Dead in the Water (29 page)

Damn. His ability to read my mind made me feel weird.

“
Let's get these weapons up there.” He pointed up at the top of one of the palms in the small clearing where my uncle had left the money.

Grandfather tossed a rope up, and it caught in one of the palm fronds. When he tugged on it, it came down. Time seemed to rush by, and we were not yet set up to receive our guests. He tossed the rope again, and it flew over the fronds and dangled on the other side, just out of reach.

“
I'll go on up there and get it.”

I watched in awe as he shimmied up the tree, using only his hands and feet to grip it until he could reach the end of the rope.

“
Here.” He pulled the rope down and threw it to me. “Now tie the end around that sack.”

I shook my head.

“
Don't you know how to tie a knot?”

“
That's not it. I don't want to get too close. Those things are armed.”

“
Okay, I'll come on down and do it.” He sounded disappointed in me.

“
Never mind. I'll do it.” I approached the bag and tried to pull it along the ground with two fingers, but the contents were too heavy and I had to grasp it with both hands to meet the end of the rope. I tied a knot as fast as I could, but my fingers were shaking, and I worried it might not hold.

“
If that knot doesn't hold, the contents of that bag will be all over the ground.” He sounded amused at the possibility.

Again with the mind reading. I examined my knot, adjusted it and signaled him to pull it up. He grabbed the other end of the rope and we watched the bag move heavenward. With all the wind blowing and the sky darkening, I couldn't track it all the way up. I tossed another rope to Grandfather, who tied it around his waist and used it to help him ascend to the top of the tree. He too disappeared from sight, and I felt alone.

“
You okay up there?” The wind blew my words back to me. I waited for his response, but heard nothing. Suddenly, I heard something drop at my feet. I jumped, then sighed with relief. It was only the extra rope.

The wind let up for a moment and Grandfather shouted to me. “I'm all set. What time is it?”

I looked at my watch. It was only seven fifteen, but because of the black clouds covering the final rays of the sun, it felt later. I heard the sound of an airboat. Sophia and Boris were arriving early, as I suspected they would. Maybe they were already in place before Grandfather and I got here. I tried to swallow my fear. That was a chance we'd have to take. I carried the duffel nearer the water and stood behind it. If this crazy plan of Grandfather's was to work, we had to time everything with precision and make certain Sophia and Boris were in the right position.

The airboat pulled up beside the motor boat I wanted them to assume I'd driven here.

They stopped the engine and jumped off the vessel. I couldn't see them well. They seemed to fade into the blackness of the impending storm. Then I realized they were both dressed in their ninja attire. All I could discern of their faces was their eyes—cold, colder than arctic winds. I worried about Grandfather in his aerie but I knew I couldn't look up to check if he was safe.

“
Open up the bag. Let's see the money.” The voice was male, but it was difficult to tell with all the wind noise if it was Boris. I thought I caught the Russian accent.

“
Tell me first who killed my uncle.”

He laughed and I knew it was Boris “Sure, why not. You don't really think you and that old Indian in the tree are going to get out of here alive, do you? We're not stupid. We watched the two of you arrive and then he went up the tree, but he didn't have a weapon. What's he going to do, throw coconuts down on us?”

I crossed my fingers that the poor visibility had made it impossible for them to see the bag go up the tree.

“
He can stay up there if he likes. When I shoot him the drop to the ground will make his death all the more certain.” Boris sounded happy at the prospect of Grandfather's death.

“
Tell me. If you killed my uncle, why did you do it? He was your stepfather. He was going to rescue your sister.”

“
We led him to believe my sister had been taken by the Russian Mafia, a story easy for him to buy because of his own mob connections. The money was for us. And why not? We knew he left everything to you. Then someone took our money, and we had to try to persuade you to give us your inheritance. You weren't as easy to convince.”

“
You mugged Jerry and took that half million in cash. Wasn't that enough for you?”

“
It was less than we figured out we could have when Nappi arranged to give us his money. Then you called today and told us you would deliver the money. I liked dealing with you rather than with your mob connection.”

“
You shot my uncle from across the canal. Your sister is a crack shot.”

“
Yes, she is.” Boris turned to the individual beside him. “She knew just when to shoot, because Darlene removed her scarf as a signal that the money was in place.”

Boris took a step forward and held out his hand. “I see from the expression on your face that you didn't know Darlene was in on this.”

I was shocked. I'd believed that woman, but I could hand out surprises too. “And did you know Darlene took the other duffel with the money Winston was to deliver to the mob?”

“
We must pay her a visit then. And talk to her. And get that money also. Tie up loose ends.”

I smiled.

“
Oh, we know where she is. We followed her when she fled. Very suspicious. She's at your boyfriend's house. We had no intention of sharing the money with her. We were going to kill her anyway, so it's just a small detour for us. Now, I think it's time for the money. That was the deal, wasn't it? You know how and why your uncle was killed, and now we get our money.” He gestured with his hand toward the duffel that lay at my feet. “Kick it toward me.”

“
It's heavy.” I bent over and shoved the satchel toward him. The momentum of my push sent it rolling down the incline and toward the water. Boris kept his gun on me and would have shot me then, but the bag slid farther, not stopping at the swamp's edge.

“
Go ahead and shoot her,” Boris said to his sister.

Sophia raised her rifle as Boris stooped to grab the bag to prevent it from rolling into the water. At that moment something came hurtling down from the palm. It was not coconuts. It was more snakes than I'd ever seen in one place, several three- to five-foot-long Burmese pythons and an abundance of smaller ones, all toppling out of the bag which he'd hauled up there earlier. The snakes were in a bad mood. They'd been bunched up in such a tiny space for so long and now freedom meant being tossed down on the heads of two humans.

Grandfather was right. Most people do not like snakes. They like them even less when the creatures fall from a stormy sky onto their heads. Boris yelled, torn between getting out of the way of the largest snake and making certain the bag with the money didn't slide into the dark waters. It did, and Boris slid with it. I couldn't see well, but there was a lot of thrashing around, yelling in Russian, and then silence.

Sophia dropped her rifle and screamed, a really girlie kind of scream. I was surprised that the ice lady could be so creeped out by a few snakes. I would be—and I was, actually—but I'm not a sniper with nerves of steel and a personality to match. I saw my opportunity and tackled her before she could pull herself together. Once I got her down, I jumped on her chest and pounded my fists into her face. I forgot about the snakes surrounding us. Well, maybe my pummeling her was as much out of fear one would snuggle up to me as my anger at what she did to my uncle. She was strong, but not strong enough to roll me off her. I was taller and heavier, and I'd knocked the breath out of her with my tackle. I took no chances. I continued to whale on her. It felt good.

Two arms pulled me off her. I whirled around, thinking it was Boris. Instead I looked into Grandfather Egret's eyes. “I think you've knocked her around enough. She's in no shape to do anything.” Just to be certain, Grandfather held her rifle pointed at her.

I jerked her to her feet and tore off the mask, wanting to see the expression on Sophia's face. Pain, fear, anger, or her usual cold expression? To my shock, it wasn't Sophia hiding behind the mask.

I gasped. “Who are you?”

What she intended as a look of bravado was replaced by a grimace of pain. “You broke my nose.”

“
Who the hell are you?”

“
My name is Mary Ford. We talked on the phone. You must be the JCPenny catalog lady.” She tried to spit in my face, but she telegraphed her intention by puckering her lips. I stepped back.

“
Settle down. Grandfather, where's Boris?”

“
Gone into the swamps with the money.”

“
Okay, then where are all the snakes?”

“
Here and there. Let's tie this one up and look for them.” He handed me her rifle and grabbed the rope.

“
Are you out of your mind? Let them go.”

“
Didn't you hear me say there's a bounty for these guys? I stumbled onto a nest of little ones the other day. Where did you think I got them from?”

The wind changed in volume from a rumble to a deafening roar, thrashing the trees and reeds as if it was punishing them.

Grandfather finished tying Mary's wrists and looked up. “Maybe we can look later. I think we need to head home.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the hidden airboat.

“
I can't breathe well.” Mary's voice sounded muffled from the blood still pouring from her nose.

I grabbed her shirt and pulled it up over her face, wiped her nose, then jerked it back down. “That's the best I can do.”

“
I need medical attention.”

“
You'll get it. When we get back home.”
If we get back home.
Then I added, “And after we visit the police station.” It was time to get Frida involved.

Grandfather climbed into the pilot's seat of the boat. “It's past time for Frida to be involved.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's just what she would say. And more.

The wind threatened to capsize the boat once we were out on the large open canal, but Grandfather guided the craft through the waves and around pieces of debris now floating on the water. When we glided up to the chickee, I could see a figure waiting for us.

“
Where have you been? Who is this?” Sammy tied up the boat and helped me onto the dock. I grabbed the prisoner and pulled her after me.

“
This is the woman responsible for killing my uncle.”

W
e all piled into my Mustang, Sammy in the backseat with Mary, guarding her. I drove with Grandfather riding shotgun, really riding shotgun because he carried the rifle. I wanted this woman off my hands into those of the law as soon as possible. Now that I'd captured her, I found the thought of official custody comforting. We called ahead and found Frida at the station, and although she wanted to come pick up the prisoner, I was determined to deliver her myself.

The drive into town was as dicey as the ride in the airboat. The highway looked like a river. Waves of water flowed from one side of the road to the other, then changed direction and washed towards us. I gritted my teeth, gripped the wheel and listened to Grandfather take up a chant, low and atonal.

“
Calling on the storm gods?”

He ignored my question and kept right on with his song. It must have helped, because we made it into town. None of the stoplights were working, and the wind blew them sideways when it hit. It didn't matter because no one else was stupid enough to be on the road. I roared through one intersection and heard a loud ping, followed by the sound of something metal hitting the pavement behind me. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the traffic signal bounce once onto the roadway, then roll off into the grass.

Mary was quiet for the entire ride and, when she got to the station, she asked for a lawyer.

“
I haven't arrested you yet. Or read you your rights. Have a seat.” Frida pushed her into a chair in one of the interrogation rooms, shut the door behind her and came out to talk with us.

“
Here's the rifle she had in her hand tonight. I'll bet it is the same one that killed my uncle.” I handed it to Frida.

“
We'll have ballistics check it out.” She gestured to several chairs in front of her desk. “Have a seat. You guys look as if you could use something hot.”

“
I wanted to stay home with a nice hot toddy, but Sammy insisted I come to give my story.” Grandfather slid into one of the chairs.

“
He was right. Now let's hear the story again. From the beginning. Don't leave anything out.” She fixed me with a glare.

“
Grandfather and I—”

“
No, Eve. The beginning, not the beginning of tonight.”

I slumped into the chair. “So can I have some of that awful police station coffee? I'm wet and cold.”