Boats and Bad Guys (Dune House Cozy Mystery Series)

by Cindy Bell

  “All right, all right,” Al snapped.

  “Suzie, no,” Mary hissed and grabbed her hand again. She clung to it tightly. “I can't leave you here like this.”

  “You have to,” Suzie said sternly and pulled her hand away. “You know what to do, Mary,” she locked eyes with her friend and held her gaze intently. “You know what to do,” she repeated.

  Mary was trembling as she walked off across the sand. Suzie wasn't even sure if Mary knew how to get back to the populated area of the beach. She could only hope that she would.

  Chapter Seven

  Suzie’s eyes were following Mary until she walked out of sight.

  “There now, let's get moving,” Al said and gave Suzie a little push to her back.

  “Watch it,” Paul warned.

  “Shut your mouth,” George ordered and kicked some sand in Paul's direction.

  Paul met Suzie's eyes for a moment, and then began walking in the direction of the location he thought the map identified. Suzie tried to concentrate on what lay ahead of her, but her mind kept returning to Mary. She was worried she would get lost.

  “It's right down here,” Paul said as he began scaling down along the rocky side of a cliff.

  “Where are you going?” Al demanded. “Are you trying to make us fall?”

  “Look, this is the only way to get to the inlet,” Paul said sternly.

  “Fine,” Al said impatiently.

  “Careful, Suzie,” Paul said as he reached up to help guide her down the face of the rocks.

  Suzie did her best to keep her footing but Paul's hand against her back kept her from slipping when she missed one of the rocks that she was climbing down. When they reached the sandy ground below, she found herself gazing into Paul's gray eyes. They were normally cool and impassive, but in that moment they were full of heat. She wasn't sure if it was because of the situation they were in, or because they were so close. She didn't have the chance to find out.

  “So, where is it?” Al demanded as he stomped through the sand. “All I see is more sand!”

  “It's here,” Paul said patiently. “Just around that bend,” he pointed to another outcropping of rocks.

  “You better not be playing any tricks on me,” Al warned. “I'm in no mood for it. I've waited long enough for what is rightfully mine.”

  Paul looked uneasy as he took Suzie's hand in his and began to lead her along the sand and around the rocks. When they reached the other side there was a long thin inlet of water that was impossible to see from the rocks above. It wound in a lazy pattern from the water's edge.

  “This is it?” George asked skeptically. “Are you sure?”

  “No, I'm not sure,” Paul replied honestly. “I just thought this might be the place, and we were coming to check it out. I have no idea if I was right about it or not.”

  “Well, what next?” Al asked with a frown. “Where's the map?”

  Paul was silent as Al glared at him. Then Al turned his demanding gaze on Suzie.

  “Where's the map?” he asked again, with fury rising in his voice.

  “I said I didn't have a map…” she began to say, but he snapped his hand directly in front of her face, making her jump with fear.

  “Give me the map, or I will take it from you,” he warned her.

  “Suzie,” Paul growled and tightened his grasp on her hand. “Just give it to him,” he insisted.

  Suzie frowned as she knew that the moment she gave the map to Al, she was going to be useless to him. She presumed that at least they would want to keep Paul alive because they would want to use his boat to transport the money.

  There was pleading in Paul's eyes, as if he was silently asking her to trust him. She had never been one to trust easily, considering the things she had witnessed in her life. But there was something about Paul that made her instinctively certain that he had her best interests at heart. Reluctantly, Suzie pulled the map out from under her shirt. In a trembling hand she passed it over to Al.

  “Here it is, finally,” Al said with joy in his voice. “You're much wiser than Alexandria,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “If she would have just given us this map years ago, none of us would be in this mess.”

  “You didn't have to kill her,” Suzie suddenly stated. “She was barely more than a child.”

  “It was an accident,” George said quietly.

  “Shut up, George!” Al shouted. “You don't want to give them more ammunition. Just keep your mouth shut.”

  “I'm sure it was no accident when you shoved her off that cliff,” Suzie challenged, her attention now focusing on George.

  “Suzie,” Paul breathed her name as a warning and she felt his grip tighten on her hand. But it was too late for Suzie to turn back. If she was going to die, she was going to at least find out the truth.

  “First you threw Darren under a bus. You claimed it was his plan, but it never was, was it?” she demanded. “You let him take the fall, because you wanted to get to that money before he could.”

  Al was looking over the map intently. “This is gibberish,” he complained. “It doesn't make any sense.”

  George was still staring straight into Suzie's eyes. It was clear that he was eager to confess to his transgressions.

  “Darren was just a kid, he didn't need all that money,” he muttered. “Besides Al and I did all the work. All he did was drive the getaway car. When everything was going down he told us his wife knew some places that she could stash the cash. So we let him give it to her. But he was only living in Garber for a short time and he never knew exactly where the money was. Said his wife had left a map hidden for him so if something happened to her before he was released he would be able to find the money. But he wouldn’t tell us where the map was, he just said that he knew the money was buried near the cliffs in Garber but nothing more.”

  “Because he knew,” Suzie said with confidence. “He knew that you two would try to con him out of his share, so the location was known by the only person he ever trusted, his young wife, who you hunted down and murdered…”

  “No!” George fumed as Al looked up from the map. “It was an accident!” he insisted. “I went to grab her and…”

  “George!” Al spat his name out and glared at him. “Shut up already! You don't have to answer to her! She's nobody!”

  “But you do have to answer to Alexandria, don't you?” Suzie pressed as Paul observed, his lips half-open with shock at the way she was interrogating George. “And Darren, who was killed in prison because you two pinned the crime on him and he served more time. Now, you think you deserve the money you stole and murdered for?”

  “All I did was reach for her,” George admitted, Suzie was surprised to see tears in his eyes. “She was running from me, she was scared. I reached for her, I wasn't going to hurt her, but she lunged out of my way and went right over the side of the cliff,” his eyes widened in horror as if he was reliving the moment. “I didn't push her,” he breathed out, his voice trembling. “I didn't even touch her.”

  “And that absolves you?” Suzie asked, her voice softer but filled with hatred. “Did you see the shock in her eyes when she was falling, George? Was that worth the money that never even belonged to you?”

  “I,” George swallowed thickly and closed his eyes. That was the moment that Suzie had been waiting for. The moment he closed his eyes, Suzie lunged forward and released Paul's hand. She shoved her full body weight against George, which wasn't much considering he was built like a mountain, and at the same time grabbed the barrel of the gun he was holding. The surprise he experienced at the sudden blow was exactly what Suzie had been hoping for. He released his grasp on the gun for just a split-second, but it was long enough for Suzie to wrench it from his hand.

  “Hey!” Al shouted when he saw what was happening. He tucked the map into his pocket as he lunged for Suzie. Paul was already in the middle of the fray as he tried to deflect Al from grasping Suzie's arm. The four engaged in a tangle of fists, shouts,
and grunts as they struggled over the weapon. Suzie's heart was pounding, and each beat sounded like a gunshot in her ears. She knew that the trigger could be pulled at any moment. She knew that she might have made her final mistake. When she broke free of George she still had the gun in her hand. She raised it as she backed away from the men. She pointed it in the direction of George and Al. Al had his arm slung around Paul's neck and was squeezing.

  “Let him go!” she demanded in the strongest voice she could muster.

  “Drop the gun,” Al challenged, his eyes as hard as granite. “Or I slice his throat.”

  Only then did Suzie see the small blade in Al's hand. He had it pressed against the side of Paul's throat. Her heart immediately sunk. She knew the moment she dropped the gun it would likely be retrieved and used against her. It was not a risk she could take. But she also couldn't let Paul get hurt because of her reckless move. She stared into Paul's eyes, and though she knew he had to be terrified, he offered her a small smile of reassurance.

  “It's okay, Suzie, shoot the scumbag,” he said in a clear even tone.

  Suzie raised the gun and pointed it right at Al's head. Her hand was shaking, but her finger was on the trigger.

  “Drop the knife and let him go,” she said in a stern voice.

  “Like you're going to let him die,” Al chuckled. “Do you think he really wants to die for you?” he asked.

  “Are you going to let him die for you?” Suzie suddenly asked and then pointed the gun directly at George.

  “Drop it!” Al shouted in a panic. Suzie had noticed that Al was protective of George and tolerant of him even when he made mistakes. She presumed that their bond had to be strong for Al to put up with him and want to share the money with him.

  “Let him go,” Suzie said, struggling to keep the fear out of her voice. “Let Paul go, and I'll drop the gun.”

  “Or you'll shoot us both,” Al shouted back, obviously beginning to unravel.

  “I'm not a murderer,” Suzie said calmly. “I'm not going to kill anyone.”

  “Sure,” Al spat back. “George, get the gun from her. She's not going to kill anyone, right?” he said and glanced over at George.

  Paul seized the moment to grab the hand that was holding the blade at his throat. He pulled at it hard, and Al's skinny frame was no match for Paul's powerful muscles. He tugged hard and flung Al over his shoulder twisting his body to encourage the tumble. Al landed hard on the ground and the blade was knocked right out of his hand.

  Suzie scrambled for the blade, and in the process, George grabbed hold of her from behind. He wrenched the gun from her hand, twisting her wrist backward so far that a cry of pain escaped from her lips. He fired off a warning shot straight up into the air.

  “Stop all of this now!” he demanded. He pointed the gun directly at Suzie. “Pick up the blade, Al,” he said calmly as he glared at Paul daring him to make a move.

  Suzie felt her heart sink as she realized that their only chance to escape had just been wasted. George released the safety as he continued to point the gun at Suzie.

  “Shoot her,” Al snapped as he brushed sand off his clothes. “We have the map now, we don't need her. We've still got him to operate the boat.”

  “No!” Paul shouted abruptly and lunged towards Suzie. Suzie was frozen where she stood as the sound of the safety being released had made the fact that she was staring down the barrel of a loaded gun quite real.

  “Don't,” George warned as he swung the gun towards Paul and then pointed it right back at Suzie again. “I'm not shooting anybody,” he said firmly. “Everyone just calm down, you too, Al.”

  “Don't tell me to calm down…” Al began to shout.

  “This is how it happened last time,” George argued. “You promised me no one would have to die this time. Now, as long as they do as they're asked, they shouldn't have to die.”

  Al rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. “Whatever you say, George. Let's just get the cash and get moving before that gunshot gets the attention of the local cops.”

  “All right, all right,” George nodded and gestured with the gun towards Paul. “Move it, take us to the cash before I let Al call the shots again.”

  Paul lowered his eyes and reached for Suzie's hand, but George shoved his hand away before Paul could grasp it. “No more touchy feely,” he insisted. “Just keep walking.”

  Paul glanced up at Suzie briefly, and Suzie saw the pain in his eyes. She knew then that he was sure they were not going to get away. He turned and began walking across the sand.

  “There's a small cavern inside the rocks,” Paul explained quietly as they reached another outcropping of rocks. “It's just about there,” he said as he pointed to a small opening in the rocks.

  “Just about?” Al growled. “Show me exactly where,” he demanded. “You, keep that gun on her, if he tries anything, pull the trigger!” he ordered George.

  George pointed the gun at Suzie again and Suzie felt a shiver climb along her spine. His eyes were just as cruel as they had been when she had first met him.

  Paul spared one more glance in her direction before following Al's command and walking carefully up to the opening in the rocks. He tugged at the cluster of rocks pulling the larger ones free and knocking the smaller ones loose to tumble down along the cliff face. Soon a cavern about the size of a small oven was revealed.

  “Is it in there?” Al asked with excitement as he leaned towards the opening.

  “I can't tell, it's too dark,” Paul said as he peered inside as well.

  Al pulled a flashlight from his pocket and shone it inside the cavern. “I think there’s something at the back. It looks like a piece of wood sticking straight up. I think it has a star drawn on it,” he said in a whisper. He stood back up and pulled out the treasure map from his pocket. He looked at the map. “The star looks exactly like this one,” he said as he pointed to a big star drawn at the top of the treasure map. “I bet you the money is buried under it. I am going to have to crawl in,” he paused a moment and then shook his head.

  “No, you,” he pointed to Suzie. “Get inside there and start digging.”

  Suzie hesitated. She didn't like enclosed spaces. She also didn't like a gun being pointed at her.

  “Now!” Al barked.

  Suzie moved carefully towards the opening. She could feel Paul's watchful eyes on her.

  “Watch it, there are some sharp edges,” Paul warned her.

  “Quiet,” Al snapped. George turned the gun on Paul to keep him quiet.

  “I can't get to the back,” Suzie said, her voice muffled as she was half-way inside the opening. The truth was she could easily get all the way in. But she knew the moment the money was in Al's hands they had nothing to keep them alive.

  “Go in more,” Al said and gave her backside a shove.

  “Don't!” Paul started to say but George stuck the gun right in his face to quiet him.

  “Ouch,” Suzie moaned loudly. “I think I'm stuck!”

  “Are you serious?” Al demanded and stomped his feet in the sand. “This is insane! Get inside, get to the back!” he shouted again.

  “I can't,” Suzie insisted and wiggled her legs a little. “I'm completely stuck! You're going to have to pull me out.”

  Al looked up at the sky and let out a string of curses. “Unbelievable,” he finally sighed. “We'll just have to get some of these other rocks out of the way.”

  He began tugging at the rocks surrounding Suzie. Suzie knew that if he figured out she wasn't actually stuck, he was going to be enraged. She did her best to pretend she was trying to get free.

  “Get over here and help!” Al demanded. George lowered the gun and walked over to Al to help him pull out the rocks. “Not you,” Al growled. “Him!”

  Paul walked up on the other side of Al.

  “Are you okay, Suzie?” he asked with concern.

  Al interrupted before Suzie could answer. “Listen to me, pal, if we don't get her out of here, I'll t
ake her out piece by piece! So, stop talking and start pulling!”

  Paul tugged at the rocks around Suzie's body. She felt his fingers run along her hips, where she was pretending to be wedged. She knew he knew that she wasn't really stuck.

  “Maybe we should just think about this for a moment,” Paul suggested. “If we get some wet sand, maybe we can pack it around her and…”

  “Drop the weapon!” a voice boomed above them. Suzie tensed as she heard the voice. She had no idea who it was, because the rocks muffled the sound of it. She wondered if it could be another criminal there to find the cash.

  “Down on your knees!” the voice shouted.

  Suzie heard a gunshot, and immediately cried out. “Paul? Paul, are you okay?” she asked as she struggled to back out of the hole she had crawled into.

  “Suzie, don't move!” she heard Paul say, but she couldn't be sure if he was hurt or not, she couldn't hear or see anything and she was beginning to panic.

  “Paul?” she called out again, though she kept still. “Paul?” she gasped.

  “It's okay, Suzie, it's okay,” Paul said. “Just be as still as you can, okay? Can you do that for me?”

  “Yes, yes,” she said quickly, relieved to hear him speak again.

  “When they pulled out the other rocks they shifted the weight of the rocks above you,” Paul explained as calmly as he could. “So, if you move too much, they might come down on top of you.”

  “Paul? Who's there? Who shot the gun?” she asked quickly as the danger of her situation began to fully sink in.

  “It's me, Jason,” she heard the other voice say. “It's okay, Suzie, I've got Al and George in handcuffs. Just be still while we figure out how to get you out of there.”

  “Okay,” Suzie said and tried to hold back the tears that were forming. She felt something sliding in along her back.

  “We're putting a wedge in, so that we can make sure the rocks will stay in place,” Paul explained. She felt his hand come to rest on her hip. She knew he was just trying to reassure her, and the warmth, the connection, was exactly what she needed to relax and focus on what needed to be done. “Okay, when I say go, I want you to try to move, just a little bit at a time, okay?”