Drifting silently. Eerily.
Boris would be wondering what had happened.
But Sam and I knew.
Right now Sophia would be unhooking the underwater scooter from the hull of her rowboat. The scooter would propel the two women underwater at ten mph. At that speed it would take them ninety seconds to get to our yacht.
Ninety seconds. In freezing water. Without breathing.
Warm blankets awaited them. Dry clothes too.
Boris’s searchlight swept the water. Looking for the lost women. Searching desperately.
Boris’s voice boomed across the water.
“Inna! Where are you?”
No response.
His yacht started moving toward the two rowboats.
Moments later Kelly and Sophia clambered aboard our yacht.
Sam and I greeted them with warm blankets.
Kelly hugged me.
“Thank you, Rip.”
“You’re welcome. I had a little help from my friends here.”
Kelly hugged Sophia. Then Sam.
“Thank you both.”
They both nodded graciously.
Then the four of us turned our attention to Boris’s yacht.
It pulled alongside the two rowboats.
We could see Boris now. His crew too. Dmitry. Gleb. Yury.
The four of them leaned over the side of the yacht and stared curiously down at the empty rowboats.
Sam had earlier rigged Sophia’s rowboat with explosives.
He now took the remote detonator from his pocket.
His right index finger hovered over the red button.
His left middle finger saluted Boris.
Sam hit the button.
A thunderous explosion filled the night sky.
Boris’s yacht disintegrated.
The bright red fireball bloomed. Then distorted. Then plunged into the water.
Sam turned to me. He nodded. I nodded back.
“Let’s head back to shore,” I said.
CHAPTER 71
BLAKE CRIED.
“I thought I lost you forever,” he said from his hospital bed.
Kelly bent over the bed and kissed her father on the forehead.
“I’m still here, Dad. You didn’t lose me.”
He cried some more. His shoulders shook. His lips quivered.
Kelly hugged him. They stayed that way for a long time.
Then she whispered to him.
“You’re okay. You’re going to be all right. We both are.”
My eyes clouded with tears. I blinked them away.
“Be right back,” I said and exited the room.
In the hospital hallway I took out my phone and punched in the number for the Rising Falls Sheriff’s Office.
“Rising Falls Sheriff’s Office.”
“I’d like to speak to Sheriff Cooper.”
“One moment.”
I waited.
“Sheriff Cooper.”
“Sheriff Cooper? It’s Rip Lane.”
“Hello Mr. Lane.”
“I found Kelly. You can call off the search.”
“Where was she?”
“I’ll fill you in on the details later.”
“But she’s okay?”
“Yes.”
“Thank goodness.”
I rejoined Blake and Kelly.
Blake held up a box of facial tissues.
“Want a tissue, Rip?”
“What for? I’m not crying.”
“You were.”
“Was not.”
“Yes you were.”
“Okay. Maybe I cried a little.”
“Take a tissue.”
I took one.
Then I changed the subject.
“What’d you two talk about while I was gone?”
“Kelly’s baby.”
“What about it?”
“We’re coming up with names.”
“What’d you come up with so far?”
“Mary,” Kelly said. “If it’s a girl.”
Mary. The name of Kelly’s mother.
“What if it’s a boy?” I said.
“Blake,” Kelly said.
“Blake? Why not Rip?”
“That’s my second choice.”
“I can live with that.”
“You two better get going,” Blake said. “It’s a two-hour drive to Rochester. If you leave right now, you can get there before dark.”
I took out my keys.
“Ready to go, Kelly?”
She squeezed Blake’s hand.
“We’ll phone you when we get there.”
“You better.”
“Any other requests?” I said.
“Just one,” Blake said.
“Which is?”
“Send me a photo of Kelly’s new apartment.”
CHAPTER 72
A WEEK LATER.
Rochester.
Kelly’s new apartment.
“Where should I put this box?” I said.
“In the kitchen,” Kelly said.
I crossed to the kitchen and set the box on the counter.
“Well you’re all moved in now. How’s that feel?”
“Like the start of a great adventure.”
“I know that feeling.”
“What do you think Inna will do now?”
“Take over her father’s businesses.”
“I actually feel sorry for her. Can you believe that?”
“You’ll make a good nurse.”
“I suppose.”
“How about a cup of coffee?”
“Sounds good.”
We made some coffee. We drank it out on the balcony. From there we could see the University of Rochester School of Nursing.
The apartment doorbell rang.
“What’s this?” Kelly said when she opened the door.
“Delivery for Kelly Wright,” the deliveryman said.
“Thanks,” I said and took the box from him.
When he had gone I started opening the box.
“It’s a crib,” Kelly said. “Did you order that?”
I nodded.
It took me half an hour to put it together.
When I had finished I moved it into Kelly’s bedroom.
“How’s it look there?”
“Perfect, Rip.”
“Go stand by it.”
She did.
I snapped her photo.
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