by Mary Ellis
‘Careful, Kate,’ Alexander warned. ‘Creery has a gun under his jacket.’
Kate reached under his suit coat until she felt the touch of cold steel. ‘Not anymore he isn’t.’ She slid the weapon toward Baker while Nguyen snapped handcuffs on Creery’s guard.
‘I don’t know what this woman told you on the ride over, Alexander,’ Creery sputtered. ‘But if Julian has passed, it’s by her hand not mine.’
Kate bent down to Creery’s ear as Baker handcuffed him as well. ‘Save your breath, you stinkin’ murderer. Alex will soon know you were sneaking around with Aunt Ariana and stealing from the corporation. Or maybe you two hadn’t reached that point in the business meeting yet.’
Creery lifted his face from the floor. ‘I should’ve had you taken care of back on St Simons.’
‘Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve … it’s too late for regrets.’
‘With any luck it’s too late for the rest of the Price team,’ Creery hissed from the side of his mouth.
‘I don’t think so.’ Kate motioned for Baker who hauled Creery to his feet. ‘Nicki and Izzy are armed and on their way to the dock. Captain Burke is also aware of your machinations on Elysian.’
Betraying his crude manners, Creery spat on the Oriental rug. ‘Nicki has turned into a lunatic, while Isabelle is a vapid little housewife. You think those two can overpower well-trained mercenaries?’
‘Yep, I do,’ Kate boasted, although she felt far less confident than she sounded. ‘You have no idea how creative women can be. In the meantime, you’re going to tell me where Hunter and Beth are, or Mr Nguyen and Mr Baker will turn you into a punching bag.’
Nguyen and Baker each took a well-placed gut punch that made Creery double over and struggle to breathe. ‘I don’t care if … you kill me,’ he gasped. ‘I loved Ariana and … now she’s dead, thanks to those worthless miscreants. I only stole money from the company because she wanted me to.’
Alexander uttered an expletive. ‘That’s a pack of lies. My aunt has been dead for eight years, yet you continued to defraud the company. Your only hope of avoiding the death penalty is to release the two prisoners.’
Without warning Eliza Norville burst into the room with a roll of papers. ‘I found an old map of the island in Mr Frazier’s study. This morning Beth referred to the place where she’s locked up as a “rabbit hole.” According to this map, a previous owner built a fallout shelter many years ago.’ Eliza unrolled the papers on the desk. ‘My son is on his way there now with a pickaxe and bolt cutters.’
‘Paul will never get there in time,’ Creery wheezed.
‘You’d better hope that’s not the case.’ Kate delivered her best shot to his solar plexus.
Eric hadn’t liked the idea of Kate arriving on Elysian without him. But he could never have rallied the Glynn County Police Department and the Glynn County Sheriff’s Department into action without the physical proof of the text. Even with it, mustering the coastguard into action took Kate’s urgent message that Creery had planted a bomb aboard Frazier’s yacht to get rid of the witnesses and his overpaid guards. Then, coordinating a strategy between the three departments took more time than anyone could have imagined. Finally, Eric boarded a coastguard vessel for the thirty-minute ride to the island’s dock on the western side. The police and sheriff’s department would land on the Atlantic side and approach the mansion from the eastern beach.
Eric breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the Slippery Eel still tied up at the dock. And getting the armed guards to release Nate and Michael proved easier than expected. Not even trained mercenaries wanted to remain on a ship carrying explosives.
‘This is the US coastguard,’ the voice of the commander thundered across the water once their vessel reached a safe distance from Elysian. ‘We are coming ashore. This island is completely surrounded by law enforcement watercrafts. Release the hostages, lay down your weapons, and disembark the vessel. Keep your hands in plain sight or you will be shot. The Slippery Eel has been armed with explosives. If you attempt to escape to open water, we will fire upon you and detonate the device. This will be your only warning.’
One warning was all it took.
Soon Nate and Michael staggered up the gangway of the Slippery Eel with their hands raised. Both looked thin and exhausted, yet were smiling nevertheless. After Captain Burke exited the boat, the coast guardsmen swarmed aboard to take four killers into custody.
Eric met his friends halfway down the dock. ‘Hey, Nate, Mike! How was the party? Is the gourmet food and expensive wine all gone?’
Despite his physical appearance, Nate managed to laugh. ‘Yeah, we saved you some bad soup and stale white bread if you’re hungry.’
Michael threw his arms around Eric. ‘Sure happy to see you, old buddy, but don’t think for a minute you guys rescued us.’ Michael hooked his thumb back at the boat where two handcuffed thugs were being marched up the gangway. Judging by their expressions, they might start spitting bullets from their mouths.
‘What do you mean?’ Eric asked.
‘Take a good look at the group exiting the vessel.’
Nicki and Izzy were climbing the gangway surrounded by coastguardsmen. ‘Your wife and Nicki Galen?’ Eric asked Nate. ‘How on earth did they get aboard and then overpower those guards?’
‘First, they took out two on the path who’d been coming for them. Then, with a little help from Captain Burke, they boarded the boat, put on those maids’ uniforms, and offered the two guards a cocktail. By the time the guards realized who they were, it was too late. They were staring down the barrels of a pair of Glocks.’ Nate wrapped one arm around Nicki and one around his wife as they were herded toward the woods.
Eric approached the commander. ‘The five of us are heading to the house. That’s where my partner and Mr Frazier are.’
The officer nodded. ‘As soon as I contact an explosives team and secure the prisoners abroad the vessel, my men and I will join you. We will also need from you—’
Eric waved acknowledgement, but they had no time to make statements or fill out paperwork for the police. Kate was somewhere in that house of horrors with a man who’d already killed plenty of people.
All that could wait until after Kate was safe.
Kate had never run so hard in her life. After leaving Nguyen behind to watch Creery, she and Baker took off to the location marked on the map. Why anyone would need a fallout shelter way out in the middle of nowhere made no sense to her. But anyone escaping foreign invaders by sea or fallout from a nuclear attack would need a supply of air. And hopefully that supply would support two adults a while longer.
She and Baker found Paul Norville on the other side of the island, almost to the dunes. The paranoid former resident had dug deep into the side of a hill, creating an underground bunker with a stand of bamboo and palmetto palms obscuring the entrance. Although Paul had chopped away the vegetation, he still hadn’t broken the heavy padlock on the door, although scratches in the steel indicated numerous attempts.
‘Well done, young man.’ Baker spoke softly to the teenager. ‘Now may I have a crack at it?’
‘It’s too thick to use bolt cutters,’ Paul explained to Kate. ‘We need to break the lock.’
‘We’ll give Mr Baker a turn whacking at it.’ Kate patted Paul’s sweaty back. ‘You did a good job finding this place. We couldn’t have done it without you and your mother.’
Smiling, the boy rocked back on his heels.
Since Baker had arms the size of tree trunks, he only needed a few cracks to spring the lock. Then he pulled open the heavy metal door.
Ducking her head into a cave that smelled like sweat, dirt and mildew, Kate let her eyes adjust to the dark. ‘Beth?’ she called. ‘Hunter? Are you guys in here?’
‘Kate Weller?’ A voice emanated from the corner. ‘Is that you?’
‘Yes!’ Kate rushed forward, bumped her head on the low ceiling, and practically tripped over her friend and mentor.
‘G
lad you finally made it to the retreat,’ Beth squawked, ‘but where’s your flashlight? I taught you to never leave home without a flashlight, your cell phone, your weapon and water.’ The woman who’d taught Kate everything she knew about PI work hugged her tightly.
‘I brought three out of the four. Can I have partial credit?’ Kate held out the bottle of water.
‘Let’s give that to Hunter,’ Beth said. ‘He’s in bad shape from hunger and dehydration. I’ve tried to keep him awake, but he keeps passing out.’
Baker moved past them in the dark, located the unconscious man, and carried him from an almost certain tomb.
Once back in the sunshine and fresh air, Beth dropped to her knees next to Hunter. ‘I sure am happy to see you two.’
‘This is Baker.’ Kate chose the simplest explanation possible as Baker checked for signs of life on their unconscious friend. ‘I rode across on the Slippery Eel with him.’
‘What should I do, Miss Weller?’ Paul shuffled his feet in the dirt.
‘Run as fast as you can to the beach! Wave your arms at any boat you see. Hopefully my friend, Eric, is on his way with the police.’
‘Am I your friend too?’ he asked.
‘You bet you are – one of my best.’
After the boy sprinted off, Kate crouched down beside the bodyguard.
‘He’s got a weak pulse,’ he said. ‘But at least he’s alive. Let’s see if he’ll drink some water.’
While Beth and Kate held Hunter upright, Baker dripped water into his mouth. On the second attempt, Hunter opened his eyes, parted his lips and swallowed. With his first major gulp, he coughed and sputtered.
‘Easy, Hunter,’ Kate advised. ‘Your throat is parched.’
After a few more sips, Hunter focused on Kate. ‘Beth said you always come late to everything, Weller,’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘But better late than never. Where are Nicki and the others?’ Dark circles ringed his eyes and his skin was the color of skim milk, but with each swallow his breathing improved.
‘Your wife is fine. You’re the one everyone has been worried about.’ Kate didn’t know if Nicki was fine or not, since she’d given her and Izzy handguns to fight men with assault weapons. But she saw no reason to stress out a suffering man.
‘Take me to Nicki.’ Hunter tried to stand.
But Baker’s firm hand held him down. ‘You’re not going anywhere. Medical attention is on the way.’
‘Who the heck are you to give me orders?’
Kate smiled, knowing that Hunter Galen was coming back to life. ‘This is Baker – don’t know his first name. But he and Nguyen are Alexander Frazier’s bodyguards. They arrived today on the Slippery Eel and helped me save the day. So be nice to him.’
Hunter took another gulp of water and held out his hand. ‘Forgive my bad manners. Hunter Galen, how do you do?’
‘Marcus Baker, and I’m fine.’ Baker winked at her and shook hands. ‘Kate’s partner should be here soon with the cavalry. Let’s have medical personnel look you over before you walk back to the house.’
‘Kate’s partner … Eric?’ Hunter frowned at her. ‘The stuff you drag that poor man into! Eric doesn’t even work for Nate, yet you probably put him through the worst week of his life.’
‘Maybe I’m worth it,’ Kate teased. ‘And you don’t work for Nate either but look at the pickle Nicki put you in.’
‘You gotta point, Weller,’ Hunter growled. ‘Marcus, if you help me up, I’ll be indebted to you for life. I’ve just spent days in a cave with very little to eat or drink. If I have to crawl on my hands and knees, I’m getting away from this place.’
Suddenly they heard shouts coming from the dunes. ‘Kate, I found them!’ Paul Norville bounded into view. ‘There’s a whole bunch of boats beached in the sand. I told the cop at the boat we needed help and he spoke into his radio.’ Panting, Paul sat down next to her. ‘How’d I do?’
‘Magnificent.’ Kate slipped an arm around his shoulder. ‘And you ran all the way back.’
‘Yep. Hey, here comes my ma. Did you bring water?’
Eliza Norville trudged through the cordgrass. ‘Of course, I did.’ She handed a six-pack of water to Kate. ‘This sure didn’t look so far on the map.’
Hunter’s eyes flashed with hatred at the cook. ‘Easy, Galen,’ Kate murmured. ‘Without this woman’s help, we never would’ve found you.’
‘Sorry about the bad food, Mr Galen, but the delivery boat never arrived.’ Norville pulled her son to his feet and hugged him protectively, in case Hunter decided to exact his revenge.
However, the arrival of deputy sheriffs and EMTs curtailed discussions about menus or thoughts of revenge. Besides, Kate knew Hunter Galen was a gentleman. As medical personnel swarmed in, Baker pulled Kate away from the group.
‘Since the situation with Hunter is under control, I’m going to slip away and get back to Mr Frazier. If the police want to talk to me, I’ll give my statement at the house.’
‘Absolutely, Marcus. I owe you one.’
‘No, Kate, I’d say we’re just about even.’ Baker grinned, then vanished into the forest.
Kate told what she knew to one deputy, while another deputy talked to Mrs Norville. After a twenty-minute infusion of fluids and electrolytes, EMTs wanted to transport Hunter via stretcher to the sheriff’s boat. Needless to say, the stockbroker from New Orleans refused to go along with that idea. So the entire entourage trekked back to the Frazier mansion. Hunter walked every step, although at times he leaned heavily on one burly EMT.
When they reached the back door, Kate grabbed Paul’s arm. ‘We’ll let the deputies go in first, and then Beth and me. You keep your mom safe out here until we know what’s going on.’
The teenager nodded. ‘OK, but just holler if you need me, Kate.’
When the deputies headed in one direction, Kate drew her weapon and headed in the other with Beth. They checked room after room until they found a crowd of friendly faces in the front parlor. Then everyone started talking at once and things happened fast.
‘It’s about time you showed up, Weller,’ said Nate. ‘Don’t think I’m paying you for goofing off on St Simons.’ Nate crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered in her ear.
‘Did you turn your phone off? I’ve been calling you and texting you.’ Eric joined them in a three-way hug.
‘Where you been, Beth?’ Michael swept his wife off her feet. ‘I’d better not hear you’ve been hanging with that Galen guy.’ Beth buried her face in Michael’s shirt and, for once, had nothing clever to say.
When Kate extracted herself from Eric and Nate, Nicki was waiting for her. ‘If Beth is back, where’s Hunter?’ she asked. ‘Is he OK?’
‘The EMTs are bringing Hunter to the house. He will be here soon.’
‘Is this soon enough for you?’ Hunter asked, braced against the doorjamb.
Nicki approached slowly, as though afraid he might be a mirage. But once Hunter wrapped her in his arms, Nicki began talking and kissing a mile a minute.
Izzy wanted to talk to Eric and her next. She took each of them by the hand. ‘We owe you our lives. How can we ever thank you?’
‘Just see that Kate gets paid,’ Eric said, laughing.
‘Oh, we’ll do much better than that. Name your favorite place to go on vacation … or maybe a cruise to somewhere exotic. Nate and I will make the arrangements.’
Kate thought for a minute. ‘I think we’ve had enough fun in the sun and boats on the water for a while. I’d like a week in Charleston with Eric’s family – gourmet Italian food and the normal kind of crazy people.’
‘I can take care of those details.’ Eric wrapped an arm around her waist.
After another ten minutes of sharing details in the parlor, the Price team of investigators headed to the kitchen in search of food. But Kate had a different idea. ‘Let’s go find Alexander Frazier, along with Baker and Nguyen,’ she whispered in Eric’s ear.
‘They’re
upstairs with the police and Julian Frazier. The elder Mr Frazier passed away this morning,’ Eric added.
‘That much I know. Let’s make sure no one misses the teacup as evidence. I believe Julian was poisoned.’
With her new friend, Paul, leading the way, they went straight to Mr Frazier’s suite on the second floor. True to form, Baker and Nguyen were just inside the door when she knocked.
‘Hi, Kate. How is Hunter?’ Marcus asked when he motioned them into a room filled with forensic techs, medical personnel and sheriff’s deputies. One tech was slipping the teacup into an evidence bag at that moment.
‘Hunter is fine, thanks to your help. Marcus, this is Eric, my partner and boyfriend.’
The men barely had a chance to shake hands when Alexander Frazier summoned them from across the room. ‘Miss Weller,’ he called. ‘May I speak with you a moment?’
Kate had just begun the introductions when Alexander interrupted her. ‘This is the boyfriend who refused to tag along at the last minute? He doesn’t look dime-a-dozen at all.’
Kate felt her cheeks grow warm. ‘Yeah, about that …’
‘Nice to meet you. Because of your loyalty and persistence, a murderer was stopped before he killed even more people.’ Alexander pumped Eric’s hand like a handle. ‘You should have heard the tale Kate wove to Jonah Creery. I could hardly keep a straight face.’
‘I can’t wait to hear the story.’ Eric crooked an eyebrow. ‘But I am sorry about your uncle.’
‘Thank you, Eric.’ Alexander’s face sobered. ‘But Creery might have actually done Uncle Julian a favor. The type of cancer he had can be very painful at the end. Besides, even in light of Creery and Aunt Ariana’s affair, I know those two had been very happy for a while, so hopefully Uncle Julian will rest in peace.’
‘We’d better let you get back to it.’ Kate nodded toward the deputies still waiting to question Frazier. ‘We’ll talk more on the boat ride back. Besides, I’ve some explaining to do.’
FIFTEEN
St Simons Island. Friday p.m. and Saturday a.m.
