Mystery in the Moonlight (6 page)

“I’ve enjoyed it here.”

Babs assumed a knowing look as she swung along, her yellow skirts fluttering. “Oh, you mean you’ve enjoyed the company of that handsome Bryce, don’t you? Well, bring him along, then. I’m sure Trent won’t care if there’s one more. All the men are bunking together in the crew’s quarters.”

“Bryce went back to Harmony, and I have no way to reach him,” Caitlin said, “but he’s not the only reason I don’t want to leave on Trent’s yacht. Parties get on my nerves. You know I’ve got to have some peace and quiet after a while.”

“You don’t want to leave this island?” Babs asked incredulously as they entered the bungalow.

“No, I’d prefer to stay here,” Caitlin insisted stubbornly. She liked to be agreeable, but going on a “party cruise” was too much to ask of her. How could one appreciate the natural beauty of the outdoors when surrounded by loud music and noisy people?

“You want to stay and broil in the sun, catch slimy fish, and maybe watch those newlyweds hang all over each other? That’s the most excitin’ thing that’s going to happen around here. Why, even with your boyfriend to accompany you there’ll be precious little to do.” Babs looked distinctly unhappy as she pleaded, “Come along for a couple of days, and if you can’t stand it, we’ll come back.”

“I’d really rather not.”

Babs gave a long-suffering sigh, slowly dropping her head in a gesture that reminded Caitlin of a wilting sunflower. “Well…all right. I guess I’ll go and give Trent my excuses.”

“Why? You don’t have to stay here because of me.”

“We’re supposed to be vacationing together.”

“But I like outdoor activities or reading, and you’d rather party. Why should either of us suffer? Go on the cruise with Trent. I’ll be fine by myself.”

“Well, I don’t know,” said Babs indecisively.

“You can come back in a few days. I’ll have plenty of exercise, stimulation, and a tan by then…and you’ll have run through all your outfits.”

“Are you sure you won’t be lonely? This island is pretty deserted.”

“I’ll have a great time,” Caitlin said positively, getting her friend’s suitcases out of the closet. “Come on. I’ll help you pack.”

“Well, okay. If you’re sure,” Babs finally agreed, her violet-blue eyes beginning to sparkle. She took an armload of dresses out of the closet. “But I’m sure going to miss you, honey, and I plan to insist that Trent brings me back soon. By that time you’ll likely be in the throes of serious boredom, anyway. One of Trent’s good-looking friends will have to give you artificial respiration.”

Laughing, the two women hugged each other before they set about packing Babs’s extensive wardrobe.

The day that had started so beautifully ended with a brilliant, fiery sunset. Sitting at a table in the Beach Bar, Caitlin admired the vibrant flames of purple, lavender, salmon, and red that blazed up from the golden orb as it plunged into its own reflection on the watery horizon.

“It’s going to be very quiet around here now that the Lewis family left,” Basil said from nearby. Cleaning the tabletops with a damp towel, he continued, “Your friend left on that yacht this morning, didn’t she, miss? And those honeymooners, the Drakes, are on an overnight tour. You’ll be the only guest for dinner at the Longhouse tonight.”

“The staff will be working,” said Caitlin. “I won’t be the only living human on the island.”

Basil grinned and said jokingly, “Well, speaking of humans who aren’t so alive, those pirate ghosts could get to sneaking around later. There’s going to be a full moon again tonight.”

Caitlin laughed. “I’ll have something to look forward to, then. Where do you suppose the pirates will be gathering? I’d like to ask Blackbeard a few questions.”

“Actually Blackbeard wasn’t seen much in this area.”

“I was only joking. I just mentioned him because he was supposed to have been the worst type of pirate—outrageously cruel, clever, and flamboyant. He even put lit matches in his hair to appear more fierce. I’ve always wondered how he kept himself from catching on fire.”

“Maybe he did catch on fire. I know he came to some bad end—like most of them.”

Caitlin rose to leave. “Actually I think I like a more attractive image of the pirate, somebody like Errol Flynn or Burt Lancaster winning the admiration of the ladies and swashbuckling over the seas.”

“I’m afraid books and movies have romanticized the profession, miss. In truth, most pirates were—are—common thieves and sometimes murderers.”

“Are?” Caitlin asked. “There aren’t any pirates around nowadays, are there?”

“Yes, there most certainly are. Why do you think people keep guns on their boats? There aren’t many Spanish treasures left to steal, but there’s smuggling and other undercover activities.” Pausing in his cleaning task, Basil looked thoughtful. “In fact, I heard a story from some fishermen about a ship being sunk north of Harmony recently…they said it was attacked by a mysterious black sailing vessel.”

“A ship was attacked and sunk around here?” asked Caitlin with surprise. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Hurt? One of the ship’s crew was murdered.”

“Really?” Caitlin frowned, thinking about Babs on
Lady Liberty
.

“Oh, but I can see I’ve gone and frightened you. I wouldn’t worry, miss,” Basil said with a reassuring smile. “You have to remember it was only gossip I heard. Tales tend to become exaggerated as they travel from one fisherman to another, from one island to the next. And fishermen are notoriously superstitious, anyway. Someone may have had too much rum and seen ghosts for all we know. Besides, real pirates have no interest in pillaging resorts…and Mr. Moreau has security men posted in boats out on the water for protection.”

“Good. I’d hate to have to walk the plank,” she said with a smile before she went to freshen up for dinner.

A short time later Caitlin had to admit that she felt a little uncomfortable in the Caribbee Longhouse. As Basil had predicted, she was the only guest seated in the dining room. Picking at her shrimp and vegetable dish as she read a book, Caitlin wished she had Babs to talk to. It was eerie being alone for hours, and although the waitress was friendly, she didn’t seem to want to chat like Basil.

But Caitlin’s lonely mood was more likely the result of her disappointment over Bryce. In spite of trying to be nonchalant, she hadn’t been able to resist checking the pier for his arrival from time to time all day and evening. Sighing and pushing her plate away, she knew she had to face the disagreeable fact that he might never show up.

Pulling the plate back in a few seconds, however, she decided she was being much too negative. Bryce might still show up tomorrow. In the meantime she could enjoy herself by retiring early tonight to read. After taking a few last bites of her food Caitlin left the Longhouse for the bungalow.

On the way down the path she walked slowly, gazing up appreciatively at the sparkling vault of stars overhead. A luminous moon had risen and was flooding the sea with silvery light. Intent on admiring it, Caitlin was startled when she opened the bungalow door. A lamp had been turned on, and a bottle of champagne had been left in an ice-filled wine cooler on the dresser.

What was this? As the island’s sole guest at the moment, was she being treated to special service? Looking around the room as she entered and finding herself alone, she examined the bottle and its attached note. A chill of apprehension swept through her as she read the words it contained.

My sweet dove,

You will be so happy I have returned early. To celebrate, I have sent you a special treat. I will be busy at my house until late, but then I plan to share the wine with you in the moonlight. As promised, I have brought you something lovely and special, my
cherie,
to flatter the pretty face I hope to kiss. I wait impatiently these few hours longer until we can be closely together.

Jean.

Now what was she going to do? Caitlin wondered, reading the note once again. Although she wasn’t afraid of Jean, she didn’t want an unpleasant confrontation with him. Why had he returned so soon? When she was all alone? She had no desire to fend off his amorous advances tonight, Caitlin thought as she refolded the note and thrust it into the pocket of her full-skirted dress.

Thinking rapidly, Caitlin settled on a hasty escape plan. There wouldn’t be an unpleasant encounter if she could help it. If Jean planned to meet her at the bungalow, she intentionally would be somewhere else. Why not go for that long walk and explore the other side of Hibiscus like she’d always wanted? After waiting hours for her, Jean would be discouraged from pursuing her further.

And tomorrow, Caitlin told herself, she wouldn’t be so alone. Surely Bryce or new guests would arrive.

So, all she had to do was stay away from her room until daylight. Leaving the bungalow hurriedly, walking in the opposite direction of the Beach Bar, Caitlin headed toward the sugarloaf hill. Would she have trouble finding some kind of path up its side? Would there be snake holes? At the moment, searching for paths in the dark and avoiding snakes seemed a lot less unpleasant than keeping Jean Moreau at bay.

Happily there was a trail up the side of the sugarloaf. As she made her way through the brush and fought for traction on the slippery, beaten earth, however, Caitlin wished she’d taken the time to change her clothes before she set out on the reckless journey. Her frilly white sundress, delicate shawl, and leather-soled sandals were hardly appropriate for an uphill hike in the dark. Startled when some small creature made rustling sounds in the undergrowth, she groped around and found a stout, dead branch to use as a weapon.

Although no danger appeared, Caitlin found that the club made a practical climbing aid.

A few minutes later, breathing hard, her skirt torn in one place, suffering from thorn scratches on her legs and arms, she reached the end of the uphill path as the moon slid out from behind some ragged clouds. Steadying herself against a large boulder, Caitlin rested and gazed down the opposite, even steeper incline. Far below she saw the sheen of water as moonbeams played on the waves of the ocean.

The cool white light revealed the clear outlines of the huge rocks that lined the shore. Taking in their jagged edges, Caitlin thought about the reefs Jean had mentioned, the barriers that made this side of Hibiscus dangerous for boats that approached too closely.

She looked farther out to sea, gasping when she saw a ship gliding through the waters—a fully rigged ship with black sails! Was it the ship Basil had told her about? Staring for several seconds, Caitlin tried to inch her way around the boulder for a better look but was so distracted that she almost fell as her foot slipped on loose gravel.

When she managed to look up again, the clouds had cloaked the moon and the ship was gone. If it had ever been there in the first place, she thought.

Could she have been imagining things? Had she conjured moonlight and shadows into a ghostly pirate ship? The vessel had seemed so surreal and spectral, moving dark and silent over the water.

Shivering as a cool breeze blew off the ocean, she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. Rustling sounds came from nearby in the underbrush. Clutching her stick, Caitlin left the boulder to search for a way down the other side of the hill. The slope facing the ocean had looked forbiddingly treacherous.

Shivering harder in the night air, Caitlin tried to buoy herself up by remembering the times she’d played adventure games with her brothers, Hugh and Jarvis. Camping out in Indiana state parks, they’d explored and roughhoused their way through many summers. Sometimes the play had actually gotten frightening, like the time she’d been lost in the woods for hours, then found her way out by keeping calm and retracing her own faint tracks.

That had been quite a feat, and Jarvis had told her she was the gutsiest girl alive. Caitlin remembered she’d been able to accomplish the task by pretending she was an extraordinarily capable heroine. She’d also known that her faithful companions in adventure— her brothers—would be looking for her and had felt reassured.

And why couldn’t she do the very same thing now? Caitlin thought, picturing herself as an intrepid explorer decked out in safari fatigues and a pith helmet. Caitlin the Explorer would find the path down. She had to admit that she wouldn’t mind having a companion, though. Instead of Hugh and Jarvis, however, it was Bryce’s image that invaded her mind. Caitlin grinned at the irony. If Bryce had shown up today, she wouldn’t be trying to escape Jean by climbing all over the island.

At least the humorous thoughts made her feel warmer, Caitlin mused as she searched the area. In a few minutes, scanning the hill from another angle, she could hardly believe her good fortune when she found a gentler incline and what seemed to be a rough trail.

Using her walking stick, she carefully felt for footing and eased herself down the slope.

She reached sea level in only a few minutes. Picking her way among sand and rocks, Caitlin stopped along the water’s edge and looked out to sea. Should she continue onward, around the perimeters of the island? Or should she sit down against a boulder and try to take a nap?

Whichever, Caitlin decided to find a wider, more hospitable stretch of beach and walked on. Upon rounding a huge outgrowth of rocks, however, she stopped short and gazed at an amazing sight. This time she knew her imagination wasn’t playing tricks on her. Instead of a ghostly sailing craft, a large cabin cruiser rocked gently in the water. A boat?