Read Death on the Bella Constance (A Jesse Watson Mystery Series Book 6) for Free Online Page A

long!”
    “I’m glad you are around us, but not on this trip.” I, too,
chuckled.
    “Why? What’s happened? You’ve only been on board for a few
hours. Tell me nobody has died already.”
    “Actually, a man did have a heart attack.”
    “I hope he’s all right.”
    I hesitated before speaking. Should I tell her the truth, or
should I try to put her mind to rest? Then I remembered about the little white
lie I told a while back, and my conscience took over. “I’m afraid he died.”
    “As long as he wasn’t murdered. He wasn’t, was he? I’d hate
to think…”
    “Hold on, Mom. He died of a heart attack—plain and simple.”
    “I hope you’re having a good time.”
    “We are. It’s great! I love this ship, and we met Bella and
Loukas Constance.”
    “Yeah…” she said, softly. “ Savannah told us all about it. I guess this might be a working
cruise.”
    “Yes, it will. But that’s okay, Mom. It’s no big deal.”
    “I want you and Billy to be careful. I don’t want to spend
the next six days worrying about you two.”
    “Mom, you’re going to worry anyway. No matter what.”
    “That’s true.”
    I heard the dogs barking in the background.
    “How are Athena and Thor? Do they miss us? What about Spice
Cat?”
    “You know they do,” she replied. “Athena has been pretty
good, but that Thor has whined since you left. The cat went into your bedroom
and hasn’t come out. He will when he gets hungry.”
    “I have to make this short, Mom,” I said. “Please tell Savannah for me that I’m glad she suggested
we choose the Bella Constance … and thanks for the set-up.”
    “What set-up?”
    “Let her explain. It would take me too long.”
    “I’ll tell her what you said the next time we talk on the
phone.”
    “I think this is going to be a cruise to remember. Tell her I
said that, would you?”
    “Sure, honey.”
    “I’ll call you again, but I can’t talk long.”
    “Okay,” Mom replied. “Call us again when you can. Tell Billy
we love him.”
    I heard her end go silent.
    “I think she hung up on me,” I said, looking down at Billy,
who was now sitting at the computer looking at the split-screen. I pushed the
end button and replaced the phone in its stand.
    “You did tell her three times that you couldn’t talk long.”
    “You should call your folks, and see how your mom’s doing.
I’m worried about her having diabetes.”
    “I will if it will put your mind at ease.” He stood up and
grabbed the phone. “Here. Sit down and have a look.”
    I sat down at the desk and stared at the screen while Billy
made his call. When he walked over to the other side of the room and started
talking in Cherokee, I knew something was up, but I let him talk as I checked
out what was happening on the screen. We had a good view of the three rooms
occupied by Loukas and Bella’s daughters and their husbands. We could also hear
everything they said. “Wow! This is pretty good surveillance equipment,” I said
when Billy walked back over and replaced the phone. I looked up at him and
asked, “What was that all about?”
    “I was explaining to Jonathan what we were doing. I told him
that Loukas was afraid that one of his sons-in-law was going to kill him on
this cruise.”
    “That’s the bottom line, and he wants us to flush out the bad
guy.”
    “He wants us to prevent it by finding out what their plan is
and putting a stop to it.”
    “And how are we going to do that?”
    “We will find a way.”
    Then a thought occurred to me. “What was Jonathan doing at
your folks’ house? Is your mother…”
    “Mom is fine. She said to tell you hello and she hopes you’re
having a good time. Jonathan went over to help Dad feed the horses and do some
work around the house.”
    “How is Chief Sam doing?”
    “He’s the chief.”
    “Say no more.”
    Billy reached over, turned off the screen and said, “We can
do this later. Besides, everything is taped. Let’s go have some fun. How about
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