Lost Distinction (Jordan James, PI Series)

by Rachel Sharpe

  Rick left it at that, intimating he would talk to me more later when we were alone and leaving me wondering what he meant by a family feud. We continued our walk and reached the boat moments later. Michelle and Edward were already on board.

  Michelle held a champagne glass in her hand and waved it. “Come on in, the water’s fine.”

  Edward frowned at her as he offered me his hand. He and Rick helped me aboard while the others started walking toward the boat from various locations on the lawn.

  “Have you ever been on a sailboat before?” Edward inquired.

  “Well, no, but I’ve been on a party barge. It was nothing like this.”

  “Okay, Sailing 101,” he exclaimed. “These are the masts. The tall one in front is the main mast,” he pointed to the two tall, vertical steel towers ascending skyward. He then pointed to a line on one of the masts as a strong gust of wind blew. “Those wires coming down from the masts are called the rigging. This is the topping lift. It’s used to hold the boom up when the sail is lowered.” He then nodded at a long, horizontal pole attached to the mast. “That’s the boom. It keeps the foot, or bottom, of the sail flatter when the sail angle is away from the boat’s centerline. And this—”

  Michelle took one last sip of champagne, put the glass down, and interlocked her fingers in her husband’s. He stopped talking, suddenly transfixed by her beauty. “Let me help you keep this simple.” She winked. She then linked arms with me and we walked to the stern. She pointed at the stainless steel railing affixed to the boat. “That’s the guardrail. It keeps you from falling off. Don’t stand too close to it because a strong wind can knock even a ship this size off course and if you’re not prepared or don’t have sea legs as my husband likes to say, you can fall overboard. Lesson complete.”

  Edward rolled his eyes and returned to work, prepping the boat. Pausing, he called out, “If you ever want a real lesson, let me know.”

  Everyone began to climb aboard. The children all ran below deck, laughing and cutting up. Michelle poured herself a second glass of champagne as Nadia climbed aboard gracefully. She glared at Michelle with contempt.

  “Isn’t it a little early for that?”

  Michelle took a sip and smiled sweetly. “Not if I have to spend the entire day with you.”

  With an appalled expression on her face, Nadia stormed off, making her way below deck. Michelle stared after her, frowning. Realizing she had an audience, she explained, “I’m not an alcoholic. I rarely drink at all, actually. It’s just—” She paused and looked over at her husband. “I love Eddie so much. I love the water, too. I’m from Oahu for God’s sake! But sailing and boats.” She trailed off and shut her eyes. “I just don’t like being in a situation where Mother Nature has the upper hand, you know?”

  “You don’t have to explain to me.”

  “You’re right. I don’t owe anyone anything, but I like you so I just wanted to let you know.”

  I smiled and she reciprocated. Realizing I was all right alone, Rick busied himself by helping Edward prep the boat. It was clear by his swift movements without any orders from Edward that he was very familiar with this vessel. George and Stuart went to work helping as well. William saw Michelle and me sitting on the lounge seats and sauntered over. He wore an off-white polo shirt with the collar popped up and orange, plaid shorts with a pair of Sperry’s.

  “Hello, ladies,” he purred, his eyes fixed on me.

  Michelle finished her second champagne and handed him the empty glass as if he were a waiter. “Keep walking.” She shooed him away like a bug. He glared at her, but sulked off without another word. The ambassador and Mrs. Cross walked over and sat beside us.

  “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Mrs. Cross smiled at me.

  I nodded.

  “The weather’s supposed to be clear all weekend so there shouldn’t be any trouble getting back this afternoon,” Mr. Cross chimed in.

  “We’re having dinner at the club tonight,” Mrs. Cross added. Suddenly, a troubled expression replaced her perpetual smile. Her eyes moistened and she added absently, “Our country club. It’s just down the road from the house.”

  “Since I pay for the blasted thing anyway, I figured we may as well use it while we’re in the States,” the ambassador joked. He watched Michelle reach for the champagne bottle again, and frowned. “Are you all right, my dear?”

  Releasing the bottle, she pulled down her sunglasses. “Just peachy.”

  As I sat there, in the back of my mind I kept thinking how odd it was that this family was sailing to Martha’s Vineyard for a fun-filled day trip when their son and brother was missing. I decided to put the thought aside and instead to focus on getting an accurate impression of the family and what, if anything, they knew about Arthur.

  Mrs. Cross excused herself to go to one of the cabins below for a quick nap and the ambassador leaned back, watching the guys get the boat ready to sail. He motioned at Rick. “Richard’s a natural. Must be in the blood. He had never sailed before he came to spend time with us when the boys were teenagers, but he immediately took to it.”

  Rick was checking the rigging. He smiled at me and waved. I waved back. “It looks like he’s enjoying himself. Is Arthur good at sailing?”

  Mr. Cross frowned at the mention of Arthur’s name and pursed his lips. “Not really. He does all right, but he doesn’t enjoy it like the others.”

  I realized Michelle had fallen asleep beside me, most likely from the champagne and large meal. I took the opportunity to press the ambassador for information. “Rick wasn’t very specific when he told me that Arthur was missing. He just said no one has seen or heard from him in a few days. Are you positive that he’s missing? Could he have just gone away for a little while and forgotten to call?”

  Mr. Cross sat up straight, his muscles tensing at the nature of the conversation. “I know that he is missing. He, well, I’m not sure what you’ve heard about him, but Arthur is a bit of an outsider in the family. He doesn’t always come around but he’s good about at least keeping in touch with his mother. We were in close contact lately about a business arrangement. Suddenly the calls stopped. No one has seen or heard from him in five days.”

  “What was the nature of this business arrangement?”

  The ambassador folded his hands on his lap, staring off at the ocean, his eyes glazed. I couldn’t tell if he was ignoring the question or deciding how to answer it. Before he could respond, George hurried over to where we sat and said, “Excuse me. Dad, we’re about ready to cast off. Would you like to check everything to make sure it’s okay?”

  He smiled, relief evident in his eyes. “It’s kind of them to humor their old man. I’m sure that everything is just fine, but I’d be glad to have a look. If you’ll excuse me, Miss James.”

  “Sir?” He turned back. “Do you think we’ll have a chance today to discuss this further?”

  He nodded once, but said nothing else before turning and hurrying over to the wheel. His abrupt departure stirred Michelle and she yawned. Opening her eyes, she inquired, “Did I miss anything? Oh, hell. We haven’t even left yet.”

  The sail across Vineyard Sound took about two hours. It was a very pleasant trip with the exception of the frigid winds that whipped across the deck. Rick wanted to stay with me but I insisted he help his cousins with the sails because I thought it would be good for him. Despite his initial refusal, I could tell he was enjoying himself.

  I took the opportunity to get better acquainted with Michelle, hoping that she might provide, if not more information on Arthur, a greater insight into his bizarre family. The more I got to know her, the more I liked her. She was independent and a truly free spirit. She spent most of the trip talking about Hawaii. We discussed her parents, her older brother and her friends. She related to me the differences between Hawaii and the east coast, wh
ich I found fascinating. I, in turn, talked about where I grew up just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana.

  I could tell the moment I revealed this fact about myself that it made her feel more at ease. Our discussion made the time fly and before I knew it, we had pulled up to Oak Bluffs Harbor where the Cross family maintained their own slip which allowed them access without any difficulty.

  “Good afternoon, sir,” a young man called as he raced down the dock to help Stuart and Edward secure the mooring lines.

  Mr. Cross waved at him. Once the ship was secure, Edward set the gangway, which the ambassador and his wife crossed to the dock. Everyone else followed with Edward and Rick getting off last. I waited for Rick and he, Michelle, Edward and I walked up to the group.

  Everyone stood near a row of buildings together. The ambassador seemed to be discussing some matters with the man who met us. The man was in his late twenties and very tan. His black hair was about as long as William’s and combed to the right, slightly covering his brown eyes. When he saw Rick and me, a perplexed look crossed his face.

  Mr. Cross noticed that everyone was gathered around him. He cleared his throat. “Kathryn, why don’t you and the girls take the children to the carousel?”

  Mrs. Cross recognized the meaning of her husband’s suggestion and immediately ushered Nadia, Jane, Ann and the children inside a waiting vehicle. Apparently, the Cross family always kept a vehicle parked on the island for their many excursions. She turned to us and inquired, “Would you like to come, too? The Flying Horses Carousel is the oldest, continuously-operating merry-go-round in the country. It’s quite delightful.”

  Before we could reply, Michelle interrupted, “We wanted to take them to see the East Chop Light.”

  “You know, that sounds like fun,” William chimed in, a curious grin on his face.

  Michelle raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

  Mrs. Cross seemed unaffected by our refusal and more interested in fulfilling her husband’s request to get everyone away so he could attend to some business. She hurried us along before climbing in the van. Stuart and George headed off together but agreed to meet at the family’s favorite fish and chips restaurant in Edgartown within the hour. As we walked away, I noticed the ferry from Woods Hole departing after dropping off eager tourists, many with cameras in hand.

  I took a quick look at Mr. Cross as we left and noticed his normally-reddish skin whiten as the young man continued to speak with him. I couldn’t help but think there was a connection between the ambassador’s behavior and Arthur’s disappearance. I have never met anyone who appeared so guilty and desperate to hide it.

  As we headed down East Chop Drive, I looked back. My thoughts kept returning to Arthur and wondering if Mr. Cross knew more than he admitted.

  Edward noticed my interest. “You don’t have to worry about my father. Drew has worked for him for a few years now. He’ll take care of him.”

  “Drew?”

  “Yeah, the guy who met us.”

  “Why would your father have an employee on Martha’s Vineyard when he lives in London?”

  “Well, he’s more of a caretaker,” Edward admitted. “Dad has a house in North Tisbury. Drew lives here year round so he maintains it and the cars.”

  Michelle gave him a quick, dubious look but said nothing. We walked in silence and I spent the time getting familiar with my surroundings. Oak Bluffs seemed to be primarily residential, boasting many attractive homes amidst well-maintained wooded areas. As I watched the Woods Hole ferry sail away, Rick took my hand in his. William, for his part, followed at a distance.

  Edward, apparently tired of the silence, pointed at a building and said, “That’s the East Chop Beach Club. We used to do a lot there when I was younger. Dad still belongs to their yacht club but we don’t go as often since he’s out of the country most of the time.”

  “Quite the loss,” William muttered, kicking some loose gravel. Edward ignored him, his attention elsewhere.

  As he stared at the beach house, a tanned man in his mid-thirties with auburn hair squinted in our direction. The sun, bright and warm, shone directly into the man’s eyes but despite this obstacle, he managed to recognize Edward almost immediately. “Judge Cross? What are you doing here?”

  Edward turned to Michelle. She pulled down her sunglasses. “Go on. We’re fine.” I studied her expression. Despite having only known her for a very brief time, I detected a disappointment in her eyes that was thinly-veiled by a half-smile.

  Either Edward was oblivious or he chose not to notice it. He grinned as he hurried toward the man. “I’ll meet you at the lighthouse,” Edward promised before taking off in a sprint. When he reached the man, he shook his hand. “I didn’t know you were a member here.”

  The man nodded enthusiastically and crossed his arms over his thin chest. He was dressed in very preppy attire, sporting a light-pink polo shirt, khaki pants and sandals. “Oh yes, for a few years now. It’s a marvelous club, really. So what brings you here, Your Honor? Vacation?”

  Edward ran his hand through his thick blond hair and nodded. “My father came in from London so we decided to have a mini family reunion.”

  “How wonderful.” The man paused thoughtfully. “Your Honor, I know you’re on vacation and probably don’t want to discuss work—”

  Edward shook his head. “I’m not on the bench right now, Counselor. Please call me Ed. Now what can I do for you?”

  “Well, Ed,” the lawyer replied eagerly, “I was in court when you announced your ruling for the Sutton case and I was very impressed by your judgment. Would you mind explaining how you came to your decision?”

  Edward squared his shoulders and cleared his throat. Suddenly, Michelle put her sunglasses on again, turned and started walking in the direction of the lighthouse. When we were a few blocks away she muttered, “That’s going to take a while. I don’t want you to waste your entire day on Martha’s Vineyard listening to the obsequious fawning of some no-name attorney.”

  Rick and I followed her down the street in silence with William in tow. Although she was, in my opinion, still upset, she hid this fact behind a carefree smile. People we passed along the way did a double take when they saw her.

  She was both beautiful and graceful, exuding the confidence of a movie star blended with the subtle sexuality of a goddess. Rick nodded at her. I understood his meaning and he released my hand. I picked up the pace and walked beside her while Rick slowed down, allowing for some space between us.

  “Are you okay?” I asked cautiously.

  “I’m fine. This is nothing new. Everyone around here knows the Cross family and wants to get close to them. It’s something I’ve gotten used to, I guess. Eddie’s father is an ambassador. His elder brother is a state representative who’s running for their father’s old US senate seat this year.” She shrugged with nonchalance. “I think everyone figures Stuart is a shoe-in for senate and Eddie will inherit his position as representative.”

  I felt a connection to Michelle and my heart went out to her situation. However, I had only started getting to know her that morning. I didn’t know where the boundary lines stood in terms of personal information. A gust of wind enfolded me in its chilly embrace and I crossed my arms. “Is he planning to run?”

  She pulled the right sleeve of the white shirt over her shoulder as it began to fall. “Who knows? He hasn’t told me anything, but Gatlin’s associate, the one who’s organizing Stuart’s campaign, has been talking to him, so I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  “A campaign manager? Isn’t that premature if he hasn’t announced he’s running yet?”

  “Not if you’re a Cross.” Suddenly a group of preteens raced past us, laughing and cutting up. Two girls ran from one longhaired boy, shrieking as he tried to catch them. His friend, who was giving a redhead a piggyback ride, chased after them
.

  A middle-aged woman with short black hair jogged past us moments later. She was wheezing and holding her side. Her brow was furrowed as she screamed at them to stop.

  Michelle watched the exchange, amused. “I hope my kids have that much heart. What about you two?”

  I looked away, hoping that I was not blushing. Behind me, Rick shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. William had picked up the pace and watched our discomfort with amusement. When Rick noticed the grin, his face became stony and William’s smile dropped.

  I glanced at Michelle again and she raised an eyebrow. “I take it you two haven’t discussed children. That’s understandable. Personally, I would like two or three but I want a boy first.”

  “Why a boy first?” I asked.

  “Oh, boys are much easier,” she replied matter-of-factly. “I don’t want to get thrown into combat with a girl before I’ve had a chance to prepare in boot camp with a boy.” She laughed. “Sorry for the military lingo but you get my point. Oh, we’re almost there.”

  The road began to curve sharply and we passed a large two-story house with a barrier of trees beside it that extended to the edge of the street. On the other side of the woods was the East Chop Light.

  The white lighthouse with its black lantern was a striking sight. It stood in the center of a small field with only a few shrubs nearby. Several hundred yards away some brush barely disguised a rocky shoreline that descended into the crystal-clear water.