secretly thrilled to talk about it. Or better yet, ask Nya. Nya would definitely know.
A quick glance confirmed that Thomas wasn’t in the lobby, and she heaved a sigh of relief. The clerk on duty was the bald man with the dyed mustache who’d given her several messages when she was staying in the hotel. He was busy typing.
“Might I use your phone?” she asked when he glanced her way.
“Still Monroe?” he asked.
She smiled.
“You know, there was a gentleman looking for you earlier today.”
Monroe grimaced. “He’s not my friend.”
The clerk didn’t seem the least bit surprised to hear that. Thomas must have done something to make a spectacle of himself.
The clerk set the phone on the counter, and she dialed Tara’s room. While it rang, she stared out in the direction of the pool. Only two people out there that she could see. Before, it was usually packed unless it was closed. She bet it had something to do with the drowning.
Tara didn’t answer. Neither did Nya or Linda. Reluctantly, Monroe pushed the phone back toward the clerk. “Did you see my friends? One is a short girl with blonde hair, and her husband is—”
The clerk looked embarrassed. “Oh, yes. I should have realized… it’s been a busy day. Your friends went out about twenty minutes ago.” He scratched his chin. “Dressed for dinner, not the beach.”
Damn. But twenty minutes wasn’t so long. They could still be waiting for a table, depending where they’d gone. “Any idea which restaurant?”
The man shook his head, and Monroe was about to leave when a question popped into her mind. “Have there ever been three drownings in a day before?”
“Let’s just say that tomorrow, all the local beaches will be closed and it will be advised to stay out of the sea.”
“Why?”
The man glanced quickly left and right, and as there was no one else in the vicinity, he said, “You didn’t hear this from me, but there have been a lot of accidents, and on some of the other islands as well. It’s like the ocean has gone crazy.”
Monroe wrapped her arms around herself. “Do you know why?”
He shook his head. “There are theories, of course, but it’s anybody’s guess. Between us, the government needs to take stronger measures, but this is high season. The busiest time of the year. They don’t want to risk the bad publicity.”
Monroe nodded, thanked him, and went outside.
It was too soon for Koenraad to be back. Might as well check out Club Carrib, she thought. It was only a couple of blocks away.
The restaurant had seemed nearly comatose when she was there before, but the dining room was quite busy now.
Unfortunately, her friends weren’t anywhere in sight. She walked across the patio, making sure, but it wasn’t like a group their size would be easily overlooked. And her friends tended to be loud. Doubly so after a few drinks.
There was another restaurant just next door, a Tex-Mex place. Nothing. One more restaurant at the end of the block. Looked fancy. She went in, and since there was no one at the hostess’s station, she ducked into the dining room.
Nope. They’d been eating near the hotel for several days and had probably gotten bored with all these places. After all, they’d arrived a day earlier than Monroe, and they hadn’t had a sexy local to take them to the good restaurants.
As she was finishing her tour of the dining room, she noticed a gorgeous woman with an unfair amount of dark, wavy hair scowling in front of the hostess’s station. Her arms were folded across her chest—and it was a definite chest, the kind men dreamed about. A tight black catsuit stretched over her otherwise slender curves. The V-neck was perilously deep. Monroe hoped the woman was wearing a bikini or something underneath, but she didn’t notice any telltale lines. Black stiletto sandals complemented toned calves that Monroe would have killed for. Actually, the woman’s entire body was perfect.
Large
A quick glance confirmed that Thomas wasn’t in the lobby, and she heaved a sigh of relief. The clerk on duty was the bald man with the dyed mustache who’d given her several messages when she was staying in the hotel. He was busy typing.
“Might I use your phone?” she asked when he glanced her way.
“Still Monroe?” he asked.
She smiled.
“You know, there was a gentleman looking for you earlier today.”
Monroe grimaced. “He’s not my friend.”
The clerk didn’t seem the least bit surprised to hear that. Thomas must have done something to make a spectacle of himself.
The clerk set the phone on the counter, and she dialed Tara’s room. While it rang, she stared out in the direction of the pool. Only two people out there that she could see. Before, it was usually packed unless it was closed. She bet it had something to do with the drowning.
Tara didn’t answer. Neither did Nya or Linda. Reluctantly, Monroe pushed the phone back toward the clerk. “Did you see my friends? One is a short girl with blonde hair, and her husband is—”
The clerk looked embarrassed. “Oh, yes. I should have realized… it’s been a busy day. Your friends went out about twenty minutes ago.” He scratched his chin. “Dressed for dinner, not the beach.”
Damn. But twenty minutes wasn’t so long. They could still be waiting for a table, depending where they’d gone. “Any idea which restaurant?”
The man shook his head, and Monroe was about to leave when a question popped into her mind. “Have there ever been three drownings in a day before?”
“Let’s just say that tomorrow, all the local beaches will be closed and it will be advised to stay out of the sea.”
“Why?”
The man glanced quickly left and right, and as there was no one else in the vicinity, he said, “You didn’t hear this from me, but there have been a lot of accidents, and on some of the other islands as well. It’s like the ocean has gone crazy.”
Monroe wrapped her arms around herself. “Do you know why?”
He shook his head. “There are theories, of course, but it’s anybody’s guess. Between us, the government needs to take stronger measures, but this is high season. The busiest time of the year. They don’t want to risk the bad publicity.”
Monroe nodded, thanked him, and went outside.
It was too soon for Koenraad to be back. Might as well check out Club Carrib, she thought. It was only a couple of blocks away.
The restaurant had seemed nearly comatose when she was there before, but the dining room was quite busy now.
Unfortunately, her friends weren’t anywhere in sight. She walked across the patio, making sure, but it wasn’t like a group their size would be easily overlooked. And her friends tended to be loud. Doubly so after a few drinks.
There was another restaurant just next door, a Tex-Mex place. Nothing. One more restaurant at the end of the block. Looked fancy. She went in, and since there was no one at the hostess’s station, she ducked into the dining room.
Nope. They’d been eating near the hotel for several days and had probably gotten bored with all these places. After all, they’d arrived a day earlier than Monroe, and they hadn’t had a sexy local to take them to the good restaurants.
As she was finishing her tour of the dining room, she noticed a gorgeous woman with an unfair amount of dark, wavy hair scowling in front of the hostess’s station. Her arms were folded across her chest—and it was a definite chest, the kind men dreamed about. A tight black catsuit stretched over her otherwise slender curves. The V-neck was perilously deep. Monroe hoped the woman was wearing a bikini or something underneath, but she didn’t notice any telltale lines. Black stiletto sandals complemented toned calves that Monroe would have killed for. Actually, the woman’s entire body was perfect.
Large
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