Treasured Lies (21 page)

‘Glad to see you're decent. You were startin' to scare the ladies.' Jimmy's cheeky smile deepened the crow's feet that lined his eyes.

Archer slapped him on the shoulder. ‘Yeah funny, Jimmy. What did you do with your guy?'

‘He's getting a few rays on the sundeck.'

Archer nodded. ‘Have I got time to put some clothes on before we see what we've caught?'

‘Take all the time you want, Alessandro used up nearly an entire roll of gaffer tape tying the arsehole to a pole. Right now, he's getting a bird's eye view of that spectacular sunrise.'

Rosalina glanced at Alessandro. He was grinning like a man who'd won a fight he didn't expect to win.

‘You should have seen us, Rosalina.' Alessandro was as excited as a puppy at feeding time and his wide eyes showed it. ‘That creep made it all the way into here, and I just happened to be near the bar when I saw him. Jimmy wasn't far behind. Lucky for me there was a bottle of rum within reaching distance.
Ho rotto sopra la sua testa
.' Alessandro's words were rapid fire fast and he didn't seem to realise he'd slipped into his native Italian tongue. But it didn't matter. His re-enactment of smashing a bottle over the man's head said it all.

‘Broke the bottle too.' Jimmy chimed in, shaking his head in mock disappointment. ‘Shocking waste of rum if you ask me.'

Now she realised what the alcohol smell was. She glanced over at the floor by the bar and saw the wet stain on the carpet. Rosalina was relieved that the alcohol fumes weren't from them drinking.

Alessandro palmed his chest. ‘Are you complaining?'

‘No. I'm impressed. You did real good, for a professor.' Jimmy held his hand towards Alessandro. ‘If it wasn't 0700 hours, I'd offer you a drink.'

Alessandro accepted the handshake. ‘
Grazie
. I'll take up your offer after lunch.'

Rosalina was shocked to learn how early it was. Her shoulders sagged with the weight of exhaustion. She'd love nothing more than a hot shower and to crawl back into bed. But that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

‘How about I get dressed, then Jimmy and I'll go and have a little chat with our new friend while we wait for the police to arrive. Again.'

‘The police! What do we need them for?' Jimmy's eyes darted to Archer.

It's been three months since the police last stepped aboard, but The Incident felt like it was only days ago. It can't look good having yet another madman on board
Evangeline
. Their story held up last time, but Rosalina doubted they'd get away with it again. This time though, at least they'd caught the attacker, so maybe it will be different after all. Her head was spinning just thinking about it. She needed a shower and coffee and it didn't matter in which order they came.

‘Look. Let me get some clothes on first.' Archer must have noticed her fatigue. ‘Then we'll work on a plan together.' Archer placed his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. ‘Okay?'

‘Sure. But don't expect me to be nice to this bloke. He had a knife in one ankle holster and a gun in the other, and by the look in his eyes he had every intention of using them.'

A gun and a knife! Rosalina gasped. They were so lucky to escape unharmed. He obviously meant business. She was horrified by that thought and looked towards Archer, searching for some sign that he felt the same fear that was coursing through her veins. But he didn't show any sense of dread.

‘No, Jimmy, I don't expect you to be nice to him.' Archer reached for Rosalina's hand and tugged her towards the bedroom suites.

Rosalina waited until they were nearly there before she spoke. ‘Do you think the thugs would have hurt us?'

‘To be honest, babe, I have no idea. And that's why we need to talk to this guy and find out all we can. Hopefully we can figure out what Iggy was trying to do.'

‘Iggy? Are you certain it was him?'

‘Positive. Just before the other guy attacked me I tried to reason with him. When I mentioned Ignatius he did a double take. I have no doubt Iggy is behind this.'

Archer's eyes shone, but it wasn't with fear, it was something else. Excitement maybe? For a horrifying moment she contemplated that he was actually enjoying this. She dashed that thought aside, certain that she'd misread him. He'd nearly died this morning. It wasn't possible he enjoyed that.

An ache burned in her chest. She wanted to go home. And not just to be with Nonna. She wanted to be in the warmth and comfort of the villa kitchen she practically grew up in. She wanted to be surrounded by her family. She wanted to feel safe.

And for the first time ever, she questioned whether spending the rest of her life with Archer was what she really wanted.

Chapter 24

Archer had completely forgotten about his dad's books that he'd been analysing early this morning, and the discovery he'd made. They were still scattered all over the dining table and he began packing them up as he waited for Jimmy to resurface.

Seconds later Alessandro bounded into the room like a kid at playtime. Clearly he was still excited about his bravado this morning. Or foolishness, depending on how one looked at it. Alessandro wasn't exactly a big tough man, so wielding that rum bottle must've taken some serious backbone. The Italian had shown many different facets of his personality since Archer met him, and today he'd shown another. Not for the first time, Archer wondered if he and Alessandro were destined to meet.

‘
Buongiorno
, are you feeling better?'

‘Yes. I'm fine.'

The Italian's bushy eyebrows thumped together. ‘You don't look fine to me.'

‘Gee, thanks.'

Ginger stepped into the room. ‘Hey, Archer, how are you feeling?'

‘I'm feeling great, thank you.' He exaggerated a grin for Alessandro's benefit.

Jimmy lobbed into the room seconds later and flopped into a chair. As Archer had thought, this morning's adrenalin rush had hit him hard. The way he looked, with heavy eyelids and drooping shoulders, it was obvious Jimmy would prefer to crawl back into bed and stay there for the rest of the day.

‘Any changes?' Jimmy grunted.

‘No. Are you okay?' Archer said.

‘Yep. Just bloody unfit. All this cruising around the Greek Islands is making me fat and lazy.'

Archer studied his mate. Jimmy was being irrational. He was nearly twenty years older than Archer, and even with his recent surgery, he could probably give Archer a run for his money in a wrestling match. But Archer knew it wouldn't matter what he said, Jimmy was hard on himself when it came to his fitness.

Rosalina strolled into the room looking completely refreshed in a long pink maxi dress. ‘Helen's still sleeping.'

‘That's good.' Archer already knew that. He had checked in on his mum after he'd changed.

Archer watched Rosalina go straight for the coffee machine and although he'd love a caffeine fix right now, it'd have to wait. He playfully tapped Jimmy on his non-existent belly. ‘You ready?'

Jimmy grunted. ‘Ready to beat the answers out of him, you mean? Hell, yes.'

Archer knew Jimmy would dive in front of a bullet for him, and he'd do the same for Jimmy. It was a great relief to know Jimmy had his back, given that it seemed necessary at the moment.

‘Has anyone called the police?' Ginger twisted her hands into knots as she asked the question.

Archer clicked his fingers. ‘Not yet. Can one of you ring them while Jimmy and I interrogate this guy? That way we'll have a bit of time before they turn up.'

‘I'll do it.' Ginger seemed pleased to help.

When Jimmy stood up, his demeanour had changed completely and he resonated with a real sense of purpose. ‘Let's get this over with.' He walked out the door. Archer jumped up, kissed Rosalina quickly on the cheek and dashed after him.

Archer had never interrogated a man before and he assumed Jimmy hadn't either. Although he'd really only known him for about ten years, so maybe there were things about his previous life that he didn't know. As he tried to catch up to the striding Jimmy he wondered if they should've devised some kind of good cop, bad cop routine. Although, based on his balled fists and audible grunts, he figured Jimmy was keen on the bad cop character. His best mate radiated some seriously pissed off vibes.

Just before he stepped onto the stairs to the upper deck, Jimmy stopped and turned to eyeball Archer. ‘There's somethin' you should know.'

Jimmy looked about as uncomfortable as a priest in a brothel and Archer swallowed back the unexpected nerves over what his mate was about to say. ‘What?'

‘I …' He cleared his throat. ‘I screwed up this morning.'

‘No you did—'

‘Hear me out.' Jimmy planted his oversized palm on the wall. ‘At one point, not long after I heard you go overboard, this guy managed to get the better of me. He actually had me at a point where I couldn't move.'

Archer frowned. If Jimmy couldn't move, then how the hell did Jimmy and Alessandro end up catching the guy?

‘I think he deliberately let me go.'

‘What?' Archer cocked his head. ‘Why?'

Jimmy ran his hand through his thinning hair as he shook his head. ‘First, he had me. And I mean really had me. Second, he had both a knife and a gun in his ankle holsters, but he chose not to use either of them. And finally, he ran inside, when A, he knew there were more people in there and B, there was a greater chance of being trapped. If it were me, I would've stayed on the upper deck. We were just lucky Alessandro hit him over the head when he did. Don't know where he was going, but he sure was keen on gettin' there.'

Archer rolled the scenario around in his mind. Eventually he just shook his head. This was an unexpected twist and he had no idea what to make of it. He glanced up at his mate and saw Jimmy was clearly pained by this situation. Jimmy was as steadfast as an old sea dog. His morals were built on dependability, backbone, and loyalty. He would consider the thug getting away from him as a personal defeat. Archer didn't. He was about to speak, to say something profound that would mend Jimmy's unfounded thoughts of failure, but he wasn't quick enough. Jimmy turned and stomped up the stairs with heavy footfalls, leaving Archer no choice but to chase after him.

The morning sun was skimming the horizon when they stepped onto the upper deck. Not a whisper of breeze stirred the air and the ocean was as calm as a bathtub. The man was much bigger than Archer remembered. He was still standing. Still tied to the pole. Though he couldn't do anything else, even if he wanted to. Alessandro had liberally taped every part of his body to the pole. It looked like a scene from a Wile E. Coyote cartoon and would be comical if it weren't so serious.

The only thing the intruder could move was his eyes. And his eyes were incensed, full of what Archer read as justification. There was also a hint of arrogance, like he'd done nothing wrong. Archer had seen this look before on a man he'd once hired. It'd taken Archer four weeks to establish that Dave was stealing from him. He didn't want to believe it. He had liked the guy until that point, and he'd been a good worker. The fact that he had a wife, twin babies and a mortgage was supposed to provide vindication for the theft. The irony was Archer would've gladly given him extra cash if he'd asked. The last Archer had heard, Dave was filleting fish at the markets and pulling double shifts just to get by. Archer cast the idle thought aside. Now was not the time to feel sorry for anyone.

The intruder's glare also conveyed something else too. A you-can't-touch-me smugness. Like he knew his rights. It crossed Archer's mind that this guy was military or police. He wouldn't put it past Ignatius to have either or both on his payroll.

Without any hesitation or warning, Jimmy ripped the tape off the man's mouth. Archer winced at the harsh sound but other than a serious death stare, the prisoner barely flinched. Archer had a bad feeling brewing in his gut that they were wasting their time. He figured they had at least thirty minutes until the police arrived, unless they came by chopper, in which case it would more likely be ten or fifteen. Either way, time was against them, and by the look on this guy's face no amount of time would be enough.

Jimmy got right in the guy's face. ‘What's your mission?'

The way he said it had Archer wondering if Jimmy had indeed done something like this before.

The prisoner squared out his jaw and glared in response.

Archer stepped in. ‘We know Ignatius Montpellier hired you.' The man's eyes shot to Archer and he hoped he'd hit a trigger that may make the man talk. ‘What's he paying you to do? Kill us?'

The man did the slightest of headshakes, but halted as if catching himself out.

‘So it wasn't to kill us, what was it? Kidnap? Take the boat? What?'

He glared at Archer with steely defiance.

Jimmy's slap came out of nowhere and it startled Archer as much as it startled the thug. The intruder blinked several times and made a point of rolling his tongue around his mouth. He spat on the deck and Archer tried to ignore the bloody mess.

‘How much is he paying you?'

‘What's your mission?'

‘I'll pay you to tell me what Iggy's up to.' Archer wanted to know if money was the motivating factor.

‘What were you after?'

Between them, Archer and Jimmy fired question after question. But every one was met with nothing.

Archer eased back. ‘The police will be here any minute. We'll have our answers then.'

‘The police do nothing.'

Archer suspected the man's thick accent to be Ukrainian or Russian.

The statement hung in the air and Archer's earlier assumption that Ignatius had law enforcement in his pocket rang true. This wasn't good. Archer studied the man, trying to work out what would make him talk. ‘Your colleague didn't make it.'