Murder in Jamaica: An Anna Winters Cozy Mystery (Murder in Paradise Book 3) (4 page)

Anna looked around her lonely hotel room and sighed. She didn’t want to be alone right now and seeing Cassandra with Pierre broke her heart. She wondered if she would ever be able to move past the image of the two of them together. She felt used and played for a fool by both of them. She couldn’t believe he would pull something like that on her.

Flopping down on the hotel room bed, Anna was looking at the ceiling when her cell phone signaled there was an incoming text message. No one in her group would text her because they all knew she wasn’t fond of texting. Picking it up, she saw it was from Mica.

Because of her role in the kitchen, those who planned the catering would have her number. Lucy had entrusted quite a bit with Mica so Anna had previously given her the number. Anna was interested in seeing what she could learn from the woman. She read the message and sent a reply, which turned into an opportunity to maybe get some answers.

Mica:
Hi, Anna. It’s Mica.

Anna:
Hi, Mica. How can I help you?

Mica:
I need to talk to you. It’s about Lucy.

Anna:
Did something happen to her?

Mica:
No, but we need to talk about her. She isn’t all she claims to be. Can we talk?

Anna:
Sure. I will be right over.

Anna stood up and grabbed her stuff. If Mica wanted to talk now, it would give her the perfect chance to snoop around a little more and figure things out.

Making her way down the hallway, Anna watched as Pierre and Cassandra stood in the distance. She was leaving his room finally and Anna turned her head to look away. There wasn’t any point in allowing this to overwhelm her any more than it already had. Fighting back her tears, she made it to Mica’s room and knocked on the door.

The wooden door opened slowly. Mica was dressed in a white robe. She stepped back and invited Anna in. As Anna stepped into the room, she couldn’t help but notice a familiar, pleasant floral scent and smiled.

“Your perfume is lovely.” Anna began. “It seems familiar. Very familiar. I could have sworn I have smelled it on someone else or somewhere else recently.”

“It’s an exclusive blend done for me in Paris.” Mica replied coldly. “No one else would have the scent.”

“I know where I know it from.” Anna replied thoughtfully. “It was the scent Courtney was wearing. When I mistook her for you.”

“I’ve told her a hundred times to not touch my perfume. If I get my hands on her, I will ring her neck.” Mica snarled.

“I don’t like to be the one to tell you this.” Anna replied. “This is really hard. Your friend is dead.”

“What do you mean?” Mica asked. “I just saw her a few hours ago. She was a little high, but she was fine.”

“I found her body in the spa.” Anna replied.

“Is that why the police are swarming the spa?” Mica whispered. “I was upset because they were preventing me from getting a mani pedi.”

“I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you.” Anna replied.

Tears filled Mica’s eyes and she wiped them away.

“I did care very deeply for her.” Mica said thoughtfully. “She was a thorn in my side, but I was worried about her. We were going to take her into rehab in a couple of weeks but I guess we should have done it sooner.”

“She didn’t die from drugs.” Anna responded. “She was murdered.”

“What do you mean?” Mica asked, her eyes growing wide.

“Someone gave her poisoned ackee.” Anna replied. “The same that was given to Heath and Quentin.”

The color drained from Mica’s faced and her body shuddered. Anna was concerned the woman was going to faint, but she collected herself and grabbed the side of a chair.

“Do they know who the killer is yet?” Mica asked.

“Not yet.” Anna replied. “But I have my suspicions.”

“Who do you suspect?” Mica queried. “You don’t think it is me, do you?”

“It’s best I don’t reveal my thoughts.” Anna sighed. “Tell me what you know about Lucy. You said there was information we need to talk about?”

Mica nodded and sat down in the chair. She paused for a few minutes and looked over at Anna. Then let out a heavy sigh.

“Lucy isn’t like most people.” Mica began. “She is caught up in the pleasures of the flesh. She loves getting together with people to feel good and get lost in the passion that only two people can share. If you catch my drift.”

“I do.” Anna nodded.

“Lucy has never been the kind of person to settle down.” Mica continued. “When she told us she was going to marry Harvey, it didn’t make sense. She was always the kind to keep a boyfriend for a few months and then grow bored with him. But Harvey was good for her. She seemed to be different at first. I admired the change that she made. The effort. But then things slowly changed.”

“How did they change?” Anna asked.

“Harvey became much darker than I anticipated.” Mica paused for a moment. “Lucy didn’t like the darkness and began to pull away. I’ve seen her be carefree in the past, but this time, she became too risky and carefree with her antics. She became close to two of Harvey’s friends in spite. Heath, as you know. Then my husband, Quentin.”

“She was having an affair with your husband?” Anna gasped.

“It didn’t shock me.” Mica chuckled. “I knew once Lucy laid eyes on him, she wouldn’t stop until they had gotten close. If he had to have an affair with someone, I would much rather it be someone I knew. I also knew that Lucy would be with him a single time and lose interest quickly.”

“How did you know that?” Anna pressed.

“He was terrible in bed.” Mica laughed. “It’s why I let things like this roll off my back. Ultimately, I didn’t believe another woman would have him for long.”

“Does Harvey know that Lucy had an affair with both men?” Anna asked.

“He knew about Quentin.” Mica sighed. “I don’t think he ever found out about Heath but I don’t know for sure.”

“Would it have been enough to kill both of them if he had?” Anna asked.

“No, I don’t think so.” Mica replied. “He loves Lucy deeply. I think he would feel betrayed and he’d become angry. The man has an evil temper, but I don’t think he would kill anyone over something like this.”

“I’m still very sorry for your loss.” Anna offered. “I wish there was something more that I could do for you.”

“It’s okay.” Mica sighed. “Once we bury my husband, I will take over the company and inherit his fortune. Life will go on as it must.”

“I didn’t realize you’d be getting all that as the result of his death.” Anna replied.

“Oh, he wanted to ensure that I would be taken care of if he died.” Mica replied. “My husband loved me very deeply. He knew that I would need to be protected.”

“It would appear so.” Anna nodded. “I wouldn’t advertise that too much until the killer is found.”

“Why on earth not?” Mica asked.

“Money and power are two incredible motivators for murder. If someone knew you’d stand so much to gain, I could see there being problems for you. I believe you aren’t responsible in the murders at all, but the police here don’t seem to be the brightest. They tend to jump to conclusions.”

“I’ve noticed that, too.” Mica nodded. “But I thought it was just my own paranoia in the situation. I suppose it is good to be cleared by the famous Anna Winters.”

“I wouldn’t call myself famous.” Anna laughed. “I have solved two murders that were put in front of me. If anything, it just makes me lucky.”

“Well, I trust you will find out who killed my husband.” Mica replied. “If there is a way I can help you, please let me know. I want the killer found.”

“You have my word.” Anna nodded. “Thank you again for giving me more insight into Lucy's character.”

“It was my pleasure.” Mica said and smiled.

With that, Anna left the room. As she made her way down the hallway, she thought back on the conversation. The sense of relief Mica showed when she assumed she was cleared by Anna was strange. Then there was the inheritance and the company she would inherit. Anna began to question whether there was something else that needed to be addressed there.

Turning the corner, she ran into Pauline. Anna looked at her friend and laughed.

“Hey!” Anna replied, giving her a hug.

“Hey!” Pauline replied and hugged her back. “I was looking for you!”

“What’s going on?” Anna asked.

“We need to talk about Cassandra.” Pauline began. “I was asking around in the kitchen and the chefs said she was messing with the starters. Specifically the two that were poisoned.”

“Are you sure they know what they saw?” Anna asked. “I am trying to believe you. Really, I am. The problem is that you jump to the conclusion it is Cassandra every time. You two have never liked each other. You know that, I know that. So each time you claim to have new evidence that proves she is a terrible person. I am getting sick of it. At this point, it is coming off as childish and desperate.”

“You know what.” Pauline hissed. “All I am doing is trying to help you but I can see you don’t appreciate it. So, I’ll just leave you to do your investigations on your own.”

“Now come on, Pauline.” Anna smiled. “You are overreacting.”

“No, not this time.” Pauline shook her head. “I can keep forgiving you and letting you get away with being blindly loyal to someone who doesn't deserve it but I will just keep hating myself for not stepping up and letting you have it. So, no. I will not allow you to use me and take advantage of my friendship. You want me to listen to you, but to not provide you with advice or insight. Well, fine. Good luck with that.”

“Come on, Pauline.” Anna whispered. “You know I care deeply about you.”

“No.” Pauline shook her head. “I don’t even know you anymore. So, you can just get out of my face and leave me alone.”

Anna watched as Pauline turned and walked off in anger. Even though it boiled her blood that Pauline was so intent on Cassandra being some mastermind criminal, Anna didn’t see it being possible. Sure, she didn’t like Cassandra much and has seen some negative changes in her, but people go through weird periods in their lives.

Part of her wished Pauline would turn back around, that they could hug and make up. After a few minutes passed, she knew that wasn’t going to happen. Her greatest fear was now wondering whether Pauline would talk to her again. Out of a group of four people she was once close to just days before, none of them were on her side any longer. In fact, it felt as though there wasn’t another person in the world she could count on. That thought alone brought the tears to her eyes once more.

Anna stood in the stairwell with a broken heart. She was crushed that Pauline had gotten so angry with her and wasn’t being reasonable. She wished she could go back in time and smooth things over with her friend. After all, she knew she needed Pauline more than anything else right now. There were few people she knew she could count on and Pauline was one of them.

She decided to watch television for a while to distract herself. Heading back to her room on the second floor, she passed by Lucy’s room and heard heavy sobbing coming from inside. Curious, she knocked on the door and waited.

“No housekeeping.” Lucy called out.

“Lucy, it’s Anna Winters.” Anna called out. “I would like to talk to you if that will be okay?”

“Now isn’t a good time.” Lucy replied.

“Did Harvey attack you again?” Anna demanded.

The sobbing from behind the door stopped. A few seconds later, Lucy was standing at the door. Her eyes were puffy and red and her face had a stern look on it. She looked at Anna and stepped back, allowing Anna to enter the room. Anna entered the room.

“How did you know Harvey attacked me?” Lucy demanded. “We told the hotel it was robbers when we complained.”

“I’ve been abused in the past.” Anna replied. “I can see through the best of lies when it comes to that.”

Lucy nodded. “It is true. Harvey was upset with me and struck me. He is in a very bad place. There is so much going on between us and I don’t think our relationship is going to make it. He is furious right now and I love him. I really love him but I have a problem.”

“What kind of problem do you have?” Anna asked.

“You may have noticed I was flirting with you earlier.” Lucy continued. “At the reception. I’m a hedonist. I’m not sure if you know what that is?”

“I’ve heard the term before.” Anna nodded.

“Well, Harvey didn’t realize I was when we got married.” Lucy sighed. “I really tried to avoid the company of others. I did good for a long time, but I needed the high that came with being with someone. I enjoyed the company of several people who were close to me. Harvey just found out and he was crushed. I think it is natural to react in absolute hatred as he did but I know the violence won’t last long. He is just hurt right now. He’s really a good man.”

“There is never a reason to abuse someone you love.” Anna warned. “If he is hitting you over this, he will keep hitting you for years to come. Some people are abusive and the longer you try to justify their actions, the worse the problem becomes. One of these days, you could end up in the hospital or dead like your friends.”

“Harvey didn’t kill them.” Lucy sighed. “His outbursts pass too quickly. I wouldn’t worry too much about that. I think someone else killed my friends and I don’t think you are going in the right direction.”

“Why would a stranger kill them?” Anna asked. “That wouldn’t make sense.”

“But it could have been an angry former employee, a client, or someone else.” Lucy offered. “You are looking at the people closest to the victims but there could be others.”

“But Heath, Quentin, and Courtney are dead.” Anna replied. “I could see the business partners, but why Courtney?”

“Maybe Heath left her control of the business?” Lucy suggested. “Think about it. Courtney would be a terrible choice to run the company and perhaps someone else knew that and had stock in the business and didn’t want a druggie running it. I’m terribly sad about her death, don’t get me wrong, but I wasn’t blind to the fact that Courtney had serious problems going on in her life that needed to be addressed.”

“Were you with Courtney like you were with Heath and Quentin?” Anna asked.

Lucy got a stern look on her face. “I didn’t claim to have been with Heath or Quentin. All I confirmed is that I have been with other men.”

“But I know you’ve been with both of them.” Anna replied. “Mica confirmed your affair with her husband. I saw the note from Heath.”

“Maybe you don’t know what you saw or heard.” Lucy hissed. “You think everything is black and white. You might think you are some kind of champion or savior in all of this but the truth is that you haven’t the slightest clue about what’s going on. If you knew, you wouldn’t be here accusing me of being intimate with three people who have been murdered.”

“The more facts I find, the easier it will be for me to solve the murders.” Anna responded. “I know you don’t think I can make this happen, but I am good at what I do. I have a solid mind and while some things slip past me, I can find a killer.”

“What if the killer was someone close to you?” Lucy replied coldly. “We all know about the other two murders. We’ve seen the headlines. The poisoned cake, the toxic rum. There is a continuing trend of people dying from the same type of poison. Either people are all coincidentally using the same poison, or there is someone on the inside who is killing people.”

“It would be an elaborate scheme to have a single person do the dirty work for three killers, wouldn’t it?” Anna demanded. “You’d have to have connections in advance. Plus, wouldn’t the killers have offered up someone who had helped them in exchange for a plea deal? It wouldn’t make sense.”

“Unless the killer had something over each individual as an assurance they would never speak.” Lucy replied. “But that’s all speculation, of course. But if I were you, I wouldn’t be wasting my time on people who are obviously innocent and focus your efforts where they should be. On the person who killed my husband’s friends.”

With that, Lucy ran crying to the bathroom. Her loud sobs filled the room and Anna found herself feeling pity for the woman. She didn’t like having to confront anyone about their past, but she needed more information from Lucy to continue her investigation properly.

Looking at the bed, she noticed that Lucy’s phone was sitting there. Picking it up, she attempted to turn on the phone when an unlock code came up. Praying it was the wedding date like the safe in the room, she put in the numbers and the screen came on. There was a text message from Mica waiting to be read.

Listening carefully, she heard Lucy continue to sob from behind the door. Opening the message, she saw there was a fairly detailed conversation. Anna decided that there wouldn’t be any harm in seeing if there was useful information on the phone so she began to read.

Lucy:
I wish you were here right now. I need a friend
.

Mica:
I can come down to talk if you’d like.

Lucy:
Can we cuddle, too? I need my bestie to curl up with me and cry.

Mica:
I don’t think that is a good idea.

Lucy:
If you are worried about Harvey, he’s gone right now. We had a fight.

Mica:
What did you fight about?

Lucy:
Heath, Quentin, you….he was upset about Courtney, too.

Mica:
You swore I was the only girl though.

Lucy:
No, he was upset she is dead. He said she was an innocent victim in the whole thing.

Mica:
That is a weird thing to say.

Lucy:
I know, right?

Mica:
If you’re sure he’s done, I can come down to talk.

Lucy:
Someone’s at the door.

Mica:
Okay.

Mica:
Lucy, are you okay?

Mica:
Lucy?

Anna set the phone back down on the bed. Mica likely would come down soon to check on her friend if she didn’t respond. She debated sitting in the room and waiting for Mica to arrive so she could bring up the information she had now and tell the women it was time for them to come clean. But there was the mention that Courtney was an innocent victim in the entire thing. That made Anna wonder if there was something else that needed to be explored in this matter.

Pulling out her own phone, she checked the time. It was getting late in the day and she still had things to get done.

“If you aren’t going to come back out, I will show myself out.” Anna offered.

The sobbing from the bathroom continued and Anna knew it meant nothing else was going to come from talking with the woman. As she left the room, Anna knew she didn’t want to spend any more time inside and headed for the stairwell. Walking down the stairs, she decided the best thing for her right now would be the tropical sun. The warmth and the fresh, salty air would help clear her mind and give her some room to think about what was going on.

When she got outside, she walked down to the white sandy Jamaican beach and looked out over the blue waters. The sun was heavy in the sky and the day was drawing closer to being over. Anna laid down in the sand and looked up at the brilliant blue sky. There was an incredible world out there and beyond the stress of solving a murder, she knew there were still other tropical paradises for her to visit after this one. All she had to do was solve a murder and go on to the next location, one she hoped wouldn’t be riddled with death.

For a moment, she considered what Pauline had said to her. Was it possible that Cassandra could be playing with her emotions and was actually a killer? Even though it seemed highly unlikely, she couldn’t help but feel compelled to entertain the thought. Cassandra did seem to have a vendetta against her. She kept going after Pierre, despite knowing Anna’s feelings for him. The once mousey and sweet young woman had also turned cold and icy over the last few months. Perhaps there was something evil about her that Anna was overlooking.

The knowledge that Cassandra and Pauline had a long standing dislike for each other couldn’t be ignored either. Their constant feuding has made it difficult to know if Pauline was just being catty or if there was something else there that she just wasn't seeing. Taking a deep breath, Anna decided the worst thing she could do right now was focus on a possible betrayal. Instead, she needed to look at the possible killers.

There was Harvey, who could have killed the two men and Courtney out of jealous rage over his wife's infidelities. The only problem with him as the killer was Lucy. She was still alive and if he was enraged enough to kill others, why hadn’t he killed her as well?

Lucy, in turn, could have killed Heath, Quentin, and Courtney to cover up her affairs, knowing the anger issues her husband had. In doing this, she could have managed to avoid a lot of problems and may have even assumed the honeymoon would have whisked her off into the sunset so she wouldn’t have to worry about being caught by the local authorities.

Mica was also a possibility. She had the chance to inherit power at the company her husband Quinten owned. She inherited millions of dollars and taking Courtney out would have increased the amount of money she stood to gain because Heath’s parents had been dead for years and Courtney was all he had.

Anna weighed the possibilities of all three. Each had a motive to kill, but none of them made sense as being a killer. Harvey seemed too obvious and the other two women seemed incredibly unlikely. Anna recalled that poison is often the weapon of choice for women because it doesn’t require overpowering the victim and it doesn’t leave a mess behind.

Still, she wished she had more answers right now. As it stood, she had everything riding on solving this murder, her friendships, her relationship, and her job. All of which could be gone before long. She would be left with nothing. That thought frightened her the most.