Dead in the Water (Kate Ryan Mysteries Book 10) (22 page)

I didn’t like it, but I had to agree with him. I’d do the same thing if I were in his shoes. “Good luck telling Mr. Sheldon.”

“I’ve already spoken with him. He agreed, but not without a diatribe,” Monty said dryly. “And a great deal of sarcasm. So, please, wait in your staterooms with the doors locked.”

*******

We agreed and left Monty and his crew to conduct the search for Mr. Smith. I only hoped they knew what they were doing. If this guy was still on board, I couldn’t believe he was just sitting in a corner somewhere. I really wished I knew what was going on.

*******

I paced back and forth in the stateroom, with Maggie lying on the bed watching me. Hannah and Simon sat at the table by the window, eating and drinking, seemingly having a wonderful time.

“Kate, you’re rocking the boat. Sit.”

“How can you eat?” I asked Simon.

“How can I not? Mr. Smith is probably still swimming back to Duluth. Do you really think he’s still on board?”

“Yes, I do. I don’t know why, but I do. Why would he jump overboard? Lake Superior is very cold. I’m surprised we don’t see the remnants of last winter’s ice.”

“That’s true,” Maggie said. “He’d have to be an idiot to jump into this water. He’d be hypothermic within minutes.”

“Not if someone was waiting for him in a boat?” Hannah suggested as she sipped her champagne.

“No, I think someone would have heard the boat or seen something. And if we’re right on this theory, he couldn’t take the chance on someone seeing him go over the side. That would be too risky.”

“Then how did he think he’d get away with this?” Simon asked, nibbling on a pear. “I mean, let’s think about this. If all this is true, and he set off some EMP or whatever it’s called, and disabled an entire ship, what would have been his plan to escape?”

I sat on the edge of the bed and thought about that. It was a good question, another in a long line of good questions. It was truly getting annoying to have so many good questions without good answers.

“Well, okay,” I said. “If it was me and I tried something like this, I would know I’d be in the middle of the largest lake in North America when I set this thing off. I would have to know that the entire ship would be dead in the water, and at midnight, most everyone would be in their staterooms. The crew would be asleep, as well.”

“The only one awake would be whoever was at the helm,” Maggie said. “Hey, didn’t Paul say we were off course and heading away from Duluth instead of sailing toward it?”

“Yes. And Patrick said Mr. Smith stood watch while he went to see Monty.”

“And right after that, everything happened.” I stood then and started pacing by the bed. “Okay, what about this? I go to the bridge, tell Patrick that the captain wants to see him, offer to stand watch, and when Patrick leaves, I change course, head us away from our destination, then I set this thing off.”

“Sounds plausible, Kate. Go on,” Maggie said eagerly.

“But I have to get rid of that device. I can’t take the chance that someone will find it.”

“And that’s what Miss Markham heard at midnight. Like someone or something thrown overboard. That’s how he got rid of the evidence,” Hannah suggested.

“But why hide then?” Simon asked. “If he got rid of the evidence and threw it overboard, how could they pin it on him?”

“Something had to happen once he got on board,” I said. “Something that disrupted his plans and made him hide. If he’s still on board.”

“But what?” Hannah asked. “This is all too convoluted for me. I can see the plausibility of him doing this to ruin Monty’s reputation. That I understand.”

“True,” Maggie said. “If that’s what David Bledsoe wanted, then Mr. Sheldon’s reaction would fit. He’s never going to help finance this now.”

“Yeah,” I said thoughtfully. “It’s clever. Too clever a plan to have such a stupid escape route. Hiding on a ship? That doesn’t make sense. Jumping overboard makes more sense.”

“He’d have to know how frigid this lake is, at this depth.” Maggie shook her head. “No, I think he’s still on board somewhere because his plans got all…”

“FUBAR’d,” I finished her sentence.

“Completely,” Maggie agreed.

“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see if they can find him.” I made my way to the table and snagged an apple. “I hate waiting.”

Chapter 20

“That’ll be three dollars and seventy-five, no, eighty-five cents you owe me,” Hannah announced.

I tossed my cards on the table. “I think you’re cheating.”

“I never cheat at gin rummy.” Hannah scribbled on the paper, while sipping the last of the champagne. “Poker, perhaps. Or maybe dominoes.”

“How do you cheat at dominoes?” I asked her.

“My deal.” Simon laughed and gathered the cards. “Kate, you’re just a bad card player. You have an honest face. That’s your problem.”

“Hmm.”

“I happen to love this honest face.” Maggie leaned over and kissed my cheek.

“And that’s your problem,” Simon offered with a wink.

“Ignore them.” I reached up and caressed her cheek. “Having fun, baby?”

“I’m having a wonderful time,” she whispered. She lifted her left hand to examine her ring. “A most wonderful time. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.”

“Then you’re goofy.” I looked at Simon. “Deal. I want to win back my money. I’ll soon have a wife to support. We may have to hock that ring.”

“Good luck to you,” Hannah said. “And we’re out of champagne.”

“How will we survive?” Simon asked as he dealt.

“Let’s play canasta!” Hannah grinned over her glasses.

“Oh, my dear, I haven’t the strength for that.” Simon let out a sad sigh. “Okay, penny a point.”

Maggie laughed, laying her head on my shoulder. “This is what our married life will be like. Mrs. and Mrs. Crackers.”

“Not if I can help it,” I said dryly.
 

Two hours later, after too many games of gin rummy and far too many threats of canasta, someone knocked at our stateroom door. I’d never seen four people nearly kill themselves trying to reach the door first.

“Okay, okay, okay,” I said quickly after Hannah practically sent me sprawling into the door. “A little decorum, geesh.”

“Oh, just open the door.” Hannah pushed me again.

It was a crew member. He looked flushed, and he was sporting a nice bruise on his chin. And blood on his white shirt. I hoped whatever happened was worth it.

“Can you follow me, please? The—”

“Did you find him?” I asked as we hurried out the door.

The poor guy rubbed his chin. “Yeah, we found him.”

We followed him to the foredeck. The crew huddled around someone sitting in a deck chair.

 
My heart raced; I really wanted to find out what in the hell was going on. I was practically giddy with anticipation.

As we approached, the men stepped away. I looked at the man sitting there with his hands tied to the arms of the chair. His nose had been bleeding, and there was a small gash above his eyebrow. He looked oddly familiar.

“I know you,” I said slowly.

The man rolled his eyes as he let out an ugly laugh. “Ya think?”

“Who…”

He rolled his eyes in exasperation once again. “A couple Christmases ago? You and that fucking scientist at the hospital? I got sent to fucking Greenland because of you.”

My mouth dropped. I was shocked. And by her reaction, so was Maggie. She let out a gasp and dug her fingernails into my arm.

“Kate,” Maggie sounded like she was about to faint. “It’s him.”

“Bingo. Yeah, it’s me.” He oozed sarcasm.

“You know this man?” Monty looked like he too might faint. “Who is he?”

“Daryl. The government agent who…” I couldn’t go on. Now I wanted to pass out. Behind me, I heard Hannah’s quiet shriek.

“The one who nearly poisoned Margaret?”
 
Hannah asked. “Good Lord.”

“What?” Monty’s incredulous tone was unmistakable.

I was still in shock. “What are you…?”

“Doing here?” Daryl offered. “In all the cities in this fucked-up country and on all the boats on this fricking lake, I just had to find you…again!” he yelled. “What is it with you?”

“Me? I-I don’t understand.”

Daryl gave me a disgusted look. “Yes, you do. I’ve heard you talking. You and that dizzy conspiracy bitch.” He shook his head again. “Captain, you’ll have to speak with your crew. It was ridiculously easy for me to walk around unnoticed. Your vessel is not very secure. I cannot believe this is happening.” He looked at me then. “I really hate your guts.”

“Okay,” Monty said, seemingly trying to get control—good luck. “Kate, how do you know this man?”

I kept my gaze on Daryl, still not believing he was sitting in front of me. I numbly eased into a deck chair, along with Maggie and Hannah.

“He works for the government…”

“Worked,” Daryl corrected me. “They let me go. No pension. Thank you and fuck you.”

“Shut up,” Monty said to him. “Go on.”

“There were government experiments going on at the University Hospital in Chicago, where Maggie worked. A scientist grew a conscience and decided to back out and took his work with him,” I said quietly, holding tight to Maggie’s hand. “Daryl here did what he could to stop him. Then we got involved.”

“And you solved it,” Daryl said sarcastically while shaking his head. “And I got sent to Greenland.” He leaned in as far as his restraints would allow. “Do you have any fucking idea how cold it gets there?”

“So all this has to do with Kate?” Simon asked.

“No,” Daryl said. “That’s the fucked-up part. It has absolutely nothing to do with her.”

“Rather serendipitous then when you think about it.” Simon looked around the table once again.

“Then what?” Monty asked. “And you’d better tell me the truth.”

Daryl hung his head and laughed. “Or you’ll what—beat me up? I’ve been interrogated in the Middle East, pal. Have at it.”

Monty seemed to be at a loss for an answer.

Daryl still chuckled. “I can’t tell you because, well, there’s a matter of trust.” He looked around at all of us. “I’m a trustworthy guy.”

“Between who?” I asked.

Daryl looked at me then. “I just told you it was a matter of trust. And money. A lot of money.”

“From David Bledsoe?” I asked.

When Daryl’s mouth dropped, I knew I was right. And I knew then everything Shirley had proposed was correct. As if on cue, we heard Paul and Shirley run up the stairs. With Mr. Sheldon and Miss Markham right behind them. They were all flushed with excitement until they saw Daryl’s bloody face.

Daryl looked to the heavens, letting out a laugh of resignation. “And here come the brains of the outfit. Well, we’re all here. I can’t fucking believe this.”

“Is this Mr. Smith?” Mr. Sheldon asked, staring at him like he was a lab experiment.

Shirley and Paul sidestepped out of the way to stand behind us.

“No, fuckhead,” Daryl said to him. “I’m the Easter bunny.”

“Watch your mouth,” Mr. Sheldon said.

“A minor point, don’t ya think?” Daryl laughed, then spit over the side of the boat.

“All right. I want the truth from you. You have no reason to lie about whatever this is,” Monty said.

Daryl smiled sweetly. “Nope. If you want to know, ask Kate, or…what was your name, sweetie?”

“Sh-Shirley,” she said, holding on to Paul. “Was I right?”

I kept my eye on Daryl; things were falling into place. Then the idea hit me. It had to be. With everything else coming together, this had to be right.

“Let me see his left hand.” I motioned to Monty.

Daryl looked confused and extremely suspicious. When Monty grabbed his hand and pulled back the ropes around his wrist, I saw it.

And now it made sense. All of it. I was giddy once again.

Maggie saw it too; so did Hannah.

“Is that what I think it is?” Hannah stared at the marine tattoo on Daryl’s hand.

“What about it?” Daryl asked.

“Yes, what?” Monty asked, as well.

I watched Daryl; I knew I was smiling, and I knew it pissed him off. It was Simon who spoke first.

“Kate, I remember that look in your eye. You’ve got something.”

“I do.”

“So? Out with it,” Mr. Sheldon called out.

“Yeah,” Daryl said. “What do you think you know? This I gotta hear.”

“Okay,” I said, trying to put all the pieces together. “Monty, you said you had a partner. David Bledsoe. Tell us what happened between you.”

“We had a difference of opinion about this idea for the cruise line. We parted ways, and I went on with it. When it looked like I’d get backing, he said I stole the idea and wanted in. I said no. We fought over it. He said he was going to sue or take some legal action, but I’ve heard nothing. I knew he had no legal leg to stand on, so I forgot about it.”

I nodded, still watching Daryl. “So how about this for a scenario? David Bledsoe can’t do anything legally to stop you, but he can do something to ruin your chances of getting this business started. He gets an idea from his son’s partner, who is a tech wizard, loves to invent stuff that nobody else can. He takes pride in it, and he agrees with the elder Mr. Bledsoe to construct a device that will disable this entire ship…”

“And what better time to do it than its maiden voyage with all the potential financial backers on board?” Mr. Sheldon offered; he too watched Daryl, who seemed very uninterested as he yawned.

“Exactly,” I said. “I’m not sure how Mr. Bledsoe found you, Daryl. I think that might be a minor point. But he did. And he offered to pay you a great deal of money, didn’t he?”

Daryl smiled. “It’s a good fantasy, continue.”

“Okay.” I sat back and continued, smiling when I felt Maggie’s hand on my thigh; she gave it a reassuring caress. “Mr. Bledsoe’s plan was brilliant actually. He pays you handsomely. You get yourself hired as a member of the crew. Coincidently, the captain and ship’s doctor are simultaneously and mysteriously detained. And I’ll bet Monty was so distraught over this, he didn’t really care about kitchen help. And you got right in with no problem. And a man of your experience and connections, you’d have no problem with paperwork or credentials.”

Daryl laughed again, but I could tell he was getting a little irritated.

“How did you get the device on board?” Paul asked. “How big was it?”

“Shut up,” Daryl said to him.

“It doesn’t matter, really. We’ll never know because you did throw it overboard after it did its work, didn’t you? And you tossed all the emergency supplies overboard so no one could send up a flare or have any backup batteries, which, from what Paul said, could have been fried anyway, but you didn’t take any chances. You just tossed them all overboard.”

“Then you went to the bridge,” I continued, “and told Patrick that the captain wanted him. You offered to stay until he got back.”

“You changed the course and headed us away from Duluth and farther out where no one would expect us to be,” Monty said, almost in awe. “Our course was filed with the Coast Guard. They’re not expecting us in Duluth until morning.”