Volcano (18 page)

“Jacques?” Charlie waited, but the demand was in his voice.

“If you stay, those around you are in danger too. The stakes are much too high.”

The man's singsong voice could have been repeating some pleasant island refrain if one didn't listen to the words. Maybe she shouldn't listen to the words. But if Raul was really dead, if someone had killed him and—she'd rather not think of this—tried to kill Charlie by blowing up a road, then the stakes were pretty darned high indeed.

“What if Tammy goes back to the house? No one will know she's involved.” Charlie sounded slightly desperate.

“I had to run away from Mama when you weren't at the dock,” Tammy replied coolly. “I'm not going back. They'd never let me out again. I want to help find Raul.”

Charlie dug his hands into his hair and tugged. Penelope could almost feel sorry for him if she didn't have the resentful notion that this was all his fault. Since she didn't know precisely what was going on, she could refuse to help. Or she could sort out the problem, solve it, and go back to work.

“Perhaps it's time that we clarify a few things here,” she declared in resignation. She'd brought worse meetings to order in her time. “What, precisely, are we in danger from? Does anyone know?”

Jacques sat back in his chair, unwilling to offer more.

Charlie tossed her a quick, jerky glance after she said “we,” then continued digging his hand into his hair. What had possessed her to say “we,” as if she was actually working with him? Damn, but she was losing her mind. Or her usual set of principles.

She lifted a questioning eyebrow in Tammy's direction.

“It has something to do with that land Raul was clearing,” Tammy answered boldly. “They blew up the trailer he used as an office. They shot at his truck. Someone wanted him out of there.” She threw a swift look to Jacques. “I'd say it was the naturalists who don't want more development, but guns and explosives aren't their usual style.”

Jacques frowned but didn't contradict her. “There are bad men all over. You never should have come here.”

“You're Raul's friend,” Tammy said defensively. “I had to go somewhere.”

Penelope kicked Charlie beneath the table. His head shot up and he glared at her.

“Who wants the land, Charlie? Did anyone else bid on it?”

“The Resort Foundation,” he said with a sigh. “They're behind most of the development in Castries. They're turning the place into a concrete carnival. The naturalists don't have any money. They couldn't bid on a palm tree.”

“Would the Resort Foundation use violence?” If she couldn't pry information out of them any other way, she'd pull it through their noses. She'd never seen such a taciturn lot.

“No,” Tammy said adamantly.

“Yes,” Charlie replied at the same time.

“Daddy owns part of that company,” Tammy said indignantly. “They're perfectly proper. Don't be ridiculous, Charlie.”

“Stockholders are not part of a company.” Wearily, Charlie slid back in the chair. “The management of the Resort Foundation would string up their own mothers if they stood in the way of making money.”

“Sell to them and go home,” Jacques advised.

“I'll be damned if I will!” Charlie pounded the table, rattling the empty glasses. “This town needs houses, not amusement parks and concrete palaces for tourists. And if they had anything to do with Raul's disappearance, I'll have them nailed to the damned wall.”

“And how do you plan to prove they're behind anything?” Penelope asked. “Maybe the neighbors object to a subdivision. Maybe you have street gangs with nothing better to do than blow up things.”

“How in hell do I know? I'll just start moving heavy machinery in and post guards on the perimeter to shoot anyone who comes near. Sooner or later I'll have them.”

Penelope couldn't quite determine if the silence following that declaration was shock or agreement. She just knew Charlie danced on a dangerous edge right now, and he wasn't in any mood for reason.

“Fine, then. Live behind barbed wire. What about your family? If these people are desperate enough to do something to Raul, who do you think they'll pick on next? The guy behind barbed wire or his innocent, unprotected family?”

“Dammit!” He smacked the table again and glared at her. “What do you suggest?”

“Finding out who's behind the Resort Foundation, who has the power, who has the ability, who has the strongest desire and motive to commit acts of violence.” She kept skirting around Raul's death for Tammy's sake, but it was becoming harder and harder.

Jacques looked at her with new respect. “Who can do this? These people are not from here. They know nothing of the island but the money.”

“A corporation has to be registered somewhere. It just takes a little digging. If you want to avoid whatever the island calls a courthouse, you could use a computer and modem.”

Charlie straightened and looked more alert. “Find the major stockholders, board of directors, and top management. Is that possible?”

Penelope shrugged. “Can't say unless I try.” She couldn't believe she'd said that. She didn't have time for massive computer searches.

“That's it, then. We'll go back to the hotel and get your laptop.”

Charlie was half out of his chair before Jacques halted his escape.

“No, mon, do you not remember Michel? He was a warning. They know where you stay. They will be waiting. You cannot go back there.”

Penelope stared at him, speechless. She had to go back. She had no clothes. She needed that job. Where would she go?

Charlie dropped back into his chair. “Help me get the women to the airport. The resort can ship Penelope's things back to Miami later. Where can I find a computer around here?”

“And what would you know about computers?” Penelope asked with disdain. “I bet you have a bookkeeper or secretary who handles computer entries.”

Charlie shrugged. “So, I'll learn. It can't be all that difficult.”

“I'm not going without Raul,” Tammy repeated stubbornly. “If you stay, I stay.”

Penelope had about reached the point where she'd agree to leave on the first flight out if that was the only way she could get a bath, but the memory of that poor old man held her back. It shouldn't take her long to poke around the Internet and come up with something. She had contacts. She could network a little.

She had this wide-screen vision of cornering the villain in cyberspace and Charlie riding to the capture on horseback, six-guns firing. She needed sleep.

“All right. Let's do it this way. Find me a computer. I know the island has an Internet server because I connected with it before I came out here. I'll need a hookup.” She looked at Charlie's little sister. She couldn't let the girl sit here in anticipation of Raul driving into town when this was over. It wasn't going to happen. Distraction was needed.

“Tammy, I hesitate to ask this, but my sister is expecting me home in a few days. She's blind. She fares pretty well on her own, but she can't pick up groceries by herself. And it's possible some of the information I dig out will need confirmation from court records. Chances are that we'll find most of these guys operate out of Miami. Do you think...?”

Tammy's eyes widened in surprise. “You want me to help dig out the records? And look after your sister?”

“She won't appreciate the ‘looking after' part,” Penelope said wryly. “She thinks she's doing just fine on her own.”

“And she probably is.” Tammy sprang to the defense of a woman she didn't even know. “But she's probably worried about you. Have you called?”

“My cell phone doesn't have an international connection. I'll send her e-mail just as soon as I get that computer.”

Charlie ran his hand over his face and looked back and forth between the two women. “Does this mean one of you is staying and the other is going?”

“Men.” Penelope shrugged. “They're a little dense sometimes.”

Tammy's eyes were shining as they fell on her half brother. “I have my passport in my purse. How will you get me out of here?”

Charlie groaned and turned to Jacques for guidance. “One's better than nothing, I guess. You got a boat?”

“I have a boat,” Jacques agreed. He turned a serious gaze to Penelope. “You would do well to go with her, miss. This is no computer game.”

“I doubt your bad guys have the know-how to trace computers. You could stick me in an office anywhere and no one would ever notice.”

Slumped in his chair, arms crossed, Charlie snorted loudly at this last but didn't comment.

“But I want a bath,” she warned him. “And some clothes.”

“That, I can promise you.” Slamming his feet back to the floor, Charlie stood up. “Come on, Jacques, let's haul Princess Tamara Louise out of here before the evil witch finds her. Her ugly stepsister can just blow off the dragons if they show up while we're gone.”

Penelope wished she had something to throw at him.

Hands full, Charlie slipped through Jacques's moonlit garden. A faint light glittered behind wooden shutters, but it held no guarantee that anyone waited inside.

Penelope was quite capable of changing her mind and running as fast as she could in the opposite direction while he'd been hauling Tammy to the airport.

Her managerial analysis of their situation earlier had thoroughly impressed him. Now that she had thrown in her lot with his, he had to admit that beautiful head on her shoulders had brains.

He also had to admit that her “we” earlier had darn near brought him to his knees. He'd thought he had lost everything when he found Raul's body. But Penny offered to fill some of the emptiness. It might be only a temporary repair, but it had prevented him from ripping the whole town apart with his bare hands.

He didn't have much experience with women of intelligence though, so he didn't know how long this “partnership” would last. The construction business didn't cater to women, not the kind of women he enjoyed anyway. If he hung around her much longer, he might have to reconsider his personal prejudice against both society women and career robots.

Damn, but she'd felt powerful in his arms earlier. It was a wonder she hadn't run when he'd practically attacked her like that. He wouldn't have blamed her. He'd sure as hell scared himself.

But if she was still here, if she really meant it about helping him, he would do his best to behave. He couldn't afford to lose the kind of high-tech maneuvering Penelope offered. He didn't want to scare her off.

He couldn't figure out how in heck to get in the house without doing just that though. Would she recognize his whistle as Jacques had?

He tried it. A night bird hooted somewhere in reply. He waited, with the damned bougainvillea vines scratching his neck. A shadow passed across the shutters. A moment later, the back door opened a crack.

He dashed across the yard, slipped inside the house, shut the door, bolted it, dropped all his packages, and in an excess of zeal, grabbed the gorgeous woman waiting for him and kissed her soundly on the mouth. Utter heaven.

She froze and backed away instantly. Charlie let her go. After all his promises to himself, he'd gone and done what he'd just sworn he wouldn't do, but he didn't regret it. In the dim light, she looked surprised and beautiful, not shocked or disgusted. Maybe Miss Penny just wasn't used to a man grabbing and kissing her. He was an optimist by nature. Besides, he really liked the idea of having a beautiful woman waiting up for him. It assuaged some of the ache left by Raul's death.

Her gaze dipped to the bundles scattered across the floor. “What did you do, rob a bank?”

“Burlap is easier to carry up a mountainside than suitcases. Most of your things should be in there somewhere.” Charlie stopped to inspect what she'd done to herself in his absence. She'd availed herself of Jacques's shower, obviously. Her long thick hair hung down her back in a heavy sheet of black satin, still damp around the edges. She wore some bright red muumuulike thing that must have belonged to Jacques's wife, confirming that Penelope could look good in a sack. Damn, but she managed to look exquisite and graceful and all those delicate things a female should be, while concealing a mind that could cut a man off at the balls.

“Up a mountainside? What did you do?” She seemed genuinely puzzled as she sorted through the packages.

“Took the boat to that deserted cove on the other side of the ridge from the resort. The path over the ridge isn't particularly well laid out, and I didn't want to be seen from the beach. So I reached the cabin from behind.”

Her head shot up and she stared at him through luminous eyes. Charlie would give his life savings if he could keep that expression forever, but right now, he was tired, hungry, and more vulnerable than he'd been in his life. Even his father's death hadn't left him this empty. He'd had time to prepare for his dad's dying. Raul was too damned young. So maybe he wasn't thinking straight when he saw admiration in her eyes.