Rising Tide

by Patricia Twomey Ryan

  ‘I guess you’re right,’ Annie said. She didn’t sound convinced. ‘But …’

  ‘But what if they find someone? I thought about that. I’d come back. I just can’t take the chance of anything happening to Maggie. We’re not that far – and if Thomas needs me I’ll just get on a plane.’

  ‘Of course. You’re right. How could you take that kind of chance?’ Annie said, looking at Maggie. ‘And it isn’t that far away, is it?’ She paused. ‘Will they find someone, do you think?’

  ‘They’re certainly trying,’ Emily answered honestly. ‘They have three-quarters of the force working on this and Thomas has barely slept in the last forty-eight hours. I don’t think the rest of them have either. They just need a break. One could come at any time. But it’s hard.’

  Suddenly Thomas appeared at the front door. ‘Thomas,’ Annie said, ‘we were just talking about you. Come in. Sit down. You look exhausted.’

  He really did, Emily thought.

  ‘Let me fix you a plate,’ Annie said.

  ‘No, no, Annie,’ Thomas said. ‘I don’t really have time. I just came to check on—’

  ‘Thomas, I won’t hear of it,’ Annie said, heading towards the kitchen. ‘Sit down. You have to eat.’

  Thomas came over to Emily and stretched his arms around her. ‘How are you?’

  ‘I’m fine. And Annie’s right, you have to eat. Please, sit.’

  As soon as he sat down, Thomas turned to Peggy. ‘Everything OK?’

  ‘Fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.’

  ‘We saw the press conference,’ Emily said. ‘They certainly are a voracious bunch.’

  Thomas gave a sardonic smile. ‘They are. I don’t mind the questions about the progress we’ve made. I expect those. It’s the rumors. I should be used to it – every time a woman is missing we get the questions about human trafficking. In this case, was it human trafficking gone bad. “Gone bad.” As if human trafficking can go well.’

  ‘We watched the news after the conference,’ Peggy said. ‘You were right. There were pictures of both Maggie and me.’

  ‘The French press is just as bad. Maybe worse,’ Christopher said.

  ‘I’m sorry, Peggy,’ Thomas said. ‘Were they old pictures or taken recently?’

  ‘Recently. The one of me was from the wedding and there was one of Maggie in her stroller. They must have figured out my last name and tracked me down.’

  Thomas’ face fell. ‘I don’t like that. I’ll talk to my people. I thought we had a better perimeter around the Bluffs.’

  ‘I think they might have been taken early this morning. Before the added security.’

  ‘Still, you should rethink staying in—’

  ‘We’re leaving, Thomas,’ Peggy said quietly. ‘Maggie and I.’

  For a moment, Thomas looked stunned. From his expression, Emily wondered how much more difficult this was going to make his investigation. His voice sounded disheartened when he spoke. ‘Well, I can’t say I blame you. And I can’t force you to—’

  ‘I’m sorry, Thomas. I just can’t take the chance that something might happen to Maggie.’

  ‘When are you leaving?’

  ‘Late tomorrow afternoon. We have a four o’clock flight.’

  ‘What’s happening with the investigation, Thomas?’ Emily interrupted. ‘Is there anything new?’

  ‘A few things. We have at least four witnesses who saw Ariana at Charlie’s after midnight, but no one seems to know who she was with. The place was packed. The bartender said she was doing shots of tequila, but he didn’t serve her. Said someone else must have bought them for her. Covering for himself because Ariana clearly looks underage. I’m not sure I believe him. And there’s no way for us to know – things are pretty loose in those bars. But if it’s true, someone was buying those drinks for her.’

  ‘I just can’t imagine Ariana doing shots down at Charlie’s bar,’ Annie said. ‘She’s just a child. She was … she was just a child.’ Her voice was heavy. ‘It seems so unlike her. Were any of her friends with her?’

  ‘It doesn’t look like it, not at this point. Hendricks interviewed the Ashruf girl again. Nothing new. And the de Veer girl, also nothing. But that new girl, Liliana Florek, gave us a bit more. Seems she’s been covering for Ariana. Saying they were together when they weren’t.’

  ‘Does she know who Ariana was with?’ Emily asked.

  Thomas shook his head. ‘She says no. She knew there was a new boyfriend but she didn’t know him. Said Ariana was secretive. But she did say that Ariana had been going to Charlie’s, and she had mentioned once that she had been to Senor Frogs.’ Thomas rubbed his mouth. ‘She says that’s all she knows.’

  He turned to Annie. ‘Have you spoken to Kat since the press conference?’

  ‘A little while ago. Their reaction was what you’d expect. All the rumor and speculation is so painful. They don’t really put much stock in those stories about human trafficking, although nothing’s beyond their imagining at this point. It’s this stuff about Charlie’s; they just can’t imagine her there. But the more they think about this past month – the clues they didn’t pick up, the changes in Ariana, the more they believe that there was a new boyfriend. Kat has spoken to some of Ariana’s friends, but she hasn’t found out much. They all seem to—’

  ‘Believe they’re protecting her by not saying anything.’ Thomas finished Annie’s thought. ‘That’s always the way.’

  ‘And, of course, there’s still the issue of the bracelet. It’s haunting them. And that supposed “expert” on kleptomania? Was that really necessary? Children of privilege and all that. Ariana and her sisters were never spoiled. Yes, they had comfortable lives, but they all had part-time jobs, babysat or were counselors in summer camp. Ariana had worked at the orphanage this past summer. She loved it and was wonderful with the kids.’

  ‘There’s really no way to stop that stuff,’ Thomas said. ‘And I’m sure they’ll be more of it until we can give them something solid. And who knows when that will be? Well, I’d better head back … we have a lot to do. Thanks for the food, Annie. And Peggy, maybe we could talk in the morning. We have some new photos to show you – some from Charlie’s, some of the day staff and a couple from down by Manchebo. Not much, but worth taking a look at.’

  ‘Of course, Thomas. Whatever I can do. I’m sorry but—’

  ‘I understand and you’ve been a great help so far.’

  ‘I’ll walk you out,’ Emily said, getting up from the table.

  There wasn’t much to say. Emily knew Thomas was disappointed about Peggy leaving. ‘She said she’d come back if you needed her.’

  ‘I know she would. It’s just that we have so little to go on.’ Thomas took Emily in his arms. ‘God, I never imagined that our week would end up like this. Will we ever get some time together?’ He kissed her and headed out the door.

  TWENTY-SIX

  ‘I’m exhausted,’ Peggy said as Emily returned. ‘I think it’s time for Maggie and me to head back to our room. She’s so off her schedule and I would love for her to get a good night’s sleep … we have a long day tomorrow.’

  ‘I’ll head back with you. I’m pretty wiped out myself,’ Emily said.

  ‘Well, I think Henri and I will stop down at the beach bar … we can walk that far together,’ Christopher offered.

  Peggy picked Maggie up as Emily started to clear the table. ‘Leave everything,’ Annie said. ‘It will give me something to do.’

  The sky had clouded over but the night was still warm. They walked slowly down the path as Christopher and Henri shared stories of Paris. A kododo blauw, a friendly blue-green lizard, crossed their path and Maggie let out shrieks of laughter. Suddenly, Emily was grateful for the company. She was almost tempted to stop for a drink; it was a relief to be talking about something else and she found that she really enjoyed their company. For a moment, she thought that Peggy, too, might have been tempted. It hadn’t been much of a vacation for any of them.


  The bar was fairly crowded; it usually was at this time of night, but it was a Monday and Emily was sure it would quieten down soon. Guests sat at tables and talked; a group of young people, friends of Sarah and Jon from New York, stood at the bar. Emily and Peggy waved to people they knew and Marietta came over as soon as she saw them.

  ‘I’m so sorry, my dear,’ she said to Peggy. ‘This must be awful for you. It’s disgraceful, really. Thomas should do something about those reporters,’ she continued, turning to Emily. ‘And wouldn’t I love to know how they got those pictures.’ She looked over at Joanne Maitland, who sat at a far table with an elderly couple. If looks could kill, Emily thought, as she saw Joanne quickly leave the bar.

  ‘Marietta, come join us for a drink? Emily? Peggy?’ Christopher asked.

  ‘Oh, we’d love to,’ Marietta answered, waving to Nora to join them.

  Peggy hesitated for a moment. ‘I’d better not,’ she said. ‘Maggie’s exhausted and tomorrow—’

  ‘Count me out, too.’ Emily tried not to sound disappointed. She would have loved to, but she didn’t want Peggy walking back alone.

  It grew quieter and quieter as they walked to the end of the bay beach until they were surrounded by only night sounds; even the soft laughter from the bar was gone. The bushes and palm trees cast dark shadows on the edges of the sand and the creaking of a nearby hammock added an eerie note. There were few stars in the sky and the moon was obscured by passing clouds.

  ‘It seems so lonely,’ Peggy said. ‘I hate to say it, but I can’t wait to go home.’

  Emily also found herself longing for the lights and bustle of the city.

  ‘Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad I came,’ Peggy said. ‘I couldn’t imagine not being at Sarah’s wedding, but—’

  ‘I know. It’s hard to believe that this has happened. I keep trying to get my mind around it, but … have you spoken to Sarah?’

  ‘I did earlier. She’s devastated, like her mother. Feeling somehow responsible, even though … but you know, it was their wedding. Christopher told her there were some pictures from the wedding on tonight’s news. I can’t imagine how—’

  ‘Well, if I read Marietta’s look right,’ Emily said, ‘I think Joanne Maitland is responsible.’

  ‘Ugh. Isn’t that incredible? Just what Martin needs. She’s despicable. Sarah must have been so upset to see them.’

  ‘How is the restaurant doing?’

  ‘Sarah said they’ve felt some repercussions – canceled reservations, fewer walk-ins. Not that they care at this point. And if I know people, that won’t last long. You know what they say – the only bad publicity is no publicity. Still, it seems so unfair that this should spoil their wedding. Do you think that’s all they’ll remember when they look back?’

  ‘I hope not. I hope with time they’ll be able to recapture the images of their day. It was such a beautiful wedding.’

  ‘It was,’ Peggy said as they reached the door to her suite. ‘Well, time for us to head to bed. I don’t have the energy to do anything tonight. Hopefully, I’ll get Maggie to sleep quickly … maybe read a bit. See you in the morning, Emily.’

  ‘Goodnight, Peggy. Get a good night’s sleep. And goodnight to you, little girl,’ Emily said as Maggie waved bye-bye and gave her a toothy grin.

  Peggy looked around the suite. For a moment she thought of straightening up, picking up the toys on the floor and hanging the shirt that was on the doorknob, but she was just too tired. She turned on the low lamp that stood on the night table, giving the suite a soft glow. Maggie’s head rested on her shoulder, her eyes already drooping.

  ‘Come on,’ she said. ‘Time to get you changed.’

  Maggie grinned and giggled as Peggy tickled her belly. She put on Maggie’s favorite PJs – white cotton with bright pink bunnies – and then they sat together on the lounge chair as Maggie scoffed down her cookies and milk.

  ‘OK, little girl, bed time,’ Peggy said, picking her up and carrying her to the small crib that sat in the alcove. She sang a short lullaby and rubbed Maggie’s back, and it was only moments before Maggie fell off to sleep. Peggy tiptoed over to get her own nightgown, trying to not make a sound. She slipped quietly into bed and lay there for a few moments listening to Maggie’s gentle, soft snores. Home tomorrow, she thought, and drifted off to sleep, content.

  Emily put away the clothes she had left out earlier and took a quick shower. The water was warm and drenching, its pressure massaging her weary muscles. She let it pour over her until she felt her body relax and her mind quiet. Getting out, she wrapped a fluffy white towel around her and peered into the mirror. She was taken aback to see the circles under her eyes; circles that mirrored the ones she had noticed tonight on Peggy. She hadn’t realized what a toll this was taking on her. She slipped on a short blue nightgown and headed for the chaise longue.

  There was a little wine left in the bottle on the nightstand, so she poured herself a glass. She was almost too tired to read so she stretched out, her book in her lap, listening to the night sounds. She loved the bright chirp that she had thought were crickets but Thomas told her were tiny tree frogs. She had looked for them as she walked along the paths, but she had yet to spot one. There must be hundreds of them out there, though, since their song drowned out most others. Once or twice she heard the caw of a large bird and a bit later, she again heard the howling of a dog. It was a mournful sound, a contrast to the bright chirp of the frogs. She heard the swish of the bushes in the breeze and a branch scratching on glass. At one point she heard a low thump and peered out the window into the black night. As she listened, she almost envied Peggy going home. There was little release from the darkness that surrounded Ariana’s murder and she was discouraged about Thomas. It was doubtful they were going to get any time together, and it made her feel small to even be thinking about that in the midst of all this.

  Well, no sense dwelling on this; it won’t change anything, she thought. I’m exhausted and it’s making me maudlin. She would feel differently in the morning. Time to get some sleep. She made her way over to the beautiful four-poster bed, pulled back the white spread and crawled between the soft sheets. She was asleep before her head touched the pillow.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  At first, Emily was unsure what woke her up. It was still dark – the middle of the night, but the tree frogs had quit their bright chirping. Her eyes searched the darkness and her ears sought the sound. Crying, she realized, it was just Maggie crying. Poor Peggy, she thought – she had been so hoping that they would both get a good night’s sleep. She looked over at the bedside clock: eleven-fifteen. She rolled over and closed her eyes, again waiting for Maggie’s cries to cease, and after a few minutes she drifted off.

  But it wasn’t long before she heard the cries again. If anything, they became louder. She got up and looked out the window, but there was nothing out there. After about ten minutes she decided she had to check to make sure nothing was wrong. She threw on her light robe and the sandals that she had left by the door and slipped out into the night. The purple skies had turned black, the moon shrouded by a dark cloud and, except for the baby’s cries, everything was silent. She knocked quietly on Peggy’s door.

  ‘Peggy, it’s Emily. Is everything OK?’

  No answer. ‘Peggy,’ she called a bit louder, but the only response was Maggie’s cries as they got shriller. ‘Peggy?’

  She could wait no longer. She gently turned the knob and stepped into Peggy’s suite. She saw Peggy’s form lying in the bed. ‘Peggy,’ she called again, but got no response. She could hear Maggie now, wailing in the alcove. She reached for the switch by the door and turned on the overhead light.

  ‘Oh my God!’ she screamed, once, then twice, stunned by the horrific scene before her − Peggy lying among the white sheets, soaked in her own blood. For a moment Emily staggered against the door, turning her face away, unable to move. The blood rushed to her feet, she gagged and felt her head spin. ‘No, no, oh my God, no,’ she whispe
red into her hands. Rushing towards the bed, she reached down to touch Peggy’s face, only to find it unresponsive.

  She ran into the small alcove, picked up the sobbing Maggie and ran out of the suite. ‘Help!’ she shrieked, her voice shattering the night as she ran down the path. ‘Help … my God, someone help us.’ She stumbled and gripped Maggie to her more tightly. Tears streamed down her face. She ran up to a nearby room and started banging on the door. ‘Help, us, please! Someone help us.’

  In moments, the area was swarming with people. Guests streamed out of their rooms, most half-dressed. ‘What’s wrong?’ they shouted. ‘Who’s screaming? What’s happened?’ Emily crouched on the floor of the nearby room, holding Maggie and trying to calm her. An elderly man, a friend of Annie and Martin’s called up to the main house. ‘We need help down here!’ he yelled. ‘The police, an ambulance. We need help!’

  But Annie and Martin were already on their way down, racing along the path with the three police officers who had been patrolling the grounds. Annie reached the suite first. ‘Emily!’ she cried. ‘What’s …’ But she didn’t even finish when she saw Maggie in Emily’s arms. ‘Peggy. My God, Martin, it’s Peggy.’

  Emily couldn’t focus on what was happening around her. She heard the voices and someone asked her a question, but she couldn’t understand them. An echo, a scream, reverberated in her head. ‘Help us!’ it pounded again and again. But whose voice was it? She sat on the floor, her body trembling, her arms encircling Maggie. Someone reached down and tried to take her. ‘No, leave her!’ Emily cried, rocking back and forth.

  ‘Emily, please.’ They reached again.

  ‘I said no.’

  Soon Maggie fell asleep and Emily grasped the small white throw that was on the bed. She wrapped it around both of them and for a moment she closed her eyes. She thought it would help her shut out the voices around her, but the image that came to her mind was worse. Peggy covered in blood. Someone had killed Peggy. For a long while she couldn’t move. She sat with her head bowed, her hair like a curtain keeping out the world. She stared down at her lap and for the first time noticed the blood on her robe. Peggy’s blood.