Page 113 of Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds

How could I find out if Valentine was on the island short of hiking to his house? I clicked on the finder and skimmed for anything that might be his schedule. Nothing jumped out at me. So I clicked on Tristan’s email and...

It was password-protected.

I was about to leave when I saw a file labeledEmployees. I hesitated, then clicked it. Inside the file were files for each employee, last name, first name. I shouldn’t do this... but I did. I found Garmon, Gino and clicked it open.

There were multiple documents including application, references, performance reviews. I opened his application and scanned it. He’d left Miami two years before he started here. He’d been a private investigator for those two years... was that a real job or a fake job? Because wouldn’t it take time to get his license and build his clientele? Did he not like being a PI, or was it a temporary gig while he found something else? I took a picture of his references, closed the document, opened the most recent performance review.

“Mia Mia Mia.” I heard Brie repeat my name in a low voice.

I looked up, and she was motioning for me to come.

I took a picture of just the first page that popped up, quit the program, and ran out of the office, panicked.

“This way,” Brie whispered, and we turned into the break room just as two people walked through the main door, chatting.

Brie opened the back door, and we exited. Brie turned right, away from the buildings, down the path that circled the back of the resort.

“Shit,” I muttered. “That wasn’t much time.”

“Short staff meeting, I guess,” she said. “Did you get his schedule?”

“Couldn’t find it, but I have Valentine’s contact information. And was reading Gino Garmon’s file when you alerted me.”

“Anything?”

“He was a PI for two years before he got this job. I have his references. Maybe I’ll call them, see if anyone knows about why he quit the force.”

As soon as we were out of sight of the buildings, I breathed easier. “That was way too close,” I said.

Brie giggled.

“And fun,” she said.

“Maybe for you,” I said, trying not to laugh. “My heart is still pounding.”

“Mine too.”

We cut through the back entrance of the resort, and I grabbed a premade wrapped sandwich from the buffet. There seemed to be food available 24/7.

“I worked up an appetite,” I said, then laughed out loud.

“Ms. Crawford, Ms. Locke,” Tristan said as he approached us.

I froze.

He knew. He had cameras in the office. Someone saw us.Hesaw us. I was going to be kicked off the island before I solved this mysteryorhad sex with Jason. A double tragedy.

“Hiya, Tristan,” Brie said with a casual smile. “What’s happening?”

How could she be so calm?

“I was looking for Ms. Crawford,” Tristan said.

“Me?”

“I wanted to first apologize that you were made uncomfortable by another guest this morning. I have spoken to Mr. Lance, and he is leaving the island tomorrow.”

“You didn’t have to send him away,” I said. Thank God he didn’t know that we’d broken into the office and accessed his computer. “He was just worried about CeeCee.”

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