Free Heavenly Honeymoon (Zoe Donovan Mysteries Book 15) by Kathi Daley Page A

yacht? I saw him.”
    “On the night of the murder he worked in the restaurant where we had lunch. I spoke to three different staff members who all verified that he was there until closing. There was no way you could have seen him.”
    I let out a long breath. Maybe I really was losing my mind.
    “Is there any possibility that the staff is just covering for Jimbo?” I asked.
    “I guess there is a possibility, but I kind of doubt it. Besides, Jensen keeps a close eye on his staff, especially the ones who work in the VIP area of the resort. If you’re that sure you saw Jimbo on the yacht I guess I could access his employee record.”
    “I’d appreciate that,” I answered. “As for the other staff, I spoke to Oria when I picked Scooter up. She confirmed that Rosa does work at Kids Club part-time, but she hadn’t seen her for a couple of weeks. It seems they’ve been shorthanded in food services so she’s been concentrating her hours there. She did say Rosa’s helped out with dinner cruises in the past. I asked whether she thought Rosa might know Ricardo, and she confirmed that because he sold restaurant supplies almost everyone in food services would know him to some degree, but she didn’t think they were all that well acquainted.”
    “I guess we leave her on the list,” Zak said.
    “Did you have a chance to ask Jensen about drinks?”
    “I called his office and left a message, but he hasn’t gotten back to me. I’m sure he will. In the meantime, how about a swim in the ocean?”
    “The kids seem happy in the pool,” I pointed out.
    “I can watch them,” Ellie offered. “In fact, take your time and enjoy a few hours to yourselves. This is, after all, your honeymoon.”
    I’m happy to say Zak and I made very good use of our time alone.
     
    Later that evening, the five of us went to dinner in the steak house as planned. The further we dove into the facts surrounding Ricardo Jimenez’s death, though, the more terrified I became that I actually had killed the man. I’d been furious with the jerk and I had gone to the kitchen to fetch the knife. Maybe I really had plunged the knife into his back, causing my mind to supply an alternate killer who really wasn’t there.
    Of course that was nuts. I wouldn’t really kill someone, no matter how mad I was at them, and I certainly wouldn’t forget doing so if I had. The only explanation was that someone had killed Ricardo between the time I’d returned the knife to the man in black and the time I found his body in the hallway. It did seem odd that no one had heard anything. Sure, the group in the lounge had been talking to one another, creating a certain level of noise, and there had been soft music playing in the background, but still, if someone stabbed me in the back I’m sure I’d get off a good loud scream before I died. At the very least there should have been the sound of a scuffle.
    Unless . . .
    I let myself consider all the possibilities. Suppose someone could have snuck up on Ricardo from behind and placed a hand over his mouth before plunging the knife in his back. For that to occur, the person who did the stabbing would have needed to be both tall and strong. The killer could have used an aid to immobilize the man prior to stabbing him, like chloroform.
    I wondered about the knife that had been used. Yes, I’d gotten my fingerprints all over it when I’d removed the knife from the man’s back in an effort to perform CPR, but could anyone else’s fingerprints be on it as well? I wondered if Talin would be willing to share information if I asked him nicely. I realized he didn’t know me the way Salinger did, but we’d come to an understanding of sorts during my interview on Tuesday.
    “Is something wrong with your food?” Alex asked.
    I realized all I’d done since the main course had been served was push it around on my plate.
    “No, but Zak and I had a big lunch. I guess I never had the chance to burn it off. How’s your