Deadly Deceit: Jess Turner in the Caribbean (Diplomatic Crime Book 2)

by Jean Harrod

  Tom nodded and opened his menu. “Looks like it’s conch stew again, or barbequed chicken wings. No, tell a lie, there’s fish and chips too.”

  “Then it’s fish and chips for me,” she said, without looking at the menu.

  “Me too.” Tom got up to order the food.

  When he came back, he had two more glasses of rum with him.

  Jess emptied her first glass. As she put it back down on the table, she noticed her hands shaking.

  Tom put his hand over hers, and they sat in silence until the barman brought over the food.

  Jess recognised him. It was the young man who’d been her taxi driver on arrival.

  “Evening, Miss.” He gave her a beaming smile. “How are you liking Grand Turk?”

  “It’s wonderful.” Her response was automatic.

  Tom gave a wry smile.

  The young man looked pleased. He put the food down proudly in front of them and touched the side of the old shack. “Hope my restaurant’s still standing on Monday night.”

  “Is there any more news about the hurricane?” Jess asked.

  He shrugged. “It’ll come and it’ll go.” And with that he walked off.

  Jess couldn’t believe how relaxed he was about it. Everyone was. Men were drinking and laughing at the bar. Other people were tucking into their dinner. It was like any other Friday night.

  “They might as well enjoy the evening,” Tom said, as if reading her thoughts. “What else can they do?”

  Jess nodded. Once she’d started eating, she felt a bit better. The rum helped too.

  Tom said nothing, but looked grim as he ate his food.

  Jess put down her knife and fork. “I don’t know what Maggie was doing at the Haitian settlement this afternoon, but it doesn’t add up. None of it does.”

  He nodded. “Maybe she was just visiting? Doing some community work, or something like that?”

  Jess shook her head. “Then why didn’t she just say so? And why go out in a rush and not lock the Residence doors?” She paused. “She seemed to know those Haitian women well. They were standing in a group, talking, and looked relaxed with each other.”

  “Well, you’ll just have to ask her about it when you get back?”

  “Oh I will.” She nodded. “You know my mind keeps coming back to when this all started. It was Clement Pearson’s suicide after giving evidence to the British Inquiry into those two Haitian sloops that kicked it all off.” She paused. “So this has to be about the Haitian migrants. The islanders don’t want them here, that’s for sure.”

  “They don’t want their voodoo either.”

  They both looked up as loud reggae music suddenly blasted out from two speakers over the bar. The owner gave them another wide grin as some of the locals got up. They cleared a space in the middle of the tables and chairs and started dancing.

  Jess and Tom watched them. It seemed surreal after what they’d just been through, and with a hurricane approaching, that everyone should be so happy. After a while, Tom moved his chair round next to Jess, to be able to talk. “Earlier you said you had no idea what Simon thought about you staying here through the hurricane.” He paused. “What did you mean by that?”

  Jess looked at him. “Simon’s not happy about me being here.”

  “Why not?”

  She shrugged. “I wish I knew, but he won’t talk about it. Then he told me he was going to LA for work. But I find out he’s taken a couple of weeks’ leave instead, and gone back to the UK.”

  “Without telling you?”

  She nodded. She couldn’t bring herself to say that Simon had bought two return air tickets, and had taken someone else to the UK with him.

  “That doesn’t sound like Simon.” He paused. “Perhaps you need to talk to him.”

  Jess felt uncomfortable telling Tom this, yet relieved to be finally talking about it. “He won’t answer my calls or texts. I don’t even know where he is.” She sighed. “I guess you never really know another person, do you?”

  “True,” he nodded.

  She looked at him. “Are you with anyone now Tom?”

  “Nah. My last partner, Liz, left me around the time of that murder we worked on in Brisbane.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Don’t be. I’m no good at relationships.” He paused. “My job always seems to come first. Takes over my whole life, every waking hour, especially when I get a murder case. I can’t stop until I’ve solved it and the killer’s behind bars.”

  “A dog with a bone?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Fine pair then, aren’t we?”

  He nodded. “Talking of work.” He pulled out his mobile. “Finish your fish and chips while I go outside and phone Chuck. I need to talk to him about what happened up at the lighthouse.”

  She pushed her plate away. “I’ve finished.”

  He looked at her. “I’m only going outside to phone.”

  But she wasn’t going to let him out of her sight. “Let’s get the bill. I want to get back to the Residence. Sally will be worried.”

  He got up and went over to the bar. After he’d paid, he came over. “Stay here,” he said. “I won’t be long.”

  No chance. She jumped up and followed him out.

  35

  Jess woke up the next morning to the noise of wind rattling her bedroom shutters, and rain lashing down. Her heart sank. She was hoping the hurricane would veer off in another direction overnight, and miss them altogether. Even more worrying was the sound of waves crashing onto the reef in the distance. At least it was Saturday, she thought, all the staff could look after their own homes and families without worrying about work.

  She wondered if Tom and Sally were up, but she could hear nothing above the elements outside. Her mind ran through all the things she had to do before the hurricane hit. The local staff had already put up all the shutters around the windows of the Governor’s Office, and secured what they could inside. She’d worked into the night with Sally to dismantle the communications system and store all the electrical equipment on shelves as high as they could in case of flooding. The trouble was the building was single storey. Why hadn’t anyone thought to build two storeys on this low lying site? Tom had helped in any way he could, carrying and lifting.

  She shuddered, thinking about the showdown the night before. Sally had refused point blank to leave on the afternoon flight to Provo. There was no way she’d abandon her post, she’d said, and leave Jess on her own. Jess knew Sally’s reluctance to leave was due more to Brad than to her, and gave up in the end.

  It was different with Tom though. He was not a colleague. He was a friend. After what had happened to him out diving and up at the lighthouse, she had to get him off the island and out of danger. Someone saw him as a real threat. Of course he’d argued to stay too. “Either all three of us leave together, or none of us go,” he’d said, bluntly. She’d stood her ground, rehearsing all the arguments. This was not his problem, his job and reputation were on the line back in Canberra. And she’d be safe because the London team would get here ahead of the hurricane. In the end Tom grudgingly accepted he was leaving. Not that she wanted him to go. Far from it. She enjoyed having him around. Felt safer with him in the house. But her instincts were telling her it was the right thing to do.

  Getting out of bed and walking over to the window, she found herself standing in a puddle of rainwater from having left the window open a fraction to let some air in overnight. The wind was blowing straight off the sea, at the house. She closed the window tight. At least the electricity was still working, she thought, as she looked up at the whirring ceiling fan.

  Coming down the stairs, she heard loud reggae music, and smelt bacon frying. She went into the kitchen, but it wasn’t Maggie at the stove.

  “Morning.” Sally gave her a small smile as she jiggled the pan.

  Sally looked pale without her make-up. Her hair was hanging limp, and her eyes were red-rimmed, either from lack of sl
eep or from crying. “Did you get any sleep?” Jess asked.

  “A little,” Sally replied. “How about you?”

  “A few hours on and off.”

  Jess went over and turned down the radio.

  “I’ve been listening to the hurricane bulletins on the local station,” Sally said.

  “Any news?”

  Sally shook her head. “Still a Cat 2 heading our way.”

  “Well,” Jess sighed. “At least it hasn’t intensified into a Cat 3 overnight. That’s something, I suppose.” She studied Sally. “Heard from Brad, yet?”

  “No. He’s not answering my calls. I’ve sent several texts. Nothing. He didn’t even text me goodnight.” Sally’s voice was shaky. “And he always does that.”

  Jess knew how that felt too. “He’ll come round,” she said, without much conviction. “He’s probably busy securing the Dive Centre and his boats. There’s a lot to do.”

  “I phoned Charles,” Sally said. “He hasn’t seen him either.”

  “Where is Charles?”

  “At the police station. They’ve still got Rebekah in the cells.”

  Jess frowned. “They’ve kept her in there all night?”

  “Apparently.”

  “I bet she’s in a state,” Jess said. “I’d better go down and try and sort things out.”

  “Charles told me Rebekah wouldn’t leave the island without Benji. So they’re staying for the hurricane.” Sally frowned. “She’s a funny woman, Jess. Believe me.”

  “She won’t be going anywhere for some time if the police press charges. Assaulting a police officer is serious.” She paused. “Can you try and get hold of the Chief Justice in London, Sally. We need to tell him what’s going on, in case Rebekah hasn’t been able to do it herself.”

  Sally nodded. “I’m more worried about Brad. No-one’s seen him since yesterday evening.”

  “Tell you what,” Jess said, “if you haven’t heard from him by this afternoon, we’ll take a run down to the Dive Centre after we’ve dropped Tom off at the airport. I bet we’ll find him there busy battening down the hatches and storing the boats. It’ll give us a chance to have a chat and clear the air. Okay?”

  Sally brightened a little. “I’m glad I was here last night with you and Tom, and not in my own house alone. It’s frightening listening to that sea. I kept imagining a tsunami swamping us. I had to get up in the end and do something.”

  Jess nodded. “It sounds awful out there, but don’t forget this house has stood for centuries. I find that reassuring anyway.”

  At that moment, the back door opened and Tom walked in, drenched to the skin. He closed it quickly, and took off his sandals. “That’s a helluva storm brewing, and it’s still 24 hours away.”

  Sally shivered and threw him a towel. “Your eggs and bacon are ready. Sit down at the kitchen table. I’ll serve up.”

  He pulled off his t-shirt and put the towel around his shoulders as if he’d been for a swim. “Thanks Sally.” He sat down to a huge plateful of breakfast.

  Jess stared at him. “What have you been doing?”

  He looked up. “Getting the hurricane shutters out of the garage. I’ve put some up on the ground floor at the front and sides of the house.”

  “Oh thanks, Tom. But why didn’t you wait for us?”

  “Couldn’t sleep with that racket out there. Thought I’d do something useful.”

  Jess nodded. It seems they’d all been awake half the night. “I’ll give you a hand after breakfast.”

  “Me too,” Sally joined in. “Teamwork!” She glanced at Jess as if to say ‘am I forgiven?’

  Jess nodded, and turned to Tom: “No Maggie, then?”

  “No.”

  “I’m really worried about her,” Jess went on. “Maggie wouldn’t just not turn up for work.”

  Tom nodded. “Maybe we should call the police, and report her missing?”

  “I’ll go down to her house first, and see if she’s there,” Sally said. “She lives on the outskirts of town.

  “No.” Jess knew as soon as Sally left the house she’d head straight to Brad’s. “I’ll call the Police Commissioner. It may be a false alarm, but I need to do something.”

  At that moment, there was a knock on the front door.

  “I’ll go,” Jess said. “You have your breakfast.” She walked along the hallway and opened the door.

  Alvita stood outside in a long, white sou’wester, with her hood up like a monk. On her feet were flip-flops. No-one ever seemed to be worried about getting their feet wet on this island.

  “Is Maggie here?” Alvita asked.

  “No.” Jess shook her head. “Come in out of the rain.”

  Alvita hesitated, then stepped over the threshold and followed Jess into the kitchen. She stopped when she saw Tom and Sally eating breakfast. “I don’t want to intrude.”

  “You’re not intruding,” Jess said. “Sit down and have a cup of coffee.”

  Alvita pushed back her hood and sat down, but she didn’t take off her raincoat which dripped all over the kitchen floor.

  “I went up early to the Disaster Management Centre,” Alvita said. “Everyone’s working to get things up and running.”

  Jess smiled. “That’s great. Thank you.”

  Alvita nodded. “On my way back, I stopped at Maggie’s, but there was no answer. Her neighbour told me she hadn’t been home all night. I thought she might be here.”

  Alvita’s voice was calm, but her eyes looked troubled. “I was just about to call the Police Commissioner,” Jess said. “None of us have seen her since lunchtime yesterday.”

  Alvita stared at her. “Lunchtime yesterday?”

  Jess nodded. “Except, well, I thought I saw her at the Haitian settlement yesterday afternoon.”

  “What on earth would Maggie be doing there?” Sally interrupted.

  “Are you sure it was her?” Alvita asked, sharply.

  Jess nodded. “She had a child in her arms.” She looked over at Tom, for him to back her up. But he was just looking at Alvita.

  Alvita jumped up. “I’ll go to the settlement and see if she’s there.”

  “Should I call the police?” Jess asked.

  “No, I’ll phone them if I can’t find her there.” Alvita hurried out of the kitchen and back along the hall.

  “Hold on.” Jess called out as she followed. “I’ll come with you.”

  “No. Stay here, Jess, where you’ll be safe.” Alvita slipped out of the door.

  She looked a lonely figure as she hurried along the drive in her cape and hood. When Jess went back into the kitchen, Tom asked: “Who is that woman?”

  “That’s Alvita. The head of our local staff in the Governor’s Office. Why?”

  “I saw her yesterday morning having a row with Maggie.” He pointed to the back door. “Out there in the garden.”

  “A row?” Jess frowned. “What about?”

  “Alvita turned up with a little girl, and wanted Maggie to look after her. Maggie was reluctant. They had a row, and Maggie slapped her face.”

  Sally nodded. “I’d like to do that sometimes.”

  Jess didn’t laugh. “What happened then?”

  Tom shrugged. “Maggie took the child anyway, and Alvita walked off.”

  “What happened to the child?” Jess asked.

  “Maggie brought her in here.” He paused. “I didn’t see her again. She wasn’t here when we got back for lunch. At least, I didn’t see or hear her. Did you?”

  Jess shook her head and plopped down on a chair. “Was it the same child we saw Maggie holding at the Haitian settlement?”

  He shrugged. “Difficult to say.”

  Jess picked up the cup of black coffee and took a sip. “Why didn’t you tell me that yesterday?” she asked him.

  “I didn’t think it was important,” he replied.

  “Why would Maggie take a child to the Haitian settlement?” Sally stopped and looked at them both. “You don’t think... oh my God...
you don’t think she was giving the child to them to...” She could hardly bring herself to finish the sentence. “T-to sacrifice?”

  “Sally!” Jess plonked her cup down on the saucer. “How could you think that?”

  “Well,” Sally went on, darkly, “with all these ceremonies and fires on the beach... and those bones turning up. What if they’re not animal bones? What if they’re human? What if they’re children’s bones?”

  Jess’s blood ran cold at the thought. “That’s enough, Sally.” She stood up and went over to the stove to cook herself some breakfast. On her way, she glanced over at Tom, who sat deep in thought.

  “Right,” she said, in her business-like voice. “We’ll just finish breakfast, then we’ll put the rest of the hurricane shutters over the windows, and prepare the house for a flood. That’ll keep us all busy for a few hours.” She looked over at Tom. “Then we’ll break for lunch, and help Tom get packed and ready to leave.”

  He raised his eyebrows, and tucked into his eggs and bacon.

  *

  Their mood was sombre as the three of them got ready to set off for the airport. Jess had spent the last hour in the laundry room trying to get Tom’s clothes dry enough to pack. She found herself lingering in there rather than having to look at his glum face. He’d made it very clear he didn’t want to go. Eventually, she came out with the neatly folded clothes and handed them to him. “We’d better get over to the airport early,” she said, brightly. “It’ll be pandemonium. Everyone’ll want to get out this afternoon.”

  “Why don’t I drive round now and check him in?” Sally said. “Make sure no-one nabs his seat.” She looked at Tom. “Give me your ticket and passport, Tom. I’ll take your suitcase too. It’ll give you and Jess time to... have a chat.”

  “Are you allowed to check me in?” he asked.

  Sally nodded. “They know I’m from the Governor’s Office.”

  Tom ran upstairs and soon came down with documents and his packed suitcase. “I’ll put this in the car for you.”

  “No bother.” Sally put on her raincoat and hat, easily lifted his suitcase with one hand, and took his documents. “No point taking a brolly, it’ll be inside out before I close the front door.” She waved cheerily at them both. “I’ll be back in about 15 minutes.” She went off down the hall and banged the front door closed.