Murder in Barbados: An Anna Winters Cozy Mystery (Murder in Paradise Book 4) Read online

  Murder in Barbados

  Penelope Sotheby

  ~~~

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright © 2015 Penelope Sotheby

  First published in 2015 by Jonmac Limited.

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters and places, incidents are used entirely fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

  Kindle Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  Other Books By The Author

  Murder in Bermuda (Book 1 in the "Murder in Paradise" series)

  Murder in the Bahamas (Book 2 in the "Murder in Paradise" series)

  Murder in Jamaica (Book 3 in the "Murder in Paradise" series)

  Murder in Aruba (Book 5 in the "Murder in Paradise" series)

  Murder at the Inn

  Table Of Contents

  Free Book

  Other Books By The Author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Murder in Aruba - Chapter 1

  Get Your Free Copy of "Murder at the Inn"

  Other Books In The Series

  About The Author

  Fantastic Fiction

  Chapter 1

  Anna Winters stayed at the back of the banquet room and felt her body tense as her team began serving food to the wedding guests at the Grand Palatial. Her heart pounded and her breath grew shorter as she waited for someone in the room to die.

  Her fears weren’t unwarranted, considering that in the last three receptions she oversaw, members of the wedding party were poisoned after eating food served by her staff. In each occurrence, the same type of poison was used and put in a dish that the hotel had served. On two different occasions, two of the victims weren’t the intended targets.

  With every bite the guests took, Anna waited to see if one of them collapsed, foaming at the mouth as they quickly died in front of everyone else in the room.

  Then there was the matter of her social life dying in front of her. Pauline was still distant when they spoke and the friendship seemed like it was on its last legs. Anna needed that friendship desperately and the knowledge it could possibly be over for good broke her heart. There was also Cassandra. The young woman she had taken under her wing so many years ago, who had turned her back on Anna and chased after Pierre, whom Anna had deep feelings for. Anna was beginning to think Pauline had been right about her all along.

  At this point, she was in a room with three people she was once close to. It seemed strange to her. Turning her blue eyes out the window, she looked at the golf course. She liked the idea of the golf themed wedding the couple had come up with and the cous cous with steamed flying fish cut into the shape of golf balls had been a novel idea that blended in a staple dish in Barbados.

  Anna watched as the trio handed out the dishes that were being set down on the tables. Pauline Baker was handling the left side of the room and Anna smiled. Her friend's limp seemed to be doing better here. It was also nice to see her short-cropped hair getting some length now and before long, it would become a new style for her. The longer hair and her smoky green eyes would be a killer combination that would hopefully help her find someone to love. This was something Anna desperately wanted for her.

  Pierre was handling the center of the room. He had his trademark toothy grin as he greeted guests and brushed the brown hair away from his equally brown eyes. For a moment, Anna got lost looking at him, wishing things had been different between them. They were a perfect couple in her mind and Anna desperately wished they could have shared something special.

  On the right hand side of the room, Cassandra Wilson scowled as she plopped down each dish in front of the guests. Her icy eyes seemed empty and soulless and her black hair appeared to be in a state of disarray. For a moment, she looked at Anna and her glare felt like fire. Turning her head from Cassandra, Anna didn’t want to focus on the young woman any longer. She felt that Cassandra may have overstayed her welcome and she knew Pauline was in agreement on it. But letting Cassandra go now would be a little bit too much. In all likelihood, she’d let her go when they got back to Britain so she could find a replacement. That would make sense. Perhaps with the central problem gone, things between her and Pauline, and even Pierre, would improve. All they had to do was get through the events here in Barbados and, finally, Aruba. Then they were due back in London, where the team would have a few weeks to themselves so they could finally relax and just enjoy life again.

  Turning her head back to the room of people, she watched as the bride and the groom were looking at each other. Anna did feel a sense of relief that the couple had made it to the main course without any surprises. They shared a kiss and then looked at the plates of food in front of them. The two shared a tender moment and laughed, though Anna couldn’t tell what they said. Then taking a bite, both closed their eyes and seemed to savor the food for a moment.

  Without warning, the bride stood up and violently clawed at her throat. Blood trickled down her neck and fell on her once perfect gown. Her eyes met Anna’s for a moment before they rolled back in her head and her body dropped to the floor with a thud.

  Anna felt the room around her spin and the guests' screams seemed like they were a thousand miles away. Reaching into her pocket, Anna grabbed her anxiety medication and tried to control her breathing. Desperately, she hoped she would wake up and this would be a nightmare. Instead, as she opened her eyes, she watched as people tried to help the bride, her lifeless body sprawled on the floor.

  Within a few minutes, emergency services were surrounding the bride, trying to resuscitate her. Anna prayed they would be successful and that the woman had simply choked on a fish bone. Sure, the lawsuit would be a problem, but at least it would mean she wasn’t a victim of poisoning. But as the paramedics shook their heads, she knew murder was once again on the menu and she would have to see who placed the order.

  From the back of the room, she could see the groom with a look of pure hatred on his face. Knowing she would eventually be asked by Mr. Puccio to start an investigation, Anna lowered her head and walked up to the man.

  “You’re marked with death.” Gordon Segal hissed.

  “I’m very sorry for your loss.” Anna replied genuinely. “I was praying that because you made it to the main course, nothing would happen.”

  “The hotel needs to fire you.” Gordon shook his head angrily. “You’ve destroyed the lives of so many happy
couples over the last few months. Do the world a favour and get lost.”

  “Mr. Segal.” Anna whispered. “I understand you are upset right now.”

  “I’m beyond upset.” Gordon snapped. “I told Laura that the Grand Palatial wasn’t the best choice. You have a reputation for death and you’ve lived up to that. I can’t look at you right now.”

  “We can find out who killed your wife.” Anna interrupted. “Laura deserves justice. Each time, it has been someone who was close to the victim. Was there anyone who was upset with your wife?”

  Gordon looked at Anna with rage showing clearly in his eyes. “Who could ever hate Laura? She was one of the sweetest women to have ever lived. She was forgiving and she went out of her way to smooth things over with the people in her life when there was a problem.”

  “So there wasn’t a jealous lover in her past or on the side?” Anna asked.

  Gordon’s face grew a deeper shade of red. “She would never cheat on me. At least, I don't believe she would. There was one man, Stuart Perkins. They were close friends for most of their lives and I always had the feeling they were romantically close, though I never had any actual proof of it. I suspected they could have been doing something more. You might check with him. Please, if you find out that she was unfaithful to me, don’t tell me. Although I suspect it, I would definitely suffer a broken heart if I found out she indeed was having an affair behind my back, especially if it was with him.”

  “I will do my best to shield you from such information if I find it to be true.” Anna nodded.

  With that, Gordon turned and left her side.

  “Stay out of it, Anna.” a familiar voice warned her.

  Turning, Anna was surprised to see Pauline standing there.

  “I need to solve the murder.” Anna replied.

  “You need to leave it alone.” Pauline coldly whispered. “If you butt in again, it is going to make you look guilty.”

  “Everyone knows I had nothing to do with it.” Anna said. “You even know that. I wasn’t near the food at all. So anyone thinking I was responsible would have to be crazy.”

  “But Cassandra was there.” Pauline pleaded. “She is evil Anna. For the love of everything good, please tell me that you at least see that.”

  “I am certain that someone on staff is helping these people commit murder.” Anna agreed. “It is too obvious at this point but I can’t say beyond a shadow of a doubt the killer is Cassandra. If I could do that, I would approach the authorities.”

  “But you are certain it isn’t me, right?” Pauline snarled.

  “I can’t rule you out.” Anna replied. “It would break my heart if it was you. But if I rule you out and you are the killer, I would look like a fool.”

  “This is the fourth murder under your watch.” Pauline hissed. “You already look like a fool. You should have gotten rid of Cassandra from day one. You are an idiot because you are blind to what Cassandra is and you are haphazardly going through the motions as you try to solve a murder that could have been avoided. But you are so stupid, Anna. You really are. I can’t even look at you right now. Not until you wake up and see what is right under your nose.”

  Anna looked at her friend, threw up her hands, and walked away. She didn’t need the additional drama and felt dread fill her soul as she bumped into Pierre.

  “Oh, Anna.” He smiled sheepishly. “What are you doing here?”

  “Someone died.” Anna replied coldly. “I am going to figure out who did it.”

  “You’ll figure it out.” Pierre smiled as Cassandra walked up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist.

  “What’s going on?” Cassandra asked. “Everyone seems to be so upset. Was it the fish? I told the chef it would be a killer dish.”

  “Do you really think that is appropriate, considering everything going on?” Anna snapped.

  “Someone died.” Pierre whispered.

  “Oh, I thought she fainted.” Cassandra smirked.

  “Why are you being so morbid right now?” Anna demanded. “Someone has been murdered. This isn’t a time for sick jokes or humor. You should be feeling the pain and sorrow her family is feeling. On what should have been a special day, Laura Segal died.”

  “But it is like every other day.” Cassandra shrugged. “Look. It is their wedding, not mine and Pierre’s wedding, so it doesn't mean anything to me.”

  “I can’t deal with you right now.” Anna sighed. “You two need to sit down and have a serious conversation, Pierre. Your girlfriend shouldn’t be talking like this and you both should be showing respect to the victim and her family during this stressful time.”

  “Anna, please.” Pierre called out. “Look what you did, Cass. Why do you have to be so cold to her?”

  Turning to go, Anna tried to forget how Pierre didn’t jump as Cassandra touched him. Right now, the last thing Anna needed was to get lost in the jealousy flowing in her veins. Pierre had said he didn’t want a relationship and now he was in a relationship with Cassandra. The thought brought tears to her eyes, but Anna didn’t want to be a victim this time. Instead, she turned her head and forced the emotions to the back of her mind. She needed to be strong. There was a killer on the loose and she needed to find out who it was before someone else ended up dead and she would have to deal with further consequences.

  Chapter 2

  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.”