Bluewater Quest

by Charles Dougherty

  "That's interesting," Rick said. "Dani mentioned that, too."

  "Rick, are you watching the time?" Shellie asked. "I don't want to interrupt, but …"

  "Thanks, Shellie. No, I'd forgotten. I emailed a contact at the Musée Départemental d'Archéologie Précolombienne yesterday. I've got an invitation to drop in late this morning; I'm supposed to call if I can't make it. Is it doable?"

  "Sure," Phillip said. "Once traffic clears, it won't take long to get you there."

  "Is it a taxi ride?" Rick asked.

  "You can take my Jeep," Phillip said.

  "But I haven't a clue where I'm going," Rick said.

  Dani nudged Liz under the table.

  Liz said, "I'll drive you in. I can stop by the big grocery store on the way back and pick up a few things."

  "Can we go to the boat first?" Rick asked. "I need to get my presentation."

  "Sure," Dani said. "Liz can take you. I was planning on going with Sandrine to her office to handle our clearance paperwork. Is that okay, Sandrine?"

  "But of course," Sandrine said. "Or I can just — "

  "No, I'd like to come with you. I wanted to ask you about something."

  "Okay, then," Sandrine said. "We should go before I am late."

  "I'll catch up with you later, Liz," Dani said, as she and Sandrine excused themselves.

  "We should go, too," Liz said. "Will I see you when I get back from the store, Maureen?"

  "Yes. I'm going to sit right here and do some sketching. I think Sharktooth and Phillip were going to the marine supply place in Marin for something."

  "Great," Dani said. "Can I meet you there after I finish clearing in?"

  "That'll work," Phillip said. "We're going to need a dinghy, though, if Liz has the Jeep."

  "Take ours," Liz said. "I'll trade keys with you when I bring Rick and Shellie back from the boat in a few minutes."

  "Did you find what you were looking for?" Dani asked, meeting Sharktooth and Phillip as they were coming out of the marine supply store in Marin.

  "Fish hooks," Sharktooth said, brandishing a small bag.

  "What was on your mind?" Phillip asked. "You seemed to want to lose your guests."

  "Was I that obvious?"

  "Not to them, I'm sure," Phillip said. "But you wouldn't normally have insisted on going with Sandrine. She's handled your clearance without you before, plenty of times."

  "I had a favor to ask her," Dani said. "I'm pretty sure we're being followed, and I didn't want to discuss it where Rick and Shellie could hear."

  "You t'ink they up to something?" Sharktooth asked.

  "No, not really. Liz thinks I'm being paranoid, and I don't want to alarm them. I like them quite a lot."

  "They seem like nice folks," Phillip said. "You wanted Sandrine to set up a trigger in the customs system?"

  "Yes, that's it."

  "So you know who's following you?"

  "They're on a bareboat charter out of Grenada. I already have their names, even. Americans. The boat's a Beneteau 44 named Aquila, from Econo Charters."

  "How'd you get their names?" Sharktooth asked. "From the charter company?"

  "No. Mrs. Walker spotted them and called one of her friends in customs in Bequia."

  "Why do you think they're following you?" Phillip asked, as they walked toward the dingy dock at the big marina.

  "I haven't any idea."

  "Let me rephrase that," Phillip said. "What makes you think they're following you?"

  Dani told him what she had learned from Mrs. Walker. "I don't think there's much doubt," she said. "Liz tried to come up with innocent explanations, but they're pretty lame. You know what a Pollyanna she is. We'll know for sure if they show up here in the next few hours."

  "You came straight from Bequia, right?" Sharktooth asked.

  "Yes. It's one thing for us, but for a 44-footer, that's a serious push. Figure it would have taken them a few hours longer, at least. There's no reason for them to have passed up stopping in St. Lucia unless they're on our trail."

  "How would they know where you were headed?" Phillip asked.

  "There is that; that's why I decided to come straight to Martinique."

  "I thought your guests made that decision," Phillip said.

  "We talked them into it. I wanted to find out if these people are following us, for sure. If they show up here, can you ask Clarence to have somebody scan Vengeance for a tracking device?"

  "Sure," Phillip said. "Maybe we should do that anyway, even if they don't show up. They could still be tracking you from afar."

  "Thanks. I hadn't thought of that. Too bad Liz isn't here."

  "Why do you say that?" Sharktooth said.

  "She wouldn't think I'm paranoid at all compared to Phillip."

  "Paranoids have their reasons," Phillip said, grinning.

  "Yes, we do," Dani said. "It would be nice to get it done without our guests knowing."

  "You don't think they're the quarry, then?" Phillip asked.

  "I don't know. I wanted Liz to feel them out; see if Rick had any idea why somebody might be tailing him."

  "And?" Phillip asked.

  "She hasn't had an opportunity to do it unobtrusively, yet. Like I said, we didn't want to alarm them unnecessarily. If Aquila checks in today, then we'll know, so we'll pretty well have to tell them somebody's chasing us. Or them."

  As Dani squatted down to unlock the dinghy, she asked, "Does either of you know much about those electric lock picks?"

  "That's overkill for stealing dinghies," Phillip said. "It's easier just to cut the chain. They're only worthwhile for those high-security locks with the multifaceted dimpled keys, like the one we put on Vengeance."

  "That's why I'm asking. Before we left Grenada, somebody broke into her."

  "Using one of those automatic picks?"

  "Well, they didn't do any damage, and all our keys are accounted for. That locksmith you got for us last time we were here said the only way to pick it was with one of those."

  "Not just any one of those will even do it," Phillip said. "The ones that will open your lock are out-of-sight expensive. Did they steal anything?"

  "I interrupted them. They took a handheld VHF and a GPS."

  "Did you get a look at the thief?" Sharktooth asked.

  "No, I was a dumbass. Went down the companionway and got knocked cold from behind."

  "Think it's related to the people on Aquila?" Phillip asked.

  "I'm trying to keep an open mind, but it's hard not to think that."

  "It sure is," Phillip said. "Let's go back to the house, and I'll call Clarence and see if he's got somebody free this morning who can check out Vengeance."

  "Did you leave them at the museum?" Dani asked, when Liz joined them on Phillip's veranda.

  "Yes. I went in with them for a few minutes and met the curator. He has a full day mapped out for them. He's giving them a tour of the museum, and then he has them set up with whoever has the diary of that missionary priest Rick told us about."

  "When do you have to pick them up?" Dani asked.

  "I don't. They're going to have dinner with the curator and his wife. He'll bring them by here around ten p.m."

  "Great," Dani said.

  "Why 'great?'" Liz asked. "I thought you were enjoying their company."

  "I am, but we've got work to do."

  "What's that? What work?"

  "I'm not sure yet," Dani said. "Clarence sent Marie LaCroix out with a couple of techs to sweep Vengeance."

  "Sweep?" Liz frowned. "You mean for bugs?"

  "That, too," Dani said. "But mostly for a tracker."

  "So, Aquila's here?" Liz asked.

  "Not yet," Phillip said. "But they could still be tracking you."

  "I hadn't thought of that," Liz said.

  "Nor had I," Dani said. "Phillip pointed it out."

  "Hmm," Liz said. "Finding a tracker would just prove somebody is tracking us. It won't prove that it's Aquila."

  Dani rol
led her eyes, and Phillip laughed.

  "She's right," Sharktooth said. "Could be somebody else. You don' know for sure."

  "Did you talk to Sandrine about watching for them?" Liz asked.

  "Yes. She'll let us know. We're all going to meet her for lunch at the marina restaurant," Dani said.

  Liz glanced at her watch. "What time?"

  "Noon," Dani said.

  "I could use a cup of coffee," Liz said. "Anybody else?"

  "Yes," Phillip said.

  "Me, too," Sharktooth said.

  "I'll make a pot," Phillip said, standing up. "Want anything else?"

  "Coffee's fine for me," Dani said, as her phone rang. "Sandrine," she said, touching the screen. "Behave. You're on the speaker," she said, answering the call.

  "Who is listening?"

  "Just us," Phillip said. "No guests."

  "Maureen?"

  "Taking a walk," Sharktooth said. "She wanted to sketch some of the street scenes in Ste. Anne."

  "Okay. Aquila just cleared in at the internet café. The one in Ste. Anne," Sandrine said. "They listed their arrival time as eleven p.m. last night. The four people you told me about are aboard, Dani."

  "Do you know where Aquila is?" Dani asked.

  "Mouillage de Ste. Anne. That's all they put on the form."

  "Thanks," Dani said.

  "Are we still on for lunch?" Phillip asked.

  "Yes, for sure," Sandrine said. "Bye-bye. It is busy now. See you soon." She disconnected the call.

  "So," Liz said. "You were right, Dani."

  "We need to find them and keep an eye on them," Dani said.

  "Not a good idea. They know us by sight."

  "Right. I forgot that."

  "How?" Sharktooth asked. He saw their puzzled looks. "How do they know you by sight?"

  Liz told him and Phillip about spotting two of the people from Aquila watching them from shore while they were anchored at Petit Nevis.

  "I'll see if Clarence can arrange surveillance," Phillip said.

  "While you're talking to him, tell him to warn Marie that they may be watching Vengeance," Dani said. "It would be better if they didn't see her people aboard."

  "Roger that," Phillip said.

  18

  "Clarence thought I would find you here," Marie LaCroix said, as she walked up to the table where Phillip and Sandrine sat with Liz and Dani.

  "Join us," Dani said. "We haven't ordered yet; we just sat down."

  Marie pulled out a chair next to Dani and sat. "There is a satellite tracking device aboard Vengeance."

  "I knew it!" Dani said. "Did you remove it?"

  "No. Clarence and I decided not to. He called to warn me that we might be watched by these people who are following you. We put on a show of washing the decks and polishing the stainless steel to explain our presence. If you want, it is easy to remove, but we thought it might be better to leave it, depending on your plans."

  "I think you and Clarence made the right call," Dani said. "Where is it?"

  "On top of your life raft canister, under the canvas cover."

  "I'm surprised we didn't see a bulge, or something," Liz said.

  "It's not one of those cheap ones that all the yachts are using now," Marie said. "It's a type that I've only seen in the Middle East. Four millimeters thick, with the footprint of a cigarette package. It was developed in Israel, by my former employers."

  "What about battery life?" Phillip asked. "There can't be much room for a battery in a package that size."

  "It depends," Marie said. "But they are very efficient. It sleeps unless it is queried, so the battery lasts a long time."

  "Then somebody has to be close enough to query it," Dani said.

  Marie shook her head. "It is queried by satellite. The people tracking you could be anywhere. Or there could be multiple people with access."

  "Where would somebody get a device like that?" Liz asked. "Not something you order from the internet, I'm guessing."

  "I don't know," Marie said. "But you are right about the internet. It's not like the ones that are sold all over the place for a couple of hundred dollars. These are quite expensive, and not only that. They require that someone has the ability and the access to program a satellite network. Unlike the commercially available ones, they don't come with a ready-made webpage that you log into for location tracking."

  "What if we decide to disable it?" Dani asked. "How would we do that? It doesn't sound like there's an on-off switch."

  Marie smiled. "No. The only reliable way is to physically destroy it. Or fasten it to a rock and drop it in deep water. Moving it to a randomly chosen vessel is another option."

  "Did you find anything else?" Dani asked. "Bugs, video cameras?"

  "No. You're clean except for the tracker."

  "Were you able to spot Aquila?" Dani asked.

  "Yes. They are anchored about 200 meters to your northwest. When I last checked with my people, one couple was aboard and the others were walking around Ste. Anne."

  "So, they can see Vengeance?" Liz asked.

  "Except for other boats in the way, yes," Marie said. "For sure, they can see you coming and going in the dinghy, even if they may have some trouble seeing what you are doing while you're aboard."

  "Do you have time for this?" Phillip asked. "Clarence and I didn't discuss how long we might need surveillance."

  "It is no problem. I am between assignments. I am happy to have this project; my team can use the experience. Best to keep them busy, so their skills stay sharp. Besides, this is easy duty. We are using another white sailboat with blue canvas as our base. We're anchored between Vengeance and Aquila. We look like another bare-boat charter."

  "Let's order lunch," Sharktooth said, waving the waitress over.

  "One last thing, Marie," Dani said.

  "Yes?"

  "If they leave Aquila, let me know, please."

  Marie smiled. "Bien sûr. You are planning to visit, perhaps?"

  "Perhaps."

  "Let me know if you need help."

  "Thanks. I think Liz and I can handle it, but I'll call if we need you. I'd rather have you watching to warn us if they're coming back unexpectedly."

  "Did you see any sign of them in town?" Ed asked, as Bert and Leila tied up their dinghy alongside Aquila.

  "No, but we were mostly scouting to get a feel for the place. We weren't looking for them specifically," Bert said.

  "Why?" Leila asked. "Were they ashore?"

  "Yeah. They've been busy since they went ashore while we were eating breakfast," Ashley said.

  "Their dinghy was still tied up in the same place when Bert and I went ashore to clear in. What happened since then?"

  "Liz brought the Everetts back to the boat not long after you went ashore," Ed said. "They only stayed a few minutes, and then they went back into town. All three of them."

  "So Dani wasn't with them?" Leila asked.

  "That's right."

  "Wonder where she was?" Bert asked. "We pretty well covered the town. Looked in all the restaurants and shops and didn't see her."

  "I don't know," Ashley said. "Maybe ten minutes after the three of them tied up, two men walked down the dock and took the dinghy. A white man, average build, maybe mid-forties, and a gigantic black guy, bald on top with dreadlocks to his waist."

  "Could you see where they went?" Bert asked.

  "They took off in the direction of Cul-de-Sac Marin, toward the marina and all the shops," Ashley said. "They came back maybe 45 minutes later with Dani."

  "Back to the boat?" Leila asked.

  "No, back to the dock. The three of them walked into town. The dinghy's still there at the dock."

  "Yeah, we saw it," Leila said. "But we didn't know it had been moved. They must still be in town, somewhere."

  "That's our guess," Ed said. "It shouldn't be hard to spot the three of them. That black guy's hard to miss."

  "Sounds like it," Bert said. "We didn't see anybody like that, though."
>
  "What's in town, anyway?" Ashley asked. "The guidebook makes it sound kind of touristy."

  "It is," Leila said. "A couple of art galleries, lots of gift shops and restaurants. If it works out, there are some places we could try for dinner."

  "That depends on what they're up to," Ed said. "It would be good if we could find out who those two men are, and where the Everetts are. We haven't seen them since they were in the dinghy with Liz."

  "Nor have we seen Liz," Ashley said.

  "So nobody's been back to the boat since she stopped by with the Everetts?" Leila asked.

  "None of them," Ashley said. "There was a cleaning crew that went aboard mid-morning. They were — "

  "A cleaning crew?" Leila asked.

  "Yeah. Guess that's the way life is if you're running a million-dollar charter yacht. Two people. A man and a woman. They washed down the deck and polished all the metal," Ed said. "Then they took off, headed into Cul-de-Sac Marin."

  "So those two women must bring Vengeance in here often," Leila said. "Cleaning crew, and the two guys you saw with Dani. Think they're boyfriends of Dani and Liz, maybe?"

  "It didn't look like there was any romance there," Ashley said. "But they didn't look like they were strangers, either. I mean, the two guys took their dinghy; they must have had a key. Surely it was chained, and they went right to it — no looking around, trying to figure out which one they were supposed to take."

  "Who knows?" Ed asked.

  "I have an idea," Ashley said.

  "What?" Ed asked.

  "You and I should go in to town and see if we can spot any of them. We know they're there, and we know what the two men look like. Besides, I'd like to get off the boat and stretch my legs."

  "That sounds reasonable," Ed said.

  "Check out the restaurants," Leila said. "There are several where we could have dinner on a patio and keep an eye on the boats and the dinghy dock."

  "All right," Ed said. "Let's go, Ash."