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

exterior stairway on the port side that allowed a person to move between decks without accessing the interior stairway we all had used the night of the dinner. That fact alone seemed worth the long and boring conversation I’d just endured.
    Luckily, the tour of the top deck went quickly, so it was only a short wait before we went down to the main deck, where we’d been entertained on the night of the dinner. As I suspected, the hallway where I’d found Ricardo’s body provided access to the stairway leading to the bottom deck, where the bedrooms were located. There was a sliding door veiling the staircase, which is why I hadn’t noticed it on the night of the cruise. I realized this was the staircase Sebastian and the other staff members must have used when they headed down to have their dinner. I asked him if he’d seen a man in black on the lower deck that evening and he said he hadn’t.
    The most interesting thing I found out about the 150-foot yacht was that not only did it feature a helicopter pad but it also had a docking bay that held two WaveRunners. As I considered the fact that one of the two WaveRunners was missing, I suddenly knew how my mystery man had left the boat. Now all I had to do was prove it.
     
    Zak was back from surfing by the time we got back to the house. Ellie offered to pick up the kids from Kids Club and then spend the afternoon with them so Zak and I could have a little alone time. There was a marina near the house that rented sailboats by the hour, so we packed a hamper with champagne and fruit, cheese, and crackers and set off for a trip to a secret cove Zak had heard about from some of the local surfers.
    It was a beautiful day, with just enough of a breeze to power the small boat without it being so windy as to feel overpowering. As it had been every day since we’d arrived, the sky was a deep blue that matched the sea almost exactly. The local gossip line still spoke of a storm on the horizon. Based on the chatter we’d overheard, it sounded like we could expect the arrival of wind and rain at some point on Sunday. Oria had warned me that these storms tended to come on all of a sudden, so it was best to count more on the accuracy of the weather report than the current conditions.
    When we got to the cove where Zak was headed we found a small, isolated beach that was completely deserted. We anchored just offshore and then, placing our food hamper, towels, and other supplies on a rubber raft, swam from the boat to the shore.
    “Now this is the life,” I commented as I stretched out on the blanket we’d brought and let the warm sun caress my back and shoulders.
    “I’ll admit this is closer to the honeymoon I imagined than most of this trip has been.”
    “Oh, I don’t know. The hike to the waterfall was pretty special.” I grinned.
    Zak leaned over and kissed my shoulder. “I guess we’ve done okay. Not that I want to break the mood, but how was your trip to the yacht?”
    I filled him in on what I’d discovered, including the fact that a WaveRunner was missing.
    “I had no idea the yacht was outfitted with personal watercraft. Maybe someone did sneak in before the boat sailed, hid out belowdecks, killed Ricardo, and then grabbed a WaveRunner to make a getaway.”
    “I told you I wasn’t imagining things.”
    “I should know by now never to doubt you.”
    I rolled over and looked around at the deserted beach. “I suppose there might be a way you can make it up to me.”
    Zak leaned over and kissed me. “Yeah? What exactly did you have in mind?”
     
    By the time we’d returned to the boat and headed back to the marina the wind had all but died. It was obvious the trip back was going to take a lot longer than the one to the cove.
    “Did Jensen ever get back to you?” I asked Zak.
    He nodded. “I’m supposed to meet him in the bar at six thirty.” He looked at his watch. “Maybe we should have headed back sooner.”
    “I think the wind will shift once we get