by Peggy Dulle
Dorian leveled his gaze on me. “It will be easier to convince Carmelita to go if you’ll go with us, too.”
“What are your plans?” I asked.
“Liza,” Tom warned.
“I’ve rented a private catamaran and crew. We’re sailing the Sea of Cortez to the Chileno Bay. You can snorkel there, if you like, but I don’t recommend it. The sea water is extremely cold right now.”
Dorian had just described the excursion Tom and I were supposed to take tomorrow. And with the way people were dying, it might be a good idea for us all to stay together. But I knew Tom would prefer not to join Dorian’s outing.
“The tours only provide a nominal snack, mostly chips, fruit and bad booze,” Dorian added. “I’ll feed you lunch and serve the best champagne. I’ll even order chocolate melting cake for dessert.”
I felt my willpower dissolve away. “We’ll be there.”
Dorian laughed.
I knew Tom was angry, but I ignored him.
Dorian slid between Tom and me and took my hand. “Goodnight, Liza. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He glanced toward Tom, leaned over to me and whispered, “I guess you’ll have to bring the bulldog.”
I nodded.
“Oh, well.” He stood up tall. “A man can dream. Shall we say nine o’clock?”
“That would be great, Dorian. Thanks,” I said.
He turned to Tom. “Goodnight, Tom.”
“Dorian,” Tom scowled.
Dorian went through the door.
As soon as it closed, Tom said, “I hate that man.”
I laughed and took his arm. “We get to go sailing, he’s feeding us lunch, and chocolate melting cake for dessert. And you get to play cop and make sure everyone is safe. It’s a win-win situation.”
“There’s no such thing with that man involved.”
“We get to sleep in until at least eight. It’s better than getting up at six-thirty.”
Tom shrugged. “Well, there is that.”
We climbed into bed and Tom pulled me close. “Do I really have to spend an entire day watching that man drool over you?”
I laughed. “It’s just his way, Tom.”
“Okay, but if he puts another hand on you and I have to throw him off his ‘private’ catamaran, I don’t want you to get mad at me.”
I turned my head and looked at him. “You wouldn’t, would you?”
Tom smiled.
I rolled my eyes, turned back and snuggled into Tom. Within minutes, I was dreaming about Tom’s smile as Dorian went flying off the boat.
In the morning, I woke up, stretched, and glanced at the clock. Eight-thirty. Oh no, we over slept.
“Tom.” I shook him.
“What?” He sat up quickly.
“We’re late. I’m jumping into the shower. Would you gather up my stuff and put it into my beach bag?”
“Sure.” He stretched. “What do you want in it?”
I got out of bed and talked to him as I walked toward the shower. “Two beach towels, suntan lotion, and see if you can find me one of my books to read.”
“Okay, I’ll pack.” He turned back over and closed his eyes.
“Tom!”
He sat up again. “I’m going. I’m going.”
I took a quick shower and put on my swimsuit. When I came out, Dorian was standing next to Tom.
“What’s up?”
He came up to me. “I didn’t tell Carmelita about Brian. She’s just not up to another death this morning. I told her he had to stay in Mazatlan and may not be able to rejoin us because of his job.”
“Okay,” I said. “What did she say about going sailing today?”
“At first, she didn’t want to go, but after I told her you were going, she agreed.”
“Great, we will be ready in a few minutes.”
Dorian nodded. “Okay, knock on our door when you’re ready and we’ll walk down together.”
As he passed Tom he said something to him and then went back into Carmelita’s room.
When Tom turned around, he had a huge smile on his face.
“What?”
“Nothing.” His smile broadened.
“What did Dorian say to you?”
Tom came over, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me on my neck which always sent shivers down my spine. “He said I was a very lucky man.”
I rolled my eyes and blushed at the same time. Tom laughed.
I pushed him away. “Go get ready.”
He laughed again and went into the bathroom. I put shorts and a t-shirt over my suit and read the Cruiser Note for the day. Tonight was another formal night and there was another midnight buffet. It was called the Grand Gala Buffet and it was to feature sculptured food, ice carvings, and treats. Yum!
When Tom came out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to go, I stood. “There’s another midnight buffet tonight.”
“Great, food at midnight.” He sighed. “It’s not really healthy to eat so late.”
“We’re on vacation, so we don’t have to eat healthy,” I said slowly, emphasizing each word.
“I know,” he said. “Go knock on your friend’s door while I grab your beach bag.”
I knocked and Carmelita opened the door wearing a black bikini with a mesh cover up.
“Good morning, Liza.” She smiled.
“Good morning. Are you guys ready to go?”
“Yes. I’m so glad you’re going with us. It will be fun.”
A few minutes later we all walked down to the gangway. It was relatively deserted since most of the people had to leave early to get to their excursions. We had to wait a few minutes for a tender, but then one arrived and we boarded. It was a quick ten-minute trip to the dock. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the upper eighties, a beautiful day to enjoy a boat ride.
We walked down the dock where more people were lined up selling things. Tom shook his head.
Dorian led us down to another dock. It had a locked gate. He pushed the button on the intercom system, told the person who he was, and the gate immediately unlocked.
We followed him down the pier to a beautiful double story catamaran. It was white with several masts with a slide off the back.
A young woman in a white uniform stepped forward and extended her hand, “Captain Reynolds.”
Dorian shook her hand and introduced us.
“My crew is here to assist you in whatever you need. We have snorkeling and scuba-diving gear on board, if you’d like to use them. Lunch will be served in about an hour on the lower deck. Until then there are fresh fruit, pastries, and juices for you to enjoy.”
“Did you receive the package from the ship?” Dorian asked.
“Yes,” she nodded. “I assume it is to be served with lunch, so I put it in the galley.”
“That’s correct.”
“Is that my chocolate melting cake?” I asked.
Dorian smiled. “I never forget a promise.”
We stepped on board and were introduced to the crew – four women.
“An all women crew?” Tom asked.
Dorian smiled. “Of course. Women make the best sailors.”
Tom and I went up to the top deck where several lounge chairs were set up. He put my bag down and we stood and watched the scenery as we pulled away from the marina.
Carmelita came up top and joined us. She pointed to some stone cliffs. “That’s Playa del Amor, lover’s beach, between the cliffs and the famous Stone Arch of Cabo. The beach is deserted this early, but on our way back, it will be full of people.”
“I’m going to get something to eat. Would either of you like something?” Tom asked.
“Nothing for me,” Carmelita replied.
I started to say something, but Tom interrupted me, “I know, bring you some of everything.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
Carmelita laughed and sat down on a lounge chairs.
I took the other one. “How are you doing, Carmelita?”
“I’m
fine. Dorian’s just doting over me and I’m letting him.” She smiled. “Now, will you tell me what happened to Brian?”
“What?” I said.
“Brian told me he’d call me by ten last night, no matter what. He didn’t call, so I assume something happened to him.”
Gently, I said, “I’m afraid he was killed.”
Carmelita closed her eyes and leaned back in the lounge. She took several deep soothing breaths as tears ran down her cheeks.
We sat in silence for several minutes.
Finally, she turned her head toward me and said, “Deep down I knew that was it, but I hoped I was wrong.”
I nodded.
“What happened?”
I relayed the information that Tom had been given about Brian’s death. She listened intently.
When I was finished, she said, “This is getting ridiculous. We’ve got to figure out what’s going on and stop that maniac before we end up as notches on his belt, too.”
“You’re not as feeble as Dorian thinks you are,” I told her.
“Of course not. Dorian likes to play the big strong man and I’m more than willing to be his damsel in distress.”
“But I have a feeling you can take care of yourself, can’t you?”
“Of course, I can, Liza.” She smiled.
Dorian came up and joined us. “How’s everyone enjoying the ride?”
“Wonderful, thanks,” I said.
Carmelita just sighed. “I think I’ll go down below and lie down.”
Dorian stood. “I’ll walk you down.”
Carmelita leaned her head on Dorian’s shoulder as they took the stairs down to the sailboat’s cabin.
Tom came up with a plate full of pastries and fruit and two glasses filled with orange juice. He handed a glass to me.
I took it and pointed to the plate. “Where’s yours?”
“I thought we could share this one,” he said. “We’re having lunch in an hour.”
“That’s true,” I said as I snatched a banana and pastry.
He laughed. “I can get more if we run out. There’s enough food down there to feed an army.” We munched away, gazing out over the water.
“Are you going to snorkel?” I asked.
“Probably. I don’t mind cold water and I can’t leave Mexico without getting in the water and seeing the fish.”
“That’s good. One of us should see the fish.” I patted his hand.
Tom ate his pastry. I took off my shirt and pants, closed my eyes, and worked on my tan. It was nice to relax and do nothing. I may have even fallen asleep for a few minutes, although I did hear Tom get up several times. He wasn’t very good at doing nothing.
“Hey, Liza,” Tom shouted.
“What?” I opened my eyes. Tom stood at the boat’s edge.
“Come and see the dolphins.”
Okay, that was worth getting up for. An entire school of dolphins swam next to the boat. A crew member threw fish and the dolphins jumped into the air and grabbed them. It was quite a sight.
A crewman yelled up at us, “Hang on!”
We grabbed the railing as another crewman unfurled the sails and they caught the wind. We flew through the water with the dolphins swimming next to us.
“Okay, this is way too cool!” Tom said.
“It sure is,” I agreed.
Several minutes later the dolphins lost interest in us and swam away. The crewman brought down the sails and we continued at a leisurely pace.
We pulled into a bay and dropped anchor. A crewman came up to us and said, “Lunch is ready, if you’re hungry.”
“Great.” I put my t-shirt over my bathing suit.
When we came down, Dorian and Carmelita were already seated at the table. We joined them.
“Did you enjoy racing the dolphins?” Dorian asked.
“Yes, that was fabulous,” I said.
“It was pretty cool, Dorian,” Tom added.
“There were dolphins?” Carmelita asked.
“We missed them.” Dorian patted her arm.
“Oh well.” She shrugged, but smiled and winked at me.
Lunch was bite-sized beef fillets smothered in a brown sauce filled with mushrooms, red potatoes, and broccoli.
“The food’s really good,” Tom told Dorian.
“Thanks,” he said.
“Dorian cooked it himself,” Carmelita said.
“What?” I asked.
“I love to dabble in the kitchen,” he said.
“Tom likes to cook, too,” I told them.
“I’d love the recipe for this sauce,” Tom said.
“Sure, I’ll get you a copy.” Dorian smiled.
The two men started discussing herbs, spices, and cuts of meat. I had no idea what they were talking about but it was nice they finally had something in common. A crewman came out and brought my chocolate melting cake. With two handsome virile men present, I had to feed the cake to myself while they talked recipes, which just wasn’t as much fun as having someone else feed me.
After lunch Tom and Dorian prepared to go snorkeling, Carmelita went into the cabin to rest, and I returned to my lounge chair. I was full and totally content. I should have known that was a bad omen. As soon as I lay back and closed my eyes, the screaming started!
Chapter 32
I opened my eyes and ran to the railing. Two crewmen stripped into their one-piece black swimsuits and jumped into the water. And then I saw Rod, Dorian’s bodyguard, come out of the cabin, pull off his blue flowered Hawaiian t-shirt and jump overboard.
My heart started pounding. Maybe I should be abandoning the boat, too. “What’s going on?” I yelled.
The crewmen were diving down repeatedly into the water by the side of the boat.
“What’s going on?” I shouted in my loudest teacher yard-duty voice.
Carmelita came up the stairs and stood by me. “Tom found something attached to the boat.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know.”
“You mean, like a bomb?” I shrieked, grabbed her arm and dragged her down the stairs. “We’re getting off this boat!”
As we reached the bottom stair, Rod was climbing back onto the boat carrying something, Tom and Dorian right behind him.
He set it on the table.
“What’s that?” I said.
Rod held up his hand, took a pair of cutters from his pocket and snipped a few wires. He shook his head. “Amateurs.” He looked at Dorian and smiled. “Even you could have disarmed this.”
I walked closer. “Is that what I think it is?”
“It’s just a little incendiary device,” Rod said.
“But big enough to sink my boat.” Captain Reynolds stepped forward. Her fists were securely placed on her hips and she was frowning. “Does someone want to tell me why somebody attached a bomb to my boat?”
Dorian took the captain’s arm and led her into the cabin. Tom came over to me.
“Carmelita said you found the bomb,” I said.
“Yeah, I was sneaking under the boat to squirt you with water when I saw it.”
I slapped him on the arm.
“What’s that for?”
“For even thinking about squirting me with cold water.” Then I grabbed his face, brought it to mine and kissed him, long and hard. “That’s for finding the bomb and not letting me get blown up.”
“You’re welcome,” he said.
“Are you finished snorkeling?”
“No, we haven’t even started.”
“Go and snorkel. I’m going to try to get my heart to slow down and relax.”
Tom left and I went back to my lounge. I tried to rest, but just couldn’t. I kept waiting for another emergency. Finally, I decided to read for awhile. I reached into my beach bag and felt for my book.
My hand grabbed the little box. I’d forgotten I’d put it there when we were at the beach yesterday. I took out the box, opened it, and slipped the ring on my finger. My hand looked so good with it
on.
“Is that what I think it is?” I heard Dorian say.
I looked up. “Yes, Tom gave it to me. It was his mother’s ring. It’s a little big, so we have to get it resized.”
Dorian sat on the chair next to me and took my hand. He looked at the ring. “It’s lovely, Liza.”
I held my hand in front of me. “It is, isn’t it?”
Dorian leaned back in the lounge chair and sighed.
“What’s the matter?”
“Besides having friends around me die and finding a bomb on the boat?” he asked.
“Well, there is all that.”
“Thankfully Rod was able to diffuse the bomb and we’re all safe.”
“I didn’t even realize he was here.”
“A good bodyguard knows how to be invisible.”
“Were you able to calm the captain down? She looked mad.”
“She was. It’s amazing how money can soothe angry people.”
“What did you tell her?”
He smiled. “I told her you were an heiress to a fortune and your step-brother wants you dead so he can inherit your money.”
“What?”
He laughed. “It seemed more believable than the actual story. We have no idea who’s trying to kill Carmelita.”
“And you?”
Dorian shrugged and closed his eyes.
I reached into my bag and pulled out my book. Oh, Tom had found the one I started earlier on the trip. The one I’d misplaced.
When I opened it, the group photo fell out. That’s right, I’d used it for a bookmark.
Dorian picked up the picture and looked at it. “I remember this picture.”
“You’ve seen it before?”
“Of course, your mother was obsessed with taking pictures and then she’d get copies and give them out. I tried to avoid them.”
“She always had a camera with her.” I smiled. “She’d take ten pictures when one would have done.”
“That’s true.”
“When was this picture taken?” I asked.
“Right before we got on the ship. We were standing around on the dock and talking. Your mother gathered us all together and took the picture before anyone could protest.”
I pointed to the figures I didn’t recognize. “Who are these people?”
“The four in the front are the crewmen who were going to take us onto the boat and,” he pointed to the most distorted figure, “as I recall, that’s Brian. Carmelita met him on the dock, he was traveling alone, and so she sucked him into the picture.”