Miz Scarlet and the Perplexed Passenger by Sara M. Barton

Author:Sara M. Barton [Barton, Sara M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Cozy Mystery
ISBN: 9781540176660
Google: ty-QDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Sara M. Barton
Published: 2016-09-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen --

“That’s putting it mildly!” was my mother’s reply.

“You might say that,” Thaddeus agreed.

“That sounds like there’s a story involved.”

“And then some,” I mumbled, shaking my head.

“Oh, you’ll have to tell me all about it once we’re underway. My mates and I couldn’t help but notice all the police in the area. We saw the ambulances come through a little while ago. Let me take that, Mrs. Wilson.”

Cedric carefully folded Laurel’s wheelchair and stowed it in the rear of the van. Thaddeus helped her into the middle seat and, once she was comfortable, he took the spot next to her.

Kenny and I settled into the bench seat in back. He threw an arm around my shoulder companionably. “I don’t know about you, babe, but I’m exhausted.”

“I am too,” I admitted with a groan. “If only I could catch up on some sleep.”

Cedric slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He glanced over his shoulder and gave us a big grin. “Are you folks ready? Let’s go have some fun!”

Thaddeus had hired Cedric to drive us around the island, paying extra for the opportunity to customize the trip through the Western parishes of Bermuda. It was worth every pretty penny. Easing out into traffic, our tour guide flawlessly zipped around mopeds and stray pedestrians, turning onto Maritime Lane for a quick loop around the village before we hit the main road that would take us to Ireland Island and beyond. As he drove, Cedric tried to discern our interests. He was thrilled when he learned that his two older passengers were birdwatchers.

“This is a great place for it,” he told them. “Have you seen the Bermuda longtails?”

“I have,” Laurel confirmed, “but I’ve always been curious about the claim that they never land on shore.”

“That’s partly true. They’re open ocean birds that only come in when it’s time to breed. The female lays a single egg in a cavity in the cliffs every summer and....”

They got into a lengthy discussion of the local variety of white-tailed tropicbirds. Cedric knew a lot about the bird’s favored habitat and nesting habits. “If you take the Sea Express ferry into Hamilton or a glass-bottom boat ride out to the shipwreck, you’re likely to spot them flying near the shore. There’s no doubt as to what they are when you see them. Those long tail feathers are distinctive.”

Here and there, Cedric pointed out the different sights in a singsong patter that was quick-paced, but soothing. I found myself relaxing as I watched the vivid Bermuda landscape fly by. At times, the narrow road could almost have doubled as a roller coaster ride, with hair-raising turns and enough ups and downs to merit a motion sickness tablet. It took a while to get used to it, especially when we were almost squeezed off the road by a pink Bermuda bus that came around the corner unexpectedly. Cedric waved.

“There’s my buddy, Dave. He competed in an international bus drivers’ contest last year. He came in fifth.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.