In turn, the shopkeeper had given the kid a job for a few hours a week so that he could earn the money to buy a few groceries. And Wes’s assistant director had gone to see the mom who was on a regimen of cancer treatments to get her into the right program.
Of course, he had checked on the kid through the years. And he was exceptionally happy to see that the boy was now working his way through college—still a kid with an amazing work ethic and a determination to pay it all back.
Sometimes... things could turn out okay.
This wasn’t one of those times.
Okay, so greed. If someone was trying to take over a massive company, or several companies, to make a fortune in the current world where the internet was king, then greed was most likely the motive.
But what the hell would killing Sally have to do with any of that?
“Wes?”
He looked up. Chloe was smiling at him, the others were looking at him and their young waiter was standing behind him.
“Um, hm, the pecan pie!” he said, hoping that the young man was there to take his dessert order.
He was.
“Thanks!” the young man said. “Okay, four pecan pies, four key lime pies. Thank you and they’ll be right up. Oh, and I have two Irish coffees, two espressos and three cappuccinos—”
“Please make that four on the cappuccinos!” Wes said. He made a face at Chloe, noted by everyone around the table, he was sure. “I think I almost dozed off! Want to stay awake a bit longer,” he told her.
“Yes, sir,” the young waiter said before disappearing.
“Maybe we should all just call it a night and head to sleep!” Broderick said. “Tomorrow we’re at the private island andthere are all kinds of excursions. Oh, hey, I’m willing to bet that I’m on the same excursion you’re going on, Wesley. Although maybe you’re not! If you run a dive boat and take people down into the briny depths all the time, you might have opted for the dune buggy tour!”
Wes shrugged. “No, I opted to dive. New place, new reefs, new fish, maybe. Oh, and there’s a wreck down there. I never miss a wreck,” he said.
Strange, maybe, that they were just starting to talk about the plans for tomorrow. At first, everyone had been talking about poor Sally and, of course, speculating on just what the relationship might prove to be between her and Edward. They’d ordered—and Italian Night had been terrific with Chloe and him determining that she’d go with the chicken rotini Alfredo and he’d get the lasagna.
A pair of strolling musicians had played and sang Italian love songs, which had limited conversation, as well.
He’d wondered if anyone else would want to leave the meal, to run to see how Sally was doing.
If she had been poisoned and was supposed to be dead...
That person might wonder if she was awake and aware—and able to point out who might have been attempting to murder her.
And why!
“And you, Chloe? What’s your plan on the island?” Celia asked.
“Wait, wait, I can answer that! They are the perfect married couple, remember? If Wes is diving, Chloe is diving. Am I right?” Jeff asked.
“I am going diving,” Chloe said.
“You guys are teasing her!” Gina reprimanded. “And that’s the most amazing thing in the world—a couple who just really get along and are the perfect married couple!”
“Thanks, Gina,” Chloe murmured.
“Hey!” Jeff protested, looking at Celia. “We’re a perfect married couple, too, right?”
Daniel laughed and answered that. “Indeed! Celia says jump! And you say, how high, my love?”
Jeff groaned and Celia protested. “I’m just more savvy when it comes to our business.”
“That’s just it,” Jeff said. “I know that I’m a lucky guy. So, yeah, I ask just how high I’m supposed to jump!”
