Asylum Harbor

by Traci Hohenstein

  “She left our investigation out of the article as we asked,” Drake said.

  “Her story is a little dated now. We know that Amber didn’t fall overboard,” Rachel commented.

  “That’s best left under wraps until we know for sure. Any leads from the tip line?”

  “I checked in with Janine this morning. Nothing. Not even the crackpots and psychics have called in, which is unusual.”

  “Give it some time.”

  “What’s planned for today?” Rachel asked.

  “The cruise ship has left port. Amber’s two friends are staying with the governor and his wife for the rest of the week. Their parents have been notified and are on the way down. We’re heading over there this morning to talk to the girls again. I want to see if they remember anything else about the night Amber disappeared—if they saw anyone else talking with her or Josh.”

  “You mean Shawn?”

  “Yeah, they still know him as Josh.” Drake stood up and brushed toast crumbs from his shirt.

  “Okay. Let’s get going, then.” Rachel put down her coffee cup, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door.

  CHAPTER 29

  The governor’s rented villa was situated on a high bluff that overlooked a beautiful private stretch of beach. Drake and Rachel drove up the long circular driveway and parked the car.

  “Impressive digs for the governor,” she commented as they walked up to the massive front door.

  “The house belongs to a friend of the governor. It’s more private than staying at a hotel. Especially since he decided to run for president, security is a little tighter.”

  Too bad they didn’t think about that before letting Amber take a cruise. Rachel’s thought was interrupted by the front door opening.

  A uniformed maid led them inside. “The governor and his wife are waiting for you in the sunroom.”

  Drake and Rachel followed her through the house. The villa was surprisingly simple inside. Its terra-cotta tile floors were complemented by soft-blue and pale-yellow walls. Knickknacks, a vase of pale flowers, and a clear glass bowl of seashells and sand dollars decorated the villa. It was very calming and relaxing, and Rachel soon felt at ease.

  Governor Knowles stood up as they entered the sunroom. Even though he was impeccably dressed in pressed navy slacks and a pin-striped button-down shirt with the sleeves neatly rolled up his forearms, he looked more stressed than he had the day before.

  He smiled as he held out his hand to Rachel. “Nice to see you again, Rachel. Please come in and have a seat. Hello, Agent Reynolds.”

  Rachel regarded Sarah as she stood up to greet them. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, and she was dressed casually in khaki Bermuda shorts and a billowy white peasant blouse. Her flip-flops revealed freshly painted bright-pink toenails.

  “Rachel, Drake, is there any news?” Sarah asked hopefully.

  Governor Knowles put his arm around his wife and said with a strained smile, “We’re hoping there’s been some movement since yesterday…” He nodded to the maid who let them in. “Bring us something cold and a pot of coffee, please, Nadia.”

  Rachel and Drake sat down on the sofa opposite the Knowleses. The sunroom was minimally decorated with a sofa and loveseat covered in creamy-white denim, two casual wicker chairs, and a sea grass jute rug beneath a heavy glass coffee table. A ceramic bowl held tiny seashells and colorful sea glass. A sliding glass door led to a patio that overlooked the pinkish-colored sandy beach and emerald-green waters.

  “Thanks again for coming. As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult time.” He patted Sarah’s hand. “Have you gotten any leads from the hotline?”

  Rachel shook her head no and reiterated what Drake had already related to the governor. “But our witness saw Amber and Josh get into an SUV. We know somehow she got off the ship.”

  “But she must not be in a safe place, or she would have called us.” Sarah twisted and rubbed her hands together nervously.

  Nadia came in and set down a tray of lemonade and small sandwiches. A second maid, carrying a pot of coffee and cups, followed.

  “Thanks,” Rachel said as she accepted a glass of the cool, tangy drink.

  “We’re working closely with the DEA and the local police. Rachel has every available volunteer combing the area where the lifeboat was found,” Drake said as soon as the maids had left the room.

  “What about this Josh guy? Or whatever his name is. You said he’s undercover DEA? What else do we know about him? How is he involved in this?” Governor Knowles stood and started pacing behind the small loveseat.

  “Josh McCain is an alias. His name is Shawn Gibson. Mike Mancini, his boss at the DEA, says he’s a respected agent and a stand-up guy. He’s young, but has been with the DEA for some time now. Something happened on that ship that involved Amber. We think Shawn tried to get her to safety.”

  “The DEA is investigating the SeaStar for drug smuggling?” Governor Knowles asked.

  Drake nodded. “We think Shawn’s cover was compromised. Once they got off the ship, we’re not sure what happened. We’re working on it.”

  “So where are they now?” he asked.

  Drake went over what he’d already told the governor over the phone. “The witness who saw them forced into a dark SUV unfortunately did not get the tag information.”

  “Is this a reliable witness? You said she was a teenager?”

  “She identified Amber from our flyers. She wasn’t one hundred percent positive identifying Shawn,” Drake answered.

  Sarah gasped. “Who the hell has my daughter?”

  Drake and Rachel exchanged glances. “We don’t know. That’s a theory we’re working on,” Drake said. “We’d like to talk to the girls again to see if they can remember anything else about the night Amber disappeared. Something about Josh, maybe.”

  Sarah got up. “They’re upstairs getting dressed. I’ll get them.”

  They only had to wait a couple minutes until Nicole and Rowan joined them. Rachel thought they didn’t look much better than the last time she’d seen them. They both looked tired and upset. She couldn’t blame them. Their best friend was missing. And they were just about the last people to have seen Amber before she disappeared.

  “I wanted to see if you remembered anything else about the last night you saw Amber,” Drake started once the girls got settled.

  “No. We’ve both thought about that night constantly,” Nicole said while Rowan nodded in agreement. “All we can think about is what happened to her.”

  “Tell me again about Josh. The first time you saw him,” Drake said.

  “I don’t remember seeing him until we went to the club that night, but Amber mentioned him the first day of the cruise,” Rowan said.

  “When was this?” Rachel asked.

  “When we were walking up to the club, Amber said, ‘There’s the cute guy from the pool,’ and pointed at Josh. But she never talked to him until we got to the club,” Rowan said.

  “Okay. So Amber saw him at the pool the first day on the ship, but never had a conversation with him until the night she disappeared?” Rachel clarified.

  “Right,” Nicole and Rowan said in agreement.

  “We walked up to the Aqua entrance. Josh introduced himself and walked us to a VIP room. I remember that he said he was from California and this was his first job on a cruise ship. He and Amber talked while Nicole and I went and got drinks,” Rowan added.

  “When we came back, Amber mentioned that she wasn’t feeling well. Josh had left and we asked Amber if she wanted to go back to the cabin. She didn’t want to ruin our evening, she said. After a few minutes, Josh came back to check on us, and Amber said she was leaving. I offered to walk her back, but Josh said he’d do it. That’s about it,” Nicole said.

  She’d basically summed up what they already knew. “Did you take any pictures that night?” Rachel asked.

  “Sure. I have a couple pictures of us at the club that night. Would you l
ike to see?” Nicole asked.

  Rachel exchanged glances with Drake. “Of course.”

  “Let me get my laptop. I downloaded them from my camera last night.” Nicole left to get her laptop and was back within a minute. She booted up her Dell, found the file, and handed the computer over to Drake.

  Rachel and Drake looked through the pictures of the girls. One showed Amber posing with Josh. She had her arm draped around his neck.

  Drake started to flip to another photo.

  “Wait! Go back.” Rachel leaned closer to the screen. “Can you enlarge this?”

  “Sure.” Drake pushed the zoom button and the picture magnified.

  “Is that who I think it is?” Rachel pointed to a man in the background.

  Drake pushed his glasses up and peered at the screen. “Danny Pezzini?”

  “Isn’t that the guy the Coast Guard found?” the governor asked.

  “Yes,” Drake answered. “He was a passenger on the cruise.”

  “Do you think he is somehow involved? What do I need to do to get some answers?” Governor Knowles directed his question at Drake.

  “We are looking into Pezzini and any possible connection to SeaScape Cruise Lines.” Drake softened his voice. “With all due respect, Governor, let us handle the investigation. The last thing we want is Morrotti to know that we’re looking into his business. The DEA has had this undercover operation in motion for over two years now. I don’t want to compromise their involvement.”

  “That’s what got my daughter into trouble in the first place! This DEA agent, Josh, or Shawn…whatever his name is! I want some answers and I want them now!” The governor clenched the sofa pillow.

  Rachel could feel the tension in the room ratchet up a few notches. “John, I understand how frustrating this is. But you trusted me enough to bring me into this investigation. Please let us do our jobs.”

  Governor Knowles sat down next to Sarah. Rachel could see some of the tension leave his face. The girls sat motionless, looking frightened. She felt so bad for all of them.

  “I want to meet with Mike Mancini and hear for myself what he thinks happened on the SeaStar that night.”

  “I’ll let him know,” Drake assured him.

  “Thank you.”

  Drake cleared his throat. “Do you mind if I e-mail these photos to myself?”

  “Sure, whatever will help,” Nicole answered.

  “Thanks,” Drake said. “I want to send these to Mike as well. He’s tracking down possible members of Morrotti’s team. He might see something out of place.”

  Rachel’s phone buzzed. She looked down at the number and let out a sigh.

  “I need to take this. Be right back.” She pulled open the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the patio. A strong breeze had picked up and the palm trees swayed. A fragrant plumeria scented the air. “Rachel Scott,” she answered, even though she knew who was calling.

  “Hi, Rachel. It’s Rick. You have a sec?”

  “What’s up?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “Okay, then. Talk.”

  “I’d like to see you in person.”

  “Not going to happen anytime soon. I’m in the Bahamas working on a case.”

  “I know that. I’m here, too.”

  “Here where? In Freeport?”

  “Yes. I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t urgent.”

  Rachel sucked in a deep breath. “What’s wrong?”

  “I can meet you at your hotel tonight for dinner,” Rick said, ignoring her question.

  “How do you know where I’m staying?” Rachel asked, realizing that he’d probably called Janine at the office.

  “Your office told me. Seven o’clock, okay?”

  “Sure. Meet me at the hotel bar,” Rachel said before disconnecting.

  She wondered why Rick was calling her now. She intended to find out, but she wasn’t too keen about meeting with him. She reentered the room. Everyone except John and Drake had left.

  “Sarah took the girls out for shopping and lunch. I think they’re going stir crazy just sitting here.” Governor Knowles stood up from the couch.

  “I’m sure it’ll be good for them to get out for a bit.” Rachel shook his hand. “We’ll keep in touch.”

  Drake followed Rachel outside. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  She nodded her head. “Just the office checking in.”

  “Let’s head back to the hotel and call Mike. See what he came up with on Pezzini.” Drake started the car. “We need to step this investigation up a notch.”

  CHAPTER 30

  Rachel got to the hotel bar early and sat at a table near the entrance. She ordered the house white wine and waited for Rick. She wondered what he wanted and, more importantly, what the hell he was doing in the Bahamas.

  She remembered the first time she met Rick. She was just out of college and needed to buy a car. She walked into the local dealership in Miami and found a car…and a husband. She was looking in the window of a used SUV and someone behind her said, “This one has low miles and is a one-owner trade-in. Just got her yesterday.”

  Rachel turned and saw a cute salesman smiling at her. He thumped the SUV’s roof.

  She drove away with a new car and he walked away with her number. He waited a couple days before calling her under the pretense of checking in with her to see how the car was doing. They ended up making plans to meet for lunch the following day. After a six-month courtship, Rick asked her to marry him. The first night of their honeymoon, Rachel realized she was pregnant.

  Rachel kept her job selling real estate while she was pregnant. When Mallory was born, Rachel hired a nanny. Rick had opened several new luxury dealerships with a new partner and was gone most of the time. Rachel tried to reduce her hours and spend more time with Mallory. She didn’t want her daughter raised by strangers.

  The day Mallory disappeared the nanny had called in sick. Rachel was putting together a huge commercial deal and was up to her neck in negotiations. Rick was on his way out of town to open up a new dealership in Orlando. It was a beautiful day. She let Mallory play outside on the front lawn while she sat on the shaded porch and crunched numbers, trying to make the deal work. Rachel heard her phone ring inside. She called to Mallory, “Be right back, honey.” She was inside for only a minute—two minutes tops. But that was all it took. Mallory was gone when she went back outside.

  Mallory’s disappearance took a toll on their marriage. Rick left. Rachel quit her job in real estate and put all her money in Florida Omni Search. Now she spent her days looking for Mallory—and all the other missing persons.

  Rachel took a sip of the chilled wine and played nervously with the cocktail napkin, folding it into tiny squares and then shredding it to pieces. She checked her watch and realized Rick was late. She decided to wait five more minutes before leaving. It was unusual for Rick to be late. He was usually very punctual.

  She’d last seen Rick two years ago, when they’d finally sold their last joint piece of real estate, a large residential lot in Pembroke Pines, which they’d bought as an investment when they were first married.

  She remembered that day like it was yesterday. They were to meet at the title company and sign the closing papers. She got there early to avoid him. But just as she was signing the documents, Rick walked into the room. Rachel could tell that he’d started drinking again. His body looked swollen, not hard and lean like it had been before the divorce. His skin was pale and he had a faint sheen across his forehead. When he leaned in to give her a hug, his breath smelled so sour that she wanted to throw up.

  The scene was awkward, and she just wanted to sign the papers and get out of there. Other than a couple of phone calls a year to update him on leads about Mallory, she never saw him or spoke to him. That was one perk of leading a busy life and traveling the country.

  “Hello, Rachel.” A voice from behind her jarred her out of the unpleasant memory.

  She looked up to see Rick standing at her tabl
e. He looked good. The beer belly, paleness, and sour breath had disappeared. He was tan and fit, wearing pressed khaki pants and a white polo shirt that hugged his biceps and chest. As he sat down, she could smell a mix of spearmint and clean aftershave.

  “You look lovely.” Rick reached over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Sorry I’m late.”

  “Hi, Rick. Want something to drink?” Rachel asked as she waved over the cocktail waitress. He ordered a soft drink and waited for the waitress to leave.

  “I’ve been following the story on the Knowles girl. How’s it going?”

  “We’re following up on some leads,” Rachel answered.

  “What about the friends who were on the trip with her? Someone had to have seen something. A girl just doesn’t disappear on a cruise without someone knowing something,” Rick said.

  Rachel winced like he had hit a nerve. “Did you come all the way here just to talk about my case, or do you have something else in mind? Because I’m really busy,” Rachel said, sounding testier than she’d wanted to. She didn’t think she could deal with his small talk.

  “I wanted to tell you something, and I thought it was better to speak with you in person,” Rick said, picking up his drink and taking a sip.

  “Mallory?” Rachel asked. She held her breath, thinking about the picture she’d received.

  “Oh, no. Is that what you thought?” Rick said. “No, not Mallory. I wanted to tell you that I got married. We’re here on our honeymoon.”

  Rachel let out a long breath. Relieved and irritated at the same time. “I think I would’ve liked it better if you’d called.” She downed the rest of her wine.

  “It was a coincidence that we’re here when all this happened with the governor’s daughter. I heard you were in town and thought I would tell you in person.”

  Rachel looked around the restaurant. “Where’s your new wife?”

  Rick smiled nervously. “She’s at the spa getting a massage. I didn’t want this to be awkward between us.”

  “Well, congratulations, I guess.” Rachel thought back to the picture of Mallory in her hotel room. Should she share that with Rick? After all, he was Mallory’s father. No matter that he deserted Rachel after Mallory had been kidnapped. Since she didn’t have anything concrete to go on, she decided she’d keep the photo quiet until she learned more. No sense in getting his hopes up. She reached into her purse and threw a twenty-dollar bill on the table. “Thanks for letting me know. I need to get back to work.”