All Summer Long: A Novel Part 31

The conversation went on for another hour, and every plausible explanation for where Maritza might be found led to a dead end.

"Jack? At daylight send a couple of our guys ash.o.r.e with pictures of Maritza to ask around if anyone saw a woman who looks like her getting off a boat between ten-thirty and midnight. Let's try to keep this quiet, okay?"

"Sure thing," Jack said.

"This is a little bit unbelievable," Buddy said. "I mean, I keep asking myself if wrecking a cake and a catfight with an ex-wife is enough to make somebody commit suicide, and I just don't think it is."

"Yeah, but we're men, and if we knocked over a cake we'd say we were sorry and that would be the end of it. I mean, ruining someone's wedding cake is pretty awful, but it's not the end of the world," Sam said. "Maybe she slipped?"

"That's not exactly what happened," Olivia said. "I was standing right there."

"So," Bob said, "walk us through it."

"Okay. So, Colette walked up to Maritza and Kitty and me and made the announcement that I was going to totally renovate an historic home in Charleston that she just bought."

"I didn't even know she had one," Bob said.

"That doesn't surprise me," Sam said. "Why would you know?"

"Yeah, you've got a few things going on in your life," Buddy said.

"Anyway, I think that upset Maritza."

"Why would that upset her?" Bob said. "Why should she care?"

"To be honest?" Olivia said. "Maritza is a very sensitive woman, and perhaps she thought I was betraying her in some way."

"Why would she think that?" Bob said. "You're the Vasile interior designer for all my wives! Always were and always will be. The bills all come to me anyway!"

"That may be true, but Colette was pretty aggressive. She tried to engage her in an argument by stating that she and Kitty were the only Mrs. Vasiles who mattered."

"Aw, come on! That's some high school horses.h.i.t," Bob said. "And Maritza got her feelings hurt?"

"It was very rude, Bob." Olivia said. "You have to give her that."

"Okay, but she knows how Colette feels about her." Bob said.

"Bob, just because she knows doesn't mean it's okay for Colette to tell her she was worthless and that you regretted the day you met her," Olivia said. "I mean, I'm sorry to say all this, but you want the truth, so here it is."

"G.o.d, she's awful. Colette, I mean. How did her dress get torn?" Bob said.

"Colette stepped on the hem. I saw that much," Nick said.

"She's a crazy b.i.t.c.h. She always was," Bob said.

"No comment," Sam said.

"Nothing from me either," Buddy said.

Olivia added, "And then you and Daniel stepped in and actually, Bob, it was you who lost your balance, throwing her off balance. You were able to recover, but Maritza was wearing very high heels, and then she got tangled up in her gown, so down she went."

"That's not how I remember the moment, but you might be right," Bob said.

"There have been more than a few studies done on the difference in how things are perceived and how they are remembered," Nick said. "If ten people had witnessed what happened between Maritza and Colette, you might get ten different responses."

"I know that's true, Nick, but Colette really is the meanest woman I ever married. Everyone would agree to that," Bob said with a straight face. "Lucky I got out of that one."

"Well, I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me," Olivia said. "And maybe you weren't aware of this either, but Maritza and I achieved a level of friendship that I never enjoyed with your other wives, which is why I think she was probably upset that Colette could be so rude to her and then I'd go to work for Colette."

"Maybe, but that's so silly, Olivia," Bob said. "You shouldn't feel any guilt. You've got bills to pay like everyone else in the world."

"True story," Olivia said. "I sure do."

Bob gave Olivia a glance, reminding himself that she lost a chance to renovate and redesign a twenty-six-million-dollar house on Nantucket. How many jobs had she pa.s.sed on to make herself available for Bob? He would be extra generous with Colette, even though she was insufferably evil, and tell her to give Olivia a free hand to buy whatever she thought would dignify the house.

"So the question still remains, Where is Maritza?" Nick said. "What happened and where did she go? And why? Maybe she just couldn't take it anymore."

Bob dismissed that idea, looked at his watch, and said, "Well, I don't know. But I do know we're not going to solve this tonight. We need some answers. Maybe someone saw her. Maybe she's just over on Ibiza in some hotel, cooling off. I certainly do not believe she attempted to commit suicide. I mean, I can understand why she might not want to deal with Colette anymore. She's so vile she even gives me the w.i.l.l.i.e.s. Anyway, my prediction is Maritza will turn up. Let's try to get some sleep. There's nothing more to be done for now."

With that Bob got up and left the room.

When Olivia and Nick turned out the light in bed, Nick rolled over to Olivia and said, "Well, I have a theory."

"Let's hear."

"Like you, I think Maritza has just plain had it with this entire cast of characters, including her obnoxious daughter," Nick said.

"Well, you see that's the thing that's troubling me. Even though Gladdie is very overly indulged, Maritza really loves her. I don't see her abandoning her only child. Can you?"

"No, on second thought, I think you're definitely right about that."

She rolled over toward Nick to see his face and he was already asleep, blowing little puffs of air through his lips.

How do men do that? she thought. They just lie down and go to sleep. Amazing.

They slept until eight o'clock and Olivia woke up, remembering what had happened the night before. She and Nick hurried to dress for breakfast and wanted nothing more than to go to the table to see that Maritza was there, safe and sound.

It was not to be.

Bob was there reading the news on his iPad. Ellen was seated to his right and Gladdie was in between them, eating pancakes with her fingers. Colette was on his left, smiling and pretending to be the hostess, chatting up Dorothy and Mich.e.l.le. Knowing that Colette was at the root of all the hullabaloo, which he deemed to be totally juvenile and unnecessary, Bob turned his chair away from her to better ignore her.

By the clench of Ellen's jaw, Olivia surmised that Ellen was not happy with Colette's presumption to the throne.

The bride and groom had already left for Saint-Tropez. Bob had been there to see them off, but he did not think it was a good idea to throw a shadow on their honeymoon with the story about Maritza. It wasn't necessary.

Everyone else was in various stages of arriving and leaving the breakfast table and perhaps they were somewhat subdued, but the mood was almost like it was business as usual.

"Good morning, Bob," Olivia said. "Any news?"

"Cappuccino?" a crew member asked her.

"Yes, two, please, and grapefruit juice? Thanks."

"Good morning," Bob said. "No, not yet. But I'm sure she's fine. She'll turn up."

"You seem awfully sure about that," Nick said. "Um, I'd like a Swiss cheese and mushroom omelet."

The crew member looked at Olivia with a questioning expression. Their boss's wife may have been missing, but people still had to eat.

"I'll just find something on the buffet," Olivia said, adding, "Thanks."

"Well, Jack has his ear glued to the harbor news station and nothing has washed up on sh.o.r.e," Bob said as though he was casually looking for a lost large rubber duck. "And he's got a half-dozen men onsh.o.r.e asking around. I'm sure she'll turn up before lunch."

"This is simply terrible," Betty said. "Ernest is inside on his knees just praying as hard as he can for her safe return."

"Well, that's awfully nice," Bob said. "But make sure he gets something to eat."

Mich.e.l.le was less interested in the blather coming from Colette, and she strained to hear what Bob was saying.

"Bob," Mich.e.l.le said, "I'm a whole lot less sanguine than you about this. I think that if we don't know any more by lunch, we should plan to contact the authorities. Does anyone agree with me?"

Buddy said, "Shhh! Don't intrude, honey. And you don't want to frighten little ears." He motioned toward Gladdie.

"Agreed, Buddy. I told Dorothy to MYOB too," Sam said.

Dorothy was emotionally incapable of minding her own business, but the arrival of Colette had trimmed her sails. The line to ensconce oneself in Bob's sheets had grown overnight. Olivia couldn't help but wonder if Bob slept alone last night or not. It really would be the height of all bad taste to bonk the nanny or the ex-wife while your present wife was MIA and before you knew whether or not it was you who drove her to throw herself in the Balearic Sea.

"I suggest we all busy ourselves this morning with a good book or a movie until after lunch. The plan is to set a northeast course to see the eastern side of Majorca and drop anchor on the tip of Majorca and take the launch over to Cala Ratjada. There are some amazing caves there and a castle on top of the hill that has a clear view of Menorca."

"Excuse me, Bob," Betty said. "But we're not going to leave without your wife, are we?"

"Betty? She's a big girl. She knows where to find us," Bob said. "This is the biggest boat in the harbor. All she has to do is call a water taxi."

Betty had a look on her face that hung somewhere in between revulsion and incredulousness. That was the moment the thrill over Kitty's becoming a part of Bob's family was gone.

"Where's Mommy?" Gladdie said, looking around.

Bob, who always had an answer for everything, stumbled around for the right words and finally said, "Uh, she went to town to go shopping. She'll be back for lunch. Don't worry."

Gladdie sensed that he was lying and she didn't know what to say, so she started to cry, not like a spoiled brat, but like a frightened little girl. Bob's heart melted.

"Come on now," Bob said and Gladdie climbed on his lap. "There's my girl. Let's dry your eyes now, okay? Your mommy wouldn't leave you! She loves you!"

"I think I might spend the day, Bob," Colette said. "I haven't seen the Caves of Drach in ages!"

Ellen made some kind of guttural sound that bordered on a growl. Not loudly, but it was p.r.o.nounced enough for Colette to hear.

Colette swung around to Ellen and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Does the help have an objection?"

Everyone at the table was instantly riveted.

"Of course not," Ellen said.

"Of course not who?" Colette stared at her. "Answer me, Ellen. Whom are you addressing?"

Ellen stared back at her defiantly.

Colette smiled delivered a cla.s.sic Colette response. "I'm Mrs. Vasile, Ellen, and you're the hired help."

"Whoo!" Dorothy said and shook her head.

"Colette? Ellen? That's enough out of both of you." Bob said. "Ellen? Why don't you take my precious child to watch Frozen?"

"You're the ex-wife," Ellen said, lifting Gladdie into her arms. She walked slowly and finally went inside.

Mich.e.l.le smirked and said, "Pa.s.s the b.u.t.ter, please?"

Olivia looked around the table to see that Betty was completely horrified and nervously wrapping a m.u.f.fin in a napkin for Ernest. She couldn't get away from them and back to Ernest fast enough.

"Well, thank you for breakfast, Bob," Betty said. "If there's any word on Maritza, please let us know."

"Of course! Don't worry about her! She's fine."

Olivia and Nick were not going to discuss their doubts about Maritza's welfare or whereabouts with any of the others, but after breakfast they went forward to the deck chairs on the bow and had plenty to say to each other. There was a delicious salty breeze and the sun was climbing to the top of the sky. They sat and were alone together, stealing a moment of privacy to share their thoughts.

"Well, we've got ourselves a h.e.l.luva situation here," Nick said. "What if the poor girl did fall off the boat or what if she got pushed? There were a few people last night who could've had motive."

"I think so too. But who are you thinking? Colette? Dorothy?"

"Maybe. And even Daniel. I've heard him make plenty of catty remarks about Maritza. Isn't it always the cla.s.sic problem with divorce that the children want their parents to stay together at any cost? He could've done it for Colette's sake. And I'm sure he thought Maritza was spending his inheritance every time she opened her wallet."

"Do you think Daniel was so stupid that he didn't notice Bob's involvement with Ellen? A dead Maritza wouldn't bring Bob back to Colette."

"True. That's true. I guess we can rule out the likelihood of Daniel pushing her. But what about the others?"

"I think they're total b.i.t.c.hes but not murderers. Can you see Colette or Dorothy wearing orange for ten to twenty? They'd die."

"So, okay. Let's take murder off the table for the moment. Do you think she might have jumped?"

"No."

"Kidnapped?"

"I can't see it. I think Bob humiliated her one too many times. I think Maritza has plain had it. And remember he said how disappointed he was in her?"

"I surely do. It was awful."

"Bob doesn't realize he makes himself look bad when he says things like that. And you want to know something that contradicts everything we're saying?"