Peggy Dulle - Liza Wilcox 03 - Secrets at Sea

by Peggy Dulle

  I wandered through the store, checking out the jewelry and great watch selection, but didn’t buy anything. The casino was open, so I stopped and put a few dollars in a Wheel of Fortune machine. It was fun and I enjoyed playing even though I lost all of my five dollars.

  But my nightly gambling allowance was gone, so I stood to leave. That’s when I sensed someone standing right behind me, so close that I felt his breath on my neck. I started to turn, but the person grabbed my shoulders and held me tight.

  Was this the person who’d sent the note? Who threatened my life? Or could it be my dad?

  Chapter 15

  “The more you investigate, the more you put yourself and Tom in danger. You also need to get a hold of whoever is doing your research back at home and stop them. You need to destroy the emails you printed earlier. If you keep digging, you’ll be responsible for what happens.” The voice had been low, male, almost a whisper, but the threat felt as real as if he’d been shouting it.

  Then my arms were free. I quickly turned around, but no one stood behind me.

  I went directly to the Internet Café. It was one thing to place myself and even Tom in danger, but I couldn’t do that to Justin. A few strokes on a laptop and I was in my email account. I started a note to Justin, when an Instant Message box opened.

  Sidekick007: hey teach, what’s up?

  Lizateach: I need you to stop your searching

  Sidekick007: why?

  Lizateach: just stop.

  Sidekick007: why?

  Lizateach: please!

  Sidekick007: why?

  Okay, Justin’s stubborn, but he’s not stupid. And obviously the person who’d threatened me in the casino knew about him.

  Lizateach: threats to you

  Sidekick007: never find me

  Lizateach: please

  Sidekick007: new email coming your way, interesting info on the lawyer.

  This wasn’t getting me anywhere.

  Lisateach: be careful

  Sidekick007: always am

  I opened the new email from Justin, downloaded the attachment and printed it.

  Adam was good, I’m just better. I did a search in Texas near your home town. Your dad worked for the Gateway, Anders, and Geyser’s law firm in Dallas. Another associate, Garrett Reinhold, left the same time as your dad. His wife’s name was Sarah and his mistress’s name was Jolene. The man seemed to be big on mistresses! I found one paternity suit filed against him, settled out of court. But I can’t find a single thing on him after 1978, the same year Adam Sherman miraculously appeared. I’d say they’re the same person. Garrett and your dad worked together in environmental law, so they were probably friends. Both resigned on July 26, 1978, but I looked at their employment records and neither of them went back to work after July 15. I looked up the newspapers for that day. It was a busy day in Texas, record temperatures, several murders, two hijacked trucks, a bank robbery, and even a boat accident. I’m looking into these further to see if they could be related to Garrett’s sudden disappearance.

  That’s it for now. More later.

  Did it mean anything that Garrett and my parents left Texas at the same time? Garrett changed his name but my parents didn’t, so could one thing have to do with the other? Just what I needed: more questions and less answers.

  My dad worked in environmental law; it was his specialty and both my parents’ passion. Every time I threw a piece of paper into the garbage can, they’d take it out and put it in the recycling bin or turn it over and used it as scratch paper. They took Jordan and me to every local environmental rally, at least once a year to the state legislature, and even to Washington, D.C. to lobby for environmental bills.

  I took the printout and walked back to our room. When I came in, Tom was singing “Friends in Low Places” in the shower. I never knew he was so musical.

  I put the new printout with the others and lay down on the bed. I’d been warned off this case three times in the last twenty-four hours. Somebody was very determined. But how long before the threats became more than just warnings? What about Inga, Adam, and Betsy? Were their cases just to remain unsolved? Was it right that they wouldn’t ever get justice or their families’ closure? A killer or killers walked around responsible for three murders. I found resolution for Jessie and Danielle’s family; didn’t Inga, Adam, and Betsy deserve that, too?

  Tom came out of the bathroom dressed in his shorts and polo shirt.

  “How was exercising?” I asked.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing.”

  He frowned at me. “Spill your guts, Liza. I can tell something’s bothering you.”

  “How?” I sat up. How on earth could he tell? I needed to know, so I could figure out a way to hide it better.

  “I’m not telling you all of my secrets.” He sat next to me on the bed.

  I told him what the man in the casino said about stopping our investigation.

  His face flushed with anger.

  I shrugged the incident off, trying to deflate Tom’s reaction. “He didn’t hurt me, just warned me.”

  “You’re sure it was a man?”

  I thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

  “Well, at least that eliminates half the people on this boat.”

  I showed him the newest email from Justin.

  “So Adam or Garrett worked with your dad.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Did your dad ever talk about his job in Texas?”

  “No, I was three when we left Texas. But he never talked about his clients in California either.”

  “Maybe that’s something we should check out. Maybe get Justin on it.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t want Justin involved. The man seemed to know I had someone helping with the investigation from home.”

  “He did?”

  “Yes.”

  “Justin’s pretty good. Back when he investigated the clowns, I tried to do some on my own. The computer guy who works for the FBI couldn’t get into half the password-protected websites Justin hacked into. If Justin doesn’t want to be found, I don’t think this guy could find him.”

  “I don’t want to take that chance, Tom.”

  “You’re right.” Tom nodded. “Maybe I can get the FBI guy to do some investigating for me.”

  “Okay. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to Justin.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do, but we’re not stopping. This is important not only to Inga, Adam, and Betsy but also to you.”

  “I love you.” I repeated my words from earlier, but with less lusty passion and more conviction.

  “I know.” He winked at me. “Let’s go and eat, I’m starving.”

  “Hey, that’s my line.”

  He smiled and pulled me from the bed. We put the pictures and emails into the safe in our room. I hoped we wouldn’t come back and find our room trashed again.

  We took the elevator nearest our room down to the dining room.

  “The King is rolling over in his grave,” I said as we walked passed by the Celestial Nights bar. People were still doing karaoke, but this time they were adults. A man butchered an Elvis song.

  “He’s not that bad.” Tom slowed his pace to listen.

  I rolled my eyes and pulled Tom along. “You’re starving, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Me, too.”

  We stood in the corridor outside the dining room. People were dressed in a variety of attire. A few had shorts and tank tops thrown over their swimsuits, where others were dressed in more business casual attire. I even saw a woman dressed in an evening gown and it wasn’t even formal night.

  A man dressed in a black uniform came out of the dining room.

  “Welcome to the Stadium Main Dinning Room. Your Navigator card has your table number on it. The even numbered tables are on the right and the odd numbered are on the left.”

  “No, he’s not going to…” I began.

  “Everyone need
s to be on their correct side.”

  A groan came from the several hundred people who were all standing in the ten-foot-wide corridor. I pushed Tom against the wall. “Stay!” I said, and joined him next to the wall.

  It was bedlam. People jostled and pushed, all trying to get on the correct side. The people who by chance had been standing on the correct side were being shoved toward the wrong side, and they were pushing back.

  “What the hell?” Tom said.

  I wasn’t sure if his response was because I’d pushed him or the chaos in front of him. “Even a first-year teacher knows not to move kids from one place to another in such a small confined space. It’s like too many rats in a cage. They’ll kill each other.”

  A woman in very high heels lost her footing and fell into a man’s arms. The woman’s escort grabbed the man and shouted, “Don’t touch my wife!”

  I looked over at Tom. He had a pained expression on his face, the same look I have seen on Shelby’s face when she wants to chase a bicycle and I’m holding her back. Tom’s cop instincts wanted him to jump in and settle the disturbance. It was his training. Just like me at any amusement park line. Let one kid get out of line and I’m telling them to get back. Teachers are always on yard duty and so are cops.

  I raised my eyebrows toward the man who pulled his arm back to throw a punch. “Go on, before this escalates.”

  Tom nodded and immediately stepped into the middle of the chaos. He grabbed the husband by the shoulder and brought him away from the wide-eyed man who had caught the woman. Given the pained expression on the husband’s face, I’m sure Tom’s grip exerted more than just a little pressure. He helped the woman out of the man’s hands who’d caught her and stood her next to her husband.

  He came back to me.

  “Feel better?” I asked, as the mob started moving toward the dining room door.

  “Yes,” he nodded as we moved forward like cattle following each other to the feed trough.

  Carmelita was right. We were seated in the Admiral’s Room, a small space off the main dinning room. It was quite lovely. Each table was set with an entire complement of fine china, silverware, and stemware. The lighting filtered through gold fixtures and gave the room a warm and intimate feel. The table was set for four and one end was near a huge circular window that looked out onto the ocean. Since Tom and I were the first to arrive, we sat nearest the window.

  “We have other people sitting with us?” Tom asked.

  I shrugged. “I guess so. That will be fun.”

  Tom frowned.

  Every time someone came near the table I smiled, expecting them to sit down, but then they’d move on.

  A young woman with the nametag “Natasha” came over. Tom ordered a glass of Chardonnay and I used my Soda card to buy a Diet Coke.

  “What’s that?” Tom asked.

  “It’s a card that allows me to drink as much Diet Coke as I want.” I grinned.

  “They’re going to lose money.”

  Our wait staff consisted of two young men: Kenneth and Nick. They were both from Jamaica and very friendly and nice.

  Kenneth handed us the menu, then Emily and Jack Stillman came in and sat down at our table. They weren’t tall, maybe 5-4 or 5-5, but both were lean with athletic bodies. Emily’s face was angular, where Jack’s was more rounded. But they were both dressed in blue jeans and patriotic shirts.

  “Hi,” I introduced them to Tom, adding, “The Stillmans have the cabin next to Carmelita.”

  “It’s nice to sit with someone we actually know,” Emily said, taking the chair next to me.

  Tom nodded. He hadn’t actually met Emily and Jack before, and wasn’t as comfortable with total strangers as I was. I think it’s something about getting a new group of kids and parents every year; you learn to be quickly at ease around anyone.

  I opened my menu and sighed.

  Tom chuckled. “They’ve got quite a selection.”

  “Yes.” I took in a deep breath, anticipating the food. “And I can order anything I want.”

  “You don’t have to cook it and don’t have to clean up the dishes,” Tom said and smiled at the Stillmans. “She’s in heaven.”

  Emily and Jack laughed.

  “My Emily feels the same way.” Jack patted his wife’s arm.

  She frowned at him. “I can’t help it my idea of a good meal comes in a little white box.”

  “Mine, too,” I said.

  We all laughed and Kenneth took our order. Emily and I ordered the “carnivore” choice of a T-bone steak, Tom ordered broiled salmon, and Jack had chicken cordon bleu.

  We made small talk about the ship and our accommodations while we waited for our appetizers. A photographer came over and tried to take our picture. Tom and I leaned together for the shot, but Emily waved him away. “We’ve had our picture taken enough since we’ve got on this ship.”

  “That’s for sure,” I said. “I think we’ve had ours taken ten times and we’ve been here less than twelve hours.”

  We all laughed and Emily ordered a Diet Coke and had to sign a slip. I told her about the Soda card. She was thrilled and her husband made the same comment Tom had about my obsession with Diet Coke. We talked about our jobs and found that we actually had quite a lot in common. Emily worked in a pre-school and Jack installed security systems.

  “What age do you teach?” I asked Emily.

  “I have the ever-escaping toddlers.” She laughed. “I’m always picking up the phone and calling the office to meet me in the hallway and corral my kids back into my room.”

  “At least mine stay in the room,” I told her.

  The appetizers arrived. Mine was fantastic stuffed mushrooms, Tom had a plate of cheese and fruit; I stole his kiwis. Then salad and soup. By the time my steak arrived, I was no longer hungry, but I managed to eat it all.

  Tom and Jack talked about security systems and the latest handguns, while Emily and I huddled together and discussed the ship’s over-the-top décor.

  “So what are your plans for tomorrow?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. This is our first cruise.”

  “Oh, come and have a spa treatment with me, Liza.”

  “Aren’t they expensive?”

  “Not really, and we get a twenty-five percent discount on everything.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Jack joined their Vacation Club the first time we went on a cruise.”

  “How many have you two been on?”

  “This is our fifth.”

  “Did you really just decide yesterday to take this one?”

  “Yes, Jack and I are the spur-of-the-moment type. We were visiting my sister in Long Beach and her kids were driving Jack crazy. He’s not too keen on little kids. When her youngest, Dan, who’s fifteen months old, started screaming because his sister touched him, Jack went to the nearest phone and booked us on the first cruise leaving Long Beach.”

  I laughed. “Being around kids can be a little tiring.”

  “Oh, I love it. I love kids. I didn’t even hear Danny screaming.”

  Man, she’s a saint, I thought. The last thing I wanted to do on my vacation was be around more five-year-olds. I spend too much time with that age during the school year. But maybe it’s different when it’s your family.

  When it was time for dessert, Emily and Jack declined, saying they were tired and wanted to turn in early. I told Emily I’d call her tomorrow morning if I decided to go with her to the spa. As they left, Jack shook hands with our waiter and they slipped out a side door I hadn’t even seen in the room.

  For dessert I ordered a Chocolate Melting Cake, served in a small white ramekin dish. The top was cake-like and the bottom gooey chocolate, with vanilla ice cream on the side. You took a spoonful of ice cream and dipped it into the chocolate. I fell in love. It was the most decadent and wonderful thing I’d ever eaten.

  “I won’t even ask if it’s good. The grin on your face says it all!” Tom remarked as he ate his apple pie.
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  “How’s the pie?”

  “It’s very good. In fact, all of the food tonight was wonderful.”

  “I agree.”

  “Jack’s going to play a Virtual Golf game tomorrow. I think I might join him,” Tom said, a bit of apprehension in his voice.

  “We don’t have to spend every minute together, Tom. In fact, I may go with Emily to the spa tomorrow.”

  Tom smiled. “Great. Let’s do it.”

  It was nine-thirty before Tom finished his after dinner double espresso and me my tea.

  “Are you ready for bed?” Tom asked.

  “Not right after dinner,” I told him, my stomach so full I might pop the button on my skirt any minute, “Let’s walk a bit.”

  “Now, that sounds like a great idea.”

  We went up on the top deck and walked in the moonlight.

  “It’s amazing to see so many stars in the sky,” I said.

  “That’s because you live in the city. If you spent more time in the country, you’d see this every night.”

  I ignored the obvious ploy to get me out to his house. I told him about the black dress in the shop.

  “Why don’t you buy it, Liza?”

  “It cost $125.00.”

  “Wow!”

  “I agree. Wow! It’s a little much for one night,” I told him. “Now if you spent more time in the city, I might have more opportunities to wear it.”

  He ignored my ploy, too.

  I was still too full to go to bed and too tired to walk anymore. “Let’s go into the Casino.”

  “Itching to lose another five bucks?”

  “Yes.”

  We strolled through the Casino. There was a machine you put quarters into and then watched them drop on shelves as little levers pushed them forward. If you were lucky, quarters would fall into the bin along with lottery tickets and other prizes.