Well, that was awfully condescending of him, a Southern-accented male voice said behind her.
She whirled around to find herself staring into the smoky-blue eyes of the yachtsman. Up close he was even more appealing. Firm features with strength of character etched in the straight line of his jaw and a confident set to his wide shoulders. Some elemental warning alerted her senses.
She shouldnt be noticing his attractiveness, not when hed been able to move so close without her knowledge. Usually her senses were sharper, more acute to potential danger.
The tranquility of the island must have dulled her wits, she rationalized and frowned with wariness.
She backed up a step, creating more space between them. Do you normally eavesdrop on other peoples conversations?
Only when theyre two feet away and arent exactly keeping their voices low, he said in a tone as smooth as Earl Grey on a brisk New England morning.
Unexpected little shivers traipsed over her skin. She rubbed her arms and conceded his point with a nod. Right. Excuse me.
She turned to leave. His hand shot out and clasped her right elbow in a tight grip. Alarm flushed through her system. Her heart rammed against her rib cage in a painful cadence. Instinct took over.
She pivoted right, wrenching her elbow back and away as her stiff left hand thumped hard against his forearm, effectively breaking his hold. Once free, she jumped back to land in a fighters stance, weight on right leg, left leg ready to kick if need be. Her right hand gripped the butt of her holstered weapon.
Shed been wrong. The man posed a threat. She just didnt know how much of one. Or why.
Surprise washed over the guys face. He jerked his hands up in a show of entreaty, palms out, fingers splayed. Whoa, whoa! Hey, Detective, I didnt mean any harm.
Dont move.
Wouldnt dream of it, he drawled in his thick Southern accent.
Who are you? And what do you want?
Names Jason Bodewell. He gestured toward the classy boat behind him. I charter my boat out for the tourist trade.
Taking calming breaths, Angie relaxed her stance slightly. Okay. So?
One side of his well-formed mouth lifted. So, I was going to offer to take you out.
She blinked. Heat crept up her neck. What? Out?
His eyebrows rose. To look for the body.
A little embarrassed groan escaped. Oh. Right. So hed heard everything. What was he? Some sort of crime-scene gawker? Or just a good citizen wanting to help?
Though her heart rate beat faster than normal, the adrenaline eased. She moved her hand away from her Glock and thought about his offer. She really didnt want to wait until morning to get out there and prove that shed seen a body being dumped. She knew what shed seen.
Narrowing her gaze, she pinned him with a hard look. Do you have scuba equipment?
He nodded. Are you certified to dive? At night?
Her PADIProfessional Association of Diving Instructorscertification had expired years ago. And shed never gotten around to getting her night-dive certification. Are you? she countered.
I am.
Would you be willing to dive down?
He flashed a grin. Would be my pleasure.
Now, why did his words give her pause? Why was he so eager to help? Fine, Ill take you up on the offer. But keep your hands to yourself. And no sudden movements.
Oh, you can trust me.
I could, but I dont.
His blue eyes twinkled. Id be shocked if you did. Considering youre a cop and all. He strode to the boat and untied the ropes from the dock. Come on, I wont bite, he coaxed. I promise.
Hoping she wasnt making a mistake, Angie followed. Glad shed brought her personal firearm with her, she placed her hand back on her weapon. Just in case Jason decided to renege on his promise.
Aware that his attractive guest was as nervous as a long-tailed cat on a porch full of rocking chairs, Jason started the engine and smoothly maneuvered the Regina Lee away from the dock.
Covertly, he glanced over at the detective. He liked the way her brunette hair was pulled back into a wild puff of curls and the way her brown eyes, the color of chicory coffee, observed everything. Her lithe figure moved with grace and agility beneath her denim cropped pants and V-neck T-shirt.
Her peaches-and-cream complexion barely hinting at a touch of sun suggested she hadnt been on the island long. Shed told the chief she was a Boston homicide detective. Her accent attested to that fact. She sounded like shed been born and raised in Bean Town, too.
She made a credible witness. Yet, shed been brushed off by the chief like a bothersome mosquito. Curious.
The deck boat the detective had described sounded similar to one reported to be in use by Picard. For the past six months, Jason had relentlessly pursued every lead to find the elusive arms dealer, who, after fleeing New Mexico, was rumored to have landed here on Loribel Island.
Jason was champing at the bit to find the man and take him down, but Picard was being protected now by the very government that had sought to arrest him. The elusive Picard had become a source of intel into terrorist activity in the States and abroad. Rage simmered low in Jasons belly. He couldnt move until he could identify Picard and find something concrete to nail him with, something the government couldnt ignore. Then Garretts death would be avenged.
Jason hoped this situation with the pretty cop witnessing something so very odd could turn out to be the catalyst that brought Picard out into the open. Weapons were Picards specialty. But taking Picard down for murder would do just as well.
Now he just needed Angie to show him where shed seen the bag dropped.
Slowly, as if to obey the no wake rule, Jason headed the Bayliner Bowrider, a boat designed for day cruising, in the direction the vacationing cop had indicted to Chief Decker. A breeze kicked up, churning the ocean and creating small swells. Indications of the storm to come.
Angiecan I call you Angie?
For a moment she pursed her lips before nodding.
Jason found himself fascinated with her full mouth and the little freckle at its corner. He tore his gaze away to focus on the water ahead. You wouldnt happen to know the coordinates of where you saw the guys in the boat drop the bag, would you?
Im not a sailor.
Amusement had him smiling. Of course she wasnt. She was a pretty, hard-edged cop. Thought Id ask.
Veer more to the left, she said as she came to stand beside him at the helm. Slow down.
Where were you when you saw the boat?
Sitting on the deck of my aunts cottage. She pointed toward a row of lights dotting the shoreline.
The shadowy night sky made discerning the outline of any individual house impossible. Its too dark now to see which one is Aunt Teresas, but I think were just about where I saw the boat stop.
He cut the engine, letting the boat bobble with the current while he dug out his dive apparatus. He could only hope hed find some evidence to link to Picard at the bottom of the ocean.
She moved to the side railing and looked overboard. I see why the chief wanted to wait until morning, she muttered.
No worries. Ive an underwater light, he said.
No worries. Ive an underwater light, he said.
The sound of another boat approaching grabbed Jasons attention. A deck boat, illuminated by high-powered lights attached to the sides, sliced through the choppy water.
Jason abandoned the dive equipment to stand beside Angie. Is that the same boat?
I dont think so. The one I saw was bigger with a higher top deck, she said. Who do you think they are?
Trepidation slithered over him as the boat closed in. Not sure. Help me put this stuff back into the cargo hold, he said, not wanting to advertise their purpose in being out on the water.
Together they made short work of restoring the scuba equipment. Let me do the talking, Jason said as the boat slowed.
Theyre armed, Angie said in a tight voice.
Yeah, he acknowledged as a hard knot formed in his chest.
Men carrying submachine guns stood at the fore and aft positions. Another man, flanked on either side by two more armed guards, called out instructions to the driver.
Apprehension tethered Jasons feet to the deck. He swallowed back a prayer for help. No need to waste hope that God would come through for him. Jason would just have to make sure he and Angie got through this alive on his own.
The boat drew abreast of the Regina Lee.
TWO
Forcing himself to relax, Jason worked his cover persona, deepening his Southern drawl. Island Charters at your service.
Two armed men wearing jeans and black T-shirts jumped aboard as the wake of the other boat rocked the Regina Lee.
What in the world? Angie said, reaching for her gun.
Jason caught her hand and held on tight even as she jerked to free herself from his hold. He pulled her slightly behind him to keep her out of the mens line of vision. In a low voice meant for her ears only, he growled, Stand down.
She stilled. He didnt have to see her glare; he felt it, but he stayed focused on the men with the guns.
Hey, not cool to board a mans boat without permission, Jason said.
Ignoring him, the men scrutinized the interior of the boat, going so far as to open the cabin door and peer inside. What were they looking for?
The man who seemed to be in charge stepped closer to the railing. Jason didnt recognize the tall, muscular Hispanic man. Could he be Picard?
No. Felix wouldnt be so careless as to show himself. Still, Jason memorized the face. Angular jawline, dark eyes slightly rounded at the edges, wide bridge across the nose, scar over the right eye. Jason would have an ID on the guy in no time once he returned to his rented condo near the marina.
Were these Picards men? Or was there another illegal entity working out of Loribel?
What are you doing out here? the man asked in a thick Spanish accent.
Im taking the lady on a night cruise around the island.
Whyd you stop here?
She thought she saw a dolphin. Jason shrugged. You know tourists. Easily fascinated.
Therere no dolphins. Move along.
Sure, whatever you say. Ignoring Angies low growl of disapproval, Jason turned to the two men whod boarded his boat. You coming with us?
The two looked to their boss for direction. With a flick of his hand, the boss indicated for the men to return to the other boat.
Relieved not to have the unwanted guests, Jason practically dragged Angie to the helm with him, careful to keep her back to the men.
Thankfully, she remained silent, but the faint moonlight revealed the fiery expression that said she wanted to confront the situation head-on. Not a good idea when they were outmanned and outgunned.
He started the engine and pushed the throttle forward, easing the boat away from the other craft before letting the throttle out and speeding back toward the marina.
He glanced back only once. The deck boat was now only a bright dot in the dark. He hadnt seen dive equipment on board but that didnt mean there hadnt been any. In any case, he would return to the spot in the morning before Decker and dive down just in case the bag was still there.
Angie brought out her cell phone. I dont have a signal yet. Not even roaming.
Jason took the phone from her hands, noticing again the strength in her long tapered fingers. You dont want to call this in. Just let it go. Youre on vacation. You should act like it.
I cant let it go. Her voice held an incredulous note. I cant let those men get away with intimidation. Not to mention those weapons. They were there to get the body. I have to tell Chief Decker.
Jason shook his head. I dont think you saw a body being dumped.
You dont believe me?
The hurt in her tone unexpectedly twisted inside Jasons chest. I believe you saw something. Something worth sending out armed men to retrieve. And the less people who know you saw anything the better. Believe meyou dont want to mess with those men.
If it wasnt a body, then what? Drugs? Weapons?
Hard to say, he said in a dismissive tone. The woman wasnt going to relent, was she? The Colombian drug cartel has a pipeline to the U.S. through the Keys. Arms dealers are a dime a dozen, especially around the Gulf of Mexico.
But wouldnt the salt water ruin drugs or weapons?
Not necessarily, if they were secured in airtight, waterproof packaging.
She peered at him with suspicion in her eyes. Youre not a simple boat captain. Who are you?
Her hand rested on her hip, where her holstered weapon was concealed beneath her waistband. There was no doubt in his mind she wouldnt hesitate to draw on him if she thought he was a criminal. But for her own good, he couldnt reveal his identity.
You dont think Im simple? He placed a hand over his heart. That warms me. It really does.
She rolled her eyes and pushed a stray curl out of her face. Be serious. Who are you?
Im always serious.
Irritation gleamed in the swirling depths of her eyes. I want an answer.
Bossy, much?
She stared him down, hard. A look meant to intimidate. Hed bet shed used that look on suspects and witnesses. Probably got people talking. He enjoyed baiting her. But he really needed her to take the situation seriously. If she kept pushing, shed find out how dangerous things could get.
The image of Garrett, dying in his arms, shuddered through his consciousness. He banked the memory and sobered. Look, Ive been at this a long time. These waters are infested with sharks. The human kind. Trust me, youll be safer if you pretend you didnt see anything.
No can do. She relaxed her stance slightly. Ive sworn an oath to uphold the law.
He let up on the throttle and slowed to the minimum speed as the boat entered the marina limits. Honorable. But down here, you dont have jurisdiction. Besides, once Chief Decker searches and finds nothing, youll have lost credibility.
Exactly why I am going tell him about the men now, she argued. She held out her hand. My phone.
Easing the Regina Lee into her slip, he cut the engine before handing over her phone. Your funeral.
She made a face, which he found charming, as she swiped the phone, and then hopped off the boat onto the dock. Jason shook his head with exasperation and admiration. The woman was a spitfire determined to do the right thing. He couldnt blame her. But she had no idea what kind of hornets nest shed stumbled into.