Stranger's Game

by Colleen Coble

  He still had on his dive gear, so he put his mouthpiece on and prepared to dive to look for them.

  “Here!” Tyrone’s deep voice came from his right.

  Joe turned that way and found Tyrone clinging to a wooden piece of what used to be a cabinet. Joe swam to his side. Blood matted Tyrone’s hair from a scalp wound.

  “I haven’t seen Danielle,” Tyrone said, panting from the exertion.

  His slurred voice alarmed Joe, and he spat out his mouthpiece. “We need to get you some medical attention.”

  But how? He had no way of calling for anyone, but he prayed someone on the base had seen the explosion and would send out help.

  He cupped his hands to his mouth. “Danielle!”

  He had to find her. She had a husband and two little girls waiting for her at home. “Simon, find Danielle.”

  The sea lion barked, then dove under the water. Joe grabbed the mouthpiece and put it on, then followed Simon. The animal zoomed down to the artificial coral reef, and Joe saw her floating in the water. He kicked harder and prayed she was still alive. He grabbed her arm and turned her over, then slid his octopus mouthpiece in her mouth.

  Breathe.

  Even as he waited for her to take a breath, he kicked with her to the surface. His head broke the waves, and he lifted her up so her face was above the water. She still wasn’t breathing, so he turned her so he could give her mouth-to-mouth, but the movement caused her head to roll, and she gasped and coughed.

  Her eyes opened, and she vomited up seawater.

  “That’s it,” he said. “Get it up.”

  They’d all survived but just barely. Who had targeted them—and why? Could the diver who had ditched bomb materials yesterday have been planning to do this?

  * * *

  If news about last night’s murder got to Aunt Genevieve, there’d be trouble.

  Torie sat with her father in a quiet corner of the Grand Dining Room near the fireplace. White plantation shutters blocked the bright sunlight, and this corner by a large tree was in shadow. The double-clothed tables muffled the tinkle of silverware, and the thick patterned carpet allowed the servers to walk noiselessly from table to table.

  There weren’t many people here this early, and she could only pray no one mentioned seeing her with Anton Bergstrom. Torie knew hotel gossip well enough to be certain staff would talk about how her father had been there and had comforted her. They’d all take it in the sleaziest way possible, and she wasn’t sure how to handle the inevitable questions.

  She took a sip of her coffee laced with cream. “I think I should stay at my cottage tonight.”

  “Absolutely not. Whoever is stalking you is brazen, Torie. I went to my room after dinner at seven, and I didn’t hear a peep from your room. Whoever killed Bella waltzed right in there without a thought for being caught.”

  Her dad wore a tropical shirt and khaki pants again today, and she liked seeing him dressed so casually. Did he plan to stay on vacation this whole trip? She suspected once the bank board meeting started, he’d be in a gray pinstripe Armani suit again, just to make sure the other members took note of his opinions. He was representing the service industry on the board, and his reputation was important.

  She put down her coffee cup. “Maybe they were dressed as an employee.”

  “It doesn’t matter how they dressed! The fact is he managed to get inside that room and kill Bella without any sound of a struggle. I think you need to go back to Scottsdale, Torie. I don’t want you in danger.”

  “I’m not going to leave, Dad.” She folded her arms over her chest. He would not change her mind. “You were watching TV, and it was loud when I heard it. Maybe there was more noise than you realized.”

  “I’d only turned it on half an hour before you came in.”

  “We don’t know when Bella died.”

  “True enough.”

  She stared at him for a long minute and took in the lines around his eyes and mouth. When had he aged like that? He was sixty, but he’d always looked younger than his years. Today he seemed older, tired and defeated. Worry for her probably. He was slim and rather unimpressive with his paler coloring and mild manner. Except in a boardroom where he had legendary negotiating skills. An opponent could agree to something he’d never intended, then the next day wonder how it happened.

  She forked up a bit of her omelet and ate it. “You realize what people are saying now, don’t you?”

  “About what?”

  “The door between our rooms was open. They’re assuming we’re having an affair.”

  His eyes widened. “I’m thirty years older than you!”

  “You’re a rich and powerful man. Lots of guys your age take up with younger women.”

  “I’m not the sort of man who needs a bauble on my arm.”

  She stared into his blue eyes. “Why did you never remarry, Dad? You must have had plenty of opportunity over the years. Mom’s been gone eighteen years.”

  He moved restlessly. “I’ve always been wary of anyone with an agenda. And too many women who flirt only want what my money and position will bring. They never look past the name to really see me.”

  “That’s exactly how I feel! I didn’t know you had the same fears. Matthew and I didn’t have any real emotion between us. He wanted to be part of the Bergstrom family.”

  His gaze went past her shoulder, and he straightened. “Speak of the devil.”

  Which devil? Her aunt?

  Before she could turn to look, her dad rose and said, “Hello, Matthew.”

  Matthew? She turned and looked up to see her former fiancé. She felt light-headed at the sight of his blond hair and blue eyes. His surfer tan was gone, replaced with the pallor that came from days on end spent in a boardroom. His hair was trimmed close to his head and no longer curled over his ears. He was a paler replica of her father.

  “W-What are you doing here?” She was either going to have to throw herself on his mercy and beg him to keep quiet about her identity, or she’d have to confess to her aunt. Neither choice seemed good.

  Her father shook hands with Matthew, then gestured to an empty chair. “Have a seat.”

  Was he crazy? She’d just told him how she felt about Matthew. If he was going to start pushing the man on her again, she would have a firm talk with him.

  She pressed her lips together as their server brought Matthew a cup of coffee and took his order. Surely he didn’t know she’d come here? She hadn’t seen him in five years, and even now, remembering his betrayal stung. But it was only her pride, not her heart.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked in a soft voice.

  “I came to see your dad. We had some issues at the hotel in Sarasota, and I thought it would be better to discuss them in person. I had no idea you were here.”

  “She’s not,” her father said in a stern voice. “And if you blow her cover, Matthew, we won’t be discussing anything because you’ll no longer be employed by Bergstrom Hotels and Resorts.”

  Matthew paled. “What are you talking about?”

  “Torie is here on the q.t. No one knows she’s my daughter, and it needs to remain that way. Do you understand?”

  “Not really, but I’ll honor your wishes.” He didn’t look at Torie.

  She sagged back in her chair. “Thank you.” She rose. “I’ll leave the two of you to talk business.”

  As she walked away, she marveled at how different he was from Joe. And he’d never even apologized for cheating on her. Not that it would have mattered, but the man had no morals.

  Chapter 18

  Joe knew it was trouble when the base commander met the boat at the wharf. A passing shrimp boat had picked them up, and he’d directed them to call Ajax, who must have called the commander. In the meantime Ajax had retrieved Simon and gotten him back to headquarters.

  Commander Elijah Chen had worked with the sea mammals the longest of anyone at the base. In his fifties, his dark eyes took in every bit of data and processed it
before he spoke. His slow Texas drawl was in keeping with the measured way he sifted what he knew and made a decision.

  Joe had never seen the man look worried, but today a frown creased his forehead, and he paced the dock as he waited for Joe to disembark. Not a good sign.

  Joe nodded. “Commander.” He had to raise his voice as tourists disembarked from an excursion cruise and flowed past them.

  Chen beckoned for Joe to follow him to a secluded spot where they wouldn’t be overheard. “What happened out there, Joe?”

  Joe started with Simon’s agitation and ended with the boat exploding. “It’s unknown if we went out with the bomb on us or if Simon missed a hostile swimmer.”

  “Any sign of a break-in at your facility?”

  “No.”

  “As agitated as he became, I would suspect he tried to apprehend the swimmer and missed.” The commander glanced around and lowered his voice. “We’re getting chatter about a terrorist attack on the base. The new submarine coming to port is particularly vulnerable as it passes along the Eastern Seaboard. We’re putting a lot of security on this, but I don’t want any slipups.”

  “Yes, sir. Maybe your team will recover enough of the bomb to identify where the raw material came from. Do we have any idea of where the threat is originating?”

  “Maybe Russia. At least that’s what Homeland Security is telling us. They’ve been monitoring transmissions, and the threat seems credible.”

  “I’ll be on alert, sir.”

  “Thank you.”

  Joe watched him stalk off. This was big, bigger than he’d thought. A terrorist plot to take out a nuclear sub seemed unbelievable. Yet somehow against all odds, a bomb had found its way onto the hull of his boat.

  He glanced at his watch. He was going to be late getting Hailey from camp. Not having his phone left him feeling crippled. He couldn’t even call and let the camp know he would be late. He didn’t take time to shower and change at the lab but dug his keys out of his desk and headed for his truck. The camp director would be livid, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

  He drove as fast as he could to the camp and arrived just as the gates were being locked.

  Hailey was outside with the director. Tears tracked down her cheeks, and he grimaced at the fear on her face. He’d never been so late, especially without a call. No wonder she was upset.

  He tapped the horn, and she and the director whirled to look his way. The director was in her sixties and had never had kids. Her drill sergeant manner came to the fore as she marched to the truck. He rolled down his window to hear her recriminations.

  “I don’t think we’ll be able to have Hailey back, Joe. Not after this kind of irresponsible behavior.”

  “My boat blew up,” he said in a soft voice. He kept his gaze on Hailey as she knelt to grab her bag. “My phone went down with it. Don’t say anything to Hailey. I don’t want to scare her. I want to break it to her easy.”

  The director blinked. “You expect me to believe that? It’s a far-fetched tale.”

  “It’s the truth. You’ll likely see it on the evening news.” He gestured down to his clothing. “Look at me. I’m still in dive gear. I was rescued by a shrimp boat and didn’t take time to change after I got to shore.”

  She blinked. “I see.”

  Hailey came his direction, and he pasted on a smile. “Hi, honey, sorry I’m late.”

  “Daddy, you scared me! It’s way past time for you to be here.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. Hop in, and I’ll tell you what happened later.” He sent a pleading glance toward the director who sniffed, then gave a jerky nod. “Thank you,” he said softly.

  He ran up the window, then turned around in the parking lot and headed for the road. “I need a quick shower before we meet up with Grammy and Grandpa. Five minutes, okay? You can change too. I’m supposed to have dinner with Torie tonight. Since I don’t have my phone with her number, we’ll need to run by the hotel and take our chances on finding her. I’ll call Grammy and have her meet us there.”

  Hailey looked him over. “Did you fall overboard?”

  “Something like that.” He reached over and took her hand. “It’s probably going to be on the news, but as you can see, I’m fine. There was an accident with my boat. But we’re all okay. Simon is fine too. I had to wait for a boat to pick us up, and then the commander had to talk to me. My phone went into the water, too, so I couldn’t call.”

  Her gaze took in the condition of his wet suit, and her face went pale. “You have to be careful, Daddy. I only have you and Gram and Grandpa.”

  “And God,” he reminded her. “He was with me today like he always is. I don’t like you to worry.”

  Her green eyes clouded. “God wasn’t with Mommy.”

  “He was, honey. He was right there with her and took her in his arms.”

  This was the first time she’d voiced the questions he’d seen in her eyes lately. How did he explain the unexplainable? Joe didn’t even understand why God had taken Julie, so how did he tell Hailey?

  * * *

  Had she even eaten today? Judging from the empty feel in her stomach, Torie didn’t think she’d put anything in it since breakfast with her dad that morning, and it was nearly seven. Thankfully, she hadn’t run into Matthew all day either. Of course she’d been holed up in her office all day.

  She stretched out the kinks in her back and stood. It was past time to figure out where she was sleeping. For all her bravado with Joe last night, the thought of spending the night alone in her cottage made her chest squeeze. So that idea was clearly out. She supposed she’d have to beg a storeroom from her aunt. The suite was still off-limits until the police were done and it had been cleaned.

  The police had taken the recordings from the security cameras all over the hotel before she had a chance to review them, so she still had no idea who had been in her hotel room. Being in the dark like this didn’t bring much assurance of her safety. Was this how Lisbeth had felt as things closed in on her? According to her journal, she had been aware she was in danger.

  The journal.

  Those missing pages gnawed at her. Where could her friend have hidden them? Or maybe someone else had taken them.

  The phone on her desk rang, and she sighed before answering it. “IT, Torie here.”

  “There’s a gentleman here to see you, Torie. Joe Abbott.”

  Her pulse gave a kick at his name. “I’ll be right there.”

  She replaced the phone and grabbed her purse, then locked the door behind her. Kyle hadn’t been around at all today so that had been a huge blessing.

  Joe was waiting with Hailey in comfortable armchairs in front of the fireplace. He rose when he saw her. “I hope you don’t mind me stopping in here.”

  “Why didn’t you text me or call?”

  Hailey jumped up and came to Torie’s side. “Daddy’s boat sank today. It took his phone down with it.”

  “Sank? What happened?”

  He put his finger to his lips. “Later. Hailey is spending the night with my parents. They should be here any minute, and we can grab some dinner. Where do you want to go?”

  She smiled. “Tortuga Jack’s.”

  He groaned. “You’re as bad as Hailey. I need to stop by the cellular store and get a new phone.”

  Torie slipped her arm around the little girl. “I looked at their menu today to see what I needed to try next.”

  “I’m doomed,” Joe said in a tragic voice. “Two women with insatiable appetites for fish tacos.”

  Hailey giggled. “You’re funny, Daddy.”

  The brooding mood Torie had been in vanished, and she felt better than she had since finding Bella’s body. While everything seemed murky right now, she was going to find her way through this. She had friends here already—good friends. People she could count on when things got hard. Joe wasn’t the kind to cut and run when faced with trouble.

  She held Hailey’s hand as they walked toward the seating ar
ea to wait on her grandparents. The little girl was prattling on about the Jurassic World exhibit in Jacksonville the next day, and Joe promised he’d take her in the afternoon following the dive excursion.

  He nudged Torie. “You want to go too?”

  “Where?”

  “Jurassic World after diving tomorrow morning.”

  “Sure.”

  A TV was airing the evening news, and she stared at the headline of a boat explosion. Was that Joe’s boat in the picture?

  Hailey pulled her hand from Torie’s. “Daddy, that’s your boat, isn’t it? Did it blow up?”

  Joe’s smile faded. “I don’t want you to worry, Peanut, but yes.”

  “You didn’t tell me! You just said it sank. Did someone try to hurt you?”

  His gaze met Torie’s before he squatted in front of Hailey and cupped her face in his hands. “We don’t know what happened yet. The Navy is investigating. You know I work with a lot of very important defense ships and submarines. No one was trying to hurt us deliberately, but someone could want to get to one of the subs or a Trident missile.”

  Hailey blinked back tears. “I don’t want you to work with Simon anymore. You need to stay home with me where it’s safe.”

  “Life isn’t always safe, Hailey. It’s an adventure God gives us, and we never know exactly what will happen. But what do we know for sure?”

  “That God is in control,” she parroted. “But I don’t want him to be in control! I don’t want him to let bad things happen like he did with Mommy. I want to be safe, and he’s not always safe.”

  “That’s because he can see things we can’t. What do we do when we’re afraid?”

  “We trust God.” She yanked her face away from his hands and folded her arms over her chest. “But I don’t trust him! I can’t. Not when he let Mommy die.”

  His helpless gaze met Torie’s, and she wanted to throw her hands up and agree with Hailey, but she forced a smile. “I’ll spare you the Latin since it’s long, but one of my favorite St. Augustine quotes is, ‘God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist.’”