“No.” She shakes her head. “She told me she only just started working here a couple of days ago, so she hasn't heard anything about time off.”
“She just started working here? So, she was probably in the group who was being shown around when I spoke with Alonso and Frederick earlier.”
“I doubt it,” Bellamy says. “You said they were being trained. She came by my room last night when I requested an extra pillow and then was back this morning. I don't think they would let somebody brand new work by herself before she even went through training.”
“You're right,” I say. “That doesn't make any sense. Of course, none of this does. Oh, I can't believe I didn't tell you this. I mentioned the boat that I saw to Alonso.”
“What boat?” Bellamy asks.
“When we went on the cliff, and I pointed out that boat. I mentioned it to him, and he said he had no idea what I was talking about. There isn't anything like that at the resort, and he can't imagine why there would be anyone out near those rocks.”
“That's interesting,” she says.
“I thought so, too.” We are well past the lobby at this point. Ahead of me, I see the brick path veer and a sign marked ‘Staff Only’ posted near the fork. I nod at it. “We're getting close. Remember, we're not supposed to be here, so we need to be discreet.”
"This is so Dirty Dancing," Bellamy whispers. "Sneaking into the staff only area to see what we can find."
"Yeah," I mutter bitterly. "Nobody puts Baby in a corner, but somebody put Baby in the deep end."
She gives me the side-eye.
"Damn, Emma. You can't even give me ten seconds of Swayze fantasy?"
"You can have your fantasy when I know what happened to Rosa."
She turns to look at me more fully.
"You really believe she was murdered," she says.
"Do you think I would go through all this if I didn't? Graciela lied to me, and Emmanuel looked terrified when he talked to me. The second Alonso got over his shock, he all but told the police to wrap Rosa up and toss her out with the recycling as long as he could get the pool back open before it got too hot in the afternoon. This isn't normal, B. I know we’re on vacation but put on your FBI hat for just a minute. Think about it logically. Something happened, maybe several things that people don't want anybody to know about."
"Which means you need to know."
"Someone needs to."
We continue down the path and slip past another staff only sign. A tall wooden fence rises up on either side of the path, blocking our view.
"The gate is open," Bellamy whispers.
A wooden gate hangs loose; the latch tucked back as if it's rarely locked into place.
"They're probably not very worried about this area being secure," I point out. "Most guests aren't going to be interested in going to the staff quarters. And if I'm right, the ones who do aren't going to get any resistance."
"The only question is, why do they want to?" Bellamy says.
"Exactly."
We exchange glances, confirming with each other we're going to keep going. This would be the moment when we could turn back. We could say we went to the staff village, which was our intention, to begin with. But that's not enough. Seeing it from afar doesn't tell me anything. I need to know what's in there that might have been enough to kill for.
Beyond the fence, the path forks and widens. The same trees and flower-studded vines that create the lush backdrop of the main grounds of the resort thrive here. Without the restrictions and tight control of the manicured landscaping, they are even more beautiful. The fragrance from the night-blooming flowers is almost dizzying and mesmerizing. It's too stunning here for the ugliness I worry is simmering just beneath the surface.
We move down the path to the right. We don't have to go far to see the dorm buildings ahead of us. We then turn and make our way down the other side of the fork until we see rows of small cabins built of dark wood and topped with curved tile roofs. A rustle of voices behind us sends a shock of energy up my spine. I grab onto Bellamy, pulling her into the trees.
From where we’re crouched, we see two of the housekeepers scurrying up the path. They've changed out of their uniforms for the day but are each carrying a covered tray.
"Room service?" Bellamy whispers.
"I don't think that off-duty housekeepers are bringing room service to other employees," I tell her.
The women pass, and almost immediately after them follows the man who brought Eric's luggage to his room. It would be too loud for us to move through the growth to follow them, so we have to wait until they've passed before we can go back onto the path.
Staying close to the shadows under trees, we follow the few yards it takes for us to see one of the girls climb up onto the porch of a cabin. She takes a key from her pocket and turns it in the lock, then disappears inside. The other housekeeper repeats the process in the next cabin over while the man stands outside, positioned between the two, and stares.
A few minutes later, the first of the housekeepers come back out of the cabin. Her tray is now empty and hanging from her hand by her side. She walks up to the man and hands him a roll of cash. I glance over at Bellamy.
"Someone is paying a lot of money for whatever they have on those trays."
"Drugs?" she asks.
"I don't think it was a burger and fries."
Chapter Twenty-Five
"Look," Bellamy hisses, grabbing my wrist and nodding toward one of the cabins.
Another of the attendants who helped us with our luggage steps out, along with another I recognize
