Last Ticket to Paradise

by Carol Ericson

  She and Jake had miscalculated the day of the potential attack. Why would someone with a criminal mind like Gunther’s plan her abduction on the night of the full moon when she and Jake would be prepared?

  She should’ve never left Jake’s side. She’d been a fool at dinner to believe Diego’s lies about Jake and Jamie. Her insecurities still had her believing the worst of any man who might be attracted to her.

  As Bones dragged her onto the beach, she let her muscles relax and her limbs go limp. She had to let them think she was weak. After all, she topped both of them in height. She might be able to escape.

  “Move, you stupid bitch.” Bones yanked her arm, and she dropped to the beach, her hair hanging on either side of her face, the grains of sand grating against her palms and knees.

  Gunther secured the boat. “She’s still feeling the effects of the drug. You’re going to have to carry her.”

  She did not want Bones’ hands on her body, so she raised her hand. “I can walk. I can walk.”

  Bones pulled her up again and ignored her protests. He heaved her over his shoulder with a grunt.

  “She’s not as light as her sister, that’s for sure.”

  Damn right.

  Georgette mumbled, “Jamie? Where’s Jamie?”

  Gunther patted her leg and, in the same soothing voice he’d used at the resort, said, “You don’t have to worry about Jamie ever again, my dear. You don’t ever have to be jealous of her. She’s gone.”

  Georgette choked on the lump in her throat, and tears streamed down her face, dripping onto the sand. Somehow, she’d always known Jamie was dead. But why? She had to know why before she joined her twin.

  Bones dug his fingers into her bottom through the thin material of her shorts. “Don’t cry. I can do something that’ll make you feel real good.”

  Georgette stiffened and bucked against the hold Bones had on her.

  Gunther clicked his tongue. “That’s not what we’re here for, Bones.”

  Bones snorted. “Maybe you’re not.”

  After several minutes of Gunther leading the way, slashing a path through the tropical brush, and her bouncing upside down over Bones’ shoulder as he followed, they stopped in a clearing.

  “Put her down on the rock.”

  Bones flipped her right side up and set her on a flat rock, not unlike the one she’d investigated on Palumba. Pulling her top back into place, she listed to the side. Gunther parked himself beside her and propped her upright.

  “I know you’re woozy, but you shouldn’t be too woozy to tell me where the drugs are.” Gunther wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

  “I-I don’t know what you mean.” Drugs. It all came back to drugs, but she didn’t have any idea what he was talking about—couldn’t be Jamie’s small stash.

  He pinched her arm. “That idiot Fiso told his wife about the drug shipment I was expecting on the island, and Hallie, who’s ten times smarter than Fiso, intercepted it and stole it from me. Or maybe her lover told her, but we haven’t been able to find Lalas.”

  Georgette shook her head. “I don’t know anything about that.”

  “Sure, you do.” He rubbed her bare back with his soft hands, which was worse than the arm pinch. “Hallie enlisted your sister and the Frenchman, Jean-Claude, to help her sell it—and sell it they did, undermining my business, undercutting my control of the drug trade—spending all my money.”

  “Jamie never told me. I don’t know anything.”

  He grabbed the back of her hair and yanked up her head. “You’re lying. You and Kincaid have been traipsing all over the island—snooping.”

  “But we didn’t find anything.”

  “You kept the rumors alive with your questions. Now everyone will know Hallie died here on the island when they ID those bones.”

  “Hallie? That was Hallie?” Georgette put a hand to her mouth. Her gaze shifted to Bones, who was leaning against a tree and smoking a cigarette while watching them. “Hallie was your sister. How could you kill her?”

  Bones lifted one shoulder and dropped his cigarette butt in the dirt. “Half sister, and she got what she deserved. Slut.”

  Georgette swallowed the sour fear lodged in her throat. Bones had an issue with women.

  “We got rid of Hallie first because she claimed she didn’t know where Jamie and Jean-Claude hid the stash.” Gunther smoothed a thumb over one eyebrow. “Then we had to go after your sister to put the fear of God into Jean-Claude.”

  “That obviously didn’t work, as you tried to kill him, too.”

  Gunther pushed off the rock and swept up a skinny tree branch from the ground. “We killed the wrong person. He claimed Jamie hid the drugs, and he didn’t know where they were. I believed him because that coward would have said or done anything to save his own life at the end.”

  Georgette braced her hands against the rock. “What did you do to my sister?”

  “Do you really want it spelled out for you, Georgette? We drugged her, much like I did you tonight, and told her we were going to a real Palarosa ritual. She was excited until she found out she was the sacrifice.”

  She drew in a quick breath and scraped her nails against the rock. “Y-you burned her alive?”

  “If it’s any consolation, she died from the drug overdose first.”

  A sob tore from Georgette’s throat, and she covered her face. “What did you do with her body?”

  Gunther spread his arms. “We dumped her remains out at sea. Should’ve done the same with Hallie. We buried Hallie out here, but Jake allowed a diving expedition to camp out on the island for several days, so we had to move her body. The animals and environment had done a number on her flesh, but Bones lived up to his name and made sure nothing but her bones were left when he stuffed her in that suitcase.”

  Georgette’s stomach knotted. Avuncular Gunther had morphed into a ruthless killer before her eyes. His words made him even look different—the bald pate now sinister, the soft hands creepy.

  “It seems as if you’ve killed everyone who could’ve told you where the drugs were hidden.”

  “You and Jamie were sisters, twins. You even shared men. She must’ve told you, left you a clue.”

  Georgette closed her eyes. Had Jamie left a clue?

  “I don’t know anything about the drugs. There was no clue. I would tell you.”

  “I hope so, because that will save your life.” Gunther cocked his head to the side. “You don’t seem very drugged up now, do you? I assure you. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. I won’t be as kind to you as I was with Jamie. You will burn alive unless you tell me where the drugs are.”

  “How can I tell you what I don’t know?” Georgette turned her head to the side to take a quick glance behind her. Could she crawl over this rock to the other side and make a run for it?

  Even if she told him about the drugs she’d found, he’d kill her. She had no doubt about that.

  She drew her knees up to her body, placed her feet against the rock, and wrapped her arms around her legs. She could roll off the side.

  “Bones.” Gunther snapped his fingers. “Prepare the site.”

  Bones stepped away from the tree and pulled some rope from Gunther’s bag. He hopped up beside her on the rock.

  Holding her breath, Georgette lunged forward and grabbed Bones’ legs. She pulled them toward her with all her strength and brought him down.

  She scrambled across the rock on her hands and knees until she heard a click behind her. She froze and then cranked her head over her shoulder.

  “You didn’t think I’d make this little excursion unarmed, did you?” Gunther leveled the gun at her and growled at Bones, “Get up, you fool.”

  Bones staggered to his feet and kicked Georgette in the stomach.

  She choked and fell forward onto the rock.

  “You’re gonna burn, bitch.” He placed one foot on the back of her neck as he tied the ropes to two branches hanging across the flat surface of the rock.


  Then he pulled her to her feet and tied the rope around each of her wrists as she squirmed and twisted. He rewarded her efforts at escape with a couple of backhands and a punch to her gut.

  “Now, Gunther? It’s too bad it’s just the two of us. The Palaristas enjoyed the other two rituals.”

  “This one has made too much noise as it is. Better to keep it quiet, even from the Palaristas.” Gunther climbed onto the rock with the switch still in his hand and smacked it against his palm in front of her face. “But first you’re going to tell me everything your sister told you.”

  Georgette raised her head and spit in Gunther’s face.

  He smacked her cheek, and tears sprang to her eyes.

  Bones laughed, and his eyes lit up. He reached behind her and ran his hand over her derriere, his calluses catching on the smooth material of her shorts. “Let me have her for a while. I can make her talk.”

  She kicked out her legs, making contact with Bones’ crotch.

  He yelled out and grabbed the band of material covering her breasts, ripping it from her body.

  “That’s enough, Bones.”

  Bones grabbed the rope attached to one of her wrists and yanked it. “The sacrifice is supposed to be naked—the other two were. What makes her so special? She wants it just like the others.”

  “Oh, this one’s different, all right. Smarter. She’s going to help me figure out where those drugs are hidden.” Gunther poked her in the belly with the tree branch. “I’ll keep you here until you do, my sweet Georgette.”

  “I told you, I don’t know anything about the drugs. Jamie never told me, never left any hints. I didn’t even know she was involved in drugs until...”

  “That’s right.” Gunther traced the point of the switch from her throat, between her breasts, down her stomach, and rested it at the elastic band of her shorts on her hips. “Until you came down here, snooping around and figured it out. You even talked to Fiso and Bones’ mother. Put that brain to work, Georgette. You don’t have Kincaid breathing down your neck now, distracting you.”

  Her jaw tightened. “He never slept with Jamie, did he? You wanted me to believe that to keep us apart, to make me go home.”

  “Poor little Georgette—tied up, ready for the sacrifice, and still all she can think about is her man with her sister.” Gunther’s nostrils flared as Bones lit a match. “I knew I’d be able to use your insecurities to manipulate you. Jamie told me all about how she bedded her twin’s fiancé, arranged it so that her sister would find them playing sex games together. Said she told you she did it for your own good, but then she laughed and told me she did it because she could. Because she wanted to. Don’t feel too bad about her death, Georgette.”

  A tear rolled down Georgette’s face—not for herself, but for her foolish sister. Her foolish, dead sister. Nothing had ever been enough for Jamie.

  “Jake never slept with Jamie. Couldn’t stand her, actually.” Gunther caught one of her tears on his fingertip. “Now, let’s get to work. What did she write in those postcards she sent home every day?”

  “Stupid tourist stuff.” Georgette raised her chin and rolled her aching shoulders. “You already know there was nothing in the locker, because you put Hallie’s bones in there.”

  The switch Gunther had been rubbing between his palms dropped to the ground, and he lifted his head. “Locker?”

  A bead of sweat ran down the side of her face. He had to know about the locker. He’d stashed Hallie’s bones in it. “Th-the locker at the airport. Jake and I thought Jamie and Jean-Claude hid something there...but all we found were bones.”

  “She doesn’t know anything, Gunther. Let’s turn up the heat.” The torch Bones had in his hand flared to life, and he swept it close to the kindling he’d piled at her feet.

  “You found Hallie’s bones?” Gunther’s eyes became slits as they shifted from her to Bones. “How did you find out about the locker?”

  “The postcards.” Georgette licked her lips. “I assumed that when you stole the postcard from my room, you’d figured out that the numbers on it were the combination to the airport locker. We came to that conclusion when I talked to Mrs. Bonnaire.”

  “Mrs. Bonnaire.” Gunther snapped his fingers. “I knew that brain of yours would come in handy. Curiously enough, I didn’t steal that postcard from your room and have never seen it.”

  Bones thrust the flaming torch toward her face as the orange flickers danced in his glassy eyes. “Let’s do this, Gunther. Let’s light her up.”

  “Who did steal the postcard?” Georgette coughed at the smoke wafting in the air around her.

  Gunther drew the weapon from his pocket. “That would be Bones.”

  Bones stopped waving the torch around. “I didn’t steal any postcard.”

  “I sent you to Georgette’s room to snoop around. You claimed you found nothing.” Gunther raised the gun and pointed it at Bones. “In fact, you found the postcard with the combination, and you knew about that locker from your sister. You cleaned it out for yourself, didn’t you? Cleaned out my drugs that Jamie and Jean-Claude had stashed there.”

  Bones’ Adam’s apple bulged in his neck as he swallowed. “I didn’t see no drugs in that locker. I found out about the locker later and thought it would be a good place to put the bones.”

  “You’re lying.” Gunther steadied the gun. “Tell me where the drugs are, and I’ll let it go. You can keep working for me like before.”

  Georgette sucked in her lower lip. The drugs had been in Jamie’s airport locker until Bones replaced them with his sister’s remains. Bones had double-crossed Gunther, and now he’d pay. And her? Gunther would never let her go.

  She just hoped he’d put a bullet in her head instead of burning her alive. Jake would never know what had happened to her—and she wanted it that way for his own safety. Maybe he’d think she went back to North Dakota.

  “I don’t have the drugs. I swear, Gunther.”

  Gunther released the safety on his gun and leveled it at Bones’ head. “I don’t believe you. Tell me where you put them.”

  “Put the gun down, Gunther.”

  Georgette cried out as Jake emerged from the bushes, pointing his own weapon at Gunther. “Be careful, Jake.”

  The corner of Gunther’s mouth turned up. “This is between me and my employee, Jake. I’ll let you have Georgette, and the two of you can run off and let me finish my business.”

  “Your dirty business.” Jake dug his bare feet into the sand. “I can’t do that, Gunther. This is my island.”

  Gunther swung his gun from Bones to Georgette, and she squeezed her eyes closed, waiting for the bullet that would end her life.

  A shot rang out, and her eyelids flew open. Gunther had dropped to his knees, his eyes round and blood spurting from the side of his head.

  Georgette screamed.

  Gunther fell face forward, the gun still clutched in his hand.

  “Now you.” Jake turned his weapon on Bones, whose mouth hung wide open, spittle on his chin.

  Then Bones’ body jerked, and he lunged at Georgette with the torch. “You do it, and she’s toast. I’ll burn this bitch to the ground.”

  Georgette coiled her muscles, and although a tingling numbness had spread through her limbs, she raised her knees to her chest, swung forward, and kicked Bones on the side of his head.

  Bones staggered to the side, dropping the flaming torch at her feet. It rolled and came to rest inches from the kindling.

  Jake roared as he stormed the rock. “Don’t move.”

  Bones lunged for the torch, and the sound of Jake’s gun going off made Georgette’s ears ring.

  Bones collapsed, groaning, his hand still resting on the torch.

  Jake jumped onto the rock and kicked the torch away from the smoking sticks and twigs inches from her toes. Then he stomped on the pile, dispersing it, shoving it into the sand below.

  Jake wrapped his arms around her body, dangling from her restraints, and bur
ied his head against her neck. “Thank God you’re safe.”

  Curling her legs around his waist, Georgette whispered in his ear, “Can you untie me now?”

  Epilogue

  The water rushed up the shore and kissed the tips of her toes. Georgette curled them into the sand and scooted back against Jake’s chest as she sat between his legs.

  He swept up her hair and nuzzled the back of her neck. “Are you ready for an ocean swim?”

  “At least I’m dressed appropriately this time.” She hooked a thumb around the strap of her bikini top and gazed at the gently rolling waves. “Do you think Jamie’s remains will ever turn up?”

  “I don’t know, Georgette.” His arms tightened around her. “How’s your mother doing?”

  “Last time I talked to her, she had at least stopped crying.”

  “Are you sure you don’t need to go home?” He brushed the side of her cheek. “Not that I’m trying to get rid of you.”

  “She’s relying on my aunt and actually told me she doesn’t want me home right now.” She lifted a shoulder. “Doesn’t want to be reminded of Jamie.”

  “Did you or the FBI give her the details? That Jamie got mixed up in the island drug trade? Stole drugs from a dealer and started selling?”

  “The FBI agent who came to the house told her everything, but she only half listened. She’ll never believe Jamie did anything wrong—and that’s okay. Jamie and Jean-Claude both paid for their greed with their lives.”

  “I had a feeling Jean-Claude would never recover.” He rubbed her arms. “I didn’t tell you, but I heard this afternoon that when Bones was questioned in the hospital, he confessed everything. When he stole your postcard, he put two and two together and retrieved the drugs from the airport locker—without telling Gunther. He told the FBI where they were located—buried behind his mother’s house.”

  “I don’t know how he thought he’d get away with that.”

  Jake scooped up some sand in his hand and let it run through his fingers. “I don’t know how Gunther got away with running the drug business from a suite at my hotel—right under my nose.”