“Okay, what do you know that we don’t know?” Sabre asked.
“I talked to one of the room maids. She said the cottages on this lane are the honeymoon suites. The couple in the blue-and-white cottage we passed on our way here arrived last Thursday. The couple on the other side arrived a couple days earlier than Thor and Marisol.”
“I’ll go with you,” Dirk said.
“No,” Bridget said. “Sabre looks friendlier. You’ll scare them.”
Dirk smiled. “Baby, surely you’ve noticed by now that we’re twins, although I am bigger where it counts.”
Sabre’s brows flew up. “That’s not true.”
Bridget poked Sabre in the chest. “You stay here and argue with your twin.” She motioned to Nymph. “Let’s go talk to the ladies.”
“We’re going with you,” Dirk said.
Bridget shook her head. “You need to hang back. I’ve decided they’re more likely to talk to me and Nymph without you around.”
“They won’t see us, and neither will you,” Dirk said.
Bridget snorted, then she and Nymph walked away.
“Those two are too arrogant for their own good,” Bridget said.
Nymph laughed. “Nate’s the same way. The really aggravating thing is he’s almost always right.”
Bridget laughed. “I know what you mean.”
They walked down the lane until they found a gate with a sign above it that read “Sky Blue Cottage.” They turned onto the short path and saw an older man on the porch with a beer in his hand while a woman hung two swimsuits over the porch rail.
Bridget stopped at the base of the stairs and looked up. The sun blazed into her eyes. She squinted, then shielded her eyes with her hand. “Hi, sorry to bother you but our friends were staying in the cottage next door. They’ve disappeared and we’re really concerned about them.” She held out a picture of Thor and Marisol. “We were wondering if you’ve seen them.”
The woman took the picture, then showed it to her husband. “Look, Harry, it’s them. The Viking god and the hot mama.”
Nymph smiled. “Can you tell us when you last saw them?”
Harry nodded. “Doris and I arrived last Thursday from Tulsa. Our second honeymoon, you know?” He looked around, grimaced, then set his beer down. “We were on our way back to the cottage after swimming all day on Friday and we passed them on the lane. He was griping at her about having so many suitcases.”
“She was cussing him out in Spanish and he kept telling her to speak English or he was going to tie her up and whip her ass.” Doris laughed, then added, “I think he really meant that last part.”
“They must have made up, though, because we never saw them again,” Harry said.
“He’d be hard to miss.” Doris winked, then fanned herself. “If you know what I mean?”
Bridget smiled. “Did you hear anything Friday evening? Any kind of sounds, like screaming or fighting?”
Doris looked frightened. “Oh, dear, you don’t think he killed her, do you? She didn’t have that many suitcases with her!”
“Oh, no, nothing like that,” Nymph said. “We think maybe something happened to them. Intruders or something like that.”
The lady turned to her husband. “See, I told you something fishy was going on.” She turned back to them. “A sound woke me up at three-fifteen in the morning.”
“Something’s always waking you up at three in the morning, Doris,” Harry said.
“Well, we both know it’s not you, don’t we, Harry?” Doris planted her hands on her ample hips. “I tried to wake Harry up, but he’d had too much to drink at the bar. As usual.”
“I was thirsty. It’s hotter than hell here in your paradise. I wanted to go on the Alaskan cruise but oh, no, you had to have the Caribbean so you could rub it in your sister’s face.”
“I don’t like the cold, Harry.” Doris fluffed her hair and the little bells on her bracelet made a tinkling sound.
Bridget interrupted them before their bickering turned into a full-fledged fight. “You said a sound woke you?”
“That’s right. I got up and looked out the window. After a few minutes, two of those carts the staff use drove that way on the lane.” She pointed toward the main building of the resort. “There were four people in each one, and I think one of them was either a woman or a very small man. They were dressed in dark clothes.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I think they had on masks, because it was a full moon and I couldn’t see their faces. I told Harry about it the next day, but he said it was just maintenance working on something.”
“You watch too much TV, Doris,” Harry mumbled.
“But I was right. Something was going on.” Doris turned back to Bridget. “You don’t think they’re dead, do you?” She glanced around as if she expected the bushes to be full of killers. “It’s a good thing we’re leaving tomorrow. If they find out we talked to you, they might come after us.”
Bridget hid her smile. Apparently, this was the most exciting thing to happen to Doris in some time. “I certainly hope not.” Bridget took the picture of Thor and Marisol back, then began to back away. “Thanks for the information. You’ve been very helpful.”
Behind her, Nymph was already moving toward the lane.
“If we think of anything else, we’ll be sure to let you know,” Doris called out to them. “Where are you staying?”
Bridget walked back and handed Doris one of her business cards. “You can leave a message at this number. They’ll make sure I get it.”
“Thank you,” Doris said. “Maybe we should call the police.”
“We’ll be doing that. If they need to talk to you, I’m sure they’ll contact you even if you’re back in Tulsa.” Bridget waved as she hurried away. Nymph waited for her by the open gate that led out onto the lane.
“Let’s see if we can catch up to the other couple,” Nymph said.
They hurried in the direction of the last cottage. They’d only taken a few steps when a large hand reached out of the bushes along the lane, grabbed Bridget and pulled her out of sight. Nymph followed the sound of Bridget’s screams prepared to fight then relaxed when she stepped out into a clearing and saw Bridget being held by Dirk. Sabre and Nate stood next to them while Orin and Miles watched from the far side of the clearing.
Bridget slapped Dirk’s hands away, then poked him in the chest. “Damn it, I hate when you do that.”
“You said you didn’t want us to be seen,” Dirk said.
“By them, not us.” Bridget looked around, saw Nymph and rolled her eyes. “Can you believe this?”
Sabre slid his arms around Bridget and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I told him not to do it, baby, but he wouldn’t listen. He’s bad and I’m good.”
“Don’t try that good mate, bad mate crap on me. You’re both bad.”
Dirk smirked. “Told you she’d say that.” He pulled her away from Sabre. “Tell us what the neighbors said.”
Bridget and Nymph gave them a quick summary of what Doris and Harry had told them.
“We’re going to try to contact the couple in the other cottage and see if they heard anything,” Nymph said.
“We’ll follow you,” Dirk said.
“No grabbing us from the bushes. Next time, you’ll get a fist to the throat.” Bridget grabbed Nymph and the two of them pushed their way through the bushes and back to the lane.
It only took a few minutes to reach the cottage. The sign at the gate read “Coral Cottage.” The shutters were closed, so they climbed the steps to the porch and Nymph knocked on the door. When she didn’t get a response, she knocked louder, then waited.
Bridget moved up closer behind her. “Maybe they’re out swimming or something.”
Nymph glanced around, then walked to the side of the porch “Look.” She pointed through the bushes. “You can see Thor and Marisol’s cottage through the trees. If all of the cottages have the same floor plan, then the bedroom of this cottage is on th
is side and close to Thor’s bathroom window.”
Bridget smiled. “Which means, since Doris heard something that woke her up, these people might have heard something, too.”
“If they weren’t out somewhere,” Nymph said. “These resorts have something going on around the clock.”
Bridget noticed a movement by a tree. Sabre waved at her, then pointed to his stomach and made an eating motion. She smiled and waved back. “The guys are getting hungry. Let’s eat lunch, then we’ll come back and see if these people have returned.”
They cut through the trees and met up with the men. “They’re not home. We can come back later,” Bridget said.
Nymph watched Orin and Miles take pictures of the area. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve found a lot of tracks and several broken branches.” Nate pointed to a damaged bush. “Looks like something heavy came through here. Something that fought back.”
“Maybe something like Thor,” Sabre said.
“Doris said she thought one of the people in the carts was a woman or a small man,” Nymph said. “Have you seen any smaller footprints?”
Orin walked over to an area by the trail and pointed down. “Here. These belong to a woman. She wasn’t wearing shoes.”
Nymph and Bridget joined him and examined the track. “How can you tell it belongs to a woman?” Bridget asked.
“See how the steps are one in front of the other?” Orin asked. “Women walk that way—men tend to walk with their feet side by side.”
“Really? I never realized that, but you’re right,” Bridget said.
Dirk and Sabre joined them. “We’re starving.”
Nate walked up behind Nymph and pulled her back against him. “We’re finished here.”
“Let’s go to Miguel’s Cantina,” Nymph said. “He usually knows what’s going on in the area. He might have heard something about them.”
“As long as he has good food and cold beer, I’m in,” Sabre said.
“Best food and beer in the area,” Nate said.
Orin led the way back to the lane with Miles bringing up the rear. They met Cade on their way back to the lot where they’d parked the two rented SUVs.
Cade’s face was red with rage and a vein throbbed in his temple. “The bastard wouldn’t tell me anything. I think he’s working for Mendez.”
“Mendez has everyone on his payroll,” Nate said. “Nymph and Bridget talked to the neighbors in the blue cottage. We’ll tell you what they found out on our way to Nymph’s favorite cantina.”
* * * *
They separated into two groups, with Orin driving one vehicle and Nate driving the other. Orin caught Cade up on what they’d discovered. When they arrived at the cantina, there were a few tourists drinking beer on the patio. Nymph and Bridget took one look at the blazing sun and insisted it was too hot to stay outside.
Sabre and Dirk went in first. At the door, they paused to let their eyes adjust to the dimness of the room, then signaled the others that it was okay to enter. Nate led Nymph to a large table in the back corner and seated her with their backs to the wall. Bridget, Sabre and Dirk sat across from them, with Orin and Miles at either end. Once they were seated, the owner hurried over and welcomed them.
“Señora, I’ve been expecting you,” he said, his voice quiet.
“We couldn’t stay away,” Nymph told him. “I dream about your seafood stew and patacones.”
Miguel laughed. “You are in luck. My wife went to the market this morning to purchase fresh seafood. The Cazuela de Mariscos is ready to be served and the patacones are being made now.”
“Then that’s definitely what I’ll have.” Nymph looked at her companions. “Beer?” she asked, and they nodded. “And your wonderful, cold beer for everyone. It’s very hot today.”
Miguel signaled the waitress and she nodded, then began setting bottles on a tray along with frosty mugs. She carried them to the table and set them down before she took their orders.
Miguel waited until she disappeared into the kitchen. “These are very dangerous times, Señora.” He looked around. “At the market, my wife was told that Americans had arrived and were at the resort looking for their friends.”
“Word gets around fast,” Bridget said.
“Yes, very quickly.” Miguel looked around again. “I must tell you what I know before the waitress returns. I think she works for Mendez. My niece works at the resort. She was told to prepare the Aqua Cottage, and she was not to return to it again until she was told to do so.”
“Who told her this, and when?” Nymph asked.
“The manager, on Thursday,” Miguel said.
“That’s the day before Thor and Marisol arrived so the bastard is part of this,” Cade said. “That’s why he refused to give me the names of the people in the other cottages.”
“Your instincts have always been sound,” Nate said and Cade started to smile, then frowned instead. Nate smiled.
“One other thing,” Miguel said. “The people who were to be in the red cottage were told that there had been a water leak and they were given the penthouse suite. They arrived on Wednesday.”
Nymph glanced at Bridget. “So maybe the cottage is empty and Harry was right. There was something wrong and maintenance was sent to fix it.”
“No, Señora. My niece’s fiancé works at the resort and he said they did not do any repairs at the red cottage. Also, the people were moved from the penthouse to the cottage on Saturday afternoon.”
“Thank you, Miguel,” Nymph said. “That’s great information. It might help.”
Miguel nodded. “I hope you find your friends, Señora, but be very careful. Many people are afraid of Mendez and they will betray you to him.” Behind him, the door to the kitchen swung open and the waitress appeared with a heavily laden tray. “If I hear anything more, I’ll call the number you gave me the last time you were here.” Miguel smiled. “Enjoy your meal.”
“I’m sure we will,” Nymph said.
Miguel moved away as two men entered the cantina. He greeted them, then began visiting with them while the waitress set their plates on the table and asked if they needed anything else.
Nymph smiled. “No, thank you. This looks wonderful.”
The waitress smiled and walked away.
“He’s smart,” Cade said. “The waitress doesn’t know if he told us something or if he was just doing his usual meet-and-greet of new customers.”
Nymph laughed. “Yes, that’s why I trust him. He’s never steered us wrong. Has he, Nate?”
“No.” Nate took a sip of his beer. “I don’t think the other couple will know anything, but I’d like to search the inside of their cottage. If Thor was there, he may have done some damage. There may be repairs that were done by Mendez’s men.”
“Makes sense,” Bridget said. “They were left in the penthouse for some reason. My votes on repairs.”
“We might have trouble coming our way,” Nate said, nodding toward the men Miguel was talking to a few feet away.
Nymph laughed, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “I need to go powder my nose. Too much beer!”
Bridget put her empty tankard down. “I’ll go with you.”
Nate and Dirk stood, then helped them stand. Nymph staggered when she stood and fell against Nate. He grabbed her and held on until she shoved away from him.
She giggled, then looked around as if she didn’t know where the ladies’ room was located. When she spotted the sign, she pointed and said, “There.”
Dirk laughed. “I better go with them in case they take a wrong turn on the way back.”
Nymph and Bridget moved away from the table with Dirk following behind them. Nate remained standing while he pulled his wallet from his pocket. The eyes of the newcomers remained on him, giving the others an opportunity to prepare for an attack.
Orin stood and began arguing with Nate about who was paying for their meal. “It’s my turn to pay. You paid last time,” he said as he joined Nate on
his side of the table.
Sabre slid his chair back. “No, he didn’t. I did. I remember, because it was after we fought those sons of bitches who tried to rob us at that bar in Cartagena.” He stood to his full height of six foot five, then walked toward the bar where the cash register sat with Miguel behind it. When he reached it, he threw a wad of cash down, then turned and leaned his back against the bar. “I hate having my drinking interrupted.”
“I don’t care who pays.” Miles banged his tankard on the table. “Bartender, another beer.” He stood up. “In fact, I’ll buy a round for everyone.” The sound of a ruckus came from the hallway leading to the restrooms. Apparently, it was the cue the newcomers had been waiting for as they began to stand. Miles let go of his chair, turned, and shoved the men’s table, shoving it into them and making them lose their balance. Within seconds, Orin, Sabre, and Cade had them surrounded with the cold barrels of their guns pressed against their heads.
“One move and you’re dead,” Cade said.
Dirk, Nymph and Bridget escorted two men from the hallway into the main room. “We caught these two coming in the back door with their guns in their hands.” Dirk shoved them toward their friends then walked over and put his gun to Miguel’s head. “Is this any way to treat paying customers?” Dirk tapped the barrel of his gun against Miguel’s head. “Time for a siesta. Close up.”
Miguel put his hands in the air. “Señor, please I have a wife.”
“She’ll be a widow if you give me any trouble,” Dirk said.
Miguel nodded, then hurried to the door. “What about the customers on the patio?”
“Tell them their meals are on the house and you’re closing.”
Miguel waved at the customers until he got their attention, then repeated what Dirk told him to say. He closed and locked the door, then flipped the sign to “Closed.”
Nate went into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later. “I tied up the cook and the waitress. They’re madder than wet hens. I had to gag them to shut them up.”
“Take the owner in there and tie him up,” Dirk said.
“I’ll go with Nate, then stay with them while you talk to our new friends,” Nymph said.
The Ramsey Doms Page 3