Neptune's Ring

by Ali Spooner

  “Nite,” obviously meant night. It would only be fitting for a man of such despicable character as Van Buren to complete this deed under the cloak of darkness to hide his shame over what he had done. He would not be brought down from his pedestal by a mere house servant and he was able to convince the authorities in believing his suspicion of Celeste being a runaway.

  Levi took her coffee out onto the porch as she reviewed these three words and wondered why Celeste would use them together. She watched as the sun set and when her stomach cried out with hunger, Levi returned to the house to fix dinner. As the chicken was baking, Levi walked back into the office and walked over to the book shelf. All the classic titles were there and she looked for something that would stand out from the rest. Her heart raced with excitement as she picked up a novel with a title unrecognizable to her and saw a yellow post it note flagging one of the pages. She hoped the note would provide another clue as she turned to the place in the book that it had marked.

  Levi was disappointed when she found that the marked page revealed only a half page of text leading to the end of a chapter. She read through the text just the same, but its contents held nothing that Levi felt was a clue. She returned the book to the shelf and continued with her search. She started with the bottom shelf and took each book out, gently shaking it in search of a note or some other form of clue. She was barely through half of the shelf when the timer on the stove went off signaling time for dinner.

  She dined on a chicken pasta dish and fresh salad as she watched the full moon begin to rise in the distance. She was deep in thought when her cell phone rang and smiled when she saw it was Vanessa calling.

  “Hey, baby,” she said when she answered the phone.

  “Hello my love, how are you tonight?” Vanessa asked.

  “I am fine thanks, just having some dinner and you?” Levi asked.

  “I am good too. Killian and I just made it back to the ship from a cookout at one of the staff’s homes,” she said.

  “That sounds like fun.”

  “It would have been more fun, if you had been here with me.”

  “That is so sweet of you to say.”

  “What are you eating?”

  “I baked a chicken pasta dish and made a small salad to go with it,” Levi said.

  “Sounds yummy,” Vanessa said.

  “It does taste pretty good, and I will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to have dinner with Cat tomorrow night?” Vanessa asked.

  “You are right, I had forgotten about that,” Levi said. “Ok, so maybe I will freeze the leftovers then,” she said with a chuckle.

  “We leave for Venus again tomorrow,” Vanessa said.

  “I bet Killian is excited,” Levi said.

  “She is about to bust her seams. I talked with Nat earlier tonight and she and I are flying over on Friday,” Vanessa said.

  “Really, Vanessa, that is fantastic news,” Levi said. “I can’t wait to see you. What time do you think you will be here?”

  “Hopefully by ten, why, do you have a hot date?” Vanessa teased.

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” Levi said. “Codi has offered to take me diving to see the reefs and will be here at nine on Friday.”

  Vanessa remained silent for a few seconds. “Don’t change your plans sweetie, Nat and I will take a look through the resort while you are out,” she said.

  “Are you sure baby? I don’t think there would be any problem in postponing the trip with Codi.”

  “Yes, after this week, you need to have a little fun,” Vanessa said.

  “Or, we could wait until later and you could join us,” Levi said.

  “No, sweetie, really it’s okay,” Vanessa said.

  “Oh Vanessa, I can’t wait for you to get here.”

  “I will see you soon baby,” Vanessa said. “Give me a call sometime tomorrow when you can.”

  “I love you, Vanessa.”

  “I love you too Levi and I can’t wait to see you either.”

  Levi sighed and pushed the plate of food away. She was no longer hungry and would clean up her dishes and store the leftovers before she returned to the office to resume her hunt for clues. She looked up at the sky and the moon looked huge as it hung over the open water.

  Levi poured another mug of coffee and sat in front of the computer. When she moved the mouse to refresh the screen she found that a new word had been typed. “Desk” glowed back at her from the screen as the cursor blinked steadily at the end of the word.

  “Oh lord,” Levi said. “Celeste, I haven’t figured out your other words and now you are adding to them.”

  Levi felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and she looked around the room. She could feel Celeste here with her even though she could not see her. Levi pushed the chair back from the desk.

  “Celeste, are you here with me?” she asked.

  “The room remained silent and Levi did not see or sense any movement.”

  She turned back to the computer and watched as three keys were pressed as the word “Yes” was typed.

  “Holy shit,” Levi cried out. “So you can hear me, can’t you?” she asked next.

  “Yes,” was typed again on the screen.

  Levi could not see any fingers pressing the keys, but the keys were manipulated and the word formed in front of her.

  “Okay, so you can hear me. Where is the book you want me to find?”

  “Desk” was typed.

  “The book is in the desk?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  Levi opened each drawer of the desk and rifled through the contents, but could not find a book. “Are you sure the book is still here?”

  Nothing, but silence filled the room.

  Levi took a sip of her coffee as she waited patiently for a response.

  Celeste had limited fine motor movement and she would not have the strength or ability to type the exact location of the book. She focused all her energy on the desk until it began to shake.

  Levi heard a low rattle that grew louder and louder as she watched the desk begin to shake and when the top left hand drawer popped open she nearly tipped her chair backward in surprise.

  She looked into the drawer she had already inspected and it was still empty of any sign of a book. Levi reached inside the drawer and touched the roof of the drawer, but still did not find anything. On a whim, Levi pulled and lifted the drawer and it slid easily from its tracks. She carefully turned the drawer over in her lap and there secured to the bottom of the drawer was a small diary.

  Levi removed the book and slid the drawer back into place. “Is this the book?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  Levi opened the book and began to read the first page. She had uncovered the personal diary of Marcus Van Buren. Levi skimmed through the first half of the book which was filled with redundant entries about his escapades on the island with various mistresses. Levi scanned the pages until she found first mention of Celeste.

  The new housekeeper started today and she is the most beautiful young woman I have ever met. Her mocha skin looks so very smooth and pure and her eyes are like dark pools. I feel myself drawn into them each time she enters the room. I must simply have her, he wrote.

  Levi read further into the book and it was clear that Van Buren had become obsessed with Celeste and her beauty. The more she read the more his obsession was evident.

  Celeste asked to plant a garden in the small grove behind the house. I cannot deny this beauty anything and had the plants and flowers delivered the next day. I sat in the shade of a tree as I watched her cultivate the soil with a small spade and plant each flower with loving care. My imagination soared as I felt her hands over my body as she gently tamped the soil around each of her flowering beauties. I watched as a bead of sweat ran down her brow and smiled at her when she looked up and smiled at me wiping the sweat away with her hand leaving a dark smudge across her cheek. I rose from my seat and walked over to her to
wipe the smudge from her face and when I stroked her face she recoiled from my touch. Nevertheless, part of each day thereafter was spent in the clearing as she tended her precious garden and my lust for her grew.

  Levi heard the clock in the hall strike two and she rubbed her tired eyes. The room remained quiet as she watched as new words appear on the screen. “Rest now,” was typed by Celeste’s invisible hand.

  “I am tired, but I promise I will figure this all out,” Levi said.

  She marked her spot in the diary and carried it into the bedroom with her, placing it on the bedside table. Tomorrow she would finish the book and would sort out this mystery once and for all.

  Levi undressed then climbed between the cool sheets and fell quickly asleep. Van Buren’s words flowed through her dreams and Levi relived Celeste’s life on the island.

  Vanessa tossed and turned in her bed as she dreamed of Levi. The call she had received from Liz left her disturbed and while she trusted Levi implicitly, she worried for her lover’s safety. Levi had sounded her usual self when they had talked earlier, but Vanessa was concerned that Levi was withholding information from her. Woken from her dreams with a start, Vanessa gave up on getting anymore sleep and got up to brew a pot of coffee. She slipped on a robe and sat on the balcony and watched as a brilliant red sunrise crested the horizon.

  “Red sky at night sailor’s delight, red sky at morning sailor’s take warning,” she whispered.

  She and Killian had checked and doubled checked the weather reports for the next three days and they promised clear skies and smooth seas, yet Vanessa was disturbed by the omen of the sunrise.

  “Be safe, my love,” she whispered onto the ocean breeze and hoped her words would reach Levi safely.

  Levi only slept for three hours and was sitting on the porch drinking coffee, watching the sun rise as she heard a soft whisper on the breeze. She imagined the sound of Vanessa’s voice and with a smile on her face, picked up the diary to continue reading.

  As each day passes, Celeste becomes more beautiful in my eyes and I enjoy the time we spend together as she tends her small garden. She is such a sensual woman, her soft feminine form bent over to tend to her flowers as a mother would tend to a child.

  Today we were surprised by a brief storm and had to run back to the house for shelter. When we reached the front porch, I took Celeste in my arms and kissed her. Her beauty was overwhelming, with the soft raindrops running down her face. I was disappointed that she pulled away from the kiss, and ran into the house, but I will not stop until I make her mine.

  Levi was disturbed by the escalating sexual obsession she read in Van Buren’s words. She could read the tension building between the two of them and unfortunately, knew where this story was headed. She skimmed through the next few pages, until she found the entry that confirmed her fears.

  Today, Celeste packed a picnic basket for us to take to the garden. I took this as an effort on her part to spend a romantic afternoon together as she tended her garden. When we arrived at the clearing, we spread a small blanket and ate the meal she had prepared for us. I sat in the shade drinking wine as I watched her in the beautiful sunlight and my desire grew for her with each sip of wine. I called to her and she took a break from her garden to share a glass of wine with me on the blanket. When she had finished, I took the glass from her hand and set them aside. I leaned into Celeste and kissed her deeply, tasting the sweetness of the wine on her lips. She put her hands on my chest to push me away which further heightened my arousal and I easily overpowered the young woman. I pinned her body to the ground with mine and continued to kiss her passionately as she struggled beneath me.

  I held her small hands in one of mine as my other hand removed her soft panties and lifted her dress above her waist. My desire had grown uncontrollable as I took her, forcing my way into her unspoiled body as my hand covered her mouth to conceal her screams. My mind went blank, filled by blind lust as I took my pleasure from her body.

  I do not remember when she stopped struggling beneath my body and when I looked up into her face I found that I had suffocated her during my passion. My body shook with the horror of what I had done as I pulled away, repulsed by my own actions. I stared down at the beautiful Celeste and wept realizing I had taken her beauty from her and she would no longer fill my days with endless pleasure.

  My face was buried in my hands when the realization of my actions struck home. I must act and quickly to conceal this crime. There was no way to explain her death as an accident without revealing that I had taken her against her will.

  I rushed back to the house and returned to the garden with a shovel to dig a grave for Celeste. I chose a spot still in view of her beloved garden, but one that could easily be concealed from detection. I dug, careful not to expose more of the ground than I would need to conceal my shameful crime. When I had dug deeply enough, I returned to Celeste’s body which had already started to feel cold and wrapped her in the blanket we had used for the picnic and carried her to her lonely grave. My tears began again as I started to cover her body with the loose soil. I could not believe what I had done to this poor young woman.

  I concealed her grave with rocks and leaves, collected from the grove and was satisfied that her body would be hidden forever. As I finished, a light rain began to fall like tear drops from heaven. The soft rain would help to blend her grave back into its natural environment and my confidence grew as I walked back to the house.

  I drank myself into oblivion that night, trying to drown my shame and sorrow. I visited her grave over the next few days and was content that someone would have to know the exact location to discover her remains and I would never reveal her whereabouts to anyone.

  It was three days later when the authorities came to island in search of Celeste. While they interviewed me, several others searched the island for any signs of Celeste and came up empty handed. I was successful in convincing them that Celeste had left the island and that I had not seen her since her departure. The detective had no further evidence to prove otherwise and left the island with his men, no wiser than when he arrived.

  Van Buren’s entries ended there and Levi assumed he had left the island shortly after being questioned by the authorities. His murder had occurred before he could return to the island so the evidence of the crime lay hidden until Celeste had shown her the way to find it.

  The word “Nite” Celeste had written was still a mystery to Levi. Her other words had all come to fruition in the mystery, so she was baffled by night. The crime did not occur during the night, so she would have to concentrate more to figure out the role of “Nite” in solving this mystery.

  “Celeste, can you help me understand how the word “Nite” fits in?” Levi asked.

  The room remained silent and there were no signs of movement. Levi checked the computer to ensure the word processor was still open and would have to wait for Celeste to communicate.

  She drank the rest of her coffee and showered before leaving the house. Levi walked behind the house and into the garden. She stared across the clearing as her eyes searched for a spot that would prove to be Celeste’s grave, but Van Buren was correct, his efforts to conceal her body were perfect and the passing years had made her task even more difficult.

  Levi drove down to the resort and quickly busied her mind reviewing the progress of the previous day’s work. Carlos met up with her and handed her a cup of coffee.

  “I received a call from the shipping company and the first load of furniture should be arriving tomorrow,” he said.

  “That is much earlier than planned,” Levi said. “Will it present any problems?”

  “No, we have plenty of room in the night club to store the cartons,” he assured her. “Nat tells me that you, she and Cass will be completing the assembly,” Carlos said with a grin.

  “Yes, that is correct,” Levi said. “Nat decided that we should be able to complete the assembly and not cause you to pull any of your men from their duties.”


  “Very well, but if you feel you need assistance, please just let me know. I can even hire an extra laborer for a day or two if needed,” he offered.

  “We may have to consider that, once Nat sees the amount of furniture we have to assemble,” Levi said with a chuckle. “Do you know she and Vanessa are coming over this Friday?”

  “She told me that last night when she called. What do you think about asking Julio to make a delivery early so we can have a few of the rooms as close to finished as possible?” he asked.

  “I think that would be an excellent idea,” Levi said.

  “I will give him a call then and make the arrangements,” Carlos said.

  “Very good,” Levi said. “I plan to do a walk through and will go back up to the house to make a progress report to Nat. Are there any items that you need our assistance with?” she asked.

  “None that I can think of, everything is on or ahead of schedule,” he said with a smile.

  “Excellent news,” Levi said. “I want to suggest we do a pre-grand opening cookout for all your crew and their families,” she said. “Will your men participate?”

  “I can guarantee we will have total participation, but I insist on helping out with the event,” Carlos said.

  “I think between you and me, we can come up with a plan,” Levi said with a wink. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “See you later, Levi.”

  Levi walked back to the mostly completed room that she had looked at yesterday and was still amazed by how well it had come out. Once the beds Julio had finished were delivered and set up it would look even more like a resort room, she thought.

  If indeed the other furnishings were delivered tomorrow, Levi thought she may work on assembling enough pieces to complete a room prior to Nat and Vanessa’s visit. That would be an incredible surprise she thought as she made plans for their visit.

  Levi looked at her watch to find that the morning had slipped away quickly. She wanted to give Vanessa a call, but knew that she would be busy as they prepared to leave the port. She would wait until mid afternoon to give her a call once they were once more on the open sea.