MURDER ON THE CLASS TRIP

They stepped off the elevator and dashed down the hall to the corner unit. Sandra inserted her key and cautiously opened the door. There was an eerie foreboding stillness as they entered.

Sandra spotted a half-eaten sandwich on the kitchen table. “Someone was here last night. Stephen’s too anal retentive to not wash the plate when he’s done eating.”

“Sandra, look,” Maya said, directing her attention to a manila envelope sitting on top of the built-in bar adjacent to the living room.

Sandra walked over, picked up the envelope, and unsealed it. She pulled out some papers and quickly perused them. “It looks like the reading material Suzanne said Tess was going to bring over here for Stephen.”

“Then she was here,” Maya said.

Sandra had a sinking feeling. Without saying another word, she marched past Maya to the master bedroom, stopping suddenly in the doorway, gasping in shock, throwing a hand to her mouth. Maya rushed to her and stopped short as well in the doorway.

The two women gaped, horrified, at Tess’s body lying on top of the king-size bed . . .