Late Arrival: A Park Hotel Mystery (The Park Hotel Mysteries Book 4)

by Diane Capri

  “Looks like we’re in for it again,” I said.

  “Yeah, that’s why I need to make this fast. Where am I taking you?”

  “The mooring stations below the west bluff.”

  He gave me a funny look but didn’t say anything. He steered the boat to the starboard and pushed the throttle so we were cutting across waves, pounding hard. I had to hang on or be catapulted out of the boat. I wondered if he was driving like this on purpose. He was kidding himself if he truly thought I was going to talk Luke out of transferring him off the island. Luke would do whatever suited him. Shawn should have known that.

  As we came around the corner, I spotted the yacht immediately, backed up into the mooring station. It was too big not to miss. But I didn’t want them to see me coming. How the hell was I going to get there undercover? Then I spied a little dock with a boathouse connected to it.

  I pointed. “Can you drop me off there?”

  His eyes narrowed again, but he didn’t question me. I’d chosen the one person who really didn’t care what I was up to. He steered the boat to the dock, and when the port side bumped against the pier, I stepped out.

  “Thanks.”

  “Don’t get yourself killed,” he said as a way of a friendly parting, then reversed the boat and returned to deeper water.

  I ran into the boathouse to take shelter as the wind lashed out, nearly knocking me off the dock and into the water. Through the broken window of the boathouse, I studied the Magpie. It was two-tiered, the cockpit being on top. I imagined the staterooms were below. Where would they keep Ginny? And how the hell was I going to get onto that boat without being seen?

  Crouching inside the boathouse, I waited as more ominous clouds blew in, instantly plunging the world into darkness. I never thought I’d be thankful for another storm cell. With my dark slicker on, hood up, I didn’t think I would be spotted crossing the stony beach by anyone having a quick glance out of the windows or off the deck. If someone was seriously looking, then I’d be spotted, but I had to take the chance.

  As the first lightning bolt zipped across the sky, followed by the rumble of thunder, I left the boathouse and slowly picked my way across the stones. It was slow going, and I slipped twice as waves crashed up against the shore and sprayed water at me. When I reached the second dock, I crouched at the end and studied the yacht.

  The lights inside the boat were on, so I could see any movement on board. I counted two people roaming about on the top deck. One of them was most likely the captain. I spotted another man on the lower deck. He came out from below, looked around, inspected the ropes tied to the dock, and then went back inside the cabin.

  Now was my chance.

  I jumped up onto the dock and ran down to the stern of the boat. I climbed over the railing then up the three steps to hide under the table bolted to the deck. Lightning flashed overhead, and when the thunder rumbled, I quickly stood up to take a peek into the main cabin.

  I spotted Victor sitting on the curved sofa, drinking coffee and eating some kind of bread and preserves. There was a little bowl of fruit on the table in front of him. Movement caught my periphery on the right, and I saw Ivan walk into the cabin, also drinking coffee. They looked like two people having a casual breakfast on their yacht in the middle of a storm, and not ruthless mobsters.

  I ducked down, realizing I would need to come along the port side to get to the stairs leading down to the staterooms. Crouched with my back to the wall, I peered around the corner along the portside deck. It was empty. It was now or never.

  Staying crouched under the windows, I crawled to the bow of the boat. I quickly looked inside the cabin again. No one was looking my way, and I snuck inside to the stairs leading down.

  I walked down slowly, listening for noises, which proved more difficult than I’d hoped because of all the thundering that was happening overhead. There were four closed doors leading off the short corridor. I put my hand on one handle, turned it slowly, and opened the first door on my right. The room was unoccupied. I closed the door. I went to the next door. Taking in a deep breath, I opened it.

  Ginny was sitting on the bed, and her eyes widened when she saw me. I put my finger to my lips, and she nodded.

  I entered the room quickly and closed the door behind me. I rushed to the bed and hugged her.

  “Are you okay?” I whispered. “Did they hurt you?”

  She shook her head. “No. Everyone’s been surprisingly pleasant. Considering.”

  “Considering they won’t let you leave, you mean?”

  “Yeah, that.” She smiled. “What are you doing here?”

  “Rescuing you.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I thought they were going to kill you.”

  “I’m resilient. You know that. I get knocked down, but I always get back up again.”

  Ginny smiled through the tears. “Sounds like that Chumbawamba song.”

  I screwed up my nose. “Oh, I hate that song.”

  “I know.” She chuckled softly and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

  I gave her a little squeeze. “Okay, so the plan is to go up the stairs, then go to your right, then run down the side of the boat, out the back, and down the pier to the beach. As quietly as possible. Without getting caught.”

  She shook her head and shrugged. “Real simple.”

  “Yup.” I grabbed her hand. I was scared we weren’t going to get out of this, but there was no point in saying so. “Okay, let’s go.”

  I crept to the door, Ginny glued to my back, and opened it. I peered down the hall. No one there. I motioned for her to go through. She did, and I followed her out. I pointed to the stairs, and she started that way. I paused when I heard scratching behind the opposite door.

  Ginny frowned at me and mouthed, What’s wrong?

  More scratching, then a soft woof. I put my hand on the handle and slowly opened the door. A sturdy ball of fluff darted out and woofed at me while jumping on my legs. I picked the Welsh corgi up and cuddled his little head.

  “Hello, Andi,” a voice I recognized said from inside the room.

  I stepped inside, holding Buttercup close to my chest. “Hello, Beatrice.”

  Chapter 24

  “I’m impressed,” Beatrice said as she perched at the end of the bed in her expensive silk pajamas and house slippers. “I wondered if you would make the connection.”

  “I was surprised. I thought you were just a nice elderly lady unsure of what to do with the huge estate she’d inherited from her late husband. I’d never have guessed you were really a Russian mobster.”

  Beatrice chuckled. “Mobster is such a stupid word. I’ve never cared for it.”

  “How about gangster or criminal or… I know…murderer,” I replied.

  She sighed as she crossed her legs. “That was an unfortunate accident.”

  “Jeremy was bashed in the head and thrown off a cliff. Doesn’t seem accidental.”

  “Well, he knew the risks when he stole money from us, and Ivan has no patience. Jeremy knew that, too,” she replied.

  Commotion in the corridor behind me made me turn. The aforementioned Ivan had Ginny, holding her by the upper arms, and she was struggling against him, but to no avail.

  “Let Ginny go. She has no part in this,” I said.

  At first, I thought Beatrice was going to refuse, but her gaze went to Buttercup. I still held her firmly in my arms. Beatrice nodded and said, “Fine. Yes. But let’s take this upstairs, shall we? I feel a bit claustrophobic with everyone crammed into my stateroom.”

  I backed out of the room, and Beatrice followed. I motioned for her to go first, and she did. She followed Ivan and Ginny up the stairs and into the main cabin. Like a gentleman, Victor stood as we all filed in. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and placed it onto the table next to his empty plate.

  “I see we are all here now,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Beatrice said she would let Ginny go.” I took a step away from Ivan. I didn�
�t want him behind me. I stroked the dog’s head. I would never hurt Buttercup, but Beatrice didn’t know that for sure, and I needed leverage.

  “Yes. Let Ginny go. We only needed her to get Andi here,” Beatrice said as she sat on the sofa like a woman of leisure.

  “That’s right. I’m here, so Ginny goes.”

  Victor nodded to Ivan, who dropped his hands, releasing Ginny.

  “Andi,” Ginny whimpered.

  “It’s okay. Go, Ginny. Please.”

  She crossed the main cabin to the stern. There was a door that led out to the back deck and the dock. When she reached the door, she looked back at me.

  I nodded at her. “I’ll be okay. They just want the SIM card. Then they’ll let me go.”

  I knew that wasn’t true, but I had to make her leave or I wouldn’t be able to keep up the façade.

  She looked at the other faces, frowned, and then went out the door. I watched as she jumped over the rail and ran down the dock.

  “Can I have Buttercup back now?” Beatrice asked with a humorous lift to her eyebrows.

  I set the dog down, and he ran over to his owner, wagging his little butt. Beatrice patted the spot next to her on the sofa, and he jumped up and curled himself into a fuzzy ball.

  “You better have that card on you,” Victor said. “Would be a real shame to kill you now, after going to all this trouble.”

  “Of course, I do. But I know you’re not going to let me go.”

  Beatrice blanched. “No? Why not?”

  “Because I know too much.” Victor gave a slight chin-lift toward Ivan. Ivan moved toward me as I backed up. “But you don’t know who else has the bank account information. The printouts you grabbed aren’t the only copies,” I said in a jumbled rush.

  Ivan stopped advancing. “If you mean your hotel buddy, Lane, I already snatched his computers. The storm was the perfect cover. His old-man roommate didn’t even wake up.”

  Oops. My bluff’s been called.

  Ivan continued to advance.

  “Okay!” I put my hand out. “I have the card, just give me a second.” I patted the pockets of my jacket under my raincoat, trying to formulate a plan. “It’s here somewhere.” I reached into the pocket of the rain slicker, felt the butt of the taser gun. I wrapped my hand around the grip, hoping like hell that it was already loaded and ready to fire. I mentally smacked myself for not checking it before.

  “Just grab her, Ivan,” Beatrice said, “I’m tired and want to go home.”

  The moment he advanced toward me, another bolt of lightning lit up the sky, blinding everyone on the yacht. As the thunder cracked overhead, I turned and ran, hoping I was going in the right direction. All I could see were black spots.

  I made it through the door, down the three steps, and vaulted over the railing like an Olympic hurdler. When my feet hit the dock, I ran as fast as I could, but not fast enough. Ivan snatched me by the back of my raincoat and yanked me toward him. The neckline choked me as I turned to face him.

  I brought my hand out of my pocket and rammed the taser right against his chest.

  Looking down between us, his eyes widened as I pressed the trigger. His whole body went rigid, and he vibrated violently, but he never lost his grip on me. I could feel the current over my hand, so I dropped the taser, releasing the trigger. Ivan sagged, wrapping his arms around me, and listed to the side, taking us both over the dock and into the churning water.

  I heard someone scream my name as I sunk into the dark depths. But it must’ve been my own brain screaming at me. Swim! Go up! Get to the surface! You’ll die if you don’t, Andi!

  I struggled, my arms and legs so heavy, so impossible to move. My lungs hurt like my chest was being crushed in a vise. I opened my eyes in the water, looking for a way out. Looking to save myself.

  I saw a form in the water near me. A hulking dark form. It reached for me. I kicked at it. Flailed my hands at it. Let me go! I know I screamed that, because water filled my mouth.

  Then the dark form was pulled back. Away from me, as if something had sucked it back with a powerful vacuum. I looked up, trying to see the surface, but everything was so black. So devoid of any life. I moved my arms, but I didn’t go anywhere. I kicked with my legs, but I made no progress. It was like trying to ride a bike in spin class. Around and around, legs aching, pulsating with effort, but going nowhere.

  This was it. This was the end. I couldn’t fight anymore. I just wanted to sit back and relax.

  Closing my eyes, I lowered my arms and let my body go. The cold around me hurt, clawing at my skin, piercing me with tiny shards of ice, but then a sudden warmth spread across me, and I smiled.

  I’d finally found peace as the darkness swallowed me whole.

  Chapter 25

  Electric pain shot through my hands first. Then my feet, and then my nose. I peeled one eye open, and I was bouncing up and down. Everything was blurry and unidentifiable. Except I wasn’t in the water anymore, fighting to breach the surface. I was on the beach, and I was being carried.

  I tried to move my head, but whoever had me squeezed me tighter.

  Then I heard a voice. “Andi!” It was Ginny.

  I opened my eye again to see her face hovering over mine. Mascara streaked her face from her tears.

  “Oh God, Andi.” She touched my cheeks and then she looked over my head. “Is she going to be okay?”

  “Let me put her down.”

  I was placed on a stone beach at the end of the dock, and several blankets were piled on top of me. Then another body pressed on top of me, rubbing at my arms. I opened both eyes and tried to smile as Luke massaged my arms and my hands.

  “You’re going to be okay, honey. You’re going to be okay.”

  Then there was a lot of commotion around us. More blankets came. Two of them were wrapped around Luke, and I saw Deputy Marshall’s face. He was shouting out orders to others around us. People I didn’t recognize. The chaotic motions were too much for me, so I just concentrated on Luke’s face. His beautiful face.

  “I like your lips,” I croaked, then I winced. My throat hurt, like I’d swallowed glass.

  “I like yours, too,” he said while he continued to rub my arms and hands. The pain was starting to fade.

  I pursed my lips and tried to lift my head. He held me still, then leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I couldn’t feel them. I couldn’t feel anything. Then everything went black.

  When I woke again, I was in a hospital room. It was dark, but I could hear the beeping of machines hooked up to my body and the hum of the whole hospital coming through the vents. I tried to evaluate my body by starting with my toes, trying to wiggle them, and then tightening each muscle group all the way up to my face. I hurt, that was for sure. I had aches and pains in every nook and cranny.

  Slowly, I turned my head. Next to the bed, slumped in a chair, eyes closed, was the sheriff. His hand was on the bed, hooked underneath mine. With everything I had, I moved my fingers and squeezed his hand.

  He jerked awake, springing forward. He blinked rapidly, probably trying to clear his mind, and then he smiled at me. “You’re awake.”

  I licked my lips and then whispered, “I think so.”

  “How do you feel?”

  “Sore. Tired. Alive.”

  “Alive is good.” He squeezed my hand.

  I licked my lips again, and Luke grabbed the plastic water cup on the tray table. He brought the straw to my lips, and I sipped some water. It was room temperature, thank goodness. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to drink cold water again without getting the shakes.

  “So, did we get the bad guys?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Yeah. We did.”

  “Good.”

  “The feds came in, and they took Victor and Beatrice into custody.”

  “What about Buttercup?”

  His lips twitched upward. “Um, I believe Daisy has him in custody.”

  “Good. He’s a sweet little dog. He shouldn’t be punishe
d for having a horrible owner.” I could see in Luke’s eyes that he was waiting for me to ask about Ivan. But I wasn’t going to. I knew what had happened. I knew he was dead.

  I shuffled a bit in the bed. My neck was starting to ache from turning and talking. Luke pushed the button that lifted the head of the bed, so I didn’t have to move much to see him.

  “How…how did you find me?”

  “I figured something was going on, especially after I discovered you swiped the SIM card out of my pants pocket.”

  I refrained from smiling.

  “I did a little more digging on the marina because you had been so adamant that Ivan had gone there. I found a registration under the name Beatrice Orlov for a boat. I checked that name and found it was the maiden name for Beatrice Sorokin. I discovered the boat had been moored there a few times. I knew the boat had to be somewhere.” He kissed my hand and admitted, “Basically, Shawn told me he’d dropped you off at the stony beach dock.”

  “Wow, I can’t believe Shawn did the exact opposite of what I thought he’d do.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, go figure.”

  The door to my hospital room opened, and Ginny rushed in. Followed by the rest of the Park family: Lois, Eric, Nicole, and Samuel. Ginny came to the other side and literally tried to climb into the bed with me. Lois had to nudge her off.

  “You’ll crush her, Ginny.”

  With tears running down her face, Ginny grabbed my other hand and squeezed tightly. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it hurt like hell. “You’re okay. Right? You’re okay?”

  “I’m okay,” I said.

  Lois touched my foot through the blanket. “You saved our Ginny. We won’t ever be able to thank you enough, Andi.”

  I looked at each of the Parks. I didn’t know how to tell them that they had saved me years ago. They had given me the family I’d always dreamed of having. And in my neediest time, they had opened their arms to me without question and welcomed me home.

  They had already thanked me in more ways than I could ever repay. Thinking of leaving them again to go to Hong Kong, after I’d just moved here from California, overwhelmed me with sadness. How could I possibly turn my back on them now?