Peggy Dulle - Liza Wilcox 03 - Secrets at Sea (30 page)

Carmelita smiled and patted his brawny arm. “Smart, brave, strong, and can defuse a bomb before it explodes. He’s the perfect man.”

Rod blushed again.

I laughed.

The waiter brought our drinks and we settled back to enjoy the sun and the canned Mexican music that exuded from speakers placed strategically around the deck, so that the music could be heard everywhere.

An hour later, Dorian arrived and sat in the lounge chair next to me.

Carmelita smiled. “Great, you’re here to watch Liza. I’m starving, so Rod and I are going to get something to eat.”

“What about you, Liza? Are you hungry?” Dorian asked.

“No, we had a late breakfast. I’m okay.”

“Great, we’ll be back.” Rod and Carmelita left.

I felt totally safe with Dorian watching over me. He was an ex-Navy Seal, after all.

Dorian picked up my hand and smiled. “Did you give the bulldog his ring back?”

“No.” I pulled the box from my beach bag, took out the ring and slipped it back on. “Remember, it’s too big. I’m afraid I’m going to lose it.”

“Too bad,” he said. “I was hoping you changed your mind.” He leaned back against the lounge chair.

Tom’s cell phone rang. I rummaged through my beach bag and found it. It was Justin.

“Hey, Teach.”

“How’s it going, Justin?” I asked.

“Great. I’ve got some more info for you.”

“Okay,” I glanced at Dorian. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and steady. He must be sleeping. “Let’s hear it.”

“I was finally able to track that email you got.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it skipped through a hundred different places but finally I traced the source. It came out of Cartena, Texas. Isn’t that where you were born?”

“Yes, it is.”

“That’s weird,” he said.

Could the email have been from my dad? That wasn’t possible and I didn’t want to think about it, so I changed the subject. “How are you coming along with the Fed tech?”

“He’s cool. His name is Aaron and we’ve been chatting back and forth quite a lot.”

“Anything new on the website?”

“It’s really a chat site for criminals. You can buy, sell, rent, order, and employ just about anything or anyone you can imagine.”

“Can you research into the history of an employee or employer?”

“Sure, I think so. What are you thinking?”

“Can you get on right now?”

“Yes, give me a minute.” I heard him type away. Then he said, “Okay, I’m in.”

“Can you find Adam’s and my dad’s original contract?”

“Probably, give me a minute.” More typing. “Sure, here they are.”

“Okay, can you see which employee picked them up?”

“The employee resumes are on a different screen but they should have a way to link one to the other. If I were looking for a killer, I’d want to know what he was working on and if he accomplished his assignment.”

“It sounds like we’re talking about a gardener instead of a killer,” I told him.

He laughed. “A job’s a job, I guess. Okay, I’ve got it.” He paused a long moment. Then, “That’s weird.”

“What?”

“Actually, two people picked up the contract on the same day and they’re both taking credit for both kills.”

I glanced over at Dorian, still asleep. “Well, that makes sense in Adam’s case. He actually had two different poisons in his body.”

“Oh, well then, what about your parents?”

“As far as I know, they were killed in the plane crash.”

“Well, let me look again at the two resumes.” More typing. “Wow, look at this. This is really weird and cool. How’d I miss this the first time? I never looked at the two resumes side by side. Wow!”

“Justin?” I said, interrupted his barrage of excitement. “I can’t see what you see.”

“Oh, sorry, Teach. When I pulled up the two resumes and put them side by side, I found a lot of similarities.”

“Explain what you mean.”

“Okay, up until four years ago, these people did totally different jobs, different states, countries, everything. Then they both picked up the contract on Adam and your dad. They both took credit for the kill and since then their resumes are identical. They pick up the same jobs and complete them.”

“They’re doing them together?”

“Yes.”

“They’ve become partners.”

“Yes, I better call Aaron. We never saw this before. They shouldn’t be looking for one guy, they should be looking for two.”

“Give them a call. I’ll talk to you later.”

I closed the phone and put it back into my beach bag. The photograph was still on the bottom, so I picked it up. There were so many dead people from one picture. Other than the four crewmen, there were only three left – Dorian, Carmelita, Emily and Carl. Should we have contacted him? I didn’t know his last name but Carmelita should. I stared at his picture. He was only a few inches taller than me, relatively short for a man, since I was barely five feet tall myself. I didn’t know much about him except he had a gambling problem.

I heard Dorian stir next to me and glanced at him. He really was a gorgeous man, I thought. He was dressed in tailored tan shorts and a black collared shirt. His wavy hair was perfect and he wasn’t sweating, even though it had to be at least ninety degrees out here in the sun.

“Stop watching me, Liza. You’re making the temperature in my body elevate.”

“I was not watching you,” I said.

He opened his eyes and smiled. “Yes, you were. How’s Justin?”

My eyes widened. “Ah…,” I stuttered.

He smiled. “I wasn’t sleeping, Liza. What kind of bodyguard would I be if I slept instead of watching after you?”

I quickly mentally played Justin and my conversation in my head. How much had Dorian actually heard?

“Stop thinking, Liza.” He grinned. “Do you know your eyes dart back and forth when you’re thinking?”

I glared at him. Is that how Tom always knows when I’m going to lie to him? Was it my “tell” like a gambler who’s going to bluff?

“Anyway, I think a couple that’s killing is a romantic notion.”

“A couple?” I hadn’t considered that possibility.

“You said they were partners. It would be almost impossible for two men to kill together, too much ego. But a couple, they could do it. They’d complement each other’s skills rather than constantly argue over who was the better assassin.”

He had a point. “Maybe.”

“I’m getting hungry. Would you walk with me so I can get something to eat?” Dorian slid his legs off the lounge.

“I’ll just wait here for Rod and Carmelita.”

“No, I suspect they won’t be back for quite a while. Carmelita prefers room service or the Supper Club. And I’m sure one thing leads to another in their room.”

“Then I’ll just wait here. I’m fine.”

“No, I don’t want your bulldog mad at me.”

“You’re an ex-Navy Seal; I think you can handle Tom.”

“Not when it comes to you, my dear.” He extended his hand.

I rolled my eyes. “Really, I’m fine.”

“I haven’t had anything to eat since early this morning. Emily and I had breakfast on the pool deck around six.”

“Wait!” I jumped up. “You had breakfast with Emily?”

Chapter 34

“Yes,” Dorian said.

“But she and Jack got sick in Mazatlan. They didn’t get back on the boat.”

“She told me. Jack insisted on eating a burrito off a cart in town. She only had a small bite, so she was only a little sick, but when Jack grew much worse, they went to a clinic in Mazatlan where they were given something to settle their stomachs. But it took so long, they missed the ship. They took a charter boat and barely caught up with us in Cabo.”

I grabbed my beach bag. “I want to go see her.”

Dorian looked at his watch. “She had a massage scheduled at eleven. It’s twelve now, so she’s probably just leaving the spa.”

“Then that’s where I’m going.”

“I’m starving, Liza.”

“You’re whining, Dorian.” He frowned, but I continued, “How about this? Walk me to Jack and Emily’s room. I’ll sit with Jack until Emily gets back. Tom should be done by twelve-thirty and I told him to meet me at our room. It’s only three doors down from Emily and Jack. I’ll be perfectly safe.”

“Tom’s going to be there in,” he glanced at his watch again, “twenty minutes?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll stay in Jack and Emily’s room.”

“Of course.” I started walking.

Dorian followed. Okay, most of that hadn’t been exactly the truth. I had no idea when Tom was finished with his practice and we hadn’t made plans to meet in our room. But I was very tired of being watched over. And I’d be perfectly safe in Jack and Emily’s cabin.

When we got to their room, I knocked and Emily opened it. She was dressed in a bright blue sundress. I could see Jack lounging on his bed, covered with a blanket. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping.

I walked in, threw my arms around her and hugged her.

She smiled. “I’m glad to see you too, Liza.”

“Okay, you stay put and I’ll go and get something to eat,” Dorian said.

I waved. “Bye, Dorian.”

Emily closed the door. “Dorian’s following you around.”

“And I never thought I hear myself say this, but it’s a bit aggravating and he whines.” I gave her a wry smile.

Emily laughed.

“But hey, he’s my bodyguard for a moment, while Tom rehearses for the karaoke show.”

“Hey, what’s all the noise about?” Jack asked.

“It looks like you and I are guarding Liza while Dorian goes to find food,” Emily explained as we walked over to Jack’s bed.

“Guarding Liza? From what?” Jack asked, sitting up and looking serious.

I came over and sat on his bed and told them everything, from the first day at the Nordic Inn all the way to the bomb on the catamaran and how I suspected a couple who were the assassins. As I talked my eyes kept going to a pile of chips on the nightstand and my mind wandered. I broke off my story and looked at Jack. He sure liked to play blackjack.

“Oh my,” Emily placed her hand on her cheek and glanced at Jack.

“So you need to be careful, too,” I told them. “I’m so glad you guys are all right.”

“Nothing a case of Pepto-Bismol won’t help,” Emily said.

We all laughed. Then it all came together - a man with a gambling problem, two people on the same cruise five years ago when Adam and my parents were killed, no report from any hospital about their illnesses, and a couple who killed together.

It was time to get out of the room.

I stood up. “Well, I’m glad you guys are safe. I left Tom in our room and promised to come right back.”

Emily moved over and blocked the door. “Damn, you’re a very smart woman, Liza.”

“What?” I asked, as anxiety settled in my stomach and threatened to work its way up my esophagus.

“Go sit back down on the bed,” She commanded.

“Emily, I told Tom I’d be right back. He’s waiting for me.” My clenched my fists to stop the trembling in my hands.

She pulled a gun from the waistband of her shorts and pointed it at me. “Go sit down, Liza.”

Tom’s cell phone rang in my beach bag.

Emily shook her head. “Let it go to voice mail.”

I sat on the bed.

“Where’s the picture, Liza?” Jack said.

“What picture?” Liza asked.

“The group shot your mother took,” Emily added, pointing the gun at my head.

“It’s in my beach bag.”

Emily rummaged through my bag. First she pulled out the phone and turned it off and then brought out the picture.

I turned to Jack. “So is your real name Carl or Jack?”

Emily gazed at the photo and smiled. “Honey, you’ve sure toned up since this picture was taken.”

He grumbled, holding his abdomen with both hands. “But now I’ve got a hole in my stomach where some butcher in Mexico dug a bullet out. I’ll be lucky if I don’t get an infection.”

“You’ll be fine, dear. We’ll get you home to our own doctors and they’ll fix you right up.” She leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead. “That Fed got the worst of it, dear. He’s in a morgue somewhere and you’ll live to kill again.”

“So you two are the original killers assigned to kill Adam and my parents?”

“Yes, it’s business, Liza. It’s nothing personal.”

“It is to the victims’ families.”

“That’s not my concern.” She held up the picture. “But this is. The group photo shows Jack and me together. Your mother and her damn copies.”

“It wasn’t her fault, Em. We didn’t even know each other at the time.”

“Yes, but this is the only picture of us.”

“My mom and dad were a contract you picked up, but you killed all the people in the cruising group just to get this picture.”

“No, we killed them because they’d met us and might put it together. After their deaths, this picture wouldn’t have meant anything to anyone.”

“Except me?”

“Yes, you kept digging.” She waved the gun at me. “We tried to warn you off. We tried to get the picture and leave.”

“But you wouldn’t let go.” Jack shook his head.

“Now what?” I asked. “Another accident or poisoning? You certainly can’t shoot me. That’s going to be heard by someone.”

Emily reached into her pocket and brought out a cylinder. She screwed it onto the gun’s barrel.

“Em, let’s think about this.” Jack held his side and sat up.

“Oh, let’s just shoot her and throw her off the balcony. By the time someone figures out she’s missing, we’ll be long gone from the spot.”

“No,” he said. “Think it through. Remember, they’ve got cameras all over this ship’s exterior. Someone would see us throwing her off our balcony.”

“Then we go to her room. If anyone sees her, they’ll think she jumped.”

“Better plan. And if the cop’s there, take care of him, too, Em,” Jack said. “I need a nap.”

“You’re the best.” She blew him a kiss from across the room.

“No, I’m just the brains behind your skills.” He winked at her.

Their obvious affection for each other would be touching in any other situation. “Do I have a say in this?” I said, but my voice came out as a squeak.

“No,” they said in unison.

“Not a problem.” She blew out a breath and grabbed my arm. “Let’s go, Liza.”

Emily opened the door and checked the hall. She put the gun into my back and her other hand under my elbow. “Take it slow and easy, Liza. You don’t want me to have to kill anyone else because you got reckless.”

I took a deep breath and stepped into the corridor. My pulse raced and my legs trembled with each step, but the only thing I could think about was, let Tom not be in the room.

We walked by Carmelita’s room, then down to ours. Emily used my Navigator card to open the door.

When we stepped inside, Enrique came out of the bathroom. I gasped. Not another innocent victim.

He smiled. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Miss. I’ll be done in just a minute.”

“That’s okay,” I said. “We’ll take a walk while you finish up.”

I walked backward, taking Emily with me.

“Fine,” she said under her breath. “I know the best spot.” She slid the gun into her waistband and pulled her shirt over it. “Let’s go, Liza.”

On a ship with over three thousand people, it’s amazing how many you don’t see when you wish you could. We walked all the way down the long corridor without encountering anyone, and then took an empty elevator up two floors. We walked outside on the deck toward the bow.

Emily used a card to get us through a door and onto the most forward part of the ship. “This is for employees only and they’re all working.”

The place was deserted. Lounge chairs were stacked against the railing near a small Jacuzzi tub.

Emily giggled. “This is like the scene from Titanic. But instead of just standing at the front and stretching out your arms, you’re going over.”

She pulled out the gun and pushed me toward the railing.

A million thoughts circled through my head - my parents, Tom, Jordan, Justin, and Shelby. Who was going to take care of Shelby? Would Tom take her?

She leaned in toward me. “I told you to ride that stallion. And now the opportunity is gone.”

“Dorian knew you were Desiree,” I told her.

“No. That’s not possible. We only had one night together.”

“Dorian remembers every girl,” I reached up and scratched my head. “Let’s see what did he say? Oh yes, I remember, ‘She was very physical, quite exhausting, although a bit of a screamer.’”

“I am not!” she said.

I shrugged. “That’s what he said.”

She scowled. “I’m going to kill him next!”

“That wouldn’t be very nice,” Dorian stepped through the gate and onto the deck with us.

Emily got behind me, tightly wrapped her arm around my neck and pointed the gun at him.

“What the hell are you doing here, Dorian?” I chocked out.

When I tried to squirm out of her hold, she pulled her arm tighter and whispered in my ear, “Hold still, Liza or I’ll crush your larynx before I throw you overboard.”

“I’m rescuing you, of course.” A slow smile slid across his face as he walked toward Emily. “Em, you don’t want to do that.”

The use of the name that Jack used threw her a bit.

Dorian kept coming, his voice smooth and silky. “Come on, Em. Let’s leave her here and go back to my room.”

Emily pushed the gun into my temple. “No, she dies and then you do.”

“Em,” Dorian said.

She swung the gun and her attention back to him.

“Come on, love. Just you and me and some cheesecake with raspberry syrup. Isn’t that right?”

“Oh,” she moaned and dropped the arm that was crushing my throat.

He held out his hand. “Come to me, Em.”

I stepped back as she took a step toward him.

Next to the railing was a fire extinguisher. I slid down, unhooked it and swung it toward her head. I heard a crack and she went flying, right into his arms.

Dorian caught her as Tom, Rod and several crew members ran through the gate.

Tom helped the crewmen stand Emily, over his shoulder he shouted, “Liza, are you okay?”

I collapsed onto the deck, but muttered, “I’m fine.”

The crewmen cuffed Emily.

Dorian came over, extended his hand and helped me stand. “You didn’t have to hit her. I could have taken her if she’d stepped another foot closer.”

“No, as she walked toward you, she flipped the safety off the gun.”

Dorian’s eyebrows went up.

“Cheesecake with raspberry sauce, huh?”

He smiled. “Every woman has her favorite dessert.”

I laughed and he joined me. Tom and Rod looked totally confused at this banter. I turned to Tom.

“How’d you know?” I asked.

“Justin tried to call me and when at first he got my voicemail and then my phone had been turned off, he got worried. He called the ship and had me paged. He wanted to tell me that Jack and Emily Stillman didn’t exist. I paged Dorian, since sometimes you don’t bother to answer your pages. He told me you’d gone to Jack and Emily’s room.”

“Where’s Jack?” I asked.

“We went to their room first, opened it with help from the ship’s security officers. He’s in custody, too.”

I took Tom’s arm. “Let’s have room service for lunch and dinner, watch you perform in the show, and then get off this ship as early as we can tomorrow.”

“All great ideas!”

And that’s what we did.

Tom did a fine Frank Sinatra in the show. Dorian, Carmelita, Rod and I hooted and hollered for him. Several people came up to him and told him what a wonderful voice he had. It was going to take me months to deflate his head and get him off the cloud he was walking on. And best yet, the victims’ got justice and their families’ closure, including me.