Seagrass Pier

by Colleen Coble

  Which way, Lord? Something still nudged her to the left, so she listened and walked toward the sound of the dripping water. It was cooler and danker here. She almost turned back then, but an imperceptible nudge moved her forward.

  She walked on until she came to a passage that turned back to the right again. It was beginning to feel like a labyrinth. She would need to remember which way she went at every branch of the passage. She went right, though it felt less out of true knowledge than panic.

  She wanted to put as much distance between her and her pursuers as possible. But she was beginning to feel there might not be an end to this cave.

  THIRTY-THREE

  Marc turned at a soft footfall and saw Elin with her damp hair on her shoulders. The soft blue pajamas intensified the color of her eyes. She had no idea how beautiful she looked in those shapeless pajamas with her feet bare.

  He averted his eyes and gestured to the chair. “Have a seat.” Best to have her as far away as possible. He fast-forwarded the movie through the beginning credits and paused it. “Want to play Trivia instead?”

  She groaned. “You’re still playing that? Sara and I always thought you had the cards memorized. I’m no challenge for you.” She padded across the gleaming wood floor and settled beside him. “But before you get it out, could we talk?”

  He put down the remote. “Sure.” Her serious tone made him wonder what she was thinking.

  She pulled her knees to her chest. “It’s about this whole marriage thing.”

  “Okay.” Was she going to say no? Her eyes seemed to indicate her answer wasn’t going to be the one he wanted.

  “Have you really thought about what this would mean? Neither of us believes in divorce. What kind of life are we going to have if we get married only for Josie’s sake? In fifteen years she’ll be off to college, and it will be just the two of us. Then what?”

  He stumbled over the question. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “Do you want a loveless life?”

  Her soft question made him blink. Loveless? “Was that what you had with Tim?” When she winced, he knew he’d struck a nerve. “Tell me.”

  She swallowed hard. “Tim was so different before he was injured. Kind, strong, a take-charge kind of guy.”

  “I figured that never changed. The injury changed him?”

  She shook her head. “My sin changed him.” She focused on her hands. “He said it wouldn’t matter, that he could love the child because she was mine. And he tried, but I broke his trust. He grew suspicious, hostile if I came home late from work. By the time he died, he was a bitter, angry man. At least he tried to love Josie. He gave up on me.”

  “It wasn’t your fault, Elin. He chose to let the bitterness grow. You asked for his forgiveness, right?”

  She gave the barest nod of her head. “More than once.”

  “Yet he never let go of it. That was a sin he chose.”

  “Maybe.” She raised anguished eyes to his. “You might change too, Marc. I a-admire you now. I have no doubts you want to take care of Josie and me, that you want to do what’s right. But you might grow bitter at being denied a real marriage.”

  He examined his heart, then shook his head. “I’m not that kind of man. I don’t hold on to slights. I deal with them and move on.”

  She stared at him, then nodded. “I can see that about you. But what about Josie? Is it fair to make her grow up without any siblings? I’d always thought I’d have more children, a houseful, really.”

  “So you’re saying you want to remarry and have kids with someone else?” The thought of that left him feeling like he’d just been hit by a tank. The thought of her with another man made him curl his fingers into his palms.

  She shook her head. “Maybe you want to marry someone and have kids with her. Josie would have siblings that way. We need to think this through carefully.”

  He frowned. “I thought about it before I asked you, Elin. I want to do what’s best for Josie. I know you do too. A-And I think it’s best for us too. I’ll be a good husband to you.”

  She wet her lips and looked down. Something was going on in her head that he couldn’t figure out.

  She finally lifted her head and looked him in the eye. “What’s best for Josie is to grow up in a happy home. For her to feel loved and treasured. For her to know her home won’t be torn apart by divorce or bickering.”

  “I don’t intend to bicker with you. Or to ever divorce. I put high regard on my word, and I won’t break it.” Did she think he would enter into marriage lightly? He thought she knew him better than that.

  She nodded. “I feel the same, but have you thought about the day-to-day business of being married?”

  “You think I’ll make it hard on you? I won’t. We can have separate suites, and you can do what you like. I won’t make any demands on you. I’ll even do my share of the cooking and cleaning.” He grinned to try to defuse the tension.

  She wet her lips again. “We can’t just ignore the chemistry between us. Can you deny it still exists? I feel it every time you look at me.”

  He’d thought he was doing a better job of hiding his attraction. “What difference does it make? I won’t act on it.”

  “Why not?” she asked, her voice soft. “Because you don’t trust me? Trust is pretty important in a marriage.”

  He exhaled and leaned back, unsure where she was going with this. Did he trust her? Maybe not.

  “What are you thinking? Your silence is making me nervous,” she said. “Talk to me.”

  “Thought that’s what I was doing. I’m thinking about trust and what it means. You didn’t tell me about Josie, and that was wrong. Part of me understands why you did it, but maybe I’m afraid you won’t be honest with me.”

  She winced, and her eyes grew luminous. “You don’t understand the pressure I was under.”

  “He’s been dead for two years.”

  “I didn’t want to open a can of worms. And I wanted to forget that night. I assumed you did too. It was so out of character for us.”

  “We have to quit beating ourselves up over it.”

  She nodded. “I haven’t forgiven myself even now. And I’m sure Tim never did.” Her voice lowered to a whisper and wobbled on the last two words.

  “God has and that’s all that matters.” Against his will, he saw where her decision had come from.

  She inhaled. “What do you want from a marriage, Marc? Can you tell me honestly?”

  He stared into her face, seeing the vulnerability she laid bare. How did he feel? He hadn’t let himself look too deeply for fear of what he’d see. He wasn’t aware he’d reached for her until his fingertips traced the curve of her cheek and sank into her thick, damp hair. He stared into her eyes and felt something rising in his chest, a powerful emotion he’d never thought to experience.

  Her eyes fluttered shut as she drifted toward him. His gaze went to her lips, so soft and kissable. He leaned closer, nearly dying for the taste of her, the feel of her in his arms. He brushed his lips across hers. The sweet scent of her breath made him pull her closer and sink in for a deeper kiss. He’d forgotten how wonderful it felt to hold her.

  His cell phone rang, and he blinked. He didn’t want to open his eyes, didn’t want to let the world intrude on this moment.

  “Marc?” she muttered against his lips. “Your phone. It might be important.”

  He opened his eyes and smiled down into her face. “Slave driver.” He reached for his phone. The screen read Josh Holman. Why would he be calling? He thumbed it on. “Marc here.”

  “Have you heard from Sara?” Josh’s voice was worried. “She never came back from Seagrass Pier. I called the house, and they haven’t seen her. I’m there now, and her boat is still here, but there’s no sign of her.”

  “We haven’t heard from her.” Marc glanced at the clock above the fireplace. It was ten. She should have been back hours ago. “On our way.”

  The moon illuminated her brother as he knelt ov
er his bag. Kalianne didn’t like his quick, furtive movements or the way he flexed his jaw and muttered under his breath. She inhaled when she caught sight of the long cylinder in his hand. “What are you doing?”

  He glanced up. “Thanks to your ineptitude, I must ensure the Coastie never talks.”

  He puffed on his cigar, then held the tip to the stick of dynamite in his hand. The fuse began to sputter, and he tossed it into the cave, then turned and walked away.

  Her chest burning with the desire to stop this, Kalianne followed him, and they stopped a safe distance away. The whump that came a few seconds later made her cry out and clap her hands over her ears. A cascade of rocks and debris rained into the space that had once been the opening. She sank to her knees and moaned.

  She’d participated in a murder. Her stomach revolted and she fought nausea.

  Her brother jerked on her arm. “You are weak, Kalianne. We did what had to be done.”

  She didn’t resist as he dragged her to her feet. “You mean, you did what you wanted.” Tears coated her lashes and blurred her vision. She was just as guilty as he was.

  “Now you must get back into the house and find the pouch. It is most unfortunate you let the old woman take it away from you. We were so close.”

  “At least we know it’s there. Are you sure it’s the map?”

  “I’m positive. Chann Seng never gave up its hiding place, and that golden city still exists somewhere in the jungles of Cambodia. I mean to find it. We will be kings and queens, Kalianne. There are riches there beyond imagination.”

  “Why do you care so much? You don’t need the money.”

  His teeth gleamed in the moonlight. “Power, Kalianne. The money I have now is but a drop in the bucket to what I will have. Plus, I can shed the persona of a smuggler and take my rightful place as an explorer. The world will open at my feet. No one would dare seek to arrest me.”

  He propelled her away from the murder site. She tried not to think about poor Sara, crushed and buried under tons of rock. Really, it was the woman’s own fault. She shouldn’t have interfered. To distract herself, Kalianne imagined finding that ancient Khmer Empire city. Gold, precious jewels, vast statues worth millions. Such wealth was beyond her imagination, though Devi had expounded on it at great length for years. He’d sought that pouch for over ten years, and when he’d found Chann’s diary in a shack in Cambodia, he’d known it would soon be in his hands.

  He’d sent her in here with the promise of all the money she could imagine. If only she could find that pouch with the map. That stupid old lady.

  They exited the forest, and she looked toward the house. Lights shone from several of the windows. “I’ll find it if I have to shake the truth out of her.”

  “There will be a great search for the woman tomorrow. Go tonight. Find it now while there is still time.”

  “People are in the house. An attorney and his wife. Also the old woman and the little girl.”

  “Drug them.” He reached into his bag and handed over a vial of pale liquid. “One drop of this in their drinks, and not even a hurricane will wake them.”

  “Okay.” Her fingers closed around the vial. She wasn’t about to drug the little girl. The old lady, yeah. And the other couple. But not the kid.

  “Don’t leave until you have the map. I want it found tonight.” He took the path toward the pier.

  She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, then walked briskly to the back of the house. The Evertons sat at the table on the deck.

  Mr. Everton waved when she got nearer. “I thought you were gone for the day. What brings you back?”

  “I forgot to give Ruby some medicine.”

  Mrs. Everton lifted a brow. “You could have called. We would have done it.”

  “I tried, but the phone was out. It’s probably not a big deal since it doesn’t seem to be helping her memory, but I want to do everything I can for her. Is Ruby in the living room?”

  Mrs. Everton nodded. “She’s reading Josie a story.”

  “I brought some new tea I found and thought I’d make some before I go. You want some too?”

  “That would be lovely. You’re a sweet girl, Kalianne. I’m so glad you’re taking such good care of Ruby.”

  Kalianne smiled and thanked her. Inside the kitchen, she shut the door behind her and exhaled. This was working out better than she’d hoped. When she peeked into the living room, she saw Ruby holding Josie. The little girl was already asleep.

  “Here, Ruby, let me take her to bed. She’s out.”

  Ruby’s eyes were vague, but she didn’t protest when Kalianne lifted Josie out of her lap and carried her toward the stairs. “This kid is heavy.”

  It was all she could do to carry Josie up the stairs and deposit her in bed. She pulled the covers over her, then went back to the living room. “Ruby, do you remember where you put my leather pouch? You know, the tan one? It’s old and about this big.” She measured the width with her hands. “I want you to help me look for it.”

  “Okay.” Ruby started to get up.

  “Not now. I’m going to fix some tea, but I’ll be back. Maybe you can show me where the pouch is, okay?” She waited a moment, but Ruby didn’t respond.

  Kalianne pressed her lips together and went to make the tea. Checking to make sure the Evertons weren’t looking through the window, she put a drop of the pale liquid into each cup. When the water was hot, she brewed the tea, then carried out a tray of cups and the teapot.

  “Here we go.” She placed it on the table, then poured the tea, taking care they got the right cups.

  In fifteen minutes, they yawned and excused themselves for bed. Now to find the map.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  Elin glanced at the house as they hovered in for a landing on the front of the beach by the pier. The windows were dark, so everyone was asleep. It was nearly midnight. The moon, bright and golden above them, lit the scene as well as a streetlight.

  Marc took her arm, and they bent over and ran under the rotating blades to meet Josh and Curtis on the beach.

  “Any sign of her?” Marc asked when they reached the two men.

  Josh shook his head. “Just her boat.” He pointed out the dinghy bobbing at the pier. “We were searching for another crate that had been tossed overboard from that drug-boat rescue a couple of weeks ago. We’d searched most of the area, but she was going to look over there.” He pointed to the area behind the house that backed up to the maritime forest. “Then she planned to hang out at the house.”

  “How did you know there was a problem?” Elin wanted to grab a flashlight and go looking now herself.

  “I tried to call her a bunch of times, thinking she was at her house.” His voice was pinched. “When I kept getting voice mail, I found Mr. Everton’s cell number and called him. He said they hadn’t seen Sara. I had him come down to see if her boat was still here. When he called back and said it was, I knew something was wrong. I shouldn’t have left her to search alone.”

  “Has anyone gone into the forest to look for her?” Marc asked.

  Curtis nodded. “Your dad went back there with a flashlight, but he didn’t see any sign of her.” He gestured toward the pile of equipment on the sand. “So we gathered lights and com units, then took the chopper to Kill Devil Hills to get you so we could do an organized search by grids.”

  “Let’s go.”

  From Marc’s clipped tone, Elin knew he was worried about his cousin. She was too. This wasn’t like Sara. She could have fallen down a hole or something. Or she’d run into the drug smugglers, and they’d shot her.

  She shuddered and turned toward the path to the forest. “Let’s get going. We have to find her.” She grabbed a bright halogen light and headed away from the ocean. The others seized equipment and followed her.

  Marc jogged to catch up with her. “I tried to call her too, and it dumped me right into voice mail.”

  “If she’s here, there is no cell service. It’s going to be hard looking i
n the forest at night, even with lights.”

  “I know.”

  Elin reached the tree line and flipped on the light. She cupped her other hand to her mouth. “Sara!” She paused and listened. Nothing but the rustle of the wind in the trees.

  Josh moved off to her left. “I’m going this way. Curtis, you fan out to the east.”

  The halogen lights put out more light than Elin had imagined. With four lights glaring into the darkness, it was almost as bright as dusk.

  Marc shone his light along the path. “I want to see if she’s dropped anything, or if there’s a sign of other people tracking through here. You ever been back here?”

  “No. We always go to the beach.”

  The smell of the forest, fecund and earthy, added to her sense of unease. She stopped and called often for Sara, but there was no response.

  Shining his light on the ground, Marc strode a couple of feet ahead of her. She kept her light glaring higher, at face level, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sara running to meet them.

  They reached a small clearing and walked through it to an area where rocks protruded from the earth. Stopping, Elin called again. The search felt hopeless.

  “Whoa, what’s this?” Marc stooped and picked up something. “Is this Sara’s cell phone?” He held up a white iPhone.

  She stepped closer to see. “Looks like it. Turn it on.”

  “You found her cell phone?” Josh spoke from behind them.

  “I think it’s hers.” Marc turned it on, then went to recent calls. “Yep, there’s a call from me last night. And a couple from you, Josh. She has to have been here.” His beam scanned the area slowly, lingering on every bit of ground.

  “Is that rope?” Josh stepped close to the rock face and knelt, then turned with a hank of rope in his hands. “Looks like it was tied. Could she have been restrained with this?” His voice held an edge of fear.