"Did they go in there?" Leila inclined her head in the direction of the restaurant near the end of the road. They were standing next to a sign marking the entrance. The building was visible through the trees, on the other side of the parking area.
"No," Ashley said. "When they got to within a couple of hundred yards of where we're standing, someone stepped out of the woods and waved to them. I didn't get a good look at whoever it was, but they went on into the trees, right over there." She pointed to an ill-defined path.
"Where does it go?" Leila asked.
"It skirts along the base of the cliff. I followed them in there for a little way, but I came back out. There are too many breaks in the foliage after you get past the restaurant; there's not enough cover to follow without being seen."
"Any idea where it leads?"
"Yeah. I heard people working in the restaurant and went in and asked them. It peters out after a few hundred yards and turns into a climb up the cliff face. They said it's a goat trail, not safe for people."
"So, is the restaurant open?" Leila asked. "Think we could hang out here for a while and see if they come back?"
"Yeah, it's actually a perfect spot. Once you go in, there's a patio that opens up on the other side where the tables are. There's a great view of the cliff face in one direction, and the main harbor in the other. The people were really nice. They said we're welcome to take a table and relax. The kitchen's not open for another hour, but I asked them to make us a pot of coffee. They said it's not busy, and we can spend the day enjoying the view if we'd like to. They said it's a great spot for watching birds on the cliff. Popular with nature photographers."
"Let's do it, at least for a while," Leila said.
"Yeah," Ashley said. "While I was talking with them, I could catch a glimpse of the Everetts through the leaves every so often. If what I was seeing is the rest of the trail, they should come out in the open before too long."
"Great," Leila said. "Lead on."
"You going to call Ed and Bert? They could join us for lunch or something."
"No. To hell with them. Let 'em eat sardines and crackers. Assholes."
"I won't ask," Ashley said.
"Wise of you. No need in both of us being pissed off."
"Aquila's there," Dani said, as she tied the dinghy to Vengeance and climbed aboard. "The two men were lounging in the cockpit, but the dinghy's missing. No sign of the women, but I guess one of them could have been below."
"Or they may have both gotten ashore without us realizing they were here," Liz said. "Marie called. She said they noticed Aquila leaving around nine o'clock last night."
"Why the delay in telling us?" Dani asked.
"There was a new boat that anchored between them and Aquila. They didn't realize the boat that left was Aquila until this morning, when there was enough light to make out what happened. Last night, they thought it was a different boat that got under way."
"I don't suppose it matters," Dani said. "We wouldn't have done anything differently if we'd known."
"That's what I told her," Liz said, "but she didn't agree. She pointed out that this left Aquila able to spy on us without our knowing they were in the neighborhood. She thought we should warn Rick and Shellie, once I told her what they were doing."
"What do you think about that?" Dani asked.
"I don't know," Liz said. "It might just worry them; what would they do about it?"
"That's so, but if we don't, and something happens … "
"You're right," Liz said. "I'll call them right now."
"While you do that, I'm going to make a quick run by the town dinghy dock and see if there's an Econo Charters dinghy there."
"Why?" Liz said.
"I'll tell you when I get back." Dani dropped back into their dinghy and roared away.
Liz called Rick and told him what they had discovered. By the time she'd explained everything to him and gotten a report on their excursion so far, Dani was back. She tied their dinghy and climbed aboard.
"Well?" Liz asked.
"It was there."
"How do you know there's not another Econo Charter boat here?"
"It had Aquila painted on it," Dani said. "And it's losing air. It'll be sunk in a few minutes."
"Do you think they hit something sharp?"
"Yes, my rigging knife," Dani said, grinning.
"Why did you do that?"
"Because they weren't around. Nobody was."
"Because they weren't around? I don't get — "
"For me to punch out. I owe them some pain and suffering for knocking me out in Grenada. Sinking their dinghy seemed like the least I could do to even the score. Besides, it'll slow them down, whatever they're up to."
Liz shook her head and chuckled. "But they'll just think they hit something."
"Yes, but we'll know they didn't, and that's what matters. Did you call Rick and Shellie?"
"Yes. Rick was pretty excited. I had trouble getting a word in. They're climbing the cliff face; he said he could see Vengeance over his left shoulder. I'm supposed to look for them with the binoculars."
"The cave's up there?" Dani asked, staring at the exposed rock face on Petit Piton's northwest side.
"He said it wasn't all that high up," Liz said. "They're working their way across a series of ledges, maybe 75 to 100 feet up. Mostly it's going sideways, he said." She scanned the cliff face with the binoculars. "I see them. They're almost to that crevice I was telling you about. Here." She passed Dani the binoculars.
"I see them," Dani said. "Gerald just disappeared into the crevice."
"I'll bet that's the entrance to the cave," Liz said. "I meant to tell you earlier, but I forgot in all the excitement."
"Tell me what?"
"Rick had printed out that sketch map, remember?"
"Yes. What about it?"
"It hit me when I was sketching. That crevice is shown on the sketch map, running down the side of the mountain that would be Petit Piton. And there's a line that could be that ledge they were traversing. It intersects with the crevice, and there's a crude circle around the intersection."
"You're serious?"
"I am."
"We all missed that, then," Dani said.
"It would have probably come to us eventually. But I'll bet anything they're going to find the cave in there."
"Thanks to that crazy Gerald," Dani said.
"Well, there's nothing wrong with a little good luck, is there?"
"I don't know," Dani said, "but I'm glad I'm here on Vengeance instead of with them in some cave. Got any snacks? All that exercise they're getting is giving me an appetite."
28
"Hey, Bert," Ed said.
"Yeah?"
"Let's head into town and see what's going on with Leila and Ashley."
"I thought you just called them."
"I did. They're set up in a restaurant. They watched the Everetts scale a cliff with some Rastaman. Said they disappeared into a crevice; it might be the cave. I think we should join them. See what we can see. It's getting late; the Everetts will probably be coming back down soon. Maybe we can see if they're carrying anything."
"What about keeping an eye on their boat?" Bert asked. "Shouldn't we do that, in case they come back a different way?"
"They can see Vengeance from the restaurant, too."
"All right. You gonna call a water taxi?"
"Already did. He said he'd be here in no time — here he is, now."
"Hello, Aquila," the water taxi operator said, as he came alongside.
"Give me just a minute to lock up," Ed said, as Bert climbed down into the water taxi.
"No problem, mon," the operator said.
Ed, a backpack slung over his shoulder, joined Bert, and the water taxi sped away, rounding Petit Piton. In a few minutes, they were at the town dock in Soufrière. As the water taxi bumped against the dock, the operator said, "Whoee! Mon, somebody gon' have a bad day. That dinghy be sunk, if it not tied to the do
ck."
Ed looked at the shriveled rigid inflatable dinghy. The tubes were nearly flat, and the outboard engine was submerged, its weight pulling the back of the dinghy underwater.
"Shit!" he said. "That's ours. Now what the hell are we going to do?"
The water taxi operator tied his boat to the dock and rummaged in a small locker, coming up with a bellows pump. "Mebbe we jus' pump up. You unlock it an' pull it over here, okay?"
Ed did as the man suggested. When the dinghy was secured next to the water taxi, the operator reached down into the flooded dinghy and connected the hose from the pump to one of the valves.
"We pump up the back firs'," he said. "Get the engine out of the water."
"I don't understand," Ed said. "The back?"
"The dinghy have t'ree air chambers. One across the bow, one on each side. You can use it wit' the bow one flat, but you mus' have air in the sides." He set the pump on the seat of the water taxi and stood, one foot working the bellows pump. With every stroke, a cloud of bubbles rose from under the inflatable tube. He shook his head. "Got a big hole; not gon' hold air, mon. Somebody mus' take the dinghy out of the water an' patch him."
"Is there anybody around here that can do that?" Ed asked.
"Mebbe. We see how bad this one, firs'." The man had shifted the hose to the other aft inflation valve. He pumped a couple of strokes and shook his head as air bubbled to the surface again. He reached down into the water, running a hand along one of the inflatable tubes. He shook his head and sat up. "Hole mebbe foot long. Somebody cut this dinghy, mon. Mebbe not fix. Not easy, like the mon here can do. I t'ink mo betta you call the charter people. Mebbe they get you 'nother dinghy. You charter in Rodney Bay?"
"Grenada," Ed said.
"Mebbe they got a base in St. Lucia. Rodney Bay got some charter companies. Big dealer for inflatables, too. They might could fix. Marigot got some other ones. You call me any time you need to go somewhere. I give you my bes' special rate. I am Rupert." He offered Ed a business card.
"I already have one. You gave it to my friend earlier. But why would anybody do that to a dinghy?"
"Don' know, mon. Bad people. Mebbe upset wit' you 'bout something. Mebbe jus' plain evil." He shook his head. "You call when you ready. I be waitin', no problem, mon."
After Ed paid the water taxi, he and Bert climbed onto the dock. Ed watched as Rupert cast off and let his boat drift out into the harbor.
"What are we gonna do now?" Bert asked.
"Find Leila and Ashley," Ed said.
"What about calling the charter company?"
"Ashley's the one who signed the contract," Ed said. "She'll need to make the first call, anyway. We'll go from there. Come on. Leila said to follow the road along the waterfront toward Petit Piton. We'll see the sign when we get to the end of the road."
Dani put down her Kindle when her cellphone rang. Liz looked up from her sketch pad.
"Hello?" Dani said, answering the phone.
"Dani?"
"Rick?"
"Yes. Can you pick us up now?"
"Sure. Same place?"
"No. Shellie's twisted her ankle. She can't really walk; I'm half-carrying her. If you follow the road south from town along the water toward Petit Piton, it ends at the parking lot for a restaurant. Gerald says you can use their dock on the beach. We'll be there in a few minutes — on the dock."
"All right. I know that spot. I'll grab the first aid kit and — "
"No, that's okay. We've got it wrapped up well enough for right now. We just need to get her back to the boat."
"Okay. I'm on my way." She turned to Liz. "I'm — "
"I heard. Go ahead. I'll get an ice pack put together."
Dani nodded and got in the dinghy. She headed for the spot where the shoreline merged with the base of Petit Piton, and soon spotted Rick and Shellie. He had one arm around her waist and was waving with the other one as they hobbled out onto the rickety little pier. When Dani arrived, they were waiting at the end of the dock. She stopped the dinghy at their feet.
"Just hold it steady, Dani," Rick said. "I'll ease her down into it, okay?"
"Yes. Shellie, use me for support," Dani said. She was standing in the dinghy, bending over with her hands on the dock. "Pretend I'm a handrail."
"I'm okay now," Shellie said, after she got both feet in the dinghy, her hands gripping Dani's shirt.
"Sit down on that tube and I'll climb across to the other side," Rick said.
When he was settled, Dani asked, "Ready?"
"Ready," Shellie said.
Rick nodded, and Dani pushed the dinghy away from the dock.
"Hold on," she said, opening the throttle and heading across the harbor to Vengeance.
"What a klutz!" Shellie said, over the whine of the outboard. "I made the whole climb up and back and then tripped right at the end of the trail. Practically fell into the parking lot."
"How's the ankle?" Rick asked.
"Throbbing, but I don't think it's too serious."
"Liz has an ice pack ready for you," Dani said. "And we've got a pretty good medicine chest aboard if you need something for pain."
"I don't like heavy duty painkillers. Ibuprofen will do it for me."
"We have plenty of that, too," Dani said, throttling back and standing up to grab Vengeance's toe rail. "Think you can make it up the boarding ladder? If not, we can hoist you aboard — it's no big deal. Put you in the bosun's chair and up you go."
"It's only two steps," Shellie said. "Rick, you go up first, and I'll use my good leg on the ladder to heave myself up. You can catch me, so I don't have to put my weight on the bum ankle."
Dani held the dinghy and Rick went up, turning around to grab Shellie's hands as she mounted the ladder. Rick and Liz helped her back into the cockpit while Dani secured the dinghy. By the time Dani joined them in the cockpit, Shellie had removed her shoe and wrapped the ice bag around her ankle.
"How is it?" Dani asked.
"Better already, but I'm probably stuck on the boat for a few days, darn it."
"Keep it elevated and iced," Liz said. "We can get you back to Castries if you think you need x-rays."
"Oh, I'm sure it's just sprained," Shellie said. "I'm bummed. I wanted to go back with you guys tomorrow and see what's in that box."
"Box?" Liz asked. "So you found something?"
"Something, yes," Rick said.
"You don't sound as excited as when we spoke on the phone this morning," Liz said.
"Well, yes and no. It seems a little too easy," Rick said. "You can see the crevice in the cliff face." He turned and looked. "Maybe not, in this light. Anyway, there's a crevice — "
"We could see you going into it with the binoculars," Dani said.
"Oh, okay. Once you work your way in there, there's a small cavern that opens up to the left. It's maybe twenty feet across, and high enough to stand up in, barely. In the far back corner, there's a tunnel that you can squeeze through. It opens into a big chimney, I guess you'd call it. I'm not a spelunker. Anyway, it's a vertical shaft, maybe 10 feet in diameter, and it goes down to water, maybe 50 or 60 feet. We could lean over and see down all the way with our flashlights. At the bottom, there's a little shelf, like a rocky beach, maybe halfway across. But it was hard to tell. It looked like we might be seeing part of another cavern, like a room that extended off into the water. And there was a stash of stuff stacked on the rocky shelf."
"What kind of stuff?" Dani asked. "You mentioned a box, Shellie."
"There was a box, of some kind, and a jumble of odds and ends piled around it," Shellie said.
"A jumble?" Dani asked.
"Oh, it looked like maybe stuff had been stored in bags at one time, and the bags had rotted away. I don't know for sure. It was a little tough to make out," Rick said.
"Gerald climbed down there," Shellie said, "but Rick didn't want him to touch anything."
"So you didn't go down yourselves?" Dani asked.
"No way," Rick said. "
That guy, Gerald, I swear he's part spider. I could never get down that chimney. The walls are vertical, and sheer rock. Too far apart to wedge yourself between them, too."
"You were afraid he'd mess something up?" Liz asked. "Contaminate it or something?"
"Exactly," Rick said. "And then we found out he'd already been poking around down there, but there's nothing to be done about that."
"So he'd found this before?" Dani asked. "He knew it was there?"
"Yes, but I couldn't figure out how long he's known. It's tough to communicate with him, especially about abstract things like how much time has passed. He seems to speak some kind of patois, mostly."
"Every so often, there's a French word," Shellie said. "But they don't always fit the context. He's not too articulate in English."
"That patois would be Kwéyol," Dani said. "Or Creole, in the French islands."
"Could somebody translate for us?" Rick asked.
"Maybe, but it's tough," Dani said. "There are so many variations from island to island, and even place to place on a given island. You could probably get the gist of what he's saying, though, if we had a Kwéyol speaker with good English."
"I'm not so sure about him," Shellie said. "I think he might be on drugs, or hallucinating, or something."
Dani and Liz traded looks. "That crossed my mind the other night," Dani said. "It's hard to know, when there's a language barrier."
"Anyhow, I don't think he'd picked through the stuff," Rick said. "At least not much. The box looked intact from up where we were. When he came back up, he had these." Rick reached into his pocket and took out a short, circular string of beads. He handed them to Dani, who studied them for a few seconds and passed them to Liz.
"They look like ivory," Liz said.
"Old, and stained from handling," Dani added. "And with some kind of medallion that looks like it has Arabic script carved on it. Ivory, too, I think."
"They're prayer beads," Shellie said. "Thirty-three beads. Typical Misbaha. Sometimes, they're strung with three groups of 33, for 99 beads total. A Muslim would use them to count prayers, in a sequence of three. The first prayer was repeated 33 times, then the second, and then the third."
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