Peggy Dulle - Liza Wilcox 03 - Secrets at Sea

by Peggy Dulle

I heard him typing on the keyboard. “Did you get the other information you were looking into for me?”

  “A little bit, but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  My stomach tightened. “Tell me anyway.”

  “Okay, I can find several incidents in cities your parents’ original flight plans said they were visiting that they didn’t land in.”

  “Can you send me a list?”

  “Sure, and I found a newspaper article about the Philips.”

  “Norma and Donald Philips?”

  “Yes, they were killed in an automobile accident five months ago.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, okay, I’m into the website. It has two sections -one where you can check people’s resumes who need jobs and another where you can list a job you want done.”

  “Hang on a minute.” I turned to Brian and Tom and asked, “Anything in particular you want to hire someone to do?”

  “He got in already?” Tom asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Can I talk to him?” Brian asked.

  I shook my head.

  “Okay, ask him to tell you how he got in and I’ll have my own people do the work.”

  I told Justin what he said.

  “That won’t work, Teach. The password is rotating. It will change as soon as I log off. What does he want me to look for?”

  I repeated to Brian what Justin said.

  “Are you sure I just can’t talk to him?” Brian asked.

  “Nope, but I can turn the phone so he can hear you.” I held the phone toward Brian.

  “See if there is a resume for anyone willing to kill.”

  “Did you hear that?”

  “Yes, I already checked that out. You can hire anyone to kill anyone in this site. There are ten resumes listed for killers and five jobs. Do we want to pick a killer?”

  “Do you want a killer or a job?” I asked the men.

  Tom coughed, Brian got closer to me. “See if there is anyone who specializes in sequestered witnesses.”

  “There are two that indicated previous witness kills. Teach?”

  “What?”

  “Hand the man the phone, Teach. This is ridiculous.”

  “No, I’m not going to do it,” I told Justin. I didn’t want the Feds to find Justin. Quite a few things he does for me aren’t exactly legal. How would I ever explain to his mother that I got him arrested?

  “I’ll be fine,” Justin insisted. “He won’t be able to contact me again unless I want him to.”

  “No, it’s too dangerous.”

  “What’s going on, Liza?” Tom said.

  “He wants me to hand the phone to Brian.”

  Brian held out his hand. “It would be easier, Liza.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked Justin.

  “Yes.”

  I handed Brian the phone. He went over to the desk in his room, opened a file and sat down.

  I turned to Tom. “Justin says Norma and Donald Philips were killed five months ago in an auto accident.”

  “That’s two more people in the cruising group who are dead, Liza. I’m telling you someone is killing them off, one by one.”

  Carmelita came through Brian’s door.

  “How’s Mrs. Mitchell?” I asked.

  “She’s a wreck. I walked her down to her room, gave her one of my little blue sleeping pills, and tucked her in for the night. I’ll go with her tomorrow when they take Melvin’s body off the ship. A woman should not be alone at a time like this.”

  I nodded. “That’s nice of you, Carmelita.”

  “I’ve known them for ten years, it’s the least I can do.” She glanced at Brian. “What’s the Fed doing?”

  I shrugged. “His job.”

  “Well,” she sighed. “His job is constantly interfering with my beauty sleep. I liked it better when I thought he was an insurance salesman. Then he’d leave to make his cop calls. I’m going to take a long hot bath.” And she went into the bathroom and closed the door.

  Brian walked over and handed Tom his phone.

  “Where’s my friend?” I demanded.

  “I’ve got him in contact with my tech people. Together they’re going to do some research on the resumes. He’s really good, Liza. He found the job to kill Betsy.”

  “What?” I asked.

  Brian nodded. “Yes, it was listed on the website several weeks ago.”

  “Her name and everything?” Tom asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Can we find out who picked up the job?”

  “That’s just it; it was pulled before it was assigned to anyone.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “My guess would be the person who killed Adam, Inga, and your parents saw the listing, spoke to the person who posted it, and had it removed. I imagine he feels that this is still part of the original contract.”

  “A conscientious killer, how nice.” Tom shook his head.

  “Okay, if we assume my parents, Adam, Inga, and Betsy were killed because of what Adam and my dad saw in Texas, why kill Melvin and the Philips?”

  “Wait,” Brian said. “Who are the Philips?”

  “They were part of my parents’ cruising group and they were in an automobile accident five months ago.”

  “Maybe it was just that, an accident,” Brian suggested.

  “Out of nine people, seven are dead. That’s too coincidental,” I told him.

  “Who does that leave?” Tom asked.

  “Carmelita and Leslie Mitchell.”

  “What about Dorian?” Tom asked. “He was always on the cruises with them.”

  “Okay, then three are still alive. That’s worse odds than any disease I’ve ever heard of,” I said.

  “And now, you’ve been added to the list,” Brian suggested.

  “I’m not so sure. I wasn’t in the original group and the only reason I’m being warned off is because I’m looking into the other deaths.”

  “If you stop, you won’t be a target,” Tom reminded me.

  “But Carmelita, Leslie, and Dorian will be.”

  “I’ll watch Carmelita,” Brian said. “Leslie’s getting off tomorrow with her husband’s body. I’ll get agents to go with her as an escort and then home with her. She’ll be protected.”

  “That leaves Dorian,” I said.

  Tom smiled wickedly.

  I frowned. “He’s got to be told.”

  “I’ll tell him,” Brian said. “This is an FBI investigation, so it should come from me.”

  “Let’s go back to our room and get some sleep,” Tom said.

  “I’ll let you know if I hear from the tech guys.”

  Tom nodded and then said to me, “Head for bed, I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “More secret cop stuff?” I asked.

  He smiled and pushed me through the door. I went into our room and climbed into bed. A few minutes later, Tom joined me. I snuggled next to him.

  He kissed me on top of the head. “Try and get some sleep, Liza.”

  “Want to tell me what you and Brian talked about?”

  “No.”

  “Well, if I sleep tonight, it’s going to be a miracle,” I said.

  “We’re supposed to meet at the Carousel Room at ten-fifteen for our shopping, lunch and beach excursion. Do you want me to cancel it?”

  “No. I’m on this cruise and I’m going to enjoy it.”

  “That’s right.” Tom pulled me close.

  Tom was asleep in seconds. It was good that some things always stayed the same. I listened to his slow and steady breathing and thought about my parents, their little cruising eco group, and the deaths.

  Tom’s cell phone went off. I got up quickly, grabbed it before he woke up and took it into the bathroom. It was Justin.

  “Hey Teach, I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

  “No. Are you finished with Brian’s tech guys?”

  “Yes, I helped them get into the site.”

  “And they can’t trace anything
back to you?”

  “No, I was careful.”

  “Okay, then. Good night.”

  “Wait!” Justin shouted. “That’s not why I called.”

  “Is Shelby okay?”

  “Oh, she’s fine. She’s sleeping with my mom these days.”

  I laughed. “She does like to be on a bed.”

  “Yeah, well, my mom said she’d never have a dog that slept with her.”

  “Famous last words – never say never.”

  “That’s for sure. No, the reason I wanted to talk to you was something the tech said to me.”

  “What?”

  “He said he was surprised when Brian called and told him about the website.”

  “Why?”

  “Brian isn’t normally assigned to protecting a witness or even investigating homicides.”

  “What does he usually do?”

  “He works in the division that investigates ETCs”

  “What’s that?”

  “Environmental Terrorist Cells. They are groups who meet and plan acts of violence against anyone they feel is hurting the planet.”

  “Like setting a fire at a refinery?” I asked, thinking about what Justin had found about my parents’ flight plan and secret landings.

  “Yes.”

  “So maybe he’s been lying to me about exactly why he’s on this cruise.”

  “It’s possible. The tech said Brian was obsessed with stopping the ETCs. It has something to do with his parents’ deaths. They were both killed during a refinery bombing nine years ago and the group responsible was never caught.”

  “That’s awful.” I felt sorry for the man and could understand how the loss of his parents could make him angry and frustrated, especially when he knew who did it, but couldn’t bring them to justice. I might feel the same way if I knew the person responsible for my own parents’ deaths.

  “All right, thanks, Justin.”

  “Stay safe, Teach.”

  I closed the phone and leaned against the counter. What did it all mean? Was Brian here investigating my parents’ group or protecting me and looking for a killer? Was my parents’ little group really an environmental terrorist cell? And were Adam and my dad killed because of what they saw or because they were part of the cell? And how deep did Brian’s obsession go? Could he be the one eliminating the members? Was my protector actually a cold-hearted killer?

  Chapter 29

  I tossed and turned the rest of the night. There was just too much going through my brain to allow me to sleep. In the morning, I woke up more tired than if I’d just stayed up all night. At little after six, I finally gave up and got out of bed.

  “Where you going, Liza?” Tom asked, groggily.

  “I’m going to sit on the balcony for a while.”

  “Okay.” And he was asleep again.

  I wrapped myself in the big bathrobe and stepped out onto the balcony. The sun was just beginning to rise in shades of orange and red. I sat down on the lounge chair and leaned back.

  The door to our room opened and Tom stuck his head out. “Are you okay?”

  I smiled. “I’m fine.”

  “Liar.” He frowned and came over to me. “Scoot up.”

  I moved forward and he sat behind me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

  “You slept like crap, Liza.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

  “A few times.” He smoothed my hair behind my ears. “Lean back and close your eyes.”

  “I won’t sleep.”

  “Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?”

  “Not really, it’s just everything.”

  “Okay, hold still and let me get a little more sleep,” he said. “But when I wake up we’re going to talk about what’s bothering you?”

  “But …,” I protested.

  He put his hand over my mouth. “Sh! Sleep first, then talk.”

  And he was asleep again. I could feel his heart beating against my back and eventually his slow and steady breathing lulled me right off to sleep.

  Two hours later, I woke up feeling much better. I tried to get up but Tom pulled me back against him.

  “I need to see what time it is, Tom. I don’t want to miss our excursion.”

  He didn’t open his eyes, but he frowned. “Okay.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was tell Tom about my parents’ group and what I suspected they might have been involved in because the bottom line was that Tom was a cop and he didn’t have any sympathy for people who broke the law.

  The clock on the vanity said it was eight-thirty. At least I’d gotten a few good hours of sleep. I went back to the balcony door and opened it.

  “I’m going to get in the shower.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Eight-thirty,” I told him.

  “Can I go first?” He said as he came into the room.

  “Sure, but why?”

  “I promised Brian I’d come over to his room at nine so we could go over what the tech guys found.”

  “Okay. Now is this a meeting I can go to or is more secret cop stuff?”

  Tom rolled his eyes. “It’s not secret.”

  “It is from me,” I said and then as Tom went through the bathroom door, I added, “It’s only fair, since I have a few, too.”

  He turned around. “A few what?”

  “Secrets.” I waved toward the bathroom. “Go and shower.”

  “Liza?”

  “I’m not sharing mine until you share yours.” I smiled and turned on the television set. They were replaying the Port Shopping Talk I’d heard earlier in the week, but I grabbed the Shopping Guide we’d been given at the talk and circled a few stores. I knew that Tom was debating whether to take a shower and talk to Brian or come back and talk to me.

  I heard the shower going, so I went back to the balcony and sat down. The weather was already getting warm — it would be a great day at the beach. We were already anchored at the dock in Mazatlan. It looked like any other dock in any city, full of shipping containers, other ships, and machinery. There were also more armed guards. Beyond the dock I could see a hill covered with small houses. They looked like someone had taken brightly colored Lego pieces and stuck them into a hill of clay. I could also see the top of a church, with its two steeples and dome structure. At least there wasn’t another Walmart Super Store!

  “Is that you, Liza?” Carmelita said.

  “Yes.”

  She opened the door between our balconies. “Brian’s in the shower.”

  “So is Tom. They have some secret cop meeting.”

  Carmelita rolled her eyes and sat in the lounge chair next to me. “Your dad would roll over in his grave if he knew you were seeing a cop.”

  “I know.” I laughed. “He didn’t think very highly of any law-enforcement agency or agent.”

  Carmelita blew out a whistle. “That’s putting it mildly.”

  I shrugged. “Guess we can’t choose who we fall in love with.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe Betsy, Norma and Donald are dead.”

  “Brian told you?”

  “Yes.” She lowered her head. “Another funeral for a friend and I missed it, too, just like your parents’. I thought the nine of us were so close. We’d see each other during the cruise and then five or six times during the year.”

  “You were close, it’s just that the family members, like me and my sister, didn’t know about the group or we would have invited you to the services.”

  “I never thought of us as a secret group.”

  Tom stuck his head out the door. “Good morning, Carmelita.”

  “Tom.” She nodded at him.

  “I’m going over and talk to Brian, if you want to get into the shower, Liza.”

  “They’ve got their own secret group,” I told Carmelita.

  “Cops are good at that.” She laughed and stood up. “I guess I’ll shower during the secret meeting, too.�
�

  She waved and went back to her own balcony, closing the door between us.

  “What secret meeting?” Tom asked.

  “My secret, the meeting between you and me,” I told him. “Tit for tat, Tom. You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine.”

  “Liza,” he started but I cut him off.

  “I’m taking a long hot shower. Enjoy your meeting.”

  I turned the water on as hot as I could stand it and stood under it for a long tine. Usually when I’m feeling out-of-sorts, I stay in the shower until the water runs cold. It didn’t seem to ever happen on the cruise ship so eventually I had to give up and get out.

  I wore shorts and a tank top over my swimming suit. It would be nice to sit on the beach, let the sand crunch under my toes, and listen to the waves pound against the shore. I do my best thinking at the beach.

  When I came out of the bathroom, Tom was gone probably still in his meeting with Brian. I got my beach bag and loaded it with towels, suntan lotion, and two bottled waters.

  I was hungry, so I opened the door between the two rooms. Brian and Tom sat on the couch going over some papers. They both looked up when I came into the room and Brian shoved the papers into a manila folder.

  “I’m going to the dining room,” I said. “I just wanted to tell you so you wouldn’t freak out when you came back into our room and I’m not there.”

  I turned to leave.

  “Wait up, Liza.” Tom caught up with me and took my arm.

  I leaned back toward Brian. “I forgot to ask Carmelita. Are you two going on any excursions today?”

  “No, we’re both going with Leslie. Carmelita for moral support and I’m going to talk to the local cops and get an agent assigned as her escort.”

  “That’s nice of you.”

  “It’s the least I can do.”

  When I walked back into our room, I picked up my beach bag. Tom took it and said, “We need to talk.”

  I shook my head. “No. I need to eat.”

  He glanced at his watch. “We don’t have time to go to the dining room.”

  “Whose fault is that? You and your secret meeting.”

  “Let’s go up to the pool deck and get something. We can sit and talk for a few minutes before we need to go to the Carousel Room.”

  “I’m not sure I want to talk to you. I think I’m taking back my offer to share my secrets with you.”