Murder in the Bahamas: An Anna Winters Cozy Mystery (Murder in Parasise Book 2) (6 page)

Anna approached Darko Pancev's room with some hesitation. She knew he had a gun on him and knowing he was a member of the Serbian mafia didn’t help. Knocking on the door, she waited for him to answer. Behind the wooden frame, she heard the sound of frantic scurrying. Using her key card, she let herself into the room.

As she entered, she saw the man shoving clothing into a suitcase and looking up at her. “Woman.” he sneered. “What are you doing here?”

“It took me a little bit to figure it out.” Anna began. “But you killed Charles Weathersby. The evidence always pointed to you, so it comes as no shock to me, really. Although, I did suspect you early on, I just didn’t have the confidence to jump on it like I should have.”

“No one will believe you.” Darko snapped. “Leave now and I will let you live.”

“Tell me why.” Anna pressed. “Tell me why you did it and I will leave.”

“Very well.” Darko replied.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a gun with a silencer on it. “Before you die, you will know why.” His voice was cold.

“Does everyone have to pull a gun on me?” Anna asked. “You do know that Goran, Branko, and Wendy all know about your scheme? Wendy mentioned how you told her that Branko was in debt to you. Then Goran mentioned you owed him $100,000, which Wendy paid to you for Branko’s debts and you, in turn, paid to Goran. Goran then told us how Wendy became an interest payment for your scheme.”

“Then I shall kill all of you.” Darko shrugged his shoulders. “No one will miss any of you.”

“Before you kill me, tell me why.” Anna pleaded. “I need to know why you did it.”

“Her father was an easy payday.” Darko growled. “I knew once he was dead, I could get every last penny from his daughter. She wasn’t a bright woman at all. So, I waited for a time that I could slip poison in the black rum Charles drank. He was having a fight with Branko and was distracted. I slipped him a big dose and he died. It was as simple as could be. I have no regrets for killing him.”

“Why Wendy?” Anna asked. “Why did you attack her?”

“She was becoming too nosy, like another certain woman right now.” Darko replied. “She wanted to know more details about debts. I told her to mind her own business, that her husband would take her out if needed. She was afraid but said there would be no more money. So, I tried to kill her. You caught me on the beach, I figured you saw the murder take place and I was prepared to kill you, too. But you didn’t bring up the woman and I thought I’d let you live. You’d be my alibi if needed.”

“So, now what?” Anna asked. “People know you are the killer here. What will you do?”

“There’s no proof.” Darko laughed. “There are people who claim I killed, but do you have any real evidence? Do you have poison? There is no confession for you to use. Just a dead man, a battered woman, and, soon, a second dead body.”

“If you kill me, I’ll be in your room. They’ll piece it together.” Anna pleaded. “Think this through.”

“I will not kill you.” Darko smiled. “You will shoot yourself.”

Slipping a glove over one hand, he took hold of Anna’s right hand, then forced her finger into the trigger. His eyes burned into her eyes and he wrapped a second gloved hand around hers. Forcing the gun to her temple, he placed his finger over hers so her finger held firm against the trigger.

“Suicide is messy.” Darko sighed. “I’ll need to take shower before I leave, but the silencer will make sure no one knows you died. I’ll call room service and tell them to delay coming a few days. It’s better.”

“Please.” Anna whispered. “You don’t have to do this.”

A knock at the door startled Darko and he pulled back. “Housekeeping.” the voice replied.

“No!” Darko yelled. “I am very busy. I am not interested.”

The door unlocked and a woman stepped in. Anna was relieved to see it was Pauline. Darko hid the gun behind his back.

“Housekeeping.” The woman smiled and went over to the bed. “Checkout?”

“No, I am just going through my bags with my wife.” Darko lied.

“I interrupt?” Pauline asked.

“Just do what you have to do.” Darko replied.

Darko watched Pauline closely as Detective Mateo Newhold quietly slipped in through the door from the adjoining room, stepped up behind Darko and placed the barrel of his service gun at the back of Darko’s head. Then with his other hand, he grabbed Darko’s weapon.  At the same time Anna lifted up her shirt to reveal a wire placed neatly on her stomach,

“Well played.” Darko sighed.

Detective Newhold read Darko his rights and Pauline rushed up to Anna. The two of them watched as Darko was hauled off.

“You did it again, Anna.” Pauline smiled. “You are two for two on cases solved.” “Let’s hope there aren’t any additional murders.” Anna laughed.

They walked to the elevator and saw Wendy and Branko together in the hallway. They looked up for a moment and waved at them. Anna smiled and waved back.

“It looks like things are going to work out for them.” Anna smiled.

“It does.” Pauline nodded.

As the elevator arrived, Jackson burst out and gave Anna a hug.

“You did it!” He smiled from ear to ear. “You are my last ride today. My replacement is coming in and I am going to go give my daughter the biggest hug.”

“Tell her you love her, too.” Anna replied.

“I will.” Jackson nodded. “You are one of a kind, Anna. I hope you know that.”

As the elevator took them down to the first floor, Anna thought about the course of events. Everything had fallen into place once again and life seemed to be going back to normal.

“We have the Jamaica wedding to do next.” Pauline began.

“Can we run a background check to make sure there isn’t anyone desperate enough to kill?” Anna quipped.

The women laughed. Walking out of the elevator, Anna saw that Mr. Puccio had arrived and was talking to Cassandra. Part of her felt annoyed that Cassandra was there, but she forced a smile and grabbed Pauline by the hand.

“Anna!” Mr. Puccio replied cheerfully. “Once again, you have solved a murder and protected the reputation of the Grand Palatial. I really couldn’t be happier.”

“Congrats.” Cassandra replied coldly. “I didn’t think you’d solve another murder but it looks like you did. How wonderful for you. Maybe it is time to put your new skills to work and quit catering?”

“Did I upset you?” Anna asked.

“I am just being playful.” Cassandra scowled. “I’m happy you tied everything up in a nice bow. Good for you.”

“I’m on to you.” Pauline warned Cassandra. “I don’t know what exactly you are up to, but I am no idiot.”

“We need to go get ready for the Jamaica wedding.” Anna said. “Pack your stuff up, Cassandra.” Cassandra eyed the women and turned to leave.

“Do you think there will be any problems at this wedding?” Mr. Puccio asked. “I don’t think I can go through this again.”

Anna laughed. “The only thing I know about weddings is that they are always unpredictable. You just do what you have to do.”

Mr. Puccio nodded and made his way toward the front desk. Anna watched him leave. “Everything did end up in a nice tiny bow, didn’t it?” she asked Pauline.

“The only thing left is Pierre.” Pauline pointed. “He looks like he might want to talk to you.”

“I don’t think I can do this.” Anna sighed.

“Go, you fools like each other. Stop playing your foolish games.” Pauline laughed. Anna approached Pierre and he gave her a toothy smile.

“Hi, Anna!” he said excitedly. “I wanted to talk to you, if I can.”

“I am all ears.” Anna replied.

“I am sorry about earlier. I get nervous and I don’t know what I am doing.”

“We had the apology and forgiveness already.” Anna replied. “We are fine. We can be friends.”

“I want to be more than friends. I really like you.” he responded.

“Well, I like you, too.” Anna sighed. “But this is going in circles. We aren’t making any progress when we do the same things over and over.”

“But I want to make this work with you.” Pierre replied. “I just need to take things slow, if you are okay with that. I know it is a lot for me to ask of you and I wasn't sure you would want to take things slow. A beautiful woman like you needs to find someone who will love her. I know that.”

“We can go super slow.” Anna laughed. “I like you, too. You just need to breathe a little bit and stop getting gun shy. We aren’t getting married any time soon.”

“That’s true.” Pierre nodded. “We are just starting to date.”

“Yes, we are.” Anna agreed. “So, as long as you are okay with just dating, let’s not think beyond that. What do you say?”

“I would like that.” he replied. “May I take you out to dinner tonight?”

“Why don’t we all go out to dinner as a group?” Anna asked. “You can hold my hand and we can talk and laugh. Pauline and Cassandra can come, too. That way, if you get too uncomfortable, it can just be dinner with friends. Does that work for you?”

“You know me too well.” Pierre smiled. “I like that about you.”

Anna smiled back at him. Then looking around the hotel one last time, she smiled to herself. She was really taking on the world at last.

End of Murder in the Bahamas

Anna Winters looked out over the people coming into the banquet room for the wedding reception. Even though she loved weddings and the celebrations that followed, there was a looming sense of dread that hung over these events. The last couple of celebrations she had planned and supervised had been surrounded by death.

A chill crawled down her spine and she shook it off. Running her hands through her red hair, she turned and noticed Pierre Bellerose across the way. Looking at him longingly with her cool blue eyes, she wondered if their relationship would ever get beyond the bumps and detours it seemed to keep taking.

On occasion, he would joke with her that, one day, she’d be Mrs. Anna Bellerose and they’d ride off into a golden sunset on a white horse. Today, he was intent on everything else and it gave Anna mixed messages. She tried to just focus on the event at hand. His five o’clock shadow still made her heart flutter though, making her wish things would eventually work out between the two of them.

Turning her attention away from him, she noticed Cassandra Wilson in the back of the room, flirting relentlessly with some of the male guests. Anna let out a loud sigh. Over the last few weeks, Cassandra has been going down a dark path and wasn’t the mousey and friendly girl she was when she first started working for the Grand Palatial. She was becoming more overtly flirtatious with men and shorter with Pauline and Anna.

“Cassandra, we have a job to do.” Anna mouthed across the room.

She watched as Cassandra turned her head and gave her an icy glare from across the room. She could feel the soulless blue eyes piercing through her. Cassandra flipped her black hair and stiffly made her way toward Anna.

“I wouldn’t want to be you right now.” Pauline laughed from behind her.

Anna turned her gaze to her trusted friend, Pauline Baker. Her stern military look always made her hard for people to open up to, but Anna knew that underneath the rough exterior was a woman who was friendly and smarter than most people. In a way, Anna thought she could be a very pretty woman if she would let her blonde hair grow out from its short-cropped cut, especially because she’s seen several men over the years get lost in Pauline’s smoky green eyes.

“She’ll be fine. She knows we are here to work.” Anna replied with a smile.

“What?” Cassandra demanded as she approached Anna. “I didn’t think I was bothering anyone talking to those guys.”

“We are here to work right now.” Anna said. “After the reception, if you want to meet up with them, it won't be a problem. But right now, you’re on my time and we have a show to run.”

“You’re worried someone else is going to die.” Cassandra sneered. “So you are keeping us all on a tight leash in the hopes no one does.”

“Well, I’d be very concerned eating anything you served me.” Pauline shrugged.

“Knock it off, you two.” Anna warned. “We are here to run the show, not to fight with each other and cause a scene. No one is going to die today. I won’t allow it. Now, let’s get the ackee and salt fish starters out. Okay?”

Like a finely tuned engine, the four arranged the wait staff to deliver the meals. For the 68 guests in attendance, the hotel had 34 staff members on hand to create an elaborate presentation for the guests. Each carried a set of fine white plates with painted rose petals under sterling silver cloche domes. The group marched and swirled among the tables with perfection and Anna watched carefully to be sure no one was out of time or made a misstep along the way. The swirls and pivots were precise and on cue.

With each individual in place, the team set the dishes in front of their respective people. Anna watched intently and counted to three and watched as the cloches were removed from the plates. Everyone in the room thundered in applause and the staff left the banquet hall and returned to the kitchen to prepare for the next course.

Anna felt a hint of relief as she watched people smile and laugh about the presentation and close their eyes, savoring the bites of food.

“You did well.” a voice replied.

Anna turned and saw Lucy O’Sullivan with a smile on her face. The young woman was in her mid- twenties with chocolate brown hair and shimmering blue eyes. A smile perpetually on her face, Anna enjoyed talking to the woman.

“Thank you.” Anna smiled and nodded.

Sliding her hands onto Anna’s, Lucy began to rub them.

“If there is ever anything you need help with, I’d love to repay you.” Lucy replied. Anna smiled and nodded, gently pulling her hands back.

“Thank you for that.” Anna nodded. “My reward is the knowledge that your wedding reception went on without a hitch. You should go enjoy your food before the next course arrives.”

With that, Anna turned and saw Pauline shaking her head. “What was that?” Pauline asked.

“She was just thanking me for the job we did.” Anna replied. “She did hang on a little longer than I would have liked.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Pauline shrugged. “We did a killer job with the presentation though. I didn’t think we’d pull it off.”

“Did you have to use the word killer?” Anna laughed. “But it does seem that, this time, there won’t be any surprises.”

“Well, we can hope at any rate.” Pauline smiled. “I just hope the Kobe beef is as well received in a bit.”

“I think they’ll like it.” Anna replied. “I don’t foresee any problems. We have the best chefs in Jamaica working on these dishes.”

“There is still a sense of dread as we watch and wait, isn’t there?” Pauline sighed. “I have an uneasy feeling something will happen.”

“So do I.” Anna whispered. “What if the last two murders weren’t coincidences? I mean, it does seem as though death is following us.”

Anna turned her head for a moment and noticed two of the guests sitting next to each other, grasping at their throats. She turned to look at Pauline, who had a concerned look on her face.

“What’s wrong, Anna?” Pauline asked.

All Anna could do was turn her head and point at two men who were now standing up from a table, pushing it over, their saliva foaming and dripping from their mouths. Others in the room started to notice and began screaming in terror.

“No.” Anna whimpered. “Not again.”

The man on the right fell to the floor and landed with a sickening thud. The other man’s mouth opened and Anna noticed his tongue was a deep shade of blue. He then fell onto the other man. Both bodies twitched for a few moments before they lay still.

Anna could feel her heart beating against her ribs as the world around her slowed to a crawl. Each second ticked slower than the last as she watched people rushing past her. Guests were spitting out food. A few people tried to perform CPR on the men while someone else in the distance was calling for emergency services. But all Anna could do was stare at the men on the floor, knowing what would happen.

Pauline grabbed her and pulled her into her chest to comfort and steady her. Anna could feel the tears spill from her eyes. She didn’t want to go through all of this again. The investigation, the concern that someone she knew could be the killer. It was all overwhelming. Pushing back from Pauline’s arms, she attempted to regain her composure.

The doors to the ballroom flew open and a swarm of police and paramedics rushed into the room. The police took control of the crowd, keeping everyone at bay. The paramedics attempted to resuscitate the men, to no avail. The two were then put in body bags and removed from the room as the police had people sit down and started taking their statements.

All Anna could do was watch helplessly and wait for the visit she knew she would be getting very soon. She knew how it would go and what would transpire. Turning her head, she watched as Antonio Puccio stormed in through the door.

His face enraged and bright red, his eyes found Anna and he stormed through the room toward her.

“How did I know this would happen again?” he shouted, spit spraying from his mouth. “Are you killing our guests?” the man screamed. “It seems very strange that three out of three events you hosted had someone die. I am at the point that I just want to fire you and be done with it already!”

“Now, Mr. Puccio.” Pauline began. “Anna proved twice that we weren’t responsible for the killings. She found the actual killers and helped spare the name of the Grand Palatial.”

“Then if she wants to keep her job, she better prove we are innocent again.” the man hissed. “If it turns out that a member of your staff killed these men. I will personally hold you accountable, Anna. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Anna whispered.

With that, Mr. Puccio rushed out of out the room, throwing his hands around in a rage. “So, where do you want to begin this time?” Pauline asked with a weak smile.

“Did you have to get me sucked into investigating this murder?” Anna demanded. “I got lucky once, the second time, it was a team effort. I don’t think I can get lucky a third time.”

“Maybe you don’t need to worry about that.” Pauline smiled. “You can’t lose me. Plus, there’s a good chance the killer won’t know how incredibly smart you are. You’ll have an edge.”

“Or I’ll have yet another person pulling a gun on me.” Anna sighed. “I swear, it doesn’t ever get any easier.”

“We’ll make it a point to avoid that for certain.” Pauline said. “So, what do you want to do?” Anna raised her hands and motioned for Cassandra and Pierre to come over.

“What now?” Cassandra asked.

“Let her talk.” Pierre snapped.

“Pierre, keep things quiet in the kitchen and make certain no more food gets out.” Anna began. “Cassandra, start cleaning up trays and keeping food out of the reach of others. Just make sure you cooperate with the police. Pauline and I are going to start snooping around and see what we can find out.”

“So, it will be like the last two times.” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“You could do us all a favor and just admit to being the killer.” Pauline offered.

“Stop it, you two.” Anna warned.

Pierre grabbed Cassandra’s hand to pull her away from the situation and Anna immediately felt a little jealous. Trying to ignore it, she turned to Pauline.

“I want you to start getting a feel for who the victims were. I don’t know their names and I know nothing about them. Find out what you can and I’ll find out what I can about the rest of the details.” Anna whispered.

“It’s like I am a secret agent.” Pauline smiled. “I can’t wait to take out the evil in the room. I just hope it’s Cassandra. I’d like to be rid of her for good.”

“I know you two don’t get along.” Anna replied. “But you need to stop saying those things. If a guest overhears that, they might get the wrong impression.”

Pauline shook her head and smiled, then took off to mingle with the guests. As Anna watched her go, she couldn’t help but hope Pauline’s opinion of Cassandra was wrong and there wasn’t some evil lurking in her assistant that would be cause for more concern later on.

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