Read Midnight Shimmer: A Toni Diamond Mystery (Toni Diamond Mysteries Book 3) for Free Online Page B

swoon when they heard classical music. Some might feel the Latin beat in their blood when they got near salsa or tango. But for Toni, the first bars of “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” acted like fishing wire attached to her ankles with some gorgeous crooner reeling her in.
    Her hips were twitching and her feet were itching before they even hit the deck.
    She glanced around and found about a hundred kindred souls. More women than men. A live band had set up on the deck above and half a dozen of the young “activity leaders,” as they were called—kids in their twenties who hailed from every corner of the globe and were all cute and high-energy—stood in front of the pool ready to lead the line.
    “Amateurs,” Linda whispered.
    She was right. They wore white tennis shoes.
    Toni glanced around and found all the other participants wearing flip-flops, sandals, or sneakers. She and Linda were the only two in bona fide cowboy boots. Linda’s were purple with silver stitching. Toni’s were green. She’d had the boot maker add tiny diamonds to the heels. She loved those boots.
    She glanced out and the azure sea of the Caribbean winked at her. She was so happy she felt like winking back. Sunshine, a week with her mama and her daughter, no meals to cook, no errands to run. She could relax and enjoy her cruise.
    The activity director, who looked barely old enough to shave, and who introduced himself as Ryan from Brisbane, Australia, got things started. He introduced Esme from England and Anna from Serbia. None of those countries were hotbeds of line dancing, but Toni was prepared to be indulgent.
    The band broke into a Marvin Gaye song and Ryan and his two helpers launched into step, clapping along with the beat as Ryan yelled, “To the right, to the right, to the right, pause, to the left, to the left, to the left.” Then they did some incomprehensible shimmy and added in a cha-cha move.
    “This ain’t line dancing,” Linda announced.
    “It sure isn’t, Mama.”
    They followed along for a few more minutes, Linda becoming increasingly ornery. “You think we should say something? Offer to help them out?”
    “I think we should have fun and not worry about how good the lessons are.”
    Linda did her shimmy and cha-cha. “That’s hard for me to do. It’s like asking a Baptist preacher to sit in a Catholic church and say amen.”
    Oh, dear. When Linda started getting religious, she was seriously riled. But Toni had no idea what would have become of her mother’s dissatisfaction with the line dancing instruction, because an unfortunate distraction occurred.
    A woman broke out of the line, glanced around desperately, ran to the side of the boat, bent over the rail, and vomited.
    Unfortunately, the wind was blowing toward them.
    From the deck below, six people screamed.
    “I guess she’s seasick,” Linda said, looking a little green around the gills.
    Toni looked out but the sea was as close to glassy calm as a sea could be. The only way you’d know the ship was moving was by listening to the muted purr of the engines. She doubted that the woman was seasick. “I hope it’s not—”
    Another dancer broke the line and bolted for the nearest bucket. She hit the receptacle for the used towels and bent forward, retching.
    A sun-wizened older woman said in a loud Brooklyn accent, “Oh, my God, it’s the Norovirus.”
    Toni and her mama exchanged panicked glances. “Have you had your flu shot?” Linda asked. “Because I’ve been meaning to get one and I simply haven’t had a chance.”
    “I don’t think a flu shot will protect you from the Norovirus.”
    “Well, shoot, what will?”
    Toni had no idea. She recalled the bulletins she used to get home from Tiffany’s school during flu and cold season, though, back when her daughter was little. “I think the best thing you can do is keep washing your hands with soap and water and try not to touch anything.”
    “What about food? Can I touch food?” Linda looked