Mystral Murder (Julie O'Hara Mystery Series) (19 page)

“Oh, sorry, Adele.
I’ll have them for you in a minute. I was just checking out the storm.”  Gabe smiled and hustled to fill her drink order.

Stop thinking about it! It will show! Do you want to get caught?

Someone else killed Adrienne. Someone else…

*
* * * *

CHAPTER 49

T
he phone was ringing. Julie had it on “speaker” and Dale and Joe were listening, too.

“Officer Sanchez here.”

“Officer Sanchez, this is Julie O’Hara.”

There was a pause.

“Hello, Julie. What can I do for you?”

“May I call you Bob?”

“Of course. What can I help you with?”

Julie took a deep breath. “I know who killed Adrienne
Paradis, Bob. And I believe I know how to prove it.”

“What do you mean? You have an eye witness? Someone who saw Adrienne
Paradis pushed overboard?”

“Well, no, not a witness.”

“Then I’m afraid you can’t prove that a crime was committed. I mean, without a body, these things are difficult to resolve, Julie. Unless someone saw something…”

“Well, I may not be able to prove that he killed her, but I believe I can prove that a man was with Adrienne out on Deck 12 right before she went overboard.”

“It doesn’t sound like you’re talking about her husband, Dale Simpson.”

“No, I’m not. In fact, Dale and Joe Garrett are listening to this call. I’ve got you on speaker.”

Dale and Joe said hello, and the Hotel Manager acknowledged them.

“So, who are you accusing?”

“Someone on your staff …Gabe Rossi.”

“Gabe Rossi?
The bartender?”

“Yes. The one who worked in the Top Hat the night Adrienne went missing. I’ve heard two rumors about him. One has it that Gabe has been known to mess around with female passengers; the other rumor is worse. I’ve heard about a woman, approximately the same diminutive size and coloring as Adrienne
Paradis, whom he may have raped.”

“Another passenger?”

“No, a young server. Listen, Bob. Let me tell you why I think Gabe Rossi killed Adrienne Paradis, and why I’m calling you, all right?”

Sanchez sighed audibly.
“All right. Go ahead…”

One after the other, Julie sketched out the reasons why she and Joe had cleared the other diners who were in Adrienne’s company at the Captain’s Table the night of her disappearance.  She didn’t hold back, figuring that the “
hotman” who ran everything probably already knew about Doctor Sinclair and Captain Collier, and Gill Byrne and his affair with Adrienne.  As if to confirm that, there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line.

Julie continued and described the latter part of the evening in the Top Hat club, particularly Adrienne personally getting her own drink from Gabe Rossi…a drink that quite possibly contained a drug.

“Now, this is the part where you’re going to have to bear with me, Bob…”

“I’m listening. Go ahead.”

And then Julie told him about Adrienne going back to her room during the evening to get her copy of Julie’s book so Julie could sign it.  She told him how she had found Adrienne’s designer pen this evening in the pocket of the Capri pants she had worn only once…the night she had slept outside on Deck 12.

“You’re saying that you met with her there, and signed her book?”

“Not consciously, no. I took an Ambien sleeping pill and I don’t remember anything. Nevertheless, I
do
think I signed her book. You see, people often hand me a pen for that purpose. Here’s the point, Bob: I gave up trying to be original hundreds of copies ago. I always write the date and the same message:
For Jane Doe, Best wishes, Julie O’Hara.
I probably wrote that fifty times last Monday at my seminar. The odds are that I wrote that date and message in Adrienne’s copy.”

“Assuming that you did, what does it mean?”

“Nobody gets attacked and thrown off the twelfth deck of a ship hanging on to a book.
   
I believe Adrienne dropped that signed and dated book, and I think Gabe Rossi still has it…probably in his cabin. I’m calling to ask you to exert your influence to get security to search his quarters while he’s at work tonight.”

Julie shut up then. The three of them stayed quiet, waiting for the
hotman’s response, praying that he’d see it their way.

It seemed to take him forever, but finally he broke the silence.

“I can’t do it, Julie. This is conjecture, speculation. And Gabe Rossi has a cabin mate, Matthew Graham, another bartender. We’d be invading Matt’s privacy, as well as Gabe’s. Look, I’m not unaware of the problems with Rossi. If it’s any comfort to you, he’s not going to be on any future cruises with Holiday Cruise Lines.”

“It’s no comfort to me or any other woman to know that a killer rapist is free.”

Sanchez was silent…and Julie was wise enough to wait for him to speak.

“That’s not fair, Julie. If we had an ounce of proof, we’d search his cabin.”

“I have a way to get that proof!  If you and Clyde Williams will back up Dale and Joe and me, I promise I can make Rossi think he’s caught.”

“You’re proposing a sting?”

“Yes, and it’ll work, Bob. What have you got to lose?”

More silence…

“All right.
I’ll call Clyde.”

*
* * * *

CHAPTER 50

T
hey came together at eleven o’clock and took the stairs to Deck 12.  Silently, they crossed the hall and moved up against the wall opposite the elevators and next to the Top Hat’s open doors. There were six of them, as Clyde Williams had brought Wes Hall for extra muscle. Clyde peeked around the corner and signaled that the club was empty except for Rossi.

According to their plan, Julie, apparently alone, would go in and confront him. She’d tell him she remembered signing Adrienne’s book and had seen him that night.  Julie’s story would be that she had befriended the Head Housekeeper, Lana Medeiros, persuaded her to open up Gabe’s cabin, and they’d found Adrienne’s dated and autographed copy.

This will work,
she thought.
It worked with Dale and it will work with Rossi. He’ll make a move or say something. One way or another, his guilt will show and Clyde Williams will see it. I hope to hell Joe keeps Dale in check.

Julie steeled herself and marched in with her newly autographed copy of
Clues
.  Rossi was behind the service bar near the rear doors leading to the deck.  If her plan was going to work, she needed to get him out of there, where they could rush him…if it came to that.

“Hello, Gabe.”

Rossi was removing bottles from tiered shelves at the back of the bar and saw her in the mirror. “Well, hello,” he said, turning and smiling. He was darkly handsome in a classic Italian way, with chiseled features and strong, white teeth. “Julie O’Hara, isn’t it? You looking for your boyfriend? Mr. Garrett hasn’t been in tonight.”

“No, I’m not looking for Joe, he’s asleep. I came here to show you something.”

Julie stood in front of the deck doors, hoping Gabe would come out from behind the bar to see what she had in hand. 

As agile as a panther, Gabe ducked under the bar. “So what is it?”

A flash of lightening behind the glass doors lit up one side of him, standing before her smiling like Sardonicus. The effect was frightening and Julie felt like running away but, all at once, a righteous anger began to flow through her, strengthening her.  It was as if Adrienne was standing there without a voice, counting on her.

“It’s Adrienne’s book, Gabe, the one you hid in your cabin.”

His smile gone, Gabe looked around, as if making sure they were alone.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about
this
.” Julie stepped forward and held the book open so he could see the date and the inscription. “Lana Medeiros let me into your cabin and I found it. I knew it was you I saw running off that night. You picked this book up off the deck right after you threw Adrienne Paradis overboard!”

Gabe looked around again and stared at her, his eyes hooded and calculating. “You’re crazy. You didn’t get that out of my room; I never saw that book before.”

Julie took a gamble. “Don’t be stupid, Gabe. It’s over! You think I’d come here without insurance? I’ve got Malaya’s crucifix, too.”

Gabe’s eyes flared, and in one swift move, he grabbed Julie and twisted her arm violently behind her back. She screamed as the pain ripped through her shoulder.

“YOU FUCKING BITCH! WHERE IS IT?”

Dale led the charge into the room. “LET HER GO, ROSSI!”

Suddenly, the heavy glass door behind them swung open and Julie fell backward.
Gabe was dragging her across the deck!
The wind howled and tore at them and they were instantly soaked by the heavy, blowing rain. Water washed over Julie’s scrambling feet in cold, rushing waves. One of her flats came off and was immediately swept away in the near-total darkness.

The shouting men poured through the open doors after them, backlit by the light inside the club. Julie couldn’t see Joe. 
Where was he? 
“JOE! JOE!”

“SHUT UP, BITCH! IF I’M GOING OVER, SO ARE YOU!”

He was shoving her up on the railing!
She was hanging over from her waist, her feet off the deck, blinded by the rain, her wet hair whipping across her face.
Oh, God, help me! Please help me!

Julie heard Joe yell, “NO!” as he slammed into Gabe from the side.

And then she fell, tumbling into the water.

*
* * * *

CHAPTER 51

“F
ollow me!” Bob Sanchez yelled to Joe as the two of them raced down the stairs to Deck 11. “We’ve got to pull her out fast!”

Joe had never been on this end of Deck 11. He saw immediately that the hallway there was a carbon-copy of Deck 12 above, the elevators facing a darkened club: The Crew Bar. 

“This way!” Sanchez yelled as he held open the exterior starboard-side door against the wind and rain. They tore around the closed bar to its rear deck, where they heard Julie screaming into the pitch-black darkness.

“HELP! HELP ME!”

A bolt of lightning illuminated her being slammed, side-to-side, in the violently tossing sea-water pool reserved for the crew. “Don’t get in!” the
hotman yelled. “It’s too dangerous! Grab her from the side! I’ll get over there!” He ran to the port-side of the overflowing pool.

“JULIE! I’M HERE, BABY! OVER HERE!”

Julie turned and saw Joe’s silhouette in the lightning. She reached out and swam hard against the wave, which was rushing to port. Joe leaned over and snagged her jersey, then grabbed her under her arms. “It’s coming back, Julie…now!” As the high water hit the padded pool wall, he lifted her up and out, the two of them thrown back on the deck.

Bob Sanchez came running. “Is she okay? Are you okay, Julie?”

“I am now,” Julie gasped, clinging to Joe.

“C’mon, we’ve got to get out of here,” Bob said, as the two men helped Julie to her feet.  They hung onto each other and whatever handholds they could grab; slipping and sliding, they made their way back to the starboard door. To their surprise, Michelle Sinclair was waiting there with two white-uniformed male nurses and a wheelchair.

“Clyde Williams called Captain Collier. They’re all upstairs grilling Gabe Rossi,” she said, moving the wheelchair forward and extending her hand. “Here, Julie. Sit down.”

“Oh, I don’t need a wheelchair! I’m fine; my shoulder’s a little sore, that’s all.”

“Please, no arguments. We’re going to get you down to the Medical Center and take a look. Come sit down, Julie.”

“Go ahead, honey,” Joe said, helping her into the chair. “I’ll go to our cabin and bring you some clothes.”

Suddenly, Julie didn’t want to let go of his hand. “Promise you’ll come right down?”

“Absolutely,” he said, choking up. “I’ll be right there.”

Bob Sanchez smiled at Joe as the elevator doors closed on Julie, surrounded by her white-clad attendants.

“That’s some woman you’ve got there, Joe.”

“Damn straight.”

*
* * * *

CHAPTER 52

A
drienne was elated beyond measure…

She had loved Dale and now he would have peace. Because he had experienced a loss without compassion, Dale would be especially tender with her sister, Marie, and her elderly parents, Elise and Daniel. They would comfort each other and they would want him to continue his stewardship of their business. It would be a wise decision, and she knew they would be safe in his capable hands.