Carolyn Arnold - McKinley 02 - Vacation is Murder (8 page)

Grounded

SARA PULLED BACK FROM CATHERINE, but placed her hand on hers. Being this close to the woman, the smell of tequila was coming out of her pores and up from her lungs.

“What do you mean, Catherine? And why would you do this?”

“We are broke. I found out when I was trying to arrange the ransom money. His accountant laughed when I called him. He directed me to the bank manager, who also laughed at me. Oh, and he told me to be sure to send in Earl. They need to speak to him about the mortgage.”

Catherine struggled to get up from the couch. She finally managed and headed to the door.

“I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding, that’s all.”

Sara glanced at Sean and believed she picked up on his silent communication,
there wasn’t a mistake.

“Catherine.” Sean put a hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. I want to show you both something.” She slapped a letter against Sean’s chest. “It’s from my honey dearest. I found it when I was going to head downstairs for a few cocktails.”

Sara shook her head, subtly, to Sean, silently warning him not to comment on what Catherine had said. She could only imagine what he was thinking,
just a few?

Catherine dropped back onto the sofa. “I was rooting through my purse, making sure I had the room key, and I found this. Go ahead. Read it.”

Sara came over and Sean held it out so they could both see it.

Dear Catherine,

I’ve done some things I’m not proud of, but we all make mistakes. I’m hoping you can find forgiveness in your heart for mine. I love you. I always have, from the time we first met. Life became a challenge and work got in the way—too much, I realize now.

If you’re reading this letter, it’s because something’s happened to me. Something horrible, and I may even be dead already.

There was another woman, Cathy, just one, I swear to you. And it was a mistake, but all bad choices have consequences. My mistake has followed me to Cancun. She’s at this resort. I saw her today.

Last week, she asked that I give her fifty thousand dollars. Before we came here, she had demanded it. I told her I wouldn’t give her one cent.

Sara’s grip on Sean’s forearm tightened and they shared a look.

But please know, you are a strong woman and you will go on without me. If I go missing, or am murdered, her name is Amelia Wolfe.

Sara locked eyes with Sean. “It turns out that she’s more of a wolf after all. Sean, we have to find her.”

“He loved me all his life, yet he fooled around on me. I need another drink.” Catherine moved to get up, but Sara rushed to her side and convinced her to stay seated.

“Do you know Amelia Wolfe?” Sara asked.

Catherine nodded. “Yes and no. I’ve never seen her. I just remember hearing her name. I know she works for Earl at his company. She was his numbers girl. She collected receivables and handled deposits. All of that stuff.”

Sara glanced at Sean.

He paced a few steps. “Like I said, Catherine, don’t leave this room. The kidnapper could call back. When he does, give them my cell phone.” He wrote down his number on a notepad, ripped the sheet off, and handed it to her.

Striped Umbrellas And Fake Friends

IT WAS ELEVEN IN THE morning and the beach was crowded with tourists of all different sizes. The sun was high and the sky was clear of clouds. Umbrellas and lounge chairs dotted the sand as far as the eye could see.

“How are we supposed to find her out here? All of these stripped umbrellas make it hard to see,” Sean said.

“She’s got to be nearby.” Sara walked along, alternating between bending down and lifting up on her tiptoes. “And I don’t see her hat anywhere. You’d think it would stand out.”

“She could have taken it off to sunbathe.”

“Good point. My mind’s not as sharp as it once was. All this relaxation has turned it to mush.”

“I don’t believe that for one second.” He kissed her fingertips and then her palm.

“We don’t have time for that, Sean. Behave.” Sara smiled.

“Oh, but why.” He dramatically stomped his feet into the sand.

“You know why. Now, get to work and help me find that woman. You go right and I’ll go—”

Sara’s gaze went to a chair about five feet away. “That looks like her hat and I think that’s her bag. Yes. Yes, it is.”

They hurried to the spot and Sara pointed at the paperback on the chair. “That’s the novel she was reading.” She looked up, blocking her eyes from the sun with a hand to her forehead. “I don’t see her anywhere. Where could she have gone?”

“Well, all of her stuff is here, so it’s likely she’ll be back.”

“Maybe in a while.” The voice came from an older lady, who, tanned and wrinkled from the sun, was lying on a neighboring lounge chair. She didn’t have an umbrella.

“Were you talking to us?” Sean asked.

“Yes.” She didn’t shift her position and large shades covered her eyes.

“How do you know she’ll be gone for a while?”

“She said so. Told me to watch her chair, but she looked scared.”

“Scared?” Sara inched nearer.

The lady sat up. “Yes, a man came and got her. He was nice looking, but then he wasn’t. Do you know what I mean? He had mean eyes.”

“Did she go with him willingly?” Sara pressed.

“I’m not sure. She didn’t tell him to go away or anything. She just seemed scared. She was writing something in her novel there when he tugged on her arm and yanked her away.”

Sara picked up the book and flipped it to the last ear-marked page. She pointed at what Amelia had written,
Dar.

“She must not have been able to finish.” Sean got down on his haunches next to the older woman. “Could you describe him for us?”

“He was wearing shorts. Don’t remember them in much detail but he was wearing a beer t-shirt.”

“Do you remember the color?”

“Red. It was Budweiser. Hey, who are you two? Why are you looking for her?”

“We’re her friends.” Sara offered a sincere smile.

“Oh, well then, I hope you catch up with her. Like I said, I think she’s coming back. I mean, all her stuff is here, but I’m not sure when.”

Sara bent over and picked up Amelia’s bag and sunhat. “I’m just going to take these back to her room. When she meets a man,” Sara traced circles beside an ear, “her mind goes.”

“I hear you.” The lady turned over.

Sara took her sandals off and let sand filter through her toes on the way back to the resort. “Amelia told me she traveled here alone. Something’s not right, Sean. I have a really bad feeling.”

“You’re not alone.”

“And the Budweiser t-shirt? I know the guy.”

“You too? I remember seeing him in the lobby last night, tucked up to the bar.”

“That’s where I saw him too.”

“How much do you want to bet Bud’s not here for the scenery?”

“Bud, eh? Guess that’s a good nickname until we know his real one.” She smiled at him. “As for his purpose in Cancun, I’m with you. Here’s another thing that’s been on my mind. In Earl’s letter, he said he saw Amelia today. He would have written that last night. I don’t think he was in the room when Catherine came up.” She dug into Amelia’s tote and pulled out a makeup bag. “Voila. Could we be so lucky?” She unzipped it and took out a few tubes of lipstick. “Looks like we have some comparisons to make.”

“You do that, while I call in a favor.”

“Sean? What are you thinking?”

“You’ll see.”

Shades Of Red

SARA AND SEAN WENT BACK to the privacy of their room. She sat cross-legged on the bed and worked through the shades of red lipstick that Amelia had. Based on the spread, she could have stocked a cosmetic counter.

Sean used the room phone to call Jimmy Voigt, his training officer from the early days on the force, and their sergeant before they gave notice. Voigt didn’t make for a natural desk jockey. It was more like putting a cage around a wild animal—eventually it would break free or become despondent and settle. Voigt seemed to have fallen into the latter category.

He answered after two rings. “Sean? Why are you calling? Aren’t you two on your honeymoon? I wouldn’t be leaving Sara alone for one minute.”

“Hey now, that’s my wife.”

“Yes, and it wouldn’t have been appropriate to comment on her good looks when she worked for PD, but now, it’s fair game.”

For some reason, hearing Voigt made Sean homesick—not for his house or the city, but for his brothers in blue. Ironically, he had spent days complaining, especially at the beginning and at being assigned menial tasks, but he never saw his career as anything other than a cop. And yet, here he was.

Voigt continued. “How are things going there? Cancun, right?”

Sean pictured him, behind his desk with his feet up and drumming his pen against his thigh.

“Yeah. It’s beautiful here. You should find love and make your way down.”

Voigt laughed, as he tended to, deep from the pit of his gut. The intensity traveled the thousands of miles of phone line. His marriage had fallen apart not long after he had sacrificed his gun for a desk—and she had been the cause of the transfer.

“It’s not as easy for everyone as it is for you, my boy. So, why are you calling me? You can’t miss me this much already.”

“You know I do, but I didn’t call to hear your voice. I need a favor.”

There was a ten-second pause and Sean envisioned him sitting up straighter and the pen-tapping coming to a halt.

“A favor. You’re not in any trouble down there are you? And Sara? She’s okay?”

Sean looked over at her. “Yes, we’re both fine. Doing good.”

“Hi, Jimmy,” Sara called out, a smile inflecting her tone of voice. “I take it I’m good to call you by your first name now?”

“There’s my girl,” Voigt said.

“Just watch it there. We will be returning home.” Sean laughed, but it lasted only briefly.

“This is something serious, isn’t it?”

“I don’t have time to get into all the details, but we’ve found ourselves in a situation.”

“Oh, here we go. You guys are going to be the two who never truly retire. Trouble will always find you.”

Sean had to wonder if that would always be the case, but if it were, he found it acceptable.

The line remained silent. Sean sensed Voigt wasn’t going to be too helpful until he shared some details. So he did. “There’s been a kidnapping.”

“And they don’t have police there?”

“Be serious.”

“I am. I can’t have you calling me from all over the world looking for favors. There is law enforcement set up everywhere for a reason.”

“This favor would only take you a couple minutes.”

A deep sigh. “Go ahead, then, give me some details.”

Sean laid it out for him, telling him about Earl Spencer and Amelia Wolfe. “It’s her I really would like a background on.”

“I don’t know, Sean. I have people I need to answer to.”

“I know, but I promise to make it worth your trouble.”

A rush of air blew into the receiver. Sean knew that reaction. Voigt would be pointing the tip of his pen toward the wall across from him, a stern look of concentration in his eyes, as if fixed on a target. It gave Sean the random idea that he might appreciate a dartboard for Christmas.

“How are things with the chief?” Sean asked. Call it intuition.

“Like they always are. Run like a dictatorship. Wish I had someone to give me their billions.”

“I’d like to say it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, but I’d be ly—”

“Yeah, yeah. So this lady, Amelia Wolfe, you think she’s in on this?”

“If you’d asked me a few hours back I wouldn’t have been too sure. With Mr. Spencer’s letter, combined with his disappearance, now hers, I can’t help but feel she is at the source of all this.”

“All right. I’ll do it for you.”

“A full background?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. Thank you.”

“Before you get to thanking me, you did say you’d make it worth my while.”

Sean smiled. “Yes, Jimmy, I did. Do you still have my cell number?” He glanced to where he had set it on the nightstand.

“Of course. Just remember—”

“I know. Nobody dies today.”

“Make good on that promise, my boy.”

With that, Voigt hung up.

Sean gathered up his cell and turned to Sara. “He’s going to help us out. Sara?”

Her attention was on the piece of glass she held in her hand. “We’ve got a match.”