Murder with a Twist

The Four Musketeers had just returned from a sumptuous dinner at Saffron, an upscale pan-Indian restaurant not far from Max’s apartment, and had settled into their after-dinner drinks, when Logan’s face came up on Finley’s phone.

“Hey, look. I just ran into someone I know from New York. He and his wife are heading to Jaipur for the weekend and invited us to join them. They’re staying at the Rambaugh Palace,” Logan said. “I offered them use of the plane. This weekend is on me if you guys can break free.”

“Let me talk to the rest of the crew and get back to you.” Finley looked at Whitt, twisting the cork of another bottle of champagne, and smiled. That girl loves herself some champagne. Truth be told, I am not far behind.

“Pour me some!” Finley begged her sister, as she clicked off her phone.

“Who was that?” Max’s voice was measured, his eyes locked on her face. “Let me guess. Logan.”

“Yes, he was inviting us to head to Jaipur for the weekend. A thank you for having been so gracious while he was here.” Finley embellished a bit, judging it necessary by the look on Max’s face.

Finley quietly added another bit of information. “And we get to take Logan’s private jet.”

Max’s jaw flexed slightly when she said the words. Finley grabbed her glass of champagne and went to sit next to him. Her hand on his prompted his jaw to relax, and he smiled.

“I’ll leave it to you. I should be able get away, and Jaipur is absolutely breathtaking.” Max looked at Whitt and David as he spoke. “And it isn’t every day we get to fly on a Challenger.”

“I think you sold me. Assuming Whitt doesn’t have anything keeping her here.” David was almost begging her with his eyes to say yes.

He had heard so much about the Pink City and had been trying to figure out how to fit the Taj Mahal as well as a trip to Jaipur into an already packed schedule. The added bonus of a trip on a high-end private jet made it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I don’t have any meetings for the rest of our time here, so I’m fancy-free.” Whitt shook her head at David’s excitement. He flashed a smile as bright as California sunshine.

“So, I guess we’re going to Jaipur. I’ll shoot Logan a message and ask about logistics.” Finley pulled out her phone and had started on the message when Max stilled her hand.

“But he doesn’t need to cover the weekend,” Max said, his voice firm.

“We’ll leave that to you young bucks to fight out.” Whitt directed her comment at Finley, but she cut a glance at Max. She understood his position, but she felt for her sister, who was caught in the middle. From what she had heard of Logan, he wanted to share his wealth, not flash it around. It was not unusual for him to pay other customers’ grocery tabs on a whim or buy the whole bar a round, in addition to the sizeable checks his accountant wrote to local and global charities. From what Finley had said, he took joy from doing spontaneous acts of kindness.

Logan texted a suggested timeline, which included them meeting at the apartment and trailing each other to the hangar. He had booked two cars and drivers for the trip to the airport and for pickup in Jaipur. He indicated that rooms were already reserved, and the staff was awaiting their arrival.

Max had been inordinately quiet for the rest of the evening, while Whitt and David headed to their room to get packed. After throwing a random mix of casual and dressy outfits into a leather duffel, Finley brushed her teeth and slid into bed beside him. He looked up from his reading and then put the book aside.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” She placed her hand on his arm, tracing the muscles of his forearm with her finger. “We don’t have to go. We can send Whitt and David and just stay here.”

Max put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “It should be fun. We’ll have a good time, I’m sure. Don’t mind me. I’m just in a mood.”

“Something you want to talk about?”

“Nothing that would make sense.” He kissed her nose. “Let’s get some sleep. We have an early morning tomorrow.”