Deadly Deceit (32 page)

Sally looked pale without her make-up. Her hair was hanging limp, and her eyes were red-rimmed, either from lack of sleep or from crying. “Did you get any sleep?” Jess asked.

“A little,” Sally replied. “How about you?”

“A few hours on and off.”

Jess went over and turned down the radio.

“I’ve been listening to the hurricane bulletins on the local station,” Sally said.

“Any news?”

Sally shook her head. “Still a Cat 2 heading our way.”

“Well,” Jess sighed. “At least it hasn’t intensified into a Cat 3 overnight. That’s something, I suppose.” She studied Sally. “Heard from Brad, yet?”

“No. He’s not answering my calls. I’ve sent several texts. Nothing. He didn’t even text me goodnight.” Sally’s voice was shaky. “And he always does that.”

Jess knew how that felt too. “He’ll come round,” she said, without much conviction. “He’s probably busy securing the Dive Centre and his boats. There’s a lot to do.”

“I phoned Charles,” Sally said. “He hasn’t seen him either.”

“Where is Charles?”

“At the police station. They’ve still got Rebekah in the cells.”

Jess frowned. “They’ve kept her in there all night?”

“Apparently.”

“I bet she’s in a state,” Jess said. “I’d better go down and try and sort things out.”

“Charles told me Rebekah wouldn’t leave the island without Benji. So they’re staying for the hurricane.” Sally frowned. “She’s a funny woman, Jess. Believe me.”

“She won’t be going anywhere for some time if the police press charges. Assaulting a police officer is serious.” She paused. “Can you try and get hold of the Chief Justice in London, Sally. We need to tell him what’s going on, in case Rebekah hasn’t been able to do it herself.”

Sally nodded. “I’m more worried about Brad. No-one’s seen him since yesterday evening.”

“Tell you what,” Jess said, “if you haven’t heard from him by this afternoon, we’ll take a run down to the Dive Centre after we’ve dropped Tom off at the airport. I bet we’ll find him there busy battening down the hatches and storing the boats. It’ll give us a chance to have a chat and clear the air. Okay?”

Sally brightened a little. “I’m glad I was here last night with you and Tom, and not in my own house alone. It’s frightening listening to that sea. I kept imagining a tsunami swamping us. I had to get up in the end and do something.”

Jess nodded. “It sounds awful out there, but don’t forget this house has stood for centuries. I find that reassuring anyway.”

At that moment, the back door opened and Tom walked in, drenched to the skin. He closed it quickly, and took off his sandals. “That’s a helluva storm brewing, and it’s still 24 hours away.”

Sally shivered and threw him a towel. “Your eggs and bacon are ready. Sit down at the kitchen table. I’ll serve up.”

He pulled off his t-shirt and put the towel around his shoulders as if he’d been for a swim. “Thanks Sally.” He sat down to a huge plateful of breakfast.

Jess stared at him. “What have you been doing?”

He looked up. “Getting the hurricane shutters out of the garage. I’ve put some up on the ground floor at the front and sides of the house.”

“Oh thanks, Tom. But why didn’t you wait for us?”

“Couldn’t sleep with that racket out there. Thought I’d do something useful.”

Jess nodded. It seems they’d all been awake half the night. “I’ll give you a hand after breakfast.”

“Me too,” Sally joined in. “Teamwork!” She glanced at Jess as if to say ‘am I forgiven?’

Jess nodded, and turned to Tom: “No Maggie, then?”

“No.”

“I’m really worried about her,” Jess went on. “Maggie wouldn’t just not turn up for work.”

Tom nodded. “Maybe we should call the police, and report her missing?”

“I’ll go down to her house first, and see if she’s there,” Sally said. “She lives on the outskirts of town.

“No.” Jess knew as soon as Sally left the house she’d head straight to Brad’s. “I’ll call the Police Commissioner. It may be a false alarm, but I need to do something.”

At that moment, there was a knock on the front door.

“I’ll go,” Jess said. “You have your breakfast.” She walked along the hallway and opened the door.

Alvita stood outside in a long, white sou’wester, with her hood up like a monk. On her feet were flip-flops. No-one ever seemed to be worried about getting their feet wet on this island.

“Is Maggie here?” Alvita asked.

“No.” Jess shook her head. “Come in out of the rain.”

Alvita hesitated, then stepped over the threshold and followed Jess into the kitchen. She stopped when she saw Tom and Sally eating breakfast. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not intruding,” Jess said. “Sit down and have a cup of coffee.”

Alvita pushed back her hood and sat down, but she didn’t take off her raincoat which dripped all over the kitchen floor.

“I went up early to the Disaster Management Centre,” Alvita said. “Everyone’s working to get things up and running.”

Jess smiled. “That’s great. Thank you.”

Alvita nodded. “On my way back, I stopped at Maggie’s, but there was no answer. Her neighbour told me she hadn’t been home all night. I thought she might be here.”

Alvita’s voice was calm, but her eyes looked troubled. “I was just about to call the Police Commissioner,” Jess said. “None of us have seen her since lunchtime yesterday.”

Alvita stared at her. “Lunchtime yesterday?”

Jess nodded. “Except, well, I thought I saw her at the Haitian settlement yesterday afternoon.”

“What on earth would Maggie be doing there?” Sally interrupted.

“Are you sure it was her?” Alvita asked, sharply.

Jess nodded. “She had a child in her arms.” She looked over at Tom, for him to back her up. But he was just looking at Alvita.

Alvita jumped up. “I’ll go to the settlement and see if she’s there.”

“Should I call the police?” Jess asked.

“No, I’ll phone them if I can’t find her there.” Alvita hurried out of the kitchen and back along the hall.

“Hold on.” Jess called out as she followed. “I’ll come with you.”

“No. Stay here, Jess, where you’ll be safe.” Alvita slipped out of the door.

She looked a lonely figure as she hurried along the drive in her cape and hood. When Jess went back into the kitchen, Tom asked: “Who is that woman?”

“That’s Alvita. The head of our local staff in the Governor’s Office. Why?”

“I saw her yesterday morning having a row with Maggie.” He pointed to the back door. “Out there in the garden.”

“A row?” Jess frowned. “What about?”

“Alvita turned up with a little girl, and wanted Maggie to look after her. Maggie was reluctant. They had a row, and Maggie slapped her face.”

Sally nodded. “I’d like to do that sometimes.”

Jess didn’t laugh. “What happened then?”

Tom shrugged. “Maggie took the child anyway, and Alvita walked off.”

“What happened to the child?” Jess asked.

“Maggie brought her in here.” He paused. “I didn’t see her again. She wasn’t here when we got back for lunch. At least, I didn’t see or hear her. Did you?”

Jess shook her head and plopped down on a chair. “Was it the same child we saw Maggie holding at the Haitian settlement?”

He shrugged. “Difficult to say.”

Jess picked up the cup of black coffee and took a sip. “Why didn’t you tell me that yesterday?” she asked him.

“I didn’t think it was important,” he replied.

“Why would Maggie take a child to the Haitian settlement?” Sally stopped and looked at them both. “You don’t think… oh my God… you don’t think she was
giving
the child to them to…” She could hardly bring herself to finish the sentence. “T-to sacrifice?”

“Sally!” Jess plonked her cup down on the saucer. “How could you
think
that?”

“Well,” Sally went on, darkly, “with all these ceremonies and fires on the beach… and those bones turning up. What if they’re not animal bones? What if they’re human? What if they’re
children’s
bones?”

Jess’s blood ran cold at the thought. “That’s enough, Sally.” She stood up and went over to the stove to cook herself some breakfast. On her way, she glanced over at Tom, who sat deep in thought.

“Right,” she said, in her business-like voice. “We’ll just finish breakfast, then we’ll put the rest of the hurricane shutters over the windows, and prepare the house for a flood. That’ll keep us all busy for a few hours.” She looked over at Tom. “Then we’ll break for lunch, and help Tom get packed and ready to leave.”

He raised his eyebrows, and tucked into his eggs and bacon.

*

Their mood was sombre as the three of them got ready to set off for the airport. Jess had spent the last hour in the laundry room trying to get Tom’s clothes dry enough to pack. She found herself lingering in there rather than having to look at his glum face. He’d made it very clear he didn’t want to go. Eventually, she came out with the neatly folded clothes and handed them to him. “We’d better get over to the airport early,” she said, brightly. “It’ll be pandemonium. Everyone’ll want to get out this afternoon.”

“Why don’t I drive round now and check him in?” Sally said. “Make sure no-one nabs his seat.” She looked at Tom. “Give me your ticket and passport, Tom. I’ll take your suitcase too. It’ll give you and Jess time to… have a chat.”

“Are you allowed to check me in?” he asked.

Sally nodded. “They know I’m from the Governor’s Office.”

Tom ran upstairs and soon came down with documents and his packed suitcase. “I’ll put this in the car for you.”

“No bother.” Sally put on her raincoat and hat, easily lifted his suitcase with one hand, and took his documents. “No point taking a brolly, it’ll be inside out before I close the front door.” She waved cheerily at them both. “I’ll be back in about 15 minutes.” She went off down the hall and banged the front door closed.

Tom looked over at Jess. “I’m going to say this one more time. I don’t want to go and leave you both here.”

Jess’s eyes softened. “I know, Tom. I don’t want you to go either. It’s just that I feel you must go, for your own sake.”

“Do you
really
think you know what’s best for everyone?” he said in his gruff way.

She looked away.

He sat down at the table. “I remember those last hours in Australia. You just kept going headlong into danger, with that maniac on your tail. You wouldn’t do anything I said. I thought at the time ‘when is this woman going to be scared enough to just stay put?’”

Jess sat down opposite him. “I was trying to save someone else. You know that.”

“But what about
you,
Jess? When are you going to save yourself for a change?”

She looked at him. “Do you remember I told you at the time that I thought I was somehow
touched
by death?”

He nodded.

“I’ve lost almost everyone I’ve ever loved.” She paused. “I’m not afraid of dying too, Tom.”

“No,” he said. “It’s living you’re afraid of.”

She said nothing.

“Look, Jess.” He leant forward and touched her hand. “Come with me.”

She stared at him.

“At least to Miami, where I know you’d be safe. There, you’d have some time and space to decide what you want to do.”

She shook her head slowly. “You know what Tom, I’d like that, but I have to wait for the London team to get here. I
have
to help them resolve all this. I can’t just walk away.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “So there’s nothing I can say?”

“No, but I’m really glad you tried.” She got up to ease the tension and started washing up the breakfast dishes.

He picked up a tea towel and dried them up. Neither of them spoke again as they did the chores, until they heard Sally coming back through the front door.

“Right.” He hung the tea towel on the hook. “I’d better be off.”

She nodded and they walked down the hall together.

Sally was standing by the front door. “All checked-in,” she said to Tom. She pulled a raincoat off the hall rack. “Wear this, Jess. It’s Jayne’s, but she won’t mind.”

Jess put on the raincoat, gratefully.

Outside, the rain was being carried along on gusts of wind. It blasted Jess in the face as she walked to the car. She got into the driver’s seat, with Sally in the passenger seat and Tom in the back. The car shook in the fierce wind, and Jess had to hold the wheel tight to keep it on the road. No-one spoke.

Jess looked in the mirror at Tom, but he wouldn’t catch her eye.

Outside the airport, it was as chaotic as she feared. The car park was completely gridlocked. Desperate drivers had dumped their cars anywhere along the road and pavement to drop off passengers. “I can’t get any closer to the terminal,” she said.

“Drop us here,” Sally said. “We’ll run the rest of the way.”

Jess turned and smiled at Tom. “You both go through security to the departure lounge. I’ll meet you there when I’ve found somewhere to park.”

Tom nodded and got out. He ran with Sally in the driving rain over to the terminal.

Jess found herself stuck now between two stationary cars, and had to wait for one of the drivers to return and let her out. That took ages. Then she drove round and round the car park hunting for a space. Impossible. Out of desperation, she drove back to the main road, and parked the car up on a grass verge.

Sloshing through puddles, she ran back to the terminal and into the main lobby. Suitcases and people filled the floor space. The check-in was frantic. The departure board showed only two more domestic flights leaving for Provo before the airport closed. Tom’s flight was one of them. There was a queue of close to 100 passengers for only a few more seats. People were shouting at the two check-in girls, who carried on calmly in their usual way, checking in those who were booked and refusing those who weren’t. Jess stopped, wondering if she could help. But what could she do?

That’s when she caught a glimpse of a familiar blond ponytail. She stared across the lobby. Was that Brad talking to Big Shot Roger Pearson by the door? She was knocked sideways by a woman with a large suitcase. When she turned back, Brad and Roger had disappeared.