Fatal Tide

by Iris Johansen

  “Why, you son of a bitch,” Kelby murmured. “So you set Archer on Melis’s trail.”

  “I told you, I didn’t want to do it. It’s not as if she was the target. We just wanted to make her upset enough so that she’d turn to you to help her. I knew you’d make Marinth a bargaining chip. You know what’s important.”

  “Do I?”

  “I tried for six years to get her to use the dolphins. You can understand. I had to have Marinth.”

  “But you don’t have it,” Melis said. “Kelby has it.”

  Lontana glanced away from her. “I may not have the glory, but I’ll know that I was the one who made it all possible.” He shrugged. “As for any profit, I’m getting older. I don’t need much money. All I want is to stay here and watch Marinth come to life.”

  “And you’ve been here in this cottage all this time?”

  “Except when I was out in the boat keeping an eye on you with my binoculars.” He smiled eagerly. “Admit it, Melis. Wasn’t it a thrill? I wish I’d been down there with you. When I saw you pull up those nets, I wanted to shout with joy.”

  “You were in the second boat I saw,” Nicholas said.

  Phil nodded. “You surprised me that time. And you are . . .”

  “Nicholas Lyons.”

  “Oh, yes, I’ve heard of you.”

  “You know a lot about what’s been going on, don’t you, Phil?” Melis asked slowly. “Do you think I’m idiot enough to believe you’d be content to sit on the sidelines and watch someone else get credit for finding Marinth?”

  “Believe what you like.”

  “I will. But I don’t like it.” She tried to steady her voice. “Do you know what I believe? I’m beginning to think you’re as guilty as Archer. I’m putting together the pieces. What was the deal? Archer was to torment me until I was desperate enough to do what you wanted. What were you going to get in return? And don’t tell me it was a chance to stay here and experience Marinth secondhand.”

  “I never wanted to hurt you, Melis. I knew Archer couldn’t break you. But you had to be urged along.”

  “Urged?” She had a moment’s memory of those nightmare conversations. That hideous moment when she had stared down at Carolyn’s body. “Oh, yes, he was very persuasive. But what was your price, Phil?”

  He shifted uneasily. “I think you’d better leave now.”

  “Not yet.” Kelby took a step closer. “Let’s talk about targets. You said Melis wasn’t the target. Who was the target, Lontana?”

  Phil started to turn and go back into the cottage.

  “It was you, Kelby,” Melis said. “From the beginning it was you. All Archer put me through was just to keep us heading toward Marinth. To unsettle me, keep me off balance, make sure I kept on pushing you. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to get those research papers from me. Isn’t that right, Phil?”

  “Nonsense.”

  “You wanted Marinth. You set Kelby up to find it for you. But what happens after he finds it? I think you told Archer to kill Kelby and destroy the Trina so that you could move in on the project. That would be the only payoff that would make sense. Marinth and Kelby’s death for your research papers. Why did you move that chest from the mountain?”

  He was silent a moment and then he shrugged. “I knew Archer was probably playing a double game. He was aware that you knew where the chest was. If he could get the research from you, he’d do it and leave me out in the cold.”

  “You mean he wouldn’t take me down,” Kelby said.

  “I’m not admitting anything,” Phil said. “Actually, I think I could like you, Kelby. We have a good deal in common.”

  “Archer was playing a double game. He was expecting you to come to the mountain tonight to help me, Kelby,” Melis said. “I was surprised he was upset when his men didn’t find anyone in the woods. He expected you to be there. Then, if I was lying about the location of the chest, he could still get the research papers from Phil as the price for killing you. Where’s the chest, Phil?”

  He hesitated. “In the cabinet under the window seat.”

  “Weren’t you afraid Archer would come here and find it?”

  “He doesn’t know I’m here. I’m not stupid enough to let him get his hands on me. We communicate by phone. He’s a barbarian.”

  “And what are you, Phil?”

  “Go get the chest, Nicholas,” Kelby said.

  Nicholas nodded and started toward the house.

  “Those tablets are mine, and so is the research,” Phil said quickly. “You can’t take them away from me.”

  “Watch us,” Kelby said. “The tablets were found by Melis, and the research came from them. You get nothing, Lontana.”

  “Stop him, Melis. You know how hard I worked.”

  “You’re incredible,” Kelby said. “You actually expect her to help you?”

  “I helped her. I gave her a home when she needed it,” he said defensively. “If she hadn’t been so stubborn, none of this would have been necessary.”

  “I’ve got them. Papers and tablets.” Nicholas had come out of the cottage carrying a large wooden box. “I’ll go put them in the car.”

  “Don’t let him take them away, Melis. I only did what I had to do,” Phil said desperately. “I didn’t do anything really wrong. There are so many riches down there in Marinth. This sonic device was only the tip of the iceberg. I’m the only one who has the right to explore it. The entire world could benefit from what I find down there.”

  “Could it?” Melis’s voice was uneven. “At the moment I don’t really care how the world is going to be a better place because of your lies. I just want to know one thing. When you were trying to persuade Archer to fund Marinth, you evidently told him a good deal about me. You told him about Carolyn and my files?”

  He was silent a moment. “I might have mentioned them. He said he needed a hook. We were discussing options.”

  She felt sick. “Options? My God.” Rage seared through her. She took a step closer. “Carolyn died because you told him about her and those files. You son of a bitch. He butchered her.”

  His eyes widened. “She’s dead?”

  “What did you think would happen when you turned that bastard loose on her? No, you set everything in motion and then just sat here on your island and waited for Marinth to drop into your lap.”

  “I never intended for her to be hurt.”

  “Like you never intended for Kelby to be killed?”

  He moistened his lips. “I never admitted—”

  “You may be a dreamer, but you’re not a fool. Somewhere in the back of your mind you must have known what the possibilities were with Carolyn.” Her voice was shaking with rage. “You didn’t care about Carolyn. You didn’t care about Kelby. You didn’t care about me. You didn’t care about anything but Marinth.”

  “You’re not being fair. I cared about you. I’ve always been very fond of you, Melis.”

  “Have you? Is that why you forgot the years we spent together? Is that why you made a deal to kill Kelby? Is that why you let Archer kill my best friend? Is that why you let loose that murderer to tear me apart with his filth?”

  “It’s not my fault.” He tried to smile. “And no one could tear you apart. I know how strong you are. I knew you’d bounce back. You were always a gutsy—”

  “It’s no use talking to you. You’re as much a murderer as Archer, and you don’t even realize it. Well, I realize it. Damn you to hell, Phil.” She turned and stalked toward the car.

  “You never understood about Marinth. I was right,” he called after her. “It’s not my fault every little thing didn’t work out. You’ve got to get them to give back my chest. I need it.”

  Every little thing? Melis thought in astonishment. Three innocent people had died because of Phil’s passion for a dead city. He still didn’t realize the enormity of what he’d done. He probably never would.

  “I think letting Lontana sit here in his cozy little cottage is a mistake,” Kelby murm
ured as he opened the car’s back door for her. “Why don’t you and Nicholas wait for me while I go back and make sure Lontana never causes you this kind of grief again?”

  She shook her head.

  “Why not? He’s officially dead anyway.”

  He meant it. His expression was harder than she’d ever seen it.

  She shook her head again.

  He shrugged. “Okay. Maybe later. I guess you’ve gone through enough tonight.” He got into the backseat beside her. “Let’s go, Nicholas.”

  “He deserves it, Melis,” Nicholas said as he started the car. “You should reconsider.”

  “I know he deserves it. I . . . just can’t handle it right now. He did help me when I needed him. That keeps getting in the way.” She wearily rubbed her temple. “And he doesn’t even think he’s done anything wrong. He has a missing cog in his conscience where Marinth is concerned.”

  “How did you know it was Lontana?” Kelby asked.

  “I didn’t know. I guessed. It was all wrong. I was lying in that doctor’s cottage and trying to piece it together, but I couldn’t. You told me that you didn’t do it. And the only other two people who knew where it was buried were Phil and me.”

  “I could have been lying.”

  She shook her head. “I knew you weren’t. I’m sorry I had to ask you.”

  “I’m sorry too. I was ready to strangle you.”

  “I know. But I had to be sure. The other explanation was too wild for me to accept.” Her lips twisted. “No, that’s not true. It hurt too much to realize Phil could do that to me.”

  “I think Nicholas should turn the car around.”

  “No.” She leaned her head back on the seat. She was bone-weary and hurting in mind and body. And maybe in her heart. She had mourned Phil in Athens, but the separation she felt now was deeper, sharper, bitter. “If I didn’t do it and you didn’t do it, then Phil had to have moved the papers. What reason would he have for doing it before his death? The Phil I thought I knew would have told me. Marinth meant everything to him. If he was in danger, he wouldn’t chance having all that knowledge lost forever.” She paused. “But he didn’t tell me. So that led me to start thinking of other possibilities, and I came up with something crazy. Only it wasn’t crazy, was it? It was sane and true and so ugly—”

  “Hush.” Kelby pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder. “It’s over, unless you want to change your mind about me going back to see Lontana. I’m at your service.”

  “That wouldn’t change things. I’m always going to remember that he wasn’t the friend I thought he was, that he sacrificed me for Marinth. I don’t want to remember his death too.”

  “Have it your way. But it would be a very pleasant memory for me.” His hand gently rubbed the back of her neck. “Does your wound hurt?”

  “Some.” His body felt warm and strong and full of life against her. And, my God, Phil had coldly made a deal to snuff out that life. That was more terrible than all the torture Archer had put her through. He had to be punished. The anger would come, but now she was filled with sadness and loneliness. No, Kelby was gradually shutting out the desolation. How many times had he held her and comforted her like this in the short time they’d been together? She didn’t remember and she didn’t care. She didn’t want to be strong and independent right now. She’d take what she could get.

  “But Lontana hurt you more,” Kelby said. “And that’s not a wound I can heal, dammit.”

  “I don’t want to talk about him anymore.” Though she would probably live with that sense of betrayal for the rest of her life. “Are we near the dock?”

  “Another five minutes,” Nicholas said.

  “Good.” She wanted to get back to the ship and hide for a little while. There was still Archer to think about, but she couldn’t face it right now. She wanted to be away from this island.

  Away from Phil in his little cottage overlooking the deep blue sea that held his dream.

  It took Lontana three tries to get in touch with Archer. He tried to keep the panic from his voice when he finally reached him. “You promised me that you’d take Kelby out of the picture. You’ve got to do it now. I’ve got a ship waiting to take me out and claim salvage rights, but I can’t do it with him alive. He and the Trina have got to be destroyed right away.”

  “Where’s the research, Lontana?”

  “I’ve got it. Get rid of Kelby.”

  There was a silence. “Why did you call me tonight?”

  “Because you need to—” He drew a deep breath. “You tried to betray me. You tried to get my research from Melis tonight. That’s all right, I understand. But now you know that I’m the one who has it and you have to do what you promised.”

  “How do you know what happened tonight?”

  “Call me when you’ve done what we agreed upon and I’ll meet you and give you the research.” He hung up.

  Archer stared thoughtfully at the phone after he’d hung up from Lontana.

  The bastard was scared. And how the hell did he know Archer had tried to double-cross him tonight?

  Unless Kelby or Melis had told him.

  And how had they been able to tell him? Melis thought Lontana was dead. She certainly would not have his new phone number. Either he would have had to call her—not likely—or she would have had to talk to him in person.

  On Cadora.

  Yes.

  He’d been trying to locate Lontana since they’d struck the deal, and now he had him in his sights. He should have known the elusive bastard would want to be close to Marinth.

  Now he could go back to Cadora, scoop up Lontana and his damn research, and be home free.

  Had Archer believed him? Lontana wondered. Jesus, he had to believe him. He couldn’t let Kelby have Marinth. If Archer got rid of Kelby right away, everything would still be fine. Lontana would find a way of evading Archer’s vengeance later. Everything would work out if he just had Marinth.

  Marinth.

  He left the cottage and walked to the edge of the cliff. He felt his anxiety ebbing away as he stood looking out at the sea. Of course Archer believed him. Marinth had always been his destiny, and fate would not allow him to be cheated. It was waiting for him. He could almost hear it call him.

  “Lontana.”

  He stiffened and looked behind him.

  Black hair drawn back in a queue, dark eyes staring at him with implacable ferocity.

  His heart leapt with terror.

  He turned to run. An arm encircled his neck.

  He was dead seconds later.

  Kelby met Nicholas at the tender. “Would you like to tell me where you’ve been?”

  “Maybe.” He came on board. “How’s Melis?”

  “Asleep. She was exhausted. She almost fell unconscious when she hit the bed.” Kelby glanced toward the east. “Lontana?”

  “The poor man fell off the cliff and broke his neck.”

  “I see. You didn’t have to do that. It wasn’t your responsibility.”

  “Melis didn’t want you to do it. If she decided later that Lontana should be punished, it would have hurt her to do it herself.” He shrugged. “I was the logical choice.”

  “Why?”

  “The crazy son of a bitch was always going to be a threat to you as long as you held on to Marinth.”

  “But the threat was to me, Nicholas.”

  “A threat to my friends is a threat to me.” He smiled faintly. “It’s an old shaman saying.” He turned away. “Good night, Jed. Sleep well.” He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “Do we tell Melis about Lontana’s unfortunate demise?”

  “Not right away. She’s had enough to face lately.” He hesitated and then said gruffly, “Thanks, Nicholas.”

  Nicholas nodded and strode down the deck.

  Melis slept for a solid eight hours. But when she woke she still felt drugged—and lonely. Kelby had held her until she’d fallen asleep, but he wasn’t with her now.

  Well, what could she e
xpect? He’d been kind, but he didn’t want her leaning on him forever.

  And she didn’t want to lean. She’d taken a hard blow, but she had to get up and start swinging.

  She got out of bed and headed for the shower. Twenty minutes later she was climbing the steps to the deck. Nicholas was throwing fish into the sea and he turned as she came toward him. “Good afternoon. You look a lot better. How do you feel?”

  “A little weak and sore. Nothing that food and taking it easy for today won’t cure. How’s Pete?”

  “Hungry.” He threw another fish down to Pete, who was hovering near the side of the ship. “He’ll hardly let Susie have any. She doesn’t seem to mind though.”

  “I can see that.” Susie was rubbing sympathetically against Pete. “She knows he’s hurt.”

  “Are you sure we shouldn’t bring him aboard the ship to take care of him?”

  “Not unless we want to kill him. Kelby took out the spear, and I stopped the bleeding and gave him an antibiotic. He’ll heal faster in the seawater.”

  “I thought he was a goner when you brought him back.”

  So had Melis. That blood had terrified her. It was only later that she’d realized the attack could be used to make Archer believe he’d finally broken her. “We were lucky. Archer’s man had to work fast. It was a glancing strike, or it could have done serious damage.”

  “How soon do you think it will be before he’s his old self?”

  “Soon. He’ll tell us. He knows his body. Nature is a wonderful thing.”

  “That’s good. I like the guy. I like both of them. They kind of get to you.” He made a face. “Even though your blasted dolphins have turned me into a nursemaid.”

  “It’s good for you,” Kelby said as he came toward them. “You need a little softening.”

  “The pot calling the kettle,” Nicholas said. “One of you will have to do the next feeding. I need to jump in the tender and do a little reconnoitering.”

  Kelby nodded. “To see if Archer’s taken off?”

  “It’s a possibility.”

  “He won’t go,” Melis said. “Even if he didn’t still want the papers, he’s furious. He’ll think we fooled him. We sent him running and he’ll want revenge.”