Chapter 31 - Dénouement

I stepped to where Millie was huddled over Arthur, to check for any sign of life. “She… he is still breathing” I was able to report. The former was pressing a wad of material against her lover’s side. The pad was slowly darkening.

Gloria, tears coursing down her cheeks, fetched bandages and together with Millie, they bound the wounds more tightly, while I looked on helplessly. Guy found the phone and called for an ambulance and then the police. He covered the dead bodies each with a throw from the sofas.

Samantha begins volunteering at Willow House, where an unfamiliar uniform, new responsibilities, and a community depending on her make the disguise harder to escape.

Chapter 26 – Gold strike

Chapter 24 – Seduction

For several days, my employment at the Golden Touch continued without any incident that was worth remarking on. I had become part of the scenery; well, almost! Whatever secrets the place might contain, they were not ‘writ large’ upon the walls of that establishment. I would have to try my hardest to winkle them out whatever they were.

Chapter 22 – Girl talk

By the time we had finished work and closed up, the time was well into the small hours. I lingered over my final tasks to make sure that Connie and I would be the last to finish. Accordingly, when we got back to the dressing room to change out of our exotic costumes the others had already left.

Chapter 20 - Undercover

A few minutes later I was shown into Midas’s office. His lair was a plush affair strewn with furnishings as soft as the lighting.

Chapter 18 – False trail

The casino’s head honcho’s first words to me were more mundane than his air of dignity had led me to expect. “As I have heard, my dear, you have accumulated a nice little sum there.” Midas gestured towards my purse. “We always like to send our first-time customers away with smiles on their faces. What was your name again?”

“I hadn’t mentioned it, but it’s Jennifer… Jennifer Cartwright.”

Chantilly, Flowers For A Southern Belle

I was working in one of the Florida theme parks, not the big D world but still one that attracted a lot of tourists. The concept was mainly centered on water skiing and fast boats. For some of the other tourists we had beautiful gardens, with acres of flowers on display at all times, spread among some natural Florida landscape.

Chapter 15 – Dead end

Guy was most disturbed next morning when I told him about what had occurred. “I don’t like this at all, Jennifer” he began. “Living on your own as you do makes you extremely vulnerable.”

Chapter 14 – The intruder

By the time I had driven back to town, I was tired and in low spirits. To make any real kind of progress in unravelling the mystery of the PI’s death seemed to elude me as much as ever. I was tempted to go straight home and soak away my weariness in a steaming bubble bath, but I knew I ought to check in at the office first, for form’s sake if nothing else. When I did so I found my boss at his desk in a scholarly attitude. Had he not moved from his task all day?

Thursday, New Year’s Day, was a holiday in Portugal. I had almost expected that they would all just go back to work given the paucity of their Christmas arrangements. Maybe it is wise that it is a day off as the party went on well into the night. As was getting to be a bit of a habit, we got up late, exercised, breakfasted and wandered out around midday into a city that was still buzzing with a variety of acts performing in every square that we passed. Now I knew why they don’t do Christmas well; they keep all the fun for New Year.

Chapter Six: Signal

Morning in Hinokuni didn't rush—it unfolded.

Chapter 12 – The decoy