she hadn’t opened her door, and felt the pressure of the night and the shadows again. She quickly slid her key into the bolt for the glass doors, then stepped inside, feeling a rise of anger. She had never felt afraid here before, ever.
And now…
Though the image had faded for a moment due to skepticism and doubt, she could now vividly recall the corpse on the beach. A corpse that had disappeared.
She locked the door, making certain it was secure; then, still feeling an almost panicky unease, she walked through the little Florida room, kitchen and living room, assuring herself that windows were tightly closed and the front door was locked.
Damn David a million times over for both the trials haunting her tonight. If it hadn’t been for him, John Seymore would be inside with her. Then she wouldn’t be afraid of the shadows, or the memories stirring in her mind.
She slipped through the hallway to the first of the two bedrooms in the cottage, the one she used for an office area. She checked the window there and even opened the closet door.
David’s suggestion that she might be in danger seemed to be invading her every nerve. But the office was empty and secure.
Finally she went to her own room, found it safe, then prepared for bed and slipped under the covers. The night-light she kept on in the bathroom had always provided her with more than enough illumination, but tonight it only added to the shadows.
Usually the sound of the waves and the sea breeze rustling through the trees was soothing, but tonight…
She lay there for several seconds. Waves…breeze…palms. Foliage that seemed to whisper softly in the night, usually so pleasant…
A sudden thumping sound startled her so badly that she nearly screamed aloud. She did jump out of bed.
She’d heard a thump, as if something heavy had just landed on her roof.
She stood dead still, waiting. And waiting…
Nothing, no sound at all. Had she been deceived? The sound might have come from elsewhere…
Or might not have come at all.
She almost let out a loud sigh of pure frustration, but swallowed it back, and slowly, silently, tiptoed from her bedroom.
Into the hall…through to the kitchen. From there she could see both the living room and the little Florida room and the glass doors that led out back. The curtain was partially open. Had she left it that way?
The noise had come from the roof. There was a fireplace in the living area of each of the cottages. Despite the fact that this was sunny Florida, in the winter, during the few days that dipped into the forties or even the thirties, a fire was incredibly nice. But the chimney was far too small for a man to slip through.
So she was safe. There was nothing.
She was letting the simple sounds of nature slip into her psyche and scare her because she was still so unnerved by the happenings of the day.
A coconut had probably fallen off a palm. Still, just to be sure…
She walked to the back, trying to stay behind the curtain, then peeked out the glass. She pulled the drape back just a little more…
And screamed.
Chapter Four
Everyone was gone, Laurie thought. First Alex and John, then David. There were people around, but the Tiki Hut seemed empty. The band had reverted to calypso, very pleasant but also, in her current state of mind, sleep inducing.
Alex was crazy. She’d been married to David Denhem and divorced him.
Alex had never been to Date Tournament. Had she realized what was out there, she would undoubtedly still be married.
Maybe Alex thought that nights spent at a place like Date Tournament were simply not in her future. Then again, maybe she would never have such a night—because there was something about Alex that attracted men.
Laurie wished she had that innate…thing, whatever it was. Maybe it would come with age, but Alex was only three years her senior. Well, maybe things weren’t as perfect as they seemed for Alex, either.
“You’re up late, aren’t you?”
She started. It was Hank Adamson. She hadn’t seen him before, but the Tiki Hut had been hopping, earlier, so he could have been lost in the crowd.
She saw Jay Galway on the other side of the bar, conversing with Seth Granger and a few of the other guests. He was staring at her—glaring, really—and giving her a big smile. Sign language, Jay Galway style. She was supposed to be as nice as possible, suck up big-time.
She gave an imperceptible nod to Jay and smiled as instructed at Hank. He slid out the chair opposite her and sat. “Okay if I join you and ask a few questions?”
“Sure.”
In his lanky way, he was actually very attractive, she realized.
He grinned. “You look so wary.”
“Do I? Well, we all know that the pen is very powerful.”
“Update to computer,” he said dryly.
“Okay, the written word—no matter how it’s written.”
“Honestly, you don’t have to be so cautious. I didn’t come to do a simple review. I’m going to do a whole piece on the place.”
“A good piece—or a bad piece?”
“Good, bad…truthful.”
“We’re a good place,” she said.
His grin deepened. “Actually, yes, Moon Bay does seem to follow through on every promise it makes. That’s what’s important. A little mom-and-pop establishment can get a great write-up, as long as it delivers on what it offers.”
“Um, we’re not exactly mom-and-pop,” Laurie murmured.
“No, but so far, I’ve gotten a good bang for my buck, and that’s what matters.”
Laurie smiled. “That’s great. I love Moon Bay. It’s not just that I work here—I really love it. It’s a wonderful place for a vacation.”
“With the happiness and well-being of the guests foremost in everyone’s mind at all times?”
“Yes, of course…” Laurie murmured, looking down at her hands suddenly. Was that true? What if that hadn’t been a prank on the beach today? If Alex had been right, and a woman had been dead—and what if the killer had come back, aware that the body had washed up, and moved it?
“What is it?” She suddenly knew why Hank Adamson was considered so good. He asked casual questions; people gave casual answers. So casual you didn’t realize that your mind was wandering off and that you were about to betray your real thoughts.
“What is what?”
