Bluewater Jailbird: The Tenth Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers Book 10)

by Charles Dougherty

  "They are, but when she called, she told me they're planning to shoot some video for this show they have on one of the cable channels. It's called Off the Edge, and it's like a travelogue featuring unusual vacations. I thought it sounded like a great PR opportunity for you. They didn't want anything special — just your normal thing, so I didn't call you after I found out. You're okay with it, aren't you?"

  "Sure. It sounds like fun," Liz said. "We were just trying to second-guess where they might want to go, so I thought I'd ask."

  "They didn't mention anywhere special. I'm sure they'll be open to suggestions."

  "Elaine, thanks for calling," Dani said, "but we'd better get going if we're going to have lunch ashore before they get here. Would you let us know what happens with this Laszlo character?"

  "I will. Have a nice lunch, ladies, and have fun with the Wilkeses."

  Chapter 3

  "Tell us a bit about yourselves," Liz said, as she poured wine for Mindy and Blaine Wilkes. They had been aboard long enough to stow their belongings in their stateroom, and they were sitting at the fold-down table in the cockpit, relaxing. "Are you familiar with the islands at all?"

  "Not really," Mindy said. "Most of our traveling has been in Europe and Asia."

  "You've seen the faraway places, but not the paradise that's close to home, huh?" Dani said, taking a sip of her wine.

  "You could say that, I guess," Blaine said. "We've been travelers since before we met."

  "In fact," Mindy said, "we met on a backpacking trip in Nepal right after I finished college. Blaine had been there for a while."

  "I was bumming around Asia, taking pictures, hoping I'd be able to sell them," Blaine said. "I had visions of making a career as a freelance photographer." He chuckled and shook his head. "That didn't work out, but I met this hot chick that liked the same things I did," he said, giving Mindy an exaggerated wink.

  "You sell some pictures, Blaine," Mindy said. "Don't be so negative about your accomplishments."

  "Our charter broker told us that you have a cable TV show," Liz said. "Off the Edge, I think she called it. Are you planning on shooting some video while you're with us?"

  "Yes," Mindy said. "That's what pays the bills. It's a monthly thing; the network alternates our show with a few others that are kind of reality vacation shows."

  "That must be fun," Dani said. "How long have you been doing that?"

  "Off the Edge?" Mindy asked. "We've done three episodes. Not very long. In spite of what Blaine said, he does all right selling photographs."

  "What sort of photographs, Blaine?" Liz asked.

  "Well, what I like to shoot and what I can sell are two different things. Landscapes and seascapes are my passion, but they don't put money in the bank, unfortunately."

  "Not yet," Mindy said, "but they're starting to sell. There's kind of a tie-in with the show; people see the places on TV and then buy nice, framed prints of the spots that catch their fancy."

  "So do you sell through galleries?" Liz asked.

  "Online," Blaine said. "Mindy's set up a web-based business around my portfolio. I wish I could get my work into galleries, but that's tough when you're a nobody."

  "I understand that," Liz said. "Been there."

  "Are you a photographer?" Mindy asked.

  "No, I'm a painter," Liz said.

  "Cool," Blaine said. "Have you managed to get your stuff into any galleries?"

  "Only a couple of small ones that are run by friends down here in the islands."

  "That's okay; it's better than I'm doing. Congratulations."

  "Thanks. I haven't sold anything, ever," Liz said. "But I keep hoping."

  "Will we be visiting the places where your friends' galleries are?" Blaine asked. "I'd like to see some of your work."

  "Well, our itinerary is up to you," Liz said. "One gallery is here in Antigua; a friend from university owns it. The other's in Dominica."

  "All but one of the paintings below are Liz's," Dani said.

  "Wow!" Blaine said. "I caught a glimpse of a couple. I want to take a closer look, but at first I thought they were photographs. What's the medium?"

  "Acrylics, for the ones aboard. I like to work in oil, better, but it's not practical given the way we live. And they're behind glass, in case of salt spray, so that makes them look like photos."

  "No, I disagree," Blaine said. "It's your skill that makes them look so realistic. Artists like you make me feel like a hacker of some kind with my snapshots."

  "But you have to be good, Blaine; I couldn't begin to make a living with my paintings."

  "The only way I make real money with my photos is selling celebrity candids to the tabloid papers."

  "You're a paparazzo?" Dani asked. "That's fascinating."

  "Right," Blaine said, his tone sarcastic. "Don't be — "

  "No, I'm serious. I think it would be fun to stalk those people. Kind of like hunting wild animals; lying in wait to ambush them."

  "That's an unusual way of looking at it, Dani," Blaine said. "Most people think what I do is an invasion of privacy."

  "Celebrities don't want privacy," Dani said, "and they certainly don't deserve it. They're just drones, feeding on the dreams of frustrated, working-class people who shouldn't spend their money on the kind of foolishness that makes those jerks famous."

  "Whoa! I like your way of thinking," Mindy said. "I've been trying to tell him that for years. Since you feel that way, maybe you could help us out a little with a side project."

  "What kind of side project?" Dani asked, a wary look in her eyes.

  "We picked up a rumor that there might be a movie in the works in Antigua. Our sponsors want some travel video; you know, sailing shots, local color and scenery, that kind of thing. But we could pick up some extra cash if Blaine can catch some movie people with their, um ... guard down, so to speak." Mindy raised her eyebrows. "Heard anything?"

  "No, but we can ask around," Liz said. "We have friends in low places."

  ****

  "I have read the script you sent, Mr. Strong. I am interested in discussing this project with you in person."

  Strong released the breath he had been holding since he learned that Danilov was calling. Some flunky speaking broken English had placed the call and asked Strong to "Hold for Mr. Danilov, please." Strong had never received a call like that before; he was mildly irritated, tempted to say, "Tell him to call me himself when he has time," and hang up. He was glad now that he had reined in his impulsiveness. If Danilov wanted to meet, his reaction to the script could only be positive.

  "I would be pleased to meet with you, Mr. Danilov." Strong considered whether he should play hard to get, but he thought better of it. "At your convenience, of course."

  "If we will work together, we must not be formal, yes? You will call me Andrei, okay?"

  "Thanks, Andrei, and — "

  "And I will call you Kevin, yes? This is the American way, isn't it so?"

  "Yes, of course. But my friends call me — "

  "Or do you prefer Kev? I see this in the papers, but it sounds like a fairy name to me. I like Kevin better if we are doing business. People will not think I do business with some fairy, yes?"

  "Kevin is great, Andrei."

  "Is good. We will stop this Kev foolishness if we work together on Cassie's Dream. You will learn to command respect, so that this will not become another of your famous failures. You see, I bring more to this deal than just money, Kevin. You are the artist, but I will be the hard businessman. I am good at this; nobody can negotiate harder than me."

  "I see, Andrei. When would you like to — "

  "I will send a boat for you within the hour. You will be checked out of the hotel and waiting on the dock."

  "A boat? But I need to get my lawyer down here. Can you pick him up in the — "

  "Lawyer?" Danilov interrupted. "We do not need no lawyers. We make the agreement between us like men. We shake hands and drink the vodka, yes? Lawyers are for fairies and wom
en. My ex-wives, they all had lawyers. You know what that bought them? It bought them nothing. That is what. I do not talk to lawyers. One hour. You will be on the dock, with your luggage."

  "Okay, Andrei. I'll ... " Strong realized the call had been disconnected. He looked at the time displayed on the phone and got to his feet; he needed to pack and check out. He was throwing things into his suitcase when it occurred to him that he didn't know where he was going. He felt a tremor of fear, remembering some of the less attractive things he'd heard about Danilov.

  He stopped packing and picked up the phone, scrolling to the display of incoming calls. There was a number for the call from Danilov, but the area code was unfamiliar. "Probably a cellphone, anyway," he muttered. "Numbers mean nothing nowadays." He considered calling back to ask where they were meeting, but thought better of it. He needed this deal; with Danilov's backing, he could make Cassie's Dream. Danilov was his last chance; if he blew this, he'd be washed up. He'd burned too many bridges with his failed productions to go back to acting, at least in films he didn't produce. No other producer would hire him, now.

  He was glad he'd taken the first step to smooth things over with the Berger girl before Danilov called. It was too bad he didn't have some pictures of her to show Danilov. She was perfect; with Danilov's money and her in the role of Cassie, he'd show those bastards in Hollywood how to make a 21st-century blockbuster.

  ****

  "This is a beautiful spot, Dani," Mindy said, gazing out to the west where the sun was dropping behind a line of clouds on the horizon. "Do you and Liz come here often?"

  "You mean Antigua? Or this particular anchorage?"

  "Well, both. But the anchorage is what I was talking about. The view of the sunset is phenomenal."

  "It really is," said Blaine, as he stood braced against the stern rail, camera held to his eye. "Think we'll get a green flash?"

  "We could," Dani said. "And yes, Mindy. This is one of our favorite hangouts when we're between guests. It's a quiet, pretty spot, and it's a convenient place to stock up on groceries. Not to mention the sunsets."

  "I thought you had to have a clear horizon for a green flash," Blaine said.

  "Well, I've heard that, too," Dani said. "Maybe it is clear out beyond the cloud bank. I don't pretend to know how it happens, but sometimes when it's like this, you get a green flash out behind the clouds and they diffuse the light. The whole sky turns green just for a split second. It's way more rare than a normal green flash."

  "I'd say we've got a few more minutes," Blaine said. "Sun's still above the horizon."

  "Good evening, Vengeance," boomed the harbor master's rich voice as he brought his launch alongside.

  "Hello, George," Dani said. "Meet our guests, Blaine and Mindy Wilkes. George is the harbor master; he keeps everybody in line around here."

  George grinned and nodded. "Not so much keep 'em in line, but jus' keep 'em happy if I can. Nice to meet you folks. Welcome to Antigua."

  "Thanks," Mindy said.

  "Yes, thanks," Blaine added, still taking photographs of the horizon as the sun dropped into the clouds, infusing them with a pastel pink glow.

  "What brings you out this time of day?" Dani asked.

  "Well, two t'ings. The flower shop asked me to bring this out for you, Dani." He handed up a long, white box with a red ribbon tied around the middle. Dani slipped the card out from under the ribbon as she took the box from him. Flipping the card open, she glanced at it and stuck it in her pocket. "Thanks, George. Can you do something for me?"

  "Sure enough. What do you need?"

  "Can you drop these at the hospital in St. Johns on your way home? Maybe for the women's ward? I have no use for them." She passed the unopened box back to him.

  "No problem. Glad to do that."

  "You said two things."

  "Yes. Liz around?"

  "Sure," Dani said, "She's cooking dinner." Leaning into the companionway, she called, "Liz?"

  "Hi, George," Liz said, stepping onto the companionway ladder and poking her head out. "What's up?"

  "Simon asked me to give you a message. You called him earlier? 'Bout movie people on the island?"

  "I did, yes. I thought if anybody would know about gossip like that, he would."

  George grinned. "You were right. He try to call you but he cellphone battery dead. His cousin, she work at the resort in English Harbour. She say a mon stayin' there from Hollywood, sure enough. In the big suite. Handsome mon, meet wit' the lady from the Prime Minister's office 'bout makin' a movie here. But she don' know he name. Say he look like a movie star, though, an' act like a bigshot."

  "Thanks, George. Pass along my thanks to Simon."

  "No problem. You an' Dani gonna be in the movies?"

  "No. The Wilkeses had heard a rumor, that's all. We just wondered," Dani said.

  "That’s too bad," George said. "You two be good movie stars. Everybody t'ink so."

  "You do have a way with words, George. Thanks, but we've got a boat to sail. No time for that kind of foolishness."

  "Ain't that the truth, foolishness," George said, grinning. "Have a good evenin'." He gave a little wave as he pulled away and headed toward the harbor entrance.

  "Dinner's ready," Liz said. "Would you like to eat in the cockpit?"

  "Sure," Mindy said. "Okay with you, Blaine?"

  "Yep. Looks like I struck out on the green flash, but I still got some great sunset shots."

  "Can we head for English Harbour in the morning?" Mindy asked.

  "Of course," Dani said. "It's a couple of hours, and well worth some time in your video, in my non-artistic opinion."

  "Yeah, I agree. It was on our list, anyway. I'd already researched it." Mindy said. "I'll get some video and Blaine can go snoop on the movie stars."

  ****

  A Note to the Reader

  Thank you for reading Bluewater Jailbird, the tenth book in the Bluewater Thriller series. I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please leave a brief review on Amazon. Reviews are of great benefit to independent authors like me; they help me more than you can imagine. They are a primary means to help new readers find my work. A few sentences can help others find the pleasure that I hope you found in this book, as well as keeping my spirits up as I work on the next one. If you would like to be notified by email when I release a new book or have a sale or giveaway, please click here to subscribe to my email list. I promise not to use the list for anything else; I dislike spam as much as you do.

  If you haven't read the other Bluewater Thrillers, please take a look at them. If you enjoyed this book, you'll enjoy them as well. I write another series of sailing thrillers: The Connie Barrera Thrillers. Connie had a key role in Deception in Savannah, my first book. I enjoyed writing about her so much that I wrote her into the Bluewater Thrillers. She plays prominent parts in both Bluewater Ice and Bluewater Betrayal. The Connie Barrera Thrillers are a spin-off from the Bluewater Thrillers, and feature some of the same characters. Dani and Liz taught Connie to sail, and they introduced her to Paul Russo, her first mate and husband.

  In September of 2016, I released Sails Job – a Connie Barrera Thriller, the sixth in that series. Now I've turned my attention back to Dani and Liz for their twelfth Bluewater Thrillers adventure. You'll find progress reports and more information on my web page at www.clrdougherty.com. Be sure to click on the link to my blog posts; it's in the column on the right side of the web page. Dani has begun to blog about what's on her mind, and Liz and Connie are demanding equal time, so you can see what they're up to while I'm writing.

  A list of my other books is on the last page; just click on a title or go to my website for more information. If you’d like to know when my next book is released, visit my author’s page on Amazon and click the "Stay Up to Date" link near the upper left-hand corner. I welcome email correspondence about books, boats and sailing. My address is clrd@clrdougherty.com. If you'd like personal updates, drop me a line at that address and let me know. Thanks again for your support
.

  About C.L.R. Dougherty

  Charles Dougherty wrote quite a bit of fiction before publishing Deception in Savannah, his first novel. Most of his earlier fiction works took the form of business plans, written to secure funding for projects and startup ventures during his corporate and consulting work, but he put all that behind him when he wrote Deception in Savannah, a tongue-in-cheek crime novel.

  Since Deception in Savannah was published, he has written a number of other books. The Bluewater Thrillers are set in the yachting world of the Caribbean and chronicle the adventures of two young women running a luxury charter yacht in a rough-and-tumble environment. The Connie Barrera Thrillers are also set in the Caribbean and feature some of the same characters from a slightly more romantic perspective. Besides the Bluewater Thrillers and the Connie Barrera Thrillers, he wrote The Redemption of Becky Jones, a psycho-thriller, and The Lost Tourist Franchise, a short story about one of the characters from Deception in Savannah.

  He has also written two non-fiction books. Life's a Ditch is the story of how he and his wife moved aboard their sailboat, Play Actor, and their adventures along the east coast of the U.S. Dungda de Islan' relates their experiences while cruising the Caribbean.

  He resides with his wife aboard Play Actor, sailing wherever their fancy and the trade winds take them.

  Other Books by C.L.R. Dougherty

  Fiction:

  Bluewater Killer

  Bluewater Vengeance

  Bluewater Voodoo

  Bluewater Ice

  Bluewater Betrayal

  Bluewater Stalker

  Bluewater Bullion

  Bluewater Rendezvous

  Bluewater Ganja

  Bluewater Jailbird

  Bluewater Drone

  Bluewater Thrillers Boxed Set; Books 1-3

  Love for Sail - a Connie Barrera Thriller

  Sailor's Delight – a Connie Barrera Thriller

  A Blast to Sail – a Connie Barrera Thriller

  Storm Sail - a Connie Barrera Thriller

  Running Under Sail - a Connie Barrera Thriller