Permanent Sunset Read Online Free PDF

Ditleff Point Beach and to please let Detective Janquar know.
    “Oh, he’s not on today. He’ll be out for the next month. He’s having knee replacement surgery.”

Chapter Six
    Shivering in her wet clothes despite standing under the blast of the Caribbean sun, Sabrina saw she had a text message from Henry.
    “Found L safe. No E. Think she’s dumped S.”
    Sabrina looked over at Kate Keating, not knowing what to say. She decided the best thing she could do was clue Henry in and contain the situation.
    “E drowned. Am at cove with Kate K. Keep S at house. Cops coming.”
    But it was too late, Sabrina realized. Lisa Keating, who was driving down the driveway with her three children, paused when she saw Kate and Sabrina standing at the top of the beach. She got out of the rental car, keeping the children waiting in the jeep with the air conditioning going and windows rolled up.
    “What’s going on, Kate? Is everything all right?” Sabrina wanted to tell Kate to say nothing, but she had already begun to sob, rushing up to Lisa’s waiting arms.
    “She’d dead, Lisa. Elena’s dead. She drowned. In her wedding gown.” Kate’s sobs became howls so loud that the children could surely hear them, even with the windows up.
    Lisa looked up at the car and then back at the beach past Sabrina, where all that could be seen was a pile of white lace. “Were you on your way to the Westin to drop off the girls with your mother?” Sabrina asked. Sabrina had an entire notebook filled with the itinerary and activities of all the family members staying at Villa Nirvana. She might not remember names as well as Henry, but once she wrote anything else in her notebook, she never forgot it. She knew the Keating girls were scheduled to spend the day with their grandmother until late in the afternoon, when they would return to be flower girls in the wedding.
    Lisa stared at her without responding for a moment, reminding Sabrina that she must look frightful with her wet hair hanging in limp curls and soaked-through clothes.
    “Yes, I mean no. I mean they’re staying with Gavin’s mother,” Lisa said.
    “Gavin’s mother?” Sabrina looked at Kate puzzled. She’d assumed it would be Lisa’s mother with the grandchildren over at the Westin.
    “Gavin’s mother decided to come to St. John to help with the children during the wedding weekend,” Lisa said.
    “A wedding to which she is not, was not, invited.” Kate stopped sobbing for a moment. Sabrina took some comfort in hearing once again that hers was not the onlyscrewed-up family. But she knew there was no time to waste on family politics if the Keating kids were to be spared the sirens and ambulance, paramedics, and cops. And there was just no reason for them to be exposed to what was about to ensue.
    “Lisa, I’d hop in that jeep and get the kids out of here before—”
    “You’re right. Say no more. I’ll be right back, Kate. I’m so sorry,” Lisa said, rushing to the jeep and taking off just in time to miss the arrival of St. John Rescue and three cruisers.
    With the sirens blasting, the vehicles raised enough dust from the dirt road leading to the cove and the Villa Nirvana driveway to make it difficult to see the faces of the people who had emerged from the villa to check out what was going on. Sabrina saw Sean race toward his mother. Henry followed close behind, giving Sabrina a look that said, “I couldn’t hold him back.”
    “What’s going on? Are you okay? Why are they here?” Sean asked as the rescue workers and cops surrounded Elena. Only then did he seem to comprehend that the situation did not directly involve Kate but centered on the person lying still on the beach.
    Sabrina was relieved to see Lucy Detree, who had worked directly under Detective Janquar when Carter Johnson, a guest at Ten Villas, had been murdered several months before. The statuesque, young black officer was directing guests to move back to the house, includingJack and Gavin