Read Afoot on St. Croix (Mystery in the Islands) for Free Online

reflective silence, he added bitterly, “I know I didn’t.”
    • • •
    FOR THE FIRST couple of months after their move to St. Croix, Mira was surprisingly understanding of the family’s financial predicament. She seemed to comprehend the gravity of their situation, and she claimed to be fully committed to their new casual, beach-oriented, low-maintenance lifestyle.
    Mira told Charlie not to worry about his business struggles. This was nothing but a minor bump in the road, she assured him. They would make do until things turned around. She vowed to live a life of shopping austerity—temporarily, at least.
    For a few short weeks, Charlie unclenched, a wee tiny bit, and he let go of some of his stress. After a concerted combination of strong-armed politicking and dogged determination, he began to make progress on a few of his construction projects. He even dared to think he might muddle through after all.
    But just as that faint glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon, the dark shadow of the past returned to snuff it out.
    •
    WHILE FULL-SCALE RENOVATIONS to the lean-to were on hold, Charlie had installed a few minor improvements to make the living space more habitable. Using a series of freestanding partitions, he sectioned off an enclosed area to use as the master bedroom.
    In one corner, he fashioned a makeshift closet, complete with hanger bars and shelving. This allowed Mira to unpack some of her things and to arrange her clothing in the way to which she was accustomed. It brought a small sense of normalcy to the otherwise dysfunctional household, and Mira joyfully set about decorating the new room.
    Unfortunately, as Mira started to reassemble her extensive wardrobe, a number of new items began to appear.
    A flowery print dress sneaked its way onto a closet clothes hanger. A seashell-themed charm bracelet crept into the jewelry box on the dresser. A colorful scarf slithered into a cabinet drawer. A perfume bottle with an ocean-icon label mysteriously infiltrated the medicine cabinet.
    Charlie, for whom one handbag or pair of shoes looked exactly the same as the next, was at first unaware of Mira’s relapse into shopping addiction. He was so caught up in his own problems, he was oblivious to the toll the family’s dire financial straits had taken on his wife.
    It wasn’t until he received his credit card statement at the end of the month that he finally caught on.
    That night, Charlie calmly confronted her. He was a stoic man, not prone to outbursts or emotional displays, so he broached the subject as dispassionately as possible.
    “Mira,” he said, carefully placing the bill on the kitchen table, “is there something you’d like to tell me?”
    Tears immediately welled up in her eyes. “Oh, Charlie. It’s not what you think.” Gulping, she glanced down at the bill. Then, slowly, she returned her gaze to his.
    “Don’t worry,” she said, brushing her hair away from her face. “I’ll take care of it.” She averted her eyes, this time staring at the floor, and let out a dry sob.
    “I just couldn’t bear to step foot in that stinking Porta Potty one more time,” she said plaintively. “I had to go shopping.”
    Charlie nearly choked on the lump that swelled up in his throat. This was all his fault. He was the one who had brought them to the island. They should have never moved down to the Caribbean. They should have never left Minnesota.
    But even then, in that moment of guilt and despair, he knew his sentiment of regret lacked sincerity. The lure of the tropics was already far stronger than the draw of the north’s stability.
    “Let’s just give it a few more weeks,” he said, swallowing at the assurance he knew was a lie. “If we can’t make it work, we’ll pack it in and head back to the States.”
    “Okay.” Mira sighed pitifully as he put his arms around her.
    Charlie winced at the earnestness in her voice.
    “I promise. It won’t happen again,” she pledged vehemently. Then she