Terrors Of The High Seas Part 41

Dar decided Kerry needed a hug. Accordingly, she slid an arm around her and pulled her closer, then enfolded her in both arms.

She felt Kerry's exhalation warm against her skin. "All right," she murmured. "Let's hold on a minute and see if we can get a handle on this."

"Buh." Kerry buried her face into Dar's shoulder. "I want my milkshake."

Dar chuckled faintly. "Listen."

"I'm listening."

"We fixed Bud and Charlie's problem."

Kerry nodded. "Right."

"We ticked off Wharton, and maybe now he'll call DeSalliers on the carpet."

"Right."

"Here's what we're gonna do. The cops are on their way here to talk to us. We're gonna tell them the whole seven-layer Mexican bean dip these last couple days have been. The pirates, DeSalliers, the works."

"Okay."

"Then we're gonna go out, and dive a gorgeous blue hole and see that cave I was telling you about before we left Miami."

"Ooh. This is getting more interesting."

"Then we're gonna have dinner on the boat under the stars."

Dar rubbed Kerry's ear gently. "And when we get back here, we're going to enjoy that hot tub with a bottle of cold wine and a big bowl of strawberries."

"Mm." Kerry relaxed against Dar's body. "That sounds awesome," she said. "But you know what?"

"What?"

"I'd be just as happy to spend the entire time just like this instead," Kerry said. "I like the idea of telling the police everything, Dar. Even if they are in on whatever is going on with the pirates, it would make me feel better just to say it."

Dar nodded. "So here's how I think we should play it." She felt a little more stable. "Let's not mention that we know who the pirate is, or that we know it's not the first time. We'll do the outraged- American-executives-on-interrupted-holiday routine."

"Gee, that's a stretch." Kerry chuckled.

240*

"You know what I mean."

"Like we did with the hotel manager." Kerry nodded. "I get it."

She considered. "Because if we tell him all we know, the first question they're going to ask is why didn't we come forward before?"

"Mm."

"And, why we didn't just leave the island and get out of the situation."

Dar sighed.

"Wish we had?"

"Yeah." Dar nodded. "But you know what? Once they'd gotten it into their d.a.m.n stupid heads that we had something from that wreck, I'm not sure we could have."

No. Kerry thought back over the last few days. Their big mistakes were diving the wreck, and saving Bob. She straightened a little inside the circle of Dar's arms, not sure she would have avoided either event, despite what they were going through now.

She thought about Dar's observation. "You know, I think you're right."

Dar grinned. "However, if you want to go on feeling crummy about it, I'll be glad to sit here and comfort you all day long."

Kerry started laughing. "G.o.d, you know, this whole thing is just so ridiculous," she said. "The only thing that could top it, is if it started snowing."

Dar glanced at the window in pure reflex. "Right." She unclipped her phone and dialed a number. "Better tell Bud what room we're in." She listened, but after two rings the phone switched to voice mail. "Hm." Dar waited for the beep, then spoke.

"Bud, it's Dar. Give me a buzz when you get this, and I'll tell you where we are." She closed the phone.

Kerry eyed her. "You don't think he's going to run off, do you?

He seemed really spooked about those men who were following us up the hill.

"I don't know." Dar c.o.c.ked her head as she heard footsteps approaching. "Ah. That's either room service or the cops." She reluctantly released Kerry and went to answer the knock. "Or both."

Outside the door were the manager, a tall, thin man in a khaki uniform, a room service waiter, and most importantly, two chocolate shakes and a pot of coffee. Dar opened the door and waved them all in, neatly stealing one of the shakes as the waiter pa.s.sed by.

The manager waited until the waiter put down the tray and Dar signed the check. After the man left, the manager cleared his throat.

"Ms. Roberts and Ms. Stuart-this is Captain Alalau, who is in charge of the police. I have asked him to come and investigate this*241 destruction of our property and of your peace of mind."

Kerry almost applauded at the speech. The police captain seemed reserved, but politely friendly. "Captain, why don't you sit down? This might take a few minutes to explain,"she said. "And you too, Mr. Brack."

"Thank you, Ms. Stuart," the policeman answered in a gracious tone. He and the manager sat down. "You are most kind. I understand how upset you and Ms. Roberts must have been to come and find your room in such disarray."

"After the week we've had?" Dar came around the couch and handed Kerry her shake, then sat down next to her on the couch facing the two men. "You could say that, yes."

The officer leaned forward. "Mr. Brack tells me you knew this woman? Is this true?"

"We think so," Kerry said. "Based on the description from the housekeeper, she's one of two people who have been bothering us while we were here on the island."

"Ahh." Captain Alalau nodded. He had a handsome, finely sculpted face, and almost nonexistent hair. "That would be Mr.

DeSalliers' two employees, would it not?"

Dar's eyebrow twitched. "You know him?"

The captain produced an almost imperceptible sigh. "Ms.

Roberts, there are few here who do not," he said. "He is a very well- known, well-connected man here, and is used to getting his way.

His agent came to speak with me today, in fact, to lodge a complaint."

Dar's other brow lowered. "Against us?" she hazarded a dour guess.

The officer pressed his lips into a faint smile. "No. Against another man they claim is encroaching on a wreck they are attempting to recover."

"Ah," Kerry said. "Bob."

Now it was the officer's turn to look surprised. "You know this man? We have been searching for him. There are charges being pressed." He looked from Kerry to Dar and back. "I have a warrant for his arrest."

"Ah."

The manager glanced between them, obviously at sea. "If they are after this other man, why then did they come into your hotel room?"

Dar leaned back. "All right." She lifted one hand. "Let's just start from the beginning, shall we?"

The officer took a pad and a pencil from his pocket. He scribbled a few notes. "That is an excellent idea," he said. "I am sure we can clear up this unfortunate situation once we have all the facts."

242*

Kerry sucked on her shake and tried not to smile, hoping the facts didn't, in fact, send the man off screaming. She liked this policeman. Besides, she really wanted to hear what he'd been told about Bob.

Chapter.

Twenty-two.

"YOU KNOW SOMETHING, Dar?" Kerry was sprawled on her back on the big, comfortable bed. "I didn't realize just how wild the last couple of days had been until we told someone about them and watched their brain dribble out their ears."

"Errff." Dar made a small sound of bemused agreement. "I thought he was going to fall over when we told him about shooting at the pirates. Did you see that?"

Kerry nodded. "He knows something." She looked at Dar. "You were right. He was really relieved when you told him no one appeared to have gotten hurt."

"And did you see how fast he changed the subject?" Dar cracked her knuckles. "All right. So now they know everything."

"And boy, I bet they wish they didn't."

Dar smiled. "The captain said he was going to haul in our detective friends if he could find them, and he's contacting DeSalliers to make sure he leaves us alone."

"I think we put in a few points for Bob," Kerry mused. "But we'd better warn him to lay low." She drew up her knees and stretched, arching her back. "But I'm really glad we got the police involved. I feel a lot better now."

Dar's ears twitched approvingly at that. "Yeah, even if he did look at us like we'd dropped a ticking bomb onto his desk," she agreed. "So, you up for a dive now that we've put things to bed?"

Kerry folded her hands across her stomach and considered.

"Yeah," she said after a moment. "I don't feel sick at all today. A dive would be nice." She turned her head. "What did you mean about a blue hole?"

Dar grinned and held out a hand. "Come with me, Yankee. I'll show ya."

Unable to resist that kind of invitation, Kerry rolled up off the bed and joined Dar, taking her hand as Dar shouldered the backpack and they headed for the door. "Make sure you lock it."

She had their overnight bag in her hand, just in case.

Dar snorted. "I'm willing to bet anyone who opens this door for 244*

someone gets their fingers cut off." She opened her cell phone and dialed Bud's number again. "C'mon, Bud, you d.a.m.n big chicken.

Answer the phone."

But still, it went to voice mail. Dar shook her head. "Bud, we're heading out for some water time. Let us know how Charlie's doing, okay?" She considered a moment. "We just got finished telling the cops everything. I think we're clear now. Gimme a call." With a frown, she closed the phone and restored it to her belt. "d.a.m.n stubborn old mackerel."

"Give him the benefit of the doubt, Dar," Kerry chuckled.

"Maybe he's getting Charlie out of the hospital. If it were me, I wouldn't be answering my phone either."

"Mmph." Dar rocked her head from side to side. "He doesn't call back in a little while, I'll call the hospital and find out what's going on."

They walked together to the lobby and out the front door. The sun was out, and everything seemed peaceful and quiet, back to the sleepy friendliness of normality again. They made it down to the dock without incident.

The docks were fairly busy; boats were pulling in and out. Dar noticed there was no sign of DeSalliers' monster. They reached their slip and she paused to check the boat over before they boarded, but the vessel seemed untouched, floating in its a.s.signed s.p.a.ce. "Looks okay."

Kerry hopped over and jumped to the stern deck, going to the door and peering inside.

Dar unlocked the door and pushed it open, and they entered to find it rea.s.suringly just as they'd left it. Even the apple Kerry had left on the countertop was still in place, beckoning invitingly to her as she crossed the floor and took possession of it.

Dar continued on and poked her head into the rooms in the bow, then returned looking satisfied. "Well, if they did search the place, they didn't leave any marks."

Kerry nodded and took a bite of the apple. It crunched pleasantly, mostly sweet and a little tart against her tongue. It felt good to be back on board their traveling home, and she felt herself relaxing and looking forward to their dive. "Tell you what. You go get the gerbils hustling, and I'll check out our gear. Deal?"

"Deal." Dar circled her and leaned in for a kiss. The brief notion lengthened as Kerry put her apple down and returned the kiss with gentle pa.s.sion. When they parted, she rested her forehead against Kerry's and nibbled the tip of her nose affectionately. "I think things are looking up."

"I think they are, too." Kerry tilted her head up and brushed her lips against Dar's again, coaxing her into a longer, deeper exploration. "Oh, definitely," she whispered, lifting her hand to*245 caress Dar's cheek. She felt the skin under her thumb move as Dar smiled.

They loitered together a few minutes longer, then reluctantly parted and went about their separate tasks. Kerry ducked down into the gear room and set aside their buoyancy compensators. She felt the engines rumble to life as she carefully checked Dar's regulator, connecting it to a single tank they kept strapped to the wall for exactly that purpose and pressurizing it.

c.o.c.king her head to one side, she listened for leaks, then shut the valve and repeated the process with her own equipment.

Satisfied, she slung both regulators over her shoulder and picked up the BCs on her way out the door.