Peggy Dulle - Liza Wilcox 03 - Secrets at Sea (27 page)

“Brian’s not helping?”

“He’s doing his best, but even the FBI can’t tell the Mexican authorities what they can and can’t do.”

“What about you, Dorian? Do you have any pull with the Mexican authorities?” I asked.

“I’ve done my part to expedite the matters.” He smiled and reached up to touch my face.

Tom intercepted his hand. “Let’s go, Liza.”

I stood. “Are you taking Carmelita to dinner at the Supper Club?”

“No, Carmelita’s not up to going out and she refused to eat a snack I brought earlier, too. I’ll order room service and I just might have to feed it to her.”

I turned toward the door and glanced back. “I’ll say it again, lucky girl.”

When we got back to our room, Tom didn’t say a word. We showered separately. We showered so many times every day that I felt like I would be permanently wrinkled.  Then we dressed for dinner.

As we were leaving the room, I stopped him. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, please. You’re as transparent as glass. What’s the problem?”

He took a deep breath. “I don’t like the way that man talks to you or touches you or the way you look at him.”

I laughed. Tom frowned. I took his hand and led him back to the couch. “Sit down.”

“No, we’ve got to get to dinner.”

“Dinner can wait. Let me explain something to you.”

“What?” He scowled.

“Sit down, please.”

He sat on the couch.

I paced around the room, and each time Tom tried to speak I put my hand up. I needed to explain this to him without saying Dorian makes me want to abandon all my reserve and jump into bed with him.

I tried a metaphor. “Let me see if I can put this into perspective. Is there anything in your life you’ve wanted very badly but knew it was bad for you?”

He glared.

“Come on, there must be something.”

“I wanted a Harley.”

“A motorcycle?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“They’re cool.”

“What else?”

“I think it would be great to ride one and feel the wind blow on my face and to feel the speed. In a car you can go fast, but you can’t feel the speed the way you would on a motorcycle.”

“Why don’t you buy one?”

“I’ve seen too many accidents involving motorcycles. They’re dangerous.”

“But it would be fun, right?”

“Yes.” He beamed.

“And what do you do every time you see one?”

“Wish I had one.”

“And dream about riding one?”

“Sure.”

“But do you go out and buy one?”

“No.” He shook his head.

“Okay, would you stop anyone else from enjoying it?”

“Of course not.”

“Okay, Dorian is like a motorcycle.”

“Huh?”

“He’s fun to look at, maybe even dream about, and I certainly wouldn’t stop anyone else from enjoying his company. But he’s definitely not good for me.”

“Why not?” Tom asked.

“You want to know why I’d rather be with you than him. Is that the real question?”

Tom nodded. “He’s got looks and lots of money.”

“That he does, but I don’t love him.” Tom started to speak, but I put my hand up, “Wait, it’s more than that.”

“More than loving me?”

“Yes. Dorian’s like a butterfly; he flitters from flower to flower and never settles down. I want someone I can spend the rest of my life with.”

Tom smiled. “I thought he was a motorcycle.”

I sighed. The man was irritating and my metaphors were starting to annoy even me. I’d try the direct approach. “No, he is a gorgeous, rich man who oozes with sexual tension. When he touches me I want to rip his clothes off, but I don’t because it would seriously hurt our relationship.”

Tom grinned. “I liked him as a butterfly or motorcycle better.”

I took a deep breath and before I could speak, Tom leaned over and kissed me.

Two hours later I made him order room service.

“I don’t care what you order; just make sure they send a chocolate melting cake,” I told him as I got into the shower, again.

A few minutes later, Tom joined me. This time we ended up back in bed and nobody was frustrated.

The food arrived with two chocolate melting cakes.

“You ordered two?” I asked.

“I’ve got to see what all this fuss is about.”

“Oh, let me.” I picked up the spoon, dipped it in the chocolate, then into the ice cream, and then back into the chocolate. I brought it to his lips. “Ready?”

“Sure,” he said.

“No, you have to be really ready for it.” I pulled the spoon away from him. “Are you sure you want it?”

“Liza, just give me a taste.”

I pulled the spoon further away. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Okay, close your eyes.”

“This is ridiculous. It’s just cake.”

“No, it’s much more than that. Close your eyes.”

Tom sighed and closed his eyes.

“Now, open your mouth.”

He opened his mouth and I slid the cake inside.

“Well?” I said.

Tom opened his eyes. “I don’t see what the excitement is all about. It’s just chocolate and vanilla ice cream.”

“Let me try something else.” I used my finger as a spoon and held it to his lips.

“Try this.”

He smiled, closed his eyes, and I slid my finger into his mouth. He sucked on it.

When he opened his eyes, he was smiling. “Okay, I get it. Do you think we can have chocolate melting cake for our wedding?”

“No.” I laughed. “It’s just for you and me to enjoy.” I dipped my finger into the mixture again and held it toward Tom.

Just as he leaned into take it, his phone rang. His brows puckered, “Justin has the worst timing.”

I gazed at him and licked my own finger.

Tom shuddered. “Okay, watching you eat it is better than eating it myself.”

“What?” he yelled into the phone. “When?” he said, calmer. “How? Okay, thanks.”

He closed his phone.

Tom sat down on the couch next to me.

“Who was it?” I asked.

“My friend from the FBI.”

“Did he find out anything about Brian?” I asked. Maybe he really was our killer and this whole ordeal would be over.

“Not exactly. He got a call from the Mexican police a few minutes ago. Brian’s dead.”

“What?” I said.

Chapter 31

“What do you mean Brian’s dead?” I asked.

“They found him in an alley. His throat had been cut.”

I dropped my face into my hands. “Oh, my God.”

Tom put his arm around my shoulder.

I looked up at him. “First a gun, then poison, and now a knife? How can one person be an expert in so many ways to kill?”

“Well, Brian’s crime scene was not neat and clean like the others. He put up a fight, and they think he got off a shot at his killer and hit him. They found two different types of blood in the alley.”

“That’s three people in less than a week.”

He nodded. “I know. Something’s escalating, but I have no idea what it is or why.”

“We’ve got to tell Carmelita and Dorian.” I walked toward their door.

Tom stood between me and the door. “It’s almost eleven, Liza. We can tell them about it in the morning. Let them have a good night’s sleep.”

“Carmelita is going to be beside herself.”

“Probably, but I’m sure Dorian will be there to comfort her,” Tom said sarcastically.

“I hope so,” I replied, ignoring his tone. “I wonder what their plans are for tomorrow. What time do we have to be off the boat?”

“We don’t actually dock in Cabo. We have to take a small boat called a tender to shore.”

“Check the tickets, what time do we have to leave the boat?”

Tom got the tickets from the safe. “We have to be in the Carousel Room at seven-thirty.”

“In the morning?” I shrieked.

“Yes.”

I snatched the tickets out of his hand. “I don’t remember it being so early. Can’t we move it to a later time, like we did in Puerto Vallarta?”

“No, we’re only in Cabo a few hours. The boat sails at three. All of the excursions leave early in the morning.”

“We’re going to be on a catamaran that early?”

“We leave the ship at seven-thirty, Liza. I bet we don’t get on the catamaran until after nine.”

“That’s still too early to get into the water.”

“I heard the water is cold, anyway.”

“What? This is Mexico, the water is supposed to be warm.”

“A cold current came through from the north a month ago. It dropped the water temperature down.”

“To what?”

“Into the sixties.”

My eyes widened. “There’s no way I’m getting into the water if it’s only sixty degrees.”

“So we’ll lie on the boat and enjoy the ride. We could use some relaxation.”

“We had that today when we were on the beach,” I reminded him.

“No, we had a constant barrage of people selling us things we had no desire to buy.”

“Okay, but we need to tell Dorian about Brian. He’ll need to stay with Carmelita all day tomorrow, and I’m not sure he planned on that.”

“That’s true.”

“So we either disturb them now or in the morning.”

“Okay.”

I walked around him and knocked lightly on the door.

Dorian opened it immediately, dressed in a silk black bathrobe. I sighed and Tom frowned.

“What can I do for you, Liza?”

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure, Carmelita’s finally sleeping. It’s been a rough evening; even I couldn’t get her to relax.”

“Loosing your touch, Dorian,” Tom said behind me.

I frowned at him but stepped aside.

“Come on in.”

Dorian looked back. “Let me make sure she’s asleep. I’ll be there in a just a minute.”

“Okay.” I nodded and stepped back into our room. I turned to Tom. “You behave.”

“If he’s a motorcycle, I’m a hummer. I’m going to squash him every chance I get.”

“Men!” I rolled my eyes.

Dorian came in a few minutes later. “She’s resting comfortably. What can I do for you?”

There wasn’t any good way to say it so I blurted it out. “Brian’s dead.”

“How?” Dorian turned to Tom, finally acknowledging his existence.

“His throat was cut. They found his body a few hours ago in an alley in Mazatlan,” Tom said.

Dorian shook his head and sighed deeply. “I’d originally planned an excursion for tomorrow, but maybe I’ll call and cancel it.”

“Carmelita could use the distraction,” I suggested.

Dorian nodded. “Then I’ll take her with me tomorrow. She won’t want to go, but I’ll convince her. What about you two? Would you like to join us?”

“No,” Tom said. “We’ve got tickets for an excursion.”

Dorian leveled his gaze on me. “It will be easier to convince Carmelita to go if you’ll go with us, too.”

“What are your plans?” I asked.

“Liza,” Tom warned.

“I’ve rented a private catamaran and crew. We’re sailing the Sea of Cortez to the Chileno Bay. You can snorkel there, if you like, but I don’t recommend it. The sea water is extremely cold right now.”

Dorian had just described the excursion Tom and I were supposed to take tomorrow. And with the way people were dying, it might be a good idea for us all to stay together. But I knew Tom would prefer not to join Dorian’s outing.

“The tours only provide a nominal snack, mostly chips, fruit and bad booze,” Dorian added. “I’ll feed you lunch and serve the best champagne. I’ll even order chocolate melting cake for dessert.”

I felt my willpower dissolve away. “We’ll be there.”

Dorian laughed.

I knew Tom was angry, but I ignored him.

Dorian slid between Tom and me and took my hand. “Goodnight, Liza. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He glanced toward Tom, leaned over to me and whispered, “I guess you’ll have to bring the bulldog.”

I nodded.

“Oh, well.” He stood up tall. “A man can dream. Shall we say nine o’clock?”

“That would be great, Dorian. Thanks,” I said.

He turned to Tom. “Goodnight, Tom.”

“Dorian,” Tom scowled.

Dorian went through the door.

As soon as it closed, Tom said, “I hate that man.”

I laughed and took his arm. “We get to go sailing, he’s feeding us lunch, and chocolate melting cake for dessert. And you get to play cop and make sure everyone is safe. It’s a win-win situation.”

“There’s no such thing with that man involved.”

“We get to sleep in until at least eight. It’s better than getting up at six-thirty.”

Tom shrugged. “Well, there is that.”

We climbed into bed and Tom pulled me close. “Do I really have to spend an entire day watching that man drool over you?”

I laughed. “It’s just his way, Tom.”

“Okay, but if he puts another hand on you and I have to throw him off his ‘private’ catamaran, I don’t want you to get mad at me.”

I turned my head and looked at him. “You wouldn’t, would you?”

Tom smiled.

I rolled my eyes, turned back and snuggled into Tom. Within minutes, I was dreaming about Tom’s smile as Dorian went flying off the boat.

In the morning, I woke up, stretched, and glanced at the clock. Eight-thirty. Oh no, we over slept.

“Tom.” I shook him.

“What?” He sat up quickly.

“We’re late. I’m jumping into the shower. Would you gather up my stuff and put it into my beach bag?”

“Sure.” He stretched. “What do you want in it?”

I got out of bed and talked to him as I walked toward the shower. “Two beach towels, suntan lotion, and see if you can find me one of my books to read.”

“Okay, I’ll pack.” He turned back over and closed his eyes.

“Tom!”

He sat up again. “I’m going. I’m going.”

I took a quick shower and put on my swimsuit. When I came out, Dorian was standing next to Tom.

“What’s up?”

He came up to me. “I didn’t tell Carmelita about Brian. She’s just not up to another death this morning. I told her he had to stay in Mazatlan and may not be able to rejoin us because of his job.”

“Okay,” I said. “What did she say about going sailing today?”

“At first, she didn’t want to go, but after I told her you were going, she agreed.”

“Great, we will be ready in a few minutes.”

Dorian nodded. “Okay, knock on our door when you’re ready and we’ll walk down together.”

As he passed Tom he said something to him and then went back into Carmelita’s room.

When Tom turned around, he had a huge smile on his face.

“What?”

“Nothing.” His smile broadened.

“What did Dorian say to you?”

Tom came over, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me on my neck which always sent shivers down my spine. “He said I was a very lucky man.”

I rolled my eyes and blushed at the same time. Tom laughed.

I pushed him away. “Go get ready.”

He laughed again and went into the bathroom. I put shorts and a t-shirt over my suit and read the Cruiser Note for the day. Tonight was another formal night and there was another midnight buffet. It was called the Grand Gala Buffet and it was to feature sculptured food, ice carvings, and treats. Yum!

When Tom came out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to go, I stood. “There’s another midnight buffet tonight.”

“Great, food at midnight.” He sighed. “It’s not really healthy to eat so late.”

“We’re on vacation, so we don’t have to eat healthy,” I said slowly, emphasizing each word.

“I know,” he said. “Go knock on your friend’s door while I grab your beach bag.”

I knocked and Carmelita opened the door wearing a black bikini with a mesh cover up.

“Good morning, Liza.” She smiled.

“Good morning. Are you guys ready to go?”

“Yes. I’m so glad you’re going with us. It will be fun.”

A few minutes later we all walked down to the gangway. It was relatively deserted since most of the people had to leave early to get to their excursions. We had to wait a few minutes for a tender, but then one arrived and we boarded. It was a quick ten-minute trip to the dock. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the upper eighties, a beautiful day to enjoy a boat ride.

We walked down the dock where more people were lined up selling things. Tom shook his head.

Dorian led us down to another dock. It had a locked gate. He pushed the button on the intercom system, told the person who he was, and the gate immediately unlocked.

We followed him down the pier to a beautiful double story catamaran. It was white with several masts with a slide off the back.

A young woman in a white uniform stepped forward and extended her hand, “Captain Reynolds.”

Dorian shook her hand and introduced us.

“My crew is here to assist you in whatever you need. We have snorkeling and scuba-diving gear on board, if you’d like to use them. Lunch will be served in about an hour on the lower deck. Until then there are fresh fruit, pastries, and juices for you to enjoy.”

“Did you receive the package from the ship?” Dorian asked.

“Yes,” she nodded. “I assume it is to be served with lunch, so I put it in the galley.”

“That’s correct.”

“Is that my chocolate melting cake?” I asked.

Dorian smiled. “I never forget a promise.”

We stepped on board and were introduced to the crew – four women.

“An all women crew?” Tom asked.

Dorian smiled. “Of course. Women make the best sailors.”

Tom and I went up to the top deck where several lounge chairs were set up. He put my bag down and we stood and watched the scenery as we pulled away from the marina.

Carmelita came up top and joined us. She pointed to some stone cliffs. “That’s Playa del Amor, lover’s beach, between the cliffs and the famous Stone Arch of Cabo. The beach is deserted this early, but on our way back, it will be full of people.”

“I’m going to get something to eat. Would either of you like something?” Tom asked.

“Nothing for me,” Carmelita replied.

I started to say something, but Tom interrupted me, “I know, bring you some of everything.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

Carmelita laughed and sat down on a lounge chairs.

I took the other one. “How are you doing, Carmelita?”

“I’m fine. Dorian’s just doting over me and I’m letting him.” She smiled. “Now, will you tell me what happened to Brian?”

“What?” I said.

“Brian told me he’d call me by ten last night, no matter what. He didn’t call, so I assume something happened to him.”

Gently, I said, “I’m afraid he was killed.”

Carmelita closed her eyes and leaned back in the lounge. She took several deep soothing breaths as tears ran down her cheeks.

We sat in silence for several minutes.

Finally, she turned her head toward me and said, “Deep down I knew that was it, but I hoped I was wrong.”