“Me? Rose gold?” Grace reached for her drink. She took a sip as she carefully thought of a response. “My dress was pink, not rose gold. Far from it and my hair’s not red.” She primly tucked a loose strand behind her ear. “It’s strawberry blonde. Completely different. But you know,” she said setting her drink down, “I think I saw a girl with a rose-colored dress that night and if I’m not mistaken, she had red hair.”
Chapter Seventeen
Alex Wright stepped out of the Bank of Port Lucia carrying a brown paper bag which he stuffed under his arm. He whistled as he walked, seemingly unaware that he had been followed for the past hour and half. He made his way through the commercialized pretty village with its colorful shops and touristy knickknacks and into the busy bustling streets of downtown Port Lucia.
He shifted the paper bag to his other arm as he weaved through the crowd of people teeming the streets then turned down a dirty alleyway. He grimaced as he shoved the paper bag inside a large green dumpster. Once that was done, he dusted off his hands and returned to the street still whistling that same tune as he made his way back to the village.
Kyle stepped out and into the open, quietly debating whether to keep following Alex, confront him, or find out what was in the bag he just threw away. Deciding he could probably catch up to the other man soon enough, he turned down the alleyway.
He pulled the paper bag out of the dumpster and peered inside. Frowning, he pulled out a dirty and torn pirate’s costume. He held the bloodstained shirt up to the sun. A slow smile crossed his face. And here he had begun to suspect that following Alex had been a waste of time.
Shoving the costume back into the bag, Kyle hurried to catch up with Alex. He was just about to step into the street when Alex jumped forward, blocking his way.
“I knew someone was following me,” Alex said with a look of annoyance on his face. “I saw you out of the corner of my eye when I was leaving the bank.” He glanced up at Kyle’s head. “What did you do with the hat?”
Kyle’s brow furrowed. “What hat?”
“Never mind. I don’t care.” He held out his hand. “Give me the bag.”
“Sorry. You threw it away. It belongs to me now.”
Alex’s eyes hardened. “I guess we’re going to have to do this the hard way.”
Kyle tensed as Alex reached behind his back. He was just about to punch him in the face when Alex pulled out his wallet. “How much do you want for it?” he asked, counting out bills. He held out a ten dollar bill waving it in front of Kyle’s face. “Trade you.”
“I think I’ll hang on to it.”
Alex turned his attention back to his wallet. “I’ll sweeten the deal. How about a couple of drink coupons?”
“No, thank you.”
“The costume is garbage,” Alex whined. “Take the money and the coupons.”
“If it’s garbage, why do you want to pay me for it?”
“Because it’s my garbage. It’s just a dirty old costume of mine that needs to be thrown out.”
“Do you normally keep your dirty laundry in a bank?”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Very funny. Where did you get it?”
Alex held up his hands as he slowly backed up. “Fine. Keep it. I don’t know what you plan on doing with it but it’s worthless.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I bet it was worth something to the Pied Piper once upon a time.”
Alex slowly lowered his hands and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you do. You’re the Pied Piper and you’ve been blackmailing Penny with this bloody pirate costume. I guess since Penny’s dead now, it’s no longer worth much. Well, except as evidence.”
“You can’t tie me to that costume.”
Kyle reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I’ve got several nice shots of you coming out of the bank with this bag,” he said showing him the pictures. “You’re not wearing gloves so your fingerprints are all over this bag. Plus, I also have the letter you shoved under Bruce’s door the other day. I think that’ll be enough to get the cops interested in you.”
Alex’s shoulders slumped. “I’ve got five grand in the bank. That’s all I have. I’ll split it with you.”
“Only five grand? I guess blackmail isn’t as profitable as it used to be.”
“I don’t like the word blackmail. It’s sounds so seedy.”
“OH, I’m sorry. What would you like me to call it?”
Alex glanced heavenward in thought. “I’m not sure. Anyway, you can’t get blood out of a turnip as they say and Bruce and Penny are the biggest turnips around. I was lucky to get that much out of them before they ran away.”
“Ran away? We both know they’re dead. The question is were you the one who killed them?”
“You’re wrong about Bruce being dead. I told you he got off the ship yesterday morning. Besides, why would I kill either one of them? They didn’t pay me much but they at least paid something. Man, I was really hoping Penny would make up with her husband. I hear he’s loaded now.”
“You’re quite the romantic. Whose costume is in the bag?”
“Leo’s. Someone tried to kill him the last time they all were on board. He was smarter than they were though. He faked his death and got off the ship the very next day. You know I’ve got to hand it to you guys, the things you do with all your tricks and your escapes. I don’t know how he did it but he did. Completely convinced Bruce and Penny he was dead and that they killed him.” He laughed. “You should have seen Bruce’s face when I told him Leo was back. Penny’s was even better when he walked into the dining room that night.” He tipped his head back and smiled. “I laughed so hard. Anyway, I was holding onto the costume for those two for safekeeping.”
“And charging rent?”
His smile grew. “Rent? I like that. Yeah, that’s what it was. I was charging them rent.”
“Why are you now getting rid of it?”
“Bruce was on to me. He’s been trying to figure out who was…charging him rent for the last few months and he somehow found out it was me.”
“Is that why you two fought the other night?”
“Yeah, he confronted me in my office.” He lifted a finger to the bruise on the side of his mouth. “I thought he was going to kill me.”
“You could still blackmail him.” If he wasn’t already dead, Kyle thought. “What’s the real reason you’re getting rid of the stuff?”
A look of fear came into his eyes. “Tucker’s missing,” he said softly. “Did you know that? His wife hasn’t seen him since the other night. She’s been tearing up the ship looking for him. Bruce ran away. Leo was attacked again and now Penny’s missing. No one’s seen her since yesterday. Something is going on. I’m not sure what but I don’t like it. Now there’s all this talk about a killer running around. I figure I better cut my losses while I still can. Not much point in hanging onto it. Those security boxes cost money you know.”
“What do you think is going on?”
“I have no idea. I’m pretty sure Penny’s dead though. If you ask me, Leo tossed her over the side when no one was looking, which is kind of shocking. Leo’s so milquetoast I can’t believe he’d actually do it. Drinking himself into oblivion’s more his style.”
Kyle rolled up the end of the paper bag. “How did you get your hands on the costume?”
“I overheard Penny and Bruce talking about it as they were disposing of Leo’s dead body. Penny said she hid it someplace so I went to her cabin while she wasn’t looking and found it in an air duct.”
“If they didn’t kill him, why did they get rid of his body?”
“The way I figure it, they were protecting one another. They both thought the other one did it. That’s why they got rid of the body and why they were paying me rent,” he said with a grin. “Penny was absolutely convinced Bruce purposely killed Leo. She’s been mad at him ever since. Leo’s supposed death really shook her up.”
“No, it wasn’t that. She was waiting for Leo’s grandfather to die so she could get her hands on his money. If Leo died before the old man, then she wouldn’t get anything and she knew it. That’s why she and Bruce made it seem as though Leo was still alive.” He laughed. “I bet that drove Leo crazy. Here he was trying his best to fake his death and those two wouldn’t let it happen.”
Kyle gazed at Alex thoughtfully. “So Penny thought Bruce killed Leo and was angry about it.”
“Yeah, and Bruce thought she did it.”
“And you were the only one who knew Leo was still alive.”
“Me? No, I was convinced he was dead. I didn’t realize he had pulled a fast one until he showed up on the ship a few days ago.”
“Why did you think Bruce and Penny were innocent then?”
“Because Bruce wasn’t the one waiting for Leo at the lighthouse three months ago.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “Lighthouse? What lighthouse?”
“The one on Turquoise Island. It’s a popular spot for young lovers. The lighthouse keeper’s daughter threw herself from the top of the lighthouse a hundred years ago. The popular legend has it that she killed herself after hearing an erroneous report that her lover had died at sea. Ever since then, young lovers have been coming to the place. The less popular legend is that a spurned suitor killed her in a jealous rage. Either way, it’s kind of creepy if you ask me but what do I know about love. Lately, people have been coming all the world over to add love locks to the railings.”
“What would Leo Rycroft be doing there?”
“A week before we arrived, a hurricane swept through and really did a number on the place. It shattered the windows, knocked part of the roof off, and cracked the side. It’s being renovated right now, but it’s still a mess from what I hear. Anyway, a lot of us went out to see the damage. Leo went too.”
“Funny, he doesn’t seem like the romantic sort.”
“He’s not. I ran into him on my way back to the ship and asked him what he was doing there. He told me that he had an appointment at the top of the lighthouse. I told him he might as well forget it because the place was off limits, but he said no, there was no turning back now. He was all dramatic about it too. Told me it was an appointment with death and that he might not be coming back.”
“Was he always so melodramatic?”
“Constantly. He was drunk as usual,” Alex continued, “but something about the way he was acting got me kind of curious so I followed him all the way to the lighthouse. He chickened out and didn’t go up to the top but I know who he was going to meet with that day and it wasn’t Bruce.”
A sound above their head caught Kyle’s attention and he looked up.
“If only I had proof I could—”
Just then the muzzle of a gun appeared over the ledge, followed by a figure in a ski mask. Kyle just had enough time to duck as the gun went off.
He ducked behind the dumpster just as Alex Wright fell to the ground.
* * *
“It’s not just the sharks you need to watch out for,” Meredith said as she and Grace waited together on the boardwalk for the tour bus to arrive.
“There are also stingrays, jellyfish, spiny sea urchins and don’t let the cute little name fool you. They can kill you as well. Then, of course there’s the chance of pulmonary embolism.” She gave Grace a dirty look as she sat down on the boardwalk. “And here I thought you were smart. Why do you want to go down there?”
“Kyle wants to go and I promised him that I would. Besides,” she said trying to sound more confident than she felt. “it’s perfectly safe. Lots of people do it.”
“Yes, but not everyone comes back.”
Grace bit her lip as the butterflies in her stomach began fluttering. She glanced at Meredith desperate for reassurance. Out of all the people she had met, Meredith was the only one that she knew that had survival uppermost in her mind at all times. “I don’t suppose you have any advice for me,” she said as she nervously played with the shark repellant wrapped around her wrist.
“Don’t go.”
“Beside that.”
“Swim with a large group of people and try to stay in the center. Then when the sharks attack, swim for the beach.”
“Is that it?”
“Swim faster than the sharks.”
Grace made a face.
Meredith blew out her breath. “If there wasn’t the chance of a hurricane hitting this island and wiping everything out, I’d stay here. I assume Kyle’s told you about the killings.”
“It seems like it’s all everyone can talk about.”
“With good reason. This is like the train all over. Trapped like rats in a tropical hell hole while a psycho killer kills the passengers off one by one.”
Grace gazed out at the tropical hellhole or as she liked to refer to it, paradise as she kicked off her flip-flops and stuck her toes into the warm sand.
“Not everyone knows about the danger yet,” Meredith continued. “We had a staff meeting this morning. We’re expected to tow the company line. Everything’s fine. Nothing to see here. Would you like a drink? Only ten dollars. Well, I can tell you, I’m not doing it. I’ve warned as many people as possible.”
“It doesn’t sound like you’re going to have a job left after this is over.”
Meredith’s mouth fell open. “They would have to beg me to come back. The only reason I took this job was so I could get away from Lucas. I’m telling you, if one more person goes missing I am locking myself into my cabin and staying there until we get home.”
Remembering the train ride and Meredith’s penchant for hoarding food, Grace sat up straighter. “How much food is on board?”
“More than enough. You should see the food they throw away at the end of a cruise. That’s the one thing I don’t have to worry about.” She paused, her eyes narrowing. “Unless something happens to the ship while we’re out at sea.” She tapped her fingernails against the boardwalk. “I better stock some extra provisions just in case.”
“I don’t suppose…” Grace plastered a smile to her face. “Well, if you recall, we were roommates the last time and that worked pretty well. If something does happen—”
“You’re on your own,” Meredith said bluntly. “My cabin’s even smaller than the one on the train and that’s saying a lot.” She jerked her chin towards the parking lot. “Your bus is here.” Rising to her feet, she dusted the sand off her shorts. “Try not to die.”
“Thank you,” Grace said wryly as she stood up.
She glanced towards the ship just as Courtney came trotting up to her out of breath, with multicolored packages of various shapes and sizes hanging from each hand.
“Where have you been?” Grace asked gathering together her own shopping bags. “I was afraid you were going to get left behind.”
“I went back for that cute little glass seahorse we saw. I couldn’t leave without getting a trinket from Port Lucia.”
“You mean the one that said made in Florida?”
“That’s the one. I’m glad I made it back in time. Is Kyle here yet?”
“No, not yet.” Grace said. “And if he’s not back by the time the bus is ready to leave, I’m staying here.”
Courtney’s face fell. “Oh no,” she cried as if her world had come crashing down around her, “you can’t. Look.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a black wetsuit with a pink racing stripe. “I went back and bought one just like yours so we could be twinsies.”
“As much as I would like that, I think I’m going to go back and return it.”
Courtney’s face crumpled. “Oh, please don’t leave me. It’s no fun diving by myself.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Courtney.”
“It’s perfectly safe. Trust me. I promise I’ll stay with you the whole time. Besides, you’ve come all this way.”
Grace glanced at the ship anchored in the harbor.
“You can’
t back out now.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Kyle’s probably already there or on his way.”
“Why do you think that?”
“There’s a trolley that runs to the pier every five minutes. I was afraid I was going to miss the bus and the girl at the store told me that I could just hop on the trolley. I bet he’ll be waiting for you there.”
Grace bit her lip.
“At least come with me. If he’s not there, you can wait at the pier and then come back with the bus. Please, I don’t want to go by myself. I’d feel so much better if you went with me. Oh, please, please, please.”
Grace sighed as Courtney began to beg. “Oh, all right, I’ll go with you.”
Courtney gave Grace a little cheer before pulling her into a bear hug. “Thank you so much.” She pulled back, her expression serious. “Thank you for spending the day with me. I was really depressed this morning and you cheered me up a lot. I’ll never forget it.”
Grace’s heart softened. A wave of guilt passed over her once again. “I enjoyed spending the day with you, too.”
Courtney grinned. “It’s not over yet. I’m going to get you in the ocean. You just wait and see. We’re going to have a lot of fun,” she said as they stepped up into the comfy air-conditioned bus and sat down. It took less than ten minutes to reach Sapphire Point. As soon as they arrived, they were bustled off the bus and taken to a dive shop on the beach. Once inside the large warehouse like structure, they changed into wetsuits and jumped into an indoor pool where they were given dive equipment and safety training.
As soon as everyone passed the initial course, they were separated into three groups and taken to one of several dive boats that were to take them out and into the ocean.
Their dive instructor, Hank, a man somewhere between the ages thirty and sixty with a well-tanned body and wearing the tiniest speedo she had ever seen in her life, regaled them with tales of pirates while describing the underwater pirate ship lying on its side in shallow waters that they were going to get to explore. By the time they were done, Grace’s fear had miraculously disappeared and she found that she was actually looking forward to diving.
The Body in Davy Jones' Locker Page 17
