Carolyn Arnold - McKinley 02 - Vacation is Murder by Carolyn Arnold Page A

Earl. The police would have found her. I’m sure it’s the gunshot that had them coming anyway.”
    “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
    Sean patted the bed for her to sit beside him.
    She smiled but shook her head, declining his offer. “I slept in it last night, but I’m not going to be in it any longer than I have to.”
    Sean laughed and got up, closing the distance between him and his wife. He nuzzled his nose against hers and then kissed her lips.
    She ran her hands down his naked torso but pulled back. “If you think you’re getting lucky here, you can forget it. I do have standards,” she said.
    He pouted briefly then headed into the washroom to grab his clothes from the shower rod where he had hung them to dry overnight. He came back out a few seconds later, his shorts on and holding his shirt.
    “I’m actually glad you declined my offer in this case or I’d have to wonder about you.”
    “Oh.” She patted his chest and took a couple steps back.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “We don’t know where exactly to drop the money, and how are we supposed to get to the ruins? It’s not like we’ve ever been there.”
    “I think it was Earl who mentioned it was a two-hour drive.”
    “You’re actually thinking about driving?”
    “Why not? We could rent a car.”
    Sara shook her head. “You’ve seen how they drive. On another note, I don’t understand why there hasn’t been another phone call. Do you think that man killed Earl after we caught up to him?”
    “It wouldn’t make sense for him to. He still hasn’t gotten the money.”
    “I suppose.”
    “We have to stop thinking about this the way we are.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, we’re getting overwhelmed because we’re in a different country. Really, it’s just like back home, and we have a case to solve.” He slipped his shirt over his head and pulled it down.
    “Funny, but I don’t remember struggling with an armed suspect while not carrying too, and we don’t usually flee when we hear sirens approaching.”
    The serious nature in her eyes made him smile again. “I suppose you have a point.”
    “Of course, I do.”
    “Don’t worry. This will all be over soon. Earl will be back to his wife.”
    “And what about all our money? It’s just lost?”
    “I’m sure they’ll find a way to pay us back.”
    She studied his eyes. “Since when are you the optimistic one?”
    “Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”
    “We could only hope. Ooh.” She winced and then smirked.
    He leaned in and took her mouth, but they parted when Sean’s cell rang. He put it on speaker.
    “At one o’clock, drop the money in a plastic bag and tuck it into the long grass of the jungle at the back edge of the ruins,” the caller said.
    “You need to be more specific.”
    “Do as I say or Mr. Spencer will join the natives who lost their city.”
    “When do we get him back?”
    “You follow these instructions. I will collect the money and contact you with further information and where you can find him.”
    “How do we know he’s still alive?”
    “It’s a little thing called faith.”
    There was a distinct click.
    Sara looked over at Sean and they locked eye contact for a few seconds, until he glanced at his phone. “The number was blocked.”
    “We need to get to the bank now. Hopefully, they’ll have our money ready early,” she said.
    “Agree.”
    “I’m still not sure it’s a good idea for us to rent a car to get to the ruins. You’ve seen how people drive here. How fast they go. They might as well have wings, not tires, on their vehicles.”
    “And how is that different from back home?”

 
     

     
    Road Trip
     
    THEY HAD TO WAIT ABOUT thirty minutes on the money, but it came through faster than they had originally expected. It also turned out that renting a vehicle was easier than they had assumed. Apparently, a lot of tourists opted for driving to the ruins rather than being crammed into a stage coach with a bunch of sweaty