Sunday's Child (24 page)

But where? She didn't even remember getting on a boat. She closed her eyes, trying to remember something, anything. Why would someone want to put her on a boat and tie her up? What had she done?

The boat lurched, sending Hattie rolling to the floor. She cried out involuntarily as she landed hard against the edge of the cabinet. Pain ripped through her shin and blood oozed through the long jagged tear in her slacks. “Nice one, Hattie,” she told herself. “At least you won't have broken your wrist again. Not with the cast on, anyway.”

She glanced down at her feet. “Where are my shoes?” Looking around she couldn't see them. “Curious. All I need now is a white rabbit and today will be perfectly confusing. And why am I talking to myself?”

She paused. “Maybe because you work things out better aloud than thinking. But sitting here isn't going to get you out of here. Besides, no one kidnapped Alice. Now, move.”

Grateful her hands were tied in front of her and not behind her, she caught hold of the cabinet and pulled herself to her feet and stood for a minute, fighting to get her balance. Her leg took her weight, so it wasn't broken, just cut. Perhaps there was a first aid kit somewhere.

The deck beneath her feet had a slight list to it which didn't help her balance any better. Her head spun and the sea-sickness increased.

Hattie slowly walked to the door and tried it. It opened. That didn't make any sense, but then none of this did. Why tie her up and yet leave her in an unlocked room? Whose boat was this anyway?

The boat lurched again and she staggered into the corridor. Her confused mind couldn't make sense of it.

Oh, think, Hattie. The only person you know with a boat is Markus…

Distorted images danced in her mind. She and Steve had dinner with Markus. She'd tried to leave, but when she stood she'd felt incredibly dizzy and fallen. Then Markus picked her up and…

Nothing. Then there was nothing.

Had they drugged her?

She glanced at her hand. Cal's ring was gone. No—surely she hadn't lost it. She pulled herself back into the bedroom and looked for it. Not an easy task with her hands bound. It wasn't anywhere obvious. Maybe if she found a knife, cut the tape from her hands she could look easier.

Something cold and wet ran over her bare feet. She glanced down. Water ran across the floor from the open doorway. Water? That wasn't a good thing on a boat. Maybe someone had left a tap running or something.

Leaving the search for the ring for a moment, she headed to the door. She had to untie her wrists. The list was a little more pronounced now. Stumbling into the kitchen, galley she corrected, she pulled open all the drawers until she found a knife sharp enough for her purpose.

She wedged it into the drawer and slowly rubbed her wrists against it. The tape seemed impervious at first, then finally it gave and she was free.

OK, so now what?

Find something to bandage that cut first. Then find a radio. Find out where you are. If you're docked then just get off the boat and call for help
.

There was a first aid kit on the galley wall. Pulling it down, she emptied the contents on the table and used the sling to tie over her leg. She debated taking some aspirin for her headache, but decided against. If she had been drugged, they might react with whatever she'd been given and kill her. Not a good move.

She took a deep breath and started walking through the boat until she found a ladder leading upwards. It led to a small bridge. Climbing the ladder wasn't easy, but she managed it.

Her heart sank as she stood on the small deck and looked around.

There was nothing but open sea in front of her though the small window. On the control panel, there was no radio, just bare wires where it had been ripped out. The door to the deck swung open and she headed through it. From which ever direction she looked there was no land.

The boat was lower in the water than it should be. Fear coursed through her, turning her blood to ice. She'd been abandoned and left to die.

“Lord, God, help me. What do I do?”

 

 

 

 

 

25

 

The morning sun streamed through the kitchen windows of Laurie's cottage. Cal sipped the tea that Laurie asked, no insisted, that he drank. He hadn't slept, spent the night sitting on Laurie's couch, and felt sick with a mixture of worry and exhaustion. His hands shook, the lump in his throat tried to throttle him every time he tried to swallow, and he wasn't sure the tea would stay down long.

He put the cup down. “There is no way she'd consent to marry Markus. Not willingly.”

Laurie looked at him. “What if she had no choice?”

“You think he'd put a gun to her head? Force her into it?”

“I don't know.” She sounded just as upset as he was. “I don't understand it. She was so happy about marrying you. There's no reason for her just to up and change her mind. I know Steve can be pushy, but even he wouldn't stoop this low.”

“I wish I knew. I should have gone over there last night as soon as I got back.” He pushed the chair back and stood. “I'm going to see Markus. Ask him outright.”

“And if she is married to him?”

He sucked in a huge breath, hissing it out between his teeth. Nausea rose in his throat. “See if it's what she really wants. If it is, then I accept it and wish her all the best.”

Laurie's hand covered his. “Can you in all honesty do that?”

His heart broke within the confines of his chest. “I…” He struggled to control his voice. “I have to. I love her and if that means letting her go in order for her to be happy, then I will.”

 

****

 

The drive to Markus's house was short, but seemed to take a lifetime. Steve's car was parked out the front, next to Markus's and Cal pulled up next to it. His battered red truck looked out of place next to such luxury. His feet crunched on the gravel and then thudded on the stone steps. He pressed the bell, the clanging chime resounding beyond. What would make this scenario perfect would be a butler complete with tray and liveried uniform answering the door.

The huge door swung open. A butler in a black suit stood there. Had things not been so serious, Cal would have laughed. “I need to speak to Markus.”

“Mr. Kerr is busy.”

“I don't care. I need to see him now. It's an emergency.” His voice rose, and he struggled not to lose his temper. At least not yet.

The butler nodded and vanished closing the door again, not inviting him inside. Cal paced on the doorstep. As he paced, he became more and more frustrated.

Finally Markus appeared, holding the door open, just enough to carry on a conversation. “Good morning, Callum. A little early in the day for a social call, isn't it?”

“Where's Hattie?”

“How should I know where Harriet is?”

“Don't give me that. No one has seen her since Steve took her to dinner two days ago.”

“And this is my business because?”

“She told me you were going to be there as well. Playing referee between her and Steve or words to that effect.”

Markus laughed shortly. “That's what she told you, was it? I had wondered how she'd explained coming over here. I can assure you that things between her and Steven are as good as they ever were.”

It was all he could do not to push Markus against the wall and slap that smug look from his face. “I spoke to Penny last night. According to her, you and Hattie are getting married.”

“Oh, I get it now. You're jealous. Well, my fiancée is fine, thank you.”

“What?” It was more of a strangled cry than outrage.

Markus smirked. “You've come here out of a fit of the green eyed monster, because the best man won. I do apologize for not inviting you to the engagement party. It was a spur of the moment thing.”

“I need to see her.”

“That's not possible. She's sleeping right now.”

He frowned. The man was lying to him, but which bit was a lie? “Then ask Hattie to ring Laurie when she wakes. She's worried sick.”

“Laurie? Oh, right, you mean Mrs. Dillon, her aunt. I'll ask her. But Harriet's determined to make a clean break.”

Cal glanced past him to the suitcases just visible in the hallway. “Are you going somewhere?”

“On a cruise for our honeymoon. After that it depends on what Harriet wants.”

Cal changed tactics. “Is Steve here?” he asked, knowing full well he was. Not only was Steve's car here, he could see his reflection in the mirror in the hallway.

“Steven went home. I'll have Harriet call her aunt at some point before we leave.”

Markus was lying through his teeth. More than ever convinced Hattie was in trouble, Cal simply nodded.

He turned and headed back to his truck. Driving a short way down the road, he pulled over and parked. He got out and doubling back on foot, sneaked back up to the house. The drawing room window was open and he hunkered down beneath it.

Markus's voice floated through. “Be careful with that. I don't want it broken.”

“Did he leave?” Steve's voice was unmistakable.

“Yes, he did. But he did have a point. You'd better ring Mrs. Dillon before she sends the cops over here. You don't want that.”

“
I
don't? It's not just me involved here. You're the one who set all this up.”

“Once I get my money back, all this is over.”

Footsteps and rustling accompanied the voices. Cal risked a peek through the window. They were packing something into crates filled with straw.

“I almost had it,” Steve replied. “Until my idiot of a wife got the accountants in and they gave it to Hattie.”

“We just need to keep Harriet occupied a few more hours for the money to transfer over to my account. Then it's all over.”

“What about the lodge?” Steve's voice was closer to the window and Cal ducked back down again.

“I'll take care of it. It's not like we need it anymore.”

“I don't want to do this any longer. I want my life back.”

A car drove up and Cal ducked into the bushes. There was a long silence then, just as he was about to creep away, Markus's voice floated back through the window.

“That was the lawyer with the forms. I told him I'd get Harriet to sign them, then I'll drop them off.”

“I'll sign them.” The pen scratched on the paper. “There.”

“Nice forgery.”

“When can I see her? What have you done with her? You haven't harmed her have you?”

“It's a little late for brotherly love, don't you think?” The papers rustled as Markus gathered them up. “Sorry, Steven, by the time anyone finds her, it'll be too late. That ship sailed a long time ago. Jacobs, see these are filed with the solicitor immediately.”

There was a pause, then Steve spoke again. “Markus?”

“You are just as involved, Steven. If the police get wind of this, I will know it came from you and then I'll have to kill her slowly. Got it? Good. Then let's get out of here.”

Cal pulled back and ran to where he'd parked his truck. As he drove, a sudden thought hit him.
That ship sailed a long time ago.
He reached for the phone and turned on the hands free mode. He dialed the harbor master.

“Harbor master, Dan Green speaking.”

“Hey Dan, it's Cal Trant. Are there any boats due out today?”

“Let me check for you.”

“Thank you.” He pulled up at the lights, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel.

“No. There's nothing due out today.”

“What about any of Markus Kerr's boats?”

“Nope, nothing scheduled. He won't be back for a while according to this. He left last night for France.”

He can't have.
He tried to contain the panic starting to fill him. His voice deepened, taking on a note of urgency. “Which boat? Was it definitely him?”

“I'll check, but it's his signature on the form here.”

“It's really important. Was he alone?”

“Nope, he had some woman with him. A cute blonde, actually. She looked a little worse for wear, but he said they'd been celebrating and the champagne didn't agree with her. They left yesterday at twenty hundred hours in the
Cape of Good Hope.
”

“Are any of his other boats missing?”

“No, just that one. But like I said he sailed yesterday.”

“You still have the CCTV footage?”

“Of course, you want me to hang on to it?”

Cal swung off the main road and headed into the estate where Laurie's cottage was. “Yes, I do. Can you fax a copy of his shipping plan across to the lifeboat station? Along with a couple of stills from that CCTV footage, if possible please. I need to ID the woman with him. Thank you. I'll be in touch.” He hung up.

Two minutes later, he parked outside Laurie's and ran up the path. The door opened as he got there. He filled her in quickly. “Markus was lying. I'm not sure how he got back without the harbor master knowing, unless he docked somewhere else.”

“What do I do?”

“Ring the police, and report Hattie missing. I'm going to the base to alert the coast guard. Have the police meet me there. Maybe we can track the boat.” He hugged her and hurried out.

 

 

 

 

 

26

 

Cal pulled into his parking spot and ran to the Ops room, not bothering to lock his truck.

Tom glanced up as he ran into the room. “Cal, what are you doing here?”

“I need to trace a boat. I have reason to believe Hattie's been kidnapped.”

“I'm sorry? Say that again, only slower this time.”

“Hattie's missing. No one's seen her since she had dinner with Markus and Steve, day before yesterday. I've just seen Markus. Now, according to him, he's leaving today on a cruise,
with Hattie
. He also said several other things that didn't add up. The two of them getting married for one thing.”