Diver Down (Mercy Watts Mysteries) (29 page)

“That was so hot,” whispered Linda.
 

“Cause you’re hot,” said Frankie.

“We are so going to win this time. Seven rooms and we’re just getting started. Tony’s going to be so jealous.”

Hot. Sweaty. Other people’s rooms. Ewwww.
 

This didn’t exactly clear Frankie and Linda of the attacks on Lucia and Graeme, but at least I knew why they were trying to get into their room. I only hoped they hadn’t gotten into mine. I’d have to check my counter for butt prints. It was a new low. Somehow I just kept finding new and grosser ones.
 

Lucia, Graeme, and Aaron were still at our table. Graeme could hardly keep his eyes open, but he generously paid the check. Aaron and I put them back on the golf cart and drove them to their bungalow. By the time we got there, Graeme was awake again and wanting to go to karaoke night.
 

I got out of the golf cart. “Are you kidding? You’re lucky I let you go to dinner.”
 

“I’m feeling pretty good,” he said. “I’m alive and that’s something to celebrate.”
 

“Well, I can’t argue with that, but we don’t know the afteraffects of the antifreeze. You should take it easy.”
 

“What will we do?” asked Lucia. “I’ve had enough of those four walls.”
 

“Sleep. Get better,” I said.
 

“When will that be?”
 

“Everyone heals in their own time. But resting will speed things along.”
 

Graeme gave me a lopsided grin. “So we could heal fast and get back to our vacation.”
 

“Uh…yeah, sure. Please go to bed. Do it for me. I’m exhausted.”
 

Lucia climbed slowly out of the cart. “Okay. We’ll do it for you, but tomorrow’s another day.”
 

And I hope you survive it.

“Yes. We’ll start fresh tomorrow.”
 

Aaron helped Lucia inside and Graeme clung to me. He was a lot heavier than he looked and I swear I had a hernia popping out before I got him on the bed. I did a quick wound check, made sure Lucia took her meds, and locked them in.
 

“Aaron, can you return this cart for me?”
 

He got in and did a quick three-point turn.
 

“One more thing,” I said. “You know that hot chocolate you made for me at the hospital, could you do that again? I really need it.”
 

Aaron hit the gas or electric, whatever golf carts run on, and peeled out, spraying sand everywhere, including on me. I walked up to the room and put on one of Pete’s tees that I borrowed and never gave back. I curled up in bed with my Kindle with the neck pulled up over my nose. The shirt smelled like Pete. It smelled like someone who never ever investigated crimes on vacation, who knew exactly what to do all the time and rarely made mistakes. It smelled nothing like me.
 

Aaron came in record time, carrying a large mug. He gave it to me and watched while I sipped the comfort.
 

“I don’t know what to do next,” I told him.
 

“About what?”
 

“About Lucia and Graeme.”

“What about them?”
 

I took a big gulp after that one. “Hello, Aaron. Someone’s trying to kill them and I have no idea who. The cops’ best idea is me.”
 

“You didn’t do it.”
 

“I know that.” I drank the rest of my hot chocolate. “I’m going to sleep now.”

Aaron made no move to leave. If it were any other man on the planet, I would’ve thought he was hinting at joining me in bed, but since it was Aaron, I figured he was confused.
 

“You should go to your room and I’ll stay here.”
 

“I got to watch you. Tommy would want me to watch you.”
 

“Trust me. Dad doesn’t want you to watch me sleep.”
 

“Someone might try to kill you. I got to watch you.”
 

“I am too tired to have this conversation,” I said. “You go out to the sofa. Please don’t watch me while I sleep. It’s creepy.”
 

He left reluctantly and I dreamt that he slept curled up on the rug outside my door like a dog. He might’ve done it. I wouldn’t put it past him.
 

Chapter 13

“MERCY, WAKE UP.”
 

After some severe shoulder shaking, I rolled over. Aunt Tenne sat on the edge of my bed, holding the largest coffee mug I’d ever seen. Her hair was slicked back and held in place with a dozen red blossoms and she smelled like the ocean.
 

“You look nice,” I said.
 

“Thank you.” She lifted a lock of hair off my forehead and grimaced. “I was hoping this would be better this morning.”
 

“It has to get worse before it gets better.”
 

“Isn’t that always the way?” She gave me the mug. “Speaking of worse, the cops are here?”
 

I sipped the hot, but not terribly flavorful brew and sighed. “What now?”
 

“A tourist is missing.”
 

I jerked at her words and coffee slopped out, stinging my fingers and soaking the sheets. “What happened?” I shoved the mug at her and rolled off the bed.
 

“It’s not Lucia or Graeme. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
 

I bent over, breathing hard. My life had flashed before me. It was really short and there wasn’t nearly enough chocolate.
 

“Mercy?” Aunt Tenne patted me.
 

“I’m okay. Have you ever had your life flash before your eyes?”
 

She frowned and looked away. “Yes, I have.”
 

I took the mug back and gulped down half the remainder. “Are you ever going to tell me what’s going on with you?”
 

“The cops are here. Better put on some clothes.”
 

So I guess not.

Aunt Tenne left. I went in search of something clean and didn’t find it. I put on last night’s dress, which smelled faintly of the frat boys’ room and went out into the living room. Officer Tabora stood next to the door with his hand on his weapon. A younger cop fidgeted beside him until he got a load of me. His mouth dropped open. For once, I would’ve liked the compliment, since I felt so crappy, but it was probably my forehead and knees he was impressed with.
 

“Miss Watts,” said Tabora. “We’d like you to come with us.”
 

“Pass. Who’s missing?” I asked.

The younger cop smirked at me. “As if you don’t know.”
 

“If I knew who it was, I wouldn’t ask. My aunt says it’s not Lucia or Graeme, so I give up.”

“Andrew Thatcher,” said Tabora.

It was my mouth’s turn to drop. “The groom. No way. We just saw him last night.”
 

“We know. Mr. Thatcher disappeared sometime after dinner at The Aviary and before six o’clock this morning. How well do you know him?”
 

My mind raced. Andrew missing, not Colin. Colin was a better candidate in my book.
 

“Hardly at all,” I said. “We got open water certified together, but that’s about it.”
 

“You want to stick with that?”
 

“Yes. I don’t really know him. I don’t know everyone.”
 

“You were seen coming out of his room last night,” said Tabora.
 

Oh, shit! Do I lie? What would Dad do? Oh, hell. Dad wouldn’t have gotten caught. He wouldn’t have left fingerprints. Idiot.

I set the coffee mug on the mini fridge and put up my hands. “You got me. I was in their room last night for about ten minutes.”
 

Tabora couldn’t have been more surprised to hear the truth and that alone made it worth it. I loved surprising men. They always think they know me.
 

“You admit you were in his room?” he asked slowly.

“Yep. It was stupid, but I’d had a few.”
 

“A few what?”
 

“Glasses of wine. I’m a lightweight.” I grinned and tried to look like a saucy minx.
 

“So you were drunk and you broke into Thatcher’s room.”
 

“Not break in, went in.”
 

With the help of lock picks.
 

“Why did you
go
into his room?”
 

I swallowed.
Just do it. He already thinks you’re a sleazy slut.

“Andrew is really hot, so you know…”

“Spell it out for me.”
 

“Well…”
 

It’s okay. It’s not as bad as the trash can thing.

“I was going to hide in his room and seduce him, but he didn’t come back,” I said.
 

“You wanted to get naked in
that
room?” asked Tabora with a snort.
 

It is as bad. That room’s like the inside of a trash can.
 

“Like I said, he didn’t come back. No harm. No foul.”

Tabora’s young partner jiggled his handcuffs and a bead of sweat ran down his cheek. His eyes scanned my injuries. He flushed and his breathing sped up. What did the lie spotting handbook say about that? Sexual attraction.
 

Oh, crap. That’s just what I need.
 

“Mercy Watts, you’re under arrest for breaking and entering,” said Tabora. “Cuff her, Pinto.”
 

Pinto unclipped his cuffs so fast, you’d have thought it was his birthday. I stepped back and bumped into the mini fridge and the mug fell onto the tile, shattering in a million pieces. Aunt Tenne ran out of her bedroom. “What’s going on?”

“We’re arresting your niece,” said Tabora.

Aunt Tenne barged over, shoved me behind her, and put her finger in his face. “You are not. She’s a United States citizen.”
 

“I don’t care if she’s a citizen of Mars. I’m arresting her for breaking and entering.”
 

“No, you’re not,” I said. “You think I kidnapped Andrew Thatcher.”
 

“That’s ridiculous,” said Aunt Tenne. “She was here all night.”
 

Pinto tried to dodge my aunt’s large form and grab my wrist.

“That guy isn’t putting handcuffs on me,” I said.

“It’ll be worse if you resist me,” said Pinto.
 

“I doubt it.”
 

“Get her, Pinto,” said Tabora.
 

That’s when it hit me. Aunt Tenne could hold them off only for so long. I was going to be arrested in a foreign country. Scenes from
Locked Up Abroad
ran through my mind. For the first time in my life, I was beyond Dad’s long reach. He couldn’t help me. Pinto would put handcuffs on me and I wouldn’t be able to protect myself. He liked my bruises and he’d make more.
 

“She was here all night,” said Aunt Tenne. “Mercy doesn’t even know that man.”
 

“She wanted to have sex with him,” said Tabora.

“Mercy!”

“I don’t know. It seemed like a good idea,” I said, jumped to her other side away from Pinto’s grasping hand.
 

“What about Pete?”
 

“Who’s Pete?” asked Tabora.

“Her boyfriend,” said Aunt Tenne.
 

“You have two boyfriends?”
 

“Yes!” I yelled as Pinto grabbed the hem of my dress and I slapped the crap out of him. “No!”
 

“Which is it?” asked Tabora.

“Neither.”
 

“Mercy!” said Aunt Tenne. “I’m ashamed of you.”
 

“Me, too,” I said.
 

“Pinto, arrest her!” yelled Tabora.
 

“I’m trying to, but she won’t stay still. I like that.” He lunged at me and we went down on the tile.

Aunt Tenne smacked Pinto on the back of the head. “Stop that. She didn’t do it.”
 

Tabora yanked her back. “You weren’t here last night. You don’t know where she was.”
 

Aaron walked in, eating a foot-long hot dog. He chewed and watched Pinto trying to cuff me.
 

“Tell him, Aaron!” I yelled.
 

“Huh?”
 

“Where I was last night!”

Pinto pinned me and got one cuff on.

“Where?” asked Aaron.
 

“Aaron, he’s arresting me in Honduras. Honduras! Tell him where I was last night. He thinks I kidnapped Andrew Thatcher.”
 

“Oh.” He took a bite and thought about it.
 

“Aaron!”
 

“She was here. I put her to bed,” he said.

Tabora looked at the ceiling. “And where were you?”
 

Aaron chewed.
 

Oh, god! Please be a normal guy. Be where a normal guy would be.

“In bed with her?” he asked.
 

Yes!

“You aren’t sure?” asked Tabora.
 

Aaron looked at his dog. It was more interesting than me on the floor with one handcuff and a cop on top of me.
 

Aunt Tenne poked him.
 

“We had sex like next to the trash can,” said Aaron finally.
 

I want to die.

Aunt Tenne stared down at me. “Mercy, what is he saying?”
 

“I’m disgusting. It’s time you knew the truth,” I said. “But I don’t know anything about Andrew. I would’ve thought Colin would be the one, if anyone.”
 

Pinto grabbed my free wrist and inched it closer to the other cuff.
 

“Stop, Pinto,” said Tabora.
 

You never saw a man so disappointed, but he did roll off, thankfully. That wasn’t a banana in his pocket.
 

“What was that about Colin?” asked Tabora.