Murder in Barbados: An Anna Winters Cozy Mystery (Murder in Paradise Book 4) by Penelope Sotheby Read Free Book Online Page B

making sense to her at all and she grew concerned.
    “Did you kill her?” Pauline demanded. “Was it an accident? Anna, you are covered in blood. Are you hurt, too?”
    Anna laid the bloody body down and jumped up, wrapping her hands around Pauline, sobbing.
    “I thought you were dead.” Anna howled. “She did this. Cassandra did this. Cassandra killed the maid. I know she did.”
    “Even though I am glad you are on board with the Cassandra theory,” Pauline began. “We have no proof she directly committed this murder. Whoever did is tying up loose ends though. The maid may have seen or overheard something. Possibly something in Stuart’s room. I want to nail the little witch more than anyone else but we need proof.”
    “You sound like me now.” Anna whispered. “The body though. Whoever killed her did it with pure hatred. I couldn’t even tell it wasn’t you. I tried to call your phone a number of times and it would keep going to voicemail.”
    “Well, thanks for the concern and my pretty face.” Pauline cracked. “My cellphone battery died. So I was unable to talk to anyone living anyway. Now, back to this poor woman. That is a pressing issue. We need to call the police and have them take care of it. Wouldn’t you agree?”
    Anna nodded, reached into her pocket for her phone, and dialed Detective Jensen.
    “We have another body.” Anna spoke emotionally into the phone.
    “What do you mean?” Detective Jensen demanded. “Someone else has died? Who is the victim? There are so many questions I still have about the other two.”
    “The body was beaten beyond recognition.” Anna sobbed. “I thought it was my best friend, Pauline. I would have been so lost without her. It wasn’t her though. But you are needed in Room 203. Pauline is here. I need to wash the blood off myself if I can. I held her so tightly, thinking it was Pauline.”
    “That’s fine.” Detective Jensen spoke softly. “I know you didn’t kill her. Just be careful and come back after the blood is washed off. Just make sure you safeguard the body first. We don’t need to have any surprises because the crime scene is contaminated any more than it already is. We’ll need to take your fingerprints and so we can exclude you from the scene. In the future, don’t just pounce on a dead body and assume the worst. That just complicates everything and turns the crime scene into a headache.”
    “I know. I know” Anna agreed and hung up the phone.
    “I’ll wait here.” Pauline nodded. “But hurry. I need to shower, too. Someone had their bloody arms around me.”
    Anna nodded and left the room. It felt good to have the body out of sight and have a chance to focus on something beyond the woman she had just clung to so tightly.
    On her way down the hall to her room, she heard whispering around the corner. She didn’t want to snoop, but she still had so many questions that needed to be answered. Carefully, she listened.
    “Did you get the job done?” a woman’s voice asked.
    “Yes.” a man’s voice replied.
    “Did anyone see you leave the room?” she demanded.
    “No.” he responded.
    “You need to be certain.” Her words cold. “This is escalating and no one can find out what we’re doing. One slip up and it is jail for all of us.”
    “It’s fine.” His words rushed. “We can’t be seen together. I need to go.”
    Anna edged closer when Colin came around the corner and ran into her, knocking her down. Looking at her, his eyes grew wide and he took off running down the hallway. Quickly, Anna got to her feet as Monica turned the corner and stood still.
    “You’re not going anywhere.” Anna replied.
    “So you think you are going to stop me now?” Monica asked. “You don’t know who I am, do you? Probably not, I am well known in Barbados, but not by outsiders.”
    “You’re dangerous, I know that.” Anna spoke cautiously. “I know you have a gun somewhere on you. I know that you would kill someone just for