Blowout

by Colleen Cross

  “There’s more?” The corners of Gia’s mouth turned up into a smile. “I never really doubted you, but I couldn’t figure out who those people were. I guess I jumped to conclusions.”

  Gia was so gullible and believed his lie. That bought him some time, but it was clear that he’d better make his exit sooner rather than later. That Brother XII guy had it right. He took what he could and knew when to quit. The easy money wasn’t so easy anymore.

  “Just one thing, bellissima. Our tight schedule means we can’t return to Vancouver after all.”

  “But what about the others? We have to take them back.”

  “We’ll drop them off in Friday Harbor tomorrow morning. I’ll arrange for a charter flight back to Vancouver from there.” He had no intention of returning to the port where he had stolen the yacht, but Gia didn’t need to know that.

  “But Raphael, my meds, remember? I need them. It only takes a few hours to get back to Vancouver. We could always leave earlier.”

  He shook his head. “My personal physician will arrange everything. Your meds will be delivered to the ship when we dock in Friday Harbor.” He patted her plump bottom. Gia’s extra fat probably made her more buoyant than Melinda had been. He’d have to weigh her down enough to sink. “Just write down what you need, and I’ll send it to him.”

  “But Vancouver’s just a short detour. I don’t understand why we can’t—”

  “Relax, bellisima. Everything’s taken care of.” A few hours from now, his problems would be gone forever.

  34

  Gia searched Raphael’s closet while Kat stood guard at the door.

  Kat studied her friend. “You really scored with those passports. You sure you didn’t give anything away?”

  “I really don’t think he did it, Kat. Even if you’re right and he is Frank Bukowski, he’s not a murderer. He can’t be.” Gia paused, her hand in a pocket as she searched Raphael’s clothing.

  “The facts don’t lie. Normal people don’t have multiple identities. I always thought his name was made-up. Now we have proof.” Raphael Amore sounded like the name of a bare-chested hero in a bodice-ripper romance novel.

  “What’s wrong with Raphael Amore? It sounds so romantic. Gia Amore sounds so much better than Camiletti. And I don’t want to keep doing this.” Gia protested. “Every new find just depresses me more.”

  “Better the devil you know than the one you don’t.” Kat didn’t blame Gia one bit. A whirlwind romance, wedding, and betrayal all within a few weeks. It was the stuff bad movies were made of. “Once you’re finished with the clothes, check his shoes, especially under the insoles.”

  “His insoles? What could he possibly hide there?”

  Kat shooed Gia back in the direction of the closet. “I’ll finish the rest of the drawers. Then we’ll check under the carpet.”

  “You’ve done this before. Since when do fraud investigators rifle through peoples’ closets?”

  “All in a day’s work.” They had no time to waste. Raphael could walk in at any time and catch them in the act.

  “I always pictured you punching calculator keys,” Gia said. “If my life wasn’t being ruined, I might even find this a little bit fun.”

  Kat would rather search everything herself and spare Gia the pain, but there wasn’t enough time. Gia wasn’t the most detailed person, but she was completely focused on the task at hand.

  Kat’s only worry was Gia’s waffling over Raphael. He still held power over her and played on her emotions. She yearned for his version of the truth so badly that she had overlooked some pretty blatant lies and evidence right in front of her nose. However, she cooperated when Raphael was out of sight, albeit reluctantly.

  The stateroom search wasn’t just about incriminating Raphael. She had to ensure there were no hidden weapons in the stateroom. Kat also held out hope that she might find other damaging evidence against Raphael. If it materialized, Gia could be convinced once and for all that Raphael was a fraud. Kat also hoped to find bank records to recover the money, but that was a long shot. Worst case scenario was that if the money was already gone, the bank records at least proved the crime.

  Their search had yet to reveal anything. “You’re in denial, Gia. He’s already got your money, what about your life? We’re all in danger until we get off this ship.”

  “We’ll just leave in the dinghy. Problem solved.”

  “It’s not just about us. Running away doesn’t bring him to justice.”

  “That’s not up to us.” Gia sniffed.

  “If not us, then who? Think about that little girl. He killed his own daughter. Not to mention his wife. Why would you be any different?” As long as Gia was doubtful and stayed with Raphael, she faced almost certain death. “We can’t let him get away.”

  “He won’t. I still don’t believe he’s a killer though. There’s got to be a logical explanation for everything. Maybe he’s not really Raphael, but whoever he is, I still love him, Kat. I know it’s stupid, but I can’t help it.” Gia’s voice broke as she handed the passport over to Kat. “Even with this.”

  Kat’s mouth dropped open. “You said he snatched them back from you.”

  “He did. But I fished it out again later while he was distracted. He was so focused on making things up to me that he didn’t even notice my hand in his pocket.”

  “Gia, you’re a genius. Where did you learn to pickpocket?”

  “Let’s just say I’m a woman of many talents.” She sighed. “I sort of wish I didn’t grab it, though. Deep in my heart I know you’re right, but I don’t want my dreams ruined more than they already are. There’s probably more than one person with the name Frank Bukowski.”

  “Better to know about it than not. At least you can protect yourself.” Kat flipped the passport open to the photograph page. Raphael’s face stared back on Frank Bukowski’s passport. “You can’t still have doubts, Gia.”

  Gia shook her head. “I know he’s a fake. But I hope even the fake Raphael still loves me. Maybe this is his twin or something. He did say Frank was his cousin…”

  “Nothing about him is real, Gia. You’ve fallen in love with a person that doesn’t exist.” She pointed to Frank’s passport photograph. “See that cowlick? In his hair it’s exactly the same. What about the birthmark? It’s identical to his.”

  “Probably not.” Gia’s shoulders sagged. “I guess I don’t really know him at all. How could I be so stupid?”

  “You’re not stupid. You were smart enough to get his passport, and you also picked the right one. That was a stroke of genius. Now that we know he’s a fake, we know what to do. He can’t get away.”

  “He still can, since I only took one passport. If I took the others he would have noticed for sure.”

  “It might be a passport for Raphael Amore.” Most fraudsters didn’t go as far as to get a fake passport, though you could easily buy one if you knew the right people. But most con artists weren’t cold-blooded killers.

  Gia’s lower lip trembled as she slowly sat down on the bed. “How did I fall for him? I feel like such a failure. I’ve mortgaged my salon and given that jerk all my savings. How will I ever recover?” She pounded the mattress with her fist.

  “We’ll find a way,” Kat doubted her words with every new tidbit of information. Raphael—or Frank—appeared to be a cold-blooded killer with a carefully thought out plan. A plan they were all now a part of.

  Gia stood and paced. “I'm not letting him get away with this.”

  Gia’s thirst for revenge would have been helpful earlier. Now her vendetta could jeopardize their safety. In retrospect they were lucky to be unaware of Raphael’s true identity until now. “If we confront him, he’ll kill us too.”

  “I at least want my money back. Is there any hope of that?”

  “Maybe.” Kat seriously doubted it. “How much did you lose exactly?”

  “Enough that I’ll have to work till I’m eighty, just to pay it back.”

  “I’ll figure so
mething out.” Kat sighed. They had already spent twenty minutes in the stateroom searching. Jace was keeping Raphael busy with questions, but that wouldn’t last long. “We should go on deck. Raphael will be wondering what we’re up to.”

  “He thinks we’re looking at clothes.”

  “We are.”

  “My clothes, not his.” Gia sighed. “Can’t you just hack into his account or something?”

  “We don’t have enough time for that. Even if we did, I doubt the money’s sitting in a bank account under his real name.” Kat paused. “We’ll let the police worry about that, but first we’ve got to remove any means of escape.” Once they were sure he had no access to weapons, they would lock him up onboard.

  Gia grimaced. “I can’t believe I married that jerk. I’m such an idiot for believing everything.”

  “You’re not alone, Gia. It could happen to anyone.” Kat checked her watch. “Let’s finish our search.” She turned to the bureau drawers. She was on the third drawer when she felt something wedged into the drawer back. She tugged on it and was rewarded with a cardboard box the size of a cigarette package. She opened it and couldn’t believe what she saw. “Gia, look at this.”

  Gia almost fell backwards. The box contained six diamond rings, all identical. She glanced at her hand and then back at the box. “They’re just like my engagement ring. Why does he have all those rings?”

  Kat raised her brows. “I’m sure you have some ideas.” The diamond-and-platinum rings were breathtaking, each with a two-carat diamond solitaire. A folded paper was wedged in the bottom of the box. She pulled it out and unfolded it. The invoice was for seven cubic zirconia silver-tone rings from a company in Hong Kong. She replaced the paper in the box. Gia’s heart was already broken, no need to make her feel even worse.

  Gia’s fake engagement ring was proof enough. Raphael was just like every other slime ball fraudster she saw in her fraud investigation business. She could spot them a mile away with their flashy cars, designer clothes, and extravagant gifts. Always bought with someone else’s money.

  “You mean he targeted me from the start?” Gia gasped. “My whole whirlwind courtship was premeditated?”

  Kat nodded. “I don’t know how he found you, but I know why. Your savings, your successful business.”

  “He stalked me? That bastard!” Gia’s voice rose and she broke into sobs. “I guess I mean nothing to him.”

  “Gia, keep your voice down. We don’t want him walking in here.”

  Gia was finally convinced. That was good, because a wronged Gia with a vendetta was a powerful secret weapon she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy.

  Gia wiped her tears on her sleeve as her expression brightened. “At least we can recover some of the money with these rings.” Gia looked hopefully at Kat.

  Silence.

  “Even the rings aren’t real?”

  Kat nodded.

  “He doesn’t love me, does he? He probably doesn’t even like me.” A single tear fell from Gia’s eye. “I’m just one of many women, aren’t I?”

  “I’m afraid so. We’ve got to stop him.” The stolen money was the least of her worries. Raphael—or Frank—had already committed the most heinous of all crimes by murdering his wife and daughter. His latest wife was undoubtedly his next victim.

  “How can I keep this to myself?” Gia stomped her foot. “I want to kill him.”

  Kat finished with the drawers and turned her attention to a corner of the carpet that had been pulled away from the baseboard. She slowly pulled it back, wondering if Raphael had used it as a hiding place for documents or, possibly, money. “You have to hold yourself together, Gia. Even if you have to count the hours. Say something now and he will get away with his crimes, I assure you.” He’d also commit more.

  “Get away with what?” Raphael stood in the doorway, arms crossed. He glared at Kat.

  Kat jumped to her feet and shuddered. She hadn’t heard the door open.

  “Y-you’re back already?” Gia stuttered as she jerked around to face Raphael. “I thought you were upstairs.” She let out a nervous laugh. “We’re just talking about–”

  “How some people are tidy, and some aren’t.” Kat finished the sentence. “For instance, me and Jace. He’s neat as a pin, and I’m messy. He’s always picking up after me.”

  Raphael interrupted. “Why were you lifting the carpet? Did you lose something?”

  “Kat’s just helping me look for my earring.”

  Kat’s heart thumped so hard in her chest that her shirt moved with every heartbeat. She was grateful for Gia’s quickly thought-up excuse. One hand still rested on the carpet she had pulled up. She froze, afraid any movement might reveal her actions.

  Raphael walked over and studied Gia’s earlobes. “I see both your earrings. You’re wearing them.”

  Caught in the act. A thin sheen of sweat broke out on Kat’s upper lip.

  Gia poked a finger at his chest. “Not the ones I’m wearing, silly. Other ones.”

  “Which ones?”

  “My emerald and diamond stud earrings. I was showing them to Kat when I dropped one. I have to find it.” Gia pulled a box from her purse and surreptitiously flicked one earring with her fingernail. It fell to the bottom of her purse.

  “I hate losing things.” Raphael stroked Gia’s chin. “I’ll let you get back to it. Just don’t take too long. I’ve got a surprise for you on deck.”

  Kat shivered involuntarily.

  “We’ll be up in a couple of minutes.” Gia kissed him on the cheek. “Back to the search.”

  “Suit yourself.” Raphael backed towards the door.

  Kat waited until Raphael’s footsteps receded down the passageway. “Very convincing.”

  “Thanks.” Gia beamed as she held out her purse. “Seriously, though—I have to find that earring in the bottom of my purse. Before we do any more searching.”

  “Sure.”

  Gia dumped her purse contents on the bed and sifted through the items one by one.

  “Found it.” Gia fished out the stud earring and held it up for Kat. “Now what?”

  Kat held her forefinger to her lip. “Go through his stuff in the bathroom. See what you find.”

  “Like what? Another passport?”

  “You never know. Maybe you’ll find some cash, or checks or something. Don’t forget he’s hiding things from you while you are in the same room. The bathroom is a perfect hiding place. Look where you would never think to look.”

  “Well if he’s hiding it from me, why hide it anywhere in here?”

  “Because he needs to retrieve it quickly if necessary. He can’t leave things in common areas onboard like the kitchen—”

  Gia corrected her. “Galley, not kitchen. I am so going to miss not having a yacht. Why can’t things work out with him?”

  “He’s a thief, remember? Would you rather go to jail with him, Gia?”

  Gia shook her head. “I just want my money back. I should have listened to you in the first place. Although it has been fun.”

  “It’s all an illusion, Gia. I’ll bet this yacht costs a fortune in fuel. Where does the money from gas come from?”

  “You think he’s spending my money?” Gia’s mouth dropped open.

  “I don’t think, I know. The sooner we stop it, the greater chance we can recover whatever’s left.”

  “Good point.” Gia’s shoulders sagged as she disappeared into the bathroom.

  Men often hid things in a basement or garage, but neither existed on a ship. His hiding place aboard the yacht was probably somewhere he could control access and retrieve his items quickly. Common areas were accessible by the crew and guests, so his stateroom was the only logical choice.

  Gia emerged from the bathroom. One look at her face told Kat she was upset again. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not touching it. Come see.”

  Kat followed Gia into the bathroom where the toilet tank lid stood propped against the wall. She peered into the ta
nk and swore under her breath. A plastic bag was wedged inside. From what she could see, the contents included a rope and several pairs of latex gloves.

  A murder kit.

  Had he used them on his family, or were they intended for future use?

  Gia cowered by the door. “What the hell is all that stuff?”

  “I have some ideas, but none of them good. Did you touch it?”

  Gia shook her head.

  “Good. Just leave it there and put the cover back.”

  Gia did as she was told. “I can’t stay in here with him, Kat. What if he tries to kill me?”

  “We’ll figure something out.” One way or another, tonight would be the last night aboard for all of them.

  35

  Kat stood at the bow and scanned the horizon. The forecast called for a thunder and lightning storm, highly unusual for the coast in late summer. The water was completely still, as if waiting for the storm to hit. The late afternoon sun hid behind the low cumulus clouds that had closed in an hour ago. They brought with them an oppressive gloom and silence. Even the seagulls had stopped flying.

  She glanced behind her, where Gia and Uncle Harry huddled around the table. The mood wasn’t exactly celebratory. In fact, it was downright tense. If Raphael hadn’t already noticed, he soon would. A change was in the air in more ways than one.

  Uncle Harry turned his head and glanced at Kat. “What are we gonna do, Kat?”

  She glanced over at the bar, where Raphael mixed drinks. “Just play along for now. I’ll go below deck in a few minutes. Wait ten minutes and tell everyone you’re sick. Then meet me in my stateroom.” Jace sat at the bar talking with Raphael. She couldn’t debrief Jace in time, but he was certain to catch on once Harry left.

  Raphael brought a martini for Gia and beers for everyone else. Kat thought it odd, since he hadn’t asked them what they wanted. And he had taken a long time to mix just one martini.

  Gia held up her drink unenthusiastically. “Cheers.”