Crown Jewel (28 page)

“I have to work on that. Did the news say where the vice president was staying?” Ricky asked.

“In a private home as someone's guest. They didn't elaborate. The locals are pretty pissed that he chose this time to visit. It's all they can do to handle the revelers. The arrival of the vice president only adds to their troubles. They're being decent about it, though. Good PR for Antigua.” Max looked into the rearview mirror. “You're lookin' good, Roxy.”

“Well, thank you. How's Gracie looking?”

Ricky and Roxy watched Max's neck turn pink. “Real good.”

Fifteen minutes later, Max swerved up along the winding road that led to the resort. “Whew, I'm glad I don't have to fight that zoo on a regular basis. Why don't you two freshen up. I'll collect everyone and meet you on the Calypso Deck. How does an hour sound? Just for the record, we're at one hundred percent occupancy. Tyler is bunking in with me.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ricky said, helping Roxy out of the car. He watched with pride when the staff rushed up to her to either hug her, shake her hand, or kiss her cheek. She took time for all of them, asking about their well-being, their families, and whatever else she could think of. “We're just guests this time around. I expect you all to wait on us hand and foot. No slacking, now,” she joked.

“All right. Let's hit those showers. We'll see you in a bit,” Ricky said as he clapped his hand on his son's back. “Monitor any calls that come in for me, Max.”

“Gotcha.”

 

They could have posed as mother, daughter, and family, Ricky thought as he walked out onto the Calypso Deck, where Lorraine Farquar, her daughter-in-law, and granddaughters sat waiting for him.

“You go ahead, Ricky,” Roxy said. “I'll join you later. I want to walk around and talk to people. I don't want them to think I'm ignoring them. I made a lot of friends in the years I worked here.”

“Take your time.” Ricky kissed her lightly on the cheek, not caring who saw him. He watched her as she walked away, her hips wiggling provocatively. She looked back over her shoulder and winked. He grinned, then laughed out loud, again not caring who saw or heard him.

On the Calypso Deck, Ricky impulsively leaned down and kissed Lorraine Farquar's cheek before he shook hands with Lee Ann. He eyed the three sisters and grinned. “You don't want to be here, do you?” They blushed as one. “Go on, have some fun. Us old folks will sit here and discuss your sunburns.” He smiled as they scrambled from their chairs and ran off to do whatever it was his appearance had interrupted.

“It's nice to see you again, Ricky. There are no words to thank you. One moment my life was turned upside down, and, before I knew it, it turned right-side up again. I called my housekeeper to see if there were any messages. Adam Nolan called twice and wants me to call him. Of course I didn't. I didn't tell the housekeeper where I was either.”

Ricky nodded. “My son told me he heard on the news that the vice president is arriving sometime this evening. He called me several times. I returned his call but wouldn't discuss matters with him. The fact that he's coming here tells me he is very worried.”

“What…what are we going to say when we meet with him?”

Ricky smiled. “I know exactly what I'm going to say. I think you should say whatever you want. All the things you've always wanted to say that you bottled up. My press agent,” he said, referring to Gracie Lick, “put the spin out before she left to come here. It's not going to go away. There's no way he can defend himself. My thinking, and I could be wrong, is that he's going to try to get us to issue some kind of statement saying this is just Hollywood hype to ratchet up interest in a movie I'm making. That is not going to happen. We're on our own turf here and not inside the Beltway.”

Ricky looked up when he heard the sound of running feet and heard his name being called. He turned around, curious. “Max! What's wrong?”

“Dad, I need you right now! Hurry up! Tyler will stay with the ladies.”

Did he hear correctly?
Dad, I need you right now! Dad!

“Go, go,” Lorraine Farquar said. “Do what your son wants.”

“Can't you go any faster?” Max said, running down the hall, calling over his shoulder. “Pick up your feet!”

“What's wrong? Don't tell me the vice president arrived and you slugged him!”

“It's worse than that,” he said, throwing the door open to his suite of rooms. Ricky gawked, his eyes almost popping out of his head.

“Gracie!”

“She fell asleep in the sun. She's frozen in that position. I called a doctor, but with Carnival, who the hell knows when he'll get here. We have to do something!”

“Go find Roxy. Bring Mrs. Farquar and Lee Ann up here. Now, Max!”

“Ah, Gracie, this was supposed to be a fun vacation for you. We'll…we'll do something. Didn't anyone warn you about the sun here? It's all right, don't talk.”

“I feel like my skin is stretched too tight,” Gracie said through clenched teeth. “I had on a thirty-five sunblock. I feel like I'm on fire.” She started to cry.

Roxy raced through the door. She gaped at Gracie before she turned to Max and Ricky. “Leave us alone. I know what to do. Go find a damn doctor,” she hissed to Max.

Lorraine Farquar and Lee Ann Oliver entered the room just as Ricky and Max were leaving.

“It's bad, isn't it?” Gracie whimpered.

“There, there, dear, nothing is as bad as it seems,” Lorraine said soothingly. “Tea bags, lots and lots of tea bags in tepid water. It's the same principle as biting down on a tea bag after you have a tooth pulled. It's the tannin in the tea. I think it has medicinal properties.”

“I always used vinegar on my girls when they got bad sunburns. It takes the heat out of the burn,” Lee Ann said.

“I always used Noxzema because it felt cool,” Roxy said. “Aloe first, though, for the healing properties.

“Gracie, hold tight, okay? I'm going down to the kitchen to get everything. We'll stand her up in the tub and…and drizzle the tea bag water over her. Then we'll drizzle the vinegar and then pat her down with the aloe. How does that sound?”

“Like a plan,” Lee Ann said. Lorraine nodded.

Roxy kicked off her high-heeled sandals and ran out of the room.

Max and Ricky dogged her every step, demanding to know what she was doing and why she was doing it. “Will one of you just find a damn doctor! I can't believe one isn't staying here. We always have doctors staying here. Move! Both of you! Do I have to do everything?”

“No, ma'am,” Max said smartly. “Is she going to be all right?”

“Of course she's going to be all right. I just don't know when that will be. You're still standing here. When I give you an order, you hop to it, mister. That goes for you, too, Ricky!”

If they'd had tails, they would have been between their legs when they retreated from the kitchen. “She's going to be okay, isn't she, Dad?”

Dad.
There it was, the magic word he never thought he would hear. And he'd heard it twice. “Roxy wouldn't lie about something like that, Max. Let's check the computer to see if there's a doctor staying here.”

Five minutes later, Max whooped with pleasure. “Dr. Carlyle Byrd from Marietta, Georgia, is staying on the fourth floor with his wife and his wife's sister. I have no idea what kind of doctor he is. He might be a Ph.D. for all I know. I can almost guarantee they aren't in their rooms. I'll ring both and leave a message on the voice mail. We can also have him paged in case they're at the pool, gym, or one of the bars.”

Ricky looked at his son's shaking hands. “Let me do it, Max. Go ahead, but they aren't going to let you in the room. I'll be up as soon as I finish here.”

“This must be like having a baby where the father can't do anything but pace the floor,” Max said morosely. “I want to do something.”

Ricky left instructions for the desk clerk if Dr. Byrd called in from the page or returned to the hotel. He sighed. Life certainly was strange. He wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder and walked him down the hall. He could feel Max leaning against him. It was a nice feeling. A real nice feeling.

It was after ten o'clock when Gracie Lick fell asleep. Dr. Carlyle Byrd, a pudgy, balding man with shell-rimmed glasses, looked around at the worried faces staring at him. “She's going to be fine. Uncomfortable, but fine. You acted quickly, and that helped a lot. I'll check on her first thing in the morning. She should sleep through the night with the shot I gave her.”

Dr. Byrd looked at Ricky. “Do you think you could find me some transportation into St. John's? I'm a steel band aficionado. I had to do months of sweet-talking to get my wife to come here. I don't want her to start harping on me. She wanted to go to Hawaii.”

“Absolutely, Dr. Byrd, I'll take you myself. Your stay is on the house.”

The doctor beamed his pleasure.

When the door closed behind Ricky and the doctor, Roxy took charge. “We're going to take turns staying with Gracie. Two-hour shifts each. I'll take the first shift. Lorraine gets the second, Lee Ann the third, and you, Max, get the early-morning shift. She's going to be all right, Max, so wipe that look off your face. You have a resort to run, so do what you're paid to do. Gracie is in good hands.”

“All right, Roxy.”

“Max.”

“Yes.”

“I know your history with Gracie. When guests come to the islands for the first time, especially those who have never had a
real
vacation, like Gracie, they do things like fall asleep in the sun. She did put on a thirty-five sunblock. Someone should have warned her about the sun here. I'm thinking that was your responsibility, and you screwed up. I mention this so you won't say or do anything that will embarrass or hurt Gracie. Just so you know, your father loves that girl.”

Max's head bobbed up and down. He remembered the day his father had said he admired Gracie and went on to say he did not admire him or his brother. “I hear you, Roxy.”

“Okay. Take care of business now.”

Lorraine Farquar patted Gracie's head. “I feel, Roxy, like I stepped into another world. All of a sudden, I have this wonderful family, and an extended family as well. This mothering business is wonderful. I always knew it would be. I cheated myself all those years because I was such a coward. I am so glad you and Ricky found me. With Armand's passing, and don't think I'm not grieving, because I am, I don't know what I would have done.”

Roxy smiled as she kissed Lorraine's cheek. “Try to get a few hours' sleep.”

It was a difficult thing to do, but Roxy walked over to Lee Ann Oliver. “I'm sorry for both of us. In his own way, Philip brought us all to this place in time. You have three wonderful daughters and an equally wonderful mother-in-law. I found my soul mate in Ricky. Even though the circumstances were…less than we would have liked, we still have to be grateful to Philip. I hope we can be friends when we finally lay all this to rest.”

“I hope so, too,” Lee Ann said. “No, no, let's not hope. Let's make it happen. Now, if you need us, call.”

“I will. Thanks for all your help this evening.”

“There's nothing I wouldn't do for that little girl,” Lorraine said, pointing to Gracie. “She made it happen. I wish Armand was here so he could meet everyone.” Her voice was so sad, it brought tears to Roxy's eyes.

“I think he's watching. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find out Philip is orchestrating everything from…
up there
. I know he's smiling down on all of us.”

Lorraine patted Roxy's hand as Lee Ann ushered her out of the room.

“It's just you and me, kid,” Roxy said, sitting down on a chair close to the bed. She stared at Gracie, wondering if she'd ever been that young. She smiled when she remembered the panic on Max's face. And the love. “I think, my dear, you're going to get the brass ring,” she whispered.

 

The lobby of the resort was as busy at eleven o'clock at night as it was at eleven o'clock in the morning. Sleep was something that came with a question mark. Or an exclamation point. Still, it wasn't rowdy, but it was noisy as little groups tried to figure out the best way to get to St. John's, where all the action was.

Tyler sensed his brother's approach. It was uncanny the way he was so tuned to a brother he never knew existed until a few months ago. He turned and grinned.

“Yo, Bro. There's miserable, and then there's
miserable
. You fall into the latter category. I heard about Gracie. Is she okay?”

“Yeah, the doctor said she'd be okay, but her vacation is spoiled. I don't know who was looking forward to it more, she or I. I swear to God, Ty, I told her not to stay out in the sun. I told her to ease into it and to use a good sunblock. She listened, but she fell asleep under a palm tree in the shade, then the sun moved on. The rest is history. Roxy and the ladies took care of her until the doctor showed up. They kicked me out. They're taking turns sitting with her.”

Tyler clapped his brother on the back. He looked around, his gaze sweeping the lobby for any sign of trouble. Seeing none, he said, “The place doesn't look like it's going to implode anytime soon. Let's catch a beer. I'm buying. Besides, I want to talk to you about something.”

“I want to talk to you about something, too,” Max said, following his brother. As always, both young men were totally oblivious of the admiring glances being sent their way.

Max perched himself on one of the barstools close to the door. In the holiday atmosphere, you had to be alert for any sign of trouble.

Tyler handed Max a bottle of Corona. They clinked their bottles, grinning at each other. “What did you want to talk to me about, Ty?”

“This,” Tyler said, setting his beer bottle down on the high bar table. He fished in his pocket to withdraw a small jeweler's box. He opened it.

Max gaped. He looked at the sappy look on his brother's face. “So, who are you giving this to?”

“What do you mean who am I giving this to? Donna, of course.”

“What happened to Rosalie, Corinda, Miriam, and Stephanie?” Max needled.

“Nothing happened to them. They're all nice girls. They helped me see that Donna is the one for me.”

Max continued to needle. “Does Donna know? Did you tell Roxy or Ricky?”

“No. Should I have told them? I don't have to ask permission, you know.”

Max shrugged. “When are you going to give it to her?”

“Tomorrow. Okay, that's my news. What did you want to talk about?”

“I called Ricky ‘Dad.' Twice. I called him ‘Dad' twice, Tyler. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. I was panicking over Gracie.”

“How'd he take it?” Curiosity rang in Tyler's voice.

“He didn't. I think he heard me. Hell, I was yelling at the top of my lungs. I guess he rolled with it.”

“So, are you going to be calling him Dad from now on or what?”

“I don't know. I guess if it feels right, I will. He feels like my father. He really does. How about you? Have you called him ‘Dad' yet?”

“No. I think of him that way, though. I bet he marries Roxy before the end of the year. Ten bucks, Bro.”

Max snorted. “That's a sucker bet. I feel like we're a family. Do you feel that way, Tyler?”

“Yeah, I do. Want another beer?”

“Sure. Uh-oh, scratch that beer, Bro. Do you see what I'm seeing?”

“Oh, shit! Where's
Pop?”

“Dad
drove the doctor to St. John's. He'll be lucky if he gets back here by three in the morning. Hop to it, Bro.”

“It's true, they do all look alike. I see eight of them,” Tyler said. “They wear these microphones inside their sleeves. Then they bring their wrists up to their faces and talk into them. I saw that in a movie.”

“I saw the same movie. Let's head them off at the pass. They look pretty fit to me.”

“It's an illusion. We're the ones who are fit.” Tyler grimaced.

The brothers watched as the Secret Service agents fanned out across the lobby. “They have no jurisdiction here,” Tyler hissed in his brother's ear.

“I don't think it matters. Remember this, they're
packing
. Don't even think about starting anything. Like our father says, courtesy goes a long way. C'mon, let's beard this lion.”

Long-legged, purposeful, synchronized strides brought them right up to the courtesy desk and into the face of the agent who had just identified himself as Special Agent Zirconie.

“I'm Max Lam. This is my brother, Tyler Lam. What is it you want, Agent Zirconie?”

“I'd like to speak with Ricky Lam. Can you tell me where he is?”

“He isn't here. He's in St. John's. I'm not sure when he'll be back with everything going on. I can give him a message.”

“We'll wait.”

Max looked at his brother. “How about waiting someplace other than the lobby. People are already staring at you. You guys need to
dress down
when you come to a place like this. In case you haven't noticed, you reek Secret Service. Sit in the bar. You can see everyone coming or going through the lobby. My father will enter through the lobby.”

“We'll stay in the lobby,” Agent Zirconie said.

“No, Agent Zirconie, you won't stay in the lobby,” Max said. “I run this resort. What I say goes. You have no jurisdiction here. This is not the good old USA, in case you had forgotten. Before you bring it to a firestorm, you might want to call the vice president to make sure he's okay with your hanging out in my lobby.
Retreating
is not a dirty word. I'll clear the bar for you.”

Agent Zirconie eyed the two brothers for a full minute before allowing his gaze to sweep across the milling crowds in the lobby. Whatever he saw in the brothers' faces convinced him to move off. A cell phone materialized in his hand.

“We can take him,” Max whispered.

“What's with that
we
stuff? Remember the last time we ended up in jail? In case you forgot, I haven't. There are
eight
of them. Eight. We number two.”

Agent Zirconie returned. “We'll wait in the bar. There's no need to clear it. Notify us the minute Mr. Lam returns. No funny stuff, boys. And, no, you couldn't take me, even on your best day.”

“That's a matter of opinion,” Max said coldly.

The agent murmured something into his sleeve. He looked up at Max, and said, “No, it's a fact.”

The brothers watched as the agent made his way to the bar to sit down on the same stool Max had vacated.

“What now?” Tyler hissed.

“Now you go upstairs and tell Roxy to call Ricky. I don't know if he took his cell phone with him or not. I'll stay down here and keep my eyes open. Those guys aren't stupid. They probably have agents covering all the entrances and exits, and one of them is probably out at the end of the driveway. Just because we only saw eight doesn't mean there aren't more outside. Look nonchalant, Bro.”

Tyler sauntered off, his destination the kitchen and the outside entrance that would take him up to the Calypso Bar. From there he took the elevator that would carry him to the fourth floor, where he let himself into Max's suite.

“How is she?”

“She's sleeping.” Roxy said. “She really hasn't moved. It's a restful sleep. What's going on?”

Tyler filled her in.

“Your father had his cell phone. Let's see if he has it turned on.” She dialed the number and waited. Ricky picked up almost immediately. Roxy handed the phone to Tyler.

“It's going down, Dad. What do you want us to do? They're waiting for you in the lobby. Hell, they're all over the place.”

Ricky thought he was going to bust wide open.
Dad
. His son just called him “Dad.”

“Don't do anything, and don't antagonize them either. I heard on the radio that the vice president arrived a little while ago. The locals have recommended he stay in his quarters for security reasons. That has to mean his agents are here to take me to him. I don't want to do that in the middle of the night. Morning will be time enough. I want Lorraine to be with me when we meet. I'm going to go to one of the casinos and hang out till morning. I doubt they have much authority over here, but I don't want to cause any problems at this stage.

“Show them some hospitality, and don't let Max piss them off. Don't tell me he already did that!”

“Sort of, kind of, but not really. They act like they're programmed. The word
robot
comes to mind,” Tyler said grimly. “I guess I'll see you in the morning then.”

“Yes, around seven or so. Tell Lorraine to be ready to leave as soon as I get there.”

“Will do.”

After Tyler relayed his father's plan to Roxy, she sighed. “I can't wait for all this to be over.” She stood up, rolling her shoulders back and forth. The door opened, and Lorraine Farquar stepped into the room.