by Sandra Balzo
I laid my head on his shoulder. ‘Did Boyce see anything out there when he drained the lizard?’
‘How you talk.’ The sheriff nuzzled the side of my neck.
‘So, I’ve been thinking.’ I pushed myself up to see over the back of Audra Edmonds’ seat. The woman was snoring softly, mouth open. ‘Audra seems to be the most likely suspect in her husband’s death, either alone or allied with Danny or even Carson.’
‘Danny I can wrap my head round, but Carson? What would his motive be?’
I’d thought about that. ‘He’s in love with Audra and wanted Potter out of the way? Maybe there’s a financial incentive for Audra to do away with Potter, rather than divorce him.’
‘There’s always a financial incentive. Believe me, no one comes away from a divorce in better shape than they went into it.’
I could sure attest to that. Happily, other considerations – things like human decency and the law – kept us from knocking off our spouses. For the most part.
‘Audra just informed me that she’s scrapping what she called “Larry’s book,”’ I told Pavlik. ‘But who knows? Maybe she’s lying and fully intends to finish and publish it. Plus, Potter’s dramatic “exit” will mean lots of publicity, with only the grieving widow and Carson left to rake in the profits.’
The sheriff opened his mouth to comment, but I was on a roll. ‘Audra and personal motives aside, maybe Carson had a pure business reason to knock off Potter – something to do with Danny’s manuscript. Carson says Danny emailed him accusing Potter of stealing it, but perhaps he already knew what was going on. Larry could even have let him see the manuscript.’
‘So Carson killed Potter, his client and perhaps co-conspirator? Why? Better that they take Danny off the board.’
‘We know Potter turned to Rosemary to write for him once. Perhaps he wasn’t a very good writer, but Carson got him the publishing deal thanks to his notoriety and profile. Then Carson read Danny’s work and saw a promising young talent that could boost a literary agent’s reputation and make him more money over time than Potter ever would have.’
‘Why not just represent both?’
‘I don’t know enough about the book business to speculate.’ Not that it stopped me, of course. ‘Some kind of conflict of interest? Threat of lawsuits because of … creative jealousy? Writers rage?’
Pavlik ignored that. ‘I honestly don’t see Carson stabbing somebody to death, no matter which somebody. The man doesn’t like to get his hands dirty, remember.’
‘Maybe that’s just a front. I mean, he refused to touch the water glass so we couldn’t get his fingerprints and we thought nothing of it. Convenient, don’t you think?’
‘And he’s nurtured this faux phobia all these years just for this moment?’
Suddenly exhausted, I scooched myself back against the sheriff and snuggled in, wrapping his arms around me like a blanket. ‘You have a good point, not to mention a nifty way with words. The writers must be rubbing off on you.’
‘They aren’t the only ones rubbing on me.’ Pavlik’s breath tickled my ear. ‘You’d better behave or I’m going to have to do you right here and now.’
‘Threat or promise?’
Pavlik’s arms tightened. ‘Listen, Maggy. Boyce and I have been talking. Unless cell service improves now that the storm has stopped, we may have to hike out of here.’
I couldn’t imagine convincing the other passengers to step into the water just to cross the flooded track, much less hike along the tracks once they reached the other side. Unless, of course, a booze bar or a giant bottle of aspirin was at the end of the rainbow, in which case all bets were off.
I turned to face him. ‘It could be fifty miles back to Fort Lauderdale. And that’s assuming, given the flooding, that there’s a railway bed to walk on.’
‘We’d take cell phones and call for help as soon as we reached an area where there was service.’
‘That makes some sense. But you’re not thinking everyone would go with us, are you? Plus, what about the alligators, snakes and all?’ I fought the shiver that threatened to climb down my spine.
‘Actually,’ Pavlik said, seeming to tread carefully. ‘I was thinking Boyce would come with me, given we don’t know what we may find. Not only does he have some training, but he’s an outsider to this group.’
I should have been relieved but, in truth, I was a little hurt. I might not be Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2, but hadn’t Pavlik just complimented me on how well I’d accounted for myself under dire circumstances? ‘So you trust him.’
‘Yes. And I trust you, too.’
I brightened. ‘So I am coming with you.’
‘Honestly, I was hoping you’d take over Boyce’s post and keep everyone else out of the sleeping car.’
I saw the reasoning, though I didn’t like it much. But then how logical was it for me to be disappointed that I couldn’t again become one with the denizens of the Everglades?
‘Sure you want a sociopath minding the store?’
Pavlik smiled. ‘Struck a nerve, did I?’
I shifted uncomfortably. ‘My roommate in college called me a sociopath once. I guess ever since I’ve wondered if she was right.’
‘What was her reasoning?’
‘You mean besides her being a psych major? I found the apartment, so I took the bigger bedroom.’ I shrugged. ‘It seemed only fair to me.’
‘Well, cheer up.’ Pavlik gave me a squeeze. ‘You’re probably just self-centered.’
‘Thank you. Coming from you, that means a lot.’
Pavlik looked past me out the window. ‘There’s a glow on the horizon. The sun is starting to come up.’
So it was. I could actually see the water and scrubby grasses across from us.
‘And still not raining.’ I sighed. ‘When will you go?’
‘Soon. But not until I’ve kissed you properly.’
And he did.
‘But the dispatchers must have missed us by now,’ Markus was saying. ‘We haven’t knocked the next signal down. They’ll know exactly what block to find us in.’
‘His family is in railroad,’ I told Pavlik. I knew it sounded like ‘my uncle sells insurance,’ but even at this short acquaintance, I trusted Markus and his information.
Despite the 148 errors in his books.
Pavlik had briefed the passengers – now sober in more ways than the obvious – on our current situation, as well as his plan.
‘What do you mean by knocking the signals down?’ he asked Markus.
‘There are electrical circuits on the track,’ Markus explained. ‘When a train passes through it breaks a connection – a signal – giving the train’s location. That’s what causes the gates to go down at railroad crossings and stop automobile traffic. A knocked-down signal also informs dispatchers that a train has crossed into another section or “block.” Or not, in our case. It may take a while, but eventually someone will come looking for us.’
‘We’re saved!’ Grace said, clapping her hands. Everyone was sitting up a little straighter, hangovers be damned.
Pavlik turned to Engineer Hertel. ‘You couldn’t have told me about this?’
‘I would’ve if they’d been working,’ the old man said, pulling at an ear. ‘Same with the radios, which somebody neglected to equip with batteries before we left.’
Somebody. I wondered who. Or whom.
I was starting to wonder if the engineer was, in reality, an evil genius who’d hatched a plan to not only murder Potter and feed him to a giant python, but strand us here in the Everglades ‘purely in-commun-i-cado’ so he could make his escape.
If only he would make his escape.
The whole car had slumped again.
Pavlik just shook his head. ‘Since I don’t know how far we’ll have to walk to find cell service and call for help, it may be a while before we get back. Hopefully not too long.’
‘Are we talking hours or days here?’ Harvey asked.
‘Hours
, I hope.’ Pavlik turned back to the engineer. ‘I assume we’re most likely to find civilization by heading east.’
‘You are. Besides the track not being finished all the way west anyway.’
‘Good point,’ Pavlik said lightly. ‘Though I’m hoping we wouldn’t have had to walk all the way to Naples anyway.’
‘If you’re not back by, say, tomorrow morning, what should we do?’ Prudence asked. ‘Send out a search party?’
Pavlik and Boyce were standing at the door by the dining car – the exit The Raiders of the Last Car had used to sneak back the booze. I was on the opposite end of the passenger car, keeping an eye on the door the coffee man had been guarding earlier.
‘What do you think?’ Pavlik said to his new sidekick. ‘Noon tomorrow?’
Boyce nodded. ‘Don’t send anybody out alone, though. At least two people.’
A hand went up. ‘But what about snakes? And alligators?’ Missy asked in a shaky voice.
‘We’ll take my knife and Ms Edmonds’ pistol.’ Pavlik held it up, index finger carefully outside the trigger guard. ‘If anyone else happens to have a—’
With that, a dozen handguns appeared from holsters and handbags, fanny packs and pockets.
Pavlik shrugged. ‘How could I forget we’re in South Florida?’
‘Don’t leave home without ’em,’ Harvey said. ‘I think you’ll like my Glock Forty.’
‘I have a forty-five Colt,’ Prudence said. ‘Great stopping power …’
Vaguely relieved that none of The (unofficial) Untouchables had sub-machine guns, I left the group to debate the relative pros and cons of our available weapons and sat down on the stool by the door, feeling adrift. Pavlik was the only one of these people I’d known for more than twenty-four hours, and now he was leaving me here alone with them.
And one of ‘them’ was a murderer.
Yes, it was for a good reason. And, of course, he was taking far more risk than—
‘You OK?’ Missy asked quietly. I hadn’t noticed her come back.
I gave her a smile. ‘Yeah, just a little—’
‘Scared?’ She sat down on the edge of the seat nearest me, legs swiveled into the aisle so we could talk. ‘Me, too. This was all my idea and it’s my fault that we’re stranded here. And, and …’ She gestured toward the door leading to Larry Potter’s body and a sob escaped from her throat.
I tried to reassure the girl. ‘You had no way of knowing a severe storm was going to hit or that the track bed would become unstable.’
‘But that’s the point,’ she said. ‘The mystery train which I wanted us to take wasn’t up and running yet, so I, I … kind of cobbled things together.’
Hence, Theodore B. Hertel, Jr, the aged-out engineer, Pete the ‘pretend’ conductor/bartender and the incomplete and perhaps improperly built track. All to save face – and her event.
But no good would be served by reminding Missy of that now.
‘Fine mess you got us into here,’ a different voice snapped. Zoe Scarlett was standing over Missy. ‘Stuck here without any food and now we’re even running out of things to drink.’
I was thinking cause and effect. Zoe looked like she had one howler of a hangover.
‘I’m so sorry,’ the girl said tearfully. ‘If you want, I’ll go with the sheriff and Mr Boyce.’
‘You’ll do no such thing,’ I said. ‘We may need you here.’
Pavlik came up behind Zoe’s right shoulder. ‘You two ladies mind if I have a word alone with Maggy?’
Missy sniffled and shook her head, disappearing into the stinky bathroom. Zoe pivoted and went a few seats back and collapsed, palm to her forehead.
Pavlik held out a smallish gun to me, and I took it from him carefully. It was a semi-automatic, but that’s about all I could tell you. Nor, believe me, did I know or care whether the diameter of the ammunition was measured by caliber or in millimeters. ‘Loaded?’
‘It is. Plus the safety is off and I’ve chambered the first round, so if you pull the trigger, a slug flies out of the muzzle and toward whatever you’re aiming at.’
‘How many bullets in this?’
‘Seven. Just level on bad guy-or-girl’s belt buckle and fire ’til they fall. Oh, and here’s some extra ammunition.’ He handed me something the size and shape – if ten times the heft – of an old kitchen matchbox.
If I couldn’t stop the killer with seven, I somehow didn’t envision having the time, or even know-how, to reload, but I accepted the extra rounds from him. Their ‘box’ reminded me of the matchbook I’d found. ‘I know this doesn’t have any bearing on our most immediate problem, but Audra Edmonds says Titanium is a sex club her husband spent time at. Pointedly without her.’
‘A woman scorned?’ Pavlik suggested.
‘A woman cheated upon,’ I said. ‘Believe me, we’re capable of anything.’
‘Thanks for the warning.’ He put his hand on my shoulder. ‘You going to be all right here?’
I wanted to say, ‘No. Take me with you. Leave a bigger, stronger, actually trained Boyce here with these strangers, one of whom is a killer.’
Instead, I stood up. Setting the gun and ammunition carefully on the stool, I wrapped my arms around Pavlik and rested my head on his chest. ‘I’ll be fine.’
He caressed my hair. ‘Take the stool and sit on the sleeping-car side of the door. Don’t worry about touching things, the police can always take and then exclude your prints. If anybody tries to come through this door, warn them you’ll shoot. They keep coming, blow them away.’
‘Gotcha.’
Pavlik tilted my face up toward his. ‘I’m serious.’
‘I know you are. I won’t let anybody in.’
‘It’s not protecting the crime scene I’m worried about. It’s your being hurt.’ Pavlik’s eyes were about as dark as I’d ever seen them.
I pulled his head down to my lips and kissed him. ‘Please come back soon. And safe. I’ll be OK, but just … please come back.’
‘You got it.’ He was smiling. ‘Believe me, the last thing I want to tour is the inside of a python’s gut.’
‘Which would be the last thing you ever toured. Promise me if you come across any predators, you’ll shoot first and worry about environmental protection later.’
‘Promise.’ He crossed his heart with his fingertips and then touched them to my lips.
I smiled and stepped back. ‘Got your cell phone? And is it all charged?’
‘Yup, and Boyce is AT&T and I’m Verizon, so we’ve got at least those two carriers covered.’
‘Would you like to take mine, too, just in case?’ I dug it out of my pocket. ‘It’s not doing me any good here.’
‘I could, but then how would you count the minutes until my return?’
‘Huh. That’s very true.’ I slipped the phone back into my pocket. ‘Now get the hell out of here and save us.’
THIRTY
When Pavlik and Boyce left the train at 8 a.m., I waved goodbye through the window.
Happily, the day had dawned bright and sunny. Locals said that sunset would be around 6:30 p.m. this time of year, so that would give the two men more than ten hours of daylight. I hoped that was enough.
In fact, I was kind of hoping they’d walk about 100 feet, raise the cell phones over their heads like I always did when I was looking for service and, bingo, there it would be.
Once they’d been gone a half hour, though, I decided to do as Pavlik suggested.
‘I’m going to move into the next car,’ I told Missy. ‘Would you make sure people know it’s still off limits? Pavlik told me I should shoot to kill.’
Missy’s eyes grew wide. ‘You know how to fire a gun?’
‘Pavlik taught me,’ I said. ‘But what about you? I keep hearing how everybody here has a permit to carry.’
‘Oh, I do, too,’ Missy said, ‘but I barely know which end of my gun to hold. They only have you fire three bullets to qualify at the gun range.’
Sou
th Florida sure did seem to make it easy, but given the wildlife, I wasn’t sure I blamed the authorities. If an alligator or python walked or slithered into my backyard, I might want some way to protect myself and any kids or pets.
Leaving Missy behind, I went through the door into the vestibule, where I’d found the matchbook, and then on to the sleeping car. The interior of it was very quiet.
Setting down the gun and the box of extra bullets by the door to the roomette where Potter’s body lay, I returned to the passenger car to retrieve the stool.
‘Am I in your way?’
I turned to see Danny sitting across the last two seats on the right, back against the window, feet poking into the aisle.
‘No, you’re fine,’ I said, folding up the stool. ‘I just need to take this back. If you’re going to be sitting here, could you let people know the sleeping car is still off limits?’
‘Sure.’ He swung his legs off the seat and leaned forward. ‘Missy already told me that, though. I think she went to get cardboard and markers to tape something up on the door.’
The girl was a natural event-planner. When in doubt, make a sign.
‘Missy’s great,’ I said, figuring it couldn’t hurt to build her up in his eyes. Maybe something good could come of this trip. ‘She’s very … efficient.’
Way to go Maggy. Every guy is looking for a woman who’s … ‘efficient.’
‘Yeah, and kind of sexy, too.’ I brightened momentarily, but he finished with, ‘Too bad she’s not my style.’
I wondered who was. Audra Edmonds, perhaps?
I perched on the edge of the seat across from him, thinking that with Pavlik off on his mission to find help and get us out of here, this might be my last opportunity to grill Danny. Or at least I hoped it would be. ‘Bet you didn’t expect all this when you signed up for the conference.’
‘You’ve got that right. I really lucked into it.’
‘There’s a dead man in the next car and we’re stranded in the Everglades. You call that “luck”?’
‘But look who the dead man is. And who I’m stranded with. I hear people bond for life over experiences like this. You can ask them for favors years later and they’ll come through.’