In the Dark (6 page)

“What did she look like? The woman on the beach. What did she look like?”

She turned around and stared at him. “Like…a woman. Blonde.”

“You didn’t recognize her?” He stepped past her, impatiently taking the carafe and starting the coffee.

“Recognize her?” Alex said, startled.

“Yes, did you know who she might be?”

“No. She was at a strange angle. And she had long…or longish hair. It was covering her face. I touched her throat, looking for a pulse. And then…I don’t know how to describe it exactly, but there was no way not to know she was dead.”

“But you let them convince you that she couldn’t have been, that you were wrong, and she just got up and walked away?” he demanded.

There was a note of disappointment in his tone.

“The sheriff was there,” she told him sharply. “He doubted me. There was no body. What the hell was I supposed to do?”

He turned his back on her, opening a cupboard door.

“Cups are over here,” she said impatiently, producing two from another cabinet.

He poured the coffee. He drank his black, so she was startled when he went to the refrigerator, absently taking out the milk to put a few drops into hers.

She accepted the coffee, watching him, feeling again an embarrassed awareness of his crisp, tailored appearance and her own tattered T-shirt. Ridiculous to
think about such things when they were talking about a corpse, she told herself.

“Did you mention your discovery to lover boy?” he inquired, sounding casual as he put the milk back in the refrigerator.

“I don’t like your tone,” she told him.

“Sorry, I don’t like what’s happening.”

“Are you actually jealous?” she demanded.

“I’m not trying to run your life, if that’s what you mean,” he assured her. “I just don’t like what’s happening here.”

“You haven’t explained a damn thing yet, David.”

“Did you tell him?” he persisted.

She let out a sigh of irritation. “No, but that doesn’t mean I won’t. For tonight…tonight I’m waiting. The sheriff will get back to us, let us know if anybody’s missing from one of the ferries or the Middle Keys. He and Jay might have made me feel a little foolish today, but Nigel Thompson is a good man and no fool. And I could accuse you of many things, but being a total idiot isn’t one of them. So get to it. What’s going on?”

“I’m afraid I might know your corpse,” he said quietly, his eyes a strange cobalt by night, and steady upon her.

Her heart seemed to skip a beat.

“Who?”

“Alicia Farr.”

“Alicia?” she exclaimed. “Why…why would she be around here? There’s not much to attract a woman of her reputation at a place like Moon Bay…but then again, there’s not much here for you.” She stopped speaking suddenly, staring at him. “I see. Great. You would have told me about this ‘technicality’ in the divorce, but only
because it would have been convenient while you were here. You came to meet Alicia.”

“No,” he told her.

“You liar,” she accused him softly. “Get out—now.”

“I didn’t come here just to meet her.”

“David, I’ll call security if you don’t leave.”

He arched an eyebrow, fully aware that “security” at Moon Bay meant two retired cops who were happy to putter around the grounds at night in retooled golf carts. There had never been serious trouble at Moon Bay—until today. And then they hadn’t bothered with security; they had called the sheriff’s department immediately.

“David, get the hell out.”

“Alex, will you listen to me—I think Alicia is dead.”

An eerie feeling crept along her spine. How could she be jealous of a corpse?

But she had been jealous of Alicia. The woman was—or had been—a free spirit, intelligent, beautiful and filled with knowledge, curiosity and a love of dangerous pursuits that nearly equaled David’s own.

Could she be dead? That would be terrible.

But it wasn’t sinking in. At the moment, Alex felt betrayed. She had to admit, it had felt nice to have David following her as if he was desperate.

“Alex?” he said, and his tone seemed to slip under her skin, no matter how numb she was suddenly feeling.

Then he walked over to her, put his cup down, and his hands went to her shoulders again, the whole of his length far too familiar against her own, his eyes piercing hers in a way she remembered too well. “Damn it, Alex, believe this—I don’t want you ending up dead, as well.”

They were talking about life and death, and all she
felt was the texture of his jacket, the heat emanating from him. She breathed him in and remembered the way his hands could move. He was almost on top of her, and she felt a physical change in herself, a tautness in her breasts, with way too much of her body pressed there against his.

She wanted to shove him away—hard.

She managed to get a hand between them and place it firmly on his chest, pushing him away from her, and slipped from the place where she had been flush against the counter.

“Talk, David. Do it quickly. I have a nine o’clock dive in the morning, which means I have to be at the docks at eight.”

Her voice sounded tight and distant. She wasn’t sure if it was the effect she wanted or not. She should have been concerned, she knew, about Alicia. She had known the woman, after all, even admired her. But she hadn’t liked her.

But that didn’t mean she would have wanted harm to come to her. So why wasn’t she more emotionally distressed? She was just too numb, unable to accept the possibility.

“Alicia called me a few weeks ago. Do you remember Danny Fuller?”

“Of course. He came here frequently, and he was charming.” He had been. An octogenarian, the man had been in on the early days of scuba diving and helped in the later development of some of the best equipment available. He had loved dolphins, and that had naturally endeared him to Alex. “Yes, I knew Daniel fairly well. I was very sorry to hear he died about a month ago, at a hospital in Miami. Of natural causes.”

“I know.”

“They were natural causes, right?”

“Yes. But Alicia was with him a lot at the end.”

“I can see it—him dying, and Alicia quizzing him about everything he knew until he breathed his last breath,” Alex murmured. She hesitated. Alicia Farr was—or had been, if any of this was true—everything that she had not been herself. She found herself remembering the woman and the times they had worked together. Alicia was the epitome of a pure adventuress, courageous beyond sanity, at times. She was also beautiful.

Even before the last year, she had frequently appeared at David’s side on TV and in magazines. He, naturally, thought the world of her.

He’d slept with her, certainly. But before or after the divorce? Alex had never been certain.

That must be why she was feeling so icy cold now. Good God, she didn’t want the woman to be dead, but still…

“It’s probably true that she pursued him mercilessly,” David admitted. “But he also sent for her, so I guess she was the one he wanted to talk to in the end. At any rate, soon after he died, she called me. She said she was on to the biggest find of the century, and that she wanted me with her. And something she discovered had to do with Moon Bay.” He seemed to notice the way Alex was staring at him. “Actually, I had already been toying with the idea of coming here, so it sounded fine to me. She set a date, and said that she would meet me here. Whether she made that same arrangement with anyone else or not, I don’t know. But when I tried to get back to her, to confirm, I couldn’t reach her. Then, when I got
here, she was a no-show. I figured she’d gone ahead to check things out. You know Alicia when she’s got the bit between her teeth. I still thought she’d show, though. But I did notice that the place seemed to be crawling with a strange assortment of visitors, including Seth Granger, Hank Adamson and your new friend—John Seymore. And then…I heard that you’d found a body on the beach.”

For several long moments, Alex just stared at him, not at all sure what to think, or where to start. She felt chilled. She had found a body, and it could have been Alicia’s.

No. Easier to believe Jay had been right. That she’d seen someone playing a sick—and very convincing—trick on someone else.

“Maybe Alicia just decided that she didn’t want you in on her fabulous find after all. Maybe she’s already off on her expedition,” Alex said, her voice sounding thin.

“And maybe someone else found out what she had and killed her to get it—or before she could set up an expedition to recover the treasure, so they could get it for themselves.”

“If there was really a body, it’s gone now,” Alex said. “And Sheriff Thompson—”

“I’ve spoken with him. He hasn’t seen Alicia, and your corpse hasn’t reappeared.”

“Then…then you don’t really have anything,” Alex said.

“What I have is a tremendous amount of fear that a friend and colleague is dead—and that someone may now be after you. Alex, maybe there’s someone out there
who thinks you saw something, and that could put you in danger.”

Alex shook her head. “David, I’m not going to start being paranoid because of the things that might be. If Alicia is dead, and someone was willing to kill her for what she knew, wouldn’t you be in far more danger than I am? What about your own safety?”

“I can handle myself.”

“Great. Handle yourself doing what? Waiting? Watching people?”

“I have friends looking for information now.”

She stared at him. He had friends, all right. P.I.s, cops, law enforcement from around the world. And he was serious.

A slight shiver raked along her spine. If all this was true…

“All right, David. I appreciate your concern for my welfare. And I’m very sorry if Alicia is…dead. I know what she meant to you.”

“No, actually, you don’t.”

He walked up to her, angry again, and she tensed against the emotion that seemed to fill him, though he didn’t touch her.

“There was never anything intimate between Alicia and me. She was a good friend. That’s all.”

She didn’t look up at him as she raised her hands. “Whatever your relationship…was, it’s none of my business. As I said, thanks for your concern. I’ll be very careful. I’ll keep my eyes open, and I swear, if I hear anything, I’ll tell you. Now, may I please go to sleep? Or try, at least, to get some sleep?”

“I can’t leave you.”

“What?”

“I can’t leave you. Don’t you understand? If someone out there thinks you can prove that Alicia is dead, that you might have seen…something, you’re in danger of being murdered yourself.”

She shook her head. “David, my doors lock. Please go away.”

They were both startled when his phone suddenly started to ring. He pulled it from his pocket, snapping it open. “Denham,” he said briefly.

She saw him frowning. “Sorry, say again. I’m not getting a great signal here.”

He glanced at Alex in apology and walked out back, opening the sliding door, stepping out.

She followed after a moment. He was on the porch rocker, deep in conversation. She hesitated, then shut and locked the glass door. She was going to try to get some sleep. But how? Her mind was spinning.

Before she could reach the hallway, she heard a pounding on the glass. Then David’s voice. “Damn it, Alex, let me in!”

“David, I’m fine. We’ll talk tomorrow. Go away!”

“I won’t leave you.”

“Well, I won’t let you in.”

“I’ll have to sleep on the porch then.”

“Feel free.”

She let the curtain fall closed. He slammed the glass with a fist. She was afraid for a minute it would shatter, despite the fact that it was supposedly hurricaneproof.

She stared at the drapes a long time. He didn’t speak again, or hit the glass.

Maybe he had actually gone away. She forced her self to walk to her bedroom, lie down, close her eyes.

At some point, she finally slept.

Her alarm went off at six. She nearly threw it across the room. She felt as if she’d never actually slept, as if her mind had never had a chance to turn off.

After a second, she jumped out of bed and raced to the back, hesitated for a second, then carefully moved the curtain to look out.

David was just rising. To her absolute amazement, he had spent the night with his tall, muscular form pretzeled into the rattan sofa on the porch.

Suddenly she was afraid. Very afraid.

D
avid wasn’t feeling in a particularly benign mood to ward Alex, even after he had showered, gone back to his own cottage, downed nearly a pot of coffee, shaved and donned swim trunks, a T-shirt and deck shoes for the day. She’d really locked him out.

And gone to sleep without letting him back in.

He should have slept in his own bed. His cottage was next to hers—it just seemed farther because of the foliage that provided privacy and that real island feel that was such an advertised part of Moon Bay.

He hadn’t gone to his own cottage, though, because he had seen someone snooping around her place. And the phone call he’d gone out to take hadn’t been the least bit reassuring.

With that in mind, he pocketed his wallet and keys, and left his cottage. Wanting to get out on the water
ahead of the resort dive boat, he hurried down to the marina to board the
Icarus
.

As he started to loosen the yacht’s ties, he heard his name being called.

Looking up, he saw John Seymore walking swiftly down the dock toward him. Hank Adamson and Jay Galway were following more slowly behind, engaged in conversation.

“Hey,” he called back, sizing up Seymore again. For someone who had been spending his time diving the Pacific, he was awfully bronzed. That didn’t mean anything in itself. The water on the West Coast might be cold as hell, but the sun could be just as bright as in the East.

“You’re heading out early,” John Seymore said. “Anywhere specific?”

“Just the usual dive sites,” he replied. He realized that Seymore was angling for an invitation. Why not? “Are you booked on the resort’s boat?”

“Couldn’t get in—she was full,” Seymore said cheerfully. “Hank had the same problem. We tried to weasel our way in through Jay, but he suggested we come down here to see what you had in store.”

Just what he wanted. Jay Galway, Hank Adamson and Mr. Surf-Blond All-Around-Too-Decent-Guy out on the
Icarus
with him.

On the other hand, maybe not such a bad idea. He would know where the three of them were, and he might just find out what each of the men knew.

He shrugged. “Come aboard.”

“I really appreciate the invitation,” Seymore said. “Guys!” he shouted back loudly. “We’re in!”

“Hop in, grab a line,” David said.

John Seymore came on first, followed by Jay Galway, who hurried ahead of Hank Adamson. “Hey, thanks, David. Sincerely,” Galway said. David nodded, figuring that Jay hadn’t been happy about having to tell the writer that he couldn’t get out for the day, even though it must look good for the resort’s programs to be booked.

“This is damn decent of you,” Adamson said, hopping on with agility. “Need some help with anything?”

“Looks like Jay has gotten the rest of the ropes. Make yourself at home.”

“Want me to put some coffee on while we’re moving out?” Jay asked.

“Good idea,” David said.

“Sorry, I should have thought of that,” John said, grimacing. “I always think of being on a yacht like this and drinking beer and lolling around on the deck.”

“Oh, there’s beer. Help yourself to anything in the galley.” Just stay the hell out of my desk, he thought.

David kept his speed low as he maneuvered the shallow waters by the dock, then let her go. The wind whipped by as the
Icarus
cut cleanly through the water. Adamson and Seymore had remained topside with him, and both seemed to feel the natural thrill of racing across the incredible blue waters with a rush. When they neared the first dive spot on the reef, he slowed the engine.

“Trust me to take the helm?” Seymore asked him.

“Sure,” David said, giving him the heading briefly, then hopping down the few steps that led to the cabin below.

He glanced around quickly, assuring himself that his computer remained untouched and it didn’t appear Galway had been anywhere near his desk, which was in the rear of the main cabin in a mahogany enclave
just behind the expansive dining table and the opposing stretch of well-padded couch.

“Good timing. Coffee’s ready,” Jay told him. Jay knew the
Icarus
. He’d once gone out with David on a salvage expedition, when he’d been going down to the wreck of a yacht lost in a storm, the
Monday Morning.
The boat had been dashed to pieces, but she’d carried a strongbox of documents her corporate owners had been anxious to find. It had been a simple recovery, but Galway had been elated to be part of the process.

“Thanks,” David said.

Jay handed him a cup of black coffee. “For a good-looking son of a bitch, you look like hell this morning,” Jay told him.

“I didn’t sleep well.”

Jay poured himself a cup. “Me neither.”

“Dreaming about corpses?”

Jay didn’t look startled by the question. “There was no corpse,” he said flatly.

“Not when you got there,” David suggested.

Jay shook his head. “I asked Alex not to say anything—since we didn’t have a body.”

“She didn’t.”

“Then?”

“It’s an island, a very small one,” David reminded him.

“I was sure Laurie would have the good sense to keep quiet when I asked her to,” Jay said disgustedly.

“Laurie didn’t talk. Things…get around.”

“So you’re not going to tell me where you got your information?” Jay asked.

“Nope.”

“Like I said, there was no body,” Jay told him. He frowned. “How far do you think it’s gotten around?”

“Who knows?”

Jay groaned. “If the guests start to hear this…”

“I don’t think it’ll get around to the rest of the guests,” David assured him. God, the coffee was good.

“It was Len, wasn’t it? And don’t deny it.”

“Doesn’t matter how I know. And I haven’t said a word to anyone else. I know Alex hasn’t either, and I’d almost guarantee Laurie hasn’t. I do have a question for you. What makes you so convinced Alex was duped?”

Jay looked at him. His surprise seemed real. “There was no body there. And corpses don’t get up and walk.”

“They can be moved.”

“I’m not an idiot. I was looking around just like the sheriff. The sheriff. We didn’t just call security and forget it. We called the sheriff. There was no sign of a body ever having been there or being taken away. There were no footprints and no drag marks.”

“What the hell does that mean? Someone strong enough could throw a woman’s body over his shoulder—and there are palms fronds around by the zillions. Footprints on a beach could easily be erased.”

“There couldn’t have been a body,” Jay said.

David watched him for a few minutes. Jay wasn’t meeting his eyes. Instead he seemed intent on wiping the counter where nothing had spilled.

“You look like you’re afraid there might have been. And worse, you look as if you’re afraid you know who it could have been,” David said softly.

Jay stared at him then. “Don’t be insane! I’d never kill anyone.”

“I didn’t say you would. You know, I asked you before about Alicia Farr. You assured me that she hadn’t checked in to the resort.”

“She hasn’t,” Jay protested.

“She was supposed to be here.”

“She called about a possible reservation, but she never actually booked. I didn’t think she would. It’s not her cup of tea. Anyway, that was it. She called once, made sure I had the dates available that she wanted, then said she’d get back to me. She didn’t. That’s the God’s honest truth. She never called back.”

It sounded as if Jay was sincere, but David couldn’t be certain.

Jay gasped suddenly, staring at David. “I know what you’re thinking! Believe me, there couldn’t have been a corpse. And if there was…it couldn’t have been Alicia. I mean, she didn’t check in. She was never on the island.”

“Well, if there wasn’t a corpse, it couldn’t have been anyone, right? But I should tell you, Alicia was in Miami a week ago, where she rented a boat and said she was heading down to one of the small private islands in the Keys.”

“Do you know how many small private islands there are down here? Maybe she intended to come here but changed her mind. She must have arranged to go somewhere else—maybe a place that belongs to a friend or something.” His eyes narrowed. “Were you…with her? In Miami?”

David shook his head.

“How do you know what she was doing, then?”

“She called me. Then when I called back and couldn’t reach her I had a friend do a trace on her.”

“Alicia is independent. She knows her way around.”

“When she called me, she asked me to meet her here, at Moon Bay. The way she talked, she was excited about seeing Moon Bay. She seemed very specific. When she called you, she didn’t say anything about her reason for coming?”

“I swear, she didn’t tell me anything. She was pleasant and asked about available dates, and that was all,” Jay assured him, then frowned. They could both see Hank Adamson’s deck shoes, then his legs, as he descended into the cabin.

“Mind if I take a look around her?” he asked David.

“Hell no. I’m proud of my girl and delighted to give you a tour. Jay, how about relieving John at the helm, so he can get a good look at the
Icarus
, too?”

“Sure. I already know my way around,” Jay told Adamson. There was a note of pride in his voice. David watched him thoughtfully as he headed topside.

Jay Galway had been sweating when they talked. A little sheen of perspiration had shown on his upper lip.

So…

Either he was afraid, or he was lying.

Or both.

Alex had expected Zach to be a problem.

He wasn’t. The teenager duly handed her his dive card, then sat through her reminders and instructions like an angel. His mom had decided to stay on shore, despite the fact that they were going to make a stop on one of the main islands before returning that night.

Doug Herrera was captaining their dive boat, and Mandy Garcia was Alex’s assistant. They all switched
between dive excursions and the dolphins. Gil and Jeb were dealing with the morning’s swim, and Laurie was taking her day off. Actually, Alex had expected to see her friend at the docks anyway—Laurie loved to dive, and she especially loved a day when the boat was scheduled to make a stop on one of the main islands when she wasn’t working. It was a chance to check out the little waterside bar where they had a meal and after-dive drinks, for those who chose, before returning to Moon Bay.

But Laurie had still been at the Tiki Hut when Alex left, so maybe the late night and the excitement of the day had caused her to sleep in. And maybe she had decided not to come because Seth Granger was on the dive, and he always made things miserable.

At Molasses Reef, their first dive, Alex noted that the
Icarus
, David’s yacht, was already anchored nearby. They never anchored on the reefs themselves. Most divers were aware of the very delicate structure of the reef and that it shouldn’t be touched by human hands, much less bear the weight of an anchor, and wouldn’t have moored there even if there hadn’t been laws against it. David was close though, closer than they went themselves.

“Now that’s a great-looking yacht,” Seth commented, spitting on his mask to prep it.

“Yes,” she agreed. The
Icarus
was a thirty-two footer, and she looked incredible under full sail. Today, however, David wasn’t sailing her. He’d apparently used the motor. The yacht moved like a dream, either way. In side, the mahogany paneling and rich appointments made her just as spectacular. The galley had every possible accessory, as did the captain’s desk. She was big
enough to offer private sleeping facilities for up to three couples.

“You should have asked for the yacht,” Seth said, eyeing the
Icarus
.

“I beg your pardon?”

“In your divorce settlement. You should have asked for the yacht. She’s a beauty. But, hey, you’ve got another chance to ask for her now. Heard you’re not really divorced,” Seth said.

“Where did you hear that?”

He laughed again, or rather, bellowed. “People talk, you know. Moon Bay is an island. Small. People talk. About everything.”

He stared at her, which gave her a very uncomfortable feeling. What else was being discussed?

“I don’t want her. She belongs to David. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get in the water. And so do you. The tour group is waiting.”

Her people were buddied up the way she’d arranged them after she’d duly studied their certificates and discussed their capabilities. She’d decided to buddy up with Zach herself.

In the water, leading the way, even though she was checking constantly to assure herself that her group indeed knew what they were doing and how to deal with their equipment, she found a certain peace. The sound of her own air bubbles always seemed lulling and pleas ant. As yet, no cell phones rang here.

Zach stuck with her, amazed. A Michigan kid, he’d gotten his certificate in cold waters and was entranced by the reef. It was a joy to see his pleasure in the riot of tropical fish, and in the giant grouper that nosily edged their way.

This was an easy dive; most of it no more than thirty feet. When she counted her charges again, she saw that Seth Granger had wandered off. His “buddy,” the mother of the girls from the day before, was looking lost.

Alex motioned to Zach, then went after Granger. He seemed hostile, but, to her relief, he rejoined the group.

Back on deck, he was annoyed. “I saw David out on the reef. I was just going over for a friendly underwater hello.”

“Mr. Granger—”

“Seth. Come on, honey, we’ve seen enough of each other.”

“Seth, if you’d wanted an unplanned, individual dive, you should have spoken with David earlier—and gone out on the
Icarus
with him. I’m sure he’d have been happy to have you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You know I know what I’m doing in the water.”

“Guess what, Seth? I don’t go diving alone. Too dangerous. Now, I can have the skipper take the boat back in and drop you off at Moon Bay, or you can stay with the group and abide by our rules.”

He pointed a finger at her. “I’ll be talking to your boss tonight.”

“You do that.”