Dead Girl Running (Cape Charade #1)(62)

Mara walked to Max Di Luca, took his arm and smiled into his face. “And you are…?”

Frances walked toward the lounge, calling, “This calls for a giant bottle of champagne and some fresh-squeezed orange juice. Any excuse for mimosas, I say!”

Carson Lennex offered his arm to Patty and Rita, two of the Shivering Sherlocks who were indeed shivering. “Let me help you to a seat.”

Now Sheri Jean flashed her evil-supervisor-look at her own staff. Desk personnel began to smile, be the kind of hospitality team that helped guests move beyond their shock and back into a vacation state of mind. Soon the lounge was crowded and buzzing with excitement.

The noise died down when a rumpled Nils Brooks stepped into the doorway, pushed his glasses up on his nose and in a bewildered tone asked, “Did I miss something?”





28

The laughter this time was loud and prolonged, leaving Nils looking confused and the other guests in a much better frame of mind.

Mara returned and took the opportunity to push Kellen around the corner into the lobby. Sheri Jean had disappeared. The snake had disappeared. The bowl sat on the concierge desk. “Thank God for Sheri Jean,” Kellen said. “Where do you suppose she took that thing?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care.” In a low, furious voice, Mara said, “That fruit trick was deliberate!”

Brilliant deduction, Mara. “Why do you say that?”

“The doorman didn’t recognize the delivery car or driver. There was no card. The fruit was refrigerated, which would have made the snake lethargic until it warmed up and out it popped! Deliberate!”

“I didn’t know that. About the doorman.” Kellen still felt a little queasy. “Was it Russell? He knows everybody.”

“Yes, it was Russell!” Mara’s eyes sparked. “Someone has it in for you!”

“The whole setup was not very nice,” Kellen acknowledged.

“Not nice! It was awful. Are you having problems with a man?”

“No. Honestly, I don’t know who did that.” My dead husband.

“You don’t have to tell me anything. I understand it’s embarrassing to be the victim of harassment.” Mara glared at Nils Brooks’s back. “But listen. My girls and I are glad to help handle any man problems. You say the word.”

“Huh? No, it’s not him.” At once, Kellen realized she had incriminated herself. “I mean, he’s not likely. He’s a gentle nerd.” And Kellen was a big fat liar.

“Then who is it?” Mara wanted an answer, and she wanted it now.

Not my dead husband, that’s for sure! “Probably a disgruntled guest. We’ve had some winners over the past few months. Remember the weight lifter who decided he could drop the dumbbell bar and grope your boobs while you spotted him? When you banned him from the gym, he was going to sue for you damaging his marriage.”

“No one has sent me a snake!”

“It wasn’t poisonous.”

“Get real. Snake. Snake!” Mara flickered her tongue.

Kellen groped in her mind for another memory. “How about this golden oldie? Remember the first week I was here? Remember the drunk lady who didn’t chew her food, got a giant piece of steak stuck in her windpipe? I gave her the Heimlich maneuver, dislodged the steak into her boyfriend’s soup, and she slammed me against the wall for trying to steal her boy toy?”

Mara relaxed a little. She eyed the now-empty bowl. “That snake trick does seem like more of a female’s mean prank than a man’s, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.” Hmm. “Yes, it does.”

Mara looked over Kellen’s shoulder. “Your new security man wants to speak with you. Did you know Max is a Di Luca?”

“Annie told me, and yes, when he introduced himself, it was pretty obvious.”

“I looked him up. He’s one of the important Di Lucas—and he likes you.”

Kellen wanted to moan. She didn’t know which was worse, Mara thinking that Max was attracted to her and being wrong, or Mara thinking that Max was attracted to her and being right. Either way was uncomfortable. “That’s ridiculous. He just met me.”

“Instant attraction.” Mara rubbed her fingertips together. “The Di Lucas have a lot of money.”

“Then you go after him!”

“He doesn’t like me.”

Right now, I don’t much like you, either. “Use your wiles.”

Mara batted her eyelashes. “Wiles? Why, darling, I don’t have wiles. I’m sincere clear to the bone.”

Kellen snorted most unattractively.

Mara grinned, then sobered. “Remember—if you figure out who did that snake stunt, I’ll help you make them sorry. No one comes to my resort and gets away with that kind of stunt.” She skipped away toward the lounge, as sparkly and charming as ever, and just as irritating.

Maximilian Di Luca moved to take her place. He did not skip; his feet were so absurdly large, seeing him approach was akin to watching Godzilla crush Tokyo.

Kellen smiled, extended her hand. “We didn’t meet properly before. Mr. Di Luca, I’m glad you’re here.”

He took her hand, cupped it between both of his and looked into her face. “Call me Max.”