was against it. Now the local police want to use Elena’s murder at one of our villas, after another death a few months ago also connected to our business, as mounting evidence that we are incapable, negligent at protecting the public, and should not have a real estate license allowing us to rent to the public. They want to shut us down.”
Sabrina was shocked that Henry had been willing to fall on his sword for her in front of David, an act that must feel humiliating. It was far greater than any apology he might ever offer her. She watched as Henry and David locked eyes with one another without exchanging words.
“You want me to fly Neil Perry to San Juan. When?” David asked, turning to Sabrina.
“First thing tomorrow. Will you do it?”
“Of course. I will do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes,” David said, but this time he was talking to Henry.
Chapter Eighteen
Sabrina checked her cell phone for messages once she and Henry were back in the van. Reception was so spotty on island that you had to check frequently if you wanted to be able to respond to things as they came in. Sure enough, there was one from Detective Hodge, which she played for Henry, instructing her to have her guests return to Villa Nirvana at 3:00 when they could pick up some of their possessions and be interviewed. They would not be permitted to stay at the villa until the “public safety issues” had been resolved. It wasn’t necessary for the young Keating children to come.
Sabrina fumed. Public safety issues. What BS. They needed to resolve Elena’s murder quickly before Hodge used this subterfuge to undermine their entire business. Henry had managed to spin the last murder at one of their villas so that people were actually clamoring to stay there, but a second homicide might be pushing it.
“I appreciate how difficult it must have been for you to ask David for help, Henry. Let me make the next part of your day a little easier. I’ll pick up Gavin and Lisa at the Westin. You can take the rest of the clan up at Bella Vista. It’s my turn to deal with Gavin,” Sabrina said.
“Okay,” Henry sighed. Sabrina wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk about David or not. She wanted to be a supportive friend but wasn’t sure if that meant letting Henry have some time to digest his first meeting with David or encouraging him to talk about it. How did people know these things? Why didn’t she have this sense others seemed to take for granted? She plunged in any way.
“‘Whatever it takes’ is a huge commitment,” Sabrina said.
“David’s good at words. Let’s see him put them into action.”
Sabrina drove to Henry’s condominium on Gifft Hill and switched to the Ten Villas Jeep Wrangler since she would have only two passengers. She called Lisa Keating’s cell phone rather than Gavin’s and left a message that she would pick them up shortly. Sabrina had been careful to collect the cell phone numbers of the entire Keating clan before they’d arrived on St. John. With so many people attending an event and staying at various places, the chances of something unplanned happening were high. She just hadn’t known it would be a murder.
Lisa answered the door before Sabrina had a chance to knock. She was dressed in a different outfit than Sabrinaremembered from the beach just twenty-four hours earlier. The Westin had several high-fashion, pricey boutiques, and Lisa was definitely not dressed in clothes from the lost-and-found bags. Sabrina noted she was wearing a blouse with long sleeves that covered the marks on her arms.
“I saw you coming. Kind of hard to miss that shade of green,” Lisa said, smiling.
“A business decision I have lived to regret,” Sabrina said, not for the first time wishing she and Henry had not chosen the gecko-green color for their Wrangler, but she laughed with Lisa, whom she noticed was sipping what appeared to be a Bloody Mary.
“Can I offer you one?” Lisa asked.
“I better not. Where’s
Sabrina was shocked that Henry had been willing to fall on his sword for her in front of David, an act that must feel humiliating. It was far greater than any apology he might ever offer her. She watched as Henry and David locked eyes with one another without exchanging words.
“You want me to fly Neil Perry to San Juan. When?” David asked, turning to Sabrina.
“First thing tomorrow. Will you do it?”
“Of course. I will do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes,” David said, but this time he was talking to Henry.
Chapter Eighteen
Sabrina checked her cell phone for messages once she and Henry were back in the van. Reception was so spotty on island that you had to check frequently if you wanted to be able to respond to things as they came in. Sure enough, there was one from Detective Hodge, which she played for Henry, instructing her to have her guests return to Villa Nirvana at 3:00 when they could pick up some of their possessions and be interviewed. They would not be permitted to stay at the villa until the “public safety issues” had been resolved. It wasn’t necessary for the young Keating children to come.
Sabrina fumed. Public safety issues. What BS. They needed to resolve Elena’s murder quickly before Hodge used this subterfuge to undermine their entire business. Henry had managed to spin the last murder at one of their villas so that people were actually clamoring to stay there, but a second homicide might be pushing it.
“I appreciate how difficult it must have been for you to ask David for help, Henry. Let me make the next part of your day a little easier. I’ll pick up Gavin and Lisa at the Westin. You can take the rest of the clan up at Bella Vista. It’s my turn to deal with Gavin,” Sabrina said.
“Okay,” Henry sighed. Sabrina wasn’t sure if he wanted to talk about David or not. She wanted to be a supportive friend but wasn’t sure if that meant letting Henry have some time to digest his first meeting with David or encouraging him to talk about it. How did people know these things? Why didn’t she have this sense others seemed to take for granted? She plunged in any way.
“‘Whatever it takes’ is a huge commitment,” Sabrina said.
“David’s good at words. Let’s see him put them into action.”
Sabrina drove to Henry’s condominium on Gifft Hill and switched to the Ten Villas Jeep Wrangler since she would have only two passengers. She called Lisa Keating’s cell phone rather than Gavin’s and left a message that she would pick them up shortly. Sabrina had been careful to collect the cell phone numbers of the entire Keating clan before they’d arrived on St. John. With so many people attending an event and staying at various places, the chances of something unplanned happening were high. She just hadn’t known it would be a murder.
Lisa answered the door before Sabrina had a chance to knock. She was dressed in a different outfit than Sabrinaremembered from the beach just twenty-four hours earlier. The Westin had several high-fashion, pricey boutiques, and Lisa was definitely not dressed in clothes from the lost-and-found bags. Sabrina noted she was wearing a blouse with long sleeves that covered the marks on her arms.
“I saw you coming. Kind of hard to miss that shade of green,” Lisa said, smiling.
“A business decision I have lived to regret,” Sabrina said, not for the first time wishing she and Henry had not chosen the gecko-green color for their Wrangler, but she laughed with Lisa, whom she noticed was sipping what appeared to be a Bloody Mary.
“Can I offer you one?” Lisa asked.
“I better not. Where’s
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