Read Online Carolyn Arnold - McKinley 02 - Vacation is Murder by Carolyn Arnold - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carolyn Arnold
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through the passenger window of the beat-up sedan. “Excuse me.”
The taxi driver turned to Sean.
“Did you just take a couple from this resort someplace?”
“She is tall and slender, red hair. He is shorter and muscular,” Sara added as she lowered against Sean’s back so she could see into the car.
“No.”
“He was wearing a red beer t-shirt.”
The driver smiled. “Yes. Budweiser . Good American beer.”
They didn’t have time to get into a discussion over lager. “So you remember them?”
“No, I said I know Budweiser.”
“You’re sure you never gave them a ride?” Sean pressed the question.
“Maybe another taxi?”
Another sedan came up the drive and into the turnabout.
“Sean.” Sara headed over to the driver’s side of the other taxi, and Sean came up beside her.
“Did you just give a ride to a couple? She’s a beautiful redhead and he was wearing a beer t-shirt?”
The driver looked from her hat, to her eyes. “Yes.”
“We need you to take us where you took them,” Sean said.
“We would be grateful if you would,” Sara added. “She is my friend. I need to return her hat.”
“Ah, makes sense. Does not suit you. But otherwise, you are very beautiful.” He smiled.
“Oh.” Sara took it off and sliced an evil glare at Sean as she did so.
Undercover
THEY SETTLED IN THE BACK seat of the taxi and inhaled lingering smells of perspiration, cologne, and floral overtures. The latter struck Sara as a familiar scent.
“That’s Amelia’s perfume. We’re in the right car.”
Sean nodded. “And we know that wherever they went, it must be about a half hour away from the resort.”
“Sí.” The driver smiled in the rearview mirror, directing it to Sara.
“Where did you take them?” she asked.
“Another resort.” The driver snickered.
The taxi merged into traffic, based more on a prayer that the oncoming cars would slow to allow them safe passage rather than skill.
It had Sara reaching for the grab bar. She didn’t come all the way to Mexico to die in a car accident. She had to focus on their case—was it crazy to call it that? After all, they weren’t acting in an official capacity, but, nonetheless, they were acting. She steadied her breath and decided it best to divert her attention from the reckless, fast-paced driving of the cabbie and back to Amelia.
“Sean, this guy followed her down here. She was staying at our resort. Whatever is going on, I really think she’s in danger now too.”
“I agree, darling.” Sean reached his hand across the back seat to Sara’s and laced his fingers through hers.
Sara glanced briefly at their intertwined hands and experienced a torrent of emotion. She was used to working cases back home, in the familiar surroundings of the city she grew up in, but not here in a foreign country where she wasn’t even fluent with the language.
And surprisingly, while she had always watched Sean’s back, it was different now they were married. She stood to lose that much more if something went wrong.
She sensed him watching her and looked up to meet his eyes. She saw the same fear and doubt reflecting back at her—should they have left it alone?
The taxi took a swift curve into the parking lot belonging to a three-story motel. To term it a resort would be too far off the mark. Back home it would have been referred to as a seedy joint, one any middle-income adult would avoid, unless they had no choice.
Sean tucked that thought away as he paid the fare, having divvied out the money en route. Then he waved off the taxi.
“Oh, Sean, I have a really bad feeling.” Sara held the sunhat in front of her and softly swayed left to right.
She came across so vulnerable in that moment, as if she were retreating behind the hat, wishing away their current circumstance.
“There are only two types of people who come here. The ones who can’t afford any better and the ones who are hiding from something. We know this,
The taxi driver turned to Sean.
“Did you just take a couple from this resort someplace?”
“She is tall and slender, red hair. He is shorter and muscular,” Sara added as she lowered against Sean’s back so she could see into the car.
“No.”
“He was wearing a red beer t-shirt.”
The driver smiled. “Yes. Budweiser . Good American beer.”
They didn’t have time to get into a discussion over lager. “So you remember them?”
“No, I said I know Budweiser.”
“You’re sure you never gave them a ride?” Sean pressed the question.
“Maybe another taxi?”
Another sedan came up the drive and into the turnabout.
“Sean.” Sara headed over to the driver’s side of the other taxi, and Sean came up beside her.
“Did you just give a ride to a couple? She’s a beautiful redhead and he was wearing a beer t-shirt?”
The driver looked from her hat, to her eyes. “Yes.”
“We need you to take us where you took them,” Sean said.
“We would be grateful if you would,” Sara added. “She is my friend. I need to return her hat.”
“Ah, makes sense. Does not suit you. But otherwise, you are very beautiful.” He smiled.
“Oh.” Sara took it off and sliced an evil glare at Sean as she did so.
Undercover
THEY SETTLED IN THE BACK seat of the taxi and inhaled lingering smells of perspiration, cologne, and floral overtures. The latter struck Sara as a familiar scent.
“That’s Amelia’s perfume. We’re in the right car.”
Sean nodded. “And we know that wherever they went, it must be about a half hour away from the resort.”
“Sí.” The driver smiled in the rearview mirror, directing it to Sara.
“Where did you take them?” she asked.
“Another resort.” The driver snickered.
The taxi merged into traffic, based more on a prayer that the oncoming cars would slow to allow them safe passage rather than skill.
It had Sara reaching for the grab bar. She didn’t come all the way to Mexico to die in a car accident. She had to focus on their case—was it crazy to call it that? After all, they weren’t acting in an official capacity, but, nonetheless, they were acting. She steadied her breath and decided it best to divert her attention from the reckless, fast-paced driving of the cabbie and back to Amelia.
“Sean, this guy followed her down here. She was staying at our resort. Whatever is going on, I really think she’s in danger now too.”
“I agree, darling.” Sean reached his hand across the back seat to Sara’s and laced his fingers through hers.
Sara glanced briefly at their intertwined hands and experienced a torrent of emotion. She was used to working cases back home, in the familiar surroundings of the city she grew up in, but not here in a foreign country where she wasn’t even fluent with the language.
And surprisingly, while she had always watched Sean’s back, it was different now they were married. She stood to lose that much more if something went wrong.
She sensed him watching her and looked up to meet his eyes. She saw the same fear and doubt reflecting back at her—should they have left it alone?
The taxi took a swift curve into the parking lot belonging to a three-story motel. To term it a resort would be too far off the mark. Back home it would have been referred to as a seedy joint, one any middle-income adult would avoid, unless they had no choice.
Sean tucked that thought away as he paid the fare, having divvied out the money en route. Then he waved off the taxi.
“Oh, Sean, I have a really bad feeling.” Sara held the sunhat in front of her and softly swayed left to right.
She came across so vulnerable in that moment, as if she were retreating behind the hat, wishing away their current circumstance.
“There are only two types of people who come here. The ones who can’t afford any better and the ones who are hiding from something. We know this,
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