Her hand covered her neck in dismay. "Don't remind me. Melissa would be beside herself knowing her death might cost a sale. The condo owners were calling her nonstop about finding a buyer. I think Hadria is having money problems."

"Were you close to Melissa?" I asked.

"No." She let Biscuit wander further along the path, and I kept pace with her, not wanting to miss story time. "But she helped us buy our condo. We had a place on the thirteenth floor in Building B, but my husband hated the elevator. It was always such a production with the up and down. We almost didn't look at this place because of the lackluster view, you know."

I nodded, still not sure why everyone hated an ocean-only view. Who wanted to see flashing city lights while you were trying to sleep?

"But in the end, I fell in love with the place. After extensive renovations, of course."

"Of course." We continued further out of our building area toward the water. The sun hit the back of my neck, and I made a mental note to apply more sunscreen.

"Melissa was just such a shark. I can't believe this happened to her. How will Hadria ever sell that condo now? I just don't understand it. Accidents like this happen too often. Only a fool would buy the condo now."

Barbie told a story like a boat sailing over rough waters. One moment we were at the top of a wave discussing Melissa and the next at the bottom agonizing over home prices. It made my head spin, and I loved every second of it.

"It's a tragedy, but I'm trying not to learn more about the situation." I'd done a damn good job keeping myself out of this island murder business, but if everyone kept calling it an accident, I'd lose my mind. Especially if Barbie kept saying it happened often. How many people were dying from mysterious accidents on this island?

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," Barbie said, letting Biscuit stop to pee on the base of a palm tree. I let NB wait his turn and then pee as well. "I'm sorry if death upsets you. It must have been horrifying to find the body. Was there a lot of blood?"

She slid the last question in so quickly I answered before I realized it. "No, not really that I saw. Which is weird. Right?"

"It's just such a horrible accident."

Ugh. Couldn't she please stop using that stupid word? It was definitely not an accident.

"It reminds me of last year. They found a spa worker, drowned in one of the hot tubs. The police said she took too many sleeping pills and then just slipped right under the water. Can you imagine?"

"No, not really." Because that also didn't sound like a freaking accident. "Did they investigate her death? Talk to any boyfriends?"

She shook her head, leading us back on the path as NB finished up his potty break. "I don't think so. The bottle of pills was right next to her. Open and shut case."

Oh really? Yeah, that didn't make it more suspicious at all. Who were these people? Hadn't anyone watched an episode of Forensic Files?

These rich people were killing one another left and right.

"But don't worry," she said, glancing at me before placing her hand on my arm. "The island is perfectly safe. The market has never been better. You have nothing to worry about."

NB barked back at me as he tugged on his leash, wanting more space. I'd stopped in the middle of the walkway with a slightly open-mouth expression. How did she think everything was okay? This island was crazier than Pelican Bay. Broadrick moved us from our small, quaint little town into a pit of murder.

I swear the universe had to be fucking with me. Here I was-a retired PI-and I now lived in the murder capital of the world.

"Did you see the latest on Nick and Reba? Biscuit and I can't wait to see what happens today, but you know, they'll probably drag it out all week."

My arm jerked forward as NB pulled for more leash. "Who?"

"As the Page Turns. Don't tell me you aren't a watcher. Everyone here watches."

Ohh. The afternoon soap opera. "It wasn't very popular where I come from."

She rolled her eyes. "Everyone who is anyone watches As the Page Turns."

"Well... catch me up with Nick," I said, not knowing what else to do to take the look of pity off her face. I'd seen enough of that to last me a lifetime.

Barbie launched into a detailed update about the various lies of the show's popular character, Nick Cherry. He seemed like a real jerk, but apparently the ladies put up with his drama because of his good looks. And probably for the soap plot.

We'd circled the short beach walking path and ended up back at Mrs. Mars' building before she'd finished completely telling me about Nick's latest fuck-up with Reba and whether she'd eventually catch him. I had to vote yes, considering he was a soap star and all. Drama was required.

The way Barbie talked about Nick, you'd think they were actual people and she was in love with him. Between her love for Nick and the annoyance she had at Reba's inability to catch him cheating, I almost wanted to watch the show, too.

"He really took the other woman to the movies, and Reba didn't catch him?" I asked. Who took two dates to the movies and didn't get caught?

Barbie shook her head. "Reba is too in love with him to see his flaws. She'll catch him and Tanya sneaking around soon. Probably right before the fall sweeps."

We paused by her condo's front door, and I got ready to say my good-byes when my gaze fluttered toward the condo we'd toured. Yellow crime scene tape blocked the entrance as it stretched from the top of the door to the bottom.

"I'm guessing you don't want the condo with the dead body in it?" Barbie asked, sounding sad.

I shrugged. "We're still thinking about our options." Hopefully, Broadrick took me seriously when I said that's the one meant to be ours. Sometimes you couldn't tell with the SEAL. "Good luck with the soaps. I hope Reba catches Nick."

She met my wave good-bye as NB, and I headed toward the resort. I walked past the yellow tape slowly, letting my gaze sweep over the door. It was a gorgeous home and had furniture already.

But could I really move to a place on the island? Did I deserve to live in such a nice place? What was I going to do with my life? For as long as I could remember, I'd wanted to help people. I thought that was through doing PI work and solving murders, but I'd messed everything up.

I came to a halt at the far corner of the resort building. "NB!"

He stopped sniffing the overgrown houseplant for a place to pee to look at me. Rather than continuing forward, we turned to head to the back of the building and enter the security offices. NB tootled along beside me, just happy to be spending more time outside. The blazing sun didn't seem to bother him.

A fresh white sticker advertised the door as the entrance to the PB Security Service. Interesting name they'd decided on. Much shorter than the other one.

I pushed the door open, letting NB go first. "Broadrick!"

"Vonnie." A big beefy body with the shoulder mass of a bear stepped in my way. "What are you doing here?"

I tilted my head back to get a better view of him. Dalton had the same sandy blond hair and blue eyes he'd had in Pelican Bay, but his skin was at least two shades tanner. "Dalton, where's Broadrick?"

They may have been coleaders of this new operation, but I didn't plan to let Dalton intimate me. This was my island, too.

Broadrick walked out from the long hallway. "What's up, babe?"

"I've decided what I want to do with my life." Dalton stepped away, and I met Broadrick in the middle of the dull gray lobby area. It was a spectacular idea that solved all my problems. "I can be your secretary."

Dalton and Broadrick's gazes landed on the empty brown desk set a few feet away from us, where a secretary should have greeted my entrance into the space. I'd be way better than the imaginary one they had now.

A quick harsh, "Nooooooo," came from Dalton, and I whipped my head in his direction to glare.

"That's rude." I crossed my arms, reducing the length on NB's leash and pulling him closer to me.

Broadrick wrapped his arm around my shoulders, ignoring his friend and partner. "Vonnie, you're a private investigator."

My shoulders sagged. "No, I'm not."

Not anymore.

That shit sailed as we rode the ferry to the island. "If I can't be your secretary, we must buy that last condo."

"You were serious about that?" Broadrick asked with his nose crinkled in confusion.

I nodded as Dalton walked away, shaking his head. "Yes. I love all the white. Don't you?"

"The murder house? You're sure?"

Ah-ha! He thought it was a murder too! I knew he didn't believe any of that bullshit about an accident. No one in their right mind thought someone tripped and took a knitting needle to the brain.

"Our soap connection says it's an accident." I pressed him for more information. Did they already have connections with the police and have insider information?

He didn't bite. "Our who?"

"Our new neighbor. Barbara Mars."

Broadrick pulled a small sheet of white paper from his back pocket and turned us toward the door. "We'll have to discuss that later. They gave me this at the front desk this morning. You have a package from Pelican Bay."

I grabbed the paper from him and scanned it. "I have to pick it up at the post office?"

He nodded. "I guess so."

Weird. You'd think the rich people would have a package delivery person.