Murder in Barbados: An Anna Winters Cozy Mystery (Murder in Paradise Book 4) by Penelope Sotheby
Authors: Penelope Sotheby
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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
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
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