Strawberry Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 13 (Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries) Read Online Free PDF Page A

sacks
of groceries and supplies on the counter in the kitchen. He put each item in a
specific place for a specific reason, then moved to the daybed where the blonde
woman who had interrupted him lay sleeping. He had been injecting her with
tranquilizers stolen from a veterinary office periodically so that she wouldn’t
have to suffer through the sensory deprivation that he insisted upon. He had to
keep her quiet and he had to keep her immobile until his purpose had been
served, then she would be of no consequence to him.
     

Chapter 10
    Echo
dug her toes into the sugar-white sand and sighed. This vacation had not turned
out at all the way she’d expected. When Frank had impulsively suggested that it
would do both of them good to travel and relax for a while, she’d agreed, even
letting him convince her to “really get away from it all” by leaving her cell
phone in a kitchen drawer, along with his. The trip had started out with her
feeling wild and carefree, taking off without a backward glance to live life
with a sense of abandon that she hadn’t felt in a very long time, but now she
found herself beginning to wonder if her best friend, Missy might not have been
at least a little bit right about Frank and his possessive and controlling
ways.
    They
had driven through Mississippi and Alabama, taking their time, spending the
night in a nice hotel and ordering room service for breakfast before getting
back on the road, headed for Georgia and ultimately Florida. They’d stopped at
antique malls, tourist attractions and roadside fruit and vegetable stands,
meandering their way east and south, getting closer and closer to their
destination. It seemed to Echo that the closer they got to Key West, the more
uptight Frank became.
    “Most
people go on vacation to relax,” she had teased, receiving a rather stony
silence in return.
    Passing
his strange behavior off as “first-trip-together-as-a-couple jitters, she had
tried to be more attentive and entertaining, but nothing seemed to help, so she
fell quiet, determined to enjoy the scenery and experiences whether Frank did
or not. It was a relief to finally arrive at their private beach rental so that
she wouldn’t have to endure the weird silence as the miles flew by. She planned
to read books, sunbathe, swim and go for long walks. If Frank chose to
participate, she’d be glad, if not, that was his choice and she wasn’t going to
let that ruin her vacation.
    The
beach house was fully stocked with food, linens and everything they’d need for
the two weeks that they planned on spending there. Although their location was
completely private, there were several restaurants and shopping areas within
bicycling distance, and Echo looked forward to visiting them. They arrived late
in the evening on their first day, so rather than going out for dinner, they
opted to stay in and nibble on some of the prepared salads that their rental
host had thoughtfully provided. They walked on the beach in the moonlight,
holding hands, and all was well…until the next day.
    Echo
had enjoyed their lazy breakfast and reading on a beach lounger sipping
mimosas, but when she finished her book, she was ready to explore. Frank didn’t
want to get sunburned, so after a few minutes on a lounger, he had retreated to
the living room to watch TV. Brushing the sand from her feet, Echo padded into
the beach house, sitting next to him on the couch and giving him a kiss.
    “You
know, we’re going to have to pay for damages if you stain the couch with suntan
lotion,” he grumbled, backing away.
    “It’s
non-staining…I always get that kind,” Echo replied, surprised.
    “Good,”
he said, staring at the television and changing channels.
    “Frank,
is there something wrong? You’ve been acting very strangely, and if I’ve done
something that has upset you, just let me know so that we can talk about it,”
she said, placing a hand gently on his bicep.
    The
clearly stressed man sighed. “Nothing is