Dreamboat (32 page)

“I bet I know what the yes part is,” Anasthasia said with a laugh. “Couldn't help noticing you and Luca making nice-nice.”

Crissy smiled. “That's definitely a dream part,” she replied. “Do you want something to drink, Anasthasia? Luca said I shouldn't with the tranquilizer, but there's plenty in the minibar if you'd like something.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I'm still on duty, but what the hell? My duty is to watch over you right now. If you'll kindly spread out on the bed and look like you're resting, then I'll sit down here and have a little drink and watch you.”

They both laughed. Anasthasia, rather fearsome-looking amazon that she was, also had a sharp sense of humor, Crissy thought.

Crissy stretched out on the bed, propped up on pillows, and watched as Anasthasia went through the minbar, looking for what she wanted. “Aha,” she said at last. “Just what I was looking for.” She rose to her feet with a bottle of Mythos beer, a popular Greek brand. She popped the top and took a long swig. “Ahhh, that tastes good.” She looked at Crissy. “Sure you don't want something?”

“No,” Crissy said. “I'm fine.”

“How's your lip feel,” Anasthasia asked.

“Sore, that's all,” Crissy said. “It could've been a lot worse. My nose feels sore, too, but Luca said it'll probably be okay tomorrow.”

“You're lucky,” Anasthasia said, “because if you hadn't alerted Security the way you did, he might have gotten away with this. Bastard. I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.”

“Have you had things like this happen before?” Crissy asked.

“You bet,” Anasthasia replied, “but of course I'm not supposed to talk about it. The cruise line likes to pretend that every cruise is paradise on earth, you know.”

“How did you get into this work?” Crissy asked out of curiosity.

“It's a long story,” she said, “but I did time in the Israeli army, then came back home to Greece. Looked around for work, then ended up doing this because I had a couple of friends who were doing it. Sort of an accident, but I like it. And I'm good at it. They need women to handle some things, you know. Like today. Some of the men tiptoe around
situations like this. Sometimes they also band together against the victim, especially a female victim. That little shit Vilos might have convinced Christopolous and the others that you really had been after him. But he couldn't deny what one of his own heard and saw. That's
me.
” She pointed at her chest. “Now we've got the bastard by the short and curlies.”

“Thank God,” Crissy said. “I still wonder about the telephone calls he said he didn't make. They know that the last one came from a public telephone, so they don't know who made it. Christopolous said they'll put a videocam there and try to catch whoever it is on film.” Crissy sighed. “So we don't know anything more than we did, except for one thing.”

“What's that?” Anasthasia asked.

“That Mark Vilos is a rapist, or a potential one.”

Anasthasia looked pleased. “The fucker. And maybe we can keep him and his sick dick off the streets for awhile at least.” She sipped her beer.

Crissy could feel her body relaxing and her mind slow down. The tranquilizer had started to work earlier, but now she felt that it was overpowering her, rendering her thinking processes slow, her body limp. “Wow,” she said. “I don't know what Luca gave me, but it must have been strong.”

“You just go with it,” Anasthasia said. “This has been a shock to your system, and you need rest.”

“But what about you?” Crissy said.

“Sweetheart, pretend I'm not here,” Anasthasia said. “Just drift off. I'm going to rest my feet awhile, so don't you worry. I'll be here.”

After all she'd done for her, Crissy felt that she should stay awake and entertain Anasthasia, but sleep overwhelmed her. She fell into a deep and peaceful slumber before she could say another word.

The big woman slipped off her sneakers and socks, wiggled her toes, and massaged her feet, then propped them up on the bed next to Crissy's. She was wearing a pager in case anyone wanted her, in addition to the cell phone she carried at all times, but she doubted that Christopolous would try to get hold of her unless it was to check up on Crissy. The young woman was a material witness in an attempted rape case now, and she was the doctor's girlfriend. Not only that, Anasthasia thought, but she had a case against Mark Vilos. Whoa! She didn't even want to think about the implications of that. She knew her job was on the line because she had given a statement that sent the shipowner's son to the brig. Georgios Vilos
was going to know about it, if he didn't already.
Well,
she thought,
I didn't have a choice, did I? Not if I wanted to see justice served.

With somebody like Mark Vilos, it would be a miracle if he ever spent a day behind bars after leaving the ship's brig. Money coming out his ears and a very powerful family added up to the kind of “justice” that often meant a slap on the wrist, at best.

Crissy slept for a long time, and after she got up, she insisted that Anasthasia leave. “I'm going down to the hospital to have a late dinner with Luca,” she said, “so I'll be fine.”

“Okay, sweetheart,” Anasthasia said. “Just remember that if you need anything—anything at all—give us a call.”

Later, when Crissy reached the hospital, Voula took her to the back office, where the three of them had dinner together. Voula's behavior toward Crissy had radically changed when she discovered that Luca was serious about her and that Crissy wasn't simply another passenger chasing after him. They didn't discuss the earlier events, but laughed at Voula's stream of jokes and excellent mimicry. It was a wonderful respite from her worries, and Crissy left feeling buoyed up by their company.

“I'll see you in the disco,” Luca said, showing her to the door. “It shouldn't be long.”

“I'll be there,” she told him. “Bye.”

“Bye.” His lips formed a kiss, and Crissy returned it, then stepped out into the corridor. She went up to her cabin, freshened her hair and makeup, and decided to change into a cocktail dress.

When she finally reached the disco, she knew Luca wouldn't be there yet, but she looked toward the back of the room where the captain and his party usually sat. The captain and several other officers were there, but Luca hadn't yet arrived. Her gaze shifted to the dance floor, where she saw Rudy and Mina dancing. They were as elegant as ever, Rudy sweeping Mina about as if she were a weightless feather. Then she caught sight of Jenny and Dr. Von Meckling. Jenny was clasped firmly against him, her head on his shoulder, and they were moving very slowly together to their own time, which had little to do with the music.

She walked to the back of the large room to sit at a table along the curving banquette under the windows. She turned to the window behind her. Rain was lashing against it, but nothing beyond that was visible. Turning back around, she was surprised to see a man looming
over her in the darkness. It was Luca, and he was staring down at her, smiling.

“Oh, you scared me!” she said with a nervous laugh.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I wanted to surprise you.” He leaned down and kissed her, then sat down on the banquette next to her, sliding an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to him. “I should've realized that you might be . . . jumpy.”

“No,” Crissy said. “I'm not really. I'm just thrilled to see you.”

He kissed her again. “I find it very difficult to keep my hands off you,” he said.

“Would you like to go someplace where we can be alone?” Crissy asked.

“Let's dance first,” he said. He led her to the dance floor, took her into his arms, and they danced slowly, so absorbed in each other that they didn't notice the eyes that were observing them with interest. When the dance was over, they remained on the floor for another, then another, in their own world, enjoying being together to the extent that the rest of the world hardly existed. They returned to their table at last and sat down.

“When you're ready to leave, let me know,” he said.

“I'm ready,” she replied, “unless you want to stay for one more.”

He shook his head and grinned. “I think we'll have a better time elsewhere, don't you agree?”

“You'll get no argument from me,” she replied.

They got up and left the disco. “Do you mind if we step out on the deck?” Crissy asked. “I'd like to see the wild, raging sea. It's like a scene out of Melville.”

“I should say no,” Luca replied, “but for you, anything.”

He pushed the nearest exit door open, and they stepped outside. The wind was powerful, and spray lashed the deck. They remained next to the bulkhead, Luca's arm around her shoulder.

Down the deck, she thought she saw movement. “What was that?” she asked Luca.

Following her gaze, he shrugged. “I didn't see anything,” he said.

“I could have sworn I saw somebody between the lifeboats,” she said.

“It could have been one of the crew,” he said. “They're constantly checking to make sure everything's secure in this kind of weather. Besides, you don't have anything to fear, Crissy. I'm here with you.” He hugged her to him.

She gazed out to sea, but in the next moment a huge wave crashed against the ship, sending a veritable wall of water up toward them. It came within mere feet of drenching them. “This is a little too wild,” she said with a laugh. “Spray's one thing, but this is something else. Let's go back inside.”

“I think that's a great idea,” Luca said, gazing at her mischievously. “We can get warm and cozy, and we don't have to get wet.”

Georgios Vilos was sitting alone in his Kifissia study, where he had been pondering his next move for hours. He thought that he had memorized every vein of gray in every piece of white marble that lined the walls and floors of the palatial room. He had to come up with a new plan fast. His creditors were preparing to descend on him like so many vultures, eager to pick at the flesh and bones of his empire. He was almost certain he knew what he had to do. It was very risky, but it would work.

His cell phone rang, and its sound jerked him out of his reverie with a start. “
Nea?
” he said, flipping it open.

“The package that you sent will not arrive as planned,” the voice said.

“I know that,” Georgios Vilos said, heaving a sigh. “I've had a call about it. Unfortunately the package and its contents will never get there.”

“So what do you suggest?” the voice asked. “There is no way I can recover the package now.”

“I realize that,” Georgios Vilos said impatiently. “I have another plan, and it will do the trick just as well. It will require your help, of course.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Listen carefully,” Georgios Vilos said, “because I don't want to repeat myself.”

After he finished detailing his new plan, the caller didn't respond for a moment, then finally said, “It's . . . doable.”

“Yes,” Georgios Vilos said. “I want to make certain that my son is off the ship. He must disembark with you. When you have everything set up, then you will get Mark and take him with you, so that he won't be aboard later.”

“Sensible,” the voice replied. Then he added in a tone that sounded gleefully sarcastic to Georgios Vilos's ears, “If you want to spare him.”

Georgios Vilos swallowed, making a valiant effort not to yell at the animal on the other end of the line. What kind of man did he think he was? That he would kill his own son? He had sent him repeated messages to get
off the ship, but to no avail. “That is a necessity,” he murmured. “An absolute necessity. And you'll see to it that he is off the ship with you.”

“And if he's in lockup?”

“It only takes one phone call from me to free him,” Georgios Vilos snapped. “You'll not leave that ship without him.”

“That's easy in any case,” the voice said. “I know all the ship's officers and security detail. I can get around them.”

“Very good,” Vilos said.

Very good for you, but a nuisance for me. I'm not going to fool around trying to free Mark Vilos. Something could go wrong, and I wouldn't be able to get off the ship. The hell with Mark Vilos
.

Monika heard a strange sound in her suite and sat bolt upright in bed. The room was in darkness, but she didn't reach over and switch on the light. She didn't want to disturb Jenny, not unless she had to. She listened, straining to hear what it was that had awoken her. For a few moments, there was silence, except for the white noise of the air-conditioning, then she heard it again. Coming from the sitting room of her suite.
Yes!
she thought with alarm.
There is definitely someone in the sitting room.
Her jewelry was locked in the built-in safe in the closet, here in the bedroom, so she wasn't concerned about that, but whoever it was might decide to come in after it.

She eased out from under the bedcovers and slipped off the bed. Tiptoeing on bare feet to the door to the sitting room as quietly as possible, she stood there listening. There! There it was again. Rustling noises. Then the quiet but unmistakable cadence of grunts and groans. After another moment of listening at the door, she slid her hand toward the switch on the wall, the one that she knew would light every lamp and overhead spot, illuminating the entire room. In one swift movement, she pressed the large switch, and the sitting room came to life.

Monika threw her hand to her mouth to stifle a shriek of disgusted surprise. She gasped instead, then drew herself up to her full height, her chin out, head thrown back imperiously. Her face gleamed in the light from the various moisturizing creams she slathered on before going to bed, and the finger she flung toward them was encased in the white cotton of the gloves she slipped on to cover the heavy application of cream to her hands at bedtime.