Chloe nodded. “
It’s consistent
with him.
He’s o
bviously trying to scare and manipulate you
, b
ut how could he be watching us? There’s police everywhere
,
and he wouldn’t risk getting caught.”
“He could be using a long distance camera or
an
easily concealed one closer
to us
. Maybe on one of the mall buildings,” offered Josh, pointing to the group of red-roofed buildings to the right of the fence.
“It’s possible. It’d have to be pretty sophisticated equipment to let him see what he has to see. Besides, I think he needs it to be more personal,” said Manny.
He shifted his gaze to the ship, and eventually upward along her balconied flank
,
focusing as far as the lights would allow
,
and then back to four Virgin Island
officers
patrolling the fence. “Security said he left his suite and then the ship about three minutes before I got the pictures. That was about an hour before he called.”
“So we know he didn’t stay on board
,
and it’s impossible to book the same cruise, even under another name
,
so he has to be off the
Ocean Empress
,” said Chloe.
Manny tapped his foot and ran his hand through his hair. “What would I do if I were him? How would I get up close and personal?”
Then it came to him like those enlightenments do. He turned to Sophie. “What was the alias he used to book the cruise?”
She took out her notepad
.
“
Ahhmm.
Well
,
he was found in a suite booked by
a—
Steve Decker
.
Yeah, Steven
Decker
.”
“Josh, stay casual, relaxed
,
and call your contact at the
local p
olice
d
epartment. Ask for the names on the duty roster of all the Virgin Islan
d Police assigned to St. Thomas. W
e need to compare it
, p
articularly
to
the ones assigned to Customs and pier security.”
“Why do we need to do that? I don’t get
. . .
”
Manny watched his face light up like a new sunrise.
“Are you saying he’s one of the patrol officers?”
“I don’t know, but it’s what I would do if I wanted to get close to the action. The rest of you, don’t look at the patrols. Keep talking and nodding until we cross-check the reference list.”
Agent Corner pulled out his cell and made the call.
“Say that’s true, how would he know who was assigned to this gig on such short notice?” asked Chloe.
“If I’m right, he knew that Steven De
ck
er would be working this shift. He always does his research. It’s part of his game, his taunting. It’s an irony he doesn’t think we’ll get because we’re not as bright as him.”
“So the real Steven De
ck
er
. . .
” wondered Chloe
.
He bowed his head. “My guess is the real Steven De
ck
er’s family is
n’t
going to
see him again, alive at least
. . .
”
“You’re
paranoid, or
Argyle
’s even scarier than I thought,” shivered Sophie.
Josh moved closer to the steel fence and slapped his phone shut, walking back
in
Manny
’s direction
. One look from the Fed was all Manny needed to see to know he wasn’t paranoid
,
and that Argyle was enjoying the view. Maybe his favorite view.
16-Chapter
Josh
put his
phone in his pocket
and smiled at Manny. “So how do you want to play this? We could have the place crawling with cops in five minutes.”
Manny clapped Josh on the shoulder, looking relaxed and unconcerned. Argyle had balls; he had to hand it to him. “He knows it and has that contingency covered. I would.”
“So what would be the most unexpected thing we could do?” asked Chloe as she moved closer
,
switching her leather bag to the other shoulder, stretching and yawning in the process.
“Distraction?
” asked Sophie
“
Maybe I could go over to the fence
—
with Josh
—
and scream for help, that I was being raped or robbed. Or just drunk and having fun. I take off my clothes
—with Josh—
and make it totally realistic. Then we can see which guard doesn’t come running
.
” Sophie
’s
eyes
opened
wide. “You know I’d take one for the team
—with Josh.”
Josh
stared at Sophie and shifted his feet.
Manny had never seen Josh
that
nervous before. The funny thing was that
Sophie
was just crazy enough to do it
—
w
ith Josh.
“Thanks
,
partner. I’ll remember that for future reference.”
Manny
ran his hand through his hair. Argyle was scary bright and always a step ahead. His plans, his plays, were faultless. Mistakes were not in his makeup. So what was the answer to Chloe’s question? “We need to talk to the officer in charge. I’ll see if I can get to the security shack and talk to
the guards
. We need to know how many
patrolmen
a
re out there and where Decker should be
stationed
. But if we all start walking that way, he’ll know something’s up
,
so I want you three to check in
with security
. Once we find out where
Decker
is supposed to be, I’ll radio his location, then we can call for backup.”
“Isn’t that a little dangerous for you?” asked Chloe.
“No, I don’
t
think so. If he wanted to make a move on me, he would have tried by now. He wants a bigger stage when he goes after that prize.”
“There’s another exit on the other end of the ship for passengers. After you radio the ship, the three of us will exit there and rendezvous with you,” said Josh.
“Sounds good.” Manny picked up his bag and turned to Chloe. “I don’t know, agent
.
I don’t know what he
would
least
expect
us to do
.” He grinned. “Hell, maybe Sophie’s right. Maybe we should all rush the fence naked and see what happens.”
“My brilliance is so underappreciated,” moaned Sophie.
Chloe shook her head. “I don’t know about the naked thing, since I just met you all.
I guess it could be fun
—
with Josh.
But I think you’re right about not letting him know we
think
he’s out there. Good luck.”
The others moved up the silver-railed gangplank as Manny
faced
the security shack, about
sixty
yards to the south
and began to walk
. As he sauntered along the pier, he tried to see without looking
. T
he long shadows away from the well-lit pier weren’t cooperating
.
Argyle was out there,
lurking in the shadows
. N
o doubt about that now
.
Manny brushed at the sweat beading like small pools of salt water on his face. Could this be it? Could they actually have a step
-
up on the crazy doctor?
His insides roiled with
anticipation
, with
bold
possibilit
ies
. How good would it be to see the man in cuffs? Better yet, in
a
meat wagon
?
The door of the small
,
green
building was cracked
,
and Manny pushed it open.
According to the sign on the door,
O
fficer
S
. Treadwell was in charge.
“Hello? Officer Treadwell? Anyone?” There hadn’t been anyone standing outside and no one
sat
behind either of the small
,
worn
,
wooden desks. Not good.
T
he hair straighten
ed
on the back of his neck
,
and
he
reached for the Glock
.
40 holstered under his arm
.
He quickly cleared the area around the
front of
the
shack and saw no one heading toward the checkpoint from outside the fence. There was no sound, except the party music floating softly from the Lido
D
eck of the
Ocean Empress
.
What the hell? Argyle?
On full alert, he moved back in
side
the shed, searching for the two-way to call the ship, when he heard the rustle from behind the narrow door to his left. Just as he leveled his gun, the warped door burst open. Samantha Treadwell’s
plump
body did a twirling dance step, dreadlocks flying, while listening to a tune through her earphones. The
s
ergeant’s last spin, hands flailing in the humid air, brought her dark, oval face inches from the barrel of Manny’s gun.
Her eyes grew wide and she stopped moving, staring at the gun like it was the last thing she would ever see. “Jus take it easy. My dancin’ wasn’t dat bad, my bru
d
der. No reason to shoot a woman for dat.”
Manny holstered his gun and
smiled
, despite the 100 miles per hour his heart
raced
. “I’m sorry, officer. When I didn’t find anyone around, I thought the worst.”
She took the hand from her chest and let out a strangled breath. “You need to relax, mon. It’s late
,
so my partner went to get dinner and I had to
. . .
well
,
you know.” She grinned. “I tink I might have to go again.”
“
I’m s
orry again. Really.” He leaned against the door and watched the local cop recover. “I need your help. I’m Detective Williams
,
and I’m with the FBI crew that was brought in to investigate the murder on the
Ocean Empress
.”
“I know who
y
a
are, mon
. I saw you when
ya
came tru da checkpoint, and
I never forget a pretty face
.
”
She sat
down
in her padded leather chair. “Whew. Now dat my chest is done poundin, I might be able ta help. What do ya need?”
“What area is Steven Decker patrolling?”
“Decker? He be on the very south end, jus on dat side.” She pointed over Manny’s shoulder. “Why?”
Before he could answer, the square
,
glass window to Treadwell’s right exploded as a large rock blurred past her face, bounced off the desk, and settled on the sweating wooden floor. He jumped away and dove for cover
.
Treadwell followed suit, yelling in surprise.
The smell of the floor was sharp, like sweat and dirt, as Manny stayed low
,
gun raised facing the door, waiting for Argyle to show. H
is
concentrat
ion was
on the door when it dawned on him that Treadwell was still screaming. But not a shriek of fear or being startled, but one of horror,
outright
panic. Rolling to his left, he rose, slammed the door, and turned
in
Treadwell
’s direction
. She lay face
-
to
-
face with the rock, except it wasn’t a rock at all, but a woman’s severed head wrapped in a clear plastic bag. Manny could see
the head’s
wide, dark eyes staring at everything and nothing
,
t
he expression of terror still
etched
on her bloodied face.
Manny pulled the
s
ergeant to her feet and told her to call the ship’s security. He sprinted out the door
and
stopped cold after three frenzied strides. There, lying on the ground, the heartless floodlights exposed another mutilated body, a St. Thomas cop with his head staged on his chest. Manny closed his eyes and felt his stomach twist like a pretzel. It didn’t take an expert to figure out that Steven Decker wouldn’t be going home to his family tonight.