"What kept you?" Billy's voice out of the dark startled him.

"You said we'd meet at the bar." He watched her push off the railing by the door and pick up a large plastic bag.

"When I saw the place all in dark I didn't bother going down; I came here."

"Swell." He opened the door and let her go ahead, across the room and up the narrow stairs.

"I have my proof, Senor Doubter." She waltzed across to the small table and placed two objects side by side.

Miller heaved a sigh and joined her, looking at her proof. "Two lipsticks."

"Right. And both exactly the same brand and colour. And the one from her room is brand new. Now what does that tell you, Miller?"

"She couldn't find that one so she started a new one." He offered reluctantly.

"Full marks, Sherlock Holmes!" She dug into her purse and pulled out an old ballpoint pen and dropped it on the table.

"What's that?"

"Her business notebook has a place for a pen. This was in it."

"So?"

"So she has this," Billy took out the one she found at Ordman's, "but she lost it and she didn't have another.

Miller turned away, holding out his hands. "Still it's circumstantial. He could have found the stuff."

"Sure, and tossed it on his bathroom floor. Well, once again, best for last." She took out a slip of paper that held the drawing of a small map and some written instructions.

"What's that, now?"

"It is directions to a safe underneath the floor in Winston Graves' villa. It was taped to the back of the night table drawer in her room."

Miller rolled his eyes. "How do you know, it doesn't say that?" He read the paper carefully.

"Because I went there, Miller and I found this." Billy emptied the bag onto the table and Miller choked on a gasp. It was bundles of cash . . . and not pesos.

"Where- what- omigod, Billy, what did you do? You stole that money!"

"No I didn't." She picked up a bundle and flipped through the bills. "The only people who knew about this are both dead."

"How do you-?"

"Oh for God's sake, Miller, stop asking so many dumb questions. Shelia Burrows and Winston Graves were in cahoots to skim huge amounts somehow from Windy Palms."

"Where did all that come from? How do you know they were partners?"

"In her notebook, where I found the pen was Winston's cell phone number and an address up north along with dates and meeting times. But what proves my theory was a copy of a timeshare contract."

"How does that prove anything?"

"It was for units here at Windy Palms and Windy Palms doesn't do timeshare."

"So you think they were selling fake shares and that's where that money came from?"

"I do and since they are both dead..." She shrugged emphatically.

"But they were murdered. Somebody must know something about it."

"I'm telling you, Miller, nobody else knew."

"Not quite true, Senorita Estrada."

They both jumped and made startled noises as they spun around, facing Charles Ortiz emerging through the hole in the floor and holding a large pistol.

"Charles?" Billy swallowed and looked at Miller.

"Si. Charles the anonymous, reliable head of security who gets every crap job needed doing in this place."

"I thought that was Hector's role," Miller blurted without thinking.

"It is good you are such a wise alec, senor, because already Captain Warez is leaning toward you for the killings and when Senorita Billy turns up dead in your room . . . well, how do you say it? It's a done deal?"

"You can't get away with this. I have solid alibis." Billy's head came up, startled. "Besides, Billy already uhm- she told her father on the way here."

"Poor try, senor. I followed Senorita Billy from the villa. You see I was going to collect the money but she beat me to it and it provided me with this wonderful plan." Charles laughed and called something in Spanish and a moment later a woman's head appeared in the stair hole.

"Astrid?" Billy exclaimed.

"Get the money but leave the other items. We'll let Senor Hunt explain those away.

"Astrid . . . how could you do this?" Billy was gob smacked. "My father found you this job; you were going to jail if he hadn't stepped in."

"And it has paid off handsomely, no?" She hurried to the table and began gathering up the bills and stuffing them back in the plastic bag. A bundle fell on the floor and when she bent to pick it up, Billy booted her in the rump and sent her flying across the room into Charles.

"C'mon, Miller!" She shouted, breaking for the balcony door.

"Where are we going out there? That's the only door!" They ran out of the room and around to the opposite side of the platform as they heard an angry Charles in pursuit.

"We jump."

"Are you nuts? It's got to be thirty-five or forty feet and it's all those deadly plants!"

"Okay then, if he chases us we run around and get inside. If he doesn't, we're safe on this side and we can start yelling for help."

"Well trust me, Billy, he's chasing us." Charles suddenly appeared waving his gun and they took off around the platform. There was no chance for him to shoot because they kept just ahead of the curve and when they came to the door they found it shut and somehow locked.

"Wonderful plan." Miller turned, standing in front of Billy, and faced Charles as he skidded to a panting halt a few feet away.

"Enough of your stupid games, senor. Stand aside, this will be even better than shooting her. Your anger was such that you flung her from the balcony to her death."

"You think I'm just gonna stand here and watch?"

"No, you are going inside." Charles moved them back and pulled a wedge from the frame, opening the door.

"Geez, why didn't you see that?" Miller said, turning on Billy. As he did he looked down and in the glow from the full moon plus the few remaining festival lights that were strung along the paths down to the beach, he caught sight of Astrid and the plastic bag filled with money, hightailing it down the path. "Hey, Charles. Your partner has a head start."

Charles glared down at the retreating figure with incredulity and swore in a string of Spanish that even Billy took a surprised breath hearing it. He ran around the balcony, following her progress and then in a fit of rage, fired his gun. Billy and Miller jumped inside and locked the balcony door. They grabbed the other evidence from the table and scrambled down the stairs and when they felt it was safe enough, away to the resort. They could hear Charles still screaming threats from the top of Casa Faro when they dashed across the dark patio and up the pool court steps to the lobby.

*******

Astrid stood shaking in the presence of Captain Warez. He marched slowly around her describing the situation she would find herself in if she did not reveal the entire truth to him. His men had answered the noise of gunfire and intercepted her on the beach as she was leaving the sail boarding rental site carrying a small bag of money.

She had pleaded for mercy, blaming Charles for forcing her to help; she swore she had no idea he had been involved in any killing, she was only guilty of trying to get away with the money after he threatened to kill Senorita Billy.

Warez had taken the money and had his men count it under supervision, discovering that it totaled almost one hundred thousand dollars. He breathed deeply, imagining how most of that could be diverted to his own pocket once the case was closed. His next problem was proving that Charles had done the killings. After his arrest he had stuck to his story about chasing Billy and Senor Hunt down and arresting them for theft. That didn't seem plausible but he couldn't know for certain. Warez needed a confession.

Astrid considered her options, knowing Charles wouldn't hesitate to implicate her through Ordman now that she had deserted him. Her weakness was her association with Ordman, who had no alibi for the Burrows woman's death. All she could do was deny it and call Charles a liar making it a, he said she said debate. If it worked, suspicion would then fall to Gary Ordman as well and if it all worked out she could still walk away in very good shape.

She would wait and see.

********

Miller sat in the lower lobby under the watchful eye of two short, fierce looking Mexican policemen. Across from him, in the same conversation area sat Billy, Helen Ramirez and Hector Prince. Captain Warez had commandeered the large travel desk in the corner because it gave him more room and allowed him to look more authoritative than in Carlos's smaller office.

Because of the late hour, everyone involved to that point was put under house arrest and the resort was locked down by the police. Warez had warned them he would be seeing them all in the morning and they would confess under his experienced interrogation.

Day 6

In front of the desk was Glenda Weiss, her face set in an angry scowl as she listened to the captain.

"What do you think she's getting grilled for?" Miller asked Billy.

"She was connected to Orland and as you know, he was connected Shelia who was connected to Graves."

"And the thigh bone's connected to the hip bone..." Miller sat back and blew a soft raspberry.

"Of course we mustn't forget old Hector there, eh Hector?" She beamed a nasty smile at the security guard. "He was very connected to Senorita Weiss, weren't you Hector?" Hector's face paled and he sank down into the couch.

"So what," Miller railed. "They've got Charles. They know he did the killings. They found Astrid and the money. What's this all in aid of?"

"Loose ends, Senor Hunt," Helen offered quietly. "The Mexican authorities have always carried the reputation that they are, shall we say, ineffective in carrying out thorough investigations. Captain Warez wishes to advance in the police system and a tight, fully wrapped case such as this will go a long way in his quest. As for the guilt of Charles, he hasn't confessed to anything more than trying to arrest you and Billy for theft... a fanciful defense I must admit."

Hector looked miserable. His reputation was finished at the resort and very likely elsewhere in the vacation industry; he'd be lucky just to avoid jail. He kept glancing at Glenda who sat forward banging the desk then leaned back, alternating between frowning and pouting, hoping she wasn't forgetting him in her own defense.

Across the lobby in a corner, huddled with three or four of the staff, Gary Orland sat pale-faced and silent. He was next on the hot seat and when Glenda stood and spun on her heel, stomping down to the lower lobby, he stood like a man about to walk the last mile. Glenda stormed past him without a glance and gave Hector a pointed look as she marched right through the lobby and out to the patio. A few moments later Hector tried to leave unnoticed with minimal success.

"See what I mean, Miller? Hanky panky."

"I still say so what? They caught all the guilty parties; this is just a waste of time."

"I think the resort is concerned with the money and how it affects the investors, Senor Miller." Helen was almost annoying in her calm, patient acceptance of the circumstances.

"Well I'm not an investor and I have a job to get back to."

"I am certain you will be able to make your return flight without any trouble." Helen rose as she caught sight of Carlos beckoning her. "If you will excuse me."

"God! Talk about unflustered." Miller groaned.

"She's right. If the resort becomes responsible for losses to the investors and they decide to sue or pull out, Windy Palms could go belly up."

"But they got the money back!"

"Maybe some of it, whatever is in the corporation bank account, but the resort won't see any of the money Astrid got away with, the stuff from the safe."

"What are you talking about?"

"The police and the government will confiscate it and it will never be seen again around here."

Miller threw up his hands. "I need a drink. You think we can leave here yet?"

Billy stood and headed for the upper lobby. "Give me a minute." A minute was all it took as he watched her bend down and whisper something in the police captain's ear.

"Let's go."

"What did you say to him?"

"That I would be responsible for your remaining close by." She waved a hand, cutting off his complaint.