Deadly Deceit: Jess Turner in the Caribbean (Diplomatic Crime Book 2)

by Jean Harrod

  *

  Hurricane planning checklist laid on the table, and pen in hand, Jess looked around. On her instructions, all the local staff had been invited to the meeting, including the gardeners who looked after the grounds. But she might just as well not have bothered because Alvita answered every question directed at them. And they were happy to let her.

  “Have all the dead tree branches near the office and Residence been cut back?” Jess asked the head gardener, an old Haitian man. “We don’t want them flying around and causing damage.”

  He looked down.

  “Yes,” Alvita replied. “All the gutters have been cleared and secured too.”

  Jess studied the old man while his eyes were averted. She couldn’t see any difference between his features and the locals. His hair was just as curly, and his skin as black. He was more wrinkled from working out in the sun all day, but who wouldn’t be?

  “So where do we keep the hurricane shutters for the windows?” she asked.

  Alvita piped up: “The boards for the office windows are in the store room round the back. The Residence ones are in the garage.”

  Jess ticked that off her checklist. “What about battery operated radios? How many have we got?”

  “Four,” Alvita said. “Two in the Residence, and two here.”

  “Have we got a supply of spare batteries?”

  “Yes,” Sally answered this time. “They arrived last week.”

  Jess nodded. “Do the radios have the local emergency frequency stuck to them somewhere?”

  Alvita frowned at her.

  “I’m not a complete novice, Alvita,” Jess said. “I was working on the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, when a cyclone hit. The electricity and phones were cut immediately, and the only form of communication was battery operated radio, on an emergency frequency.”

  Alvita looked down.

  “What about drinking water containers?” Jess knew the water supply would be cut off too, or at least contaminated. “Where are they kept?”

  “I wouldn’t drink out of the old ones we have in the store room,” Sally said.

  “They’re fine,” Alvita replied.

  It was only then that Jess noticed a red mark on Alvita’s cheek, or was it a scratch? “Let’s buy a few new ones, assuming the shops haven’t sold out by now.”

  Alvita shook her head. “There’s really no need.”

  “Just do it, please!”

  Alvita nodded.

  “Good... now, do we have candles, and battery operated lanterns?” Jess asked. “And a good supply of batteries?”

  Sally nodded. “I got some spare batteries for the lanterns too.”

  “Good. What about stocks of tinned and dried foods?” Jess looked around the table. “Have you all stocked up at home?”

  The local staff averted their eyes, which Jess took to mean they hadn’t. Of course, they lived with the constant threat of hurricanes, and took the risk in their stride. Still, she’d raised the issue, it was up to them what they did in their own homes. She made a note to talk to Maggie about Residence stocks though.

  She looked up. “Where’s the Disaster Management Centre on Grand Turk?”

  “On the Ridge, near the lighthouse,” Alvita replied.

  Jess frowned, she hadn’t seen it when she was up there with the Police Commissioner. “Let’s go up after lunch, Alvita. You can show me where it is. We’ll make sure everything’s in working order while we’re up there.”

  Alvita looked surprised. “All right.”

  “Good, well that’s everything on my list for now. Has anyone got anything else to say?”

  The staff all looked away again.

  “Good,” she said. “If there’s nothing else, we’ll draw the meeting to a close.”

  Everyone leapt to their feet without another word, and filed out.

  Sally was about to get up too.

  “Not you, Sally,” Jess said. “I want to talk to you in the Governor’s office. It’s more private in there.”

  “Okay,” Sally said. “I’ll get us some coffee first.”

  “Forget the coffee.” Jess walked down the corridor, with Sally trailing behind her.

  “Shut the door.” Jess sat down behind the Governor’s desk.

  Sally did as she was told, and sat down in a chair on the other side of the desk. The secretive smile that had hung on her lips throughout the hurricane planning meeting faded as she looked at Jess.

  “Is there something wrong?” she asked.

  Jess put her elbows on the desk and looked at her. “You tell me.”

  Sally’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

  “Oh I think you do.”

  A faint look of alarm flitted across Sally’s face.

  “You’re good at keeping secrets, aren’t you?” Jess went on.

  “I-I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Well, let’s see if you can remember what happened last night. Or in the middle of the night, to be precise.” Jess paused. “Do you sleepwalk, Sally?”

  “Oh.” Sally squirmed in her chair. “You mean me going for a walk. Sorry if I woke you, I have trouble sleeping.”

  Jess could feel her irritation bubbling up. She looked at her watch. “You have precisely two minutes to tell me exactly what’s going on.” She kept her voice low and firm. “Otherwise, you’ll be on the first plane home to London.”

  Sally flinched.

  “I won’t have a UK based member of staff behaving lewdly in public.”

  Sally paled. “You saw us?”

  “Yes.”

  Sally had the decency to look shamefaced. “I’m sorry, Jess. It won’t happen again.”

  “You’re right it won’t.” Jess snapped. “And the only secrets you should be keeping are those belonging to the British Government.”

  Sally slumped down in the chair when she realised Jess had not only seen, but heard everything too.

  Jess raised her eyebrows. “So?”

  “I wanted to tell you, Jess, but Brad made me keep quiet.”

  Jess knew that much was true. “It looked like you enjoyed every minute of that coercion.”

  Sally blushed and looked away.

  “If Brad has that kind of control over you, Sally, your position here is compromised. You need to go back to the UK.”

  Sally’s face fell. “No, Jess. Please.” The seriousness of her situation struck home. “I want to stay here.”

  “Then you’d better tell me what this secret is the two of you share. Then we’ll decide what’s best to do in the circumstances.”

  Sally bit her quivering lip.

  Jess stood up to break the tension, and walked over to the window. She had to be straight with Sally.

  “You behaved outrageously at both dinner parties. You clearly drink too much. You were rude to our guests, and you had sex on a public beach.” She turned back. “Tell me why I should let you stay.”

  Sally looked up. “I’m sorry, Jess.”

  “Tell me why I should let you stay.”

  Sally sighed. “I can’t defend myself because it’s all true.” She paused. “I was so lonely here with nothing to do in my spare time, and no-one of my age for company, I-I started drinking to make it bearable,” she explained. “I used to get sloshed just to lose track of time.”

  “I see.”

  “That all changed when Brad and I got together,” Sally went on. “Now, I love my life here. And I love him. He means the world to me.”

  Jess knew that Sally was mad about Brad, but did he feel the same way about her? He didn’t pay her much attention. Did he just want sex, or did he love her too? “So, do you two have long-term plans?” she asked.

  Sally nodded. “I think so. I can’t bear the thought of losing him.”

  Jess took that to mean Brad hadn’t made any real commitment yet.

  “Please don’t send me home,” Sally pleaded. “I won’t drink, and I won’t behave badly. I promise.”

  Jess
walked back to the desk and sat down. Sally’s face was earnest enough, but would she keep that promise? Could she keep that promise if she had a drink problem?

  “You’ll need to tell me what this secret is.” Jess paused. “I want the truth, Sally.”

  Sally recoiled. “Brad won’t let me tell anybody.”

  Jess shrugged. “If your loyalties are to Brad, then your position here is compromised. You need to go home,” she repeated.

  “No!” Sally shook her head. “Please Jess... Look, if I tell you, you won’t tell Brad I told you, will you?”

  “I’m not making any promises.” Jess was blunt now. “A woman’s been murdered.” She held back her suspicions about the Governor’s car accident.

  Sally’s jaw dropped. “You don’t think Brad had anything to do with murder, do you?”

  Jess leant forward. “You tell me.”

  Sally looked aghast. “Brad’s no killer.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “N-nor am I.”

  “Then you can tell me what this secret is.”

  Sally slumped back in her chair, with a resigned sigh. “Brad’s found a Spanish galleon offshore.”

  “A sunken galleon?” Jess repeated. “That’s the big secret? Brad’s found an old shipwreck?”

  “Not just a shipwreck, Jess.” Sally’s eyes lit up. “It’s a galleon from the old Spanish treasure fleet.” She leant forward. “With a massive shipment of silver coins and gold bullion on board.”

  Jess put her head in her hands.

  “Treasure hunters have been looking for it for decades,” Sally went on. “That’s why Brad has to keep the discovery a secret, until he can recover the contents. If even a whisper of this gets out, people will be swarming all over.”

  “For God’s sake, Sally,” Jess tried to keep her voice calm. “We’re dealing with murder, and all you and Brad can think of is treasure hunting?”

  “Please, Jess. Let me explain.” Sally was sitting on the edge of her seat. “The Spanish treasure fleet was a convoy of ships back in the days of the Spanish Empire. Brad says Spain sent out agricultural machinery, books, and... stuff in these galleons to their colonies in the Americas, and they took back cargoes of gold bullion and silver coins from the mines.”

  Jess looked at her. “So what’s this galleon called?”

  Sally’s eyes clouded. “Brad’s keeping that a secret, even from me, although he did let slip it went down around 1715.”

  Jess gave an exasperated sigh.

  “It’s true!” Sally paused. “The fleet used to rendezvous in Havana. They travelled in convoy from there to avoid being attacked by pirates.”

  “Pirates!” Jess groaned.

  “I know what you’re thinking, Jess, but Brad says this convoy is in the history books. There were 12 ships altogether. When they left Havana to sail back to Europe, they got caught up in a hurricane. Eleven ships survived and made it back to Spain, but one went missing.”

  “And that’s the one Brad’s found?” Jess tried not to sound sarcastic. “So how did it get from Havana down to our waters?”

  “That’s just it.” Sally was excited now. “The convoy got separated in the hurricane. The last ship was damaged, and overrun by pirates. They were sailing it down the Cuban coastline, to their pirate port in Haiti, when it went down.”

  “Exactly where is it supposed to have gone down?”

  Sally hesitated. “Brad hasn’t told me the exact location yet. It’s some miles off our shores, but he’s been searching for it since he first came to Grand Turk. He’s so excited, it’s been his lifelong dream to find it.”

  Jess could see from Sally’s eyes that she was totally swept up in the excitement of the find, but then she’d believe anything Brad told her. “Even if Brad gets the gold and silver to the surface,” Jess said, “he wouldn’t be able to keep it, would he?”

  Sally hesitated. “He’ll get something, I’m sure, but Brad’s not motivated by the money, Jess. It’s the importance of the find. He’ll be famous in maritime and diving circles. His dive business will flourish. Every diver will want to come to Grand Turk.” She smiled. “Brad will go down in history.”

  Jess couldn’t argue with that. “Did the Governor know about the wreck?” she asked.

  “Absolutely not.”

  Jess wondered if that were true. “Well, someone else must know.” She paused. “What about his brother Charles? They go out diving together.”

  Sally shook her head, vehemently. “No-one knows, except me.”

  “Oh come on.” Jess stared at her. “Brad can’t possibly go out there diving alone?”

  That’s when the first look of doubt flitted across Sally’s face. “He says he does.”

  Jess didn’t believe a word of it. “Tell him I want to talk to him.”

  Sally blanched. “Then he’d know I told you.”

  “You can tell him truthfully that I was going to send you home, if you hadn’t told me. And he wouldn’t like that, would he?”

  Sally looked deflated. “I-I don’t know how he’s going to take it.”

  “Look, I need to speak to him, Sally. We have to be able to discount any connection between what Brad’s up to out there, and the awful things happening onshore.”

  Sally stiffened. “I can tell you categorically that Brad has nothing to do with murder. Nothing at all.”

  “Nevertheless,” Jess persisted, “please tell him I’d like to see him this afternoon.”

  Sally hesitated. “He said he was going to take Tom out diving after lunch.”

  Jess knew Tom was really keen to go out with Brad. “In that case, please ask Brad to come to the office immediately after they get back.”

  Sally gave another resigned sigh. “If you insist.”

  “I do.”

  “Jess, I...”

  “You and I will have another chat after that.”

  Sally got up and walked out, shoulders hunched like a condemned woman.

  28

  Tom sat at a table in the sheltered courtyard, tucking into the poached eggs and bacon Maggie had cooked. The soft yolks oozed as he dipped his toast in, just the way he liked them. A sudden gust of wind whipped across the table, rocking the flower vase. He reached out and steadied it. The breeze had certainly picked up since his visit earlier to the Garage.

  He noticed Maggie’s hands shaking as she poured the coffee, although her face looked calm. Was she still upset about earlier? She’d certainly given that woman a whack. Maybe it was some kind of family row, he thought, as he bit into his toast? Family tensions were not something he had to worry about. He’d never been married or had kids. The demands of his job had destroyed the two serious relationships he’d ever had.

  “Mister Brad rang for you,” Maggie said. “I knocked on your door, but you were in the shower.”

  Tom looked up. “Did he leave a message?”

  “He asked if you wanted to go out diving this afternoon.”

  Tom smiled. He’d been itching to go out since hearing it was one of the best scuba diving spots in the world.

  “Mister Brad’s number is on the notepad next to the phone in the hall,” Maggie said. “He said to leave a message if he’s not there.” She handed Tom the cup of coffee. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked.

  He heard the weariness in her voice. “I could have cooked my own breakfast, Maggie. I’m used to doing it.”

  She glanced over. “You live alone?”

  “Yes.”

  “No wife and children?”

  He shook his head. “No wife and children.”

  She looked thoughtful. “How long have you and Miss Jessica known each other?”

  He knew where this conversation was going. “We worked together for a while, in Australia.”

  She nodded. “Miss Jessica told me her husband and child had died.”

  “Yes. In a car crash in Indonesia.”

  Maggie shook her head, sadly. “She’s a good lady.”

  “She is.”

&nb
sp; Maggie made a show of moving plates around the table, rather than leave. “Maybe she’ll meet another man.” She glanced at him. “And have another family.”

  He smiled. “She has met another man. She lives with him in Washington.”

  Maggie looked surprised. “Are you sure, Mister Tom, only when I look at a person’s face, I see a lot. And Miss Jessica doesn’t look like a lady in love. She’s too sad.”

  Tom saw a lot in people’s faces too, which is why he sketched them. Maggie was right though. Jess did look sad. But this conversation was getting too personal, and he decided to change the subject. Jess wouldn’t like them discussing her. Anyway, he had a few questions of his own for Maggie.

  “So,” he said, brightly. “How long have you worked for the Governor?”

  Maggie looked away. “I’ve worked for several Governors, Mister Tom. I’ve looked after this Residence for many years.” She flapped her hand, dismissively. “Too many to remember.”

  Tom was used to interviewing people and knew when someone was being evasive. He persisted. “Did previous Governors bring their families with them?”

  “No.” Maggie shook her head. “They were much older than this Governor.”

  “Ah, I see. So that’s why this Governor brought his wife and child with him?”

  Maggie’s shoulders drooped. “That’s what makes it so sad.”

  He nodded. “I bet you’ve seen many changes over the years?”

  Maggie nodded. “Too many, Mister Tom.”

  He thought back to that scene with the woman and child earlier. “It must be nice to have a child in the house though.”

  The spoon clattered onto a china plate as it slipped from Maggie’s hands. She picked it up, quickly. “I get clumsy as I get old.”

  Tom wouldn’t have said Maggie was particularly old, in her fifties or early sixties perhaps? But it was definitely talk of a child that had made her nervous. Why?

  “I thought Jess said the Governor’s son was living here too?” he added.

  “Oh yes.” Maggie’s face cleared. “The Governor’s boy has been going to the local school.”

  He nodded. “What about the Governor’s wife?”

  Maggie pursed her lips in disapproval. “She liked to be in Provo, with its fancy hotels, and rich people.” She paused. “You stay in Grand Turk, Mister Tom. This is the real Turks and Caicos.”