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205 pages

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Two young nurses on a much needed vacation to Maui A single chance encounter propels them into a web of intrigue, murder, deceit and terror!A Mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end as you join these two amateur but determined sleuths in their dangerous island escapade to find a killer!

Informations

Publié par	First Edition Design Publishing
Date de parution	10 octobre 2013
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781622874125
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0420€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Thunder in the Tropics
Judith Norling Carlson

First Edition Design Publishing
Thunder in the Tropics

First Edition Design Publishing
Sarasota , Florida
Thunder In The Tropics
Copyright ©2013 Judith Norling Carlson

ISBN 978-1622874-13-2 SOFT COVER PRINT
ISBN 978-1622874-14-9 HARD COVER PRINT
ISBN 978-1622-874-12-5 EBOOK

LCCN 2013950306

September 2013

Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 20217 , Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com

Cover Design – Deborah E Gordon

ALL R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. No p a r t o f t h i s b oo k pub li ca t i o n m a y b e r e p r o du ce d, s t o r e d i n a r e t r i e v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s mit t e d i n a ny f o r m o r by a ny m e a ns ─ e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o - c o p y , r ec o r d i n g, or a ny o t h e r ─ e x ce pt b r i e f qu ot a t i o n i n r e v i e w s , w i t h o ut t h e p r i o r p e r mi ss i on o f t h e a u t h o r or publisher .

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental
To My Family
Acknowledgements
Thanks to my loving husband, Keith, who encouraged me, prodded me, and critiqued every chapter patiently through several rewrites of this book.
Warm thanks also to my friends Lois Bendick, Sue Wiener, and my fellow writers in our writing group who also critiqued and edited my works in progress. I would like to give a special appreciation to Patti Anderson, our writing group leader. She encouraged me all along this journey with helpful suggestions. What great friends.
I would also like to mention the yearly School of the Arts (SOA), in Rhinelander, WI presented by the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I have taken several writing courses with the University professors/authors who present these courses every July. A special thanks to teacher/author Christine DeSmet who encouraged me to continue to persevere in writing, finishing, and publishing this book.
Prologue
Wednesday night, March 21, 1995
He watched her lifeless body slip under the water and disappear. His thoughts were not of remorse; she had signed her own death warrant when she threatened to tell everything. When instructed to get rid of her, he simply complied.
Hanging over the stern of the small boat, the waves rocking him from side to side, he scraped the name off with his Bowie Knife. Moonlight was at the mercy of passing clouds as the tropical storm gathered energy. Flashlight in hand, he scanned the sailboat for any evidence that he had been on board the vessel with her. Satisfied, he removed her surf board from its restraints and plunged it into the water. Distant thunder and snaking streaks of lightning dominated the western sky . . . he lowered himself onto the surfboard and headed toward shore.
The rain started slowly and the waves swelled to four and five feet. An inexperienced swimmer would have been quickly discouraged, but with confidence his swimmer’s arms powered the surfboard through the waves with ease.
A sailing tragedy would be assumed, if and when her body washed up. The sailboat drifted away, wallowing in the rippling water. Moonlit shadows of the flailing vessel faded from view as he headed toward the distant lights of Ma’alaea Bay.
Chapter One
Monday, March 19, 1995
The silver 747 winged its way westward toward Honolulu International Airport, on the island of Oahu.
Inside the large jumbo-jet Ashley Morgan and Candace Maguire were anxiously awaiting their arrival to Honolulu. They would be continuing on to Maui, for a wonderful relaxing two-week vacation. Both nurses, with high stress jobs in the ICU at Chicago Wesleyan Medical Center, needed this vacation desperately to clear their heads, and to deal with recent tragedies and uncertainties in their personal lives.
“We’re almost there, Ash, I can’t believe it’s finally happening.” Candace said, with excitement and continued to stare out her side window.
Ashley, busy writing a letter to her parents smiled at Candace and continued writing.

Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you so much for suggesting this vacation, it was a wonderful idea. Three months ago it seemed so far away and now we’re going to be in Honolulu in less than an hour. I remember the day I suggested the trip to Candy, she perked right up. She’d been so down since Paul died. His death sent her into a tailspin, but I see she’s finally starting to relax and even get excited again.
Thanks, and love you both.
Ash

Ashley sat back in her seat and thought about her own problem . . . the one she didn’t feel like sharing with her parents. Working in ICU was difficult; she became attached to her patients. A certain percentage of ICU patients didn’t recover and recently two of her patients had died, only two weeks apart. Ashley coped with the situation, but questioned if she should remain in nursing. This had happened to her in nurses training, as well. A head nurse told her, “You get too involved with your patients, you simply must develop some detachment or you’ll never make a good nurse.”
The flight attendant stood in the aisle, ready to make an announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts. We are starting our descent and we will be landing in Honolulu in approximately twenty minutes.”
“Ashley, see those islands down there? One of them could be Maui.” Both women visibly excited looked out the side window.
“This is it Candy, this is the new beginning for both of us. I know we’re going to have a wonderful, relaxing vacation; we’ll have a fresh start when we get back. We’ll be revitalized and ready for anything the world can throw at us.”
“Right . . . a new beginning.” Candy said hesitantly and smiled. They high fived as they had done so many times before, both at work and in their personal lives. They’d been close friends and roommates for the past six years, ever since the beginning of their nurses training days.
Yes, Ashley thought, she’s is getting better all the time. I can see the old, carefree Candy returning. This vacation will be great for her. We’re so different; I’m amazed we’re such good friends. Her nature is bubbly and outgoing and I’m serious and reserved; I wish I could loosen up a bit. But, there are times she gets a little too high spirited, and those are the times I have to watch out for her and rein her in a bit.
“Look, there’s Diamond Head!” Candace pointed to the black crater that appeared below them as Ashley strained to see.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Oahu and we will be landing at Honolulu Interna tional Airport in a few minutes. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened until the seat belt light is turned off. Those of you connecting with any of the inter-island carriers will find them at the Inter-island Terminal, just a short walk from the main terminal. You may take the Wiki-Wiki Bus located across the street from the terminal; it runs every five minutes. Thank you for flying with us today. Aloha.”
Two hours later they had loaded their baggage into the trunk of their rental car at Kahului, Maui Airport and were driving to Kihei. Tired but happy, they drove into the parking lot of their condo. It was a small complex of twenty-six units situated on the ocean, aptly named Kihei Seas. Checking into Unit 20, they crashed on the couch after their long day of travelling.
Candace couldn’t sit fr long and walked out to the lanai that over-looked the blue Pacific. The aroma of salt water and flowers energized her as she breathed in the tropical fragrance with gusto.
“Ashley, come and see this, it’s beautiful. I can’t believe it’s eighty-four degrees. I want you to smell the flowers and the ocean. It’s a breathtaking view.”
“Wow, it is gorgeous!” Ashley inhaled deeply and scanned the view. “Look, the beach goes all the way around that far curve, let’s check out the map and see where we’re at.” Ashley sat down on the lanai bringing with her an assortment of travel brochures and maps.
”Candy, that’s Ma’alaea Bay and that road over there goes to Lahaina. Let’s drive to Lahaina and poke around while it’s still light. See on the map; it’s less than twenty miles along the coast.”
Chapter Two
The rest of Monday afternoon was spent in Lahaina checking out boutiques and galleries. Ashley and Candace were quite impressed with one of Lahaina’s historical landmarks, the Whalebone Saloon, which was a part of the Whalebone Inn.
Walking into the Saloon, both woman stood and gazed around the room. “Looks like we just walked back into the forties,” Ashley said, as she admired the wicker furniture.
“It reminds me of the movies , Casablanca or Key Largo. Look, they even have a piano at the end of the bar. Remember when Humphrey Bogart said: If you can play it for her Sam, you can play it for me. What a marvelous place .” Candy, a classic movie buff, relished the room with its high ceiling and large leaf shaped Casablanca fans that hung down on long black rods, humming as they turned lazily.
“I wonder if the piano player’s name is Sam?” Candy mused. “Can’t you just see ladies in wide brimmed hats, low cut dresses and heels sitting here sipping cool drinks and looking gorgeous? Ashley . . . let’s come back here on Wednesday and do a little playacting.”
“Oh come on Candy, you’re kidding, we’re not exactly kids.”
“It’ll be fun, wouldn’t it? We’re here to have fun; hey, it’s our vacation.”
Ashley studied Candace, she really means it, she thought. Candy wants to do this . . . what the heck.
“Okay, let’s do it,” Ashley said.
*****
Wednesday, Ashley and Candy prepared to return to the Whalebone Saloon. Ashley found herself getting in the spirit of Candy’s playacting as she chose her cl