Page 55 of Transatlantic Terror Cruise

Reed fields questions with a practiced charm, but there seems to be an edge to the smile he’s forcing on the crowd.

“Yes, the lady in blue.” He points to Tinsley, who’s practically vibrating in her seat by now.

“In your expert opinion”—Tinsley emphasizes the wordexpertso hard it could cut glass—“how often do business partnerships end in murder?”

I sink a little in my seat. Talk about getting right to the point.

“Statistically speaking?” Reed offers a friendly laugh. “Not nearly as often as marriages.”

Elvie is about to take a sip of water and pauses with the glass halfway to her lips. It’s as if he stopped her in her tracks with that comment. And it does beg the question why.

“However”—Reed shrugs at the crowd—“I imagine financial disputes cause their fair share of homicides.”

Elvie gives a sober nod. “Especially when large sums of money go missing.”

They wrap it up and soon the crowd is on its feet and mingling about, not to mention hitting the donut buffet hard—which is exactly what Bess, Nettie, and Wes took off to do.

I spot Tinsley chatting it up with Becky Lee as they inspect a table laden with her murder merch but I happen to have my sights set on a tall, dark, and handsome man—one that isn’t my husband.

I make a beeline for Reed Williams just as another tall, dark, and handsome man circumvents me—one that happens to be my newly minted hubby indeed.

CHAPTER30

“Fancy meeting you here,” Ransom says with a smile that still makes me weak in the knees as we stand in the middle of the Sapphire Lounge.

“I’d say this is fate, but we both know you’re just following the trail of my sequins.” I pat my shiny blue dress and he waggles his brows in response.

He nods to Reed just up ahead. “How about we double-team him?”

“I’m always on your team.”

Ransom and I walk over and cut Reed off at the pass while Sassy floats overhead like the scandal-hungry spectator she is. Or come to think of it, she might just be hungry for the leather-clad man himself. Most likely both.

“Well done.” Ransom extends a hand to Reed. “That was quite a session. You really know how to work a crowd.”

“The leather helps.” Sassy sighs dreamily beside me.

Reed nods. “High praise coming from you, Detective.”

And from Sassy unbeknownst to him.

“He’s right,” I say. “You were a hit.”

“Years of practice.” Reed runs a hand through his thick locks. “But it was Brad who was the natural showman. He could spin a tale that would keep you on the edge of your seat for hours. And that’s why he was able to make a living at it.”

Ransom nods. “I reviewed a few of his podcasts. He was a master at his craft.”

I give Ransom’s hand a squeeze.

Why didn’t I think of reviewing Brad’s podcasts? Lord knows I’ve had plenty of time to watch any and every podcast under the murderous sun these past few days.

“Speaking of spinning tales,” Ransom says as his lips curve with the idea of a smile. “I’d love to hear more about your haunted house venture. It sounds fascinating.”

Sassy wraps herself around Reed like a vine. “Honey, everything about that man is fascinating.” She fans herself with her fingers. “Especially in those pants.”

I bite back a smile. “Was it a successful partnership?”

Reed looks my way and sighs. “It was complicated. It started off pretty great, but then money started disappearing. Someone was dipping into the kitty, so to speak.”

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