Murder in the Bahamas: An Anna Winters Cozy Mystery (Murder in Parasise Book 2) (4 page)

Passing through the lobby, Anna wondered where Darko might be. She partly hoped she would find the man in plain sight so if something did happen, she would be able to avoid a potentially deadly situation.

Noticing Kevin at the bar, she walked up to him. “Hi, Kevin.” she asked with a smile.

“You know my name?” he asked and blushed. “What can I do for you, Anna?”

“I am looking for a tall man, with a scar on the right side of his face. Bald.”

“You mean Darko?” Kevin asked. “He ordered a glass of black rum and went for a walk on the beach.”

“Thank you.” Anna replied with a smile. “I should probably find him and see what information he may be able to offer me.”

Kevin nodded and Anna turned to go.

Heading outside, she pushed on the wooden doors that led out to the beach. The warm sun felt good on her skin and she admired the breathtaking blue skies, the crystal clear ocean waters and the sweet scent of ocean air. Part of her wished for nothing more than to become lost in the beautiful scenery and completely ignore her investigation. Unfortunately, she saw Darko walking down the beach and knew she needed to catch up with him and have a talk. She hoped they could stay within view of the hotel.

Picking up the pace, she sprinted toward the beach and made an effort to come up right alongside him. Startled, he turned and pulled a gun on her.

Anna stopped and put her hands up in the air. Her heart was beating hard. “What do you want?” he demanded.

“I came to talk to you.” Anna replied.

“Are you with the police?” he asked and shoved the gun at her.

“No, I work for the hotel.” Her words came out as more of a whimper.

“I could kill you.” he warned. “I have no problem doing that. I have killed many people.”

“Like Charles Weathersby?” Anna asked, then regretted the question.

“Oh.” Darko put the gun back in his pocket. “You are that girl. The mystery solver.”

“The hotel has asked me to look into the murder.” Anna nodded.

“You should be more tactful in your approach. I normally would shoot someone who approached me in the manner you just did. But your red hair. I have seen you before, yes?”

“No, I don’t think we’ve met before.” Anna replied.

“You were down by the pool snooping on me.” Darko laughed. “I spoke with the bartender. He told me about you.”

“I was walking on the beach last night.” Anna replied quietly. “I didn’t hear any of the conversation. I just had a stick break and heard people chasing me. Was that you?”

Darko sized her up and smiled. “Yes. Nothing was said. You should keep what you think you know to yourself.”

“English isn’t your first language, is it?” Anna asked. “I detect a Serbian accent.”

“You are very wise.” Darko replied. “Perhaps you took time to look into my background, too? Maybe even looked into Branko's?”

“No, I didn’t.” Anna lied. “Is that something I should do?”

“Curious girls meet curious ends.” Darko replied coldly. “You should focus on making food like a good woman.”

Anna knew that she didn’t like the man and she paused for a moment. There were answers she needed and she wanted to be certain she got information she could count on to be true. Knowing he had a gun on him frightened her but Anna needed to push hard and get some of the answers she needed.

“I want to talk about the check I found in Charles Weathersby's room.” Anna began. “I need to know why there were two checks written to you. One dated the day after his death and then a second one with the date corrected.”

“Snooping?” Darko sneered. “You are not the brightest girl, are you? Perhaps you need to be taught a lesson?”

“There is no lesson I need to be taught.” Anna replied cautiously. “I was only asking a question.”

“I will answer.” Darko sneered. “Charles owed me money. He was several hundred thousand dollars in debt to me and wanted to clear up some of the debt. I told him I would hate to see an accident, so I agreed he should pay up. When he did, I was very pleased. There was no longer a problem.”

“I’d buy that.” Anna nodded. “If the checks weren’t written by two different people. I’ve studied enough handwriting over the years in the food service industry to know when something is different.”

“What do you mean?” Darko questioned.

“I’ve had husbands try to switch orders down to cheaper items on the menu when their wives were going overboard, giving me a different written order that didn’t match her handwriting. I have had service staff who claimed to be working and had someone else fill in for them, but their tickets didn’t match up. I know what I am talking about. Let’s be honest about what is going on here.”

Darko sighed heavily. “I was suspicious. But the check was written for me and delivered to my room. It was on my desk and I assumed someone went through his personal effects and gave it to me. The money is, in fact, owed to me.”

“Well, then who would have written it for you?” Anna asked. “Was it Branko? I know you have a history with him. You were in the Serbian mafia together.”

“Smart woman.” Darko nodded. “You indeed looked into my past. How unfortunate you played your cards in the incorrect order.”

“Was it him?” Anna asked, her heart pounding as she studied his face.

“No.” Darko shook his head. “I have another close friend here who is active in the Serbian mafia. It is not Branko but they are very close.”

“Is Wendy part of the mafia?” Anna pressed.

Darko laughed. “That woman could not kill anyone. Of course she isn’t in the mafia.”

“Nancy Henderson managed to kill someone.” Anna stood her ground. “I outsmarted her. I’ll outsmart this killer, too.”

“I wish you the best.” Darko chuckled. “As for my fellow comrade, his name is Goran. You know him, yes?”

“Branko's brother.” Anna said. “Does his brother know?”

“No.” Darko sighed. “His brother doesn’t know at all, nor would he want to know. Branko believes he is done with the mafia but the mafia always keeps their men. He is just allowed to believe he has a life outside of it.”

“You’ll eventually kill him?” Anna asked.

“No.” Darko shook his head. “We’ll have ways of showing him it is wise to come home.”

“So, did Goran write the check you have?” Anna continued. “I am assuming he would be the only other person who would stoop to that level, all things considered.”

“That would make sense.” Darko conceded. “I would recommend you sit with him and chat.”

“The question I have is why Goran would write the check to you and not himself?” Anna paused. “It would make sense for him to take the check and cash it. Why risk forgery charges and have nothing to show for it?”

“Maybe he doesn’t like money?” Darko shrugged.

“I’ve seen the clothes he wears. He likes money well enough.” Anna replied coldly. “You have to admit this isn’t adding up at all.”

“Perhaps Goran wrote the check to throw people off from suspecting him?” Darko replied. “Cops know I am in the mafia, they could take me away and it would fit into his plan very well. Goran could have killed Charles. He likes poison like his brother. The dead man was poisoned. If I were a smart man, I’d blame them, not me. I know I didn’t kill anyone. At least, not this time.”

“It’s good to know you didn’t kill anyone.” Anna replied, “I mean, I can trust you on that, right?”

“Do you have anything else you need to discuss with me?” Darko asked. “I am very busy man right now.”

Anna shook her head. She turned to go, half expecting to be struck in the back with a bullet.

Taking a few steps, she paused to watch Darko walking away from her down the beach. She almost felt compelled to follow him and see where he was headed, but she knew the last thing she wanted to do was to come face to face with his gun again.

“You’re lucky to be alive.” Anna said out loud.

Turning toward the ocean, she removed her shoes and took a few steps into the water. The warmth was inviting and she closed her eyes. There was nothing more she wanted right now than to step into the ocean and get lost in the waters. They were refreshing and cleansing, something she felt would soothe her buzzing mind. She also loved how clear the water was. From where she stood, she could see to the sandy bottoms. This was a far cry from the beaches they had in Britain.

Looking out over the peaceful waters, Anna wondered if it was a good idea to try to reconcile with Pauline. Her phone rang and she hoped it was her friend. Instead, it was Pierre.

“What?” Anna asked. She wasn’t in the mood for any more bizarre behavior from Pierre.

“I’m really sorry.” Pierre replied. “I do like you. My emotions are just all over the place right now. I don’t know what I am doing. I feel like each time I move forward with you, I need to take two steps back because I am afraid.”

“What are you afraid of?” Anna asked.

“I am afraid I will fall in love with you and you’ll realize that you are too good for me.” Pierre replied. “Losing you is my greatest fear. So much so that I am not sure I can even take the plunge to see you outside of work.”

“I can’t do this now.” Anna replied. “I will talk to you about this later.”

She hung up the phone and shook her head. The last thing she needed right now was for Pierre to get overly mushy on her and put her on an emotional rollercoaster. Now was not the time for carnival rides.

As she turned to head back to the hotel, she noticed a shimmering in the bushes. She realized it was a piece of jewelry catching the tropical sun. Knowing someone was bound to be looking for it later, she walked over to the bushes. Then stopped. She saw a bloody hand sticking out from under the bush.

Looking around, she felt her heart pounding and knew that Darko had a gun. If this person had been shot, it would mean he was covering his tracks. It would also mean that if he saw her near the body, he’d kill her, too.

Anna was never one for blood or gore. Each time she saw something that dealt with either in the movies, she couldn’t close her eyes fast enough. It was something that just did a number on her stomach she didn’t like. She could feel the urge to throw up growing strong. But she also needed to do the right thing. If she just ignored her stomach, there was a small chance she might be able to save a life.

She couldn’t hear any moaning and from what she could see, the person wasn’t breathing at all. She needed to take a closer look to see if there was anything she could do.

Anna looked around and saw Darko growing smaller in the distance as he walked away. Crouching in the bushes, Anna pulled them apart and gasped in horror as she realized who was lying there on the beach. It would seem there was another victim on her hands and the stakes had just become a lot higher.

Anna spread the bushes and saw the blonde hair and tiny body of Wendy Lukic. Standing up with a jolt, she could feel the tears streaming down her face. Not only had the woman lost her father and had her wedding day ruined, but now she was dead, too.

Pacing back and forth, Anna tried to determine who would want both father and daughter dead, especially because they had been estranged for years. This didn’t make sense at all. As she started toward the hotel to get help, Anna felt something brush against her legs. Looking down, she saw Wendy’s hand twitching.

Reaching into the bushes, she got hold of the young woman and dragged her out. Her face was beaten and swollen and her right wrist appeared to be broken. Whoever had gotten their hands on Wendy had intended to kill her.

Watching the shallow breaths, Anna pulled out her cell phone and called the hotel lobby. “Hello?” a man answered.

“This is Anna Winters. I need medical help on the beach right now.”

“Is this for a work related injury?” the man asked.

“No, a woman has nearly been beaten to death. She is dying.” Anna screamed in the phone. “Should I call hotel medical or emergency medical services?” the man asked, uninterested.

“Call both.” Anna snapped. “What is your name?’

“Hey, lady.” the man snapped back. “I will get you help but you need to chill.” With that, the line went dead.

Anna crouched down and talked to the woman.

“Wendy.” she whispered. “You are going to be fine. We have emergency services coming to help you. I need you to stay with me and try focus on me and what I am saying. “

Anna watched as the woman struggled to open her right eye while the left eye remained swollen shut. Anna met her eyes and gave her a warm smile. It was best not to focus on the bloody image of the woman in front of her. The last thing she needed to do was to upset her.

“I want you to do something for me.” Anna replied. “Can you try to blink your right eye for me?” Anna watched as Wendy managed to blink her eye hesitantly and painfully.

“I want you to blink once for a yes and twice for a no.” Anna began. “We need to know who did this to you. Do you understand?”

Wendy blinked her eye once and looked at Anna again. “Do you remember who I am?” Anna asked.

Wendy looked at her for a minute and finally blinked her eye. “Do you know where you are?” Anna continued.

Again, Wendy paused as if to think and then blinked once again.

In the distance, she saw the medical personnel rushing up to them. “Do you know who did this to you?” Anna asked.

Wendy looked at her and blinked once.

Anna could feel her heart beating. A sense of relief came over her. “Was it Branko?”

Wendy again held a look on her face, then her eye rolled back in her head. “Wendy!” Anna screamed. “Don’t leave me, Wendy!”

Anna stood up quickly and began to wave her arms at the medical help that was coming.

“Hurry! She was with me. But her eyes just rolled back.” Tears streamed down her face. “Please, hurry.”

As the medical team arrived, they shoved her out of the way. The crew worked feverishly on the woman on the ground. Their actions were blurring into each other and Anna couldn’t do more than hope they were going to be able to help the woman who appeared to be dying in the sand.

“She’s stabilized.” One of them shouted. “Get her on a stretcher. We need to hurry.”

The medics picked her up and laid her on a stretcher. Then, grabbing it, they lifted the stretcher and raced toward the hotel doors.

“Hello, Anna.” a voice said behind her. Startled, Anna turned to see a familiar face.

“Detective Newhold.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “You arrived quickly.”

“We’ve been here on and off since the murder.” the man replied. “Tell me, how did you stumble upon the victim?”

“I was on the beach speaking to Darko.” Anna offered. “I wanted to talk to him about the murder.”

“Why were you talking to him about the murder?” Detective Newhold asked. “That isn’t your job. Anything you discover, you need to let me in on.”

“I’m a mystery buff.” Anna smiled. “I am just satisfying my own curiosity.”

“I know who you are.” Detective Newhold replied. “Drop the act.”

“The hotel wants me to look into the murder.” Anna replied. “I’ve got this. I am not going to get into any trouble.”

“Maybe we should work together.” Detective Newhold suggested. “I’d feel better if you were working with me. I don’t need a third victim on my hands.”

“I hate to say it,” Anna sighed. “But I don’t think the mafia members here are going to do much talking to the cops. If anything, they’ll try to cover everything up more.”

“Mafia members?” he asked.

“Serbian Mafia. There are three people here who are associated with them. Darko, Goran, and Branko.” she offered. “There’s a forged check going around, too. I don’t know who wrote it yet. But I have an idea. There was also the affair.”

“The affair?” Detective Newhold asked. “What are you talking about?”

“Wendy had just married Branko and was already seemed to be having an affair with his brother, Goran. While Goran and Wendy were getting intimately close, Branko was talking to Darko about a shady business deal. I don’t know what it was about. I am still trying to figure out the details.”

“In less than 24 hours, you’ve picked up on all of this information?” Detective Newhold laughed.

“We need to figure out who the killer is.” Anna sighed. “I am hoping it is one of those three.”

“But you aren’t certain?” he asked. “Is there something you are holding back?”

“I still have my doubts.” Anna replied. “Two murders and there were four of us who were at both. I can't help but wonder if there isn’t something else going on. Someone who is encouraging good people to commit murder.”

“I am aware of the Nancy Henderson murder.” Detective Newhold replied. “But let’s be honest, she was a little crazy. Plus, the three suspects you have all have mafia ties. I would say this is coincidental rather than actually having anything to do with someone you know.”

“I hope that’s the case.” Anna replied. “I really think Goran is in on this. The only thing that doesn’t make sense is Wendy. I know she didn’t feel the same way he felt, I saw them together earlier, as I mentioned. When he said he loved her, she didn’t say she loved him back.”

“Why does that matter?” he asked.

“Women tend to be more in tune with their emotions.” Anna replied. “A man not responding with an “I love you” wouldn’t mean much. But when you have a woman who avoids it and sidesteps it, it means there is something else going on.”

“Well, she did just get married.” Detective Newhold offered. “Don’t you think that could be all there is to that?”

“No.” Anna replied. “If she was in love, the affair wouldn’t have been taking place. I don’t think Wendy loved either of the men. I think she saw Branko as being her savior. After suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, I suspect she had transference love. When she met Goran, I believe she found the danger in him to be exciting. There was the sense of danger and living on the edge she liked. Goran being the brother of her fiancé then husband made the thrill more exciting for her.”

“She was seeking a thrill?” Detective Newhold asked. “That seems a little extreme.”

“The beating looked like a crime of passion to me.” Anna offered. “Not only did the individual disfigure her face, but he also tried to hide the body.”

“We are perhaps looking for two criminals then.” Detective Newhold sighed. “One who killed Charles Weathersby. The second being the man who beat Wendy Lukic?”

“No.” Anna shook her head. “I don’t think we are looking for two people at all. I think the killer tried to kill her because they thought she would talk. If you noticed, her left wrist was broken and her jaw was also broken. I recalled her being left handed. It would seem to me the killer may want to cover his tracks so that she wouldn’t be able to communicate, if for some reason she was saved. Which I would say is likely to happen given that the paramedics were able to stabilize her.”

“She isn’t out of the woods yet.” Detective Newhold cautioned. “But I think you are right. Hopefully, we’ll have a way to communicate with her soon.”

Anna nodded. “I am going to speak to Goran. I think he needs to be talked to about this chain of events. If he isn’t the one who beat her, he most likely knows who did. I hope his love for her is strong enough to make him come clean.”

“If you find anything, make sure you let me know.” Detective Newhold warned.

“I will.” Anna smiled.

Turning her attention to the hotel, she walked toward it. Her mind raced with all the possibilities about what had taken place on the beach. She knew she was getting dangerously close to exposing the real killer so she needed to proceed with caution. The last thing she needed was to find herself in a situation that put her life at risk again.

As she entered the lobby, she headed for the front desk. She really wanted to take care of the nonchalant gentleman who seemed disinterested in the emergency situation.

“How can I help you?” the man behind the check-in counter asked as he rolled his eyes.

Anna sized him up. He looked like he wasn’t a day over 21. His attire was wrinkled and his brown hair looked like he ran his fingers through it to comb it.

“Oh, am I bothering you?” Anna asked.

“No.” the young man sneered. “I enjoy waiting on people.”

“It’s your job.” Anna said. “You do realize that, right?”

“Oh, really?” the young man scoffed. “I am so glad you were able to tell me what I do for a living.”

“Your attitude isn’t up to the standards of the Grand Palatial.” Anna warned. “Please shape up and care about your job. A woman almost died today on the beach.”

“Oh.” the man smirked. “I guess she didn’t die, so who cares. Right?” Anna pulled out her cell phone and dialed Mr. Puccio’s number.

“You better tell me you have a suspect.” his voice boomed.

“I am down to three people out of a hundred.” Anna offered.

“Well, get it down to one already. I will be there soon.” the man yelled.

“We have a problem with an employee.” Anna began and looked at the man’s nametag. “A young man named Jessie is employed here and couldn’t care less about his job. He doesn’t know who I am and is treating me like scum. Not the image we’d like to have here at the Grand Palatial.”

“Whatever, lady, you aren’t on the phone with anyone.” the young man laughed.

“Put me on speaker.” Mr. Puccio replied.

Anna did as she was instructed. “Go ahead, Mr. Puccio.”

“The woman you are treating poorly is Anna Winters.” Mr. Puccio snarled into the phone. “She is the last person you will see at the Grand Palatial. My name is Mr. Puccio, and I sit on the Board of Directors of the chain. You are fired. Leave now.”

The young man rolled his yes.

“Whatever.” he replied as he grabbed his stuff and left.

“Take care of the front desk and get someone else there.” Mr. Puccio boomed. “Then figure out who the killer is. If I get there and you don’t know who it is, you’re fired, too.”

With that, the phone went dead. Anna could feel her hands trembling. She called Joan Williams, the duty manager, to let her know what happened. The woman said she would have someone come relieve her as soon as possible. Then Anna could get back to what she was doing.

Going to the phone, she decided to ring Goran and see if he was in his room. There was a note next to his room number saying he had left for a period of time and to take messages if anyone called. Anna raised a curious eye. No one was supposed to leave the property for any reason. Now, she wondered what he was trying to cover up.