Page 35 of Death on the Rocks

“All the time. That’s my dream. If only I could convince Rodney. He’s been in his element since we opened this place. It’s given him a new lease of life. Now I feel as though no matter what we do, only one of us will end up happy.”

“I’m sorry,” Lily murmured.

“Don’t listen to me being all morose.” Flora tried for a smile but it wasn’t convincing. “I hope the weather improves soon so you can see the island at its best. It’s remarkable how different it looks with some blue sky and sunshine.”

With a gentle smile, Lily stood up. “Fingers crossed it improves soon.” She declined Flora’s offer to make her a drink and set off to the privacy of her room to ponder her next move.

Instinct had her knocking on Alanna and Marc’s door, but there was no answer. That probably wasn’t a bad thing since Lily had no idea what she would say to them.

It was only that the logical thing seemed to be to talk to everyone who’d interacted with Vinny before his death and see what she came up with.

Someone knew something. She had no doubt about that.

Oscar was the person she most wanted to speak to. If only he hadn’t been given the day off.

Like a light bulb illuminating in her brain, Lily remembered him mentioning that he had another job too. At the Star Castle Hotel. Which surely couldn’t be too hard for her to locate. On a surge of adrenaline, she grabbed her jacket and headed back out of her room.

With her mind elsewhere, she didn’t notice the person at the bottom of the stairs until she almost collided with her. The teenage girl didn’t pay Lily any attention in her hurry to get out of the front door. Even at the speed she was moving Lily caught the tears which streamed from her bloodshot eyes.

She opened her mouth to ask if she was okay, but the girl was gone before she could formulate words.

Along the hall, Alanna stood in the doorway to the living room.

“Is she okay?” Lily asked, pointing behind her.

Alanna shrugged. “She was looking for her boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Lily parroted.

“That kid who works here.”

“Oscar?”

“I guess so.” Alanna shrugged again.

It dawned on Lily that the girl was the same one who’d been chatting to Oscar a few days earlier. She’d seemed agitated then, too.

“Why was she so upset?” she asked, as Alanna passed her and started up the stairs.

“Who knows?” she replied without looking back.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Walking at a brisk pace,Lily reached Hugh Town quickly. As she passed Mr Greaves’ office, her mind briefly flicked to the other mystery – of why the owner of the ice cream shop was intent on shrouding herself in secrecy. She’d come back to that conundrum later. First, she had a destination in mind for a late lunch.

The Star Castle Hotel sat high on the hill, overlooking the harbour, and reached by a steep, narrow lane. With a choice of restaurants, Lily opted for the one in the conservatory and admired the twisted grape vines which hung overhead. On a sunny day it must have been stunning, but the lingering fog gave a cold feel despite the temperature being comfortable.

There was no sign of Oscar, but Lily kept an eye out while she tucked into her salmon salad. She declined coffee and dessert, choosing instead to pay her bill and explore the rest of the hotel.

The bar seemed a good place to sit and observe. A few people were seated nearby, and more came and went through the reception area.

Lily was almost at the bottom of her sparkling water when she finally spotted Oscar crossing the foyer. With his phone inhis hand, he was too distracted to notice Lily, and she kept her gaze on him as he hovered by the reception desk.

After tapping away on his phone, he raised it to his ear then paced a few steps back and forth before shoving it roughly into his pocket. With hunched shoulders he left quickly through the main entrance. Lily offered the waiter a quick smile of farewell as she snatched her bag from beside her feet and made a dash for it.

Oscar hadn’t gone far. He leaned against the stone wall, staring at the boats bobbing in the harbour below.

“Hey!” Lily called cheerfully as she approached.

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