Risky Business Read Online Free PDF Page A

people from Texas, Louisiana and Florida felt the need to get away.
    â€œHeard you had some excitement while we were on the other side.”
    Liz supposed she should be used to the comment by now, but a shiver ran up her spine. The smile faded, leaving her face remote. “You mean the American who was murdered?”
    â€œPut the wife in a spin. Almost couldn’t talk her into coming back over. Did you know him?”
    No, she thought, not as well as she should have. To keep her hands busy, she reached for a rental form and began to fill it out. “As a matter of fact, he worked here a little while.”
    â€œYou don’t say?” Ambuckle’s small blue eyes sparkled a bit. But Liz supposed she should be used to that, as well.
    â€œYou might remember him. He crewed the dive boat the last time you and your wife went out.”
    â€œNo kidding?” Ambuckle’s brow creased as he chewed on the cigar. “Not that good-looking young man—Johnny, Jerry,” he remembered. “Had the wife in stitches.”
    â€œYes, that was him.”
    â€œShame,” Ambuckle murmured, but looked rather pleased to have known the victim. “Had a lot of zip.”
    â€œYes, I thought so, too.” Liz lugged the tanks through the door and set them on the stoop. “That should take care of it, Mr. Ambuckle.”
    â€œAdd a camera on, missy. Want to get me a picture of one of those squids. Ugly things.”
    Amazed, Liz plucked one from the shelf and added it to the list on a printed form. She checked her watch, noted down the time and turned the form for Ambuckle’s signature. After signing, he handed her bills for the deposit. She appreciated the fact that Ambuckle always paid in cash, American. “Thanks. Glad to see you back, Mr. Ambuckle.”
    â€œCan’t keep me away, missy.” With a whoosh and a grunt, he hefted the tanks on his shoulders. Liz watched him cross to the walkway before she filed the receipt. Unlocking her cash box, she stored the money.
    â€œBusiness is good.”
    She jolted at the voice and looking up again stared at Jonas Sharpe.
    She’d never again mistake him for Jerry, though his eyes were almost hidden this time with tinted glasses, and he wore shorts and an open shirt in lieu of a suit. There was a long gold chain around his neck with a small coin dangling. She recalled Jerryhad worn one. But something in the way Jonas stood, something in the set of his mouth made him look taller and tougher than the man she’d known.
    Because she didn’t believe in polite fencing, Liz finished relocking the cash box and began to check the straps and fasteners on a shelf of masks. No faulty equipment went out of her shop. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”
    â€œYou should have.” Jonas watched her move down the shelf. She seemed stronger, less vulnerable than she had when he’d seen her a week ago. Her eyes were cool, her voice remote. It made it easier to do what he’d come for. “You have quite a reputation on the island.”
    She paused long enough to look over her shoulder. “Really?”
    â€œI checked,” he said easily. “You’ve lived here for ten years. Built this place from the first brick and have one of the most successful businesses on the island.”
    She examined the mask in her hand meticulously. “Are you interested in renting some equipment, Mr. Sharpe? I can recommend the snorkeling right off this reef.”
    â€œMaybe. But I think I’d prefer to scuba.”
    â€œFine. I can give you whatever you need.” She set the mask down and chose another. “It isn’t necessary to be certified to dive in Mexico; however, I’d recommend a few basic lessons before you go down. We offer two different courses—individual or group.”
    He smiled at her for the first time, a slow, appealing curving of lips that softened the toughness around his