Masked to Death (A Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery Book 5)

by Christina Freeburn

  Since William wasn’t expecting a tail, he was moseying his way down the sidewalk. I remained a few people back, staying behind someone taller than me. The bright colors of the shops were so inviting, it was hard passing them all by.

  “Come see our hats. Many designs.” A woman called out to me. Many of the stores had a worker outside personally inviting shoppers into the stores, while others held up signs offering deals. I continued forward, weaving out of the way of the workers on the sidewalk.

  Ahead of us were colorful tents. The Vendors Plaza was in front of me. William was a man on a mission. He pushed through the crowd, not looking at any of the shops. He knew exactly the store he wanted, and that was where I wanted to go as well. I picked up my pace, pushing down the wiggle of regret for all the items I bypassed. I loved handmade items and so wanted to bring home something from St. Thomas. But sleuthing came first.

  William paused at a blue and white tent. A heavy rope attached to a pole kept the tent open. Scarves dangled from wire hooks and fluttered in the breeze. He excused himself around a group of women. A row of costume necklaces caught his attention. He picked one out and placed it into a basket. He chose another, glanced at his phone, and then discarded it.

  I edged closer, examining the scarves. Again, he repeated the process. Picked out a necklace, checked his phone, and either placed it back on the rack or dropped it into the basket. I wanted a closer look at the necklaces. I plucked two scarves from the hangers and draped them over my head, making my way into the booth. It wasn’t much of a disguise, but the best I could do under the circumstances. He moved on to the other side of the tent, where wooden bead necklaces were displayed. He grabbed a handful and dropped them into his basket. Not particular about those.

  The necklaces William had perused reminded me of the necklace Ruth had bought. I picked one up. It was a close match, if my memory was good. If only I had a photo. My eyes widened. Photos. I bet William was consulting a photograph he took at the diamond store. He hadn’t been texting. I picked out the two necklaces that most matched the image in my memory.

  William slipped out of the side of the tent. Fury raced through me. The guy couldn’t even be bothered to buy the necklaces. I dropped the ones I held and started after him.

  “Miss? Are you buying those?” The woman stared at my head.

  The scarves. My cheeks flamed. “Yes. I wanted the silver one also.”

  “I get it for you. You stand in line.”

  I did as told, taking off my disguise. I snagged the necklaces I’d put down and also grabbed one that reminded me of the heart necklace I admired earlier. After a few minutes, I was at the front of the line and paid for my items. My grandmothers were getting scarves.

  The plastic basket was discarded a few feet from the booth. I scanned the area. The crowd was large. Where was he? William was wearing what pretty much all the men wore, a light-colored t-shirt, shorts, and a baseball cap.

  Since my height didn’t give much of a vantage point for spotting William, I strained my ears and listened. He had a very distinctive voice.

  “Are these the only blue crystals you have?”

  William. I carefully made my way toward him, using tent poles and people as hiding spots. One man evil-eyed me.

  I smiled. “Spying on my boyfriend. It’s my birthday soon. He’s getting me a surprise.”

  “Wait for the surprise.” The man moved away from me. I shouldn’t promote myself to super spy anytime soon.

  The man shook his head and handed William a sandwich-size baggie full of crystals of different sizes and colors.

  “Nothing lighter? I’m trying to match a dress.”

  A group of rowdy teens walked into the shop, laughing and jostling each other. One of them knocked into a display near me. It clattered to the ground.

  William started to turn. I ducked down and scurried out. I inserted myself into middle of a boisterous party.

  I glanced over my shoulder. William was walking in the opposite direction of me. I peeled away from the group. Two hours left. Plenty of time for visiting a shop or two. My grandmothers would love a rum cake.

  Tugging out my map, I wandered down the street, alternating between what was in front of me and the map. Looked like there was a place off the main road. If I had the map oriented correctly, it was on the left. I veered off the main walkway and into the small alley. Brick stones lined the path. Drat. The map was flipped.

  Feet scuffled behind me. I started to turn. Pain exploded in my head. My knees gave out. Everything turned dark.

  My head and cheek throbbed. The pain felt different. The ache in my head pulsed, like a bad headache trying to decide if it wanted to turn into a migraine. My cheek had a sensation of pins poking into it or tiny bugs biting at my flesh. I scrambled into a sitting position, dusting off my cheek. Pebbles pinged on the rough ground. The air smelled musty. It was dark. I crab-walked backwards, stopping when my back hit a cold wall. Where was I? What happened?

  The what I figured out easily. Someone hit me on the head and ditched me in—that was where the ideas ran out. Slowly, I stood and peered around. Looked like a cellar of some type. I patted my pockets. Still had my cell phone, so my assailant wasn’t robbery-motivated. I ran my finger across the screen. Dread and fear wrangled for control. Thirty minutes. I had a half hour to find my way back to the ship or be left behind. Tears waved the image on my phone. I lost an hour of my life and I didn’t know where I was. Or how to get out.

  Don’t give up. Think. Settle down, I thought. I drew in some breaths, regretting the deep inhale as the musty air filled my lungs. I got myself into this; I surely was capable of getting out. I turned on the flashlight app and took in my surroundings. Stairs. I made my way up and pushed on the wooden door. It didn’t budge. Either it was locked or someone put something on top of it.

  I moved the light around the room. The cellar was empty. That was a plus. No creepy crawlies. No torture devices. Nothing indicating someone came here regularly. Maybe that was a negative. If no one came down here, who knew how long I’d be stuck. I had a phone. This was definitely a time to call Ted. The roaming warning popped up and the bars for service flickered between none and barely any service. I shuffled around the room, hoping for a service spot.

  A scratching sound drifted down. A thump followed. My heart pounded, matching the beat in my head. There was nowhere to hide. I turned off the light and shoved the phone into my pocket. I scrambled for the shadows in the back of the cellar. I nearly tripped over an item in the corner. I picked it up. My tote bag. I draped the strap of the bag crosswise over my shoulder and shoved my hand inside. The silky material of the scarves slipped through my fingers. I dug deeper. My fingers bumped against my wallet. No jewelry. Why were the costume jewelry pieces worth stealing and not my phone and money?

  The trap door opened. I shuffled through the dark patches, angling for the best spot to get the jump on my captor. I’d knock him down, then get out of there and find a police officer. Anyone. I wasn’t picky.

  A foot touched the first step. “Faith?” John leaned over.

  He’d work. “I’m here.” I went up the stairs. The sunlight blinded me. I squeezed my eyes and turned my head.

  John grabbed hold of my hand and ran, dragging me with him. I blinked, trying to adjust to the light. I stumbled. My brain and feet were not quite coordinated at his pace.

  “Thank God I found you,” John said.

  I seconded the sentiment. I looked over my shoulder. No one was following us. Escape was too easy. They hadn’t wanted me, just the items I purchased. “I bought some costume jewelry pieces from a shop William was at and whoever attacked me stole them. The necklaces are a good match to the one he convinced Ruth to buy at the jewelry store.”

  “That doesn’t matter now. Let’s get out of here.”

  “How did you find me?”

  “I’ll explain later. Save your breath for running. We have a long way back to the dock. Time is ticking away.”


  “The ship won’t leave us.”

  The quick look he threw over his shoulder said, “In a heartbeat.”

  A stitch was already developing in my side and every footfall echoed in my aching head. I lost my footing and almost crashed to the ground.

  John tucked me into his side, keeping a strong hold around my shoulders. His features were pinched and worry blazed in his green eyes. I was getting the impression we weren’t going to make it back in time. If John went ahead, he’d be able to stop the cruise with a quick word to Odessa. I was sure she wouldn’t want me left on St. Thomas. Her granddaughter, on the other hand, probably wished it.

  “Go. I’m holding us up. I’ll get there. Ask them to wait a little bit.”

  “I’m not leaving you. It’s not safe.”

  “They got what they wanted. Jewelry I bought at the Vendors Plaza.” I tugged up a corner of the strap of the tote.

  “I’m not leaving you behind.” He had a strong hold around my shoulders. “So don’t get any ideas of ditching me. I never leave a partner behind.”

  “We’ll both end up stuck on the island.”

  “It’s a beautiful island. We can catch the ship at the next port.” He slowed our pace. “Do you have your passport?”

  “On the ship.”

  John grimaced. “Second rule of cruising, always bring your passport when you get off at a port.”

  “I’m not much of a traveler. What’s the first rule?”

  “Don’t miss the ship.”

  “You have to go. Stop the ship from leaving.” I heard the panic in my voice. “I don’t want to stay here.” An extra day on a beautiful island wasn’t too awful, but someone here hurt me. Or they were back on the ship. William’s name emblazoned in my mind like a neon sign. He knew my plans. Matter of fact, he prompted Ruth to start the interrogation and acted like he wasn’t interested in my answers.

  “That’s not an option.” John stopped us. “I think I found our answer.”

  A few feet away from us, a young man was strapping a package onto the back of a moped.

  “I don’t think stealing transportation is a good solution.”

  “I’m renting it. Wait here.” John squeezed my shoulder and ran over to the young man. He took out his wallet and pointed at me, then the moped. The young man looked thoughtfully at me. He answered John. John flashed some dollar bills. The young man shook his head. More bills came out. The guy’s mouth twisted. The negotiations were intense. John shoved the money back into his wallet and pulled two crumbled bills from his pocket. He smoothed the bills out, presenting them to the young man. The guy’s eyes widened. Quickly, he untied his package and motioned for John to take it.

  We had a ride.

  “Hop on. We have just enough time.” John turned the key.

  I climbed on.

  John took off, weaving through the crowd. I held onto his waist for dear life. People shouted at us. Or rather, at him. He was the driver. I was just a passenger on the bat-out-of-hell race to the dock. My bag slapped against my leg. I hoisted it up so it didn’t interfere with John’s driving and pitch us both to the road. I was in enough pain. The pounding in my head settled down into a dull ache. A few aspirins and I’d feel better.

  The road changed into a white concrete walkway. Soon after, I spotted the cruise ships. The Serenade was the last one at the end. Crew members from various ships stood on the walkway, beckoning for stranglers—including John and me—to hurry.

  “Seven minutes. Seven minutes,” voices with various accents bellowed toward us.

  John stopped near a small guard shack. “Go. I’ll see you later on the boat.”

  “What about not leaving anyone behind?” I slid off the moped.

  “You’re not.”

  “We’re in this together.”

  “Not after today. You’re fired.”

  “I’m what?”

  “I no longer need your help. I got this. Go. I want to make sure the guy I borrowed this from gets it back.” John patted the bars. “And it won’t be good if we walk onboard at the same time.”

  “You think the security personnel are going to tattle to Odessa?”

  “No, but you have about six minutes to get yourself onboard. When passengers haven’t returned, announcements are made to see if maybe their cards didn’t register correctly.”

  I cringed. I understood. Now. “Ted has heard my name. He’ll be waiting for me.”

  “Get on the ship so I can.”

  I ran for the Serenade, knowing John was walking a few yards behind me. I had to get Ted away from the security area so his father could re-board without any problems. The first guard glanced at my ID and keycard before shooing me to the second security guard that was on the ship. “Hope you enjoyed your shopping.”

  I rushed up the ramp, breathing a little easier now that I was officially on the boat. I handed over my keycard and ID card.

  “Made it in time,” the woman said, scanning my keycard. “I’d advise you not to cut it so close tomorrow.”

  “She won’t.” Ted’s tone held a deep rumble. I knew it well. His emotions had been all over the place and he was holding them in. I hurried toward him, wanting nothing more than his arms around me.

  “What kept you?” Ted asked, tilting my chin up.

  I went with a partial truth. “I slipped and banged my head. It gave me a massive headache, so I had to rest for a bit.”

  “Are you all right, sweetheart?” Ted drew me into his arms.

  The security guard was at our side. “Are you feeling all okay? The infirmary is down the hall. The doctor can take a look at your injury.”

  John peered into the ship.

  I leaned heavily against Ted. “Maybe I should. I’d like to get an ice pack.”

  “I can call for a wheelchair.”

  Ted scooped me up. “I’ll take her.”

  I rested my head on his shoulder and snuggled into his chest. His heart thumped against my cheek. Heaven. Sadly, it was a short walk. Ted set me on my feet and tipped my face up. His eyes were troubled.

  “I’m fine.” I stood on my toes and kissed his lips, letting the pressure linger for a few seconds. “I’m sure all the running to get on the ship rattled my brain some. I’m much better now.”

  “Don’t trust him.” Ted tucked my hair behind my ears. His hands lingered on my ears, turning one of the studs. Worry shone in his green eyes.

  “What?”

  “My father. I saw him. Whatever delayed you had to do with him.”

  I didn’t bother to argue. “I was lost and your father found me. He made sure I got back here.”

  “Why do I have a feeling that truth is covering up some other truth?”

  “Please don’t worry about me. I don’t trust your dad. But you should trust me.”

  “I do…to find a heck load of trouble.” Ted held my hand. “You should change for dinner. Your clothes are a little dirty.”

  “I fell. The ground is dirty.” I pulled away from him. “I can find my way back. I won’t get lost.”

  “Not lost, sidetracked.”

  “What do you think I have planned?”

  “Finding out why Ronnie jumped.”

  I remained silent. The man was right. I wasn’t going to agree or argue with him. I used the stairs, hoping along the way Ted decided I’d make him late and leave for his room. It didn’t work. Halfway up, I was glad Ted stayed with me as I was feeling a little light-headed. Two floors until my destination, I wrapped my arm around his waist, needing the support and comfort his body provided.

  We reached my floor. High-pitched wails greeted us. Two little boys stood in the middle of the hallway, near what had been Ronnie’s room, and cried as their mom tugged on their hands.

  “We’ll be late for the show,” the mom said. “I have candy.”

  The boys screeched and turned themselves into limp rag dolls.

  “Can I be some assistance?” Ted asked, offering the mom a sympathetic smile. “It seems the
floor is a little too hot for their feet.”

  The mother brushed back strands of hair from her forehead. “They think there’s a ghost in that room. We’ve heard some noises. Scuffling sounds and faint singing have come from there. Poor woman.”

  “She’s coming back to eat us!” one of the boys bellowed, laying on the floor, one arm raised as his mother still held that hand.

  “There isn’t a ghost in there,” Ted said.

  “Besides,” I added, “ghosts don’t eat people. Zombies do.”

  The mother threw a you’re-not-helping look at me.

  “Maybe she’s a zombie,” the littler one said.

  “Can’t be,” I said. “Zombies don’t sing. They groan.”

  The boys nodded and pushed themselves off the floor. “Zombies would be better. We could light it on fire to kill it.”

  “No fires,” Ted said. “The captain won’t like it.”

  “He wouldn’t like zombies on his ship either,” the oldest one said, defending their plan.

  “There are no ghosts or zombies on the ship.” The mom’s exasperation was coming through loud and clear. Our help wasn’t quite so helpful.

  “The captain is having her stuff packed up. That’s what you heard,” Ted said.

  The boys weren’t buying it. “We hear it all the time. Even at night. Real dark at night.”

  I squatted down. Two pairs of blue eyes stared into mine. “Ted…my guy here…is a detective. What you heard is someone cleaning out the room. That’s all.”

  The little boys were still skeptical.

  “I promise. He knows his stuff.”

  “I’ll patrol the floor tonight if that would make you feel better,” Ted said.

  “You can stop ghosts?” the oldest boy asked.

  Ted smiled. “Sure can. I have a special zapper. I’ll bring it down and have it set up.”

  The youngest grinned and bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. “Can we have one? You can’t be out here all night. You need sleep.”

  “Sure. But it’ll look like a small flashlight,” Ted winked at the boys. “To fool the ghosts.”