Deep Blue (14 page)

A storm blew in. The kind that only happens in the tropics. Great sheets of water dumped out of a hostile gray sky and the ocean rose up in huge, curling waves that crashed over the deck of the
Conquest.
As the boat dipped into a trough, a swath of foamy water sloshed over the bow and slid along the deck, making it nearly impossible for Hope to stay on her feet.

She clung to the rail, gripping it to steady herself, while she watched the fury of the storm around her. Lightning cracked somewhere in the distance, followed by the low roll of thunder. Still, she jumped at the unexpected sound of Conn’s voice.

“What the hell are you doing out here?”

She hadn’t heard him coming. Hope stiffened at the angry tone, nearly as harsh as the screaming wind. “I’m watching the storm. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“It looks like you’re trying to get yourself washed overboard. Get back inside where it’s safe.”

A barb of irritation went through her. Hope forced herself to ignore it. “I thought we’d be heading in somewhere when it started to get this rough.”

“There’s a cove on the other side of the island. We would have gone there, but the fuel pump is out. Apparently there was a problem with the diesel because the line to the second engine is also clogged. Until we can get rid of the blockage, get the other engine back up and running, we’ll have to ride this out.” He frowned. “You’re not getting seasick, are you?”

“I’m all right so far. I’ve had a while to get my sea legs.”

He used his body to block the next wash of water boiling over the deck. “Sea legs or not, I want you inside, out of danger.”

It was hard to be mad when she knew he was acting out of concern. Besides, he was right. It wasn’t safe for her out here. The argument on her tongue stayed where it was, but both of them turned as they spotted Joe walking toward them.

“Andy’s making progress with that line, but so far, no luck with the fuel pump. Once we get the line unclogged and the second engine running, we can head for that cove on the other side of the island.”

Joe’s dark glance fell on Hope. “You ought to be inside. These waves can be dangerous.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“She’s on her way down to the galley right now.” Conn took a firm grip on her arm as another big wave sloshed over the bow and soaked her already-drenched canvas deck shoes. “You guys keep at it,” he told Joe, beginning to lead her away. “I’ll be down to help in a minute.”

They made their way to the galley and King handed her a cup of coffee out of the Thermos he had filled before the weather had gotten so bad. With the violent motion of the ship, the stove was turned off. There was nothing hot in the galley and wouldn’t be until the weather improved.

“I could use some help makin’ these sandwiches,” King said, and she figured he was trying to keep her busy enough to forget about the storm.

“No problem. I’ll be glad to help.” Working together, they whipped up thick bologna sandwiches slathered with mayo, country mustard, lettuce, and tomato. King kept a happy crew by serving tasty food.

Still the storm didn’t lessen and the engine wasn’t working. Hope poked her head outside often enough to keep her seasickness away, but with the ship wallowing in the waves like a cork in a bathtub, she was feeling worse and worse.

She wasn’t the only one. Tommy staggered in looking pasty and gray, asking King if he had any soda crackers. The huge black man pulled out a box big enough to tell her this wasn’t his first request.

“Man, this sucks.” Tommy sipped at a glass of cold tea and nibbled on the crackers. “I wonder how long we’re gonna be stuck out here in this.”

“Too long, I’m afraid,” Hope said.

Conn arrived in the galley just then, definitely looking unhappy. “We’re going to need some parts for that pump. It may take a couple of days.”

Tommy and Hope both groaned.

“I’ve radioed the island. As soon as the sea settles down, they’re going to send out the Sea Ray. Eddie has graciously extended an invitation for us to spend the next few days at The Villas.”

“Jeez, I hope I’m included in that invitation,” Tommy said.

“You and Joe, both.”

He glanced at Hope, who looked far better than Tommy. “Hang in there. If we’re lucky, this’ll blow over in a few more hours.”

She nodded. “I’ll make it.”

“I think I’ll just put a gun to my head,” Tommy said, hurrying out of the galley and running for the rail.

As the day progressed, Hope got more and more queasy but she didn’t throw up. Eventually, the storm began to abate and when Conn returned to the galley and saw that she was still on her feet and didn’t look too shaky, he seemed impressed.

“You’re a pretty good sailor, Sinclair.”

She tried not to feel pleased. “Thanks, but I’ll still be glad to get off this boat and onto dry land for a while.”

“I don’t blame you.”

That night, the sea calmed enough so she could actually get some sleep, and in the morning the Sea Ray arrived. Joe and Tommy climbed aboard. Conn helped Hope into the boat and then climbed in himself. When they reached The Villas, the men were given one of the big five-bedroom, five-bathroom units to share, while Eddie Markham had given Hope the unit next door that she had used before.

“The part we need to fix the pump won’t get here for a couple more days,” Conn told her. “Once it arrives in Jamaica, they’ll send it over on the plane. In the meantime, we might as well enjoy the island. How about a tour?”

It was late in the morning, the day stretching out ahead of her. She knew she should say no. She knew the chance she was taking if she spent the afternoon alone with him. Conn made no effort to hide the desire he felt for her.
I want you,
those hot blue eyes said, and the wanting never seemed to leave him. Hope felt it, too. Which only made matters worse. Still, as dangerous as it was, she wanted to be with him.

She gave him a smile that hid the uncertainty she was feeling. “I’d love a tour,” she said and saw those blue eyes darken.

“Go ahead and get settled in. I’ll pick you up in fifteen minutes.”

“Eddie loaned you one of his Jeeps?”

“Finding the
Rosa
put him in a really good mood.”

“Give me time for a nice, long shower. Thirty minutes and I’ll be rarin’ to go.”

“Bring your bathing suit,” Conn said. “There are some great pools not far off the road.”

She thought of her tiny yellow bikini, imagined Conn seeing her in it, and her stomach contracted. “I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”

She knew she was asking for trouble. God help her, today she simply did not care.

Brad Talbot sat on the terrace of his impressive Spanish-style house in Palm Beach holding his cell phone against his ear. It was sunny, as usual, but a little too hot so he was running his misters, putting out a fine sheen of spray that cooled the air.

“Take it easy, okay? There’s no way anyone could have known the old fart would hold out this long. I’ll see what I can do to shake things up a little. Once things get handled, I’ll get back to you.” Brad flipped the phone closed, disconnecting the line, and muttered a curse.
Can’t anyone do anything right anymore?

If he’d known what a pain in the ass this would turn out to be, he might not have gotten involved. On the other hand, it was always good to have friends in high places, and the long-term benefits would more than make up for the trouble.

He flipped open the phone and dialed Jack Feldman’s number in New York.

“Feldman.”

“Listen, Jack, that old geezer is still holding out.”

“Why don’t they just up the ante?” Feldman asked.

“In his case, I don’t think more money would work. I figure giving the old boy a little taste of what’s going to happen if he doesn’t start playing ball might do the trick.”

“No problem. I’ll have the boys rough him up a little. Give him the message in terms he’ll understand.”

“That’s the idea, but you’ve got to be careful with this one. There can’t be any connection to Hartley House or the offer that’s pending. The old man just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time—at least as far as the cops are concerned.”

“Not a problem.”

“I didn’t figure it would be.” Brad signed off and clicked the phone closed. He was tired of this whole gig. He just wanted the old man to sell and the deal to go forward. He wanted his newfound friend to be happy.

And indebted.

There was a lot of money to be made on this. The more money, the bigger the debt.

Brad found himself smiling.

He would wait patiently for just the right moment to collect.

Pleasure Island definitely lived up to its name. The place was a miniature Jamaica, with lush green foliage and beautiful exotic flowers: water lilies, bird-of-paradise, bright red bougainvillea. The same high, rugged mountains rose out of the center of the island, covered by dense rain forests, and near the top, a circle of clouds cooled the air around the peak of a dormant volcano. Tiny iridescent hummingbirds darted between the branches of ancient banyan trees, and great cascading falls formed deep, secluded pools surrounded by delicate orchids.

Conn drove the Jeep along a narrow dirt road off the main route around the island and parked near what appeared to be a trail.

“Come on,” he said, tugging her out of the Jeep. “You’re really gonna like this.”

It didn’t take long to reach their destination. Walking next to Conn, she traversed a forest path spongy with moss and overgrown with leafy ferns. She could hear the twitter and chirp of dozens of birds and the low, steady roar of a nearby stream. They rounded a turn in the path, and the spot they came to was so lovely Hope sighed. The sound of frothy water rushing over the slick gray rocks at the edge of the secluded pool muffled the sound of the stream.

Conn carried a picnic basket on his arm, lunch prepared by The Villas’ restaurant, Trade Winds. A white linen tablecloth was draped over the top and a blanket rode under his arm. Delicious smells rose out of the basket as he spread the blanket on the ground beside the pool, laid the tablecloth on top, and began setting out matching napkins, crystal wine-glasses, and a bottle of chilled white wine.

“Looks like you thought of everything. I appreciate a man who plans ahead.”

His mouth edged up at the corner. “Wait till you find out what else I’ve got planned.”

She had a hunch she knew what it was. In fact, she hoped he planned an afternoon of seduction. She was tired of fighting her craving for him, tired of denying herself the pleasure he could give both of them.

They kicked off their shoes and sat down on the blanket. Conn set the basket on top of the tablecloth, reached inside, and took out cold fried chicken and potato salad, big, ripe strawberries, soft, freshly baked buns, and a pot of thick yellow butter. Two huge slices of white coconut cake with raspberry filling appeared for dessert.

“This looks delicious.”

“Markham’s chef is damned good. Eddie doesn’t chintz on much of anything when it comes to the island.”

She sipped her wine while Conn filled two china plates with food and handed one of them to her. In shorts and a tank top, he stretched out on the blanket, munching on a chicken leg, but neither of them was in a hurry.

Instead, they drank their wine and picked at the chicken and strawberries, relaxing more and more in their glorious surroundings. They talked about the treasure for a while, and then they talked about her job. Somehow she found herself telling him about Richard, though she wasn’t quite sure how it happened.

“I can’t believe I fell in love with such a jerk. I should have seen the truth. I can’t believe I bought into his line of bull, but I did—lock, stock, and barrel.”

“What did he say?”

“Oh, the usual. How much he loved me, how happy we were going to be. I pictured a house in Connecticut—you know, the white picket fence, the whole bit.”

“Kids?”

The bite of chicken she had taken lodged in her throat. She had never told anyone about the baby she had been carrying, not even her sisters. She wasn’t sure she ever would. “We both wanted children—or at least that’s what I thought.” She managed to muster a smile. “At least two-point-three of them.”

Conn laughed, easing the pain she was feeling. “So what happened?”

Hope began to clear their empty plates, putting them back into the basket along with the leftover food. “About two weeks before the wedding, I was supposed to go to New Jersey to do a family living piece centered around this quaint little town called Ridgewood, sort of a what’s-it-like-to-raise-a-family-in-an-all-American-city kind of thing. Richard and I were living together by then. At the last minute, the interview I was going to do was cancelled and I went home early.”

“I’m getting a very bad feeling here.”

“I wish I’d had one. I might have been better prepared. Instead, I walked into our apartment and found him in bed with my best friend. I was so astounded, so totally unprepared, that for a couple of minutes I just stood there watching them.”

“What did good ol’ Richard do when he saw you?”

“He jumped out of bed stark naked. He was so flustered he didn’t even think to reach for his robe. He said, ‘Oh, my God—Hope, what are you doing here?’ Like I was in the wrong place or something. He started saying he was sorry, that it was just pre-wedding nerves. But I could tell by the way they looked at each other that this wasn’t the first time they’d been together, and it likely wouldn’t have been the last.”

Conn wiped his hands on his napkin. “At least that explains what you’ve got against men.”

“I never spoke to him again. I never took one of his phone calls or anything else. I won’t make that kind of mistake again.” She took a drink of her wine and realized her hand was shaking.

“So what about you?” she asked, trying to shift the conversation away from herself and ease the tightness in her chest. “What have you got against women?”

“What makes you think I have anything against women?”

Hope laughed. “All right. I was honest with you, but I can see that you aren’t quite ready to come clean. So…what will you do with your share of the money, if you actually find the treasure?”