Deceived

by Patricia H. Rushford

  Jennie stopped walking and turned to face him. “You’re right, Dominic, I don’t understand what you’ve been through—at least not completely, but I’m willing to listen and do anything I can to help.”

  Dominic slid his forefinger along her jaw, stopping at her chin to tilt it up. “Are you my friend, Jennie McGrady?”

  Jennie nodded, trying to concentrate on his question instead of on him. “I would like to be.”

  “Hey, you guys, break it up,” Matt called as he and Lisa rounded the corner. Jennie bounced to earth feeling disoriented and disappointed—as if she’d been suddenly awakened from a romantic dream she didn’t want to end. “No smooching on the trail—at least not until we can do it too.” Matt chuckled at his own joke.

  Jennie wished she could have come back with a quick retort, but she was certain Dominic had cast a spell on her. If she said anything now it would probably come out sounding like gibberish. Instead, she just smiled and pretended he hadn’t affected her in the least.

  They waited for Lisa and Matt to catch up, then followed the trail again until it led them to an abandoned lighthouse. The foursome wandered through what had once been a home overlooking the brilliant Caribbean Sea. The house lay in ruins now, the victim of a storm. The lighthouse had fared better but stood deserted and empty. “Neat place,” Lisa said, her gaze traveling over the compound.

  “I don’t know about you guys,” Matt announced, “but after that hike, I’m ready for a swim.”

  Lisa and Dominic seconded Matt’s suggestion to head for the water. Jennie lagged behind. “You go ahead,” she said to Dominic when he reached for her hand. “I want to get a closer look at the house.” Actually, that wasn’t quite true. She really wanted a few minutes alone. Dominic had nearly sent her into emotional overload and Jennie needed time to recover. “I’ll be there as soon as I get a couple of pictures.”

  For a moment she thought Dominic would argue with her, but apparently his desire for a swim outweighed his desire to escort her through a decaying building. Or maybe he needed to put some distance between them as well.

  Jennie wandered along the narrow and at times overgrown path to the main house. She looked at the weathered, sagging timbers, broken windows, and overgrown gardens, trying to imagine what it might have been like twenty years before. There would have been a sloping lawn, she decided, reaching from the sea to the house where the family gathered on Sunday afternoons and children played in the sun. Anytime you wanted, you could sit on wooden chairs in the front yard and watch dolphins cavorting in the Caribbean. Next to the house she envisioned a garden filled with flowering shrubs, birds of paradise, and orchids, and in the center there’d be a fountain.

  A shuffling sound snapped Jennie to attention. Alarm kicked her adrenaline into motion. Someone was there. Relax, McGrady. Of course someone is there. The island has just been invaded by twelve hundred people. It’s probably one of the tour groups.

  The serene mood had been shattered. Time to join the others. She headed back down the trail. When she reached the main road, Jennie turned for one last photo of the estate. As she focused her camera on the scene she noticed a bespectacled figure in a straw hat, tropical shirt, and khaki shorts standing off to the side of the trail.

  Fear blazed through her, setting her nerve endings on fire. She kept the camera against her face, pretending not to notice him. Maybe he isn’t watching you. Maybe the fact that he’s facing your direction is just a coincidence. She shifted the camera slightly, then used the telephoto lens to bring him closer. It was the man who’d been watching her the day before, the same one she’d collided with when she went to the sauna. And now he was coming toward her.

  Jennie snapped the picture, then turned away, pretending not to have noticed him. She’d show Gram and J.B. when they got back to the ship. Jennie passed the lighthouse and quickened her steps.

  Just a few more feet and she’d reach the main road—people. And safety.

  She sensed a presence behind her and started to run. A hand gripped her shoulder.

  11

  Before she could scream, his hand closed over her mouth. “I’m not going to hurt you, Jennie,” he whispered hoarsely. With his free hand he opened her camera, extracted the memory card, and slipped it into his pocket. In the same movement, he pulled her against him, pinning her arms against her sides.

  How did he know her name? Had he been following her? She struggled to get free, but he held her firm, his muscles like granite. That surprised her. From his outward appearance she’d expected him to be flabby. The balding head and sloppy clothes didn’t match the strength in his arms or the fluid moves she’d just witnessed. And something else. He had a gun. She could feel the holster pressing against her back.

  Let me go! Jennie tried to scream. All that escaped was a muffled, “Mmmmph.” She tried kicking his shins, but all she hit was air.

  “I said I wouldn’t hurt you, Jennie. I meant that. I just need to talk to you.”

  Yeah, right. People who aren’t going to hurt you don’t grab you from behind—or try to fry you in a sauna. Jennie went limp, hoping to catch him off guard. Maybe he’d loosen his grip and she could escape. It might have worked if it hadn’t been for his next words.

  “I have a message for you from your father,” he said. Jennie stiffened. Had she heard him right? This is crazy. Dad’s dead. This can’t be happening. It’s just a trick.

  As if hearing her thoughts he added, “It’s true, Jennie. I’m going to let go of you now. But I need your promise that you won’t scream or tell anyone I’ve spoken with you.”

  “Mmmm-hmm.” Jennie nodded in agreement. Maybe she’d comply, maybe not. One thing for certain, she wouldn’t make the mistake of turning her back on him again.

  He let go of her. “Sorry I had to do that. I don’t like having my picture taken.” The hint of a smile cracked his rigid jaw. Jennie wished she could see his eyes. They told a lot about people. Unfortunately, his sunglasses blocked her view. In sizing him up, Jennie decided he was either a criminal or a cop. Her intuition told her it was the latter. That’s nuts, McGrady. A cop wouldn’t have locked you in the sauna. On the other hand, if he wanted her out of the way while he searched her room, he might have.

  “Who are you?” she asked with more confidence than she felt. “And why should I believe you? Gram and J.B. said Dad was dead.”

  “To them he is.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m a friend of your father’s.” He reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a wallet, and flipped it open, revealing an official-looking badge. “Agent Brett Roberts, DEA.”

  “I still don’t understand. What—”

  “Jennie!” Dominic called from farther down the main trail.

  Roberts put a hand out to silence her. “We can’t talk here,” he whispered. “Meet me at midnight behind the fitness center—alone.”

  “Jennie?” Dominic called again. She turned toward the sound of his voice.

  “I’ll be right there,” she yelled, then swung back to tell Roberts she had no intention of meeting him or any other stranger on deck alone at midnight—even if he did work for the government.

  But the mysterious agent had disappeared. Jennie stared down at the useless digital camera. “I have a message from your father,” Roberts had said. Did that mean Dad was alive after all? Hope began to swell in her heart like a rose coming into bloom. No, McGrady, the practical side of her objected. Don’t do this toyourself. Don’t even think it. Roberts hadn’t actually said that Dad was alive. He only said he had a message.

  What was it Roberts had said when she’d mentioned Gram and J.B.? “To them he is.” What exactly did that mean?

  “There you are. We thought you had deserted us.” Dominic’s grin slid away when he reached her. “You are troubled, Jennie. Something has happened, no?”

  Jennie glanced at
the camera again. Should she mention her encounter with Roberts? Maybe Dominic and Matt could go after him. If he had a message from Dad he could give it to her in front of her friends. No. That wasn’t the answer. If he really was an agent and really did have a message from her father, Jennie couldn’t afford to let anything interfere. “Just upset.” She held up the film. “The memory card for my camera is gone.”

  “That is too bad.” He slipped a comforting arm around her shoulder. “You can get another one, no?”

  Jennie nodded. “Yeah, it’s just that I had some good shots on this one.” She shrugged and stuffed it into her camera case, giving Dominic what she hoped was a casual smile. “Oh well, I guess I need to look at the bright side. It only had about ten pictures on it. I can always get more.”

  “I know the ideal place to take photographs.” He led her down the path to an old dock where Lisa lay in the sun and Matt dangled his long tan legs over the side.

  Jennie found an extra memory card in her camera case and inserted it, then took a dozen or so shots of Matt, Dominic, and Lisa and had Lisa take a few of her and Dominic. One of those captured Dominic carrying her to the end of the dock and dropping her in the water.

  Jennie came up sputtering. She pushed her hair outof her face, then sent a wall of water flying in Dominic’s direction. He dove in and Jennie raced away from the dock. They played, swam, and snorkeled for about an hour, then headed back to the picnic area for lunch.

  On the walk back, Jennie felt as though someone had recharged her battery. Part of her excitement had to do with her growing feelings for Dominic. She’d never met anyone quite like him. They were alike in some ways—both had lost a father and were nursing wounds that would never heal.

  Jennie glanced up at Dominic and smiled. He squeezed her hand. Yes, she definitely liked being with Dominic. But that didn’t account for the almost raw energy surging through her that afternoon. She was excited about meeting Roberts again and hearing about Dad.

  They joined Gram and J.B. at one of the many picnic tables for an informal buffet lunch of hamburgers, salads, and fruit; then Matt and Dominic invited the girls to play volleyball.

  “No way,” Lisa informed them as she dumped her paper plate into a trash can and began walking toward the beach. “I’m ready for some good old-fashioned sunbathing.”

  “Why don’t you guys play for a while and check back with us in about an hour,” Jennie suggested. They agreed. “J.B. and I are going to do a little exploring along the beach,” Gram announced. “If you girls plan on lying in the sun, remember to use sunscreen. There’s a bottle in my beach bag.”

  Jennie watched them go, suddenly feeling sad.

  “You feel it too, don’t you, Jennie?” Lisa asked when they began walking again.

  “Feel what?”

  “Like we’re losing Gram.” Lisa lifted her long hair off her neck and held it in a ponytail.

  Jennie shrugged. “Maybe that’s because we are losing her. She won’t be visiting us as much.”

  “Or taking us with her on trips.”

  “Or letting us stay with her because she’s lonely.”

  The cousins looked at each other. “Listen to us.” Lisa dropped her hair and adjusted her shoulder bag. “We should be happy for her and here we are complaining. Maybe we shouldn’t worry about it. Gram won’t just stop being Gram because she’s married. I mean…she and J.B. did ask us to come on this trip.”

  “You’re right,” Jennie agreed. “Gram will always be Gram. And I think J.B. is good for her.”

  “Yeah. Like Mom said, ‘The important thing is for Gram to be happy.’”

  A few minutes later, lathered in sunscreen and stretched out on towels, Jennie and Lisa closed their eyes and gave themselves up to the task of improving their tans. Lying still proved harder work than playing volleyball, and after a few minutes of sun soaking, Jennie bounced to her feet, raced into the water, and swam for about thirty minutes. Returning to their towels, she accidently on purpose dripped all over Lisa’s back.

  Lisa shrieked, then settled back onto the towel. “If you’re trying to get me to move, it won’t work.”

  “I’m going to do some snorkeling out by those rocks.” Jennie pointed to two haystack-shaped mounds that rose out of the turquoise water about halfway between the ship and the beach. “Want to come along?”

  “Oh, do go along, Lisa,” Gram said as she and J.B. seated themselves in their chairs under an umbrella. “We saw some stingrays out there this morning.”

  Lisa wrinkled her nose. “Thanks, but if it’s all the same to you, I’ll stay closer to shore. The little fish I can handle, but I’d just as soon stay away from the big guys. Besides, aren’t they dangerous?”

  “They’re quite friendly, dear. Unless you step on them. With so many tourists feeding them, they’ve almost become domesticated. In fact, they seem to enjoy being petted and admired. They remind me of the dolphins we swam with at the research center.”

  “C’mon, Lisa,” Jennie urged. “If they’re anything like the dolphins, you’ll love them.”

  “Maybe…”

  Jennie retrieved the snorkeling gear from their bags and handed Lisa a set of fins.

  “Okay, you win.”

  After buying a package of squid for the stingrays at the dive shack, Jennie and Lisa swam out toward the rocks, playing peekaboo with parrotfish, needlefish, angels, and a variety of other sea life Jennie had learned about during her trip to Florida with Gram. They snorkeled for half an hour before coming across a stingray. The ray wove between them, gliding through the water like a kite in the wind.

  After a few minutes of swimming, Jenny retrieved some squid from the bag and held it out, letting go as the ray opened its mouth. Lisa tapped Jennie on the shoulder and signaled her to surface. “I’m going in,” she panted. “Matt and Dominic are back. They’ll want to see this guy.” She shook the water from her mask. “I’ll let them know where you are.”

  “Okay,” Jennie said, taking out her mouthpiece. “You coming back out?”

  “I don’t think so. Much more of this and I’ll start growing webs between my fingers.”

  Chuckling, Jennie took a big gulp of air and dove under the surface, turning her attention back to the stingray and offering it more food. She mimicked its fluid movements, feeling wonderfully graceful, as though she’d been cast in an underwater ballet.

  Jennie could have gone on playing with this winged creature for hours, but curiosity was getting the best of her. Matt and Dominic should have been there by now. She surfaced and swam to the side of the rock to rest and see if she could get a better view of the beach, but she didn’t spot the guys. Most likely they were out in the middle somewhere with the twenty or so other snorkelers.

  “Oh well,” she said aloud. “It’s their loss.”

  Jennie resumed her water ballet and swam with the ray until her legs tired. She surfaced to get her breath.

  Alarmed at how far from shore she’d gone, Jennie started back. Something whipped by her right leg. The quick movement startled her. Probably just a fish. Don’t be so jumpy.

  She looked around for her playmate and found him just a few feet to her left. Something brushed past her again. Thud. A spear pierced the ray’s underside. Its frenzied attempt to escape turned the water around them a sickening shade of red. Jennie whipped around, fully intending to disarm the creep who’d shot the gentle animal. Well, maybe not disarm, but she’d certainly turn him in. Spear fishing wasn’t legal in this area.

  Jennie looked around again. No one. Whoever it was had vanished, probably behind one of the many rock formations poking up through the sea floor. And you’d better vanish too, an inner voice warned. That wounded ray is going to attract sharks.

  12

  Jennie’s lungs ached; her arms and legs felt like lead. She stopped swimming and paused to look around. Good, no sharks yet
—at least none with fins showing. Most of the people had gone back to the ship and only a few dozen remained on the beach. The other snorkelers had gone in. Had someone warned them?

  Jennie took a deep breath and leaned her head back.

  She should have climbed onto the rocks and stayed there until the danger had passed, but no, she had to try and make it to shore so she could warn the others.

  She started swimming again, her heart taking up a rhythm that reminded her of the theme song from Jaws. The opening scene of the movie played itself out in the theater of her mind. The shark, circling its prey. Any second now she’d feel its cool, slick skin as he brushed against her legs. He’d make two, maybe three passes. Then…Stop it, McGrady ..Just stop it.

  The beach still lay about fifty yards ahead. Jennie didn’t think she had the strength to swim that far, but maybe she could reach the dock. A short distance to her left the dock stretched about thirty yards into the bay, like a long arm reaching out to help her. Not only was it closer but two familiar figures motioned for her to come in. The third was already swimming toward her.

  When Jennie and Dominic reached the dock, Matt lifted her out and reached down to assist Dominic. “We noticed you were having some trouble out there,” Matt said. “Thought you might need some help.”

  Jennie glanced back to where she’d been swimming. “I did, thanks,” she panted, pulling off her mask and snorkel.

  “Are you all right?” Lisa wrapped a towel around Jennie’s shoulders.

  “Your leg. It is bleeding.” Dominic knelt beside her.

  Jennie shifted her gaze from Dominic’s concerned expression to her thigh. No wonder it burned. Watered­down blood streamed from an inch-long gash.

  “You must have cut it on the rocks.” Lisa grimaced. “Does it hurt?”

  Jennie dabbed at the cut with a corner of the towel. “Burns mostly. But it wasn’t the rocks. Some idiot out there speared a stingray. He missed the first time. That must have been when I got this. I didn’t notice. I was so upset about the ray—and the blood in the water.” She reached up and shoved a mass of wet hair back from her face.