Chapter VI Life Changes Don’t come Easy

Lily Rose woke early the next morning. Lounging in bed, she thought of Mingyu and Hong Kong. She had thoroughly enjoyed their brief time together, his warm smile and sideways glance still fresh in her mind. Something had changed in her life–a seed had been planted. She envisioned what fun it would be to travel and possibly see him again. Reluctantly unwrapping herself from the confines of a twisted comforter, she swung into action, showering, dressing and leaving for work. Regrettably, there was no milk for cereal when she peered into the fridge. She frowned, making a mental note to pick some up after work. She would have to grab something for breakfast in the hotel.
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Chapter LXXVIII Lust in the Kitchen…. And Blooming Romance at the Bar

The following weeks brought a lot of change at the Sea Grape Garden. Isa gave notice and left the island in a huff. A new pastry chef was hired, another woman. The girl who Matias had suggested did not pan out, and even Matias had to agree, after tasting some of her concoctions, she lacked innovation and skill. Some additional interviewing proved to be successful. They collectively settled on a woman from France who had interned at one of the large hotels and wanted to stay in the Bahamas. Matias was thrilled.

Amelie was young, pretty, and extremely competent. The kitchen dynamic was restored, the brigade de cuisine back in its rightful place. Now, there were three horny, Spanish men, salivating over a pretty French girl, who had no trouble handling them with grace and humor. Luckily the cooks and dish washers were all locals, either married or spoken for.

 Chapter LV Dead Starlet and Live Thugs

Early Monday, after a night of shameless partying, Suzanna Svelte’s lifeless body was discovered in her suite by her publicist. Overnight the atmosphere in the hotel lobby became frantic and oppressive. Ambulances, police, press, and paparazzi crossed paths, circling around each other like vultures. The hotel staff tried to maintain a certain decorum, but a stifling, hushed fog descended over the once vibrant lobby, and restaurant. As the day unfolded, there was talk of drugs found in Suzanna’s room. Hotel cameras mounted at strategic angles revealed the expected. The weekend parties had shown some shocking behavior in the crevices of the hotel.

Samson’s schedule was unchanged, but he kept his ears, eyes and smartphone tuned to the drama. The next day, the papers revealed that drugs had most likely caused Suzanna’s demise. An overdose was suspected and the police were pouring over the hotel’s camera footage to see who frequented the premises and who may have gained access to Suzanna’s suite of rooms. Unfortunately, Suzanna had celebrated her success with a few hundred people in the adjoining suites, so the people partying in her quarters were numerous. The security tapes went on for hours and showed plenty of illicit behavior. The source of the drugs was being investigated by a special narcotics squad. A powdered substance they discovered seemed to be an unusually potent mixture, not the usual Berlin fare, but no details were disclosed publicly about this fact. Whoever supplied and killed the mega-star of the festival, remained incognito. The pressure on law enforcement was intense from all angles.

“Oh my God, I cannot believe I was one of the last people to see her alive,” Natalie exclaimed over the phone one night.

“You and a few hundred others. Shocking developments. Jasper will be seriously bummed. He was so excited to see her.”

By mid-week, the police released a statement confirming that drugs had indeed killed the star. Suzanna had gone into cardiac arrest. An investigation was launched into the drug mix and origin. Samson was getting tidbits of information when Jasper arrived on Thursday evening. As Jasper walked in, Samson was gathering pertinent intelligence in the lobby. The two brothers hugged warmly and Samson escorted Jasper to the elevator, handing over a spare key to their room, while filling him in on the newest inside knowledge.

“Go get settled. I’ll come up soon. I’m trying to get some facts straight. Her publicist said he would issue a statement to the press.”

“No problem,” Jasper countered. “I was hoping to see her alive. Damn! Just my luck.”

“Trust me. I know. She was pretty incredible up close. A true beauty.”

“Double damn.”