Fortune Furlough (A Miss Fortune Mystery Book 14) Read online

  Copyright © 2019 by Jana DeLeon

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Design and derivative illustration by Janet Holmes using images from Shutterstock.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Miss Fortune Series Information

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  More Miss Fortune Fun

  Miss Fortune Series Information

  If you’ve never read a Miss Fortune mystery, you can start with LOUISIANA LONGSHOT, the first book in the series. If you prefer to start with this book, here are a few things you need to know.

  Fortune Redding – a CIA assassin with a price on her head from one of the world’s most deadly arms dealers. Because her boss suspects that a leak at the CIA blew her cover, he sends her to hide out in Sinful, Louisiana, posing as his niece, a librarian and ex–beauty queen named Sandy-Sue Morrow. The situation was resolved in Change of Fortune and Fortune is now a full-time resident of Sinful and has opened her own detective agency.

  Ida Belle and Gertie – served in the military in Vietnam as spies, but no one in the town is aware of that fact except Fortune and Deputy LeBlanc.

  Sinful Ladies Society – local group founded by Ida Belle, Gertie, and deceased member Marge. In order to gain membership, women must never have married or if widowed, their husband must have been deceased for at least ten years.

  Sinful Ladies Cough Syrup – sold as an herbal medicine in Sinful, which is dry, but it’s actually moonshine manufactured by the Sinful Ladies Society.

  Chapter One

  I finished my inspection of Gertie’s purse and looked down at her small travel suitcase. So small, in fact, that she wouldn’t even have to check it.

  “That’s it?” I asked.

  “She can’t make it through security with her usual arsenal,” Ida Belle said. “That reduces her gear by at least half. But I agree, that still looks a little light.”

  “I have toiletries, sandals, four bikinis, cover-up, shorts and tees, and an evening gown,” Gertie said. “There’s a washer and dryer in the condo. What else do I need for a week on the beach?”

  Ida Belle had been staring at her best friend with a horrified expression ever since the word “bikinis” had passed her lips. She probably hadn’t even processed the formal wear yet.

  “Why an evening gown?” I asked. I absolutely refused to address the bikini thing. There weren’t a lot of things in this world that scared me, but Gertie’s wardrobe choices made the list. Since I planned to wear really dark sunglasses and drink a lot, I figured I could manage. Ida Belle, however, might need more help adjusting.

  “The evening gown is in case I meet a man and he wants to whisk me away somewhere fancy,” Gertie said.

  “There’s no place on the Key fancy enough to require an evening gown,” Ida Belle said. “But let’s move back a bit and discuss this bikini thing.”

  Gertie clapped her hands. “I started shopping as soon as we booked the condo I got a leopard print, a red sequined, black mesh, and one that is the same color as my skin. So I’ll look like I’m completely nude.”

  “Remember the drinking part,” I said to Ida Belle.

  “There’s not enough alcohol in Florida to make me unsee Gertie in a nude bikini,” Ida Belle said. “Or any other bikini for that matter. Don’t you have a one-piece? Maybe we can find you one of those swim burkas on Amazon and have it delivered right to the condo”

  “A wet suit would work,” I said. “We can probably pick one up in Florida.”

  Ida Belle shook her head. “Too tight. It would take both of us to get her in and out of it. I’m barely recovered from the butt-wrapping events at Halloween.”

  “Good point,” I said.

  Gertie sighed. “The two of you really need to work on your sense of adventure. It’s another state. We don’t know anyone there. Go crazy with your wardrobe. It’s the perfect opportunity.”

  Ida Belle snorted. “What are you talking about—opportunity? You’ve known everyone in Sinful for a thousand years, and it’s never stopped you from wearing crazy crap here.”

  Gertie threw her hands in the air. “Whatever. The bottom line is that the two of you will have to deal with it. Because I plan on flashing my goods to every available man on the beach.”

  “It’s the flashing of the bottom line that has me worried,” Ida Belle said. “Please tell me you don’t intend to go into the water. You know there’s actual surf, right? One of those waves could rip a bikini right off of you.”

  “That’s why I’m bringing four,” Gertie said. “Plenty of backup.”

  “I give up,” Ida Belle said.

  “You should have given up a hundred years ago,” I said. “It would have saved you an untold amount of time and energy.”

  “I keep hoping God will let me off for time served,” Ida Belle said.

  “Apparently He has a large sense of humor,” I said. “Or you did something terribly wrong in your youth.”

  “Short of betraying Jesus, I’m not sure what would earn this,” Ida Belle said.

  Gertie gave her the finger and started rolling her suitcase to the front door. “I heard Carter pull up, so you two better decide quick what is more tolerable—another boring week in Sinful or the potential of seeing me lose my bikini and enthrall every man on the beach.”

  Ida Belle and I looked at each other, and I know we were both weighing the drinking against the potential for permanent blindness. Ultimately, the drinking must have won out because we both grabbed our suitcases and headed for the door.

  “We can always wear sunglasses and close our eyes,” I said as we walked.

  Ida Belle nodded. “And if that doesn’t work, we can poke them out with those little umbrellas that come in the drinks. After a couple, we won’t even feel it.”

  Carter met us at the porch and smiled. “Ready for the big trip?”

  “As ready as we’re getting,” Ida Belle said.

  “What’s this place again?” he asked. “Quiet Key?”

  Ida Belle nodded.

  He grinned. “Quiet Key, huh? Did you warn them that you guys were coming?”

  “No,” Ida Belle said. “They might not have allowed us across the bridge.”

  “Good call.” Carter reached down for Gertie’s suitcase. “Is this all you’re bringing?”

  “That’s a question you really don’t want to hear the answer to,” I said.

  Immediately, he lifted the suitcase and whipped around, leaving Gertie no time to respond. Given some of the attire Gertie had worn around Sinful, he probably knew where the conversation would go. No one needed those images in their mind. Especially my boyfriend. It might ruin the romance mood for a month or better.

  Carter tossed t he suitcases in the back of his mom’s SUV, we all climbed in, and we were off.

  Swamp Team 3 was officially on vacation.

  I opened the sliding glass doors and we stepped out on the huge balcony overlooking the beach. Gertie gazed over the railing, squealed, and clapped her hands.

  “Do you see that buffet of men down there?” Gertie asked.

  “God’s waiting room,” Ida Belle said. “That buffet is long past its expiration date.”

  Gertie waved a hand in dismissal. “More for me.”

  Ida Belle grimaced and I couldn’t help smiling. There was a definite advantage to having a boyfriend. No pressure to troll for old buffet items. I had a feeling Ida Belle wouldn’t get off so easy, especially if the menu items traveled in pairs.

  “This is going to be great!” Gertie exclaimed. “We’ve barely just gotten here and I’ve already been felt up.”

  “He tripped over a potted plant and was blind as a bat,” Ida Belle said. “He probably thought he was clutching the drapes.”

  “My boobs do not hang like drapes,” Gertie protested.

  “Well, I guess we’ll find out soon,” I said. “Let’s hit the beach.”

  Gertie squealed again and ran back inside. Ida Belle let out a long-suffering sigh and followed her. I closed the sliding door and glanced around. It was a really nice setup. Three bedrooms, each with its own bath, so that eliminated a lot of potential issues. A good-sized living room with two couches and a wall of glass overlooking the beach. And a smallish kitchen, but the only thing that was really relevant was that it had a refrigerator. I didn’t cook in Sinful. I certainly wasn’t going to come all the way to Florida to start.

  I headed to my bedroom and smiled. I’d taken the one meant for kids, so I had a double bed and a set of bunk beds. That meant I had three different places to sleep depending on my mood. Ida Belle had taken the smaller of the two remaining bedrooms—my guess was because it was in the corner and didn’t share a wall with an adjoining unit. That left Gertie with the master suite, which was right up her alley, complete with the spa tub.

  I donned my bright blue one-piece and white cover-up that Ally had insisted on while we were online shopping for my vacation wardrobe. It looked sorta like a really short sundress with a plunging neckline and a hem that barely inched past the bottom of my bathing suit. Ally thought I would look hot in it, so I headed for the bathroom and did a mirror assessment. I decided that the outfit worked, but it felt a little weird. I wasn’t much of a beach baby, although I really enjoyed the water. It was just that most of my swimming had been done in a wet or dry suit. Still, I supposed I didn’t look too bad and the hours spent on my laptop had made Ally happy, so it appeared to be a win for both of us.

  Ally had also insisted on a mani-pedi, so my fingers and toes sported the hot pink polish she’d picked out. Carter had smiled so big when he’d seen them that I thought he was going to laugh. He managed to restrain himself, but he knew how much I avoided the girlie stuff. However, he also knew how much I loved Ally. So hot pink nails and sexy swim cover-ups had won.

  I slipped on a pair of silver flip-flops—Ally said they’d match everything—and headed back into the living room. Ida Belle was already standing there, wearing wide-leg blue linen pants, a blue-and-gray-striped polo shirt, and hiking sandals. It was the most casual I’d ever seen her dressed. Until now, I’d been convinced that she slept in jeans, button-up shirts, and tennis shoes.

  She gave me the once-over and nodded. “I see the online shopping went well. Surprised you didn’t go for a suit that matched the nails.”

  I raised one eyebrow and she grinned. Then I heard Gertie’s room door open and the grin disappeared completely.

  “No way,” Ida Belle said, shaking her head. “You are not walking out of here dressed that way.”

  I looked over and let out a strangled cry. The red sequined bikini consisted of a halter top and a string bikini bottom. Clearly the designer had saved on the sequin expense because there wasn’t a lot of fabric to cover. Which meant we saw a lot more of Gertie than either of us wanted to. Then there was the added bonus that since a good bit of Gertie was usually covered up with regular clothes when she was outside, her tan did not extend to all the parts not covered by the bikini. So she was an odd mix of tanned legs below the knee and tanned arms to the shoulders, but the rest was bright white, making the red bikini appear as if it were glowing.

  “Isn’t it great?” Gertie asked, beaming. “There’s even tassels on the boobs. Bet I can make them swing around in circles if I do some sexy dancing.”

  I’m pretty sure that if she’d had her gun on her, Ida Belle would have shot Gertie right then. I could abstain for the statement, but if she started any actual tassel swinging on the beach, I might have to improvise.

  “You could grab a boob with your hand and swing it around just standing there,” Ida Belle said. “And when you get down to the beach and take a hike far from Fortune and me, you are free to twirl whatever body part you feel like. But I am not walking through the lobby with you dressed like that.”

  “At least I’m not dressed like I’m going to the library,” Gertie said. “How in the world do you consider that beach attire?”

  “The shirt has short sleeves,” Ida Belle said. “I’m going to get a bedsheet for you to wear.”

  “Why not just get a towel?” I asked.

  “I’m afraid it wouldn’t hide enough,” Ida Belle said.

  “This was the discreet lady version of the suit,” Gertie said. “The other one was really racy.”

  Ida Belle stared, somewhat horror-stricken.

  “Don’t you have a cover-up?” I asked. “Ally told me that only hookers and gold diggers walk around the resort with their bathing suits exposed.”

  Gertie frowned. “Hmmm. There are some advantages to that, but I suppose my good upbringing ultimately wins out. I’ll go grab my cover-up.”

  “Thank the Lord and her mother for the good upbringing,” I muttered as she walked back into the bedroom.

  “That woman is going to be the death of me,” Ida Belle said. “One way or another.”

  Given the type of items Gertie usually hauled around in her purse, Ida Belle’s statement wasn’t really all that far-fetched.

  “You’re not planning on swimming in that, are you?” I asked Ida Belle.

  “Of course not. I have on board shorts, a sports bra, and a tank top, but decency is decency. I’m not about sporting my kneecaps through a lobby. That sort of thing belongs on the beach or around a pool.”

  I grinned. “Those must be the sexiest kneecaps in the Americas if you’re afraid to let random lobby people see them.”

  “At least they don’t have tassels.”

  Gertie came strolling out of the bedroom again. She was wearing a cover-up, but the crocheted dress didn’t really hide much of anything. Still, it was harder to make out the tassels, so it was going to have to do, because I really didn’t feel like starting my vacation off rolling Gertie up in a bedsheet like a burrito. She was also carrying a beach bag that could have held a torpedo launcher. I knew she hadn’t been allowed to carry anything of the sort on the plane, but I still gave the bag a suspicious eye.

  “Should we be worried about the contents of that bag?” I asked.

  “It’s necessary beach stuff,” Gertie said.

  I looked over at Ida Belle, who was holding a towel. I was holding a towel and the room key. We both had sunglasses on our heads. Clearly, Gertie had a whole different set of needs at the beach than either of us.

  Ida Belle let out a long-suffering sigh and headed for the door. “They serve drinks on the beach, right?”

  “Oh yeah,” I said, and followed her out.

  “I bet if I swing my tassels, I could score us some free ones,” Gertie said.

  “If you swing those tassels, you’ll knock out the waiter and we’ll never get a drink,” Ida Belle said.

  “Then you best order before I get in a swinging mood,” Ge rtie said, and stepped into the elevator.

  “We’re going to have to make them doubles,” Ida Belle said.

  I nodded. We hadn’t even made it outside and Ida Belle and I were already planning on drinking away the pain. And Gertie was only getting started. Because I was absolutely certain she would improve on the terror once she hit the beach and started flaunting her wares in front of the sea of old men out there. Sinful didn’t exactly offer up a lot of options in that arena. Florida was practically a farmers’ market of goods. Mostly overripened, from what I’d seen, but perfect for Gertie and her tassels.

  Surprisingly, we managed to get all the way through the lobby and past the pool without incident. I actually heard Ida Belle’s sigh of relief as we set out on the sand toward a trio of chairs sitting under a blue-and-white-striped umbrella. I clipped the reservation tag on the umbrella and plopped into one of the chairs, using my towel as a pillow, then looked around for the drink server. Ida Belle sat in the middle chair next to me and Gertie stood, hands on her hips, frowning at us.

  “That’s all you’re going to do?” she asked. “Sit there?”

  “No,” Ida Belle said. “We’re going to drink.”

  I nodded.

  “You’re not going to swim?” Gertie asked. “Why did we come all the way here if we’re not going to swim?”

  “I came to drink and lie around and not see another dead body,” I said.

  A couple sitting next to us looked over at me.

  “Professional assassin,” I said.

  They snapped their heads back in place.

  Ida Belle chuckled. “Imagine how they’d have reacted if they knew it was the truth.”