A Luxury Cruise & Murder by Miranda Brickett

Author:Miranda Brickett
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: cozy mystery, cat cozy, international mystery, murder mystery, murder on vacation, cosy mystery, beach read, easy summertime fun read, small town cozy mystery series, female sleuth, amateur sleuth, cozy mystery series with romance, cozy mystery series no cliffhangers happily every after, sweet wholesome hallmark mystery, culinary cozy mystery
Publisher: Miranda Brickett
Published: 2021-10-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

“Look!” Claudia hissed, poking Scott.

They were lounging poolside. Scott’s baseball cap was resting on his face, blocking out the sun while he snoozed. Claudia, meanwhile, was sitting with her unopened book in her lap. She was more interested in people watching than in reading.

When Scott didn’t respond, she poked him again.

He snorted and sat up.

“Did I wake you?” she asked innocently.

“Uh huh.”

“You should put some sunscreen on anyway,” she said, handing him the bottle. “As I was saying, look over there,” she said with a nod. “That’s Ashton pacing back and forth behind the popcorn maker.”

“When do you suppose they’re going to make more popcorn?” Scott wondered. “The stuff they served the other day was so good - very buttery, and exactly the right amount of salt. Making perfect popcorn is a science, you know.”

“Yes, okay. Anyway, look at Ashton!”

“What about him?”

“He’s pacing,” Claudia said, in case Scott had missed it. “He seems agitated.”

“Well his brother did recently turn up murdered,” Scott pointed out.

“Yeah. And he doesn’t seem particularly sad about it, does he? No tears, no visible grief. Only pacing. Ashton and Chad weren’t close, you know. I’ve been talking to people. I’ve found things out.”

“Not all siblings are close,” Scott reminded her. “You and your sister aren’t close.”

“That’s different. My sister is, well...you know how she is.”

“How is she feeling these days?”

“Huh?”

“Your sister. She’s pregnant. How is she feeling?”

“I have no idea. We don’t talk.”

Scott raised an eyebrow. “I thought you mail handwritten letters every week.”

“Yes, letters to her children. Not letters to her. It isn’t my fault,” Claudia insisted. “I’ve tried tirelessly to have a better relationship with my sister. She’s never receptive, not even a little. I can’t be expected to keep trying forever when there’s no reciprocation whatsoever.”

“No, I suppose not.” Scott took a deep breath and then reluctantly made a suggestion. “Pride is a dangerous thing. It can cloud a person’s judgment. Sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees, you know what I mean? I think maybe sometimes one has to be the bigger person.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, as you were talking just now, I started thinking about Emily. You’ve often said she’s like a sister to you. You two became best friends pretty much the day you moved into the house down the road from her place,” Scott reminded her. “You two are like peanut butter and jelly.”

“Sticky and unhealthy?”

He rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. I know you two had a big, ugly argument. I get that you’ve fallen out. But do you think maybe you should try to put that behind you and move forward?”

“No.”

“It would be a real shame to throw away such a close friendship over one argument.”

“Scott, Emily said some truly awful things to me,” Claudia said somberly. She felt her blood pressure rise as she remembered the cruel - and perhaps not entirely inaccurate - accusations Emily had made.

“Did you also say awful things to her?” Scott asked knowingly.

“Not as horrible,” Claudia replied, averting her eyes.

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