Demarcus looked relieved until all the words sank in. “Why do I have to wait five minutes?”
“Because we need time to get there and scope out the situation,” Rowan replied without hesitation. “In fact, we’re probably going to need ten minutes. Yeah, ten minutes is better. You can tattle on us to your heart’s content after that.”
Demarcus glowered at her. “Don’t call it tattling.”
“Fine. You can squeal on us in ten minutes.”
“That’s not any better.”
Rowan was at the end of her rope. “We don’t have time for this. We have to find Zander. Are you going to give me the room number or not?”
“I am, but only because I can’t take that bottom lip she’s jutting out over there,” Demarcus answered, gesturing toward Harper. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “I’m calling Quinn, though. You have exactly ten minutes and then I’m sending him after you.”
“I’m fine with that.” Rowan meant it. Once Quinn was on the scene, even if he was agitated, he would still force his way into the room to look around. He wouldn’t leave Rowan and Harper upset to their very marrow if he had another solution. “I really appreciate this.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Demarcus shuffled to the computer and started tapping on the keyboard. “She’s in seven-eleven.”
“That’s interesting,” Harper mused, her eyes suddenly dry.
“Why is that interesting?” Demarcus asked. “Do you think she’s partial to Slurpees or something?”
Harper shook her head. “Those are lucky numbers in many paranormal circles. I bet she requested that room number. She probably thinks it will keep her safe.”
“Why wouldn’t she be safe?” Demarcus asked, frustration washing over him when Rowan grabbed Harper’s arm to drag her away rather than answer. “Why wouldn’t she be safe?” he called after them. “Well, crap,” he muttered to himself. “I just know this is going to come back and bite me.”
“THERE’S ZANDER,” Jared announced, pointing at the computer screen as he watched footage from the previous evening over Quinn’s shoulder. “What time does that say in the corner?”
“A little after two,” Quinn replied, his eyes narrowed as he watched Zander walk down the hallway with two women. “Do you recognize them?”
Jared nodded. “Yeah.”
“Do you notice how both of them have a hold on his arms?”
“I do.” Jared felt sick to his stomach as the Zander on the screen cast a look at a doorway while passing. He could read the number on the door, and it was the room he was sharing with Harper. “He went right past us.”
“And he doesn’t look happy,” Quinn added. “This is not my place because ... well, it’s your business. Still, I don’t think he was willingly with those women. He looks terrible.”
“He does,” Jared agreed, pressing his hand to his forehead. “Cripes. Harper was right. I’m never going to hear the end of it.”
Quinn chuckled, genuinely amused. “I’m sure you’ll be able to live with that as long as we get Zander back, right?”
“Oh, we definitely have to get him back.” Jared was firm. “Harper can’t live without him. She loves me. I have no doubt about that, in case you’re wondering.”
“I wasn’t wondering. It’s obvious you guys love each other.”
“We do.” Jared bobbed his head in confirmation. “Zander is part of her, though. She’ll never be truly happy without him. He’s always going to be a part of our lives. If he isn’t ... .” He left it hanging because the idea of finishing the statement was more than he could bear.
“Then we’ll find him,” Quinn said. “We’ll simply track them on the video footage to see where they go. We have the ability to tag images on the feed and follow them from camera to camera.”
“Really?” Jared was relieved. “If I could find him before Harper does and deliver him to her, it would go a long way to getting her to forgive me.”
“I thought you were looking forward to the dance she plans on doing for your benefit.”
“Yeah, well ... she is kind of cute when she dances.” Jared smiled. “I still want to deliver Zander to her. It seems the least I can do after doubting her.”
“Well, all we have to do is follow the footage.” Quinn clicked a few buttons and tagged the three images in the frame. “Let’s see where they go. It’s probably to one of their rooms, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Absolutely,” Jared agreed, his eyes fixed on Zander’s sallow features. “He looks afraid, doesn’t he?”
Quinn nodded. “Yeah. I don’t like it any more than you do, but yeah. I think it’s going to be okay, though. I doubt they hurt him. Rowan would know if they did because the omen would’ve shown up on a photograph of him.”
“Right.” Jared let loose a pent-up breath. “I just want to get him back. I’m kind of fond of him, too, although I’ll deny it if you ever tell him what I said.”
Quinn smirked. “I get it. He’s part of your family. He’s essentially the annoying brother you never wanted.”
“Pretty much.”
The two men continued watching the footage, their eyes scanning the trio of faces until the phone on Quinn’s desk rang, causing them both to jolt.
“Don’t lose them on the screen,” Quinn instructed as he reached to answer the phone. “It shouldn’t take them long to get to their destination. The ship isn’t that big.” He pressed the phone to his ear. “Davenport.”
Jared kept one ear on the conversation and his eyes peeled on the footage. He wasn’t so engrossed with the video, though, that he didn’t notice the change in Quinn’s demeanor.
“They did what?” Quinn barked, his temper on full display.
“What’s going on?” Jared asked, sensing that Harper was part of whatever report Quinn was receiving.
“How long ago?” Quinn asked, holding up a finger to Jared. “I can’t believe you just handed a room number over to them. Are you crazy? Wait ... don’t answer that. Thank you for calling.”
Quinn hung up the phone and rubbed his cheeks hard, as if trying to get the blood flowing because he wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or awake. “That was Demarcus. Rowan and Harper sweet-talked Monica’s room number from him. They’re on their way now.”
“Well, she is in the video with Zander,” Jared pointed out.
“She is, but she’s not alone. I don’t think they know that.”
“I’m guessing we’re heading to Monica’s room, huh?”
Quinn nodded. “We need to get in there anyway.” He paused the footage on the screen and pointed. “They led Zander into her room. He’s there.”
“The thing is ... they had to know that this would all be on video.”
“Maybe they thought the note would work and you wouldn’t question anything.”
“Maybe.” Jared wasn’t convinced. “Either way, we have to get to that room. Harper will do whatever it takes — including something incredibly stupid — to get to Zander.”
“Then we’ll stop her from doing that.” Quinn was grim. “Rowan will help her do something stupid if she thinks it’s the right thing to do. We have to stop both of them.”
“Here’s hoping they don’t need us to save them from themselves.”
“That would be a nice change of pace, huh?”
Nineteen
Rowan and Harper secluded themselves in a linen closet about four doors away from Monica’s room. They couldn’t be sure she was inside, and until they decided how to approach her, they didn’t want to risk being seen.
“I think it would be best for me to knock on the door alone,” Rowan announced.
Harper immediately started shaking her head. “No way. He’s my best friend.”
“I know that, but I’m an official member of the team.” Rowan held up her handy-dandy identification badge as proof. “I can say I’m there for official business.”
“Official photographer business?”
“Er … they don’t
need to know what the business actually is, just that it’s official.”
“They’re going to ask.”
“They might not.”
“Of course they’re going to ask,” Harper snapped. “They probably have my friend tied up and hidden in their room. They’re not just going to allow you entrance.”
“Yeah, well … .” Rowan trailed off, chewing on her bottom lip.
“Besides, I can’t let you do it yourself,” Harper added, opting to be pragmatic. “We promised Quinn and Jared we would be careful. Separating is not careful.”
“Yeah, but … they’re going to know something is up if they see you.”
“They’re going to know something is up if they see either of us. In fact … .” Harper forgot what she was about to say when an ethereal figure – one she recognized – popped into view. She yipped like a small dog and took a huge step back.
“What’s wrong?” Rowan asked, instantly alert.
“There you are,” Tasha announced, her eyes flashing with impatience. “I’ve been waiting for you to find me for weeks.”
“You’ve only been dead a few days,” Harper replied dryly, finding her voice. “And you need to learn to knock or something if you’re going to pop in on people like that.”
“Who are you talking to?” Rowan asked, glancing around curiously.
“Tasha,” Harper replied. “She’s decided to grace us with her presence.”
“I’ve decided that you might be right,” Tasha clarified. “I think I’m dead.”
“Oh, really?” Harper’s tone was withering. “What was your first clue?”
“I can walk through walls and no one can see me but you.”
“That was a rhetorical question,” Harper gritted out.
“Well, be more specific next time.” Tasha turned prim. “Are you here to save the psychic?”
The question caught Harper off guard. “What psychic? Mark Brady?”
“That would be the one. The other psychic has him,” Tasha said.
“But … why?”
“What is she saying?” Rowan asked, her patience wearing thin.
Harper held up a finger. “Just a second. It will take too long if I have to repeat everything for you. Let me get the story and then I’ll tell you.”
“Oh, well, I guess I’ll just stand here while you talk to thin air then.”
Harper flashed a brief smile. “Great. Thanks. Please continue, Tasha.”
“There’s nothing else to say,” Tasha said. “The female psychic has the male one tied up in her room … and she’s not being very nice to him. She keeps telling him that he’s a jerk and no one will miss him. She’s threatening to throw him off the ship.”
“Did she say why?”
Tasha shrugged. “Apparently he screwed her over years ago on some job. They were dating and he was supposed to be her mentor, but then he had sex with some girl he went to high school with and cheated on her. Then he promised the woman he cheated with that she would be able to take over as his opening act, but she couldn’t because she was terrible at reading people. It’s a whole big thing.”
“It sounds like it,” Harper said. “Um … have you been in Monica’s room recently?”
“Not today.”
“Can you go in there and see if she has another man held captive in there?” Harper asked sweetly.
“She has another man in there?” Tasha was flabbergasted. “She’s really racking them up, isn’t she?”
“I need to be sure,” Harper stressed. “I’m looking for Zander.”
Tasha sobered. “He was nice to me the night it happened. He listened. I’ll check for you. Wait right here.”
“You do that.” Tasha was already gone before Harper finished her sentence so she took the opportunity to tell Rowan what was going on. The ghost was back before Harper finished the story. “Well?”
“He’s in there,” Tasha confirmed. “He’s not gagged or anything, but he is tied up and sitting on the floor. The female psychic hasn’t allowed a maid in since the boat left dock and the floor is dirty so he’s complaining about that.”
Despite the serious situation, Harper smiled. “He’s okay.” She was so relieved she finally felt as if she could take a breath.
“He seems okay … other than the complaining, I mean.”
“He always complains. That means he’s okay.” Harper rolled her neck, making a decision on the spot. “We need to get in that room. I say we knock and just shove her out of the way the second she opens the door. If we get in trouble for breaking and entering, I’ll take the heat for it.”
Rowan wasn’t keen on the idea. “I don’t know. What if she’s armed?”
“She’s not even in her room right now,” Tasha countered.
Harper’s eyes filled with fire. “Why didn’t you tell us that?”
“I didn’t know it was important.”
“Come on.” Harper tugged Rowan’s arm and dragged her out of the closet. “Can you sweet talk a maid into letting you into the room? Monica isn’t there.”
Rowan brightened considerably. “I don’t see why not. I’m getting good at sweet talking people.”
“Yeah. You’re a real pro. Come on.”
IT ONLY TOOK ROWAN TWO MINUTES to track down a maid. There was one in the hallway several doors down. Rowan explained who she was, flashed her badge, and told the maid it was a matter of life or death that she be allowed into the room.
The maid was so disinterested in the story she merely shrugged and waved her universal keycard in front of the scanner. The second the door buzzed, Harper pushed it open and rushed inside … and then almost fell over because of what she saw.
“What the … ?”
Rowan followed her gaze, her eyes going wide.
“Harp!” Zander struggled against his bindings, his voice hoarse and his back against a wall. “I knew you would find me. Did you catch the hint I left in the note?”
“The part where you called me Helper? Yeah, I caught it.” Harper snapped back to reality, gave mechanical bits and pieces spread out on the floor a wide berth, and hurried to Zander’s side. “I told Jared you were in trouble,” she muttered to herself as she attacked the ropes. “Did he believe me? No. He said it was perfectly normal for you to misspell my name.”
Zander let loose with a nervous titter. “Yes, well, he’s not the shiniest penny in the roll. Hurry up, Harp.” He turned whiny. “The floor is dirty.”
“Yeah.” She stared at him for a moment before throwing her arms around his neck. “I love you.”
“Oh, good grief.” He couldn’t pat her back to offer comfort so he merely stared at Rowan over her shoulder. “Will you please help me?”
Rowan didn’t immediately answer. She was too busy staring at the device on the floor. When she finally found her voice, it was shaky. “Is this a … bomb?”
Zander nodded. “Yes. They built it themselves.”
“They?” Harper pulled back, furrowing her brow. “Are you saying Monica isn’t working alone?”
“Monica most definitely isn’t working alone,” a voice said from the doorway, causing Harper and Rowan to snap their heads in that direction. There, her face flushed with anger and frustration, stood Destiny. “How did you get in here?”
Rowan merely shrugged. “I asked a maid to let me in.”
“But … that’s not allowed,” Destiny complained. “In fact, it’s against the law.”
“Think again,” Rowan shot back. “This room isn’t your property. We’re leasing it to you as a guest of the company, but we have control over who stays and goes.” Rowan knew the information thanks to Quinn quoting it to her over and over again since her arrival on the ship. “You have no rights here. You signed them away when you checked in.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound right.” Destiny made a face. “It doesn’t matter, though. You can’t be in here.” She dug in her pocket and came back with a knife. It looked to be a steak knife from the dining room, which threw
Rowan for a loop.
“Are you going to kill us with that?” Rowan asked, dubious.
Destiny nodded without hesitation. “I am. I’m not going to let you ruin our plan.”
“And what is the plan?” Harper asked, freeing Zander’s arms with a final tug on the ropes. “By the way, where is Mark Brady? We know he’s in here.”
“He’s tied up in the tub,” Destiny replied, matter-of-fact. “He won’t behave himself so we’ve taken to dousing him with water when he’s a jerk. Oh, don’t look at me that way. We tried to be nice and untie him so he could do his business, but he fought us so now he has to do his business in the shower.”
“Ugh.” Harper and Zander made disgusted noises as the reality of what Destiny was saying washed over them.
“That’s pretty gross,” Rowan said, keeping an eye on the knife. “Why did you take him?”
“Why do you think?”
“Because he screwed you over,” Rowan replied without missing a beat. “I get that. He screwed with your business.”
“He also screwed her,” Harper added, thoughtful. “Tasha said in the storage room that Mark cheated on Monica with someone he went to high school with. I’m guessing that was Destiny.”
“It was me,” Destiny agreed, her lips twisting into an unattractive sneer. “We were supposed to spend our lives together. He told me he’d always had feelings for me from way back in the day. Do you want to know something? He lied about that. He didn’t have feelings. He just wanted to get in my pants.”
“He threw over Monica to be with Destiny,” Harper mused out loud. “He was going to bring you with him, add you to the team, but you couldn’t read people well enough to work the scam.”
“Oh, that’s a load of crap,” Destiny complained. “I could read people better than him. He just got tired of me. He can only get it up for the same woman for a few weeks before he gets bored. He’s a complete and total jerk.”
“Is that why you took him?” Rowan asked, legitimately curious. “To make him pay?”
“Partly,” Destiny replied. “We also needed to be able to take his time on the main stage for the rest of what we had planned.”
Wicked Ghostly Seas: A Rowan Gray, Harper Harlow and Ivy Morgan Mystery Omnibus Page 58
