A Sprinkle of Tropical Trouble: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 9) (3 page)

Chapter Five

   The next morning Brandon and I headed out of the room early to catch the sunrise. The resort was quiet and it seemed strange not to bump into other guests or employees. As we left the elevator and walked outside, we could hear the beep beep of a garbage truck in the distance. Once we rounded the corner of the building to head to the pool we ran into Stormi and Greg who had the same idea. We walked together, Stormi and me in the lead with Brandon and Greg behind us. We had to walk past the pool to get to the stairs to the beach. From a distance, it looked like a couple of people were already in the pool, which was strange since the pool didn’t open for guests until 8am. But as we walked closer, something didn’t seem right. Just before realization set in, Stormi let out a shriek. Greg grabbed her to see what was wrong as my hand flew to my face in disbelief.

Floating in the pool, lying face down was Andre and Yvette. They were clothed in what looked like dining attire; he in a black suit and she in a red and white flowing dress that reached her ankles. Greg moved us all away from the scene and alerted the hotel. In what seemed a matter of minutes, the police arrived. By that time, we had called Bruce and Paige and they raced down from their room.

“What in the world happened?” Paige said as she sprinted over to Stormi and me. She wore the white bathrobe the resort supplied, but Bruce had thrown on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that read, ‘I’m in my happy place, Cancun, Mexico.’

I had my arm around Stormi who was blowing her nose into the handkerchief Greg had given her. “We don’t know,” Stormi sniffled. “When we got close to the pool we could see that something was terribly wrong.”

“How did you know it was Andre and Yvette?” Paige asked as she pulled the ties on the robe tighter.

“It was pretty obvious, at least to us since we’d met them yesterday,” I said. “And you couldn’t mistake Yvette’s flaming red hair.”

“This is just awful,” Paige exclaimed. “Those poor people. They were so nice. What could have happened that both of them drowned? Could she have fallen in and he tried to save her and drowned himself?”

I shook my head. “Doesn’t make sense. Remember how he swam those laps yesterday. He knew how to handle himself in the water.”

We walked over to sit down at one of the resort tables while Greg talked to the police detective and Brandon and Bruce hung around other guests who wanted to know what happened. We girls were still in shock. How could these two vibrant people be gone? And in such a strange fashion as well and right in the same place where we met them yesterday. Eventually Greg walked over and Brandon and Bruce joined us. We decided to go have breakfast, although nobody felt like eating. However, sometimes you have to perform something routine just to feel normal again after a very unusual situation.

By the time we sat down at the restaurant, Stormi had composed herself. “I don’t know why I became so emotional…that’s usually not how I would act. We just met them.”

“You were startled and your emotions ran high,” Greg said taking her hand. “It’s a normal reaction.”

“What did the detective tell you?” Brandon asked as he poured creamer into his coffee.

Greg ran a hand over his police officer buzz cut. Not my choice for Brandon, but it looked good on Greg. “Not much. It’s obvious they drowned and I saw spots of blood near the edge of the pool. It could be a tragic accident or foul play. It’s hard to say.”

“I can’t think it was an accident…that’s just too bizarre,” Stormi stated as she buttered her toast.

“It may seem strange, but I’ve seen cases where it looked like a crime occurred when it was actually an accident.” Greg was attempting to diffuse what he knew was a growing obsession we would have in finding out what happened to the glamorous couple.

“I’m with Stormi,” I said as I stabbed the scrambled eggs with my fork. “Somebody wanted that couple dead….the question is why.”

Paige leaned over the table towards Stormi and me. “Think they could’ve been working undercover and maybe the celebrity angle was just a rouse?”

“Hold on there Sherlock,” Bruce announced. “I think, and I’m sure my male companions would agree, that you ladies shouldn’t worry your pretty little heads over this misfortunate incident.”

All three of us gave Bruce the stink eye…pretty little heads indeed.

Brandon looked at Bruce. “Did that burn? It looked like it burned.”

Bruce appeared wilted. “I think my manhood just suffered a hit.”

Paige patted Bruce on the back. “You’ll get over it dear.”

“Bruce is right though,” Greg spoke up. “You girls need to leave the investigating to the proper authorities.”

We nodded our heads, but we knew deep down that wouldn’t be the case.

Chapter Six

That afternoon we all had reservations to go whale watching. We loved watching the huge creatures that seemed to know we were there to watch them. Sometimes they’d be so close to the boat we’d let out tiny squeals. These behemoths could shatter the small boat we were on but they never acted aggressive in the least. Of course, we girls were still preoccupied with the possible homicides of the celebrity couple from this morning.

After the whale watching Stormi, Paige and I resumed our sleuthing as to what happened to Andre and Yvette.  The boys were having none of it and said they were headed to the resort’s bar and grill to watch a football game on the television. We decide to head to my room and continue our discussion.

“Paige, what do you think?” I asked as we sat down at the small table in my room. “Do you think it was murder or an accident?”

Paige sighed. “I’ve been running different scenarios through my head and why would anyone murder these people? For what gain? They were married and seemed to be totally in love with one another, so l would think life insurance would be out of the question.”

Paige shifted in her chair. “Honestly, I think they were coming back from a late dinner, maybe had too much to drink, and perhaps Yvette stumbled, hit her head and went into the pool. Andre in his drunken state tried to save her, but fell as well. That would explain the small spots of blood Greg said he saw by the pool’s edge.”

“That’s possible I suppose, but it just doesn’t feel right to me.” I always went by my instincts and this time they were saying that a murderer was in our midst.

“I wonder which room they were staying in,” Stormi mused.

“Remember, he said room 374,” Paige answered. “Yvette said she was going back to the room to get something and she’d forgotten the room number and he said 374.”

I pointed towards the ceiling. “That’s right above our room…we’re in room 274.”

“Oh my gosh!” Stormi exclaimed. “We could climb up from the balcony and peer into the room from the sliding glass door!”

“Who’s we?” Paige asked crossing her arms. “And who do you think would be peering back at you from the room….the police and detectives most likely.”

Stormi was too excited to let this pass. “No no! When we came up I heard the maids say the police were finished in the couple’s room for right now, but that they still couldn’t go in and clean it yet.”

I had to admit, the more Stormi talked the more motivated I became. “I don’t see the harm in simply looking through the door.”

Paige looked at me as if I had two heads. “Well, let’s see. You both could fall off the balcony while climbing up and break your necks or you could be arrested. Take your choice.”

“You’re such a killjoy,” Stormi grumped.

“No, I’m a realist,” Paige stated as she stood up. “But far be it for me to stop you two…I’m just not joining in.”

She stopped before stepping out the door. “Just be careful.”

Stormi and I looked at each other after the door shut and raced to my balcony. We looked at how high their balcony was from mine. It didn’t look that far at all so we placed one of the chairs from the inside table next to the edge. Before I let Stormi climb onto the chair, I looked around the grounds to ensure no one saw us. I could see people off in the distance, but figured we’d be okay if we didn’t take forever to hike up to the next level.

Stormi stood on the chair and I held her waist to steady her. She grabbed the bars of the balcony above us and then stepped on my balcony railing.

“Can you hoist your hiney over the railing?” I asked holding Stormi’s legs.

“You’re going to have to give me a push!”

I got between her legs. “Put your feet on my shoulders.”

Stormi got one of her legs on one shoulder and then the other. I’m sure we looked like a couple of clowns as we bobbed and weaved back and forth.

“Stop moving,” Stormi loud whispered.

“Stop kicking me in the ear!”

Finally, I pushed her butt with both hands, and with a kick to my head, she fell over the balcony railing. Once I got my head together, I stood on the chair and was able to climb up the bars of the balcony with Stormi pulling me over.

“Let’s never do that again,” Stormi said smoothing down her golden locks.

“I concur,” I said looking around to make sure no one saw the two crazy women scaling the hotel walls. Suddenly Stormi grabbed my arm giving me a start.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I whispered.

Stormi pointed towards the sliding glass balcony door. It was ajar two inches. Perhaps the police in their search of the hotel room didn’t secure the door before they left. Whatever the case, I knew we were going in.

“We can’t touch anything,” I whispered.

Stormi took a hanky from her pocket.

“That’s great, but what can I use?” I asked.

“Just let me do all the touching,” Stormi said as she got in front of me and pulled the sliding glass door slowly open.

We walked into the room, which appeared disheveled but not as bad as I expected after a police investigation. Papers littered the desk, the king size bed remained unmade, and clothes were strewn about the hotel loveseat and coffee table.

I kept my hands on Stormi’s back to keep from touching anything as I followed her around the room. My heart hammered in my chest. What the heck was I doing in a dead man and woman’s hotel room? I couldn’t blame Stormi…I had a brain and should know better. But too late now, we might as well see what we could find.

Stormi walked over to the desk, which was strewn with papers. She pushed the papers around with her hanky when she came across the hotel bill.

Stormi turned to me. “Didn’t Andre say his last name was Garza?”

I nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“Look,” Stormi said as she pointed to the hotel bill. The name on the bill said Andre Salazar.

“What the heck?” I said. Now I was really curious. Why had he told us a different name? Perhaps Garza was his celebrity name. I know actors change their names all the time. Maybe it was a simple explanation like that, but with possible foul play involved, it may be a clue.

We continued our journey through the room, not noticing much else of interest. Inside the bathroom, expensive jewelry lay over the long vanity. I was surprised the police would leave it here, but this was the Mexican government so maybe they did things differently. Apparently so since many items I thought they’d confiscate remained in the room. A makeup case with the initials YNM sat in the middle of the vanity.

“Okay, this is strange,” I whispered. “He introduced Yvette as his wife, yet the initials don’t match up.”

“Maybe it’s an old makeup case,” Stormi said. “It’s her maiden name.”

I wasn’t buying it. “That case looks brand new to me. Why all the secrecy about their names? It’s starting to look fishy.”

As we walked out of the bathroom I said, “We need to get out of here before we get caught. I’ve had enough sleuthing for today.”

“Me too,” Stormi answered as she wiped a bead of sweat from her temple. “This undercover business is playing havoc with my hair and makeup. Besides, we got the intel we were looking for, even if we don’t know what it means.”

“Intel? You’re starting to sound like your husband.”

Ignoring my statement Stormi said, “Let’s go out the front door. I don’t feel like straddling the balcony rail again.”

I agreed, but before we could budge, movement on the balcony stopped us dead in our tracks. Finally, my brain communicated with my feet and I grabbed Stormi and shoved her into the closet. Frack! The jig was up!