by J C Ryan
“Well, mission accomplished,” he remarked to Digger, setting down his bowl of kibble and scrambled eggs. “We’ve met the girl, and she is interesting. I wonder what her story is? She’s almost as reticent as I am.”
Digger made no reply, obviously because he felt he’d done his bit to introduce them, on two occasions. It was for Rex to step up to the plate now.
Chapter 8
Port Vila, Vanuatu
REX AND JACQUI and Digger, sometimes accompanied by Ida, got to know each other. Jacqui told Rex she was a government employee in France, but she didn’t elaborate. Rex sensed it was a bit more revealing than the first day but still not much more, and he kept on wondering what she was hiding and why. Although the thought crossed his mind fleetingly, there was no compelling reason for him to Google her name or ask Rehka to do background research on her.
Rex liked it best when Ida wasn’t present, not because he wanted Jacqui all to himself, he just didn’t click as well with Ida. And Digger seemed to feel the same about the Swedish woman, preferring Jacqui’s attention above Ida’s.
Rex introduced Jacqui to reef fishing. Ida wasn’t interested, so they were alone out on the boat other than the guide that day. The conversation ranged from Digger, how to fish, the preparation of the catch, and anything else but personal revelations about their backgrounds from either of them. Digger provided plenty of entertainment by barking and snapping at the fish they pulled in. Or rather, that Rex pulled in, because try as she might, Jacqui couldn’t land one. She got bites, even hooked a few, but they all got away.
She pouted her lips in mock dejection, “It looks so easy when you do it. Why can’t I get it right? Maybe the fish don’t like me.”
Rex laughed. “What’s not to like? I don’t think that’s the problem. Don’t worry, you’ll do much better when we go out to a crater lake tomorrow and fish for eel or prawns.”
Jacqui immediately latched onto that and told him about all the culinary pleasures she could prepare with either. Rex’s catch of the day, a yellowfin tuna, was tagged and released, and the other fish he’d caught would be given to local villagers, as was the custom.
The one thing Jacqui would not do, no matter how Rex and even Ida cajoled and reassured her, was go in the water for a swim. She had an irrational fear of the sea creatures she’d been told about and would not believe that the shark nets offered protection. She told Rex she couldn’t bear the anxiety she felt when any of them were in the water.
Rex couldn’t remember when the last time was that he’d felt so relaxed and carefree. The days felt as if they flowed into each other as there was always something exciting or relaxing for them to do, including lunch or dinner, or sometimes both, either at restaurants or at Jacqui’s little hut. Rex was amazed at Jacqui’s ability to put together a gourmet meal with the minimal equipment provided in the hut kitchens. He gained a new appreciation for French cuisine after their successful eel and prawn fishing trip.
Ida joined them often, but from her side also never warmed up to Rex or Digger. The fact that Digger didn’t like her much, either, put Rex on alert. Digger was a remarkably good judge of character and Rex knew not to ignore it. So, he decided it would be sensible to remain attentive when she was around.
On the fifth day after Digger knocked Jacqui down while playing Frisbee, Rex learned she wasn’t a good sailor. The four of them, including Digger, had booked a yacht to visit one of the nearby islets for a picnic. Jacqui had insisted it was her turn to treat after Rex had taken her on his fishing expeditions.
But unfortunately, the poor woman spent most of the short trip in the head retching her guts out, too embarrassed to just lean over the rail. By the time they landed, she was pale, and a fine sweat shone at her hairline.
“I’m so sorry,” she gasped as they went ashore. “I’ve never had that reaction to a boat ride before.” She pressed her lips together and gamely kept up with them, though she appeared to be dreading the trip back. Rex wished they’d gone to a different island, one with air service back to Port Vila. He’d have put her on a plane to spare her the uncomfortable trip back.
Rex was a bit taken aback by Ida’s apparent heartlessness. Jacqui’s supposed friend paid no attention to her discomfort and made no effort to try and comfort her. He tried to strike a balance between watching out for Jacqui’s well-being and not being intrusive about it because of her obvious discomfort about it.
Digger didn’t have any such compunction. He stayed at Jacqui’s side all day, leaning against her when she was sitting down and staying closely at heel when she was moving. At the picnic, he refused to come to Rex for a treat, which was a first in Rex’s memory. Digger was never off his food, but he appeared to be sharing Jacqui’s malaise today.
Rex put it down to the dog’s remarkable empathy and didn’t worry about it.
On the trip back, Jacqui wasn’t quite as bad, and she was able to stay on deck and enjoy the breeze. However, she excused herself from their dinner plans, leaving Rex and Ida to share an uneasy dinner together rather than either admitting they’d rather eat alone. At the restaurant, they found little to say to each other, and Ida seemed put out that they’d be seated outdoors to accommodate Digger. For his part, Rex couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to be indoors, dog or no dog. He didn’t apologize for it.
The next day, Rex and Digger went out for a good long run and to play on the beach in the morning, as had become their habit. Rex spotted Jacqui leaving the hut, but instead of turning toward the beach, she walked off toward town.
Must be market day or something. I wonder why she didn’t invite Ida or me for company?
The idle thought was soon lost in the morning’s fun. He and Digger went for a swim as usual, and then air-dried as they enjoyed a vigorous game of Frisbee. When the sun grew warm, they headed back to Rex’s hut, where they had breakfast, and then Rex checked his email and read for a while.
Digger had a nap.
The plan for the evening was for Rex to provide the meal, but considering Jacqui’s expertise in the kitchen, and his cooking skills limited to opening cans and heating stuff in microwaves, he decided not to embarrass himself and rather have it catered, after a fashion.
When he’d showered and let Digger sleep for a while, he went to the market and found a woman from whom he’d purchased prepared food before. He knew it was good, so he asked her to provide a full meal of native dishes and bring it to his hut just before Jacqui was to arrive. Ida had declined the invitation, so it would be just the two of them and Digger.
He was looking forward to the evening. Jacqui had shown herself to be intelligent, witty, and sophisticated. She was good company.
Maybe she’ll share a little more about herself. I wouldn’t mind learning more. She’s someone I could be friends with, not just vacation buddies.
When Jacqui arrived, both Rex and Digger immediately saw something was not right with her. Her eyes were red and swollen, obviously from crying. Digger made a few soft whining sounds and cozied up to her right away.
Clear that she was not her usual sparkling self, Rex asked if everything was all right, but immediately regretted asking.
Stupid question. He chastised himself. It’s obvious there is something wrong—why do you even ask?
“Yes, I’m fine,” was all she would say.
There you have it. Stupid questions deserve stupid answers.
She reclined in one of the lounge chairs on the veranda while Rex set out the food that had been delivered hot just a few minutes before. As she idly petted Digger and scratched him behind his ears, he showed less attention to the food than he normally would. Instead, he put his head down on her lap and leaned into the chaise, the picture of dejection.
Digger soon had Jacqui smiling, though to Rex it seemed as if the smiles overlaid a deep disquiet she was trying to hide. Digger’s behavior lent credence to his theory. The dog kept shifting closer until he was all but lying in her lap, but she didn’t seem to mind. From what Rex
observed, it seemed as if she found some solace in it.
He couldn’t help but wonder if this was a signal from Digger that he’d ‘approve’ of her as a romantic interest? The dog had his own idiosyncrasies about Rex’s relationships, as if he was responsible for screening and approving or disapproving Rex’s relationships. For instance, he hadn’t shown any such favor to a girl in Thailand with whom Rex wanted to become romantically involved. In fact, he did everything possible to prevent it from happening. The girl in Peru, on the other hand, was a different story, Digger had no problems with her, but that girl had ended the relationship herself.
With Digger as a barometer, Rex having learned that it was very important to take note of his canine friend’s ‘first impressions’ of people, he seldom had any issues choosing to be friends only or pursue deeper relationships. That was despite butting heads with the stubborn animal in Thailand. However, this time seemed different. Jacqui hadn’t shown any interest in anything more than a casual, vacation friendship. Right from the first day, although always friendly and spontaneous, there was a tacit message from her, ‘I’m not available’. Rex didn’t press the matter—they’d probably never see each other again after they left Vanuatu, which he felt would be a shame. Not since Italy had he met such a fascinating woman. Still, she seemed so much more distant tonight than on any other occasion. Something was definitely bothering her, despite her assurances that it was not the case.
Rex resolved not to think about women and romance anymore, or anything but the delicious food and tonight’s company. He cast about in his mind for something to talk about and hit on the subject of French wine. He’d never seen Jacqui take a drink of wine or anything else alcoholic. To his mind, this was an anomaly—French and no wine was too much of an oxymoron to let it go by without mention. It was like being American without turkey for Thanksgiving.
When he had the table arranged to his satisfaction, he invited Jacqui to move to a chair at the table. Before he sat down, he asked if she cared for anything to drink.
“I have a nice Bordeaux cabernet sauvignon, or juice made with pomelo and naus fruit. Or sparkling water, of course. I don’t suppose you’d be interested in beer.”
Jacqui smiled, “No, I’m not fond of beer. I’ll have the juice, if that’s all right.”
“Of course.”
Rex went into the kitchen and poured a glass of the chilled tropical juice. As he returned and set it down in front of her, he remarked, “Isn’t it unusual for a Frenchwoman not to drink wine?”
Jacqui blushed. “I’m trying to cut down,” she quipped. “Seriously, though, I’ve had a bit of an upset stomach since I got here. I thought it was best not to mix wine in with whatever is causing it.”
Rex remembered just how upset her stomach had been the day before, on the boat. He didn’t think it polite to bring it up or comment any further on it. “I just hope this local meal will agree with you.”
“It looks delicious. I’m sure I’ll be okay.”
Rex changed the subject. “You mentioned you weren’t raised in Paris. Did your family live in wine country?”
“Yes, I was raised amidst vineyards. My family have been vintners for centuries. My brother runs the winery now.”
It was more than she’d shared before, and Rex congratulated himself on thinking of a subject to carry the conversation for hours.
“How interesting! Tell me more.”
***
WHILE JACQUI REGALED Rex with escapades from her childhood, mostly perpetrated by her brother, something mysterious was going on in town without the knowledge of either.
A shadowy figure dressed in black right down to the balaclava that was completely inappropriate for the climate, expertly picked the lock at the women’s clinic. The person quickly found the patient records, filed in manila folders with color-coded tabs. A grunt of satisfaction accompanied the discovery. The task would have taken a bit longer if computer hacking had been required, but this doctor apparently hadn’t moved to the computerized records that most were now using.
A rapid search through the files revealed the filing system, and after that the record the person was looking for was easily found. While waiting for the copy machine to warm up, the person riffled through the file and found what was needed and took photos of all on his mobile phone before copying them. Each page was carefully put back in order, and the file placed back in the original spot.
The individual even re-locked the door after leaving.
Chapter 9
Fatumara Bay, Port Vila, Vanuatu
REX THOUGHT HE’D successfully brought Jacqui out of her somber mood by the time she was ready to leave. They’d been laughing about her brother’s misfortunes as a teen, and even Digger had relaxed a bit. All the signals said she was now okay, at least for the night.
Digger clearly wanted to accompany her back to her hut, but when Rex offered to walk with her, she insisted she’d be fine.
“The moon is so bright, I don’t think I’ll have any problems. Please don’t bother. Thank you for a lovely evening.”
“Let Digger walk with you, then. What kind of gentleman would let a lady walk home alone at this time of night?”
“The kind that knows how to take no for an answer,” she quipped.
Rex couldn’t argue with that. Pressing her any more would be awkward at best, if not a little creepy.
“I’ll keep Digger inside, because he’s never known how to take no for an answer.” He grinned to show he was joking, and Jacqui laughed as she set out.
“Au revoir,” she called over her shoulder.
“Next time,” Rex answered, in English.
***
THE NEXT MORNING, when Rex woke, his thoughts went to Jacqui immediately. Despite the fact that she seemed to be in better spirits when she left last night, whatever troubled her had not been resolved. He wanted to see for himself whether she’d truly come out of her funk, or if not, whether there was something he could do to help her, but at the same time he was hesitant to put his nose in her business and become a nuisance.
You came here for relaxation, not to interfere in other people’s personal matters.
Bullshit. In the past when someone was in trouble, you helped. What’s stopping you now?
His better nature won. Digger was restless, too, so even though it was early, Rex called Jacqui to invite her for a walk on the beach. The phone rang but there was no answer. Maybe the phone is on silent. He took it as sign that she wanted to be left alone. Nevertheless, he left a message that he was concerned, wondering if she was okay, and asked her to call or text back.
Rex cooled his heels for a while and then bowed to Digger’s insistence and went for their run on the beach. On the way back, they went to Jacqui’s hut and found no one at home. While standing just outside, he sent her a text.
“You okay? Dinner tonight?”
Still no answer.
Rex took Digger back to his hut and spent the rest of the day reading and brushing up on his Russian and Cantonese by working through a few audio lessons. He waited for a return call or text in vain. He considered calling Ida but reasoned that if Ida hadn’t seen or heard from Jacqui either, she probably would have called him. Chances were, they were together, and he’d just be intruding. Finally, still troubled, he and Digger went to sleep.
The next morning, he noticed a text had come in overnight from Jacqui. He was relieved to get a message from her but wanted to kick himself for not hearing the message come in, until he read it and realized it would have made no difference.
“I’ll be out of touch for a few days, just taking some time for myself. Please don’t worry. I’m keeping my phone switched off. I’ll be in touch when I get back.”
Rex nodded slowly as the thought crossed his mind, well, what’s a Vanuatu vacation if not taking time for yourself?
Although he tried to convince himself all was okay with her, he knew something was amiss, and being completely out of touch didn’t help either. It was
a bit vexing that there was nothing he could do about it. It was her business, and her choice not to accept his offer to help. He had no way to reach her and trying to find her would definitely be stalkerish.
Back and forth his thoughts went, as he paced to match them.
I have no real influence. She’s a friend who has something heavy on her mind and doesn’t want to talk about it. So, for now, none of your business.
“She’s fine, right, Digger?”
But Digger’s soft whine was no consolation. In fact, it only served to urge Rex to reason it out and eventually concluded he’d been right in the first place. It was none of his business. Rex was not a fretful person. He couldn’t remember when the last time was that he was so restless about anything—not since his teenage years.
Maybe she’d even gone to get away from me. Maybe I’d pried too much.
“You think that’s it, Digger? She wanted to get away from us? Or, probably not you, probably just me. I should mind my own business.”
Digger responded by getting out his Kong and dropping it at Rex’s feet. It took an eccentric bounce and Digger pounced on it as if it had been a rabbit. Rex reached for it to put a treat in it, but Digger grabbed it in his mouth and ran behind the bed.
“Oh, so you want to play keep-away?” Rex grinned and dived under the bed, but Digger was much quicker. He ran back around, tugged on the hem of Rex’s shirt, and then dodged out of the way before Rex could grab him.
“Let’s take this outside, before we break the people’s furniture.”
All Digger must’ve heard was ‘outside’, and the next thing Rex knew, Digger had bumped his way out the door, running at top speed.
By the time Rex caught up, Digger was rolling in something in the sand. Something stinky, more than likely. Rex said, “What’s got into you?”
Digger rolled over on his belly, back legs out, front legs propping him up, and grinned.
That was when Rex finally understood. His goofy dog was trying to distract him from Jacqui. Or more likely, from whatever was bothering him, because Digger couldn’t possibly understand it was Jacqui’s text that worried him. Could he?