A Quarter for a Kiss (35 page)

Someone had been here. Someone had searched my room.

Determined to find proof, I set out on a methodical, room-by-room inspection to see if I could detect any other signs of the house having been disturbed. It wasn’t easy because I hadn’t spent all that much time here. But I felt as though there were some things just a bit “off”: pictures that didn’t hang quite straight, drawers that weren’t quite closed.

In the kitchen, I opened the pantry and then accessed Eli’s hidden closet. I had already taken almost everything from it for our own purposes, but it didn’t look as though the few things left there had been disturbed. Terrified of what I might find, I ran my hand along the top shelf; I breathed a sigh of relief to find Jodi’s bearer bonds still there. I slid the closet shut, closed the pantry, and then returned to my room.

I wasn’t concerned about anything that might have been recovered from my own trash. I always kept a “to be shredded” manila envelope locked in my briefcase for sensitive trash. The things I had tossed out here were harmless—brochures from North Carolina, info on the Climb for KFK. But I still didn’t know what to make of this, other than to wonder if it had been done during Jodi’s impromptu barbecue. If not then, perhaps Zach had taken Jodi off to St. Thomas today on purpose so that Larry would be free to come here and rifle through the house alone. In my conversation with Jodi earlier, I had asked about doctors, which may have indicated to them that Tom and I would be spending a few hours in the doctor’s waiting room. Chances were the coast seemed clear, so while everyone was away, somebody let themselves in and started digging.

But what were they looking for? This hadn’t been the same crazed, frantic search that had been done in Stella’s condo in Florida. Did that mean it had been done by a different person this time, or that it was the same person using a different method, not wanting to tip their hand that they had been here? I just wasn’t sure, though at the very least I thought I should take some fingerprints. Maybe Abraham could run them for me.

For now, however, I needed to get over to that restaurant. This would be my only opportunity to sit and chat with Larry and Zach, knowing what I knew. The biggest question on my mind was, what did the two of them know about me in return? If Jodi was in cahoots with them, then they knew everything. If she wasn’t, then hopefully they still assumed that Tom and I were here on vacation, friends of Jodi’s who were simply enjoying her hospitality.

I quickly put on some makeup and did my hair, and then I changed into a lightweight tan cotton dress, belting it with the rope-and-shell belt I had bought this afternoon. I slipped sandals on my feet, and then I stepped back and checked my reflection in the mirror. I looked like an innocent vacationer, ready for a nice night out.

Before I left, I took another peek at Tom. To my surprise, he was awake and just sitting up in bed.

“Hi,” I said softly. “How are you feeling?”

He ran a bandaged hand over his face.

“Like I’ve been to the moon and back,” he replied. “I’ve never taken pain pills before, but my hands hurt so badly. You know, if you work for the NSA and you have to have surgery with anesthesia, they send an agent into the operating room with you.”

“They do?”

“Yeah. People say some mighty dumb things when they’re out of their head. I hope I wasn’t…too stupid.”

“No, not at all.”

He sat all the way up, leaning back against the headboard.

“You look pretty,” he said. “Where’ve you been?”

“It’s where I’m going,” I said. “The Full Moon Buffet with Jodi and the gang. I figured I would just go without you. You have a phone call you need to make, but otherwise, you should probably spend the evening convalescing.”

“Convalescing? What am I, an old man? We’ve got work to do.”

I glanced at my watch. I was already running late.

“Then let’s move fast,” I said. “I’m not sure how long they’ll be there.”

I gave Tom a quick recap of the things I had learned—the meeting for tomorrow morning, the fact that Zach was the captain of the
Enigma,
the shocker that Larry was Dianne and Earl’s son. For the sake of time, I didn’t tell him exactly how I had learned all of this.

“One more bit of news,” I said, “somebody has searched the house in the last two days. Did you have anything sensitive here that shouldn’t have been seen?”

He let out a low whistle.

“Anything like that I carry with me at all times.”

“Good.”

“Things don’t look tossed in here,” he added, “at least not like the condo in Cocoa Beach.”

“No, it was a more subtle job than that,” I replied. “This time, they didn’t want to be detected. But I know it when I see it.”

“I bet you do.”

I pulled from my purse the contact info that Abraham had given me and handed it to Tom.

“We need to go to that meeting tomorrow,” I said, “and do some more electronic surveillance with the directional microphone if we can. Abraham said his warrant doesn’t apply in the British Virgin Islands, so it’s not a move we could make legally. Interpol could do it, but they can’t get someone here by then. That leaves you, Tom. I told Abraham I knew someone in a government agency who might be able to help out.”

“Meaning me.”

“Meaning you. Here’s the person you would contact at Interpol to work it out.”

He looked at the name and number and nodded.

“Can’t hurt to try,” he said. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Because he had to use a landline for the call, we decided to split up for the time being. I would go ahead to the restaurant. He would grab a quick shower and then find a pay phone to work out the details. If there was still time, he’d meet me later at the restaurant.

I copied Jodi’s directions for him, gave him a quick kiss, and said goodbye. As I drove away from the house, I prayed for his protection and mine.

On the way to the restaurant, I called Abraham once again. I hated bothering him so much at home, but time was of the essence and I didn’t think this could wait.

His wife answered, sounding none too pleased when I asked for her husband. Abraham came on the line, but when I apologized, he insisted I had nothing to be sorry for.

“This is the nature of my business,” he said.

“I have a quick question,” I told him, “but I’m on my cell, if you know what I mean.”

“Gotcha.”

“The two men we spoke of earlier,” I said, meaning Larry and Zach. “You told me you’ve been keeping an eye on things with them?”

“Yes. Somewhat.”

“Could there have been a gap in time—say, two or three days, maybe—where one of them wasn’t around to keep an eye on?”

Abraham was silent for a long moment.

“You are speaking of last week?” he asked finally. “Like near the end of the week?”

Fortunately, he understood what I was implying—that either Larry or Zach could have gone to the States and shot Eli.

“Yes.”

“I’m not sure,” he said thoughtfully. “It’s possible. Yes, it’s very possible. You might check with U.S. Customs, if you know what I mean.”

As we concluded our call, I felt a surge of hope. If they had flown to Miami, there would be a record—and the dates would coincide with the stolen sniper rifle and the attempt taken on Eli’s life.

I kept driving, and when I reached the town of Coral Bay, I had to slow way down—first for a donkey that was in the road and then for a group of people coming out of a roadside bar. After I passed all of that, I picked up some speed, enjoying the way my vehicle hugged the road as I took the ups and downs and twists and turns of St. John.

I could hear the music coming from the restaurant before I could even see the place. I put on my left blinker and then turned into a parking lot filled to overflowing with cars. I went up and down several rows before finding a spot I could squeeze in at the very end.

Walking toward the restaurant, I could see that it was a rambling building not far from the water. Most of the people were spread out at tables across the lawn, and at one end of the patio a band was playing next to a wide slate dance floor.

I stood under a big tree at the entrance, taking in the sight of all of these folks dining and laughing under the stars and the full, bright moon. I didn’t see Jodi and her group, however, so I went ahead and paid and followed the delicious aroma of the food into the restaurant.

There was a long, slow-moving line for the buffet, and I spotted the people I was looking for near the front. I took my place at the back and observed them and how they interacted.

This time, the three women—Jodi, Sandy, and Fawn—clustered together chatting animatedly. Behind them were the two men—Zach and Larry—and though they weren’t saying much, they didn’t seem to be having a very good time. Their expressions, at least, were rather dour. They were probably preoccupied with the meeting taking place in the morning. Judging by the fact that Dianne had bought a passport for Larry, I could only assume that when they fled, he would flee as well. I didn’t know what Zach might have in mind.

As I watched, Larry turned and spoke to the woman behind him, and I wondered if perhaps she was his date. At least she was closer to his age than the kids he’d been hanging out with all week. Actually, when she turned my way, I realized she was even older than him, by at least ten years. Looking harsh and weathered with sunstreaked hair and a too-deep tan, I had a feeling she’d been around the block a few times.

Jodi finally spotted me as she came past, her plate loaded with food. She looked stunning, if overdone, with elaborate makeup, an intricate “island” hairstyle and a top and skirt set that left her stomach quite bare. A large diamond sparkled from her navel.

“Hey!” she cried, looking genuinely glad to see me. “What are you doing back here? You shoulda come up with us.”

“I didn’t want to butt in line.”

“Well, when you have your food, come on outside. We’re at the far corner that way.” She paused for a moment. “Where’s Tom?”

“He’s coming. He had to make a phone call.”

“Okay. See you outside.”

She left, with the rest of her friends soon to follow.

Once they were all gone, I concentrated on the food I was waiting in line for, surprised to realize I didn’t recognize a single dish on the buffet. Fortunately, the woman in front of me asked one of the servers what everything was, and I listened as he pointed out items like “fungi” and “wahoo.”

Outside, I located the group, glad to see they had saved two chairs for me and Tom. The tanned woman was, indeed, Larry’s date, and he introduced her as Sunshine.

“Sunshine?” I asked.

“It’s that or Freebird,” she replied. “Which do you like better?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m choosing a new name for the new me. Which do you like better—Sunshine or Freebird?”

I bit my lip to keep from smiling.

“Uh, depends on your last name, I guess. Which one goes better?”

“Don’t have a last name,” she replied. “From now on, I’m just a one-name gal.”

“Oh. Okay. Well then, either one is good.”

I concentrated on the food, some of which was wonderful and some of which was just plain strange. All of the tastes were unusual, very different, very Caribbean.

The live music was especially enjoyable, and after a while I realized there was a theme to the songs they were playing: “Blue Moon,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Moon River.” That’s when I remembered that it was the Full Moon Buffet. I looked up in the sky to see the bright, shining orb that lit the water like a beacon.

This was such a magical place, I thought. Despite the investigation, despite the problems, despite the questions, I felt myself relaxing under the fun, calming influence of evening. There was something about the warm air and the lapping waves and the twinkling stars that made so many other things seem unimportant. I realized with a pang that I missed Tom and I wanted him there. When he showed up much later and took his place in the empty chair, I felt complete again.

“How are you?” I asked, looking down at his full plate next to my empty one.

“Fine,” he replied, leaning over so that only I could hear. “Not the easiest thing in the world to take a shower and wash your hair without getting your hands wet.”

“Oh, no, I hadn’t thought about that!” I said, reaching out to pat his arm. Poor guy. He still hadn’t even told me how his visit had gone with the doctor.

“What happened to your hands?” Jodi exclaimed, pointing at Tom.

“The boat overheated,” he replied. “Burned ’em on the exhaust manifold.”

“Callie, I thought you said his hand was
cut
.”

Everyone turned and looked at the two of us, waiting for an answer.

“The burns ended up being worse than the cut,” Tom said smoothly.

“That’s got to be awful,” Sunshine said. “Does it hurt?”

“A little,” Tom replied. “Actually, I was just looking for a way to get Callie to feed me my dinner. Hon, would you cut my meat please?”

That earned a laugh.

“Hey, buddy,” Larry said, “why stop there? I think that’s a good reason for her to wait on you hand and foot.”

“Oh, thanks, Larry,” I said. “I don’t think that will be necessary. Tom’s a self-sufficient guy.”

Crisis averted, I seized the opportunity to change the subject by formally introducing Tom to Larry’s date, Sunshine. As I had expected, she went through the same spiel with him that she had with me.

“So why are you a ‘new me’?” Tom asked, awkwardly spearing a conch fritter with a fork. “Have you had some big change in your life?”

She nodded, taking a long swig of beer.

“My divorce finally went through,” she said. “So I ran away from home. Got no ties there now. Might as well start over somewhere fresh.”

“Do you work here on the island?”

“Not yet. I just got in a few days ago. Just me and my backpack and the shoes on my feet.”

“How do you know Larry?”

“We met last night, at the Shipwreck.”

“The Shipwreck?”

“A bar in Coral Bay. He’s been real friendly. Ain’t that right, honey?” She put an arm around him, and he leaned toward her for a kiss. Startled, I turned away. The longer I talked to her, the more I realized she was old enough to be his mother!