Sunbaked

by Junie Coffey

  “Rope, tape, and rations. Does this have something to do with the treasure hunt?” he asked Nina.

  “Sort of,” she replied. “Thanks, Harold. Bye!”

  Nina and Pansy met on the sidewalk a minute later and jogged down to the dock. Danish was in the boat with the engine running. They hurried into life jackets and untied the ropes, and then Nina eased the boat away from the dock. Once they were clear of the no-wake zone, she opened the throttle and headed south. They had been flying over the water along the coast of Pineapple Cay for about ten minutes and had just passed the southern tip of the island and begun to thread their way among the string of cays in the national park when Pansy stomped her foot on the bottom of the boat.

  “Oh, that Kevin! He is going to get the time-out to end all time-outs when I get home! The battery just died on my phone. I charged it last night. He must have snuck it out of my bag to play video games again!” she said with exasperation. “I don’t have GPS anymore.”

  “Danish, did you bring your cell phone?” asked Nina.

  “Nope. I left it at home because Alice said no electronic devices,” he said.

  “We’ve got the charts,” said Nina. Although she was from Maine and could drive a powerboat, Nina had never bothered to learn to read a nautical chart with a compass. Neither had Danish or Pansy. So they went by sight, with the chart spread out on the seat in the middle of the boat for visual reference.

  “We’re looking for a croissant-shaped island with a sheltered cove about six islands down from Pineapple Cay in a clump with two other small cays!” Nina yelled above the sound of the engine. “That one looks more like an apple turnover, and it’s too small. It’s not that one.”

  “Are you hungry?” asked Danish. “Try to focus.”

  She slowed down as the water became very shallow in places, not more than a couple of feet deep in some spots. They all scanned the horizon and assessed the low humps of land on either side of them, looking for Love Cay. There were about forty cays of various sizes in the park. They could look for days before finding the one where Tiffany was, if she was here at all. Then Nina saw a brief flash of light some distance ahead of them. She waited a couple of seconds, looking at the same spot on the horizon. It flashed again.

  “Did you see that?” she asked the others, pointing in the direction where she’d seen the flash. Just then, it happened again.

  “It came from that island over there. Someone must be there,” said Pansy. Nina pointed the boat in that direction and accelerated. As they got closer, the island’s croissant shape became clear.

  “That’s it!” said Pansy.

  “Go to the lee of the long, thin island this side of it,” said Danish. “That way, they won’t be able to see us against the vegetation along the shore. If we come directly at it across the water, they’ll see us coming a mile away.”

  Nina maneuvered the boat into the cover provided by the neighboring island. They motored slowly to its tip and looked across the narrow channel of water separating it from Love Cay. There was no sign of anyone. The beach was empty and smooth. No footprints, and no sign of Delmont Samuels’s Zodiac. The vegetation beyond the beach was dense and dark.

  “Well, what’re we waiting for? Let’s go look!” said Danish with the bravado of someone with at least three beers in him on a hot day. Nina pointed the boat toward the backside of Love Cay and motored over slowly, trying to minimize the noise as much as possible. About halfway down the island, a tall palm tree had fallen over onto the beach, its leafy, fronded top resting in the sand at the water’s edge. Nina pointed the boat toward the beach.

  “Here. We can hide the boat on the south side of this tree and cover it with palm fronds. That way at least it won’t be immediately visible when Barry comes from Pineapple Cay,” said Nina.

  They pulled the boat up onto the sand next to the fallen tree, tied a rope from the boat around the tree trunk, and covered the boat with palm fronds they found along the forested edge of the beach.

  “Let’s head inland,” said Danish. “If the kidnappers have a hideout here, it must be in there.”

  They walked along the beach, looking for a break in the trees. A few hundred yards from the fallen tree, they found a narrow leaf-covered path leading into the woods. They followed it in single file, not speaking. The island was small, and Nina was beginning to think they were going to reach the other side without finding any explanation for the flashing light, when the dark shape of a hut became visible in a clearing ahead of them.

  “Look!” said Danish. They all crouched down and inched forward slowly. There was no sign of movement around the hut. It looked like an abandoned shelter, the thin wooden poles that comprised the walls well weathered, and the palm-thatched roof thin and dusty. In a small clearing beside the hut was a blackened fire ring surrounded by chunks of limestone. There was a pot sitting in the ashes, which had gone cold. A small mirror hung from a tree trunk at eye level, with a flowered toiletry bag hanging from a branch beside it. If someone was holding the mirror and it caught the sun, it could have caused the flashes we saw, thought Nina. A clothesline was strung between two trees, and Tiffany Bassett’s green party dress was draped over it. Pansy gasped.

  They crept closer and stopped, listening for signs of life inside. A woman’s whining moans were suddenly audible inside the hut, and they increased in volume. She sounded like she was in pain. They could hear the sounds of a struggle, and some random thrashing and banging inside. They looked at one another, wide-eyed, and scurried up to the hut, crouching below a glassless window. Side by side, they raised their heads above the windowsill and peeked inside. In an instant, Nina took in a hot-pink suitcase, its multicolored contents spilling out on the floor, and a startling tangle of naked flesh writhing on an air mattress. Tiffany Bassett was grinning down at Lance, who was pinned beneath her. The emerald necklace swung from her neck.

  Nina, Pansy, and Danish dropped to the ground and scrambled noiselessly back down the path, not stopping until they reached the boat. They threw themselves down on the sand and sat side by side with their backs against it.

  “They were doing it! Lance and Tiffany!” said Pansy.

  “I could have lived a long and fulfilling life without that scene burned onto my retinas,” said Nina.

  “Uh-huh,” said Danish.

  “They’re fake, Danish,” said Nina.

  “What kind of kidnapper–kidnappee relationship is that?” asked Pansy.

  “I knew it! She wasn’t kidnapped!” said Nina. “They’re in it together. I should have known it was Lance! He told me all about Kiki and Jules’s house like he’d been a guest there, but when I mentioned taking tennis lessons to Kiki, she acted like she didn’t know who he was. He must have snuck in and trashed the bathroom and guest room while we were eating dinner. I remember Tiffany looking at her watch while we were all sitting at the table, like she had somewhere more important to be. I thought she was just being rude, but I guess she really did have somewhere else to be—a rendezvous with Lance!”

  “They must be shacked up in their little love nest here waiting for Barry to come through with the ransom money,” said Danish.

  “It’s kind of sweet, actually,” said Pansy. “They chose Love Cay for their hideout. A love nest on Love Cay.”

  “I’m not feeling the sweetness,” said Nina. “Just the nausea.”

  “Barry’s taking his time with the ransom. It’s been a week since she disappeared!” said Nina. “Speaking of Barry, where is he? He should be turning up any minute.”

  “So, how does Barry fit in? Why is he coming here?” asked Pansy.

  “Maybe the call was from Lance, and Barry’s coming to deliver the ransom money and get Tiffany back,” said Danish. They could hear the faint growl of a motorboat growing louder. They peeked over the top of the fallen palm tree and saw a powerboat quickly closing the gap between it and the beach. There was only one person in it. Barry.

  “Well, it looks like we’re about to find
out,” Danish said. They watched Barry nose his boat close to shore, throw out an anchor, jump up onto the bow of the boat, and hop from there onto the sand without getting his feet wet.

  “He’s got a gun!” whispered Nina. Barry was walking quickly toward the tree line, with a hunting rifle clearly visible in his hands.

  “And unless he’s giving Lance a check, I don’t think he’s got the ransom with him. Three million dollars doesn’t fit in your pockets, and he isn’t carrying a bag,” said Danish.

  “Oh! Oh! Oh!” whispered Pansy, squirming as she knelt in the sand. “He’s going to kill Lance! Or Tiffany! Or both of them! We’ve got to stop him!”

  Barry had almost reached the edge of the forest and was nearing the path. His back was to them. Danish rose soundlessly and sprinted across the sand, tackling Barry and sending him face-first into the sand before Barry even knew he wasn’t alone. The impact of the tackle sent the gun flying out of Barry’s hand and into the sand. Nina and Pansy raced across the beach to where Danish and Barry lay in a heap. Barry was struggling to get himself free of Danish, who sat on top of him with his knee in the small of Barry’s back, struggling to hold both of Barry’s arms behind his back. Pansy grabbed the gun and backed away, holding it gingerly, pointing down at her side.

  Nina whipped her daypack off her back and tore it open, yanking out the duct tape. Together, she and Danish taped Barry’s hands together behind his back, wrapping the silver tape around and around several times. She moved quickly down to his feet and sat on his legs while she taped his ankles together in the same way, moving her head back and forth to avoid Barry’s attempts to kick her in the face.

  “Heavy-duty duct tape on your hairy legs. That is going to hurt coming off, Barry boy,” said Danish. Barry gave another angry kick, grunting and swearing at them as he struggled. Nina ran back to the boat and grabbed the coil of thin, strong rope she’d bought at the hardware store. Danish got off Barry’s back. They quickly tied Barry’s hands and feet together. He was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. Danish flipped him on his side. Barry’s eyes burned with fury as they darted from Danish to Nina to Pansy and back again.

  “You idiots! You’ll pay for this for the rest of your lives! Who do you think you are?” he said, his facial features distorted with anger.

  “The question, Barry, my friend, is what do you think you’re doing here on lovely Love Cay on a sunny Sunday afternoon with a gun in your hand?” asked Danish, pacing back and forth in front of Barry, his hands clasped behind his back like Sherlock Holmes.

  “This has nothing to do with you losers!” spat Barry, his muscles twitching as he struggled against the restraints. He was vibrating with anger.

  “She was a stupid cocktail waitress when I rescued her from her pathetic life, and now she’s making a fool of me with her boy toy! They’re both going to pay for it!”

  “And just how do you know Lance and Tiffany are in on it together?” asked Nina.

  Barry laughed bitterly. “That moron called me from his cell phone to ask for three million dollars for the return of my wife, and he called me on the private phone I keep for business transactions. No one knows about it except for Tiffany, so I knew she had to be involved. I told him she’s not worth it. I decided to pass.

  “I wrote a fake ransom note and gave it to Roker, saying I found it on my doorstep, to keep him out of my hair while I tracked them down. Pretty good, I thought. Then I called Redmond back and told him I was reconsidering my position, but I wanted to speak to my wife on the phone, to know that she was OK. I called in an old favor from a business connection in Miami, and he tracked that moron’s cell-phone location here. I decided to deal with my own personal business myself. What business is it of Roker’s? It was a bit of sport, actually. A challenge. I like those. Who would find my treacherous wife and her sniveling boy toy first? Superman Roker or me? Looks like I won. Now untie me, you idiots, or I assure you, you will regret this for the rest of your pathetic lives! A rich man can do anything he wants. That’s a life lesson, especially for you, Pollyanna,” he said, looking at Pansy.

  “Well, Barry, I admire your can-do attitude, but from where I stand, things aren’t looking too good,” said Nina.

  “Barry, is it possible that Tiffany might think you’ve been making a fool of her with all your lady friends?” asked Pansy, gesturing toward him with the rifle. Barry cringed a little. “Have you considered that maybe your actions drove her into the arms of her tennis pro?”

  “Oh my God. Are you for real?” said Barry with disgust, while still keeping a wary eye on the rifle. “You just don’t get it. It’s different for a man. A romp in the sack is just that. It’s not a goddamn fairy tale meaning happily ever after.”

  “He has a point,” said Danish. “Sometimes you think you’re both just having fun on a Friday night, but then you get five or six extreme phone messages, and you have to change your phone number.”

  “Danish!” said Nina and Pansy together.

  “Of course, now that I’ve found true love, I don’t see it like that,” said Danish, putting his hands up.

  “And you,” Barry said, looking at Nina with narrowed eyes. “No wonder your husband went looking for a little something extra. He must have realized he was burdened with a tedious shrew with no fashion sense and nothing better to do than interfere in things that have absolutely nothing to do with you!”

  Nina glared at Barry and then shrugged. “We’ll be sure to pass on your interesting account of the story thus far to Deputy Superintendent Roker when we see him. Tie him to that coconut tree over there, Danish, and let’s make it snappy. We’ve got to make sure Tiffany and Lance don’t decide to make their getaway with the emerald.

  “That is, when they’re done making whoopee in their romantic love nest in the woods,” she said, still looking at Barry. He lunged at them ineffectually. They grabbed hold of him and dragged him up the sand to the tree line, muffling his angry torrent of words with another piece of duct tape across his mouth.

  Once Barry was securely tied to the coconut tree, they regrouped by the boat.

  “OK, I guess it’s time to call Roker,” said Danish. “We’ll have to use the ship-to-shore radio.” He started rooting around in the storage shelf on the boat. Pansy was still holding the gun gingerly in her hands. Danish glanced over, then stood up and pried her fingers away from the stock, taking the gun from her. He expertly took the shells out of it and lay the gun gently in the bottom of the boat, and then he put the shells in his knapsack. Nina and Pansy looked at him questioningly.

  “You’re not the only one with a past. I grew up in Colorado,” he said. “Well, who wants to give Roker the good news?” He held the radio in his hand.

  Nina began pacing back and forth, looking down at the sand as Pansy and Danish stood quietly watching her. She stopped and spun around to face them.

  “You know what? I have a few demons to exorcise, and doing yoga and drinking margaritas is not going to cut it. Tiffany is all the snotty bitches who were mean to me in high school and the one who screwed my husband on the antique velvet sofa we bought on our honeymoon in Vermont and every rich, entitled airhead I’ve had to make way for my whole adult life, rolled into one. Barry is every arrogant bully who walked into a room, looked me up and down, and dismissed me as irrelevant. He deserves everything he’s going to get. And Lance is every self-satisfied, inconsiderate jerk I knew in college who let his you-know-what do his thinking for him. He needs to smarten up before acting like an idiot is so ingrained in him that he’s a lifer. I’m going to blow them to kingdom come.” Danish and Pansy stared at her with their mouths open.

  “Relax,” Nina said. “No one’s going to get hurt. I’ll notify the police in a timely fashion so Deputy Superintendent Blue Roker can be on hand to apprehend the criminals and recover the necklace, but first I’m going to give them something to mull over all the days and nights they sit in the slammer. Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected Ted Matthews told me someone needed to t
each Barry Bassett a lesson, but who says it has to be him? I’m the one who Bassett and Bassett have been harassing.”

  “Whoa, Nina! Rock and roll! Let’s do it!” Danish whispered loudly, punching the air with his fist.

  “Shhh! OK,” she said. “But we have to hurry. We need to get back to town and get a few supplies and then burn it back here ASAP. Hopefully Lance can keep her entertained for at least a half hour longer. If they leave before we’ve told Roker where they are, we’ll be guilty of withholding information from the police, and they’ll get away with it, just like they’ve gotten away with everything their whole lives.”

  She paused and looked at Danish. “I can’t believe it’s me leading you astray.”

  “I know. Far out!” said Danish.

  Nina thought for a moment. “Let’s find the Zodiac and hide it so they can’t leave,” she said. She glanced at her watch.

  “It’s just a little more than an hour until sunset, so they’re probably here to stay for the night,” she said. “Maybe they’re still expecting Barry to call to arrange a drop for the ransom. I’ll take Pansy back to town so her kids won’t have to visit her in jail if things go off track, and while I’m there, I’ll get the supplies I need. You stay here and keep an eye on the motley crew. If things get messy, take the Zodiac or Barry’s boat, and call the police right away. I’ll be back here in forty-five minutes, tops. As soon as I get back, we’ll call the police. Three quarters of an hour isn’t going to make that much difference. Barry’s certainly not going anywhere.”

  They looked over at Barry, who was slumped against the trunk of the coconut palm, watching them, quiet for the moment.

  Pansy clapped her hands. “This is exciting! And to think I was just going to do the laundry this afternoon if we finished the treasure hunt early!”

  They circled the small island at a slow jog, looking along the edge of the forest for the Zodiac. They found it on the other side of the island, facing the channel, under a pile of palm fronds. They dragged it down to the water and then pulled it by a line along the shallows until they figured they were out of earshot of the hut in the woods, and climbed in. Danish started the motor and they made their way slowly to the far side of the island, where they put their boat back in the water and hid the Zodiac beside the fallen palm tree. Danish hunted around on the bottom of the Zodiac for a radio, but there was none.