No Virgin Island (16 page)

Deirdre hesitated before closing the periwinkle gate, even before noticing the police van was back at Kelly and Liam’s house. They were off to town to talk to Neil Perry, who they’d called earlier that morning.

“Sam, do you think we ought to wait to make sure everything is okay with the kids before we go to Cruz Bay?” she asked, pulling her sun hat down lower on her head, not wanting to be exposed to the elements or inhabitants at the top of Fish Bay Road. The midday sun beat down, searing the seats of the jeep.

“No, sweetie. Let’s just get this over with. I think the kids are at school. I really do,” Sam said, leaning down to tuck into the jeep. He put the keys in the ignition and blasted the air conditioner to max. “Sorry, I should have come out and started this up before so you wouldn’t get so hot.”

She loved him for wanting her to be as comfortable as she could be when they went to talk to Neil about why they had come to St. John. She had been holding it all in for so
long that it would be a relief to finally share her story. But Deirdre felt a wave of hesitation, reminding her of that odd moment when she’d first gone into labor after nine eternal months of pregnancy. After waiting for and wanting the delivery to come, just as the first contractions began, she’d wondered, is this really such a good idea?

Sam had shared his confidence in Neil Perry, telling Deirdre he was a man who could be trusted. Oh, he was a bit of a rogue, to be sure, but he was also a man of integrity. Sam seemed certain. The Rankin case proved it. Deirdre trusted Sam, so she should trust Neil, she told herself.

Sam had to park in the lot at St. John Car Rental, the lot at Bar None being full. He took Deidre’s hand as they crossed the street and approached Bar None, which was fairly full after an afternoon shower.

Sam approached the bartender who had served them their first drink on the island the day they arrived and asked if Neil was there. Mitch wouldn’t comment until Sam told him why he wanted to talk to Neil. Sam explained he had information he thought would be helpful to Neil. Deirdre listened to the exchange, still feeling a sense of apprehension as if she were about to set off a chain of events over which she would have no control.

Neil came out of a corner booth, gesturing for Deirdre and Sam to enter.

“What can I do for you folks?” Neil asked, signaling to Deirdre this would be a short conversation. She noticed the booth was kind of a primitive office.

“Actually, we think we may be able to do something for you and your friends at Ten Villas,” she said, surprising herself and probably Sam by taking the lead.

“Really?” Neil said, pointing to the bench on the other side of the booth where they could sit. “Can I offer you something to drink?”

Both Sam and Deirdre settled for lemonade.

“We need to disclose some information about the man who was murdered at Villa Mascarpone. We may also share it with the police, but we hoped you might give us your guidance after hearing us out,” Sam said.

“So this isn’t about the Rankin case?” Neil said.

“No, you were clear about that, Neil. May I call you Neil?” Sam said.

“Yes. So what do you mean by guidance? I generally don’t give guidance anymore. I run a bar.” Neil said, folding his hands in front of him on the table.

“Not legal advice. We have a lawyer, a good one back in Massachusetts,” Deirdre said.

“We’re really looking for guidance about how to approach a sensitive situation. We wondered who we should contact in law enforcement, given the circumstances,” Sam said.

“And this is about Carter Johnson, right?” Neil asked.

“His real name is Joel Levin,” Deirdre said.

“How did you hear that?” Neil sat up erect and at attention.

“Because he was working for me. I hired him a couple of years ago after he retired from the FBI.” Deirdre emptied her glass of lemonade.

“He promised Deirdre he wouldn’t quit looking until he found them,” Sam said.

“Found who?”

Deirdre glanced at Sam, who nodded.

“Go ahead, honey. It’s okay to tell him.”

“My kids,” Deirdre said, choking up. “He found them here on St. John.”

“You have kids on St. John? I’m not sure I’m following you. Are you thinking the murder has something to do with finding your kids?”

“I don’t know. All I know is that Joel came down to St. John to document what was necessary to pull in the FBI. We were to wait at Villa Mascarpone until the FBI arrived to retrieve the kids and bring charges. Of course, that never happened, which is why we’re here,” Deirdre said.

Neil waited a few seconds, rubbing his hand over his stubbly chin, and then leaned forward.

“Your kids, they’re not Mara and Rory’s twins? Are you kidding me?” Neil said.

“They are not Mara and Rory’s twins, Neil. They are Robby Keegan’s—now Rory Eagan—and my kids, Neil. They are not twins. And, no, I am not kidding you.”

“How long have you been looking for your kids?”

“Thirteen years. Here’s the paperwork,” Deirdre said, sliding a thick file across the table.

Neil sifted through the papers. Deirdre noticed him placing official documents in a pile: her divorce decree,
the kids’ birth certificates, Robby’s old passport, the habeas corpus writ demanding he return the children to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that had never been served on him. Finally, he looked up at Deirdre.

“Well, Deirdre. Thirteen years is a long time to wait for what’s rightfully yours. Let’s get over to Lee Janquar and finish the job Joel Levin started.”

Mara got into the car and pounded her fists on the dashboard. Sabrina turned on the ignition, knowing they couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Janquar was taking Rory and Tanya to the police station where the “conversation” would continue. He had politely requested that Mara join them. The only good out of this latest development was that at least Sabrina wasn’t the one currently in the hot seat. Oh, but she felt for Mara.

“I cannot believe that Rory would stoop so low as to sneak a woman into the home he shares with his children. How long has this been going on?”

Sabrina knew there was little a friend could offer in the way of words. She knew her job was to listen. She was finally getting this friendship thing down.

“I am done, I am so done. I thought I could put up with him for the children through the next two years ’til they went to college, but no way can we put up with this,” Mara said. “He is such a pig.” She finally burst into sobs.

Sabrina was tempted to pull over to the side of the road but thought better of it when she remembered that Janquar and company would be coming along soon. She wouldn’t give Rory Eagan the satisfaction of seeing what he had done to the wife he didn’t deserve.

“Mara, I’m so sorry you’re going through this,” Sabrina said and suddenly realized that her problems weren’t necessarily as cataclysmic as she had thought.

“I feel like such a fool. I know everyone here on the island thinks I am the village idiot because I put up with him and his womanizing. I’m sure they think I tolerate him because I’m an unattractive woman who landed a stud of a husband. But they’re wrong, Sabrina, dead wrong, and not just about the stud thing. He had me trapped. He wouldn’t let me adopt the children so he would always have a hold on me. ‘Throw me out and you’ll never see those kids again.’ The miserable excuse for a father,” Mara said, shaking the hand with which she had given Rory a small dose of what he deserved.

“Does it hurt?” Sabrina asked.

Mara laughed. “Yes, but I feel better than I have in years. The pain in my hand might be worth it.”

They arrived at the police headquarters to find the same desk sergeant on duty. This time Sabrina took note of his name on his badge and greeted him properly.

“Good afternoon, Officer Milan. Detective Janquar asked Ms. Bennett to meet him here,” Sabrina said, giving Mara a little more time to collect herself.

“Yes, he called ahead. He asked if you would please have a seat and wait for him,” he said, pointing to a large waiting area with orange benches arranged in a square. A plastic table sat in the middle, with a copy of the
Tradewinds
, the weekly island newspaper, and a pot of plastic flowers on top.

Sabrina picked up the newspaper and handed it to Mara. “Here. If you have to sit in the same room with him, you can at least avoid looking at him from behind the newspaper.”

The door opened, letting a rush of warm air in, although Sabrina could hear it was raining. To her surprise, Deirdre Leonard entered followed by her husband and Neil, who pulled the door shut. Deirdre shook raindrops from her hair and walked over to the benches.

“Why, hello,” she said to Sabrina and Mara as if they’d run into each other at a doctor’s office. But Deirdre didn’t seem quite as self-assured as she had yesterday when she’d arrived at Villa Mascarpone.

“Hello,” Sabrina said, wondering exactly how much weirder one day could get. What were they doing here? Why was Neil with them? What was in the bulging file folder with the six-inch gusset wrapped with a cord, she wondered. Was this the “situation” that made him too busy to talk to her on the phone? Neil nodded to her as he walked over to the counter.

“Good afternoon,” Mara said, and then dove behind the
Tradewinds
.

Deirdre and Sam sat on a bench perpendicular to Mara and Sabrina.

Sabrina heard Neil tell the desk officer he was here to see Detective Janquar on important business relating to the death of Carter Johnson. He had information related to Carter Johnson’s death and he was handing it over to the cops without even cluing her in? Sabrina was outraged. What was going on here?

“Better take a number, Mr. Perry. Detective Janquar is expected shortly but there are other folks ahead of you,” Office Milan said politely.

Liam and Kelly sat next to each other on the ferry. While they attended the same school, their teachers had strongly advised against placing twins in the same classes, which they feared would breed too much competition, so they hadn’t had a chance to catch up until now.

Kelly knew Liam’s team had won the swim meet. She also knew he was dreading going home. They knew pretty much everything about each other. She had told Liam about her relationship with Seth long before she had told any of the girls at school.

“You can’t imagine how awful Dad was with Seth, Liam, and in front Mara and Henry and everyone else on the beach,” Kelly said, filling Liam in on the disastrous day he had missed.

“Wait ’til he finds out I’m gay. That day will top them all,” Liam said.

“Then don’t tell him. Wait ’til you’re at college to come out. He’s so mean about Henry. You can’t want him
talking about you like that,” Kelly said as the ferry hit a wave, causing her and Liam to grasp their backpacks.

“No. I am gay, Kelly. That’s who I am. I know that now. I’ve waded through the confusion. I’m going to tell Mara first and see what she suggests about telling Dad,” Liam said.

“Not tonight, Liam. Mara’s had a rough couple of days. Everyone is still all balled up about that guy getting killed. Maybe you should ask Henry about it when he picks us up. You’ll have time with him alone, because I’m going to surprise Seth and go to his apartment,” Kelly said, a big smile on her face.

“Does Mara know this?” Liam asked.

“Of course not, silly. But she’ll have to get used to the idea if I decide to move in with Seth, won’t she? I just can’t live at home with Dad anymore, Liam. I just can’t.”

“I know it’s bad, really I do. But you don’t know Seth well enough to move in with him.”

“I know him well enough to have sex with him, don’t I?”

Liam had been the one to persuade her to go to the clinic in St. Thomas and get birth control pills when she’d made it clear she wanted a “complete” relationship with Seth.

“He won’t even tell you exactly how old he is, Kelly. Come on, you know that’s not right.”

The ferry slowed down as Cruz Bay emerged from the distance. Kelly could see people at the dock. She hoped Henry would be distracted with picking up guests he had to take to a villa so she could slip away. She planned to
walk up to Seth’s apartment and spend a few hours with him before Mara or Henry caught up with her. Liam would cover for her. That’s what twins did for each other.

They got off the ferry, dodging the tourists heavily laden with luggage they wouldn’t need.

“I don’t see Henry, do you?” asked Liam, looking around at the vehicles squished into the tiny parking area.

“Nope. Time for me to go. Talk to Henry about how to break the news. He’ll know what to do,” Kelly said, pecking her brother’s cheek before ducking into the crowd.

Sabrina jolted upright when the door next to the counter where the desk officer sat opened. Leon Janquar poked his head through, opening the door for Rory Eagan to enter from behind him. Rory skulked in after scanning the room. Mara had landed him quite the shiner.

“Here you go, Mr. Eagan. I need you to sit over on the bench across from Mr. Perry. No need for you to be sitting near your wife,” Janquar said.

“Lee, I have some urgent news about the investigation,” Neil said, rising to move toward the detective, still clutching the oversized file.

“Neil, I’ll get to you as soon as I can, but like they say on TV, I’ve got breaking events here. Everybody behave for Officer Milan, and I’ll get to you as soon as I’m done talking to Tanya,” Janquar said, stepping back through the door.

“No, no, you don’t understand, Lee. You can’t leave these people all out here,” Neil said, but the door had shut. Neil looked over at the young officer at the desk, who simply shrugged.

Sabrina remained astounded. Why was Neil behaving so oddly? She was tempted to ask him to step outside for a word, but she couldn’t leave Mara alone now that Rory was in the waiting room. Mara was clenching and unclenching her right fist, which Sabrina could see was progressively swelling.

She saw Neil look over at Mara’s hand.

“I hope everything’s okay with you,” Neil said to Mara.

“I’ll get over it,” Mara said.

Sabrina noticed Sam Leonard clutching his wife’s hand. Why weren’t the happy vacationers at the beach instead of at the local police station holding hands like they were watching a scary movie? Deirdre was looking down at her sandals. No one was talking.

“You’ll be lucky if I don’t press charges against you and take out a restraining order,” Rory said from across the table between him and Mara.

Uh-oh, Sabrina thought, here we go. She saw Deirdre Leonard look up from the floor and gaze over at Rory. Deirdre’s nostrils flared as a red blotchiness covered her neck. The curse of being a redhead, Sabrina thought. Your skin gives you away.

“So someone beat me to it,” Deirdre said, her voice rising. She was on her feet, storming over toward Rory.

“Excuse me?” he said, noticing her move toward him.

“Deirdre, wait, please. Let Neil handle this,” Sam said, jumping out of his chair, taking Deirdre by the arm.

Neil stepped toward Deirdre. “Folks, let’s just—”

“You thought you would get away with it? How dare you take those kids from me! Who gave you the right to play God,
to change their identities, their lives? How could you do that to your own children—to
my
children?” Deirdre collapsed, sobbing into the arms of her husband who had rushed to her side.

“Dee?” Rory Eagan rose from his bench looking terrified at the woman who wept uncontrollably.

“Dee? Dee? Rory?” Mara leapt off the bench around the table and over to her husband.

“Rory?” Mara screamed this time.

The door opened as Lyla Banks entered.

“Mara, are you all right?” Lyla asked.

“No, not Rory, Robby,” Deirdre said, turning to Mara.

“Robby? Who’s Robby?” Mara asked Deirdre first, and then she turned to Rory. “Who the hell is Robby?”

“Robby Keegan, my former husband. The father of my children, Liam and Kelly Keegan. Not Liam and Kelly Eagan, and not your children, Mara. My children. Oh, how clever you were to change their last name so close to the one they were born to, Robby. Little kids, traumatized by the abrupt removal of their mother from their lives could be convinced of anything, couldn’t they, Robby?” Deirdre was no longer crying. Her voice had grown in strength and volume as Mara shrunk in horror.

“The car accident, the suicide?” Mara asked.

“All lies. He abducted them. It’s all here,” Sam said, pointing to the folder Neil still clutched.

“Neil?” Mara asked, looking desperate for a different answer.

“It’s true. There’s documentation here, which makes it seem irrefutable. I’m sorry, Mara,” Neil said.

“You son of a bitch,” Mara said to Rory. “How could you do this to those children, to her, to me?”

Neil stepped between Mara and Rory, who was huddled over in a corner, with his back turned to the lynch mob. Then Rory rushed to the counter.

“I demand police protection from these insane women,” he said.

Neil stood behind Rory. Sabrina knew he was making certain the women he wronged didn’t attack him as he insisted the desk officer get Janquar. Now Sabrina understood why Neil was acting so strange. The Leonards had obviously asked him to act as their liaison with local law enforcement. Once Neil heard their plight, he had to have agonized over how this would affect people he knew and cared for on St. John. Oh, what a mess.

“Mr. Eagan, you heard Detective Janquar. Have a seat and be patient. No one is going to hurt you in a police station, sir,” Office Milan said in a tone that Sabrina understood meant “Don’t mess with me.” Sabrina wished she were as confident as Officer Milan seemed to be that one or both of the two women Rory Eagan had betrayed wouldn’t add to the injury Mara had already inflicted. Even though he deserved it, Sabrina knew it would only make things worse. But then again, she didn’t think things really could get worse.

That was, until Lyla Banks stepped around Neil and up to the counter and said, “Officer, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to report a stolen gun.”