Page 44 of Last Ticket to Paradise

“And nothing on Fiso?” Jake had moved closer to Georgette during Clive’s exploration and put his arm around her.

“Fiso?” Clive’s eyes widened. “That’s most assuredly a drug overdose. The man had been slowly killing himself ever since Hallie left him. You’re not connecting Fiso LaCroix with this man, are you?”

“Both of their significant others disappeared.”

Clive licked his lips. “You lost me, Jake.”

“The man tonight,” Jake jerked a thumb over his shoulder, “was involved with the tourist who went missing.”

“Went missing?” Clive brushed off his khaki shorts. “Nobody has reported that woman as missing. Does somebody want to?”

Georgette’s back stiffened. Was it time to come clean with Clive now? Almost everyone at the resort knew of her relationship to Jamie. If the constable was worth his job title, he’d know by now, too.

“Not that I know of.” Jake had made the decision for her.

They chatted with Clive for a few more minutes, and then he wandered off to question some of the other guests.

Jake rubbed a circle on her back. “Are you cold? Where’s your cover-up?”

She flung her arm behind her. “I left it on the chaise lounge where I was sitting before I followed you into your office.”

“And I’m glad you did.” He smoothed a lock of hair back from her face and kissed her cheek. “I’ll get your wrap for you.”

Georgette watched as the looky-loos wandered back to the bar or back to their rooms to change for dinner. Why shouldn’t they? A near-drowning wasn’t going to put a damper on their holiday.

Jake returned, her black pool cover-up bunched in one hand. As he pressed it into her hands, he asked, “What are you doing for dinner tonight? Do you want to join me in my room for some room service?”

“I’d love to.” She shook out her wrap and slipped her arms into the bell sleeves. “But I’m joining Nicole and Gunther for dinner.”

“Still intent on causing a stir, huh?” He brushed his thumb against her lower lip. “If that’s what you want, I’ll make sure Nigel spreads the word about finding me bare-ass naked between your legs in my office.”

The memory of getting caught in the act with Jake caused a flood of heat to course through her veins. She shoved her hands in her pockets. “Maybe you should.”

Her fingers curled around a piece of paper, and she pulled it out of her pocket. Squinting at it in the dark, she said, “This wasn’t here before.”

“What is it?” Jake took her elbow and steered her toward a torch among those that bordered the pool area.

She unfolded the paper and held it under the flickering light. She gasped and crumpled the note in her fist.

“It’s a note from Jean-Claude.”

***

Dread thumped in Jake’s chest. “What does it say?”

“He wrote that he wanted to meet me.” She uncurled her fingers and held the ball of paper out to him, balanced in the middle of her palm. “He wrote that it was all Jamie’s fault.”

“Jamie’s fault? Her disappearance?” Jake snatched the note from her hand and spread it open. He read the words Jean-Claude apparently had written before he went into the pool. “What’s he trying to do, blame the victim?”

“Isshe a victim? Did Jean-Claude leave because of Jamie? Did she get the two of them in trouble somehow?” Georgette plunged her hands in her pockets and pulled her wrap around her body.

“That’s kind of harsh.” Jake raised an eyebrow. He understood that the relationship between the sisters was tense. Georgette had made that clear from the get-go when she’d suspected him of sleeping with Jamie. The twins couldn’t be more different. Jamie was a user, and she’d probably taken advantage of Georgette more than anyone. But Jake hadn’t expected Georgette to turn on Jamie and accuse her of causing her own disappearance.

Georgette closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m not implying Jamie asked to be harmed or...anything else, but I could totally see Jamie sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.”

“In that way,” he chucked her under the chin, “you and your sister are exactly alike.”

Her eyelids flew open. “Different motives.”

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