Page 23 of Last Ticket to Paradise

The woman slid the tray back in the display case and locked it. “Hold on one minute.”

She parked herself in front of a laptop, tapped some keys, and ran her finger down the screen. “Here it is. Yes, I’m afraid someone bought that piece last month.”

“Who bought it?”

The clerk snapped the laptop closed. “I can’t tell you that. Our transactions are confidential. It was an extremely expensive piece.”

Georgette stepped back from the case. “I-I just thought if it was a guest at the resort, I could have a look at it.”

The clerk’s jaw relaxed. “I’m sorry. I can’t reveal the buyer’s name. Now that I’ve seen the notation in the computer file, however, I can tell you that a man bought it for a woman.” She winked. “And that woman may still be here at the resort.”

Georgette thanked her and walked out of the shop on legs that felt like wood. Did Jake buy that necklace for Jamie? He was rich enough to afford it. The clerk remembered the buyer when she’d checked the register. Why would she remember the buyer unless it was her own boss?

What did it matter? Jake wouldn’t be the first man to shower Jamie with gifts. Brice didn’t realize his professor’s salary never had a chance with Jamie.

Georgette stood in the middle of the quad and took a few deep breaths. Jake Kincaid wasn’t important...unless he had something to do with Jamie’s disappearance.

She tripped over the threshold of the bookshop, inhaling the familiar scent of binding glue and fresh pages, although this store, with its gleaming shelves and bright displays, was different from her crowded, messy bookshop at home.

The prominent display of books on Palumba culture stood in the middle of the floor. She thumbed through the paperbacks extolling Palumba’s glorious beaches, fine restaurants, and boat tours. Nothing about Palarosa.

A cheery clerk, probably a local girl, smiled from behind the glass counter. “Can I help you find something?”

Georgette sidled up to the display not wanting to broadcast her interest in Palarosa to the rest of the customers browsing. An old man with a tool belt around his waist crouched behind the counter, working on a cabinet door.

Georgette hunched over the counter. “I’m looking for a book on Palarosa.”

The clerk smiled even wider. “The hotels put on several fine shows. We don’t do one here, but the best is at the Costa Azul.”

Georgette shook her head. “No, I’m interested in the history of Palarosa.”

The girl’s eyes grew wide, and her shoulders stiffened. “We don’t carry anything like that.”

Georgette sighed. Figured Jake wouldn’t have anything at the resort to remind the tourists of Palarosa. It might drive them all away.

“Thank you anyway.” She ambled out of the store and sat down at the edge of the fountain in the quad. Now what? She tried a search on her phone, but the sketchy service wouldn’t cooperate. On to the next project. She hoisted herself up from the fountain ledge, and an old man shuffled up to her.

“Excuse me, miss?”

Georgette looked down. It was the man from the bookstore. “Yes?”

“Do you want to learn about Palarosa?” He peered at her from under shaggy gray eyebrows.

She took in a sharp breath. “Yes.”

He turned, scuffing his sandals on the tile. She took two quick steps after him. “Do you have a book?”

He put a gnarled finger to his lips and gestured with his head for her to follow him.

Georgette glanced around at the tourists ambling through the shops. She’d already had two warnings to be careful. Could this be a trap?

She caught up to the old man again. “Can you just bring it to me? I’ll wait here.”

He gripped her arm. He wasn’t the frail old man she’d thought he was. “I don’t want to be caught here with the book. You come. You take it with you.”

He continued, using her arm for support now, as they left the tile walkways and manicured gardens of the resort for a sandy narrow path through tall grass and lush vegetation.

The blue water of the ocean gleamed through breaks in the trees, and she realized they were on Jake’s undeveloped land adjacent to the Palumba Falls.

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