"Did you ever see stars like that?" Connie asked.
"Never. It's because there's not much air pollution down here, right?"
"Yes, partly. Light pollution's minimal, too, although there is some, this close to the islands. In mid-ocean, the sky's covered with stars from horizon to horizon, unless there's a big moon."
"Do you have any maps?" Sadie asked after a minute or two.
"Sure. We call them charts on a boat. Want me to bring one up for you?"
"Later, maybe. I'd like to get a grasp of where we are, but right now, I'll just settle for being under the stars. Thanks for sharing them with me."
****
"She's somethin', ain't she?" Jonas Pratt said to the man at his table.
"Hell, yeah, I could get used to wakin' up next to her," the burly, unshaven man said as they watched the naked woman swinging herself around the polished brass pole, the rainbow-hued spotlight playing over her glistening flesh.
"Some muscles on that one," he continued, after a few seconds. "Not like that Sadie. Just as well you put her ass to work singin'. She got a cute ass, but that's about it; no damn tits at all."
"Uh-huh," Pratt said, lighting a cigarette, his eyes raking the crowd of sweating men shoving one another as they fought to get close enough to the low stage to stick bills to the girl's oiled skin. Her number finished, she stood as close to the edge of the stage as she could get, blowing kisses to the hooting drunks, turning slowly, thrusting her hips toward them.
"Speakin' of Sadie," Pratt said, laughing at the way the men drooled over the cavorting girl. "I need you to track her down for me."
"You shittin' me, boss? Here I thought she'd done moved in with you."
"Yeah, well, I reckon she got a little confused, is all. Maybe couldn't find her way home, or just forgot who's her daddy. Gettin' paid all that damn money for singin's done gone to her head, I guess."
"You want me to mess her up a little?" The man rubbed his palms together, leering at the dancer as the spotlight followed her offstage. "I mean, nothin' permanent or anything. You know. Just kinda — "
"Maybe. But first, you gotta find out where she went. Then we'll see. Probably better if I tend to her myself; they're like dogs, you know. Only one master. You go slappin' her around, no tellin' what she might think. Shit, she might follow you home. What would you tell your girlfriend?"
"Got any ideas where she might be?"
"No, but I'd start by askin' that damn dyke she's been hangin' around with."
"Her agent?"
"Yeah, that one."
"I don't mind if I do," the man said. "Waste of a damn woman, that one is. She shore don't look like she needs to play on the other side."
"Can't tell nothin' by lookin' at 'em. Just like all them gay boys that hang out in the gym with you, liftin' weights."
"Hey, boss, c'mon. You ain't sayin' — "
"Don't go takin' that personal, Freddy. I know there's a few of you gym rats that's straight. But don't be such a damn bigot. You ain't ever said nothin' 'bout them boys bein' a waste of a man."
"Well, I ... "
"You gotta change with the times, boy. Some of them dykes spend money in my clubs. That's enough to make me believe in that equal-rights shit. But ain't none of them gay boys ever come in here."
"You can't be too sure, boss. You ever seen what goes on back in the — "
"I don't want to know, Freddy. I'm just messin' with you. Go talk to that Leana woman in the mornin', okay?"
"I can't hardly wait; she's hot. Maybe she just don't know what she's — "
"I said talk, Freddy. You can look, but don't touch."
"Aw, come on, boss. You're takin' all the fun out of it."
"I'm tryin' to keep your worthless ass out of trouble."
"Boss, ain't no way a damn broad gonna be able to mix it up with me. I'd whip her ass six ways to — "
"Word is, she's connected. It ain't her personally you gotta worry about."
"So who's she hooked up with?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to find out. Neither do you. She's a businesswoman. Tell her we got more like Sadie where she come from; make it worth her while."
The burly man's eyes narrowed; he pursed his lips and shook his head. "You think maybe she's ... "
"What, Freddy? Spit it out."
"Don't take this the wrong way, boss, but you don't s'pose she done got Sadie battin' for the other — "
Jonas picked up his napkin and dipped it in his drink, using it to wipe Freddy's blood from his knuckles as he watched the big man pick himself up from the floor and shake his head, blinking his eyes, trying to focus. "Just do it, Freddy. Don't let that alligator mouth of yours overload your Chihuahua brain, okay?"
****
"Did you get any rest at all?" Connie asked, as Paul appeared in the companionway opening. She'd been on watch alone for the last couple of hours; Sadie had gotten drowsy and gone below after stargazing for a while.
"Some. I guess I did okay, considering."
"Worried about Maddy?"
"Yes. I know there's nothing I can do, and Larry said not to worry, but still ..."
"I know. Well, it'll be all right. You know that."
Paul nodded, forcing a smile. "What did you learn about Sadie?" He chuckled. "Did she get over her encounter with the flying fish?"
"She did, but she didn't say too much. She was taken by the stars — got sleepy and went below an hour or two ago."
"She tell you where she wants to go?"
"No. She's vague on Caribbean geography, like most of them."
Paul smiled. "So we're just sailing along?"
"Yes. The default destination is Antigua, I guess. She didn't say not to stop there after I told her we'd get in early this morning."
"Hmm. Kind of odd. Did she say how she ended up down here?"
"Her agent suggested it. I'm guessing, but it sounds like she's overwhelmed by whatever's going on in her life. She said she needed a getaway."
"Guy trouble, maybe?"
"Could be. I asked her if there was a man in her life; it kind of seemed appropriate when she remarked on us being newlyweds."
"Uh-huh. How's she know that?"
"I guess it shows; that's what she said, anyway. She laughed and told me she had a lot of experience with relationships."
Paul smiled. "At her age?"
"Hey, she's paying the bills. I'm not going to argue with her."
"No, ma'am. Me, either. So what did she say about the man in her life?"
"She didn't; she was pretty evasive about that."
"You want a cup of coffee?" Paul asked. "I put the kettle on."
"No, thanks. You go ahead."
Paul went below, reappearing in a minute with a steaming cup of coffee.
"Mm. That smells wonderful," Connie said.
"It's not too late."
"No, I think I'll be able to drop off pretty easily. I'd better skip it."
"Okay. Anything I ought to know before I take the watch?"
"No, it's been a delightful evening — never even had to touch the sail trim. She did say one thing that bothered me a little, though."
"What's that?"
"She'd been to St. Barth. When I asked if she wanted to stop there, she said that it held bad memories for her."
"Has she been anywhere else down here?"
"Well, I don't know. She didn't know St. Barth was in the Caribbean."
Paul's eyebrows went up. "Flake?"
"Maybe, but that's what's odd. She doesn't seem ditzy, otherwise." Connie told him about her remark about the Bahamas being part of Florida, based on the way "they" talked about them.
"Who were 'they?'" Paul asked.
"The people she was hanging around with. I guess whoever took her to St. Barth."
"Think she was on drugs?"
"It crossed my mind, but she doesn't seem like the type; she's a nice enough kid. She's just a little off, somehow. Distracted, I guess is the term I'm looking for."<
br />
Paul took a sip of coffee. "I guess it'll all come out eventually. But so far, this is a strange charter."
"You mean because of the hurry to get out of St. Martin?"
"Yes, that coupled with not having any idea where she wanted to go."
Connie studied his face in the dim glow from the instrument panel. "You've got your cop face on," she said, feeling a tingle as the hair on the back of her neck stood up. "I know that look. What are you thinking?"
"Damn. Remind me not to try to hide anything from you."
"You shouldn't need a reminder. Give it up, Lt. Russo."
"She's on the run."
"On the run? What makes you say that?"
"She was in a panic to get out of St. Martin, but she's got nowhere in particular to go. She had a bad experience in St. Barth, didn't want to go back there. She didn't answer your question about the man in her life."
"You don't think she's in trouble with the law, do you?"
He shrugged and took a drink of coffee. "Maybe, but it's more likely she's bugged out on her husband or boyfriend. She doesn't have the markings of an outlaw."
"Why do you say that?"
"Instinct, I guess." He thought about it for a minute. "She's too clean-cut; she doesn't have that squirrely look in her eyes. Looks like a college girl to me — not somebody that's been on the streets, hustling for her keep."
"Hmm," Connie said. "I'll buy the college girl part, but she's pretty shrewd. I'd say she's street-wise."
"Maybe, but if she's been living by her wits, she hasn't been doing it long."
"Why do you say that?"
"She didn't make me for a cop."
"How do you know? She made us for newlyweds."
"Not the same thing at all. She's been around girlfriends getting married, maybe. Maybe she's been married herself recently. If she'd been on the streets, though, she'd have picked me out as a threat. Believe me, after 20 years, I can read the signs. Go get some rest."
"Yes, sir. Call me when you're off Jolly Harbour."
"Aye, skipper. Kiss me goodnight."
Chapter 3
"What's his name, again?" Leana Muñoz asked her receptionist.
"Freddy Thompson," the woman said, her voice so soft over the phone that Leana imagined the man was leaning against the counter in the entrance area, trying to hear what was being said.
"He said you wouldn't know him, but he manages a small club in South Beach."
"Uh-huh. And did he say what he wanted?"
"He said he'd sent you a singer that he thought worked out, one time, and he might have another one for you."
"Okay. Send him in, but interrupt me after two minutes."
"Yes, ma'am." There was a click as the receptionist hung up.
Leana racked her brain; the name Freddy Thompson meant nothing to her.
"Mr. Thompson," she said, looking up from the papers on her desk when the door opened, "I'm afraid I don't — "
"It's Freddy, Leana," the man said, grinning down at her. "I run the Pussy's Tail, down on the south end of Collins." He flipped a card on her desk that bore a caricature of a curvy woman in a red cat suit, flaunting her tail as she faced away, her head turned to peer back over a shoulder.
Leana ignored his outstretched hand, recognizing the name of one of Jonas Pratt's strip joints. This jerk must work for Pratt. "I'm afraid I don't — "
"There's a gal used to work for me," he said, "then she started singin'. I mean, we're a tittie bar; you know, a strip joint, but she could sing real good. She got the DJ to play some old jazz shit for her sets, and she'd sing while she did her thing. 'Fore I knew it, she started drawin' a different crowd; people come to hear her. Business turned to shit; the kinda people come to hear her didn't tip the dancers worth a damn, and I had to fire her ass. I mean, I liked her, personal, but shit, business is business, you know. She was just in the wrong kinda work, see, so I told her to come see you. You done started representin' her, an' she's moved on. That's good. I always like to see my girls do good, you know."
"I'm sure," Leana said, looking at the burly man with the two-day beard. Her lips curled down at the corners as she glared at him. She wrinkled her nose, just to be sure he got her message. "What's her name?"
"Huh?" the oaf asked, his face turning red.
"This girl. The one that's 'done good.' Who is she?"
"Oh, yeah. Sadie Storm."
"Are you serious?" She sneered at him, irritated when he plopped down in her visitor's chair.
"Yeah, I — "
"I think you're full of shit. And what is it you want here, Mr. Tompkins? I'm busy. I don't book talent for 'tittie bars.' You'll have to go — "
"It's Thompson, Freddy Thompson. We owe her some money from the last time she worked; I was hopin' you could tell me where to find her."
"I don't think so. Leave your email address and phone number with the receptionist. We'll let Ms. Storm know."
"Wait, Leana ... " he paused, taken aback by the cold look on her face. "Um, sorry ... Ms. Muñoz, I got another girl what sings good, too. I'se gonna send her to you, but I'se hopin' since Sadie done worked out so good, that maybe you'd see your way clear to a finder's fee. I — "
"Sorry, Ms. Muñoz," the receptionist said, barging in, her heels clicking on the marble floor. "I have your conference call on line three."
"Thanks, Sylvie. Show Mr. Tompkins out, please."
"Thompson," Freddie bleated. "It's Freddy Thomp — "
"Whatever," Leana snarled, turning her back on him and reaching for the phone on her credenza.
Less than a minute later, Sylvie came in and sat down in the visitor's chair, laughing. "What a loser," she said.
"You heard?" Leana asked.
Sylvie nodded. "The intercom was on. He looked pretty rough; I thought you might need security, so I listened in."
"You know who he is?" Leana asked.
"He said he had a club in South Beach."
"Well, maybe he runs it. I don't know, but it belongs to Jonas Pratt. This jerk's one of his flunkies, no doubt."
"Yuck," Sylvie said. "I can't believe Sadie was mixed up with them."
"Yeah. Well, Pratt's not quite as repulsive as that piece of garbage — at least not outwardly. And anyway, she's done with that now."
"You don't think they're going to try to find her?"
"Of course they are. Once that jerk reports in, they're bound to try something else; watch your back, okay?"
"Sure, but isn't there something we can do? I mean, like the cops, or something?"
"Pratt's got half the MBPD on his payroll, but don't worry. I'll make a call to a friend of mine. He'll put the fear of God into Pratt."
****
"I like this outer anchorage better," Sadie said.
"I do, too," Connie agreed. They had just come from the customs dock inside Jolly Harbour, where she had handled the clearance procedures while Paul and Sadie enjoyed the last of the morning's coffee in the cockpit. "There's more privacy out here, and I think the views are better. Wait until you see the sunset this evening."
Connie put the engine in reverse, bringing the boat to a stop where she wanted it to sit once the anchor was down.
Paul was up on the foredeck, watching for her signal. She raised her hands and shrugged, looking around. He nodded, indicating that he liked the spot. She put the boat in gear again and crept forward about three boat-lengths. She let the boat coast to a stop, and Paul released the anchor, giving her a wave when it was on the bottom.
Connie shifted into reverse, and as the boat gained sternway, Paul payed out chain, keeping the least bit of tension on it. When he reached the 90-foot marker, he used the brake on the windlass to stop the chain wheel. The momentum of the boat brought the chain up bar-tight, and he put his right index finger in the air and made a circular motion. Connie cracked the throttle open to dig the anchor in, and they both studied the shoreline for 30 seconds to be sure it was holding. Paul caught her eye and nodded, and Connie th
rottled back and put the transmission in neutral. He set about rigging a snubber to absorb any shock loads from wave action.
"That's like watching a dance routine, or something," Sadie said. "You guys almost read one another's minds, don't you?"
"Well, when it comes to boat handling, we do," Connie said, smiling.
"I think I'll get some sun, before it gets too hot," Sadie said, standing and turning to the companionway.
"Don't forget sunscreen," Connie said. "The UV is much more intense down here; the sunlight has a shorter path through the atmosphere than it does up north. It'll burn you in minutes, if you aren't careful."
"Thanks for the reminder," Sadie said, stepping onto the ladder and disappearing below.
"What's up?" Paul asked, joining Connie in the cockpit.
"She's changing into a swimsuit, I think. She wants to get some sun before it gets too hot."
"Think we're staying here today, then?" he asked.
"Probably. She's tired from the trip, and we might as well get back on a normal schedule ourselves. Why do you ask?"
"I was thinking we should rig the cockpit awning, if we're staying put."
"Good idea; the shade will feel good in a couple of hours. You go ahead and get started on it. I'll lay out a pad for her on the foredeck while you get it ready."
"Get what ready?" Sadie asked, emerging from the companionway in a tiny string bikini.
"The cockpit awning," Connie said, pulling a rolled-up lounge pad from the cockpit locker. "Come on up on the foredeck with me and let's get you set up for your sunbath."
****
"Man, it sure didn't take long for the shit to hit the fan," Jonas said. He spun his swivel chair around to face Freddy, who was just settling himself on the couch.
"Who was that?" Freddy asked.
"Never mind. How long ago did you talk to her?"
"The dyke? 'Bout an hour. Why?"
"She's sure as shit connected to somebody. I've done already had my ass chewed for bothering her. What the hell did you say to her?"
"I was real polite. Shit, I mean I could tell she didn't want me callin' her Leana, so I even made a point of sayin' Ms. Muñoz, and shit like that, even though she looked at me like I was a dog turd."
"You sure you didn't threaten her?"
"Hell, yeah, boss. You told me to treat her real nice. I know how to threaten — I didn't do nothin'. What the — "
Running Under Sail - a Connie Barrera Thriller (Connie Barrera Thrillers Book 5) Page 2