by Mary Ellis
Izzy, who’d been watching the driveway from the window, marched to where he stood. ‘You tell me right now what he wants, Nathan Price. There will be no wife-swapping, bug-eating or being locked in a shark cage underwater!’
Nate shook his head. ‘You should stop watching all that reality TV, but don’t worry, it’s nothing like that. Mrs Baer said Frazier loves those mystery dinner theatres and he’s written his own skit. His employees will perform various roles for our benefit during dinner or maybe over the course of five days. I’m not sure about the timeframe. The Price team has to figure whodunnit in his murder mystery.’
Her mouth dropped open. ‘That’s it? I love those kinds of dramas. Our local high school sponsors them all the time, but you never want to go.’
‘As far as I know, that’s it. But no matter how lame his game is, we’d better play our parts well. I don’t want Frazier to think we’re unappreciative of his generosity.’ Nate cocked his head to listen to sounds outside. ‘Finally, the first of my agents is here. Let the games begin.’
Nate swept open the door to his cousin, Nicki, and her husband, Hunter Galen, a stockbroker from New Orleans.
‘Hey, boss, what’s up?’ Nicki waltzed into the room in a cloud of expensive perfume and headed straight to Isabelle. With her long auburn hair hanging in stylish curls down her back, this was a much different look from the day Nate had hired her right from PI school. ‘Hey, Izzy, who’s got your monster for the week?’ Nicki asked. ‘I practically had to pay my mother-in-law to take Evangeline-the-evil for that long. And Clotilde Galen has a staff of household help.’ As first-time mothers, they were both figuring things out by trial-and-error and a shelf full of baby books.
‘Sit here and tell me all about it.’ Izzy handed Nicki a glass of lemonade.
Nate met Hunter’s gaze. ‘Evangeline-the-evil?’ he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Hunter straightened his spine. ‘I have no idea to whom my beloved refers. My daughter is a perfect angel sent from heaven. I’m not aware of Evie committing a single misdeed.’ He turned away to hide his grin. ‘Say, Nate. You got anything stronger than lemonade to drink? It was a long drive to the Eastern Seaboard with my wife, your cousin.’
‘Follow me and we’ll find something,’ Nate said, heading toward the kitchen. ‘Nicki and Izzy will be comparing motherhood notes for a while.’
Forty-five minutes later, Beth and Michael Preston, presently running Nate’s Savannah office, knocked at the door.
‘It figures that people who live the closest would be last to arrive!’ he barked, feigning annoyance. ‘You two only live an hour and twenty minutes away.’
‘You mean Kate and Eric are already here?’ Beth slipped past him in the doorway. ‘That Kate will be late to her own funeral.’
‘No, but they have a good excuse. Eric can’t leave until his sister gets out of the hospital and can replace him in the restaurant. Kate still thinks they will join us, but she doesn’t know when.’
‘I sure hope so,’ said Beth. ‘If anybody needs a corporate retreat, it’s my protégée. Although I trained her, Kate doesn’t always go by the book.’ Laughing, she slapped her husband on the back.
‘How ya doin’, Michael?’ Nate asked, extending his hand. ‘Or maybe I should ask how’s married life with Beth?’ Although not as handy with a firearm as his wife, Michael was the agency’s forensic accountant. The guy could follow a money trail all the way back to Louis the Fifteenth of France. And since hiring a personal trainer, he could hold his own in hand-to-hand combat.
Michael shook Nate’s hand with gusto. ‘I’m great, and so is life with Beth. Her bark is so much worse than her bite. We’re both looking forward to the vacation. Thanks for the invite.’
‘You’re welcome. Why not pour yourself something to drink in the kitchen? Then you and Hunter can join us in here.’
Once Michael and Hunter returned with drinks and joined their wives, Nate cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. ‘As I told you in my email, I have a special surprise to announce once everyone arrived. You know Kate and Eric will meet us as soon as possible.’
‘What happened to Eric’s sister?’ Beth interrupted.
‘She got mugged in her church parking lot and suffered a minor concussion, besides cuts and scrapes. Eric wants to make sure she’s well enough to at least supervise the kitchen.’
‘A person can’t go anywhere these days and feel safe!’ muttered Nicki.
‘That’s why I keep my little friend very close.’ Beth patted her pant leg where a small Beretta was usually strapped to her ankle.
‘That will change once a toddler starts crawling all over you.’ Isabelle pointed a finger at Beth’s shin, while Nicki heartily agreed.
Nate’s focus rotated between his cousin and his wife. ‘Getting back to my surprise … this condo belongs to an old friend of mine, John Manderly, who’s in Europe for a couple weeks.’
‘Hip, hip, hooray for John,’ said Michael, lifting his can of beer.
‘Hip, hip, hooray,’ everyone chorused.
‘Yes, and as grateful as I am to him, I’ve been presented with an even better offer for our company retreat.’
Utter silence fell in the room. From the corner of his eye, Nate saw Izzy wringing her hands in her lap.
‘What kind of better opportunity?’ asked Nicki. Even as a child, she was always the most skeptical of the Price clan.
‘Have any of you heard of Elysian Island?’ Nate produced his most enthusiastic facial expression.
Nicki, Beth and Michael each shook their head no, as did his wife, even though Nate just told Izzy about the place thirty minutes ago.
‘I’ve heard of it.’ Hunter set his empty glass on the table. ‘Years ago the place was a playground for the rich and famous … or infamous, in some cases. Julian Frazier and his wife used to host celebrity weddings, swimsuit photoshoots, and wild parties that rivaled something from an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Lately, the only people invited to step onto his dock are serious poker players.’
Nate jumped to his feet. ‘Have you met Mr Frazier?’
Hunter chuckled with amusement. ‘No, my notoriety doesn’t extend beyond the Big Easy. And the only poker I play is for nickels with my grandmother. I heard this from one of my clients. He told me the buy-in at one of these poker games is half a million. Frazier sends his yacht to pick up invited guests at prearranged rendezvous times. Then no one can leave the island until Frazier decides the game is over.’
‘Are poker games even legal in the state of Georgia?’ asked Nicki.
Nate frowned. ‘I have no idea, but high-stakes poker, legal or otherwise, has nothing to do with us. Mr Frazier has graciously invited my agents and their spouses to his exclusive private island.’
‘How much will this cost you, boss?’ asked Beth.
‘Nothing. Now if you would stop interrupting, I will explain.’ Nate glared around the living room. Chastised, Beth shrank down in her chair. Nicki looked confused and Hunter amused. ‘Mr Frazier is a good friend of Mrs Baer, that woman from Atlanta who recommends our agency to everyone she meets. And her acquaintances have become some of our best clients.’
‘So Frazier wishes to hire your agency?’ Hunter placed both hands on his wife’s shoulders.
‘No, he’s offering us full use of his island in exchange for participating in one of those mystery plays. We must solve the crime that his staff will present during dinner.’
‘I love those kinds of parties,’ Beth exclaimed, forgetting her earlier admonishment.
‘And that’s it?’ asked Hunter. ‘That’s all Frazier wants from us?’
‘That’s it. Plus Mr Frazier said the first person to solve the mystery wins a prize.’
Nicki leaned forward on the couch. ‘Why can’t we just stay here? From what I’ve seen so far, St Simons Island looks adorable. This way, if Evangeline gets sick or falls on her head, we can jump in our car and drive back to Louisiana. I don’t like depending on someone el
se’s yacht to bring me back to dry land.’
Isabelle walked to Nate’s side and wrapped an arm around him. But instead of supporting his position, she sided with Nicki. ‘I said the same exact thing, Nic. How could we quickly get off an island in an emergency?’ Izzy fixed him with her green eyes.
‘Good grief. Doesn’t anybody see this as the chance of a lifetime? Along with all meals and drinks, Frazier offered us horseback riding, parasailing, deep-sea fishing, and paddleboards at no charge. We would have to shell out plenty for those activities on St Simons.’
Michael Preston lifted his hand. ‘I’m game, boss. Beth and I are still broke from our wedding.’
Beth slapped his upraised palm with a high-five. ‘If you’re going, I am going too.’
Nate reserved his best argument for last. ‘This condo is very nice and I’m grateful to John, but there are only three bedrooms and two bathrooms for four couples.’
Hunter stopped scrolling through his phone long enough to comment. ‘That won’t work if all women take as long as my wife in the bathroom. Besides, I found something that might change Nicki’s and Izzy’s mind. The Jacksonville airport has helicopters available twenty-four/seven. I could hire a pilot and helicopter if an emergency comes up. How does that sound?’ He kissed the top of Nicki’s head.
‘In that case, I’m in.’ Nicki smiled up at him. ‘I’ve always wanted to ride a horse along the beach.’
‘The agency will pick up the cost of the helicopter,’ Nate offered.
‘Absolutely not.’ Hunter slashed his hand through the air. ‘I’ve got this should the need arise.’
‘Thank you. That’s very generous.’ Isabelle visibly began to relax. ‘Do you think Kate and Eric will like the idea?’
Nate refilled his glass with lemonade from the pitcher. ‘I know they will. Since Eric’s from Charleston, he may have heard of Elysian Island. Plus, we’ll be back here for the last two nights of our vacation. So anyone who wants to go shopping will have a chance. By the way, there are no stores, restaurants or pharmacies on the island, so bring any meds and personal items with you.’ Nate waited until everyone nodded their understanding. ‘Does anyone have a food allergy that Frazier’s chef should be aware of?’ No one spoke. ‘In that case, I’ll call Mr Frazier and arrange for his yacht to pick us up later today. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable. Isabelle will set out a party tray and pizza in the kitchen for our lunch. Help yourself to anything in the fridge. We’re welcome to use John’s heated pool which is on the other side of those doors.’ He pointed in the general direction.
When everyone began talking at once, Nate walked outside to call their host in private. Once he’d confirmed the boat would pick them up at the village pier at five, Nate called Kate. When his newest agent didn’t pick up, he left a message as to where she should meet them and, finally, breathed a sigh of relief. Inside, his friends were already eating, drinking, and carrying on. So Nate went inside to make a sandwich too. After all, it should be smooth sailing from this point on.
But as fate would have it, Kate called him exactly at five o’clock, just as Frazier’s yacht approached the dock.
‘Any update, Weller?’ Nate asked.
‘Sorry, boss, we’re still in Charleston. Eric and I are cooking tonight at Bella Trattoria. Eric’s sister came home from the hospital and her husband is at her side, but Bernadette needs to rest today. It looks like the earliest we could get there would be Sunday evening. Should we just skip the retreat?’
Nate hesitated for a moment. ‘I’m going to put you on hold, Kate, and call our host. Don’t go anywhere.’ Five minutes later, he hung up with Frazier’s assistant and returned to Kate’s call. ‘Don’t give up yet. Try to get to St Simons Sunday night or Monday morning. I’m texting you the address and security code to the front door of the condo. Call me as soon as you reach St Simons. Mr Frazier will send a boat back to pick you up.’
‘Who’s Mr Frazier – the guy who owns the condo? And why do we need a boat? According to my map, there’s a causeway to the island.’
Nate spotted a well-dressed man waving impatiently on the gangway. ‘Plans have changed. The retreat will be on Elysian Island, owned by Mr Frazier. It’s off the coast of St Simons. I’ll explain more when I see you. Just remember to call me.’ As the boat’s captain gunned the engine, Nate hung up and climbed aboard.
Kate was a smart girl. She would figure things out.
‘I apologize for rushing you, Mr Price, but Mr Frazier is a stickler for schedules.’ The well-dressed man bowed low. ‘I’m Mr Compton, butler to Julian Frazier. We’ll arrive on Elysian in less than thirty minutes. In the meantime, please join the others in the salon for refreshments.’
Nate ducked his head and entered the boat’s main cabin, where uniformed maids were filling glasses with champagne and passing round trays of canapés. Already the voices of his employees had ratcheted up a level. Accepting a flute of sparkling wine, Nate slipped into the booth with his wife.
‘Check out the label on the bottles. These bubbles are the real thing from Fer-rance.’ Izzy pronounced the name of the country as though it had two syllables.
‘Like we don’t drink the stuff every Friday night with pizza.’ Nate took a sip and clinked her glass.
Beth slid into the other side of the booth with a plate of hors d’oeuvres. ‘I don’t know if these are mini lobster tails or big shrimps.’ She held up a prawn on a skewer.
‘I’ll let you ladies figure out the food. Since I’m not hungry I want to find the captain.’ Nate followed a narrow hallway from the salon to the prow, where a circular staircase led to the pilot house. Inside he found Michael and Hunter with stools pulled up next to the captain.
‘Hey, boss,’ said Michael, sounding very young. ‘Isn’t this boat gorgeous?’
‘How do you do, Mr Price. I’m Captain Mike Burke, retired from Her Majesty’s Royal Navy and now a proud citizen of Georgia.’ He doffed his cap.
‘I’m fine. Pleased to meet you.’ Nate pulled up a third stool. ‘Looks like you found a great second career.’
‘Not bad at all, sir.’ Burke winked, deepening the wrinkles around his eyes. ‘That’s Elysian Island straight ahead. We’ll be arriving within the quarter-hour.’
‘I’m just curious. Will this boat head back or remain docked on the island?’
‘The Slippery Eel will head back since I live on St Simons. But rest assured, I’m only a phone call away if Mr Frazier or anyone else needs us.’ Burke made eye contact with each of them in succession.
‘Gentlemen, champagne?’ A woman in a short dress entered the pilot house with a tray of flutes.
No maid’s uniform on the topside help, Nate thought as he reached for a glass. How did a man like Frazier become this rich? Nate studied the island as they approached at a slight angle. He saw no sandy beaches for swimming or riding horses. In fact, he saw no beach at all. The pier had been anchored between two giant boulders amidst a rocky shoreline. Beyond the rocks loblolly pines shot skyward, interspersed with vine-shrouded oaks and stunted palmetto palms. All in all, the island from this vantage point looked inhospitable.
‘Looks like I brought my arm blow-ups and sand bucket for nothing,’ muttered Michael.
Captain Burke smiled. ‘Don’t worry, sir. Like so many people, this island has two faces. You’ll find calm water and a pristine beach with white sand on the other side.’
‘Then drink up, gentlemen, and let’s join our better halves.’ Hunter Galen drained his flute and set it on a ledge, like the aristocrat he was. Nate and Michael, however, carried theirs below.
As the group queued to disembark, Izzy whispered next to his ear. ‘Nicki said the island looks haunted.’
‘My cousin should never drink champagne,’ Nate grumbled. ‘It feeds Nicki’s already overactive imagination. This island will be spectacular.’
‘Please, madam, we’ll get your luggage.’
When Nate and Izzy turned around, they saw the butler wrest
ling with Beth over the handle of her suitcase.
‘I assure you, it will be delivered to your room,’ the butler insisted.
Michael Preston walked up to Beth and whispered something in her ear. Immediately, Beth released the handle and caught up to Nate and Izzy.
‘What did Michael say to you?’ asked Izzy, laughing uncontrollably.
‘That we should act like we’ve been outside of Natchez before.’ Then Beth broke into peals of laughter too.
‘And why shouldn’t we?’ Michael locked his arms around his bride. ‘We live in the cultured city of Savannah now.’
Nate watched the butler step from the gangway to the dock and turn to address them. ‘Heads up, everyone,’ he called.
Compton cleared his throat. ‘On behalf of Mr Frazier and the entire staff, welcome to Elysian Island. If I – or anyone in my employ – can help to make this vacation memorable, do not hesitate to ask. Now if you will follow me, we’ll continue the cocktail hour in the library. This will give the staff time to deliver luggage to your quarters so you can change for dinner. Mr Frazier looks forward to making your acquaintance in the grand dining room tonight.’
‘Excuse me, Mr Compton?’ Hunter stepped out of the crowd. ‘I hope Mr Frazier isn’t expecting black-tie, because we just learned of the change in plans this afternoon.’
‘Of course not, Mr Galen. A pair of Dockers with a collared shirt will suffice. Then after tonight, the dress code will be … anything goes.’ The butler smiled indulgently.
Hand in hand, Nate and Izzy followed Compton down the dock toward an opening in the rocks. From there a narrow path led into the maritime forest. Noticing that Hunter was right behind him, Nate asked over his shoulder, ‘Did you notice the butler already knew your name?’
‘I caught that,’ Hunter replied. ‘So Frazier assumed your agents and spouses would agree to the change in plans.’
‘Let’s keep our eyes wide open.’ Nate spoke very softly.
‘That was my gut feeling too.’ Hunter smiled and then dropped back to Nicki’s side.