Death on the Bella Constance (A Jesse Watson Mystery Series Book 6) (29 page)

“Please Bret. Live a little.”

After much pleading, she finally coached him up onto the
boulder by promising that they would get down after one minute… exactly.

She held his hand and then took a deep breath of the fresh
mountain air.

“You were right, Bret. This is so beautiful. I’m so glad you
brought me here.” She turned to him, let go of his hand, and then said, “I
lied. Die, sucker!” She shoved him with all her might and watched as he tumbled
down the steep incline… into the abyss.

His screams echoed throughout the hills.

She jumped down off the huge rock and pranced about, basking
in her accomplishment.

By the time the rescue team finally got to her husband, it
was too late. He was already dead. Tears streamed down her checks when one of
the EMTs said that if they had only gotten to him sooner, he might have
survived. She told them over and over that she wished she had been the one
carrying the cell phone. Maybe her husband would still be alive. She cried and
cried, but her tears were only for show. The whole time, she kept silently
asking herself how much longer this could possibly take. She had things to do,
people to see. She wanted to hurry home and start her life over… as a rich
widow.

Lois put on a good front in the following months. She was
right about the cruise. When she mentioned it, her friends told her it was a
good idea to get away for a while. They promised it would do her a world of
good.

She booked a cruise on the
Bella Constance
the next
day, heading to
Bermuda
. She was thrilled to be doing
something so exciting. To top it all off, she met a very interesting man the
first day on board. He was single, handsome and appeared to be well-off,
financially. She could tell by the expensive clothes he wore.

She didn’t question why a man of such means and obvious good
looks would take a cruise alone, but that was soon answered during a private
dinner in his luxurious stateroom the next night.

“I have something special for you,” he said as he tossed a
large vanilla envelope on the table.

She smiled as she opened the envelope and dumped the contents
on the table. Unfortunately, her smile was short-lived when she saw the
pictures that had fallen out. Evidence of her husband’s murder lay spread out
in front of her.

“How…” she started to ask, but her mouth just fell agape. She
looked up at him, bewildered. “Where…”

“It doesn’t matter how... or anything else,” he replied
snidely, with a grin on his face . “What matters is—how are we going to spend
all that money your husband left you?”

She was shocked beyond belief. Bret had chosen that specific
spot because he said no one would be around for miles.

He was wrong.

Thanks to Greene County Sheriff Scott
Haas for taking the time to answer my questions about the law, and Joanne
Peach, R.N., for her help with medical information. A special thanks to Kelley
Cleaton/graphic artist and Elaine Barnett/photographer. And, thanks so much to Roberta
Carrier/Journalist, for always writing wonderful articles about me. A warm
thanks and much love to my family for always being there for me.

Look for my next book:

All About the Money

A Jesse Watson Mystery

Book #7

This book is dedicated to Athena, Thor, and Spice Cat.

Loved because they are who they are.