Read Death Knell In The Alps (A Samantha Jamison Mystery) for Free Online Page B

looked at my watch and stood up. “I have to shower and get ready for dinner.”
    Peter stood also. “I would appreciate you keeping this to yourself and not telling your friends.”
    “And why not? Clay requested they be here too.”
    “I’m concerned about your safety after that hit.”
    That doesn’t make sense. Me not tell them? Not likely.
    I gave a reassuring smile. “Then my lips are sealed.”
    “Oh, Clay is working undercover. So don’t call him.”
    Might be true . So I would hold off calling Clay for now.
    “No problem,” I said. “I’ll touch base with you.”
    But not right away. Like I said, I have trust issues.
    Peter nodded then said, “Don’t forget tomorrow.”
    “…Tomorrow?”
    He grinned. “Ski lessons start at 8 am.”
    Now, I ask you. Do I look like a glutton for punishment?
    I grinned right back. “…I can’t wait.”

 
     
     
    Chapter 22
    Intimating & Ruminating
     
     
    You’d think my crew hadn’t seen each other in months. After several attempts at dinner that evening, I was able to jump into their animated banter to get their complete attention. I described my adventure then finished with how Peter had warned me not to tell them about what had happened, I sat back and waited for their take.
    “Aha,” laughed Hazel. “Our vacation turns mysterious!”
    Betty leaned in. “I wonder who that gentleman was?”
    Mona snickered. “Did you get his number for Martha?”
    “My mind wasn’t thinking in that direction at the time.”
    Mona gave Martha a suggestive look. “Hers always is.”
    Martha waved off Mona’s snide comment. “I now check any potential merchandise for expiration dates and might even require a lie-detector test. I’ve gotten so burned lately I’ve become cautious and now suffer from call-reluctance.”
    I began laughing. “Plus, he was good-looking.”
    “If I meet him I’ll check out his shelf life,” she said.
    “As long as he’s breathing, right?” asked Hazel.
    Martha shot back, “Are you implying I’m desperate?”
    “I’m not implying anything. I’m merely intimating…”
    “Hey!” I said. “I need constructive input here, ladies.”
    “The question is,” said Mona. “Was the hit intentional?”
    “Well, I was standing in the middle of the ski trail.”
    “Okay,” she said. “So it could play both ways.”
    “Intentional and accidental,” offered Hazel.
    “Right,” said Mona. “Let’s talk circumstances.”
    “I was stopped because I was lost,” I said.
    “So,” Martha speculated, “if you were being followed, they could have made it seem unintentional, but then…”
    “…If it was this Hans fellow,” said Betty excitedly. “He could’ve backtracked to the chalet and…”
    “…Acted like he accidentally found me there,” I added.
    “Which might mean…what?” Martha asked.
    “…So the next time I see him, I’ll recognize him?”
    Mona shook her head. “Uh-uh. For what purpose?”
    “That’s a sticking point, isn’t it?” said Betty.
    “We might be over-reading this whole thing,” I said.
    “Sounds like it,” said a disappointed Hazel.
    Betty perked up. “Could it be a warning?”
    “A warning for what?” asked Martha.
    “Now why would someone be warning me?” I asked.
    “…Maybe they aren’t warning you,” offered Mona.
    “What do you mean?” I asked, but then understood.
    Martha got it too. “You mean they’re warning Clay.”
    Hazel nodded toward me. “You’re his weak spot.”
    “Through me they get their message across,” I said.
    “Back off or we get the love interest,” added Betty.
    “That’s too simple,” I said. “There must be more to it.”
    Martha tapped her finger. “It’s the why that’s iffy.”
    “Yeah, the why of it,” I said. “…Why call off Clay?”
    Why were Clay and Peter protecting Herr Kraus?

 
     
     
    Chapter 23
    Rising To The Occasion
     
     
    So far, our collective brainstorming wasn’t exactly what I’d call successful.