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  All four lounged around the private pool as a waiter made the rounds refreshing their drinks. He smiled at them cordially, no doubt expecting a nice tip in a few days when the rich Americans checked out. Edselle frowned at them from the video call app on MiMi’s android tablet. They’d propped it up TV style on the patio table. The image came through clearly as did his disapproval.

  “You ladies were extremely lucky.”

  Jazz accepted a drink from the poolside waiter. “Yeah, yeah.”

  “Be polite,” Willa mumbled. “This man has been on our side through a lot of crap.”

  “Thank you,” Edselle replied. He grinned when Willa blushed at being heard.

  “Hmm, you’re welcome,” she said and pressed her lips together.

  Jazz swung her legs out of the pool, stood and strolled over so he could see her. “I agree. You did your job, Mr. Lawyer.” She winked at him, raised her glass and sipped.

  “And, uh, thank you, too.” Edselle blinked as Jazz strolled off giving him a nice view of her curvy butt covered in the turquoise bikini bottom.

  “I’m sorry we put you through so much, Ed.” Willa shot MiMi a sharp glance.

  “What? I’m the victim here. None of this was my fault,” MiMi protested from behind her Louis Vuitton amber sunglasses.

  “At any rate the police have plenty enough to charge Yvette Theirry with murder thanks to your friend Nairoby Villa,” Edselle said. “She’s healing nicely by the way. Thank goodness that gunshot was just a flesh would after all.”

  “She’s not my friend. The only reason she talked is because I threatened to tell her ‘business partners’ she tried to scam them,” MiMi said. “Trust me, if nailing my rear end to the wall had helped her, Nairoby would have been happy to do it.”

  “Well she told the truth about Jack’s hidden money.” Willa switched her attention to the sight of Cedric’s long, muscular frame emerging from the pool.

  “She thought I was going to jail for murder and she’d get to keep it all. She’s lucky I’m generous and won’t snitch to those snakes back in the DR. They all deserve each other,” MiMi retorted.

  The mention of money caused Jazz to put down her tall glass. “So the cash is clean? That’s for sure?”

  Edselle wore a pensive frown. “The FBI can’t definitively link the money in the Scotia Bank account to a criminal enterprise, or that Mr. Crown did anything against the law. The DR business group may be shifty, but they’re very smart. They use legitimate business ventures as a cover. So far they haven’t been caught. It’s complicated, but proving they did anything illegal would be long and involved. And the feds probably still wouldn’t win that battle.”

  “Besides, they moved that money around in through at least a dozen companies and through four countries. Most of those four foreign governments drag their feet on request from US law enforcement,” Cedric put in as he dried himself with a large towel.

  “Which leads to the happy bottom line; the money is all mine.” MiMi beamed.

  “Oh?” Willa removed her tortoise shell sunglasses.

  Jazz walked behind MiMi’s chair and placed a hand on both her shoulders. “Really?”

  “Ahem, y’all know I was just kidding around.” MiMi gave a playful laugh and patted Jazz’s hands.

  “Uh-huh,” Jazz grunted. She plopped down on the chaise lounge next to MiMi.

  “Yvette is safely locked up. Nairoby is talking her head off, and we’re over eight hundred thousand dollars richer. There could even be more. As Willa’s Aunt Ametrine would say, won’t He fix it?” MiMi grinned at the word.

  “Oo-wee, Aunt Ametrine thinks we’re all godless heathens,” Jazz wisecracked. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she showed up with a jumbo spray bottle of holy water to wash our sins away.” They all had a good laugh, though Cedric glanced at the door leading from the cottage.

  “Well you may be having a vacation, but I’ve got work to do. Have fun, and do me the huge favor of staying out of trouble. Please,” Edselle said pointedly and without smiling.

  “We’ll give it our best shot.” MiMi lifted her glass of frozen mango daiquiri to him as a salute. Edselle heaved a deep sigh as his only response and signed off.

  They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Jazz kicked her legs in the pool. Willa and Cedric took turns massaging sunscreen on each other. MiMi stared out at the azure water of the Caribbean Sea.

  “You know, we could turn this whole mad drama into a business. I mean might as well put our skills to use and earn high fees in the process,” MiMi said thoughtfully.

  “Let’s see. Get shot at, thrown in jail and accused of murder. I don’t find that business plan attractive at all.” Willa gave a grunt.

  “I mean tracking down the hidden assets. Wealthy men are always pulling a switch to keep from paying high alimony or child support. We’d strike a blow for justice, and charge a nice percentage based on the amount we find.” MiMi glanced between her friends.

  “Why be sexist? Rich women do the same thing ya know,” Jazz put in.

  “Excellent point my friend.” MiMi grinned at her.

  “High end law firms hire investigators for that purpose. The pay can be in the six figures depending on the size of the stash and what you uncover.” Cedric shrugged when Willa scowled at him as if betrayed. “I’m just saying.”

  “We’d only take cases that involved assets or cash of three hundred thousand or more. Then we could take on lower income clients for free. Give back to the community,” MiMi replied.

  Willa swatted him on the shoulder. “No.”

  “Yeah, that would be nice. We can start up with minimal cost because we already have the resources, know-how and manpower,” Jazz agreed. She giggled at the deadly look from Willa.

  “Good. Let’s start working on it when we get home.” MiMi gave them a crisp business-like nod.

  “Domestic battles can get dirty and deadly,” Willa insisted. “Hell. No.”

  None of them answered her. Cedric lapsed into thoughtful silence nodding to himself. He seemed to be devising their first moves. Jazz grinned and raised her glass to toast exciting profitable adventures. They appeared not to notice when Willa fell back against her chaise lounge with a dramatic groan. MiMi smiled with pleasure as she gazed into blues skies and a profitable future.

  “Hell yes. I’ll be the CEO. Landry and Associates Asset Recovery, LLC. Has a sweet ring to it,” MiMi said.

  ~~~~~~~~

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  About the Author

  Lynn Emery is the author of eighteen novels. Her third novel, AFTER ALL, became a movie produced by BET (Black Entertainment Television). Her current novels include a suspense trilogy set in Vermilion Parish featuring a psychic and a deputy who fight human and supernatural evil. The latest in this series is Only By Moonlight. Her Triple Trouble mystery series is set in Baton Rouge. Her new book in this series is Pretty Dangerous.

  Born in Louisiana, Lynn is a licensed clinical social worker. She has worked in a secure psychiatric hospital, a juvenile correctional facility, as a child abuse investigator, been designated as an expert witness twice and had a host of other fascinating encounters during her career. “All of the experiences I’ve had as a social worker, added to the unique culture of Louisiana helps feed my already fertile imagination. Louisiana is the home colorful characters and tall tales. I’m definitely a product of my environment. My first and only babysitter taught me about voodoo when I was a toddler. And then my childhood really got interesting!”

  Visit my website at www.lynnemery.com

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