When the boat reached their destination, certified guide masters distributed yellow life vests and gave an instructive briefing before cutting them loose.
Clutching her snorkeling mask and tube, Brianna brushed past her toward the swim steps prior to entering the water.
“Brie, don’t forget to inflate your life vest,” Marla called. They wouldn’t need it on the sandbar, three or four feet deep, but where they entered from the boat, the depth could reach over six feet.
Swimming came second nature to Marla. Her mother had given her lessons at a country club in New York, where she’d grown up. They’d joined the club every summer, and she’d been forced to participate in day-camp activities while her mother played Mah-Jongg and her father sat reading the Wall Street Journal. Up north, people didn’t have private pools like residents in South Florida. Child drownings were not a common cause of death for children aged four and younger there, either.
For a moment, she hesitated with her foot on the ladder while tiny waves splashed against the hull. Memories of a past tragedy surfaced to haunt her. If only she hadn’t answered the telephone call she’d been told to expect by Tammy’s parents when she’d baby-sat for the toddler. In those few seconds, the child had climbed from her playpen and fallen into the backyard pool.
“Marla, get a move on,” Brianna yelled from the water.
Gathering her courage, she plunged into the warm sea. The submersion sloughed off her guilt like a cleansing mikveh. “Be careful,” she hollered back, wary of stingrays after the Crocodile Hunter’s accident.
Several other boats bobbed nearby in the water. Small stingrays congregated by the sandbar as though knowing they’d get fed. Tiny fish squiggled past as Marla’s feet found the sandy bottom. She stood waist deep in the water and watched shadowy shapes glide in the current.
“Get some squid, Marla,” Brianna advised, sticking her hand into the bucket their driver held out. Her ponytail hung sopping wet, but the teen’s face radiated such joy that Marla’s own anticipation rose.
“Hold the bait like our guide said, or the stingray will suck your hand,” Marla warned. “Oh, yuck.”
Nearly dropping the slimy chunk of squid, she offered it as instructed. With her other hand, she tentatively touched the top of a stingray that swam close. Its skin felt like sandpaper. The creature allowed her to pick it up in her arms like a baby, but she held it out from her body, afraid it might suck on her flesh or sting her with its barb. Her fingers brushed its smooth underside before she gently released it.
Suddenly Vail was behind her, breathing on her neck. “You’ll have good luck for seven years if you kiss the thing between its eyes, fourteen years if it’s a male.”
She turned into his arms. “No, thanks, I’d rather kiss you.” Buoyed by the water, she did just that until Brianna tagged her.
“Stop it, you guys. We’re here to see the stingrays.”
“This feels so great. I could stay here forever.” Marla ducked down, dipping her shoulders in the warm water. Her companions mimicked her, and they joined hands and danced in a circle, laughing in a sea of contentment.
A holler from their guide brought them back on board their craft. After toweling herself dry, Marla bought rum punches for herself and Dalton and a water bottle for Brianna, plus bags of chips. Feeling sticky, she sat on a bench in the shade and sipped her drink. The boat rocked back and forth, making her queasy. Or maybe she just needed salt replenishment after their exertion. After eating a few potato chips, she addressed the others.
“We could go back to the ship to shower.”
“Don’t be such a wimp, Marla.” Brianna, munching on a Dorito, shot her a glance. “We still have a few hours for shopping.”
“Yeah, but we’re missing lunch,” Vail griped between them.
“You would think about food!” Afraid she’d get too sunburned, Marla put down her plastic cup and wrestled her T-shirt over her head.
“I could meet you back at the ship,” he said, with a hopeful grin. The engine kicked in, and their vessel turned into the wind. They picked up speed and soon bounced over the waves.
“No way, Daddy,” Brianna cried over the ensuing noise. “You promised me a pair of Gucci sunglasses.”
Marla glanced at him in surprise. Usually he tried to restrict his daughter’s spending. “Where do they sell those?” she asked, digging into her bag for the port guide. “Hey, here’s a place where we can grab a quick meal,” she told Dalton, pointing to the map. “It’s just off Harbour Drive. That’s the main drag, so we can wander into the shops from there.”
“Sounds good to me,” Vail said, patting her knee.
Two hours later, Marla stood on the corner of Edward Street near the post office, burdened by several packages and stuffed from eating a grilled burger. She’d spent nearly an hour in the Tortuga rum shop, where she, Brianna, and Dalton” had agreed to meet his parents. Spying an opportunity to get gifts for people at home, she’d bought a selection of rum cakes, tropical coffees, jerk sauce, rum fudge, and liquors.
“Dad and I will meet you down the street,” Vail said, his face pinching in a look of impatience. He hadn’t bought much, just a couple of books on plant life and island history, a souvenir mug, and a pack of hot sauces. “We’ll be inside the artifact store. Dad wants to see the antique treasure coins.”
“Marla,” Kate said, drawing her attention before she could comment, “there’s the duty-free center on the next corner. Didn’t you want to look at their Sorelli jewelry and Swarovski collection?”
“I wanna go in Toucan Tango first,” Brianna said, tugging on Marla’s elbow. “It has some cool souvenir stuff, and I’d like to get a beach towel. I could use another pair of flip-flops, too.”
“Okay, but the duty-free store might have the Guess watch that you want.”
They hustled from store to store, adding purchases, which the men dutifully carried as they shuffled along until John called it quits.
“I’m going back to the ship,” he announced, his shoulders sagging with fatigue. “It’s getting late, and I thought I’d join the virtual reality golf tournament.” His eyes scrunched behind his spectacles, as though he were already imagining himself swinging the club.
“Aren’t there any art places here where you could solicit customers for your stained-glass work, dear?” Kate asked him in a tentative tone.
Marla exchanged a glance with Vail. Well, this was new. She watched John for his response.
The older man coughed. “Irene recommended only one gallery, and I didn’t bring samples along.”
“You could mail them from home.”
“Nah, this place designs pieces in black coral, and the other art galleries in town sell name-brand china and crystal. Believe me, it’s not worth the effort.” He waved a hand in dismissal.
“If you say so.” Kate’s meek tone was so unlike her that Marla gave her a sharp look.
John must have known his wife was trying to please him because he smiled and thrust an arm over her shoulder. “We can get a sundae at the ice cream bar if you come back with me,” he offered.
“Sure thing. I’d like that. Brie, have you finished shopping yet?”
Brianna gave Marla an imploring glance. “I still haven’t found a place that sells the new Britney Spears perfume.”
Marla had in mind a gift she wanted to get for Vail, but she needed to lose him beforehand. “And I’m not done either. We missed the Treasure Chest and Hot Tropics.”
Vail groaned. “Don’t you have enough souvenirs?”
“Look, why don’t you catch the tender with your parents? I promise we’ll be on the next one.”
“I’m not leaving you alone.”
“She won’t be alone, Daddy. I’ll be with her. Can I use my credit card?” Under Marla’s urging, he’d broken down and added his daughter to his credit card account.
He scrutinized Marla’s face, while she plastered on a loopy grin. She was careful not to betray her thoughts with any t
ells, a term she’d learned from Vail. She didn’t show a single twitch, lose eye contact, or move her hands.
“Understand that I’ll come back for you if you’re not on board by four o’clock.”
“Then we don’t have much time. Let’s go, honey.”
She’d satisfied Brianna’s needs and was on her way to buy the crystal stingray she’d seen in one of the gallery windows, thinking it to be the perfect remembrance for Vail of their first cruise together, when she nearly collided with Bob Wolfson, emerging from a bank building.
“Marla, what are you doing here?” He sprang back and grabbed his midsection, a panicked look on his face. Was it her imagination, or had he gained a few pounds in the waistline? Then again, it might just be his wide belt that added the illusion of weight. Or maybe she’d only seen him in loose-fitting shirts before that covered his waistband.
“We’re shopping. Where is Sandy?”
He held his abdomen until he realized she was staring; then he dropped his arm. “We’ve been here before, so Sandy went back on board the ship after our tour. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be on my way before this heat gets to me.” Sweat beaded his brow.
Marla stood in his way. “Is it true that you cruise here every year?”
He gave her a startled glance. “Who told you that?”
“Countess Delacroix, or was it Helen? Sorry, I can’t remember.” She winked at Brianna, hoping the girl would play along. “I’m just so fascinated that the countess owns vanilla plantations,” she babbled. “The land in Mexico has been in her family for generations. I can understand why she wants to buy the adjacent piece of property to expand their operations.”
“What’s your point?”
Where are you getting the money to buy territory in a foreign country? Is the IRS aware of your purchases? Do your visits to Grand Cayman have anything to do with their offshore banking business?
As she sought a tactful way to pose her questions, she was grateful when Brianna cut the silence.
“Marla spotted the countess talking to your wife in the casino,” Brianna said, her expression giving nothing away. Vail’s face also froze into a mask when he questioned suspects, Marla realized. His daughter was becoming a chip off the old block. “Like, it’s so cool that you shmooze with royalty.”
“Madame Delacroix isn’t royalty, kid. She’s a nuisance who won’t take no for an answer. She wants a piece of my nest egg, and I’m not giving her any part of it.”
“Is there anything I can do to help convince her in your favor?” Marla offered, hoping Bob would elaborate his angle.
“Nope.” Scratching his jaw, he regarded her with a puzzled frown. “At least you try to understand. Nobody else gives me that respect. No one.”
“I could understand the game a lot better if you’d tell me the rules.”
He grabbed Marla’s arm. “What you don’t know won’t hurt you, Marla. You too, kid. I may be playing with a curveball, but other folks out there are playing for blood. Stay with your family, and you won’t get in the way.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Brianna said after Bob left them standing in front of the bank.
“Brie, I don’t like your language. Who are you hanging out with that’s using those words?”
The girl shrugged, her ponytail swinging. “It’s no big deal. Everyone my age uses them.”
“Is that so? Well, I don’t want to hear bad words from your mouth, understand? It upsets me, and if you hope to earn respect in the work world someday, you’ll keep your speech clean. As for what’s going on with Bob Wolfson, I wish I knew.”
She dropped the subject during their foray into the nearby Colombian Emeralds store, where Marla bought the crystal stingray. Cruise passengers bustled in the last-minute rush to buy souvenirs before the day’s end. Back outside after making their purchase, Marla and Brianna watched a seagull squawk overhead, soaring beyond the traffic, tourists, and construction.
Marla’s clothes stuck to her back, and she was grateful for the ocean breeze as they trudged toward the harbor. They hopped onto the last tender heading for the Tropical Sun. She had just enough energy left to escort Brianna to her grandparents’ cabin before seeking Dalton and a hot shower.
He bounced up from their bed when she burst into the stateroom. “Thank God,” he cried, reaching her in two quick strides. Grasping her shoulders, he gave her a kiss that was both fierce and passionate. She sniffed his fear for her and sidestepped momentarily to plop her bags onto the couch.
Wrapping her arms around him, she melted into his strong embrace and savored the feeling of having someone care for her.
“I saw Brie safely to your parents’ cabin,” she said after they broke apart. She slipped her T-shirt off her sweaty body and grimaced. “Yuck, I need to get washed. Then I’d like to grab a snack. Did you eat already?” Her stomach rumbled, and she felt weak from dehydration. No way would she make it until dinner two hours from now.
Vail gave her a sheepish grin. “I already ate chicken wings and fries out on deck.”
“Figures. I just want something light, like fruit. Oh, we ran into Bob Wolfson,” she said, wriggling out of her bikini after removing her shorts. “He was coming out of some bank building. The guy wasn’t too happy to see us.”
“Why not?” Vail regarded her from beneath his thick eyebrows. His gaze intensified as he perused her nudity.
“I don’t know what he was doing inside, but he seemed to have gained a few pounds. His belt was buckled on its last hole.”
Vail snickered. “Mine will be too, after a few more meals aboard ship.”
“Has anyone found Brooklyn?”
“Not to my knowledge. I thought we’d ask around together.”
“Okay.” She shivered in an air-conditioned draft. “I’d better get in the shower before I freeze my tuckus off.”
Holding her wet clothing by the thumb and forefinger, she headed for the bathroom. After shaking the sand out over the sink, she rinsed her swimwear, squeezed it dry, and piled it on the counter. Inside the shower was a pullout string that attached to the opposite wall. She’d hang the items on there after cleaning herself.
Washing her hair and shaving her legs required her to maneuver between the sink and the shower. At least the ship hadn’t started moving yet. It was much easier to wash without the rolling motion.
When she emerged from the shower, a towel wrapped around her head, she saw an empty stateroom. Where had Dalton gone? Ah, she saw a note propped on the nightstand.
Brie called. She wants company to get a snack. We’ll meet you at the Outrigger.
Blow-drying her hair, getting dressed, and applying makeup took another half hour. By the time Marla snatched her purse and entered the corridor, only forty-five minutes remained before dinner. The ship had gotten under way, as evidenced by the seesaw movement that made her stagger from side to side like a duck on drugs. Glancing outside, she noted the sky had clouded and rain threatened.
Heading aft, she stopped by the purser’s desk to pick up an extra copy of the daily newsletter. After sticking the paper in her purse, she meandered around to get her bearings and ended up on deck four.
“Marla!” she heard Betsy’s voice call from inside the Nautilus Lounge.
Pausing by a wooden ship’s wheel in a glass display case, Marla searched for her table companion. Rope-lined round cocktail tables receded toward a wall where drapes were drawn over the windows. They didn’t block the slivers of light that illuminated the brunette waving to her.
“Hi, Betsy,” Marla said, sauntering over. Her observant eye took in the girl’s slumped posture, glassy expression, and empty wine goblet. “How was your tour?”
“Great.” Betsy gestured with a limp hand. “I went on the kayaking safari. Met a cute guy, too.”
“So why do you seem so down?” Marla said, torn between wanting to join her family and cheer her friend up.
“Please sit. Do you have a minute?”
She planted a
hand on her stomach. “I’m supposed to hook up with Dalton and his daughter on deck eleven, plus I’m so hungry I could pass out.”
“My treat. I’ll order some nachos. What do you want to drink?”
“A Coke would be great, thanks. What’s up?” Sinking into a chair, she winced inwardly at the thought of Vail’s annoyed reaction when she’d fail to show upstairs. She’d catch him at dinner. Helping a friend in need was more important right now.
“I was browsing in the shops after our excursion.” Betsy cracked her knuckles, while Marla surreptitiously admired the way she’d scrunched her hair. “I saw a Rolex just like my father used to own.”
She paused when the waitress arrived. Marla gave her order, and Betsy requested another glass of Australian Shiraz.
“Don’t tell anyone else about this, please, including your fiancé. I’m just so ashamed.” Twisting her napkin, Betsy glanced toward her feet.
“Go on,” Marla said, with an encouraging smile.
“As I said, the Rolex was like my Dad’s. I needed money, you see, and I didn’t have any other means of getting it. My job sounds fancy, but it doesn’t pay all my bills, and Gloria’s medical expenses came to several thousand dollars. What else could I do?”
“Whoa, you’re going too fast. Who’s Gloria?”
“My baby sister.” Betsy’s gaze lifted, her expression pain filled. “She wanted an abortion, but our parents are religious. We’re Catholic,” she explained, “and Gloria didn’t want them to know. She was right to believe they’d cut off her allowance if they found out.”
“So your sister got pregnant and came to you for money?” Marla struggled to comprehend.
“You got it. I mean, Gloria is still in school. She’s got another year left in college. I couldn’t turn her away, but I didn’t have the cash either.”
“And so…?”
Betsy hung her head. “Dad hardly ever wears his Rolex. He keeps it locked up until he has some fancy affair to attend, and I didn’t see anything listed on Mom’s calendar. So I pawned his watch intending to buy it back before he even noticed it was missing. But when I returned to the shop, the watch was gone. Someone else had bought it.”
Killer Knots Page 18