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He shakes his head. “I knew Wes couldn’t be trusted with volatile information like that.”
A laugh bubbles from me. “Why are you always so testy when it comes to Wes? Never mind. I already know the answer to that.” Wes will never live down the fact he was once married to Ransom’s sister. I heard she took off for greener pastures—in Colombia where she hooked up with a drug lord. I can certainly understand why Ransom is upset about it all. “And Wes didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to tell me. In fact, he thought I already knew. I wish that hot detective I’m dating would have given me a clue.”
“That hot detective you’re dating is afraid you’ll figure out who the killer is and you’ll end up confronting them.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“You’ve done it before.”
Now it’s me frowning at him. “Okay, so you got me there. But if I figure out who the killer is this time, you can rest assured you’ll be the only person I’ll confront with my theory.” I bite my lip a moment. “I bet the killer slipped the venom into her drink, but how could she not taste it?”
“Cobra venom has a sweet flavor profile. It could be tangy but nothing a strong cocktail wouldn’t cover.”
“What about the security footage from the Diamond Lounge? Any luck there?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing you should concern yourself about, and nothing that will solve this case.”
“So who do you think has a connection with snake venom?” I ask, unrelenting. “I mean, it’s very specific. Maybe one of them works at an exotic pet shop, or has ties to someone who does?”
His cheek rides up. “Maybe. Or they could have picked up the venom on the black market. I’ll have to do a little more digging. As in me, alone.” He picks up my hand and kisses the back of it. “The other night when you were in the hot tub, you were upset. Do you want to talk about that now?”
“Not now, not ever,” I mutter.
“I get it.” He jiggles my hand a moment. “We don’t have to go there. There are some things we need to work out for ourselves.”
“Ransom.” I scoot in until our arms are touching. “You wouldn’t happen to have had a relative named Phineas George, would you?”
“Phineas George?”
I cringe because a part of me is half-afraid that if we say his name one more time we might just conjure him up.
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. Why?”
A laugh lives and dies in my chest. “That was just my clever way of changing the subject.”
He reels me in until I’m in his arms. “I’ve got a clever way of changing the subject, too. The case is mine, Trixie. And so are these lips.”
Ransom kisses me as if proving a point, as if he were hell-bent on getting my mind off the case, off the world, and melting my mind while he was at it, and he achieves his every last goal.
A few minutes ago, I couldn’t imagine what could possibly come between Ransom and me, and yet here we are as close as can be—and yet with Julia Edwards’ homicide case wedged between us.
I understand his need to protect me and his need to solve the case on his own. He is, after all, the trained professional in the equation.
But I’m a trained professional in a certain field, too—that of tripping over dead bodies. And if there’s one thing I feel led to do, it’s to solve Julia Edwards’ murder.
And by Phineas George, I’m going to do it.
CHAPTER 16
Suddenly Single—What a Trip!
Maui and Molokai brought adventure and romance—yes, romance (lots of steamy kisses were doled out by a certain detective who has mysteriously stolen my heart). But today we’ve landed at one of the most dazzling displays that nature has to offer—the Big Island.
The Big Island of Hawaii is as glorious and majestic as a roaring lion. I’ve been here a handful of times before with the ship and enjoyed every heated minute. And by heated, I mean HOT.
The air on the Big Island is drier than the other islands, and thus the heat is that much more intense, but the floral scents that perfume this paradise, the rocky volcanic crags, the vast expanse void of the dense humanity that some of the other islands entertain, it is truly a unique experience all on its own.
I’ve created more than a few memories on this stately slice of planet earth, some of which include visiting the City of Refuge, the haunted highway, a coffee plantation (highly recommended!), Volcano National Park, an all-night pancake diner (a must for the foodie in you), among other amazing activities. So as the Emerald Queen docks in Hilo Harbor, I cannot wait to see what new adventures await my friends and me at this glorious destination. The best part? No ex-husbands are involved.
