Susan Gillard - Kiwi Lime Surprise Murder

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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the authors imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Copyright 2017 by Guardian Publishing Group - All rights reserved.

All rights Reserved. No part of this publication or the information in it may be quoted from or reproduced in any form by means such as printing, scanning, photocopying or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Table of Contents

The assistants crowded into the hotel room. Ken and Jung sat on Heathers single bed, beneath the wooden ceiling fan. Ames and Angelica stood either side of Heather in the kitchenette, and Emily and Maricela peered out of the glass sliding door which looked out on the central swimming pool.

Their Key West getaway had only just begun, but the atmosphere, the smiles, and nudges had started back at the airport.

All right, Heather said and slipped on the oven mitt decorated in palm fronds, of course. Were going to grab one of our newest donuts to go, then head out to Robbies Marina to feed the tarpon.

Amy pursed her lips. I watched a video once where this guy fed the tarpon, and he let his hand stay down there too long and

Do I want to know the rest of that sentence? Heather asked.

The rest of the assistants laughed.

He didnt get eaten, but the tarpon attached. It let go eventually, Amy said.

Goodness. The oven tinged and she bent to get the donuts out of the small contraption.

Theyd planned on renting out a kitchen to create donuts together, but the kitchenettes in their rooms would work just as well.

Amy and Heather had one room. Emily, Maricela and Angelica another, and Ken and Jung a third. Each one faced the pool, surrounded by palms and crystal blue, with the soft hush of ocean waves to lull them at night.

Heather placed the tray of baked donuts on the stove top.

We might not be back in Hillside with donuts to serve, but I really want us to get this donut into our repertoire. Kind of like a souvenir for our customers back home, she said. Lets go over it one more time.

Emily stuck her hand up. She always did that, even though Heather had reminded her she wasnt in school and it wasnt necessary. A lime-vanilla base, she said.

Thats right. Lime zest in the vanilla batter, and baked until light and fluffy, Heather said. Then what? Ken?

He adjusted his camera hed spent the last half hour polishing it. Then its a single dip into the cheesecake glaze.

Heather pointed to Maricela. And then?

Double dip in kiwi-lime glaze, Maricela finished for them.

Fantastic, Heather said. All right, so I think Ill leave it up to you guys to do the dipping for these donuts. She took off the mitt, placed it beside the tray, then circled the white kitchen island.

The assistants leaped up and hurried toward the cooling donuts. Theyd spent the entire flight over laughing and thanking Heather for the trip. Maricela had never left Texas and Ken had been convinced theyd run into unsavory characters from his favorite novels down here.

He read Carl Hiaasen books religiously.

Heather halted in front of the sliding door and tucked her arms behind her back.

Are you excited? Amy asked. To feed the massive fish?

Sure, she said. I miss Lilly and Ryan, though. Shed called them the minute shed landed and Lilly had promised that her dinosaur detective story, complete with a human with three arms, was well on the way to completion.

I do too, Amy said. And Eva told me that she'd got her hands full with Cupcake. Apparently, she scratched up her armchair.

Not the floral one.

Oh yeah, Amy said and nodded.

Cupcakes not responding well to adolescence, Heather said and rolled her eyes. Ill have to reimburse Eva for that chair.

Heather opened the sliding door, and a fresh batch of humidity walloped her in the face. Water-thick air sucked the energy from her limbs.

Amy stumbled back and wiped her brow. Gosh, I dont think well need to shower out here.

Im not sure wed be able to dry out even if we did. Seventy-four percent humidity according to the radio, Heather said. Can you believe it?

At least the suns out, and the beach is close.

Heather snorted. Theyd been away from Hillside all of a day, and already theyd taken to complaining.

Guys? I think well leave the donuts to cool, actually. Lets head out and feed some fish, Heather said. We can pick up something to eat on the way back.

The assistants put the glazes back in in the mini-fridge. A commotion broke out, bodies squishing past each other in their rush to make it to the door. Holiday fever was in full effect.

They hustled out of the sliding door, and Heather slapped it shut behind them, then motored around the side of the pool as a group. They organized themselves at the small side gate which let out of the Palm Beach Horizon Hotel and onto the street.

This way, guys, Heather said and led them toward the rental van shed hired for the occasion. This marina is pretty close.

The sun baked the top of her head. Heather unlocked the van, and the assistants scrambled for the side door.

So hot, Jung said and squinted in the glare.

Heather chuckled and walked around to the drivers side of the vehicle. Goosebumps rose on the back of her neck, and she shrugged her shoulders. What on earth? Why did she -?

Heather looked up and swallowed.

A man in overalls, holding a shovel, stood across the road beside the hotel, eyes narrowed. He tugged the peak of his cap down to shelter his face, then rammed the point of the shovel into the sidewalk.

Uh, Heather? Amy reached across and honked the horn once.

She flinched. Shoot. Coming! She cast a backward glance at creepy shovel guy, then clambered into the van. She slammed the door shut and pressed the lock.

The goosebumps still hadnt settled. She didnt dare check if the shovel-wielder had his gaze on her, still.

Can we switch on the air con? Jung asked. I think Im going to pass out.

Does anyone else feel like theyre actually swimming? Emily asked. I feel like were in the ocean right now.

Yeah, an ocean of sweat, Ken put in.

Calm down, kids, Amy said. Were on our way. She punched a few buttons on the dash and cool air filtered between the plastics slats.

Heather started the engine, heart thumping against the inside of her ribcage. She held her breath and glanced at the sidewalk opposite the van.

Shovel man was gone.

Hey, are you okay? Amy asked, and leaned closer to the cool air.

You block it! Maricela whined.

Im fine, Heather said. Fine. She pulled out of the parking space and drove down the road. Finally, the prickles subsided.

Heather couldnt sleep.

Theyd eaten too much at an awesome seafood restaurant at the marina, and come home to Kiwi Lime Surprise Donuts for dessert. But that wasnt why Heathers eyelids kept snapping open every few minutes.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldnt shake the wary, creeped out feeling the strange overall, shovel guy had given her. Perhaps, it was because shed grown accustomed to suspecting people.

Amy snored in her sleep and rolled over. Is a donut, ya, she muttered.

Heather kicked back the covers and huffed out a breath. She needed air. This humidity was unbelievable and to make matters worse the air con was busted a fact theyd only discovered after theyd gotten home.