Death in Paradise

 

 

 

 

 

Death in Paradise

 

by

 

Kate Flora

 

 

 

 

 

Published by:
ePublishing Works!

www.epublishingworks.com

 

ISBN: 978-1-61417-140-9

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright(s) reserved above and below, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

 

Please Note

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

 

The scanning, uploading, and distributing of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

 

Copyright 1998, 2011 by Kate Clark Flora. All rights reserved.

 

Cover and eBook design by eBook Prep
www.ebookprep.com

 

Thank You
.

 

 

 

 

 

In memory of my beloved sister, Sara Lloyd

Sorrow is the price we pay for the joy of having known her.

 

 

 

 

 

Acknowledgements

 

Thank you first and always to my husband, Ken Cohen, who said, "keep writing" instead of "get a job." Second to Tom Doherty and all the great people at Forge, for publishing my first Thea and keeping her going. I owe a lot to the generous people who have read my books, given advice, and answered my questions. They include: Robert Moll, Diane Englund, Jack Nevison, Nancy McJennet, Sgt. Tom Le Min, Reid Nakamura, Vicki Stiefel, Robert Matthews, and David Learnard. I am always grateful to Thea's role model, Margaret Milne Moulton, and, for this book especially, to the National Coalition of Girls' Schools, Professor Frances Miller, Mount Holyoke College, and the American Association of University Women for information on single-sex education.

 

 

 

Chapter 1

 

I was in Hawaii. The double doors opening to a lanai, the swaying palm trees, the inviting blue water all confirmed it. So did the airy tropical decor. So had my ticket. I knew for certain that I had gotten on a plane in Boston, flown to Honolulu, and changed to a plane for Maui. So why the heck was I crawling around on my hands and knees searching for a dropped earring when it wasn't yet 6:00 a.m., already late for my first meeting of the day? Why was my skin still pasty white? And why was I gulping decongestants for the stuffy head I always get from too many hours in air-conditioned rooms, instead of walking on the beach?

Because I was a grown-up, a working girl, and a slave of duty.

Where was that damned earring? If I didn't find it, the maid's vacuum surely would, and it was a favorite. The phone rang. I was certain it was Martina, she who never slept, calling to complain about my tardiness. Martina Pullman, conference director, head of the National Association of Girls' Schools. I had been on Maui for about thirty hours, many of them in her company, and there had already been four occasions when I had wanted to strangle her. I considered not answering it, but then again, I am that slave of duty.

I grabbed the receiver. As I pulled the phone to my ear, I shifted my weight, bringing my knee down hard on the lurking earring. The sharp post stabbed me like a bee sting. Instead of the brisk hello I'd been forming, I yelped an ouch into the receiver.

"It can't be that bad," Andre said, "you're in paradise, remember?" Detective Andre Lemieux, Maine State Police. The love of my life.

"Frankly, dahling, I'm finding that one hotel is much like another. For all the fun I'm having, for all the sea and sand and sun I'm getting, I might just as well be in Juneau or Poughkeepsie."