Collin and Lily were at the airport waiting for their plane to come and take them away on their three week vacation in paradise. They had arrived two hours before the flight was due to depart as suggested by the airline. Security had been light and they were through and at their gate with an hour and a half to go. Lily was so excited she was chattering about the house where they were going to be staying and about a brochure she had gotten about Rarotonga.
“Collin, this is so beautiful! Oh, look at this! The water is so blue. Have you ever seen such an abundance of sunshine? Collin you are the most wonderful man in the world to have suggested this place.” She paused long enough to give him a great big hug and a loud kiss on the cheek.
Collin smiled and responded, “Lily you make me excited and happy just being with you. I love you so much! Where is that picture of the water?”
“Collin you’re so sweet. Here.” She handed him the brochure, “The house we’re staying in, the Wrights, you remember, the people we’re switching with? They told me it is on the water. I’m going to get a tan and relax every bit of me! No thinking about work or cares of any kind. Just sunshine and tropical breezes.”
At the mention of Mister and Missus Wright Collin remembered how surprised he had been when Lily told him about the deal to switch homes. Collin had some very expensive equipment in the second bedroom and his photography supplies and printer. He didn’t want anyone to mess with his stuff. Lily had explained this to the Wrights who had agreed to allow Collin to lock that room during the switch. They were obviously getting the shallower end of the exchange but Collin threw in some theater tickets to a show at the Lyric in Baltimore and his season tickets to the Nationals ballpark.
Collin and his friend on the Virginia State Police went together to buy full season tickets each year. They purchased two seats and frequently went to the games together. Other times they gave their tickets to other friends. Home Dugout box seats sold out fast and cost almost $4,000. Collin had to beg Donnie to let him have both seats for all the home games during the time he and Lily would be in the South Pacific. Collin would be buying the beer and hotdogs for the rest of the season. But, it had sealed the deal. Mister Wright was a big baseball fan.
Collin’s thoughts wandered to Shelby and the other girls. He was concerned about the letter he had found in the dorm room at the Gene Search compound. Was Ellen all right? Were the other girls in trouble? The GPS transmitter he had sent with Shelby was still working. Would it lead him to them? Would it be in time?
“Collin? What are you daydreaming about?”
“Huh. Uh, You.”
“Me?” Lily said suspiciously.
“Yeah,” Collin whispered into her ear, “You me and the beach and the moonlight and nobody around and… You know.” He nibbled on her earlobe.
“Collin,” she was also whispering and giggling, “Stop, people are watching. You manly man you.” She slipped her hand into one of his and cuddled her head down into his shoulder. Collin put his chin on top of her head. There was no man luckier than he. This trip was just what they needed -time together to enjoy each other. He was going to have to be very careful when he snuck off to check on Shelby and the girls that Lily didn’t find out!
“Attention passengers on today’s flight to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands by way of Los Angeles. Your plane has arrived at the gate. We will be deplaning the arriving passengers and then preparing the plane for you. Give us about fifteen or twenty minutes and we’ll begin boarding your flight to paradise. Again, we will be boarding flight 479 for Rarotonga in the Cook Islands by way of Los Angeles in about fifteen to twenty minutes. Thank you.”
“Paradise, Collin, paradise.”
“You bet, Sweetie -just for us.”
Lily jumped up. “I’ll be right back. It is a long flight to LA and I think I should visit the ladies room.”
“Don’t take too long. I wouldn’t want to be in paradise without you!”
“You won’t. I’ll be right back!” Lily hurried down the hall between the waiting areas to find the restroom.
Collin pulled out his Blackberry and logged on to his software application to find the location of the GPS transmitter he left with Shelby. When the display opened the dot was still blinking in the Cook Islands. He hoped he wouldn’t lose the signal when they got there. The GPS information was from a satellite link and should still be available to him there but he couldn’t be certain until he tried it. If it didn’t work the Wright’s had Internet access -even paradise had modern technology.
Lily came rushing back to the gate where Collin was waiting. He had put his Blackberry away just in time to keep her from seeing it.
“Attention passengers. Flight 479 to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands by way of Los Angeles is now boarding.”
“Collin. It’s time to board. Are you ready?”
“All passengers come to the gate at this time.”
“Collin, that’s us.”
“Okay, Lily. Here we go.”
Collin grabbed their carry on luggage and walked over to the gate with Lily following closely behind holding their boarding passes. When Lily found the couple on Rarotonga who wanted to switch homes she had splurged on the airfare and booked first class tickets. They would be in comfort and luxury starting now and for the next three weeks.
Chapter Nineteen
Gene Search: A Collin Carter Mystery Page 18