Rowan’s eyes darted between the bomb and Destiny. “And what’s that?”
“We need a lot of people to die on this ship,” Destiny replied simply. “We need what happens here to be a big story.”
“But … why?”
“Because they’ll get endless coverage if they’re part of it but unharmed,” Harper answered for the woman. “They’ll say they felt something ominous hanging over the ship, that they knew something was wrong, and that no one listened to them.
“They’re going to make a big scene, and probably tonight,” she continued, her mind working. “Monica has the stage again tonight. She’s going to lay the groundwork for a tragedy … and then ensure the tragedy actually happens.”
“Oh, well, you’re smarter than you look.” Destiny beamed at Harper. “That’s not going to help you right now, but it’s nice to know you grasp things without a lot of explanation. I hate explaining things.”
“You can’t get away with this,” Harper argued, her voice calm. “You’re outnumbered. Even if you managed to stab one of us with that knife, the other two would overpower you and get away. You’re done here. This is over.”
Destiny’s expression darkened. “It’s not over.”
“But … it is.”
“It’s not,” a new voice announced, stepping from the hallway into the room. It was Monica, which wasn’t a surprise, but the item she held in her hand was cause for concern. “She’s not alone … and I have more than a knife to subdue you.”
“Is that a gun?” Harper asked, confused. “It kind of looks like one … and yet not.”
“It’s a plastic gun,” Monica announced, venom positively dripping from her tongue as she glanced between faces. “You know, 3D printed. They’re all the rage.”
Harper merely shook her head and remained silent.
“I don’t understand what’s happening here,” Monica exploded. “I left for fifteen minutes to grab some coffee and somehow this room has turned into Grand Central Station. Explain yourself, Destiny.”
Destiny’s cheeks flooded with color. “Explain myself? Are you actually blaming this on me? They let themselves in. I found them here.”
“You weren’t supposed to leave the room!”
“I needed to run back to my room and get something.” Destiny’s fury was on full display. “I have a right to take care of my needs as much as you have a right to feed your caffeine addiction. It’s not my fault they managed to get in here. You’re the one who stole the gay guy and made it so they were suspicious of us.”
“He was asking too many questions,” Monica shot back. “He knew we were up to something.”
“I honestly didn’t,” Zander countered, sheepish. “I was asking questions because I thought you were a scam artist. I didn’t know you were a crazy loon who had plans to blow up the ship.”
“Not the whole ship,” Monica said. “Just a small portion of it. I want enough people dead to make national news. Once that happens, my career will be set.”
“And what are you going to do with us?” Rowan asked.
“I’m going to have to kill you.” Monica was apathetic. “If you would’ve minded your own business, there’s every chance you would’ve survived. Only a small fraction of people on this ship are going to die. Now you’re guaranteed to be one of them. That’s on you.”
“No, it’s definitely on you,” Harper said, her eyes traveling to the bomb. “How did you get that on the ship?”
“I packed the necessary parts and then stole certain items – like ammonia – off the maid carts. It wasn’t difficult.”
“But … how did you know how to do it?” Harper pressed.
“I looked up instructions on the internet.”
“Oh, well, how industrious.” Harper briefly snagged Zander’s worried gaze before licking her lips. “You’re not going to be able to explain away our deaths as an accident if you shoot us, and we’re not going to go quietly. How do you think this is going to work?”
“I’m going to shoot you and dump your bodies over the railing,” Monica replied. “You can’t be part of the big story because you’ll serve as a distraction so you’re going to have to disappear before we unleash our plan.”
“I see.” Harper absentmindedly scratched her nose before focusing on Rowan. “What do you think?”
“I think they’re crazy,” Rowan replied without missing a beat. “I think they’re both certifiable. I think they’ve come up with the weakest plan ever and I can’t believe they actually managed to hide Mark Brady for days. I just … this is ridiculous.”
“Hey!” Destiny was insulted. “We spent a lot of time coming up with this plan.”
“Which makes you morons,” Rowan said. “I mean … what were you thinking? You can’t get away with this. You’ll kill people, sure, but you’ll never be able to play heroes because you’ll be in jail.”
“No. We’ve worked out every possible scenario,” Monica argued. “I’ve even got this little snag figured out. I’m a genius. I … .” She went rigid, her eyes widening to the size of saucers as her shoulders danced.
Rowan couldn’t quite grasp what was happening until she noticed a rectangular device poking through the door frame and contacting Monica’s skin. There was a hand attached to the tool, and when she followed it to a face, she found Quinn staring at her. He looked more disgusted than relieved.
“Hi.” She waved at him, exhaling. “I see you got the message we sent through Demarcus. That was my idea, by the way. I told him to tattle on me.”
Quinn bobbed his head as Monica’s body dropped to the floor. He carefully moved the gun away from her hand with his foot. “Demarcus doesn’t like it when you refer to him as a tattletale,” he said finally.
“I know.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m good. I knew you were coming. That’s why we kept them talking.”
“And because you kept them talking, that allowed us to get more than enough information to lock them up for life,” Quinn said. “You’re still in trouble.”
“Oh, but we didn’t do anything,” Rowan protested.
“You should’ve waited for us.”
“That’s on me,” Harper announced, ignoring the way Destiny clutched the knife and glanced between faces. The woman was obviously panicking. “I insisted we save Zander because I couldn’t bear the thought of him suffering without me.”
Jared appeared in the doorway beside Quinn, his expression dour. “You’re in trouble, too.”
“Oh, no.” Harper vehemently shook her head. “I’m not in trouble. Not even a little. I told you Zander was in danger and you didn’t believe me. Helper was a total cry for help.”
Jared scowled. “He’s obviously fine.”
“Only because I saved him.”
“Yeah,” Zander added, sticking out his tongue in Jared’s direction. “You’re the one who is in trouble this time.”
“So much trouble,” Harper echoed. “I’m going to do a dance and everything.”
It was the wrong time to encourage her, but Jared couldn’t stop himself from smiling. She was simply too cute. “I’m looking forward to the dance.”
“It’s not going to be a perverted dance,” Zander shot back, although he looked to Harper for confirmation. “Right?”
She shrugged. “It might turn perverted.”
“Ugh. I’ve had it with this day. I need a shower.” He moved past Destiny, plucking the knife from her hand as he sidled around her. “I need food and rest. In that order. I also need a shower. That’s first. Who is going to dote on me during those things?”
Jared sighed when Harper lasered her eyes on him. “I’m guessing I’m going to be the one to dote on you.”
Harper’s head said yes. “You’ve got that right.”
“It’s going to have to wait until after we handle the suspects … and get rid of the bomb,” Jared argued. “We have to make sure it’s defused.”
“I can live with that.”
>
He smirked as he opened his arms. “I agree to your terms for a hug.”
Harper broke out in a wide grin. “Sold.”
“I was hoping you would say that.”
Twenty
Rowan found Harper and Jared rocking in one of the anchored hammocks shortly after breakfast the next day. She’d lost track of them the previous afternoon, which wasn’t exactly surprising, and she was amused to find them wrapped around each other as they slowly swayed back and forth.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you guys this quiet before,” she remarked as she grabbed a nearby lounger and settled on it.
Harper lifted her head, her hand still on Jared’s chest, and grinned. “Yes, well, I think we’re sick of the arguing.”
“We’re definitely sick of the arguing,” Jared agreed, his hand remaining warm and solid on Harper’s back. “There’s a moratorium on fighting.”
“There is,” Harper agreed. “Jared doesn’t like it when we fight.”
“And you do?” Jared arched a challenging eyebrow, causing her to giggle.
“I don’t like it any more than you do ... although you seem to take it harder than me.”
“That’s because it breaks my heart when we fight.” Jared was solemn, but Harper saw right through him.
“You like it when we make up.”
“Yes, well, I don’t see why we can’t devise a system where we make up and skip the fight. I know it defies logic, but I think we could make it work.”
She chuckled as she shook her head, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before focusing on Rowan. “How are things with you?”
“Well, they could be worse.” Rowan stretched out her long legs and shifted until she got comfortable. “Destiny and Monica are locked in adjoining cells, both trying to spin the story to their advantage. They keep trying to get deals at the other’s expense … and blame each other for killing Tasha, who apparently was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apparently she overheard them plotting and they decided to silence her even though she was too drunk to understand what she was hearing. They’re both angling for deals in her murder. Quinn has explained multiple times that he’s not a police officer and that will have to wait until we dock back in Florida, but they’re not listening.”
“I think they’re both so delusional that it’s going to take forever to sort things out,” Jared noted, his fingers softly massaging the back of Harper’s neck. “I’m not sure if they were always like this or somehow Brady manipulated them to the point of derangement, but they’re both off their rockers.”
“Yeah, well ... .” Rowan looked thoughtful for a moment, but she quickly shook her head to dislodge the heavy thoughts. “Quinn says you were a big help in making sure the bomb was taken apart. Thanks for that.”
“It wasn’t that difficult,” Jared replied. “We were taught about homemade bombs in the academy. What they made was pretty barebones. It was kind of a MacGyver concoction. Once we removed three pieces, it was essentially useless.”
“That’s what Quinn said,” Rowan confirmed. “For the record, once the bomb was taken apart, the omens disappeared from my photos.”
Harper smiled as she propped herself up so she could see Rowan more clearly. “That’s great. You have to be relieved.”
“I am.”
“Did you notify your father?”
Rowan glanced around to make sure no one was listening before nodding. “I did. He was relieved. When I told him what happened, he suggested I move in with him because it would be safer. I think that’s kind of funny because he faked his death to keep away from potential killers for ten years, but what do I know?”
“You know how to take care of yourself,” Harper answered without hesitation. “You’re smart on your feet and I think you make for great backup.”
Rowan snickered. “Thank you for that.”
“As for the other thing ... .” Harper trailed off and licked her lips as she darted Jared a quick look.
“As for the other thing, if you need help with anything, any research or anything, don’t hesitate to give us a call,” Jared offered, smiling at the look of profound gratitude that washed over Rowan’s face. “I know you’re dealing with a lot,” he said. “We’ll help if we can, although I honestly don’t know what sort of aid we can offer.”
“The fact that you offered at all is a miracle,” Rowan said after a beat. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with all that. It feels like we have a lot in front of us, but it also feels like it will be smooth sailing after.
“For a long time, I lived like I really didn’t have a future,” she continued, adopting a far-off expression. “I couldn’t see how I would ever be happy. Now I can, and I’m afraid of what will come. I’m also exhilarated, because I know once it’s over, I’ll basically have everything I ever wanted.”
“It’s great to have something to look forward to,” Jared said, sliding Harper a flirty grin. “I didn’t realize what I was missing until I decided to start looking forward to my future.”
“It’s a good thing Zander isn’t here right now to listen to this,” Harper offered. “He would be melting down.”
“He’s perfectly happy where he is, so don’t call him over here.” Jared was firm. “You would be ruining his vacation if you asked him to join us.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “I’m not calling him over here so you can calm yourself.”
“Where is Zander?” Rowan asked, glancing around.
Jared extended his finger in the direction of the tiki bar. There, at a center table, Zander held court as he told some story that had the other patrons watching him with rapt attention. There had to be at least fifty people in the bar, and all eyes were on Zander.
“What’s he doing?” Rowan asked after watching him for a moment or two.
“Telling the thrilling story of his kidnapping and rescue,” Harper replied, her voice shaking with laughter. “Just for the record, a few of the details have shifted. For example, he managed to free himself from the ropes and somehow grab a taser to take down Monica.”
“Ah, well, he’s a wizard of sorts, huh?” Rowan was amused despite herself.
“Speaking of wizards, what about Brady?” Jared asked, dragging his eyes from an animated Zander. “I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him about his ordeal.”
“He is ... hard to like,” Rowan admitted after she gave her answer a bit of thought. “I know he was technically a victim and he was held captive in that room for days — forced to sit in the shower and soil himself if he had to go to the bathroom and all that — but he’s a horrible person.”
“Basically you’re saying that defecating on himself was karma,” Jared mused.
“I don’t want to say that because it makes me sound mean,” Rowan argued.
“Fair enough.”
“It’s true, though.” Rowan’s expression darkened. “He seriously is the worst man alive. I don’t understand why somebody hasn’t tried to kill him before this.”
“I take it he’s been a pain since his rescue,” Harper said. “What did he say?”
“He said they were both nuts and basically told us the same things we figured out for ourselves,” Rowan replied. “They were going to keep him in the bathroom until right before they were going to set off the bomb. The plan was to put it under the stage in the main dining room and detonate it a few minutes after Monica left the stage.
“They were going to knock out Brady and move him under the stage, place him right next to the bomb, and make sure he was killed during the explosion,” she continued. “They hoped he would be the prime suspect. They thought people would assume he was jealous about Monica taking his performance slots.”
“Except the only reason Monica was able to take those slots is because he was missing,” Harper pointed out.
“Yes, but they didn’t take that into consideration. They’re not exactly the world’s smartest criminals.”
“I can see that.”
“What did Brady say about the con he was running with the women?” Jared asked.
“The one where he was predicting their deaths and then performing spells to remove curses for money? Yeah, he denied that ... until we brought in the cursed women to confront him. Then, all of a sudden, he clammed up. I get the feeling he can’t wait to get off this ship.”
“I don’t blame him there,” Jared said. “It’s too bad we can’t find something to charge him with.”
Rowan snickered. “You sound like Quinn. He’s trying to figure out the same thing. I’m guessing he’ll come up with something by the time we land in Florida.”
“I’ll sit down with him later and we’ll put our heads together,” Jared offered. “It has to wait until after we’re finished hammocking, though.”
Rowan wrinkled her nose, confused. “I’m sorry but ... what’s hammocking?”
Harper was beyond amused. “What we’re doing right now,” she explained. “I introduced Jared to it when he first came to Whisper Cove and he can’t get enough of it.”
“So ... laying in a hammock is hammocking,” Rowan mused. “I guess that makes sense. I can’t ever remember laying in a hammock, though.”
“I’ve been addicted to hammocks since I was a kid,” Harper explained. “Jared’s lust for hammocking has now surpassed mine, though.”
“I would totally put a hammock in our bedroom if I thought I could get away with it,” he confirmed, grinning. “Harper thinks that sounds dangerous, but I happen to believe it sounds acrobatic.”
“Yeah, we’re sticking with our bed.” Harper patted his chest, causing him to laugh. “What about you and Quinn? You have to be happy the cruise is no longer in danger. That’s a big load off, right?”
“It is,” Rowan agreed. “I was terrified there for a bit. It felt as if I was trapped in quicksand and couldn’t move my limbs. Now that it’s behind us, I feel so much better.”
“I get that.”
“Everything is sewed up nicely,” Rowan added. “Er, well, other than Brady. I’m going to leave him to Quinn and Jared, though. Everything from our end is taken care of, though, and it’s a glorious feeling.”
Wicked Ghostly Seas: A Rowan Gray, Harper Harlow and Ivy Morgan Mystery Omnibus Page 59
