Peggy Dulle - Liza Wilcox 03 - Secrets at Sea

by Peggy Dulle

  “Yes, but this is the only picture of us.”

  “My mom and dad were a contract you picked up, but you killed all the people in the cruising group just to get this picture.”

  “No, we killed them because they’d met us and might put it together. After their deaths, this picture wouldn’t have meant anything to anyone.”

  “Except me?”

  “Yes, you kept digging.” She waved the gun at me. “We tried to warn you off. We tried to get the picture and leave.”

  “But you wouldn’t let go.” Jack shook his head.

  “Now what?” I asked. “Another accident or poisoning? You certainly can’t shoot me. That’s going to be heard by someone.”

  Emily reached into her pocket and brought out a cylinder. She screwed it onto the gun’s barrel.

  “Em, let’s think about this.” Jack held his side and sat up.

  “Oh, let’s just shoot her and throw her off the balcony. By the time someone figures out she’s missing, we’ll be long gone from the spot.”

  “No,” he said. “Think it through. Remember, they’ve got cameras all over this ship’s exterior. Someone would see us throwing her off our balcony.”

  “Then we go to her room. If anyone sees her, they’ll think she jumped.”

  “Better plan. And if the cop’s there, take care of him, too, Em,” Jack said. “I need a nap.”

  “You’re the best.” She blew him a kiss from across the room.

  “No, I’m just the brains behind your skills.” He winked at her.

  Their obvious affection for each other would be touching in any other situation. “Do I have a say in this?” I said, but my voice came out as a squeak.

  “No,” they said in unison.

  “Not a problem.” She blew out a breath and grabbed my arm. “Let’s go, Liza.”

  Emily opened the door and checked the hall. She put the gun into my back and her other hand under my elbow. “Take it slow and easy, Liza. You don’t want me to have to kill anyone else because you got reckless.”

  I took a deep breath and stepped into the corridor. My pulse raced and my legs trembled with each step, but the only thing I could think about was, let Tom not be in the room.

  We walked by Carmelita’s room, then down to ours. Emily used my Navigator card to open the door.

  When we stepped inside, Enrique came out of the bathroom. I gasped. Not another innocent victim.

  He smiled. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Miss. I’ll be done in just a minute.”

  “That’s okay,” I said. “We’ll take a walk while you finish up.”

  I walked backward, taking Emily with me.

  “Fine,” she said under her breath. “I know the best spot.” She slid the gun into her waistband and pulled her shirt over it. “Let’s go, Liza.”

  On a ship with over three thousand people, it’s amazing how many you don’t see when you wish you could. We walked all the way down the long corridor without encountering anyone, and then took an empty elevator up two floors. We walked outside on the deck toward the bow.

  Emily used a card to get us through a door and onto the most forward part of the ship. “This is for employees only and they’re all working.”

  The place was deserted. Lounge chairs were stacked against the railing near a small Jacuzzi tub.

  Emily giggled. “This is like the scene from Titanic. But instead of just standing at the front and stretching out your arms, you’re going over.”

  She pulled out the gun and pushed me toward the railing.

  A million thoughts circled through my head - my parents, Tom, Jordan, Justin, and Shelby. Who was going to take care of Shelby? Would Tom take her?

  She leaned in toward me. “I told you to ride that stallion. And now the opportunity is gone.”

  “Dorian knew you were Desiree,” I told her.

  “No. That’s not possible. We only had one night together.”

  “Dorian remembers every girl,” I reached up and scratched my head. “Let’s see what did he say? Oh yes, I remember, ‘She was very physical, quite exhausting, although a bit of a screamer.’”

  “I am not!” she said.

  I shrugged. “That’s what he said.”

  She scowled. “I’m going to kill him next!”

  “That wouldn’t be very nice,” Dorian stepped through the gate and onto the deck with us.

  Emily got behind me, tightly wrapped her arm around my neck and pointed the gun at him.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Dorian?” I chocked out.

  When I tried to squirm out of her hold, she pulled her arm tighter and whispered in my ear, “Hold still, Liza or I’ll crush your larynx before I throw you overboard.”

  “I’m rescuing you, of course.” A slow smile slid across his face as he walked toward Emily. “Em, you don’t want to do that.”

  The use of the name that Jack used threw her a bit.

  Dorian kept coming, his voice smooth and silky. “Come on, Em. Let’s leave her here and go back to my room.”

  Emily pushed the gun into my temple. “No, she dies and then you do.”

  “Em,” Dorian said.

  She swung the gun and her attention back to him.

  “Come on, love. Just you and me and some cheesecake with raspberry syrup. Isn’t that right?”

  “Oh,” she moaned and dropped the arm that was crushing my throat.

  He held out his hand. “Come to me, Em.”

  I stepped back as she took a step toward him.

  Next to the railing was a fire extinguisher. I slid down, unhooked it and swung it toward her head. I heard a crack and she went flying, right into his arms.

  Dorian caught her as Tom, Rod and several crew members ran through the gate.

  Tom helped the crewmen stand Emily, over his shoulder he shouted, “Liza, are you okay?”

  I collapsed onto the deck, but muttered, “I’m fine.”

  The crewmen cuffed Emily.

  Dorian came over, extended his hand and helped me stand. “You didn’t have to hit her. I could have taken her if she’d stepped another foot closer.”

  “No, as she walked toward you, she flipped the safety off the gun.”

  Dorian’s eyebrows went up.

  “Cheesecake with raspberry sauce, huh?”

  He smiled. “Every woman has her favorite dessert.”

  I laughed and he joined me. Tom and Rod looked totally confused at this banter. I turned to Tom.

  “How’d you know?” I asked.

  “Justin tried to call me and when at first he got my voicemail and then my phone had been turned off, he got worried. He called the ship and had me paged. He wanted to tell me that Jack and Emily Stillman didn’t exist. I paged Dorian, since sometimes you don’t bother to answer your pages. He told me you’d gone to Jack and Emily’s room.”

  “Where’s Jack?” I asked.

  “We went to their room first, opened it with help from the ship’s security officers. He’s in custody, too.”

  I took Tom’s arm. “Let’s have room service for lunch and dinner, watch you perform in the show, and then get off this ship as early as we can tomorrow.”

  “All great ideas!”

  And that’s what we did.

  Tom did a fine Frank Sinatra in the show. Dorian, Carmelita, Rod and I hooted and hollered for him. Several people came up to him and told him what a wonderful voice he had. It was going to take me months to deflate his head and get him off the cloud he was walking on. And best yet, the victims’ got justice and their families’ closure, including me.

  Chapter 35

  We were off the ship by ten the next morning and back in Tom’s SUV driving away from the dock.

  “Well, what did you think about the cruise?” Tom asked me.

  “I really enjoyed it. But it would be a much better vacation without the assassins.”

  He laughed. “Shall we try it again next year?”

  “Yes, I’d like that.”

&nb
sp; “Maybe for our honeymoon?” He grinned.

  “We’ll see.” I smiled.

  As we drove out of Long Beach, I saw the sign for the airport. I put my hand on Tom’s arm. There was something I needed to do before going home and resuming my life.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Take me to the airport.”

  “Why?” Confusion crossed his face.

  “I need to go some place before I go home.”

  Tom took the exit for the airport and found a space in the parking lot. I moved some clothes from my big suitcase to the smaller one.

  As we walked to the terminal, he asked, “Where are you going?”

  “I want to visit the place where I was born.”

  “Why?”

  I put my hand on his arm. “I don’t know. I just need to. I’m going to rent a car and drive out to my old house. Then I’m going to drive back to the airport and come home.”

  “Okay, I’ll go with you.”

  “No, I want to do it by myself.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded.

  “Okay, I’ll stay in Long Beach until you get back.”

  “I thought you had to get back to testify in a court case.”

  “It’s not until Wednesday. I’ve still got a few days. But I’m not staying at the Nordic Inn. I’m getting a room at the Holiday Inn.”

  I smiled. “Okay.”

  “Do you even remember where your house was?” he asked.

  “No, but I know the address. My mom used to joke about it. We lived at 2468 Odd Street, Cartena, Texas. She used to say our numbers were even but our street was odd; it was the perfect place for us to live.”

  He smiled and walked me into the terminal.

  The next flight to Dallas was at twelve-thirty five. I bought a ticket.

  “We’ve got some time before your flight, how about lunch?”

  “No, I’m not hungry.”

  “But I am, humor me.”

  He bought himself a sandwich at a snack area. I got a Diet Coke and we sat down at a small table.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you, Liza?” Tom asked.

  “No, I want to do this myself. It’s a silly thing, but I just feel like I need to go.”

  “Okay.” He handed me his phone. “Take this, just I case I have to get a hold of you or you need to call me.”

  “What are you going to do without a phone?”

  “Enjoy the peace and quiet.” He smiled and took a bite of his sandwich.

  “The flight doesn’t get into Dallas until after seven. I’ll probably have to stay overnight, so I won’t be back until tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s okay, I’ll be here waiting for you.”

  I put my hand on his arm. “Thanks.”

  He shrugged. “For what?”

  “Understanding and accepting that I need to do this, not pressuring to go along, and being here when I get back.”

  He reached over and touched his mother’s ring. “That’s what fiancés do.”

  Thirty minutes later, he walked me to the gate.

  I kissed him, turned my back, and walked down the ramp to the plane. A few minutes later, we took off. I was lucky enough to get a window seat so I spent my time watching the ground, then the clouds, and thinking.

  The email had come from Cartena, Texas. I only lived there for three years so my memories were very few, and I don’t know what I expected to find there. This was probably a waste of time and money.

  We had some thunderstorms in Dallas, so we didn’t land until after nine. I took a shuttle from the airport to a Best Western, changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed. In the morning, I went to the concierge’s desk and they set me up with a rental car. The front desk clerk printed me a map from Mapquest, too. While I waited for the car, I had some breakfast. It was huge and I had the waitress box up my blueberry muffins for later.

  By ten, I raced down the freeway. I had a fresh Diet Coke.

  On the way, Tom called.

  “I’m going to be a little delayed, Tom.”

  “Why?”

  “We didn’t get into town into very late and it took me longer to get a car than I thought. I may have to stay another day, I’m just not sure at this point.”

  “Well, I’ll be here until Tuesday, then I’ll need to head back. I’ve got to be in court at nine Wednesday morning and if I’m late, Judge Parker will skin me alive.”

  “I don’t want you to have to drive all that way by yourself, so I’ll be there by Tuesday morning, no matter what.”

  “Take your time, Liza. I’m very capable of driving home. Just change your flight to Sacramento and I’ll pick you up there.”

  “I’ll let you know. Thanks for understanding.”

  “It’s okay, Liza. Do what you need to do and then come back to me.”

  It took me an hour, counting the three times I took the wrong road, to find my old house. It looked the same as I remembered from the pictures I’d seen. They’d had it built, so Mom had photos from every angle during each project phase.

  I stood outside and stared at the house. A single story, large brick structure with a huge front lawn and two tall dogwood trees. I didn’t remember this place or feel anything about it. Why had I come? It was silly; time to get back to California and my life.

  As I drove out of the area, I spotted the graveyard where my parents were buried. I didn’t want to visit their graves – they weren’t there anyway. But it was beautifully landscaped, covered with huge trees and inviting benches for sitting. I pulled over, grabbed the bag with my muffins in them, and walked through the black iron gates.

  It was very hot, so I sat under the first tree I came to. It was a peaceful place. I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath and enjoyed the quiet and warmth of the day.

  “Hello, Bobby,” I heard him say.

  My body jerked as his voice startled me, but then the hole in my heart created by the pain of losing my parents so long ago, healed and a sensation of contentment flowed through my body.

  I opened my eyes and smiled. “Dad.”

  Chapter 36

  Dad leaned against the tree next to the bench dressed in tan shorts, an obnoxious Hawaiian shirt, and sandals. The hair at his temples had turned grayer but his bright blue eyes glistened and the smile on his face warmed my heart.

  “I told you to call me William,” his smile broadened.

  When he came over, I stood up, and he wrapped his arms around me. It felt so good to be in his arms. I wasn’t an orphan anymore.

  He picked me up and swung me around. “It’s good to see you, honey.”

  I grabbed him tighter. “And Mom? Is she with you?”

  He set me down.

  “Why? Why didn’t you get a hold of me? Where have you been?” I said as I stepped away from him.

  He took my hand. “Grab your muffins and walk with me.”

  We walked for a long time along the path, hand in hand. At first I thought he was taking me to their graves but he turned right at an intersection where we should have gone left.

  Finally he stopped and pointed to a bench. “Have a seat and let’s talk.”

  I had so many questions. I didn’t know where to start.

  “Sit, Liza.”

  And I sat.

  He started to talk, but I put my hand up. “First tell me about Mom. Is she alive, too?”

  He shook his head. “No, she was killed in the plane crash. Well, that’s not exactly true. She was fatally injured in the explosion before the crash. There were two bombs on the plane. It was overkill.”

  “There were two killers who picked up the contract for you.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Well, that explains quite a bit. When we started running, they kept finding us. If there were two killers it would explain how they could be in different places tracking us at the same time.”

  “They didn’t start working together until after they thought they’d killed you and mom. Actually, they got m
arried and became partners.”

  “And you know this how?”

  “They killed Betsy, Melvin and the Philips, too.”

  “They’re all dead?”

  “Yes. It was the picture Mom took.”

  “What picture?”

  “The one with the entire group standing in front where you board the ship. Emily, or Desiree, was with Dorian and Jack or Carl came with Carmelita.”

  Dad shook his head and sat down. “Oh man, I’m confused. Take it slow and tell me from the beginning.”

  I told him everything, from finding the pictures to going on the cruise, meeting Betsy, her death and then everything that happened in Long Beach and the cruise.

  “I never liked the way Dorian looked at your mother, either.”

  I laughed. “He saved my life, Dad. If he hadn’t come out and distracted Emily, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to flatten her with the fire extinguisher.”

  “I still think he’s way too slick.” He picked up my left hand. “Tell me this isn’t from the cop.”

  I nodded.

  “Oh, Bobby. Not a cop.”

  I laughed. “He’s a great guy, Dad. You’d love him. In fact, come back with me and I’ll introduce you to him. He’s waiting in Long Beach for me.”

  Dad shook his head. “I can’t.”

  “Why?”

  “If I surface, then the contract gets updated and I’ve got killers hunting me again.” He touched the side of my face. “I can’t and won’t put you in danger because of me. And besides the cops are looking for me, too.”

  “I know. What’s this about you being an Environmental Terrorist?”

  “Is that what they’re calling me these days?” He chuckled. “And I just thought I was trying to save the planet.”

  “By setting fires and blowing things up?”

  “I set little fires, wreck machinery, and organize rallies. I stay away from explosives. Your mother was much better with them than me.”

  “What?” I stuttered.

  “Yeah, well. Kids don’t know everything about their parents.” He stood.

  “But people get hurt,” I said, thinking about Brian’s parents.

  “No,” he said sternly. “We are very careful. We don’t do anything unless we’re sure the people are out of the buildings. Usually we call in a bomb threat so they’ll clear out the place. That was your mom’s idea, too. It works like a charm. They clear the place out and then the fire starts.”