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

Sitting alone in her room, Anna could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. The fighting and the distance between her and Pauline was becoming to be more than she could handle. She knew she shouldn’t feel so sorry for herself. It was a weakness and she was otherwise a strong, confident woman. Knowing that if she continued to sit around and dwell on the matter, nothing would get accomplished, she decided to see Graham.

Graham Segal was Gordon's older brother. They had seemed fairly close during the preparations for the reception and Anna was surprised at how much Graham contributed to the event.

Walking to the mirror, Anna looked at her reflection. Her puffy eyes were obvious and she wiped them with some Kleenex and rubbed a little witch hazel underneath them to take away some of the puffiness. Then forcing the best smile she could, she turned to leave the room.

When she reached Graham's door, Anna knocked loudly.

“Just a minute.” a voice called loudly.

From beyond the door, Anna could hear some shuffling and then the door opened. Graham was the mirror image of his brother. He was a little older and his face was lined with age. His brown eyes were warm and his brown hair streaked with a few strands of grey.

“I don’t know if you remember me.” Anna began.

“Anna Winters.” Graham nodded. “Would you like to come in?”

“If I wouldn’t be imposing.” Anna nodded. “I am here to talk about Laura.”

Graham looked at her with pain in his eyes. “I imagined that is why you are here. I suppose we should have this conversation. It should at least remove me from your list of suspects.”

“I never said you were a suspect.” Anna offered. “I am just asking questions at this point.”

“No, I know you don’t see me that way.” Graham forced a smile. “I just understand how these things typically go. Based on the movies, of course. Real life isn’t too much like fantasy, is it?”

“I think there are similarities between the two.” Anna suggested. “It ultimately depends on the writer and the course events are supposed to take.”

Graham looked at Anna strangely. “My brother loved Laura. I don’t think he had a hand in killing her at all. He was genuinely devastated and is considering suing the ‘Hotel of Death’, as he put it. I managed to talk him down. It isn’t your fault people are dropping like flies. Well, I personally don’t see you at fault anyway. Unless one of your staff members has something to do with it.”

“Why would you think that?” Anna asked.

“There’s a rumor going around right now that the same type of poison has been used at each murder.” Graham shrugged. “It isn’t going to be easy to keep that on the down low. I would recommend you address the rumors and quash them before they get out of control.”

“I can assure you no staff member of the Grand Palatial is a killer.” Anna replied with a professional tone.

“I am only telling you what I’ve heard.” Graham shrugged his shoulders. “It is up to you to decide how you use this information.”

Turning his attention to the window, Graham looked out at the golf course. A tear glistened in his eye and he wiped it away.

“Laura was an avid golfer.” Anna offered. “I suppose you were thinking about her right now.”

“No, I am thinking of the pain my brother is going through.” Graham replied coldly.

“How was your relationship with your brother?” Anna asked.

“It was fine.” Graham replied. “I have nothing but love for my brother. I would do anything for him without giving it a second thought. But killing the only woman he ever truly loved? I wouldn’t even dream of it. I know it is hard for most people to understand, but there is still real love out there in the world. It might not seem probable because divorce has become so glamorized, but it is real. I swear to you, it is.”

“I have no doubt it is real.” Anna replied. “Now, let’s talk about Laura. Were you having an affair with her?”

“I would caddy for my brother on the golf course.” Graham replied, ignoring the question. “We would spend all day on the green, hitting the holes. Laura would watch him with love and admiration in her eyes. He was brilliant on the green and he did the best he could do.”

“But did you have an affair with her at some point?” Anna pushed. “The answer is important to the investigation.”

“Colin is in desperate need of money.” Graham changed the topic again. “He is a shady business man. I have no doubt that he would take out someone if he could profit from it. I don’t like to say this, but I wouldn’t put Laura's murder past him if he could get something for doing it.”

“Do you know a Monica?” Anna asked.

“How do you know that name?” Graham asked curiously.

“Colin was speaking with her outside.” Anna offered. “They had some kind of deal going down when I saw them.”

“I wouldn’t let many people know that.” Graham replied with some hesitation. “Be careful. Monica Alvarez is one of the deadliest women in Barbados. If you were wise, you’d forget you ever saw her. She could kill you without anyone ever pointing a finger at her.”

“I’m not afraid of her.” Anna lied. “If you have her ear, let her know I won’t be intimidated by her. I would like to discuss Laura’s death with her and her business with Colin.”

“I don’t know her.” Graham replied. “If I did, I wouldn’t have the courage to let her know what you’ve said. I like you, Anna, you are a tough cookie, but even the bravest souls can be taken out with a bullet. Don’t act as though you are indestructible, please.”

“I can handle myself.” Anna replied. “Why would Colin be dealing with a woman like this?”

“He needs money.” Graham began. “Colin had an affair. In his prenuptial agreement, a verifiable affair entitled his wife to 75% of all his assets. He lost everything. So he is trying to get back the money he lost and he will do anything he can to make it happen. Colin would hurt or kill anyone he could to get rich. Including Gordon and those he cares about. So, if Laura turned out to be a murder for hire plot, I would look at Colin directly.”

“Do you feel that Laura was a case of murder for hire?” Anna asked.

“I believe someone hired someone else to kill her.” Graham nodded. “Now, as to who and why? I couldn’t answer those questions for you. But that is your job after all, not mine.”

“But if you could answer them, would you?” Anna pressed. “If you are holding anything back, now is the time to tell me. The sooner I know the truth, the sooner I could help you and those around you.”

“I know nothing.” Graham sighed. “But as soon as I do learn something, I will let you know. It isn’t my intention to keep or hide anything from you or anyone else trying to solve Laura's murder. I promise.”

Anna looked at Graham. She wanted to know if he was hiding something as it seemed as though there was something more than he was telling but she noticed he seemed more interested in the golf course than anything else.

“Would you like to be alone?” Anna finally asked. “It seems as though you want to get lost in your thoughts. Although, I could be wrong.”

“I would like to be alone.” Graham nodded. “Many thoughts are weighing heavily on my mind. I am glad you understand.”

Anna nodded and turned to leave the room and opened the door. Then, taking a moment, she paused and said, “If you think of anything that can help, please let me know.”

“If I can think of anything, you will be the first to know.” Graham offered.

Anna smiled and left. After taking a few steps into the hallway, Cassandra abruptly came around the corner. Anna couldn’t help but notice an icy chill fell over the hallway and pure hatred seemed to come from Cassandra’s eyes.

“Hi, Cassandra.” Anna smiled. “What can I do for you?”

“Pauline is a killer.” Cassandra hissed.

“What do you mean?” Anna asked.

“I was speaking with Mr. Puccio.” Cassandra began. “He told me someone is using the same poison to kill our guests. Pauline also told him that I was killing people. I told him that wasn’t true. I wouldn’t hurt another person. You know me, right, Anna?”

“I didn’t accuse you of being a killer.” Anna replied.

“But Pauline is.” Cassandra snapped. “She is your friend. She has never liked me and I wouldn’t want anything to do with the old hag. Tell her to stop spreading hateful rumors. We all know she is the killer, if any of us are.”

“I don’t think any of us is a killer.” Anna offered. “I think you both need to settle your differences and stop all this nonsense.”

“She is the one full of nonsense.” Cassandra snarled. “I’d really like to let her have it a few times. I do not like her at all. If I was going to kill someone, she’d be at the top of my list, not people I couldn’t care less about. Yeah, people died. So what? Their deaths don’t affect my life, nor do they benefit me.”

“I would keep quiet if I were you.” Anna warned. “You are looking rather suspicious right now. So, just calm down and let it go.”

“But I can’t let it go.” Cassandra screamed. “If someone thinks I am a killer, I could go to prison. Doesn’t she realize what she is doing? Never mind! She knows exactly what she is doing. She wants me to go to jail while she limps around and kills more people. I hate her. She is such a physically repulsive person. I wish she would just die.”

“Settle down!” Anna replied through gritted teeth. “You are making way too much of this. It isn’t true, so let it go. If you keep getting upset over it, other people are going to notice. It will cause you more trouble than you are trying to protect yourself from. I promise you. I won’t even look at you as a suspect unless you give me a reason to.”

“You better not.” Cassandra warned. “We are like sisters. You have to believe what I am telling you. I wouldn’t lie to you, but Pauline would. She knows you are a very emotional person and I worry that she plans to use it against you. That is how people die, Anna. They trust the wrong people and they die.”

“I need to go. I have more people to talk to.” Anna replied.

Cassandra’s eyes burned into hers and the young woman turned angrily and stormed down the hall. It was one of the few times that Anna felt truly worried about someone. She knew Cassandra was angry because she was being accused of murder and Anna understood that. But the anger was extreme and she was concerned that someone could lose their life as a result.

Anna couldn’t help but feel she needed to ask Stuart more questions as she needed to really dig into everything going on. Walking over to her window, she looked out and admired the blue island skies for a few minutes.

Barbados had turned out to be one of the most beautiful places she had ever been to. Though she had imagined spending the majority of her trip on the sandy beaches after a simple reception, once again, she was hunting down a killer. Fortunately, this time, she felt like she was on the brink of solving the murder.

Turning, she went to her door and pushed it open. Taking a moment, she looked up and down the hallway. She didn’t want to run into Cassandra or Pauline just now. Their childish fighting was grating on her nerves. Even though she felt it was increasingly possible there was a killer among them, she needed evidence that pointed her to who the suspect was. Given the mounting evidence against Cassandra, it seemed likely she could have something to do with it. But she was a harmless, albeit annoying, person. Murder didn’t seem to be something she was likely capable of. Pauline, in turn, was rough around the edges and aggressive at times. She was a stereotypical choice for a killer, but had a heart of gold. If she was a killer, she wouldn’t help Anna to find out who the killer was and she’d use a minute alone with her to kill her. She would not save her life as she had when Anna was two seconds from death just a week ago.

Then there was Pierre. He was ruggedly handsome and made her heart skip a beat. But beyond the physical, Anna did notice he wasn’t always mentally stimulating. On occasion, she felt he lacked any kind of emotional or mental depth. He also had this issue with being faithful and chasing after more than one woman at a time but being a somewhat shallow cad didn’t make him a killer either. She wished there was a sign that would guide her in one direction or the other. Something that would give her a clear view of what was going on.

Deciding that dwelling on it wouldn't do any good, Anna continued down the hallway. As she approached the door, she felt an underlying sense of dread. Having recalled the number of times a gun had been pulled on her in the past, she wasn’t looking forward to heading into a room to be alone with the killer.

“Maybe I will try to talk to him through the door.” Anna said out loud to an empty hallway.

Raising her hand, she knocked on the door. It slowly opened under her hand. Anna looked at it for a moment. She really didn’t want to investigate the reason the door wasn’t closed all the way. Every time this had happened in the past, it led to a dead body on the other side.

“Hello.” Anna grumbled. “I know you are probably dead on the other side of the door, but if there is a tiny chance you are alive, please tell me to go away.”

There was nothing but silence and Anna sighed heavily. Pushing the door open, she looked around on the floor in the room for Stuart’s body. She checked both sides of the bed and went into the closet. As she looked at the floor, she prepared herself to see a bloody mess.

Determining there wasn’t anything in the main room, she approached the bathroom. The door was closed. Walking up to it, she knocked hard.

“It’s Anna Winters.” Her voice trembled slightly. “I am doing a welfare check on you. If you are okay, please let me know.”

The only sound from the other side of the door was an occasional dripping sound. Anna reached for the handle and opened the door. The room was dark and she flipped on the light. As the overhead fluorescent flickered on, she turned her attention to the bathtub. Red water filled it and Stuart was slumped over in the tub. Walking up to him, she looked down and could tell he had been dead for a while.

Fighting back tears, she noticed a note on the toilet seat. Stepping over to it, she picked it up and looked back at Stuart. Then read the note.

To Whomever Finds My Body,

I am not long for this world. My beloved Laura is dead. I must go to join her in the afterlife. Together, we will be able to live in eternity as one. Gordon never loved her. Not like I did. His love was for golf, but I truly loved his new bride.

Gordon is likely the killer. I spoke to him about the murders and he all but confessed to me. I would look at him carefully to bring a killer to justice.

Stewart

Anna looked at the note. Instantly, she noticed the man's name was spelled wrong and the hand writing was wrong. While working with Laura, he had signed off on a few items for her. The signature on the letter was simply cursive and didn’t match what she had seen before.

It was perfectly clear to her that Stuart had been murdered. She took her phone from her pocket and dialed the emergency police line. Her breathing was heavy as she waited for the operator to answer.

“There has been another murder at the Grand Palatial. The body is in room 215 and I will wait here to speak with the detective in charge. Do you know his name?”

“It will be Detective Jenson.” the voice on the other end replied.

Anna thanked the operator and hung up the phone. Ten minutes later, Anna opened the door to a tall man with a bushy brown moustache and short cropped hair. His eyes were a deep brown and they bore into her own. Anna could feel her heart racing and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

“Detective Jenson?” Anna asked.

“Detective Will Jenson.” The man nodded. “You are Anna Winters? I didn’t have a chance to talk with you after Laura’s murder earlier. You vanished. But I’ve heard your reputation from others. It is an honor to meet you.”

“Well, I am glad people have given you a good impression of me.” Anna laughed. “Obviously, we are dealing with another murder here.”

“How can you be certain this is a murder?” Detective Jenson asked.

Looking into the bathroom, he saw the man in the tub and the suicide note in Anna’s hand.

“That’s a suicide note.” Detective Jenson replied. “The body is in the tub and I would imagine his wrists are slit?”

“The problem is the alleged suicide note.” Anna replied. “Take a look at it.”

Anna handed the man the note and watched as he studied it. His eyes moved from her to the note.

“It seems pretty straightforward.” Detective Jensen sighed. “What do you notice wrong with it?”

“Having seen his signature before and knowing how he spells his name tells me he did not write this.” Anna responded. “I sincerely doubt anyone who wants to take their own life and leave a suicide note would misspell their own name."

“Maybe he was distraught and not thinking?” Detective Jensen suggested. “Look at all the mounting evidence. I can easily see that being the case.”

“No.” Anna shook her head. “If that was the case, he wouldn’t have given as much detail as he had. I don’t think he killed himself.”

“You think the killer planted the note?” Detective Jensen peered at her curiously.

“It is too precise.” Anna replied thoughtfully. “If I were going to leave a suicide note, it would have more pity and sorrow in it. I would explain my reasoning. I’d offer something of value to my family. There would be more than I miss Laura, I love her, and oh, and I think Gordon did it.”

“So you think Gordon is innocent?” Detective Jensen looked at her.

“He’s either innocent and in grave danger still.” Anna began. “Or he is the killer and trying to cover his tracks to remove himself from being the obvious suspect. Either way, he needs to be put in protective custody until further notice. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Detective Jensen looked at Anna. He paused for a moment and turned to one of the other officers who came into the room with him.

“Go to the honeymoon suite and make sure Gordon Segal is protected at all times. We’ll assign a couple of uniform officers to him until we determine who the killer is. Make sure you press him and find if he’s received any threats or if anyone has been acting suspiciously around him. Let him know Stuart is dead, too. Ask him if he knows who might be responsible for this.”

The uniformed man nodded quickly and looked at Anna. She looked back at him and gave him a curious look. He shook his head and left the room.

“Why was he waiting for a response from me?” Anna asked.

“I told my men to give you any support you need.” Detective Jensen replied. “You’re more than a fly by night hack when it comes to murder. I trust you and believe you could add value to this case. Although, technically, they have to do the legal dance for you, they can still take orders from you. Just make sure you have clear reasoning for doing something. You can’t claim that someone looks suspicious and have us arrest them.”

“Well, that is very kind of you to give me some power.” Anna laughed.

“It’s not power.” Detective Jensen warned. “It’s trust and all being done in good faith. I trust you won’t let me down in the process.”

“You have my word.” Anna nodded at the man.

His smile was warm and his hand firm as he placed it on her shoulder.

“It is too bad you aren’t from around here.” Detective Jensen replied softly.

“Why is that?” Anna asked.

“If you were, I’d ask you out.” He smiled gently at her.

“I’d say yes.” Anna nodded and returned his smile. “After we are finished with this case, I’d be open to going on a date with you.”

“I’d like that very much.” Detective Jensen nodded. “I'll get to work and talk to you later.”

With that, the man got back to work and Anna looked at him. Even though Pierre was a great guy, Anna couldn’t help but notice she was drawn to the detective. Considering he was wrapped up in Cassandra, there was no real harm in exploring a new possible relationship. After all, everyone is entitled to love.

Leaving the room, Anna wondered what Pauline was up to. There was a strain on their relationship and Anna wished she had time to sit down with her friend and get everything worked out. For now, she knew she had to focus on two murders. Right now, the killer was trying to cover their tracks and Anna knew that they were willing to kill anyone who could possibly expose them. Before long, she knew the killer would sense she was getting closer, too, and her own life would once again be on the line.