by Peggy Dulle
I looked up when Tom came over a few minutes later. “Done already?”
“It’s been forty minutes, Liza. We need to get ready for dinner.”
I grinned up at him. “Did you know they have a Midnight Buffet tonight?”
He chuckled. “Food at midnight? Only you would appreciate that.”
“I bet I won’t be the only one there.” I got off the bike.
“I’m sure you won’t be.”
“Speaking of food, I wonder what’s for dinner,” I asked as we walked out of the gym.
“Jack told me there’s a menu in front of the dining room. Do you want to stop by and check it?”
“No, I’d rather be surprised.”
Back in the room, Tom showered and I changed into a skirt and stood out on the balcony. The evening was cooler than yesterday, but still very pleasant. I leaned on the railing and thought about my mom and dad and everything I’d learned about them today. They must have spent their entire life looking over their shoulders and I never knew it. Was I so absorbed in my own life that I didn’t notice? Jordan needed to hear this news, too, but how do you tell your sister your parents were killed by a professional hit man?
A few minutes later, Tom joined me. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” I sighed.
He put his arms around me and pulled me close. “Thinking about your parents?”
I wrapped my arms around him and laid my head on his chest.
“Your dad did everything to keep you all safe. He did it all right.”
“But he and mom were still killed.”
“I know.” He kissed the top of my head and pulled me closer. “Sometimes no matter what we do, the people we love get hurt.”
I knew what he was thinking. Since he’s known me I’ve had a few close calls but always seemed to get out of them. But a professional killer? Was that more than I was capable of?
I leaned back and looked at him. “Then you better stay close to me and keep me safe, because if something happens to me, I’m coming back to haunt you.”
He smiled. “Let’s go eat.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Jack and Emily sat at the table when we arrived. The waiter had already given them their menus and they were eating their bread. Jack’s layered with butter, Emily’s dry.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” Emily said as we sat down, then whispered, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Emily, and Tom knows I almost fell today,” I told her as our waiter handed me my menu.
“Did that blabbermouth Brian tell him?” she asked.
“Yes.” I nodded and changed the subject. I wasn’t supposed to talk about Brian. “What looks good for dinner?”
Everything always sounded good, but I had to choose, so eventually I did, settling on tomato basil soup, Caesar salad, a nice rare filet with béarnaise sauce, and chocolate melting cake, of course.
After dinner, the lights went on and off, and Mexican polka sounding music erupted in the dinning room. The waiters sang along with the music, swinging their napkins in the air and twirling their bodies. It was to help us get into the spirit for our first day in Mexico tomorrow. It worked. Emily and I jumped up and danced with our waiter. Jack and Tom smiled but refused to get up and join us. When the dance was over, we gave the waiters a big round of applause.
As we were leaving, Emily asked, “Are you going to see the comedian tonight?”
I looked at Tom. I’d felt his karaoke CD in his pocket when he hugged me on the balcony, so I said. “Yes, but I think we’ll go back and change. Are you guys going?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, save us a seat and we’ll meet you there.”
“Okay.” She nodded toward Jack. “We’re going to the casino to see if I can win back all the money Jack lost at blackjack today.”
They went to try their luck while Tom and I headed for the elevator.
When they were out of sight, I turned to him. “Don’t you want to sing a few songs before we go to the show?”
“Well, yeah, but I thought you wanted to go change.”
“No, I just said that because I wasn’t sure whether you wanted them to hear you sing. You have a wonderful voice, but since you kept it from me, I figured you didn’t want me to announce it to total strangers.”
He smiled. “Thanks, Liza.”
“But this time I’m coming in.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
At the Celestial Nights bar, we sat down in a corner booth.
“What are you going to sing?” I asked.
“What would you like to hear?”
“Can you sing country or just songs like Frank Sinatra sang?”
“I can do country. What about a Toby Keith song?”
“That would be perfect.” I sat back and ordered a Diet Coke while Tom went up and put his name on the list.
When he got back I asked, “How long is the list? Will you get to sing before we have to go to the show?”
“I told Justine, she’s the lady who runs the karaoke show, we wanted to catch the comedian show. She said she’ll try to get me in to sing a couple of songs before we need to go.”
“Great.” I sipped my Diet Coke and Tom ordered a beer. It would go well with the country song, I thought.
We listened to a very young woman sing “White Rabbit”. She didn’t look old enough to have been alive when that song came out in the 80’s. But she did a great job.
Justine called Tom up and he sang “Who’s your Daddy?” Okay, the man can definitely do country, too. He made his voice have a little twang to it and the way he strutted around the stage, I wished he had a cowboy hat. He checked the monitor for the words a few times, but mostly crooned to the audience. I don’t think he glanced over at my corner once. Maybe I made him nervous. Everyone clapped when he finished and I whistled for him.
He grinned from ear to ear when he came back and sat down. I patted him on the arm. “Nice job, love.”
“What do you want me to sing next?” he asked as he flipped through the song list.
“Something by Frank. I love Frank Sinatra.”
“I know,” he said. “How about ‘My Way?’”
“Sure, it’s one of my favorites.”
An awful Elvis song, two songs I didn’t recognize, and a good rendition of “Crazy” later and Justine called his name, “This is Tom and I’m trying to get him to sing as Frank Sinatra in our huge production on Saturday. Let’s give him a round of applause and see if we can convince him to do it.”
Everyone clapped and I wondered, was that the show Tom talked about when we were sitting in the lounge chairs by the pool?
Dorian sat down next to me. Oh no, Tom definitely wouldn’t want Dorian to hear him sing. But the music started and Tom was looking toward Justine, not toward me.
“So can he sing?” Dorian asked.
“Yes. He has a wonderful voice.”
“If he can do justice to Frank, I’ll be impressed.”
The music began and Tom started to sing.
Dorian leaned toward me and whispered, “Did you enjoy your chocolate melting cake?”
I blushed. Damn it, all I seemed to do around this man was blush.
His eyes sparkled with delight. “I’m sure Tom enjoyed it, too.”
I turned to him. “As a matter a fact, he did.”
Dorian sat back and laughed, low and sultry. “I’m glad, someone needed to benefit.”
“You thought it would be you?” I asked.
“A man can dream, can’t he, Liza? Take away his dreams and you take away his soul.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks again for the wonderful dress and all the accessories.”
“I’m sure Tom enjoyed those, too.”
I laughed. “Yes, he did.”
“My pleasure.” He reached over and stroked the side of my face. “A beautiful woman should only allow the finest things to touch her body.”
Tom came to the e
nd of his song. It would be nice if Dorian left before he returned to the table. “Tom and I are going to watch the comedian. Are you going?”
“No, I’ve seen him before. He’s funny. You’ll enjoy the show.”
“So are you just wandering or trolling?”
He laughed again, then he lowered his eyes and I could sense the heat rising in them. “I was actually looking for you.”
My body reacted to those eyes, just like it always did. I concentrated on my breathing and asked, “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Make your eyes so intense and full of heat.”
“I just think of you, Liza.”
I gasped. Okay, that wasn’t what I wanted to hear.
Dorian stood, leaned over, and kissed me on my cheek. Lightning bold!
I heard Tom’s voice, it was low, almost a growl, “Get your lips off her, Dorian.”
I stood up quickly. “Let’s go see the comedian, Tom.”
Dorian smiled. Tom’s demeanor or tone hadn’t affected him one little bit. “Nice job on the song, Tom. You should definitely consider doing Frank for the show.” He bowed to me. “It was a pleasure, as always, Liza.”
Then he left.
Tom’s body stiffened and he mumbled, “I hate that guy!”
I pointed to him. “Winner, remember?”
Tom scowled. “I know, but why can’t he keep his hands and lips to himself?”
“That’s just his way. It doesn’t mean anything.”
I grabbed his arm and we walked out of the bar. His body was rigid; he was still upset about the encounter with Dorian. Not unexpected, I suppose. But what I found most interesting was Dorian’s reaction. Tom’s a stocky guy, quite a force to be reckoned with, but Dorian wasn’t afraid of him. Why not?
Chapter 22
We walked down to the Carousel Room. Jack and Emily were standing outside, talking to Carmelita and Brian. The door hadn’t been opened yet and a huge crowd waited to go in.
Emily spotted me and waved.
We walked over.
“Are you two going to the show, too?” I asked Carmelita, just as the doors opened.
“Yes, I love this guy and Brian hasn’t seen him yet,” Carmelita said.
“Let’s go get our seats so we can sit together,” Jack said.
Carmelita, Emily, and Jack led the way, with Tom, Brian,and me following. I felt like a salmon swimming upstream with the rest of the fish.
“Anything new?” Tom whispered to Brian.
“Not really, but I’ve got my people going through the ship’s records. They’re looking for anyone aboard, besides the people we already know about, that were on the cruise where Adam died.”
“I already asked my source to do that,” I told Brian. “I also asked him to look at five years ago.”
“Why?” Brian asked.
“Did you ever think maybe the killer or his informant saw Adam and my parents on that cruise rather than it being the call to his kid that tipped off the killer?”
“No, but that could have been the case. We never could prove the leak came from the call to the kid. I’ll call my guy back and have him expand his search.”
“Good.” I nodded.
Tom said, “Liza also asked her source to check the airline’s flight plans and manifests.”
“Your guy can do that?” Brian looked at me.
“He’s good.” I shrugged.
“It’s illegal,” Brian said.
I pointed to Tom. “He asked him to do it.”
Tom grabbed my finger and pulled it down. “He’ll get the information I need to keep her safe. That’s all that’s important to me,” he told Brian.
“That’s the idea,” Brian agreed. “I’ll get my guy working on it, too. Between the two of them, we should have it covered.”
A thought occurred to me and it wasn’t pleasant. I frowned and said, “I doubt I’m the significant piece, here.”
Both men looked at me.
“Oh come on, the Feds want to find the guy who killed their witnesses in protective custody and five other people. I’m expendable. In fact, I’m bait.”
Tom glowered at Brian. “She better not be.”
“No, she’s not, but if we can catch the guy and keep her safe, it’s a win-win situation.”
We finally made it into the room and found a row where we could all sit together. The waiters came over to take our drink orders.
“Are you going to have another drink special?” Emily asked me.
“Oh no, I might fall over the railing.” I laughed and ordered a Diet Coke.
“You had a drink?” Tom asked.
“Yes, Emily bought me a daily special in a souvenir glass. It was huge, full of liquor, and it’s probably the reason I almost took a header off the stairs.”
“I’ve never seen you take a drink.” He frowned.
I patted him on the arm. “You didn’t miss much. I don’t like the way they make me feel. It’s a control issue.”
“Teachers and their need for control.” Jack leaned over and said, “Emily’s the same way.”
“Tell me about it,” Tom said. “We can’t go anywhere without her telling some kid to behave.”
Jack laughed. “Us, either.”
“They’re talking about us, Liza,” Emily said.
“I just ignore them.”
“Me, too.”
The cruise band played a variety of tunes, from “Phantom of the Opera” to a “La Bamba”, while we waited for the comedian. Suddenly the four Diet Cokes I had with dinner and the one in the bar were screaming to get out.
“I need to use the restroom,” I told Tom.
“Okay, I’ll go with you.” He stood.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Tom. I’ll go with her. I can always use a mirror and touch up my face,” Carmelita protested.
“I’ve got to go, too,” Brian said.
Carmelita stared at him. “You just went.”
“I’ve got to go again,” he insisted, then shrugged.
“Well, the men’s room is on the opposite side of the room.” She shook her head and looked down at me. “Let’s go, Liza. What’s with these men?”
I glanced at Tom and mouthed, “I’ll be fine.”
The stern look on his face was echoed by Brian’s. Okay, it was already getting old having them both protecting me.
Carmelita and I went to the restroom. It was bigger than any other bathroom I’d seen on the ship. It had a small sitting area, a vanity and mirror, and then the stalls and sinks. While I used the bathroom, Carmelita sat at the vanity and fixed her makeup.
When I came out of the stall, she said, “So tell me what happened with you and Dorian?”
“Nothing, what do you mean?” I washed my hands.
“I left you there in all those goodies he’d bought you.”
“Dorian told you he bought me the dress?”
“No.” She moved to the couch in the sitting area and patted the seat.
I joined her and she continued, “I knew Tom hadn’t when we walked through the door. There was surprise on his face and I caught a look at Dorian’s. His eyes sparkled and his face wore the biggest smile I’d ever seen. He looked like he’d just smacked the winning homerun in the eleventh inning.”
“Okay, so Dorian did buy me all those things, but I didn’t know it at the time.”
“I figured that, too, Liza. It’s just like Dorian. He loves to surprise women with little gifts.” She held out her wrist and showed me a diamond bracelet. “He gave this to me during the cruise where I first met him.”
“Was that after you slept with him?”
“Oh no, that happened two years later. He doesn’t always expect anything for his gifts. He just likes giving them and seeing what happens.”
I rolled my eyes. “It sounds like him.”
“Well, he must have come over to your table after I made Tom take me back to my room. I surely didn’t need an escort; I can find my own room.”
“You set me up?” I suggested crisply.
“No, I just provided the opportunity for him to speak to you and for you to thank him.”
“He fed me chocolate melting cake.”
“Oh my God.” Carmelita closed her eyes and shuddered. “Was it fabulous?”
“Oh yes.”
“And then what happened?” Carmelita asked.
“Tom came back.”
“I knew I should have sent him on some errand so you and Dorian could have more time.”
“I don’t need time with Dorian. I’m here with Tom.”
“Yeah, but he has the hots for you and you need to experience it, even if it’s only one time.”
“I don’t do that, Carmelita.”
She laughed, her long dangling earrings bouncing. “Your mom said the same thing.”
“Dorian made a play for my mom?”
“Of course. Dorian makes a play for everyone who’s beautiful and lucky enough to get his attention. And he had it bad for your mom. That’s probably one reason he’s salivating over you — he didn’t get your mom. She’s probably one of the very few women who have turned him down.”
“I thought you said he never went after married woman?”
“Your mother was the one exception I ever saw. She drove him crazy.”
“She did?”
“Yes.” Carmelita smiled. “She called him on everything. If his date was too young, she told him so. If his attire was too elaborate, she’d send him back to his room to change.”
“That sounds like my mom.”
“You’re a lot like her. You may look like your dad, but your determined and feisty attitude comes from your mom. And Dorian just can’t resist the combination of attitude and beauty.”
“Well, he’s batting zero with the Wilcox women.”
When we returned to the Carousel Room, both Tom and Brian were turned around and gazing toward us. I thought I heard sighs of relief from the door.
The comedian was very funny and since it wasn’t the late show, his jokes were clean. Afterward we all went to the Midnight Buffet on the pool deck. A band played and all the young people danced in a huge group on the deck. It was fun to watch them.