Carolyn Arnold - McKinley 02 - Vacation is Murder (3 page)

Sara took a deep breath, her gaze carrying a subtle glare. “I hope you’re right.”

“Oh, come on, darling,” he kissed her forehead, “you’ll live.”

“But you might not.” Sara laughed.

“See how cute they are together, Earl. Were we ever like that?”

When Earl didn’t answer his wife, Sara did it for him. “Probably cuter.”

Catherine smiled. “How sweet.”

Sara tugged on Sean’s arm. “We better get moving. Oh, I’m so excited. Swimming with the dolphins.”

She watched them walk off with another couple. That had been close. Earl’s wife had been right there. She had to be a little more careful about how she handled things. Her heart was getting in the way of her mind.

It thumped in her chest, pounding against her rib cage as if longing for freedom.

She kept glancing over at them until they boarded a shuttle, and then she hurried to the travel desk.

 “Excuse me.”

The Mexican woman looked up, the reflection in her eyes telling her she was an intrusion.

She pointed to the shuttle. “Where are they going?”

“Who?”

“Them?” She jabbed her finger. She wished she knew Spanish, because at least it would gain her some favor with the Mexicans. They tended to see through her and not give her a second thought.

“The couples,” she said, hoping it would jar a response from the woman.

“To swim with dolphins.”

“I will take one ticket.”

“Many packages available. Do you also want to snorkel? Do you want to add on manatees? Or to swim with seals?”

She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Just the dolphins.”

“Credit card or cash?”

“How much?”

The woman provided the total and she handed over her credit card. It should have an open balance sufficient to cover the transaction. She had booked the trip on it, but prior to that, it had been at a zero balance. She quickly went over purchases in her mind and realized that everything else she had bought she had paid for in cash.

“One moment.” The woman took her card and went over to the front desk.

Where was she going? Why did everyone move so slowly here?

The shuttle looked like it was getting ready to leave.

Come on. Come on.

The woman came back, extending the plastic. “Declined.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Try it again.”

“I try three times. Declined.”

She took the card and rummaged through her purse. She had enough cash, but what happened to the available credit on the card? She prayed it didn’t mean what she thought it might.

She counted out the bills and handed them to the Mexican woman, who shuffled through each of them, slowly enough that she could have been memorizing serial numbers.

“You do take American currency?”

“Yes.” The woman’s eyes never left the cash.

“Please. Hur—”

She glanced over when she heard the
psff
of air. The shuttle doors closed and it was on the move.

“How am I supposed to—”

“Taxi.” The woman handed her a ticket. “It’s just a short ride to the boat that will take you to the dolphins.”

She couldn’t get out of this country fast enough.

Stormy Waters

THE DOLPHINS WERE ON ISLA MUJERES and required a twenty-five-minute boat ride through the Caribbean Sea. The boat was a three-decker, including the lower level where passengers entered.

Coming through the doorway, the hull of the ship carried the distinct smell of pastries and coffee. Sara’s eyes fired to life. “Thank the heavens.”

“Let me get it for you,” Sean said.

Catherine waved for Sara’s attention. “We’ll get a place for us to sit together.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

Sean poured Sara’s cup and got one for himself. She picked up an apple danish and put it on a napkin.

“Carbs for breakfast?” he asked.

“Sean, this is vacation. Calories don’t count, and besides, carbs are a popular breakfast form.”

“It won’t hold you over.”

He held back his true feelings. Just the glint in her eyes told him not to press her about food or drink choices—especially before her first cup of coffee.

“I’m sure there’s more food where we’re going, and right now, I’m more interested in coffee.” She bounced on her feet. “Oh, I’m so excited. We’re doing something today.”

Sean snickered.

“Are you laughing at me, or with me? Be honest. I know you’re excited to be getting off the resort too.”

“God, yeah.”

“Sean.”

“What?”

“Well, that was a little quick.”

He gently guided her over by her elbow and let another couple cram in to get their morning delights. “You know exactly how I feel.” He matched eyes with her.

She smiled and nodded. “I do. Bored. Now, please don’t take it personally, darling.”

“Never.”

“No, really. It’s just we’re used to always being on the go and never slowing down. We’re going on our third week of doing nothing.”

“I know exactly how you feel. I’m dying for some action and adventure. Maybe even a crime to solve.” He rubbed his hands together.

“You’re on vacation in Cancun and dreaming of your old day job? You’ve got to be the first.”

“Can you honestly say you don’t miss it, even a little bit?”

“I miss the purpose and direction.” Sara tore a small corner off the danish and popped it into her mouth.

He wiped away a crumb at the corner of her bottom lip. “I miss bringing closure to families and stopping killers. I’m starting to look at everyone as a suspect.”

She slanted her head to the side. “And what’s the crime?”

“Well, for most of the guys, it’s staring at you.”

“Oh. Punishable by death.”

“It should be.”

She smirked and took a sip of her coffee.

“We should get upstairs with the Spencers. After all, we did invite them along, and it would be rude to hide out somewhere making love.” He put his hands on her hips and pulled her toward him.

She put her cup and pastry on a free corner of the table and draped her arms around his neck. Her fingers caressed his nape and she kissed his lips.

It had him wishing they were back at the resort.

The Spencers were at a table near an open window. Catherine gestured toward two empty chairs—one beside her, the other by her husband. “We left the ones against the glass for you.”

Sara glanced at Sean, and he picked up on her silent communication. She didn’t want to part from his side, but she smiled at Catherine and took the seat beside her.

A few minutes passed before the roar of the engines started and the boat was in motion. The farther out they went, the choppier the waves became, rocking the boat, kicking up water and foam though the window.

Sean got up to close it.

“Leave it. It’s okay.” Sara was laughing. She licked her lips. “That is so salty.”

“Then, you asked for it.” Sean sat back down.

For being such a lady, he loved Sara’s playful nature. Life was an adventure to her. For him, before he came into money, he tackled life as a list of to-dos that needed crossing off.

While the others didn’t seem affected by the motion of the boat—Sara giggled every time it cut a wave, sending sea water cascading inside—for him, with each heave, he willed his focus on something else. His stomach churned and he was thankful he didn’t have breakfast in there.

“Tell us about your company, Earl.” Sean figured it was a good time to broach the subject, and it would get his mind off the drastic ups and downs.

He swiped at the air. “Nah, I don’t want to bore you with the details.”

“It wouldn’t.”

Earl looked out the window, his aversion to making eye contact ever apparent.

“Let’s talk about the dolphins, darling. Earl came on holidays to get away from work.” Sara didn’t seem to miss Earl’s body language.

Sean wished she hadn’t shot down his efforts to get some personal information from Earl.

Sara’s attention went back out the window. “It’s so beautiful.”

The women started into a conversation, but Sean wasn’t really listening. He was still curious why Earl went quiet every time business came up.

“The girl’s right. This is vacation,” Earl added, seconds after he could have let the topic go.

“I was just trying to make conversation.”

“Let’s talk about you and your new bride then. How did you meet?”

“You know how it is. You find the right one and the rest is history.” He paused, studying Earl’s eyes. He wasn’t going to get caught up in the details and let Earl’s attempt at diverting the discussion work. He referred back to Earl’s business. “Of course, I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s starting to seem like you do.”

“Nonsense. I just have a curious mind.”

Earl pressed his lips together before turning away and getting up. “Anyone else here interested in a drink? My treat.”

“A drink? Earl, it’s only eight o’clock in the morning,” Catherine chirped in.

“I am fully aware of that, but we are on vacation, are we not?” He hit both hands to his chest and opened his arms wide. “What do you say?”

Sean glanced over at Sara, who shook her head.

“We’ll pass, at this time.” Sean answered for the both of them.

Catherine gestured toward her husband, then to his chair. “Why don’t you sit down? There is plenty of day for drinking.”

He ignored the offer and took off in the direction of the bar.

“I apologize for him. He doesn’t realize how he comes across sometimes. He’s not really a boozer.”

“No judgment here at all. Right, Sean?” Sara touched her shoe against his.

“None.”

“You two are the sweetest people I’ve met in a long time,” Catherine said.

“Thank you.”

While Sara was being kind, he couldn’t help but think why the topic of business had Earl needing a drink.