Dead Calm (A Dylan Scott Mystery) (11 page)

He took Bev’s hand and they marched back the way he’d just come. If anything had happened to Luke—

“Tom Jackson was there too.” Bev sniffed. “He’s another who gives me the creeps. He was watching everyone, too.”

Dylan had his own doubts about Jackson.

“I expect he was trying to find himself another sexy young Norwegian.” Dylan tried to make light of it, but if anyone had so much as looked at his son, he would kill them with his bare hands.

Chapter Nineteen

This was the night. He could feel it in the blood pumping through his veins.

There was no one outside at the moment, despite the clear night. The air was still, the sky dark and pinpointed with millions of stars. He breathed in deeply, the sharp cold air stinging the back of his throat.

Two teenagers came outside, nodded at him and walked across to the smoking area. Smokers were creatures of habit. On the hour, they left what they were doing and ventured outside, turning their backs to the wind as they sucked smoke into their lungs. Inside, a cigarette might take them five minutes to smoke. Outside, it took less than two. Half of them, having craved a cigarette for an hour, would light up and decide they weren’t that desperate for nicotine after all.

He’d smoked from the age of twelve so he knew how it was. Not that he was hooked. He could take it or leave it.

A woman came outside, already hunting in a large bag for tobacco and lighter. “Will we see the northern lights tonight, do you think?”

“Who knows?” he said. “We might get lucky.”

“Let’s hope so.” She went to join the teenagers in the smoking area.

He wanted to laugh.
We might get lucky.
He sincerely hoped
he’d
get lucky.

Hanna Larsen was forgotten. She’d been a vicious old woman and no one regretted her death. He’d felt a bit queasy afterwards but it was probably nothing to do with killing her. Perhaps he’d eaten a dodgy sausage or something. You could never be too careful with meat.

He went back inside.

People were still dancing. A lot were drunk. He ignored their talk, dismissed their laughter and scanned their faces. He soon found the one he was looking for.

He checked his watch. He could afford to wait awhile before visiting Scott’s cabin. The thought made him smile. No one survived sarin, and when mixed with steam or water, it was deadly. Germans had discovered it before the Second World War when they’d been trying to create stronger insecticides. Or so they claimed. It hadn’t taken them long to incorporate it into their artillery shells. They’d chickened out of using it, and production of any chemical weapon was a big no-no these days, but it wasn’t too difficult to get if you knew the right people. His had come all the way from Iraq, with a high price tag, but it was worth it.

He’d thought of using it on the old lady, but it was too precious and too risky. It had been far easier to suffocate her.

He’d known the time would come though and he couldn’t wait to use it…

Chapter Twenty

Dylan and Bev strode through the double doors and up to the reception desk.

“Excuse me but—” Dylan broke off.

Walking through the door opposite, carrying bags of crisps and a bottle of lemonade, and looking concerned about nothing more than enjoying a midnight feast, was Luke.

“Oh!” Bev ran to him and hugged him so tight that two bags of crisps and a bar of chocolate fell to the floor.

“It’s okay, thanks.” Relief flooded through Dylan. “We’ve found him.”

She smiled her understanding.

“Where have you been?” Bev demanded, shaking Luke. “We’ve been out of our minds with worry.”

“To get something to eat.” He looked at his mother as if she were crazy. “I’m starving.”

“But you didn’t lock the cabin door.”

“So?”

“So? So anyone could get in.”

“Why would they?” He shook his head in despair of parents. “I couldn’t find my keycard and Gran’s got the other. Anyway, I’ve only been gone ten minutes.”

“Why can’t you find it?” Dylan asked. “When did you notice it was missing?”

“It’s in the cabin somewhere,” he said. “I had it earlier. No one’s pinched it, if that’s what you’re thinking. I was only nipping out for a couple of minutes so I didn’t bother to look too hard.”

“You’ve been gone ages,” Bev said.

“I stopped for a quick game in the arcade.”

Bev released her grip on him and he picked up his crisps and chocolate.

“You can come back to our cabin and stay with me until your gran’s ready to turn in for the night,” Bev said.

“What? Oh no, do I have to?”

“Yes, you do. Besides, as you haven’t got your keycard, you can’t get in to your own cabin, can you?”

“But I left it—”

“Yes, and I made sure it was locked.” Bev grabbed his shirt at the shoulder and marched him along the corridor. When they reached the cabin, she pushed Luke inside.

She decided to try and relax with a book, Luke was reasonably happy to eat crisps and play a game on his phone, and Freya, lucky kid, was oblivious to everything.

“I’ll have a quick smoke, a drink and a dance, and then I’ll come back here for you,” Vicky told Luke. “We’ll have a game of poker then, shall we? It’ll give you a chance to win some of your money back.”

“Cool.” He gave his gran a high five.

Dylan didn’t want to worry Bev, but he didn’t want some crazy bastard issuing more warnings either. “Don’t go wandering off.” He ruffled Luke’s hair and added in a low voice, “And keep the door locked, okay?”

Luke nodded. He had a dozen questions in his eyes and the good sense not to ask a single one.

“I’ll tell you later,” Dylan said.

He walked along to the ballroom with his mother.

“So what’s Luke been up to?” she asked.

“He’d nipped out to get some food, that’s all. Bev called at your cabin to check on him and panicked when he wasn’t there.” There was no need to mention the man who’d freaked her out, although Dylan would love to know who it was, and there was certainly no need to mention the crazy bastard who wanted him to stop asking questions.

“She forgets what it’s like to be a teenager,” Vicky said. “He’s a sensible kid. He just likes the freedom this ship gives him.”

“I know.”

Passengers were still dancing in the ballroom. The crowd had thinned out slightly but the music was louder than ever. His mother went outside for a smoke and Dylan got himself a drink, a large one. Every muscle in his body was tensed, ready for anything. His son had nipped out of his cabin for snacks, nothing more than that, but Dylan couldn’t help wondering what form the next “warning” would take.

Bev had worried that people were watching. So what? He was doing exactly that right now. Watching.

Bill and Maud Carr were sitting at a table by the windows. They were holding hands and smiling into each other’s eyes like love-struck teenagers.

Dylan wandered over and sat at their table. “I thought you’d be waltzing Bill round the dance floor, Maud.”

She laughed. “I’ve worn him out.”

“What about you, Dylan?” Carr asked. “I can’t believe you let your lovely young wife dance alone.”

“I was waylaid.” He took a sip of his drink. “Actually, I was having a chat with Vidar Freberg. You’ll know him. I saw you chatting with him earlier.”

“Oh, yes.” Maud looked to her husband before answering. “We met him on this same cruise last year. Isn’t that a coincidence?”

“It certainly is.” Dylan hated coincidence. Hated it. “It’s a small world.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Tonight, there was to be music and dancing and Ruby was looking forward to it. When Howard had been alive, they’d enjoyed the social evenings and had made many friends over the years. Every Christmas brought cards from people they’d met while on holiday and each one served as a reminder of happy times. Nothing was the same without Howard, and she couldn’t laugh quite so freely, but she was looking forward to the evening’s entertainment.

First, she had to call Laura. If she didn’t, she’d have Tom nagging her. She took her phone from the bedside drawer and cursed beneath her breath. The battery was flat.

It took a couple of minutes to find the charger and then another minute passed before the phone sprang into life. She hit Laura’s number and waited, hoping the answer machine would greet her, but it was Laura’s voice she heard.

“Mum? Is everything all right?”

“Yes, of course.” Laura sounded busy. Distracted. Tom had reminded Ruby a dozen times to call her and now that she had, Laura seemed surprised to hear from her. “I thought I’d give you a quick call before I go along to the evening’s entertainment. How are you, darling?”

“Me? Oh, I’m fine. This is a lovely surprise. Is everything all right?”

“Yes.” She had to smile. “Of course it is. Tom said you’d sent him a few texts asking me to call.”

“Ah, yes.” There was a brief pause. “Actually, it was Tom I wanted to talk about.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” Another pause. “Look, I really don’t want to interfere—”

Ruby had heard it all now. If there was one thing her daughter excelled at, it was interfering.

“The thing is,” Laura said, “I think he’s struggling more than he’s letting on. Financially, I mean.”

Ruby should have guessed.

“I don’t want you to worry, Mum, but I think he’s in a real mess. I also think he’s too proud to tell us exactly how bad things are. It can’t have been easy for him to ask you for money, can it? He wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t been at rock bottom. To be honest, I’m worried about him.” She sighed. “I know he can be a pain and, yes, we drive each other up the wall, but he is my brother so I’m entitled to worry.”

Ruby pulled the chair closer to the phone and dropped down on it. The anticipated pleasure of the evening’s entertainment was ebbing away. “This is between Tom and—”

“I know. You’re right. It’s just that I’m worried about him. How does he seem to you?”

Stressed
was the word that sprang to Ruby’s mind. He couldn’t seem to relax and on the rare occasions he smiled, it seemed forced. “He’s fine.”

“Well, I suppose you know best.”

Ruby almost smiled at that. Her children, Laura especially, were always telling her what she could and couldn’t do, and what she ought to do at any given time. Now, when there was a problem, she knew best.

“Would it hurt you to help him out?” Laura asked. “It’s not as if you can’t afford it, is it?”

Damn it, Ruby refused to be pressured by her children. She didn’t care for Laura’s tone either. “It wouldn’t hurt me, no. But what about Tom? What good will it do him?”

Ruby despaired. Howard had always maintained she was too soft with the children, that she’d spoiled them. Perhaps she had.

“I think you should have a word with him.”

“We’ll see.” This was between her and Tom. There was no need for Laura to get involved. “I’d better go. I’ll call you—”

“I’m sorry. Forget I said anything. Tell me about this entertainment. What’s planned?”

They talked of easier things, like the cruise and the music and dancing that lay ahead. Laura, her brother forgotten for the moment, updated her on her own life, her neighbours and the arrangements that she was already making for the Christmas concert at the school.

“I’d better not keep you talking any longer, Mum. Have a lovely evening and thanks for calling.”

Ruby switched off her phone, picked up her bag and left the cabin. She’d get herself a stiff drink and forget her children for an hour or so.

In the ballroom she helped herself to a glass of wine and looked around for someone she recognised. Tom was with a group of young people at the bar but she didn’t want to get involved.

Just as she thought she’d have to talk to Tom or sit alone, she saw Dylan Scott. He was sharing a table with Bill and Maud Carr and she crossed the room to them.

Maud’s greeting was as effusive as ever but Ruby sensed a strange atmosphere at the table. Dylan didn’t look as relaxed as he should. Bill looked tense, too.

“Everything all right, Ruby?” Maud asked. “You look a little peaky.”

“Do I?” Ruby smiled at that. “I’m fine. My children are ganging up on me, that’s all. But, hey, isn’t that what children do?”

The Carrs laughed politely, but they seemed ill at ease.

“Do you have children?” she asked.

“No.”

“Yes.”

They both spoke at once and Ruby wished she hadn’t asked. “I could willingly disown mine too,” she said, trying to make light of their embarrassed confusion.

“
We
don’t have children,” Maud explained. “Bill has a son by his first marriage.”

“Ah, I see.” Ruby knew she’d put her foot in it. Judging by the couple’s expressions, the son wasn’t a happy topic of conversation. “Well, that’s nice.”

“Yes. He’s a lawyer.” Maud’s face was crimson.

Ruby took a sip from her glass. Bill was smiling as he patted his wife’s hand in a reassuring way. Dylan wasn’t smiling. He was watching the Carrs and it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.

“We don’t see much of him,” Bill said. “Children are always too busy for their parents, aren’t they?”

“There are times when I wish mine were,” Ruby said with a rueful smile.

Everyone chuckled politely but Ruby was beginning to wish she’d stayed in her cabin. She was right. There
was
a strange atmosphere at the table.