Grave Seas: A Maddie Graves and Rowan Gray Mystery

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Not unless my understanding of nautical procedure is vastly wrong. There’s just no way. We’re moving too fast.”

  To Nick, it didn’t feel they were moving that fast at all. Of course, he wasn’t familiar with sailing ... other than a rowboat on the lake. Quinn would know better than him. “So, what are our options?”

  “We check every room down here, top to bottom, and then we start searching the main ship again.”

  Nick rubbed his forehead and nodded. “Okay.”

  Quinn circled the room and paused by the door when they were about to leave. “Can I ask you something?”

  Nick nodded.

  “You’ve been dealing with Maddie and her gifts a lot longer than I’ve been coming to terms with what Rowan can do. How do you handle it?”

  “I honestly haven’t been dealing with that part very long.” Nick was rueful. “Remember when I told you how Maddie left to go to college and our friendship fell apart? That was because she was afraid to tell me what she could do.

  “I feel sick about it, wonder if there was something else I could’ve done to make her more secure, but I keep coming up empty,” he continued. “Her mother is the one who instilled the need for secrecy in her. Olivia was a good woman, a second mother to me really when we were growing up, but she had a few quirks. She was the one who kept Maddie’s father from her even though he wanted to be part of her life.

  “See, Olivia and George married young and they weren’t really compatible. When George decided the marriage wasn’t working, Olivia had just discovered she was pregnant. George knew about Olivia’s gifts but struggled with the entire thing and she cut him out of Maddie’s life. He left, basically abandoning both of them, but he came back when Maddie was still a small child and wanted to make amends.”

  “And Olivia didn’t let him?” Quinn tried to wrap his brain around the concept. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

  “It wasn’t. Maddie always had abandonment issues because she never knew her father. I think that fueled the fear she was dealing with regarding her abilities. It’s caused issues with Olivia and Maddie since, although they’re pretty much past them now.”

  Quinn was beyond confused. “I’m sorry. I thought Maddie’s mother was dead.”

  “She is. Maddie can talk to ghosts as well as get the occasional psychic flash. Olivia didn’t leave. She’s staying until Maude passes. She’s told Maddie as much.”

  “And Maude is the grandmother, right?”

  “Yes,” Nick said, smirking. “Although she’s kind of like our test run at having a child. She’s a lot of work.”

  “You love her, though.”

  “I do. She’s just ... really out there sometimes. As for Olivia, she’s been helpful. She’s warned me a few times when Maddie has been in trouble.”

  “So ... wait ... are you saying you can see and talk to ghosts, too?”

  “I couldn’t until Maddie was drowning and Olivia forced me to hear her. I took a leap of faith that night when I heard a ghost whispering in my ear. I made it to Maddie in time. Since then, well, there have been instances where Olivia has talked to me. She’s led me to Maddie, and a few times I’ve felt her presence around the house. It’s weird and I don’t really think about it too much because I’m convinced my head will implode if I do.”

  Quinn pressed his lips together, amused. “We live complicated lives,” he said finally. “My girlfriend sees weird omens in cameras and had a secret society who wanted to steal her away watching her every move. Your wife sees psychic flashes and talks to ghosts. I think we’re pretty much saints for putting up with it.”

  Nick barked out a laugh. “There’s nothing wrong with a complicated life when the rewards are so great. Maddie is the best reward.”

  “Yeah. I’m right there with you ... although I think Rowan is the best reward.”

  “It takes time, but eventually you won’t be able to imagine your life another way.”

  “I’m already there.”

  “Then you’re ahead of the game.”

  “Yeah, let’s keep searching. We’ll resume our complicated lives in a few hours.”

  ON THE DECK, MADDIE RETRIEVED iced teas while Rowan snapped photos. They’d been searching for the troublesome trio of females for a good hour but had come up empty.

  “There’s always a chance they’re still asleep,” Maddie noted as she slid into her spot in the shade. “I mean ... they are partying hard all night, every night.”

  “That’s true.” Rowan snapped a cute photo of a lovey-dovey older couple who were sharing a mixed drink and staring into each other’s eyes. “I kind of hope Quinn and I are like that when we’re that age.” She inclined her chin so Maddie would know which couple she was referring to.

  Maddie laughed. “Nick and I will probably be worse. We’re all over each other. It drives my grandmother ... and his partner ... and his brother, for that matter, completely nuts. I don’t care, though. I didn’t know it was possible to be this happy.”

  “Me either.” Rowan was rueful. “When I first came to the ship, the notion of falling in love was the furthest thing from my mind. I was just looking for a way to survive. I was aimless at the time, had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I still don’t know what I’m going to do with my professional life. My personal life is pristine for a change, though.”

  “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about that.” Maddie licked her lips and shifted so she was staring directly at Rowan. “Have you considered working with Quinn and his partner in their private detective agency?”

  Rowan wasn’t expecting the suggestion. “Why would I do that? I mean ... filing things and answering phones isn’t exactly the career of my dreams, and that’s all I’m qualified to do.”

  “That’s not true.” Maddie was adamant. “You have a gift. It sounds like the gift is expanding. They’re private detectives. That means they’re going to be looking for missing people ... and solving mysteries. Who better to help them than a woman who can find answers in her camera?”

  Rowan opened her mouth to immediately dismiss the idea ... and then she thought better of it. “Huh. I never really thought about it before, but that’s an idea. I’m not sure how Quinn would feel about it. And, quite frankly, I don’t know that I want to give up taking photos on my own.”

  “Why do you have to?” Maddie took a pragmatic approach. “I mean ... think about it. Even if you’re involved in one or two cases a week, that’s not going to be a full-time job. You guys are going to be living here, right? Or at least close. There are going to be touristy businesses who need photos taken for brochures and websites. Weddings will be a big thing here. You can have a hybrid career.”

  “I ... .” Despite herself, Rowan was intrigued by the idea. “I don’t know what to think about that,” she admitted after a beat. “It’s worth a thought, though.”

  “And, if you guys have kids, you’ll have the sort of schedule most mothers dream about,” Maddie added. “That’s why I made the decision I did. I’ll be able to set my own schedule. I’ll be covered by Nick’s insurance, and so will any children we have. I’ll also be able to pick and choose the festivals I want to attend and I can set up a mobile business down the road if I want to add to it. It’s the best thing for all of us.”

  “And it could be the best thing for Quinn and me, too,” Rowan mused. “I don’t know, though. I’m not sure our relationship could handle that much together time.”

  Maddie made an incredulous face. “Don’t you guys work together constantly now? Besides that, you live on top of each other in a sardine can. Sure, you said you got a better room, but it’s still a small space and half the week you’re trapped in it together. If you can make that work, you can make anything work.”

  She had a point, Rowan had to admit. It was a good point, too. “Huh. Maybe I’ll bring it up to him later. I mean ... it can’t hurt to feel him out about it.”

  “It definitely can’t.”

  They lapsed into amiable silenc
e, Rowan snapping photos and mulling the idea while Maddie sipped her iced tea and patted herself on the back. They were both so lost in thought Maddie almost missed Violet when the woman finally appeared on the deck. It wasn’t just because she was distracted, though. It was also because the woman was acting furtively.

  “Look at that.” Maddie lifted her chin and inclined her head toward the far side of the deck.

  From her position, Rowan had to squint to make out the individual she was referring to because of the glare of the sun. When her eyes finally focused, she frowned. “She’s being awfully quiet, isn’t she?”

  “She is,” Maddie agreed. “It looks like she’s talking to someone. Can you see who?”

  “Not from this spot.” Rowan glanced around and then got to her feet. “Stay here and act like you don’t have a care in the world. I’m going to head over there and take a look, but I don’t want to draw attention to myself so I’m going to take photos as I’m going. If I can change my angle, I think I can use the camera to get a better look. It’s probably one of her friends, but she’s being so quiet I can’t help being suspicious.”

  That was exactly what Maddie was thinking. “I’ll wait right here and be as unobtrusive as possible.”

  Rowan snickered. “I think with that hair and your body, that’s impossible.”

  Maddie’s cheeks colored. “I ... .”

  “Oh, it’s cute that you’re shy. It really is.” Rowan took her camera and continued to snap photos, leaving Maddie to grapple with her embarrassment in private. She busied herself with taking various snapshots of the guests until she made her way to a spot behind a potted palm tree where she could study Violet. The woman was definitely talking to someone, and it seemed to be an intense conversation. She showed no signs of being drunk, instead gesturing wildly as she argued with ... someone.

  Rowan lifted her camera and focused on the corner she couldn’t quite make out. It was dark in that area, but she had technology on her side. She futzed with the camera settings and then looked again. This time her breath clogged her throat when she realized who she was looking at.

  Ben. He was trying to remain hidden beneath an awning, a hat pulled low. He clearly didn’t want anyone to recognize him. Where had he come from? Maddie, Nick, and Quinn talked to him in the tiki bar earlier. They said he was determined to get his act together.

  If that was the case, though, why was he on deck trying to fade into the woodwork and talking to a woman who had caused more trouble than any three other women combined? Did they know each other? It didn’t look as if they were having a casual conversation. Whatever they were discussing was deep.

  If Rowan wasn’t suspicious of both of them before, she would’ve been now. This was not normal, and she was determined to find out exactly what they were up to. First, though, she had to tell Maddie what she’d discovered. Perhaps the psychic would have some ideas.

  It couldn’t possibly hurt ... and maybe, just maybe, they were finally getting somewhere.

  Seventeen

  Maddie was as intrigued by the turn of events as Rowan. However, her take on how they should handle it was vastly different.

  “I think I should talk to him alone.”

  Rowan immediately started shaking her head. “That’s a terrible idea.”

  Maddie was the picture of innocence. “Why?”

  “Because he’s a suspect in his wife’s disappearance.”

  “I thought we all agreed Dylan is the one who took her.”

  “That’s the prevailing theory, but we have no proof of it. Ben is also acting weird … and now he’s hanging out with the witch.”

  Maddie pursed her lips as she considered the statement. “That’s true,” she conceded finally. “Still, he’s more likely to talk to me. I know him better. You’re a member of the ship’s staff. He might see that as a threat. At the very least, he might feel stressed because you have a position of authority. I’m harmless.”

  That’s exactly what Rowan was afraid of. “What if that’s what he assumes and he tries to hurt you? He might not like being questioned.”

  “We’ve questioned him before.”

  “With Nick and Quinn present. I mean … I don’t like to play the woman card. I don’t think we need big, strong men to protect us. I would never say otherwise. However, Quinn would be extremely angry if I were to chase after a potential suspect and talk to him alone.”

  “I have no intention of talking to him alone.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No. You’re going to be there.”

  “You just said you were going to approach him alone.”

  “As far as he knows,” Maddie explained. “You’ll be there. He just won’t see you because you’ll be hiding.”

  “Like … behind a big plant or something?”

  “I was thinking more along the lines of the deck bar. You can shoot photos of other people while I’m questioning him.”

  It seemed like a perfectly reasonable option to Rowan … except for one thing. “How are you going to lure him to the deck bar?”

  “I guarantee he’s already there … or will be shortly. He’s been drinking his sorrows away for a reason. What if it’s not the reason we assumed?”

  Now Rowan was really confused. “What other reason could there be?”

  “Maybe he’s in cahoots with Violet.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “I have no idea. The thing is, that didn’t look like a conversation between two people who just met. I’m guessing they know each other another way.”

  “But … how?”

  “That’s what I intend to find out.”

  Rowan sucked in a breath, considering, and then exhaled heavily. “Okay, but you have to promise not to wander away. Your husband will kill me – actually, he’s not the type to touch a woman so he’ll kill Quinn – if we lose you in the middle of all this, too.”

  “You don’t have to worry. I’m not an idiot. I have no intention of going anywhere alone with him. I just want this entire thing solved. I have a honeymoon to get back to.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll be watching … and if I think it looks like you need help, I’ll be sending some your way. You’ve been forewarned.”

  “Good to know.”

  MADDIE LOOKED THE PART OF AN innocent ingenue and it wasn’t difficult for her to play it. For years, she hid behind her shy nature in an effort to keep people from getting too close. All the while, she pined for Nick and wondered what could’ve been.

  This was a bit different.

  Sure enough, just like she guessed, Ben was back on his favorite stool at the deck bar. He’d wisely opted to stay away from the tiki bar – he was much more likely to run into someone he recognized there – and was already half a beer deep when Maddie approached.

  “You look like you’re slapping yourself together,” she drawled, making a clucking sound with her tongue as she shook her head.

  Very slowly, very deliberately, Ben shifted to stare at her. His features twisted into the approximation of a grimace. “Are you following me?”

  “No. I was on deck doing something else when I caught sight of you.”

  He glanced around. “You were on deck around here? Doing what? And where is your bodyguard?”

  “Do you mean my husband?”

  “If you say so.”

  “He’s busy looking for your wife.”

  Ben drained the rest of his beer in three large gulps and then placed the bottle on the counter, rather loudly, before nodding his head toward the bartender. It was obvious he was ordering another. “What do you want from me?”

  “A little truth might help.” Maddie climbed up onto the stool next to him. “I’m not leaving until I hear some truth come out of your mouth. I’m starting to think it’s been in short supply from the start.”

  Ben balked. “Are you accusing me of being a liar?”

  “Yeah.” Maddie didn’t hesitate to lay it out for him. “You’re definitely not telling the trut
h about something. I thought we were getting somewhere earlier … but it turns out you were lying again.”

  “I was not lying,” he snapped, earning a warning look from the bartender, who sidled closer. “I’m sorry,” Ben offered immediately, holding up his hands. “I didn’t mean to snap at her.”

  The bartender didn’t look convinced. “Are you okay, ma’am?” he asked.

  Maddie found she was offended. “Did you just call me ma’am? That’s just so … wrong. I’m not old enough to be a ma’am. My grandmother is a ma’am … or a ‘Toots.’ She once told me she liked it when people called her ‘Toots,’ which is weird but fits her personality. I definitely don’t like it when people call me ma’am.”

  He merely stared at her a moment. “Is that a yes?”

  “About me being okay? Yeah.” Maddie shot him a sheepish smile. “Can I get an iced tea, though? It’s really hot out here and I’m parched.”

  “Absolutely.” The bartender went back to work, but he kept a steady eye on Ben as he poured drinks.

  Speaking of Ben, he didn’t utter another word until the bartender had delivered Maddie’s drink and moved farther down the bar. When he did finally start talking, it was to apologize. “I’m sorry. I know you must think I’m a terrible husband. I’m not, though. I’m just … weak. I can’t function on my own right now.”

  “So … you’ve decided to become a lush?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Uh-huh.” Maddie opted to lower the boom. “And what about Violet? How does she play into your plan to hide from the world for the rest of your life?”

  For a split-second, something dark passed over Ben’s features. He recovered quickly, but it wasn’t fast enough to hide his reaction from Maddie. “I don’t know who that is.”

  “Oh, you’re going to have to do better than that,” Maddie insisted. “I saw you on the deck together. The hat was a nice touch, by the way.”

  “What hat?”

  “The one poking out of your pocket.”