Sea Salt Caramel Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 4) Read Free Page A

That rude Chinese man may just be ship security or something.”
    Nikki considered Lidia's suggestion about the Chinese man possibly being ship security. “It's possible,” she agreed. Taking a very deep breath, she put her purse down on the table and smiled. “Silly me, here I am ready to dive into an empty pool.”
    “You and me both,” Lidia laughed. “Now, let's talk about girl stuff. You must tell me where you purchase your dresses and where you get your shoes.”
    Nikki smiled. “I order from a store online,” she admitted and dove into a full conversation about dresses and shoes as the ship slowly began to get underway and moved out into a stormy sea. She sipped her tea and munched on her muffin and allowed her mind to forget about what she saw in the hallway.

    * * *
    A s Nikki and Lidia talked , the Chinese man walked back to his cabin. Once securely inside, he locked himself in the cabin's bathroom, placed the suitcase down onto the counter, and opened it. A sea of diamonds appeared before his eyes. With an angry hand, he snatched up a single diamond, examined it, and then growled. Throwing the diamond down, he slammed the briefcase shut. “Play games with me...” he whispered through clenched teeth.

Chapter Four
    W hen dinner arrived , Nikki sent a polite message to the captain, informing him she wouldn't be able to sit at his table. Knowing it was wiser to stay clear of the captain in order to silence her need to seek answers, Nikki sat with Hawk, Lidia, and Herbert on the far side of a dining room that, if Nikki didn't know better, resembled the same design as the dining room on the Titanic. This one was smaller of course, but the design, atmosphere, and taste in the air was somehow connected to a ship that now lay at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. “Delicious salmon,” Herbert said, complimenting his meal.
    Sitting across from Herbert with Hawk on her right and Lidia on her left, Nikki watched Herbert take another bite of salmon. Turning her attention to Hawk, she watched him take a bite of sea bass. Hawk was dressed in a gray button-up shirt tucked into a pair of jeans. For him, that was fancy. “How is your meal?”
    “Not bad,” Hawk confessed, enjoying the sea bass. “Lidia, how is your cheeseburger?”
    “Delicious,” Lidia said, eating a double-stacked cheeseburger dripping with grease. “I never was one who liked the taste of fish.”
    Nikki grinned. She didn't like the taste of fish, either. Looking down at her plate, she examined the large grilled chicken salad sitting before her, along with a bowl of tomato soup and dipping bread. Picking up a water glass, she took a sip. “The food is delicious. I'm still surprised at the interior design. I simply wouldn't have expected the interior to be this magnificent.”
    “The heart of a ship is what matters,” Herbert pointed out to Nikki. After a good soak in the steam room, a hot shower, and a change back into his blue suit, Herbert felt refreshed. After the ship had moved out into open water, the mood of the ship changed into a festive behavior. Other passengers were moving around more freely, stretching their legs, wandering here and there, familiarizing themselves with the ship’s interior. Sure the seas were rough, but that didn't matter. People were having a grand time, regardless of the rough seas, and that's what mattered.
    “True,” Hawk supported Herbert’s statement. “When I was younger, I had a rundown 1967 Ford. The outside was pretty rusted, but the inside was something to see...white leather seats, the works. Cost me a fortune. I had to work digging plumbing lines all summer to earn money for that car. I'm just glad this ship turned out to be like my car.”
    Nikki picked up a piece of bread, dipped it in her soup, and took a bite. With her mind focused on Hawk, she didn't see the Chinese man enter the dining room, spot the captain, and then leave. But Lidia did. She didn't say a word. “Hawk, what did you do with