Blowout

by Colleen Cross

  A casual conversation with crew members might be a way to glean further information on Raphael’s background. For starters, she could determine how and when he got his yacht. An innocent-sounding question that could either validate or discredit his claims, and might also provide further information on his background. Gia’s information was too sparse to evaluate what she had gotten herself into. Her love-struck friend apparently didn’t even care to find out more.

  Ten laps later, Kat still hadn’t seen a soul. Wherever the crew was, it wasn’t on deck. All she could show for her efforts were sweat-soaked clothes and a parched throat. She sighed and headed for the stairs and the comfort of her air-conditioned stateroom.

  “Arggh!” She rounded the corner and ran smack into a wiry blond-haired man. The unshaven man wore frayed shorts and a stained t-shirt. He looked more like a drug addict than a crew member, definitely out of place on the luxurious Financier. He also smelled like he hadn’t bathed in a week. He also seemed intent on avoiding her, no small feat since they had just collided.

  “Sorry.” He quickly averted his eyes and stepped aside.

  “Wait a sec—you’re part of the crew, aren’t you?” While she hadn’t expected Raphael’s employees to sport uniforms, she figured they would at least look presentable. And look her in the eye. This guy did neither, which gave her an uneasy feeling.

  “Yeah.” He stepped back and turned to leave.

  “Must be fascinating to work aboard a state-of-the-art vessel like this.” The Financier had everything: the latest technology for navigation as well as leading-edge electronics in their staterooms. She glanced up at the small camera mounted above them. Naturally a yacht this size had a surveillance system.

  He shrugged. “It’s a job.”

  A strange answer. She’d bet that most sailors would kill to work on such a luxurious, hi-tech vessel. “You don’t have an Italian accent. Did you just get hired?” He didn’t look Italian, either. Judging by his clothing and unaccented English, he might even be local.

  His face reddened. “I gotta go.”

  “Must be nice, sailing all over the world.” Kat blocked his path and smiled. Her efforts to spark a conversation proved futile.

  “I wouldn’t know ‘bout that.” He turned his head as if looking for someone. “I just started a couple weeks ago.”

  “You haven’t sailed with Raphael long, then?”

  “Not really.” He looked momentarily confused. “Like I said, I just got hired.” He turned to leave.

  Sailing from Italy meant a lot of open water and few ports to hire new crew. “Where did you join the crew?”

  The man ignored her. He pretended to inspect the railing as he backed away.

  “Wait—what’s your name?”

  He paused, appearing uncertain. “Pete.”

  “Nice to meet you, Pete. I’m Kat.” She held out her hand.

  After an awkward moment, Pete stepped forward to shake her hand. “I really gotta go now. Shouldn’t be standing around. I got work to do.”

  “I guess you’re taking us to De Courcy Island?” Though she had spent all her life in Vancouver, she hadn’t even heard of De Courcy Island until Jace mentioned it. Not surprising, considering the island’s limited access by private boat or plane. There were just a few dozen homes there and no facilities. Groceries and supplies had to be brought onto the island by boat.

  He chuckled softly. “That I am.”

  “You know the legend about Brother XII and the Aquarian Foundation?”

  “That’s the cult, right?” Pete kicked at an imaginary rock at his feet on the spotless deck.

  Kat nodded. “There’s rumors of slave labor, too. People got tricked into handing their money over once they reached the island. They separated husbands and wives, forcing them to work long hours.”

  “Some of that’s probably exaggerated.” Pete’s face darkened. “Over the years I’ve heard black magic, occultism, and such. Mostly made-up stories.”

  Words that applied equally to Raphael, she thought. Pete knew the story. He must be local.

  “Hard to know for sure,” Kat agreed. “I’m sure the story’s been embellished over the years.” She made a note to ask Jace.

  “Probably.”

  “That Brother XII guy—I heard he took everyone’s money as soon as they arrived. Kind of like it was communal property or something,” Kat said. “Except that he used all the money himself. The Aquarian Foundation paid for the property, but all the property deeds were issued in his name.”

  Pete smiled. “That’s what they say. There’s also a rumor of buried treasure somewhere on the island. Treasure hunters have searched over the years, but always come up empty. Jars of gold are supposed to be buried underground, though no one’s ever found any.”

  “That sounds fascinating. I’d love to know more.”

  Kat couldn’t wait to explore the island. She wanted to do a little research on the mysterious Brother XII herself. But for now her focus remained on Raphael. Now that she had broken the ice with Pete, he might open up about how he had come to be on Raphael’s yacht in the first place. That could provide a starting point to investigate Raphael himself. Gia trusted him, but she didn’t.

  “Later.” He nodded and disappeared around the corner.

  She spent the next few minutes scanning the horizon. They were surrounded by islands, though she couldn’t identify any of them. She wondered why Brother XII had chosen this place for his cult. It wasn’t easy to get to. Of course, that also made it harder to leave.

  She turned her thoughts back to Pete and wondered how he and Raphael had even met. Probably at a local marina, but why had Raphael hired local crew for his live-aboard Italian yacht? Crew normally traveled with the vessel, wherever it went.

  Maybe one of the Italian crew had quit or got fired, but that seemed unlikely in a foreign country so far from home. Scruffy-looking Pete seemed like a last resort choice for crew, especially for a billionaire. Billionaires usually screened and vetted their employees, especially those on their live-aboard yacht. At a minimum, they had a professional appearance. Pete didn’t fit the bill.

  Aside from Raphael’s rag-tag skeleton crew and his security cameras, there was no security on board the vessel. She had expected at least a bodyguard. Few billionaires left themselves so vulnerable and unguarded on the unpatrolled open seas.

  Pete just might hold a piece of the puzzle to unlock Raphael’s true intentions. If only she could get him to talk.

  She turned to go and almost collided with Harry. The corner was apparently a high accident area. Raphael really needed to install a mirror or something.

  Pete suddenly reappeared behind him.

  Harry pointed starboard. “Land ahoy!”

  Pete followed behind him and burst into laughter. “Haven’t heard that in a long time.”

  “You got the best job in the world,” Harry said. “Second to your boss, of course. How long have you worked for Raphael?”

  “A few weeks,” Pete said. “I’m here till the end of the month, like the other guys.”

  Kat hadn’t even considered that Pete might be temporary. Even if Raphael was docking his yacht, he couldn’t completely abandon it without crew, especially since it was his residence.

  What happened at month-end to cause Raphael to dismiss his crew? She almost didn’t want to know.

  Leave it to Harry. Within a minute he had the lowdown without prying at all. The entire crew was new, which confirmed that Raphael had probably lied about sailing from Italy. He certainly needed a full crew complement for longer than a few weeks if he planned to return to Italy.

  Raphael wasn’t likely to admit much, but she planned to pry more out of Pete. Maybe Raphael didn’t even own the boat. He could have easily chartered it. That theory made sense if the crew was leaving at the end of the month.

  But if Pete was gone at the end of the month, Raphael probably was, too. That put zero-hour at less than two weeks. Of course she was jumping to
conclusions because she had no proof of any wrongdoing. Just a hunch.

  If Raphael already had Gia’s money, he could disappear at any time. Unless he wanted more money. She had no idea how much Gia had already invested, but it took a small fortune for the yacht’s daily operation alone. Even if Gia had invested everything she had, it would barely cover Raphael’s expenses. He was probably scheming to get more money. Either that or she was completely wrong about the guy. Raphael could be completely legitimate as Gia claimed.

  Pete opened a storage box and lifted lifejackets out.

  “Let me help you.” Harry joined in and the two men piled the lifejackets on deck beside the storage box.

  “What’ll you do when you’re done?” Harry asked.

  “Dunno. I guess I’ll look for another job.”

  “On a boat?”

  Pete sighed. “That would be nice, but it’s pretty tough finding work right now. This came up at the last minute.”

  Kat’s ears perked up. Work shortages meant tough competition for the few jobs available, and Pete hardly looked like a top-level candidate. “How did you find out about this job?”

  Pete frowned. “I heard about it.”

  Her question had made him suspicious. Harry was much better at casual questions than she was. Probably because he wasn’t fishing for answers in the first place, like she was. “From where? Someone you knew?”

  Pete motioned with his arm. “We’re almost at the island. You’d better grab your stuff and get ready.”

  Kat stole a glance at Harry, hoping he’d pick up on her questions.

  He didn’t miss a beat. “This the nicest yacht you’ve ever worked on?”

  Pete nodded. “It’s the only one I’ve worked on. It’s been worth it just to get back here.”

  “Back from where?” Harry asked. “You go away somewhere?”

  “Gotta get back to work.” Pete practically knocked Harry over in his haste to get away. “This ship’s not gonna dock herself.”

  As Pete disappeared around the corner, Kat puzzled over his comment. Pete implied that he was local. And unlike Raphael, he seemed familiar with De Courcy Island. Back from where, exactly? She intended to find out.

  6

  Kat entered her stateroom, anticipating a cool, refreshing shower.

  Jace was already inside. He shoved clothes into his backpack on the bed.

  “Going somewhere?”

  “Raphael and I are exploring the island. We’re going to see what’s left of the old Brother XII settlement.”

  “I’ll shower and change and grab my stuff.” She untwisted her ponytail and rifled through her bag for a change of clothes.

  Silence.

  She turned around and glanced at Jace.

  He fidgeted with his hands as he sat on the bed. He stared down at his hiking boots instead of meeting her gaze.

  Kat swallowed as a lump caught in her throat. Had he planned to leave without her? “Oh, I see. I guess I’m not invited?”

  “I-uh, figured you had already planned something with Gia. Or maybe Harry.” Jace slung his pack over his shoulder and stood. “There’s lots to do on board. Or you guys might want to beachcomb or something.”

  “But we planned to check out the island together, Jace.” Before you replaced me with Raphael, she thought. Was she jealous, or suspicious? It felt a little like both.

  “I thought it would be more efficient this way, especially since I’m doing two stories in one. I can interview Raphael while we walk to the Brother XII site.” He turned towards the door. “You and I can visit on our own later on.”

  Kat frowned. “I see where this is going. You don’t want me to go.”

  “Don’t be silly. If you’re quick you can come with us.” He walked to the door, then turned around. “Just meet us up on deck.”

  Tears stung her eyes. Jace really didn’t want her there. He denied it, but there was no question that he’d rather keep her and Raphael apart. She kind of understood his preoccupation and fascination with Raphael. It wasn’t every day he met a billionaire, but that was beside the point. Their weekend getaway had morphed into a group thing with zero time alone.

  She avoided his gaze and stared out the porthole. They idled just outside the marina. There were only two boats docked, a fishing dinghy and a beat-up trawler. The marina seemed very small for The Financier.

  Her heart beat faster. “Aside from your assignment, this was supposed to be our weekend away. But you’d rather spend time with Raphael than me. I get it. I’m not a flashy billionaire with expensive toys. I’m just your girlfriend.” Maybe she was overacting but at this point she didn’t care. A few hours into the weekend and she just wanted to turn around and go home.

  “That’s not what I meant, Kat.” Jace stood in the open doorway and rolled his eyes. “Of course I’d rather spend my time with you. But this is a big story opportunity. I can get two articles in one day. You’re the one that suggested I do an article on him, so why are you making such a big deal about it? If I’m going to write about the guy, I need to talk to him first.”

  “You don’t need to spend every waking moment with him.”

  Jace threw his hands up in the air. “We’ve only been aboard a few hours. We’ve still got all weekend. Besides, he’s a really busy guy and might have to take off somewhere. I don’t know how long he’ll be around.”

  “Not long, I hope.” He wouldn’t stick around once she exposed him. That was certain.

  “You seem to think he’s a criminal or something. I think you’re interested in my story just so that you can investigate the facts.”

  Silence.

  “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to find out a bit more about his background. Some of his claims seem a bit unbelievable. You’ll have to verify them no matter what.”

  Harry walked past the open door and waved. “You two coming upstairs?”

  Jace shook his head.

  Harry glanced first at Jace and then Kat. His smile vanished and so did he.

  Jace turned and closed the door behind him. He sat on the bed beside Kat. “Why are we arguing about this? We should be enjoying ourselves.”

  “Because you’d rather be with him than me.” It sounded stupid when she said it aloud, but it was the truth.

  “No I wouldn’t.” He pulled her close and kissed her. “I’d rather you came with us, but I’m worried you’ll lose your temper with Raphael. You can’t say anything confrontational or embarrassing.”

  “Oh, so now I’m an embarrassment?” Tears stung her eyes. No way was she going to cry. She turned away and sucked in her breath. She was entitled to her own opinions about Raphael. Couldn’t she express them without being shunned?

  “You know what I mean. I think you’re being a little overprotective of Gia, but you’ve really got to keep your suspicions to yourself. Their relationship is none of our business. I happen to think he's totally legit, even if you don’t. Besides, he brought us all the way here. We should at least be polite to him.”

  Jace might be right. At least about the keeping suspicions to herself part. She would hold her temper in check, but she wouldn’t hold back while he stole from her friend. More than ever she had to investigate Raphael’s background. She just wouldn’t tell anybody about it. Especially not Jace.

  7

  Kat needn’t have rushed. When she emerged on deck fifteen minutes later, they still hadn't docked. The Financier was too large for the tiny De Courcy Island marina, so they had to relocate. The yacht anchored off Pirate’s Cove instead.

  “Pete says we’ll take the dinghy to the island.” Uncle Harry’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. “You look like you’re in a bad mood.”

  “I’m fine.” She wasn’t and couldn’t hide it from Harry. Thankfully he didn’t press her further.

  “If you say so, but you don’t look happy to me. I’m going to see what this dinghy-thingy is all about.” He laughed at his own joke and disappeared in the direction o
f the bow.

  She took a deep breath and exhaled. Jace was right. How hard was it to just grin and bear Raphael’s company for a couple of days? It was the weekend and they were anchored off a sparsely populated island.

  In fact, De Courcy Island was an ideal place to be. It bought her time to uncover Raphael’s secrets. Close quarters on a yacht was a perfect way to keep tabs on him, something that would have been impossible back in Vancouver. She was confident that once she exposed his true character and secrets, everyone would listen to what she had to say.

  Harry returned in less than ten minutes. “I wish Raphael and Gia would hurry up. Can’t we just go ashore without them?”

  “They shouldn’t be much longer,” Kat said. Gia had mentioned a conference call with Raphael’s investors in Italy, but it should have ended a half-hour ago.

  “I’m dying to get there too, but think we’d better wait,” Jace said. “It’s hard to believe a commune ever existed on this tiny island. So many people lived here, yet they’re largely forgotten.”

  “Or that so many people got tricked into handing all their money over to Brother XII,” Kat said.

  Jace cast a wary glance at Kat. “That guy had enough charisma to sell a new religion to the Pope. He convinced more than 8,000 people to follow him by seducing them with his tales of mysticism and reincarnation.”

  “That’s what happens when you say the world’s going to end,” Harry said. “People lose their common sense.”

  “Brother XII promised a way out. The world would end for the masses, but not the elite few chosen to join the Aquarian Foundation. Anyone who joined the cult was promised a better outcome. His followers grew as newspapers spread stories about his ability to foresee the future.”

  “People believe what they want to,” Kat said. “They think that if they put their faith in a higher power, destiny is out of their hands. That way they can absolve themselves of any blame.”

  Jace nodded. “Some people were taken advantage of more than others. Aside from the publishers who shared Brother XII’s message, he convinced Mary Connally, a wealthy widow from Asheville, North Carolina, that he held the secret to divine help and spiritual redemption. Connally sent him $2,000, saying she had more funds available.”