DNA STALKER: Revenge or Justice? (High Seas Mystery Series Book 4)
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Jason passed out sandwiches as the police arrived to take custody of the two men. Esteban and Amanda joined the suspects on the police cruiser. Everyone on the dive boat settled down as the police cruiser sped away across the water. Munching sandwiches they spread out and chatted quietly.
Emily approached Jason. “I saw you two discussing the case, and understand that you need to meet with members of my family. Let’s meet in my suite for an early dinner at six so that we can converse in private.”
Jason nodded agreement. When Emily returned to her seat he asked, “How did she know what we were discussing?”
Natalia giggled. “She knows how to read lips, a very valuable talent if you ask me.”
“Perhaps I should request lessons. You read minds and she reads lips, so I feel underqualified for this job.” He bit into his ham sandwich and his jaw bulged as he chewed.
Natalia leaned against his shoulder. “We employ you for your gorgeous muscles, darling. It’s very sexy to see you manhandle the suspects.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. He pulled her close and grabbed a bite of her sandwich. “That’s to keep my muscles fed properly.”
She dipped her nimble fingers into his potato chip package. “My talent requires feeding as well.”
“Don’t eat all my crisps,” he mocked, pulling the package away from her. “You haven’t even opened your bag as of yet.”
“I’ll share.” She pulled the edges of the plastic apart and pulled out a large chip, waving it in front of Jason’s lips.
“Mmm, I love a girl who shares,” he mumbled as he crunched into the salty treat.
Natalia licked salt from her fingertips, deep in thought. When the two divers boarded the police boat, her awareness of Grandmother Natasha faded. As she wondered if the danger had passed with the arrest of those men, Rose Martin’s face popped into her mind. She knew the woman wouldn’t stop so easily.
“Who just walked over your grave?” Jason asked, crunching another chip as he scrutinized her grave expression.
“Rose Martin,” Natalia replied. “I believe she’s the ring leader of this group, so the twins are not out of danger.”
Jason nodded. “We’ll remain vigilant for three more days, dearest.”
*****
The ship’s engines rumbled as the Sea Mist left port on an early schedule. Jason and Natalia arrived at Emily’s suite dressed for dinner, Natalia in a slinky black dress and Jason looking suave in a tuxedo. The table was covered with a linen cloth and set with sparkling china and silver. Emily drifted into the room wearing a russet-colored silk pantsuit trimmed in gold threads.
“Fix yourself drinks while we wait for the family. I asked them to arrive at 6:30 so we could discuss the case beforehand.” She gestured at the well-stocked bar and Jason played bartender, fixing a gin and tonic for himself and white wine for Natalia. They settled onto the loveseat while Emily paced with her own glass of wine.
“I just got a call from Miami,” she said. “There was an aborted attack against Pete and Kent. The Latino twins thwarted the attack and arrested four assailants, but I’m afraid the Red Brigade won’t give up.”
Jason ground his teeth and gulped his drink. “It was a daft idea to hold that news conference and I’m ever so glad the Latino twins accompanied the imposters to Miami. I must connect with Esteban and Amanda about future plans.”
“No need,” Esteban said as he entered the room with Amanda. “We finished interviewing de two divers and caught de ship in time. Emily left an invitation for dinner in our room.” He headed toward the bar.
Amanda added, “The bungalow where the Martins stayed was empty by the time we arrived and the red dive boat was tied to its mooring. All evidence is gone but the red boat’s captain is in the hospital with a nasty knife wound. That woman is vicious.”
Natalia shuddered, hearing distant voices clamoring to be acknowledged. “Did you hear about the attack in Miami?” she asked.
Amanda nodded as Esteban delivered a whiskey neat to her. “The boys are fine and we’ve got more gang members to interview. So what are we doing here tonight?”
Jason explained, “We decided it was time to explain the severity of the threat to Felix and Matt. They can’t help us keep them safe if they remain unaware of danger.”
Emily sank into a nearby armchair. “My sister is distraught. She blames herself for organizing this cruise and searching for her sons. If Drew is really still alive, she wants desperately to see him but feels angry at him as well.”
Jason jumped up to answer the door when they heard a tentative knock. Felix and Matt stood speaking with Kate as the door swung open. Jason said, “Right on time, I see.”
The twins wore business suits in grey and blue, while Kate was dressed in a long maroon gown. Natalia watched as Emily greeted her sister with a warm hug, but the twins seemed uncomfortable when she also hugged them.
Felix and Matt sat on bar stools and pointed to the beer bottles when Jason asked what they wanted to drink. Matt took a grateful swig from the open Dos XX bottle and nodded at Felix. “We’re confused about those divers and assume you brought us here to explain. What’s going on?” He stared at Jason and Natalia.
Silence hung heavy in the room until Kate cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to spring this on you like this, but I’m the woman who gave you both up for adoption, your birth mother.” Both men appeared startled but remained silent as she continued, “My parents forced me to make a decision that I’ve regretted every day since. I was young but that is no excuse for caving into pressure. My genetics research company and this whole DNA contest were established to find you both. I’m pleased that you had great parents, but I’d like to know my sons.”
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and both men reached out to touch her shoulders.
“We’re glad to meet you as well,” Felix said. “But how does this explain the attacks against the other twins and on us?”
Jason stepped around the bar. “Apparently those people are trying to wreak revenge against your natural father. They believe he’s a murderer.”
Amanda added, “Your birth father was Drew Kingston and his natural father was Jim Jones, the infamous minister who convinced over nine hundred people to commit suicide in Guyana. A woman named Raven Moon was his paramour at the time. She believes Drew killed Jim Jones and stole a bag filled with jewels, and she has been searching for him for thirty-nine years.”
The twins stared at her in shock. Matt narrowed his eyes and said, “I’m not sure we’re ready to learn all the gory details. If they’re trying to find Drew, why try to kill us?”
Jason answered, “Raven married Hank Martin and she now calls herself Rose Martin. They formed a gang of killers called the Red Brigade to track Drew Kingston and decided to target his sons to draw the man out.”
Kate moaned as she saw distress in her sons’ faces. “If I’d known any of this, I’d never have involved you in my project. Believe me.”
Matt looked thoughtful as he digested the information. “Did those killers think that Pete and Kent were your sons?” As Kate nodded yes, he said, “Now we are the ones in the cross-hairs, and I’m guessing they won’t stop until they get us.”
Felix cracked his knuckles and frowned. “We’ve got to make them stop. I don’t want our wives and children to be in danger because a few crazies are after revenge against a stranger. We’re not to blame for Drew’s actions, even though he might be our birth father.”
A knock at the door made everyone jump. Jason answered and ushered a waiter into the room. Tension hung heavy as the waiter distributed plates filled with steak and succulent vegetables around the table. His eyes darted toward Emily as he finished, and his boss thanked him for his efficient service. She ushered him out of the room.
Felix broke the tension with a loud chuckle. “That was awkward. I really thought a gunman was about to take us all out at once.” He assumed a place at the table and picked
up a steak knife. “Maybe we’d better start carrying weapons, Matt.”
Jason laughed. “You have Homeland Security and Secret Service agents here,” he gestured at Esteban and Amanda, “and I’m ex-Interpol. I think we’ve got you covered.”
Natalia huffed, “I don’t carry weapons, but I’ve got my own talents. That whirlpool today was caused by spirits who are eager to protect us all.”
“Spirits? You mean, like, ghosts?” Matt asked.
Esteban laughed and pointed his steak knife at Amanda. “See? I told you de man say he saw de ghost.” He turned to Natalia and grinned, “Glad to have de help, miss.”
The idea of ghosts seemed to lighten the mood, but Natalia wondered what made her blurt out the information. Was Grandma Natasha nudging her in an effort to help?
Emily commented, “I never believed in ghosts until we bought this particular ship. After spending one night in the Lady’s room, I changed my mind. Kayla and Natalia helped cross Celeste over after solving her murder. She might be a useful guardian.”
Natalia nodded. “Celeste was the ghost who stopped those divers today. She created an underwater turbulence and tossed them to the surface. My Grandma Natasha stayed nearby.”
Felix chewed his steak but Matt asked, “You really believe in ghosts?” His gaze shifted from one person to another at the table.
Kate shrugged. “I thought Drew was dead and always wished that he would contact me from the other side. Now that you think he’s not dead, I just don’t know if ghosts are real.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Amanda stated. “If we’ve got ghosts to help, great, but we must use humans to make a plan for the next three days. We are charged with keeping Matt and Felix safe. What’s our schedule?”
Emily swallowed hard and looked at Kate. “Do we stick with the schedule now that we know about the danger?”
Felix answered, “Yes. We won’t let criminals affect how we lead our lives. Matt and I need this to end, right bro?”
Matt nodded and dabbed a dribble of steak juice off of his chin. “I’m with Felix. What do you want us to do?”
Esteban leaned forward onto his elbows. “Tomorrow we go to barbeque at island in Bahamas, yes? We be ready for Raven Moon and her gang.”
Amanda gave him a thumbs up and Natalia felt a warm glow fill the room.
Emily uncovered a silver dome on the bar. “I thought angel food cake covered with mango preserves would be a fitting dessert. No one is allergic here, right?”
They all laughed and took thick slices of cake.
Chapter 9 ~ Private Island Barbeque
Sandals left imprints in the powdered-sugar sand as Natalia and Jason followed Felix and Matt down the narrow pathway from the pier. She knew that Esteban and Amanda were already stationed at covert locations ahead.
The gentle breeze carried a mouth-watering smoky scent of roasting meat, sure to entice people to swarm the covered courtyard. Buffet tables surrounded the courtyard in the dappled shade created by palm fronds overhead. The shade structure was simple, poles holding up a trellis, but it protected pink skin from the fierce Caribbean sunshine. An assortment of picnic tables nestled in the shade would provide ample dining space for passengers.
A steel-drum band played Caribbean tunes from a raised stage at one end of the courtyard while crew members set up feeding stations and bars around the perimeter. Passengers would soon graze and drink to their hearts’ content.
Available for a rental fee, domed tents were already spread out along a sparkling white beach, looking like colorful fabric clamshells. Kate had rented a large tent for the twins group and waited inside to greet her guests. Emily wandered the grounds directing employees like a general herding the troops.
Felix waved at Penny and Melany as they approached Kate’s tent. The Chinese twins, already dressed in red and blue swimsuits, waved back and scuttled up a sand dune trying to reach the foaming waves on the other side. Suzanne and Tania stretched out on beach lounge chairs next to Kimberly and Patsy, sipping margaritas. A moment later Paul and Abby jogged up to the tent, dripping wet from a recent dip in the ocean.
Paul plopped onto a lounge chair and grabbed his bottle of sunscreen. “You girls should really go for a swim in that delightful water. It’s cool and refreshing.” He squeezed white lotion that smelled of coconut into his hand and passed the bottle to Abby.
She agreed, “A brisk swim makes me enjoy a barbeque so much more.” She finger-combed her wet hair and trickled sunscreen over shapely outstretched legs.
Suzanne laughed and held up a plastic margarita glass tinted green. “We just started our drinks, so we’ll swim after the margaritas are finished, thanks. Don’t want the crushed ice to melt in this fierce sun.” She draped a gauzy cover over her legs and tucked it under her thighs.
Matt and Felix greeted the group as they arrived, followed closely by Jason and Natalia.
Matt dragged a beach chair near Paul and asked, “You getting ready to brave the cold when we return home? It may be a shock to your system after soaking up so much sun.”
Paul nodded as he dug into a cool chest to secure icy water bottles. “I must resume ski training before everything melts. We’ve got special Teflon-coated runs to practice on during summer but it’s not the same.”
Felix suggested, “Come visit my family in Colorado. We’ve got snow on the slopes well into May.” A waiter delivered a margarita and he took a sip, licking salt off the plastic glass rim.
“I might take you up on that. I love skiing in Colorado and the best competitors live there full-time. Swimming keeps my legs toned but I use different muscles on a slalom course.” He clinked water bottles with Abby and gulped a drink of water.
Natalia ducked into the shade under a tent flap and greeted Kate with a warm hug. “You feeling okay after last night’s emotional dinner?” she whispered.
Kate shrugged. “I find myself wondering if Drew is really alive and where he might be now. After all these years, I guess he’s changed a great deal. I might not even recognize the man.”
“After all the excitement dies down, perhaps Jason and I can help you track his whereabouts. We might learn information from members of the Red Brigade after they’re all arrested.”
“Would you really? It would be wonderful to have some professional help for a change. It seems like I’ve been trying to find the people I love all my life. I made such a mess of things as a young girl. Perhaps when the boys are really safe we might all get to know one another,” Kate declared.
She removed her sunglasses and cleaned tear streaks off the lenses with a silk scarf. “You know, I had a letter from Drew’s cousins, Tim and Shirley, about three months ago. They wanted to track him down to sign important family papers. Maybe they found out something that might help in our search. I’ll find their address and send it to you.”
“Really? Why didn’t you mention this before?” Natalia asked.
Kate looked startled. “I didn’t think it was relevant. Why would they want to hurt my boys like those Red Brigade people?”
“I don’t know.” Natalia chewed her lower lip, deep in thought. She remembered greeting a woman named Shirley during check-in. The woman seemed skittish when she delivered her passport. What was her full name? Kingston-Jones—that was it. Then she remembered the brother and sister on the dolphin tour, and knew she needed to tell Jason about this information. She excused herself and moved to touch Jason’s arm. “We need to talk, now,” she said and moved away from the tent.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
Natalia felt butterflies fill her stomach. “Kate just told me that cousins of Drew Kingston contacted her about three months ago, trying to locate him. They claimed they needed Drew to sign some important family documents. A woman named Shirley Kingston-Jones checked in during passengers boarding. Her thoughts were jumbled, and she was deeply concerned about money. I didn’t think anything of it before, but they might be the fat and thin siblings on the dolphin tour.”
Her stomach clenched and Natalia realized something else. “Drew grew up in San Francisco, so the cousins might have lived there as well. Perhaps they were members of the Peoples Temple as teenagers. Do you think Shirley married a relative of Jim Jones?”
“I doubt it. Jones is a very common name, even in Britain,” Jason said, but he frowned. “If those cousins knew members of the Peoples Temple, they might be acquainted with Rose, a.k.a. Raven. Kate was searching for her twin sons, and Shirley might have let that information slip if she spoke with Rose. What’s the name of the other cousin?”
“Tim Kingston, maybe his full name is Timothy.”
Jason typed both versions of the name into his phone and waited for it to search the passenger list. “Tim and Shirley are both on the passenger list for this cruise. They won cruise tickets which sounds suspicious.” He scrutinized people playing in the sand with renewed interest. “They’re probably here today. I’ll advise Esteban and Amanda about this, but you need to stay close to the twins. Don’t let them wander.”
Natalia’s gaze swept the area, noting bathers wading in the surf, two teams playing beach volleyball, and couples wandering on nearby pathways. She rushed back to the tent, relieved to see Felix and Matt relaxing in the sun. She bent close to Matt and whispered, “Jason wants you both to stay put until he gets back.”
“Sure. We’re enjoying the sun, but don’t make us starve to death.” He grinned and his violet blue eyes sparkled with amusement.
“No one’s going to starve on my watch,” Emily stated as she entered the tent. “Mountains of food will be ready in thirty minutes.”
Natalia sat down next to Abby, who turned to her with a worried expression. “Is there more danger to worry about?” she asked.
“Let’s hope not but tell me if you see anything weird.” Natalia licked salt off her margarita glass and enjoyed the tart flavor of citrus and tequila. She tried to keep her eyes open but the bright sun and mesmerizing Caribbean music made her feel drowsy.