Murder in Barbados: An Anna Winters Cozy Mystery (Murder in Paradise Book 4) (2 page)

Sitting outside in the Barbados sun, Anna watched as the ocean waters crashed onto the shore. The police were finishing up in the banquet hall and the guests were getting lost in other things to cope with the death of an incredible woman.

Anna had come to understand the drill. Until the murder was solved, no one would be allowed to come to or leave the hotel. Most of the guests were expected to fly back to their native Chicago the next day but it would be unlikely they would be allowed to go unless the murder was solved by then. Hopefully, the police would save her some time and come up with the killer before it dragged on far too long. Even though she knew she could eventually deduce who the killer was, Anna didn’t think she had the drive to go through the motions once again. Her team that had been strong and helped her through the experience in the past was a broken shell of the support system they once were.

Looking out over the golf course, she noticed one person out playing golf. Considering the time of day and the events that had just happened, Anna figured that golf would be the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. She walked over to the golf carts and wondered if it was possible the killer was so unbothered by the murder that he was already at play.

Searching each of the golf carts, she found keys in one and slid behind the wheel. The seat was old and cracked from the sun and it was uncomfortable for her to sit on. Choosing to ignore it, Anna turned the key and the cart sputtered to life. Slowly pressing the pedal to give the vehicle gas, Anna made a wide circle and took the marked path along the holes.

As she drove, she devised a cover story she could use, depending on who was out here playing golf. She didn’t want to arouse too much suspicion and felt her heart racing as she approached the 14th hole and saw the man carefully studying the ball. It was Stuart Perkins, Laura Segal's best friend.

“Hello.” His words were emotionless and his eyes blank.

“I’m surprised to find you playing golf.” Anna replied. “I’d assume you’d be grieving in your room.”

“Laura loved to play golf with me.” Stuart spoke almost mechanically. “I figured a round of golf in her honor would make sense.”

“You really loved her.” Anna responded. “I can only imagine the pain you endured today. Losing her to another man and then having her pulled from this world.”

Stuart looked into her eyes and Anna could see the tears there were real. At that moment, she realized that although he likely had feelings for Laura, he didn’t have the drive to kill or harm her. Instead, the look of loss and pain reflected were those of someone who had lost the other half of their soul.

“She was my world,” was all he could muster before he broke down in sobs and leaned heavily on the golf club in his hand.

Although she had made it a rule to not comfort others during an investigation, Anna found herself offering Stuart a warm hug and comforted the man.

“I am so sorry for your loss.” Anna spoke softly. “I know this time is really hard for you but we need to talk about Laura and try to determine who would have wanted to kill her.”

“I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to harm her.” Stuart sobbed. “But, I can imagine people wanting to seek out revenge on Gordon. He wasn’t a good man. There were people who wanted him to suffer for the years of torment he caused them. Gordon is a wicked man, he is rich and powerful, and, along the way, he has destroyed lives for his own personal gain. I know how horrible this sounds, but I think he is the reason she is dead. Because this would be the one thing that would bring him the greatest amount of pain.”

“Was there anyone at the reception who would have reason to kill Laura to get back at Gordon?” Anna asked.

“That’s what I have been racking my brain over.” Stuart sighed. “There didn’t seem to be anyone who didn’t love them as a couple in attendance, so killing her didn’t make sense. All I can think of is someone found out where the wedding was and hired someone to step in and kill her for them. There are men out there with plenty of money who would have taken the opportunity to kill on such a sacred occasion.”

“So, it is possible the killer wasn’t even on the guest list?” Anna asked.

“It would surprise me if anyone at the wedding was responsible.” Stuart nodded. “I would check to see if anyone registered at the hotel in the last couple of days to see if they could be linked to the murders.”

“I’ll check a few other things first.” Anna nodded. “But if no one raises a red flag, that is a good way to go. Murder for hire isn’t as common as people think. More often than not, it is someone who is very close to the victim and they have a reason that, in their mind, justifies the killing.”

“So, you think it is someone who was close to Laura.” Stuart tried but failed to hold back a sob.

“Unfortunately, I do.” Anna nodded. “I hate to say it, but I need you to spend some time thinking about who else could have wanted her dead. You knew her better than anyone else. Can you think of anyone she was concerned about or someone who made her even slightly uncomfortable while you were talking?”

“She never really let anyone get under her skin.” Stuart replied. “She would spend more time worrying about things in life that were real. I’ve never known her to spend her time worrying about speculation and things she couldn’t change. She would always say that just wasted time and there were so many other things she could focus on and enjoy rather than worrying about things that didn’t really matter.”

“Laura sounded like a smart person.” Anna smiled.

“To be honest, she was one of the wisest people I knew.” Stuart sighed. “I wish I wouldn’t have let the chance to make her mine slip away. There was a time when I knew she was interested and wanted to be romantically involved with me. Unfortunately, I was too blind or perhaps was too stupid to put the pieces together until it was too late. By the time I was able to see the writing on the wall, Gordon had come into her life. She was so surprised that someone like him would be interested, that my time had passed.”

“What do you mean someone like him?” Anna asked.

“He was rich and handsome.” Stuart laughed. “Laura had never looked at herself as being someone who was beautiful. She was surrounded by women she thought were breathtaking. As they got married, she was genuinely happy for them and by the time Gordon came along, she couldn’t fathom why he was in love with her or why he would even give her the time of day.”

“She was such a beautiful woman herself.” Anna replied. “I find it hard to believe that she didn’t realize just how beautiful she was. I guess some people never really see their true beauty shine and are in shock when they do find someone who loves them for all they are.”

“You don’t think I am a suspect, right?” Stuart asked point blank. “I honestly had nothing to do with her murder.”

“If I am being completely honest, I don’t suspect you in the slightest.” Anna offered cautiously. “What I need to do is to gather enough evidence so that the police have their curiosity satisfied if at all possible.”

“I don’t have anything else I can offer.” Stuart began to sob again. “But if I could bring her back, I would. She was the most important person in my life and I loved her so deeply.”

Anna patted the man's back. If he were guilty, it would come as a complete surprise to her at this point. Thinking back on some of the other cases she worked, she had been led to believe that someone was innocent solely on their actions and it backfired on her. She knew she couldn't rule Stuart out as a suspect until she had something concrete that suggested there was no way he was a cold blooded killer.

“I need to get back to my investigation.” Anna replied softly. “I think it is best to let you grieve and find solace in the game. If you want to talk, you can reach me on my cell phone. Here is my business card.”

Anna reached into the pocket of her black slacks and pulled out a business card. Stuart took it and looked it over curiously. He looked at the card and then back at Anna.

“This says you were in charge of event catering.” Stuart asked curiously.

“Yes, that is correct.” Anna nodded.

“Did anyone who shouldn't have been touching the food have access to it?” His voice strained. “Was there a guest attending who maybe stumbled into the room long enough to have poisoned the food? I know I am asking for a miracle right now. But you are in charge of that department and if there is even the slightest chance you can solve this murder for me.”

“If I had any leads, I’d share them with you, Stuart.” Anna sighed. “Right now, I am just starting my investigation. But I do plan to get to the bottom of who the killer is and I promise you there will be justice for Laura.”

“That does make me feel better.” Stuart smiled weakly. “Please don’t tell anyone how much I loved her. No one knows and I don’t want to cause any problems for Gordon, especially considering the day has been more than hard enough.”

“I understand.” Anna nodded. “I will keep this just between us. If you come across anything else, please let me know. I don’t want any surprises to come up and find out you had some knowledge of them.”

“You have my word.” Stuart replied.

With that, Anna turned back to the golf cart and headed back to the hotel. Anna turned her attention to the sun in the sky again. She vowed that, one day, she would take the time to enjoy the sun and just get lost in a tropical breeze. As she approached the hotel, she knew that would still be a few days away as she needed to find a killer and prevent the body count at the Grand Palatial from going any higher. After all, if her previous experiences were anything to go on, someone else was bound to show up dead before she knew it. In most cases, it was someone who could have proven to be pivotal to the investigation and helped to tie up all the loose ends faster.

As the ocean waves crashed onto the shore, Anna couldn’t help but wonder if this was all that was left for her. Catching beautiful coastal waters that were in her life for a moment, but never able to truly enjoy them.

This was a time when she would have sought counsel in her friend, Pauline. Their fighting had become more frequent. All of it centered around Cassandra. Even though Anna had to admit it was highly suspicious that Cassandra was far too close to each of the murders, there was no way she could definitively say Cassandra was a killer. If she could, she’d waste no time calling the cops and making sure a killer was brought to justice.

Instead, she was looking at the ocean waters and trying to find some kind of inner peace. Wondering for a moment if Stuart was on the golf course, Anna walked over to one of the tiny white golf carts. If nothing else, this would offer her a chance to get lost in the moment.

Approaching the tiny cars, she noticed one of the wedding guests on the groom's side, Colin Dunbar, off in the bushes with a young woman she hadn’t encountered before. She watched as the woman appeared to laugh and slap Colin on his beefy back and rubbed his balding head. Anna noted that the actions weren’t romantic by any means. Instead, it looked like a brother and sister having a conversation.

Anna looked at the woman with curiosity. Her skin was a lovely olive color. Her black hair fell to her waist and her frame was tiny. Even from a distance, Anna noted she had sapphire blue eyes and could only imagine how easy it would be to get lost in them. But Colin seemed oblivious to the charms of the woman and Anna just smiled.

As the two of them laughed, Anna watched as the strange woman reached into her pocket and pulled out of wad of cash and handed it to Colin.

“You did wonderful work.” the woman said with a thick Caribbean accent.

“I didn’t think I could do it.” Colin replied. “Thank you for having faith in me, Monica.”

“There was no need for thanks.” Monica laughed. “You have done me a good service. Thanks to you, I am even wealthier than I was before. You should enjoy the biggest steak you can find tonight. Add some of the local seafood to your dinner plans, if possible.”

“As long as I avoid the cous cous, right?” Colin laughed. “Lets focus on other things. Like our next business venture.”

Monica raised her hands and shook her head. “No. I am not interested in any more business at the moment unless you find something that has me changing my mind. I will go over the last transaction in greater detail and go from there. I trust you understand?”

“I understand.” Colin nodded. “Just make sure the moment you know you need anything, call me. No matter what it is, I really am willing to help you.”

Monica seemed to peer at the man for a moment. “I am not interested in a romantic tryst with you.”

“Oh, heavens, no.” Colin shook his head. “I wasn’t suggesting that at all. I was strictly speaking about business opportunities with you. I didn’t mean anything else by it. Monica, you know better than that. You are like a sister me.”

Monica laughed heartily and Anna looked curiously at them. The woman seemed genuinely amused by the conversation that had taken place. It seemed so strange that this much pleasure was being taken from a single comment though. Anna shook her head and just shrugged it off.

“Make sure no one finds out about this transaction.” Monica warned. “We’ve gone to great lengths to cover things up. If we are exposed, we could both go to jail for the rest of our lives.”

“I am smarter than that.” Colin laughed.

Anna felt her knees wobble slightly and shifted. She heard a snap under her foot as twig broke. Dropping to her hands and knees, she hid behind one of the golf carts, closed her eyes, and prayed.

“Did you hear that?” Colin asked.

“Is someone there?” Monica called. “We won’t hurt you. We can let you in on our little business deal if you show yourself.”

“Why is your gun out?” Colin’s voice demanded.

“Just shut up.” Monica snapped. “Come out!”

“Maybe it was just an animal?” Colin suggested. “I haven’t heard anything else.”

“To be safe, we need to leave.” Monica replied. “If you see anyone, shoot them. We don’t need to have anyone else getting up in our business right now. We’ve worked too hard to have everything go south at this point.”

Anna pressed her hand over her mouth and focused on controlling her breathing. There was something illegal going on between them and the last thing she wanted to do is have either of them know she was in on their secret. Although it sounded like Colin might have been paid to kill Laura, Anna couldn’t be certain at this point. She’d leave this Monica character and Colin at the top of her suspect list. If she can find something more, she would see to it they were dealt with in an appropriate manner by the local authorities.

After waiting for what seemed like hours, Anna stood up from behind the golf cart. As she looked around, she didn’t see Monica or Colin in the general area. Deciding she had done enough to put herself in danger’s way, Anna decided to head back to the hotel. Her heart was still pounding at this point and she needed to find her tiny bottle of anxiety medication.

Walking toward the hotel, she could feel the world spin around her. She placed her hands on objects as she passed by them in the hope that no one would notice she wasn’t steady on her feet or that fear was consuming her. The stress her colleagues were causing her was becoming unbearable.

She felt a firm and friendly pair of arms wrap around her. They were familiar, safe, and caring. Wrapping her arms around the person, they made it to the stairs and slowly climbed the staircase up to the second floor and into Anna’s room. She slid down on the bed, trying to catch her breath. She heard the pop of a pill bottle then a tiny pill being slipped into her hand and the sound of a glass of water being poured.

Taking the pill and chasing it with water, Anna closed her eyes. A friendly hand rubbed her back and soothed her. As the anxiety eased, she opened her eyes and turned her head. She saw a stern and concerned look on Pauline’s face.

“Pauline.” Anna whispered. “I am so glad to see you.”

“No.” Pauline raised her hand. “I saw a friend in need. I still care deeply for you but I can’t handle the conversation right now. We have a lot to work past before we are back on good terms but I wasn’t going to let you deal with the anxiety on your own. I love you, Anna. You are like a sister to me. Sisters fight and have to work through things. That is where we are right now. So, just relax and calm down. Then, I will be on my way.”

“I need to talk to you right now.” Anna pleaded. “You are the only one who can make sense of this.”

“Right now,” Pauline paused. “I think the best thing is for you to leave this case alone. You’ve had almost no down time in months. If you keep up like this, you are going to have a nervous breakdown. Then what are you going to do? You know where I stand.”

“I think I'm going to have to let Cassandra go.” Anna whispered. “As soon as we get back to London. Just as soon as we are done in Aruba and have some down time.”

“That doesn’t matter right now.” Pauline sighed. “The problem isn’t Cassandra. The problem is you are blind to her evil. The fact that you keep accusing me of being silly has hurt me and has strained our relationship. Firing her doesn’t change what has already taken place. I wish you’d understand that.”

“I wish you could see where I am coming from.” Anna cried. “This is just as hard for me as it is for you.”

Pauline shook her head. “No. I brought it to your attention that the same poison is being used in each of the murders. You chose to overlook that information. You still haven’t even acknowledged it at this point. Instead, you just go on trying to look for new suspects. There is someone on the team who is helping people commit murder. All the signs point to it. That person is Cassandra. I pray to God you figure it out.”

“But how can you be certain?” Anna pressed. “Isn’t it possible the poison is just easy to gain access to?”

Pauline began to turn red. “Getting poison that doesn’t burn the mouth or have a bitter taste isn’t easy. Certain poisons are nearly impossible to obtain. When you have one and it is used time and time again, you need to see it as a pattern, not a strange coincidence. In fact, if it was only twice, I’d say okay. But we have four different cases where the same poison is used. Common sense says there is someone we are overlooking.”

"You seem to know a lot about poisons Pauline." Anna said in a slightly accusatory tone.

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response." Pauline replied.

“I’m not going to lie.” Anna chuckled. “The idea of mousey Cassandra being some criminal mastermind has me laughing. I don’t mean to be rude, but let’s be realistic. When have you ever known her to be an evil genius?

“I wish you’d listen to yourself.” Pauline sighed. “You are still acting like she hasn’t brought you any harm or pain along the way. But we both know the truth, Anna. She tried to get you fired numerous times. She has gone out of her way to take the man of your dreams away from you. At what point do you say, ‘Wow, she really is doing me wrong. She’s an evil little witch?’”

“I am not saying she is the nicest person in the world.” Anna defended. “I know there are things about her that need to be addressed. She isn’t sweet and innocent in all areas. But you are asking me to throw my hands up and proclaim her guilty. I can’t do that. I need some kind of proof to justify it. If she is a deranged killer and poisoning people on what should be a joyous occasion, she needs to be dealt with by the law. All I can do right now is fire her when we get back to London. I find that an acceptable punishment for what I can see and what I can prove. If you get me something I can take to the police that says she is a killer, I will do that. But I am not going to help you with that. Right now, I have Laura’s killer I need to find.”

“Stop.” Pauline snapped. “You do not need to find a killer. That isn’t legally your job. Yes, Mr. Puccio throws that obligation on your shoulders and I think you get some thrill in snooping around. You need to be realistic, Anna. People are dying and more people will die unless you open your eyes and admit Cassandra is a killer.”

“I already told you, I can’t do that.” Anna whispered. “Please, Pauline. Look at where I am coming from right now. You need to understand.”

“Oh, I understand.” Pauline replied, fighting back tears. “I see that at the end of the day, you don’t take what I say seriously. You would rather take the easy route instead of justice for the dead. That’s fine, Anna Winters, but I will not sit around and just watch. I won’t be here until you come to terms with the truth.”

With that, Pauline turned and walked out the door. Anna could feel the hot tears sting her eyes. She wanted so much for Pauline to walk back in the room and tell her everything was going to be okay and they would solve the murder together. Also that she was wrong about Cassandra, despite knowing in her own heart that Cassandra was up to no good. But calling her a killer is still nowhere in the realm of possibility. Right?