesson plans to do.”
“Yeah, but I bet you’re already thinking about next year.”
He was right, I had been thinking about trying a new phonic reading program next year. I smiled. “Let’s get something to eat.”
I grabbed my purse and a sweater, and asked, “Did you really pocket the pictures instead of giving them to the police?”
“Yes, I recognized your mom and dad and wanted some answers before I turned them over.”
“When you were holding me, out by the pool, I felt you bend down. I though you were putting your gun away or were you checking Betsy’s pulse to make sure she was really dead.”
He shook his head, “Bullet in head, eyes open. There was no chance she was still alive. I bent over to put my gun away and saw the photos. They must have fallen
Okay, that’s not fair.
My stomach rumbled loud enough for us both to hear.
He smiled.
“Oh, all right,” I picked up the picture I had shown Ramon. I talked as I paced. “This is Betsy Ruiz. She was a member of the cruising group, along with my parents, three other couples, and a woman who brought a different man every time. Betsy said Carmelita was like a professional cruising escort, but really nice.”
I pointed to the picture of my parents on their last cruise. “My parents were killed after the last time they took this cruise. Betsy’s husband, Adam, was actually killed, well not exactly killed, but he died during their last cruise. It was so sad. But according to Brenda, he cheated on Betsy. What a scum! And they were newlyweds. The last cruise was their honeymoon. You go on your honeymoon and your husband dies. How creepy is that?”
I glanced at Tom and he nodded.
I continued, “And another woman was killed during my parents’ last visit to this hotel. I don’t know who she was. But I’m thinking maybe she was a prostitute like those three women we saw arrested earlier. Adam cheated, so maybe he was the last guy to be with her before she died. That would be three deaths that might be somehow linked and then there’s my parents’ deaths. Could that be related too?”
When I finally stopped pacing and faced Tom, he had his hand over his eyes and he rubbed his temples with his thumbs. I’d seen this before. It wasn’t a good sign.
“What?” I said and sat down next to him.
He removed his hand and took a long deep breath. “It’s a date thing. One of those, my computer gave me a wrong date, so I’m going to investigate it and put myself in danger again. A date thing, right?”
“Well, kind of.”
He stood.
“I’m not going home. This cruise cost me half my savings account.”
“Let’s go get something to eat.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost six and I’m starving. Then we’re coming back here and you’re going to tell me how this all started, detail by detail. And then we’ll figure out if we’re going home or not.”
I stood, too. “I’m not going home, Tom.”
“Food, Liza.”
“Fine.” I headed toward the door.
“You might want to grab a sweater, honey. It’s going to get cool outside, later.”
I turned and smiled at him.
“What?” He raised his hands, palms up.
I stepped into his arms, got on my tiptoes and kissed him. He looped his arms around my waist and pulled me close.
When I pulled away, he asked, “What was that for?”
“You’re ticked off at me, maybe even more than a little mad. You know I lied to you about why we went on this cruise and still you’re concerned I might get cold.”
His eyes glistened at me. “Loving you is always an adventure, Liza.”
“Want to skip dinner?” I said, as I put my arms around him.
He leaned down and kissed me again. It was luscious. The kind that spreads a nice warm feeling all over my body and makes my toes curl.
My stomach growled.
He chuckled. “Let’s fill your stomach. I don’t want you thinking about lesson plans and food.”
“School’s out. I don’t have lesson plans to do.”
“Yeah, but I bet you’re already thinking about next year.”
He was right, I had been thinking about trying a new phonic reading program next year. I smiled. “Let’s get something to eat.”
I grabbed my purse and a sweater, and asked, “Did you really pocket the pictures instead of giving them to the police?”
“Yes, I recognized your mom and dad and wanted some answers before I turned them over.”
“When you were holding me, out by the pool, I felt you bend down. I though you were putting your gun away or were you checking Betsy’s pulse to make sure she was really dead.”
He shook his head, “Bullet in head, eyes open. There was no chance she was still alive. I bent over to put my gun away and saw the photos. They must have fallen
Similar Books
