If Looks Could Kill Read Free

his.
    â€œI’ll kill her!” she said, her eyes wild with fury as she stared out at the harbor. “I’ll murder that woman if it’s the last thing I do!”

Chapter

Two
    B EFORE ANYONE could react, Martika made a dash for the steps that led down to the dock.
    â€œMartika! Wait!” Derek called as he took off after her. The photographers scurried close behind. Everyone else was too startled to move, but soon began talking about what had happened.
    â€œFolks,” Kurt called, climbing the steps to the porch in two giant leaps. “I’ll show you all to the lobby,” he said, doing his best to cover for Martika.
    Nancy had stooped down to pick up the binoculars Martika had dropped. She trained them on the harbor below.
    The newly arrived yacht had anchored offshore, and a motor launch was now pulling away from it and moving toward the dock. A uniformed man was at the wheel with just onepassenger—a willowy woman in a white sundress, holding a hand to her hat to keep it from blowing off in the wind.
    â€œCome on,” Nancy said to Bess and George. “Let’s see what’s up.”
    She took off down the steps, with Bess and George right behind her. A few of the other guests decided to go, too, including Helen MacArthur, the magazine editor. Most of them followed Kurt Yeager, buzzing about all the commotion.
    At the bottom of the long flight of steps, Martika stood on the dock glaring at the motor launch. Derek was behind her with his hands on her shoulders, clearly trying to calm her.
    â€œThat woman in the boat,” Bess said, short of breath as she joined Nancy and George on the dock several feet off to the side of Martika. “I recognize her from her ads—it’s Christina Adams.”
    â€œThe health spa queen?” George whispered. “But she’s Martika’s biggest competitor. What’s she doing here?”
    â€œGood question, George,” Nancy said. The motor launch docked at the wharf, and a staffer reached out to give Christina Adams a hand up.
    â€œDear, dear Martika!” Christina said, going right up to the model. She planted a kiss on Martika’s cheek. Martika stood, rigid with anger,as the photographers’ cameras snapped. “I’m so sorry to crash your little party like this, but would you believe it, my boat developed engine trouble just as we were passing! Isn’t that awful? I’m sure they’ll have it fixed quickly, but until then it looks as if I’m stranded.”
    Christina removed her hat to show off her sun-streaked honey blond hair. She batted her long eyelashes at the newspeople. Martika continued to stand there with her hands on her hips, apparently too furious to speak.
    Nancy knew a little of the history between the two women. Christina Adams’s salons and spas were legendary. In opening up her resort, Martika was challenging Christina’s empire—which wasn’t likely to make Christina happy. Now here she was, crashing Martika’s opening.
    Behind Martika, Nancy heard Derek mutter, “Uh-oh, trouble in paradise.”
    â€œYou are going to ask me to stay, aren’t you?” Christina asked, acting like a little lost waif. “I promise I’ll be quiet as a mouse,” she said, giggling lightly. “And, oh, what a lovely place you’ve got here! I’m so happy for you! I’m sure you’re going to be a great success.” Once again she kissed the flushed Martika on the cheek, then waved to the photographers.
    â€œShe could stay on her boat, you know,” Nancy heard Derek whisper in Martika’s ear.
    Martika shook her head and seemed to comeout of her daze. “No, no, Derek. Of course Christina must stay with us,” she said, giving her rival a plastic smile. “I’m sure you’ll be very happy here. And who knows—you might even pick up a few pointers about how to run a world-class spa.”
    Having had