When Miller finished trying to pry Billy's whereabouts from him, Mendoza offered to make him a drink. His nerves were strumming like the resort's guitars and after having been grilled about one death already, he was scared stiff to have discovered another.

"You will find it relaxing, senor. All this stress about Senor Graves and your room . . . you should have a drink."

"I don't want a drink. I want to find Billy. My stress is just beginning."

The big bartender sighed, rustling the fronds along the edge of the bar, and leaned his massive hands on the counter in front of Miller. "I can get in a lot of trouble, Senor Hunt."

"I won't say you told me."

"She'll know."

"Please, Mendoza, it's important . . . really important."

He waded through the warm sand to the stretch of beach beyond the dive rental shop. A cluster of six brightly coloured cabanas, all doors closed, faced the water and Miller rapped on each as he passed. The door to the last cabana was ajar and he paused, getting his story organized before rapping on the bamboo panel.

"If that's my order you can bring it in. If it isn't you'd better be gone before I get to the door." Billy's voice sounded serious but not terribly convincing. Miller went inside. It was stinking hot.

"Well haven't you got the brassiest set!" Billy sat up on her lounge and grabbed a towel to cover her nakedness. Miller spun around and groped for the door, shouting apologies. "It's too late now, Miller. You might as well come back."

"You said to come in!" He backed into the small shelter and twisted his head around carefully. Billy was tucking the towel around her chest and he breathed a sigh only to find that it only came to the top of her thighs and while she stood it was fine but she started to sit again and he turned away again.

"Grow up, Miller." She arranged herself on the lounge and he was told to sit on the floor. "Now your precious sensibilities are safe." She huffed. "What are you doing here? And it better be good or Mendoza is going to hear about it."

He could feel the heat on his face and it angered him to think he felt like a teenager around her. "If I'm such a childish prude why did you grab the towel," he complained. "You don't hide from the staff?"

"You have to have lived here for a while to understand, Miller."

"Oh, so you just choose to embarrass the hell out of me. That seems to be everybody's goal around here?"

"Do you want me to take it off? Would that make your self-pity more bearable?"

He stared at her without answering and was pleased to see her own cheeks flush pink.

"Maybe another time," he said cavalierly and her eyes widened. "I need to tell you something, something very serious."

She bobbed her head. "More serious than this affront to your dignity?"

"Billy . . . can we forget this? It started because I was surprised. I apologize, okay? I really need to talk to you."

"So?"

Miller told her what he had found, how and where and was scared to death about reporting it. "Who'd believe that?" he asked.

"Certainly not Warez." She stood again and turned around, letting the towel drop, pulling on a t-shirt and stepping into her shorts. Miller took in the whole act with rapt attention. Her bottom had suddenly become the center of his universe and he was stunned into silence. She looked down at him. "Show me the body."

His imagination exploded then he realized she meant the one he'd discovered. They left the cabana, Billy striding quickly through the sand and Miller floundering behind.

********

Hector lay on his cot staring at the ceiling and projecting his performance from the previous night on his mind's eye. The smoke from his cigarillo drifted lazily from his nostrils and settled like a ghostly blanket on his chest. When she had approached him at the party he had panicked and he'd hoped to plead his case to extricate himself from her threat.

He was stunned to find she had something else on her mind, something he could happily go along with-in spite of the danger. The woman had been muy hambriento and Hector had been more than willing to sate that appetite.

His biggest problem, as he now saw it, was Charles. With the killing of the American jefe Graves overhanging the resort even the slightest suspicion of impropriety he knew would prompt Charles to carry out his threat. Hector wasn't certain as to why Charles was threatening him; it seemed a little over the top and an unnecessary abuse of his position.

Senorita Weiss posed a similar threat. The previous night's activities returned to his thoughts and he felt a shivery thrill at reporting soon on the couple's latest encounter. He had slipped from her bed and hurried down to the Ordman suite, seeking to regain some measure of control. Reporting on her lover and the real estate lady he hoped would keep him in good stead.

********

"Do you know her?" Miller stood back while Billy pushed the plant away from the woman's face and made a sound of disgust as it smeared blood from a head wound into the shiny blonde hair.

"Nope, but I've seen her around. I think she might have something to do with the resort convention services or something; I saw her taking a group around the other day."

"What do we do?"

"We have to tell, Miller," she said standing up and dusting dirt from her knees. "We can't leave a corpse rotting in the bushes for some kid to stumble across."

"What about what I saw, you think they'd believe me?"

"You don't know what you saw."

"It could have been a man," he offered. "Somebody staying here."

"Yeah, Miller, the resort holds about five hundred tourists and staff."

"There aren't five hundred people here right now." He said, irritated.

"Did you get a skin colour or a hair colour of this mythical man? A height? A weight? How about his clothes?"

"No."

"See this, Miller?" She pointed to tracks in the dirt around the body. "Animal tracks. You probably saw some animal sniffing around her."

"I only had a glimpse through shaky binoculars. Jesus."

"So then tell them that. It's the truth. Don't make stuff up."

"I'm already in deep shit with Warez, I have to say something . . ."

"We say the truth. It's what happened. There's no law against exploring the grounds."

"This is getting really serious, Billy. Two murders in one week."

"It's not the number that makes it serious. It's the motive and the fact that you are now associated with both of them."

He slumped as she moved past him and back down the trail. "I'm doomed aren't I?"

"Maybe not. We just say we were walking together, found her and we don't mention your phantom guy. Period." She walked back and planted a full frontal kiss on his mouth, ending with a ghost of a tongue tickle and a stroke of his cheek. "You're a nice guy, Miller, Warez can be convinced."

What was that! He watched her wiggle down the trail and then hurried after her. He had no doubt she could convince anybody of anything.

"Mendoza knows we weren't walking and I was in a real state when I asked him where to find you. He'll tell Warez and our story goes up in smoke." He dodged the flapping branches that flailed in her wake.

Billy left the trail and skipped over a few small mounds arriving right at the entrance to Divers and she waited for Miller to catch up.

"Mendoza won't tell Warez anything because he won't even be questioned. He prepares the captain's tea every morning and that gives him a solid alibi. Trust me." She started down a set of narrow stone steps and he followed again.

"What's here?" he asked.

"Lunch."

"What? After that? We can't wait to report this! Besides it's too early."

"Suddenly you're in hurry to tell Warez? The body isn't going anywhere and nobody can get off the resort property without checking at the gate. Cross country is out of the question and you definitely need a bit of time to wind down."

He flapped his arms, ignoring her observation and followed her inside to a table, sitting across from her. "What about a boat?"

"They are all owned by the resort and there is no place to hide a private one no matter how small." She waved to the waitress. "Relax. You shouldn't face Warez on an empty stomach. Who knows when you'll get to eat again." His mouth fell so far she reached across and lifted his chin. "I'm teasing, Miller."

"How can you be so- so calm? That woman was obviously murdered!"

She shushed him and looked at the other people seated about the room. "Keep it down. I'm not calm inside, okay? I'm as scared as you but you can't show it; the police down here thrive on the weakness of suspects."

"Now I'm a suspect again?"

"We all are you dope. You aren't the only one in the captain's sights."

"No . . . just the main one." He crumpled in the seat and stared morosely at the plate of bacon the waitress placed in front of him. Again? Bacon?

********

Glenda Weiss used her cream to clean the stale makeup from her face. She balled up the tissue and dropped it in the wastebasket by the sink. Her skin was pink from rubbing and she shook her head, admonishing herself for leaving it on all night. Women only did that in the movies on such occasions. Sex with Hector on her terms was almost as good as punishing him, aside from easing the tension she felt. Leaving him feeling a little more in control would only strengthen her position.

There wasn't enough time for a shower so she did the best she could in the time she had. The soap supplied by the resort was an expensive brand with moisture cream and she spent several minutes lathering her face, neck and upper body. A fresh application of foundation, eye liner and mascara brought her spirits up and when she'd finished applying her lipstick she felt ready to face the distasteful interview by the police. They were bullying all the guests because they were going nowhere in the investigation of Graves' death.

Hair brushed into its cloud of curls, a short-sleeved ecru blouse, pale cream slacks and tan heels and a selection of jewellery completed her preparation. Purse in hand she called for a ride and left the villa to squeeze in a quick breakfast.

Gary Ordman finished shaving, taking care around the cut on his cheek that was looking slightly inflamed. He leaned close to the mirror and touched the split in the skin gently, gritting his teeth at the memory of its acquisition. Shelia had turned up after returning from meeting her boss with a decidedly lukewarm attitude toward him; she'd even gone and changed, which meant she was through for the night.

When she left he'd wondered about following her and had started out of his apartment only to run into the maid who had shared his bed earlier in the week. She greeted him with a sly smile and he was momentarily surprised until he realized she had arranged to be at his door. The opportunity to finish his night on a positive note resulted in the maid joining him in his room for a nightcap, promising not to let her sleep in.

Gary's attention had shifted faster than a roadrunner. While he'd enthusiastically enjoyed the rest of the night it had taken its toll. He pasted a tiny flesh coloured Band-Aid over the cut and frowned at the result. The police wanted to see him first thing and he wasn't pleased with having to explain away any injuries no matter how they were acquired. He rinsed, dried and dressed, gathering up his wallet and money and phoned for a ride to the main lobby.