Chapter Seven #2
thing,” Chloe reiterated, rolling her eyes. “Sometimes, something matters more to him, sometimes it matters more to me. We
do a pretty good job of making it all work that way!”
“Nice,” Broderick murmured, looking out the window. “And, yeah! Nice new friends, and nice views we’re getting here along
the way!”
As if on cue, their guide began to speak.
They passed through Falmouth with its charming Georgian-style architecture. Their guide pointed out the park that celebrated
Christopher Columbus’s first landing on the island. The bus driver slowed so that everyone could get a good look out the windows.
From there they moved on, with the Falls within easy reach.
It was an interesting ride, Chloe thought. Wonderful, like any friendly excursion away from a cruise ship.
People chatted, as they had been doing. But the passengers were respectful, tending to stay dutifully silent when their tour
guide was speaking, only chatting as they drove along the road.
She was startled when Daniel McClintock, seated behind them, leaned forward. “It’s cool, we’ve got a little bar in this area,
some wet rocks to climb, lounge chairs in the shallow pool area. But I wish that they’d offered us the Fall and Dolphins tour!”
he said.
“Oh, I know, I love that one! I absolutely love dolphins,” Chloe assured him.
“Maybe we’ll find a few when we’re diving at the next stop!” Wes offered.
“Yeah, but the ones who are accustomed to playing around with people are so much better! There’s a place in Marathon in the
Florida Keys, the Dolphin Research Center, and, oh, man, is it cool. They’ve saved all kinds of creatures. I’m not sure if
they still have it, but they gave a loving home to a blind sea lion . . . It’s a really cool place. But, hey, this will be
cool, too!” he said.
Broderick had leaned forward, too. “You can tell which of us does more real work! I’m just grateful to sit in a lawn chair
by the beautiful sparkling water and chill!”
“Hey, I like wildlife,” Daniel protested.
“He does. The house was filled with wildlife when we were growing up. Daniel never saw a stray that he didn’t bring home,” Broderick told them.
“Not a bad thing!” Chloe assured him.
“My mom will tell you that our grocery bill for pets was bigger than the one we had for people,” Broderick said, chuckling.
“It’s nice that your parents were into rescues,” Wes said. He twisted in his chair, too, looking back at the brothers. “Mine
let me bring home a one-eyed terrier and a cat, and then I was told we had enough pets.”
“Hey, they let you have a rescue!” Daniel said. “That’s better than some.”
“I know! So many people want designer pets these days! Any rescue is a good rescue,” Chloe assured him. “Dogs and cats worth thousands of dollars, when so many
animals need help!”
“Animals,” Broderick said, nodding. He shrugged. “I almost opted for a different tour—horseback riding on the beach, right
in the water.”
“That was a great choice, too,” Daniel said. “And they have ATVs that go out from Montego Bay. There’s too much to choose
from!”
“Horseback riding on the beach!” Chloe said to Wes. “That would have been fun, too!”
“Ah, yes, but here’s the thing. Only one day in this port and this was what we chose. It’s going to be great!” Wes said.
“And you know it, because you’ve been before,” Daniel said.
Their guide stood as the bus rolled into its parking space.
“All right, here we are!” he told them. “The waterfall is about one-hundred-and-eighty-feet high and about six-hundred feet long and tiered just like stairs! Now, we’ll be parked out by one of the gorgeous bar areas, right by a ground-level pool that looks toward the wonder of the steps!
Some of you may just want to chill, to sit in the rush of the fresh, wonderful water, watch it dance and fall, drops like glitter in the air!
Others are more adventurous—and more coordinated, we always hope—and will look forward to climbing the steps.
Whatever your choice, my friends, you will seldom find such natural, untainted beauty! Enjoy!”
“Hey, I didn’t come to just sit on my butt,” Daniel said, rising from his seat on the bus and looking at his brother.
“Hey, we’re not attached at the hip or anything,” Broderick told his brother. “You go climb. I am going to sit my butt down
in the water and just enjoy the sun!” He glanced at Chloe. “Whoops, sorry for the anatomical reference—I’m sure my brother
is, too!”
“And I’m sure our Princess Buttercup has heard the word before!” Daniel groaned. “Take your time, guys! I’m off!”
Daniel did seem to be in a hurry. Broderick just shook his head as his brother made his way past those who were taking bags
from the overhead bins.
“I guess we’re going to do some stair climbing, too,” Wes said, looking at Chloe.
She shrugged. “As you wish!”
Broderick seemed to sincerely enjoy their banter. He laughed softly, waiting for them to rise and head out before them.
Chloe rose, smiled at him and headed off with Wes right behind her.
There was no doubt that the landscape in Jamaica was spectacular.
Chloe knew that the island was known and loved by residents and world travelers alike for its diverse geography; while the
Dunn’s River Falls were probably the most popular, the island was filled with spectacular falls and the island offered rich
forests, mountains, fresh water and incredibly beautiful beaches.
Many, many cruise ships offered ports on the island for their passengers. And, speaking to the McClintock brothers, she hadn’t
been lying.
She’d been to the falls with her parents.
And she had traveled the mountains as a college student. But that, she knew, was a great part of this particular undercover
gig—the truth was useful, it helped keep their conversations natural, made it so that they could keep their mission a secret
while still sharing real facts about their personal lives and upbringing.
“So!”
Their guide announced the single word as they gathered at their starting point.
Some of the guests intended to just chill in the lagoon pool where they were gathered.
Some intended to walk up the dryer rock on the side of the falls.
And some intended to take the steps that put them in water that was ankle deep to waist deep.
Broderick intended to chill.
But since Celia, Jeff and Daniel were going to do the falls the “wet” way, that was the track that Chloe and Wes would take,
as well.
It was no great hardship.
While approximately fifteen members of their group were going to be following another young guide up the falls’ rocky wet
slopes, they managed to get positions near Celia and Jeff in the lineup, just a few people back from Daniel McClintock. Of
course, their group was friendly—they’d all been cruising together, running into one another in the restaurants and casinos . . .
And relaxed people tended to be nice.
“Wow! The water is so cool, clear and refreshing!” one young woman claimed, taking her first step up the rocks, laughing as
the water startled her as a spray burst out at them from above.
“Glad you’re having fun—at last!” an older man behind her approved.
The young woman, perhaps about nineteen or twenty, glanced at Chloe, rolling her eyes. “Hey! I’m just not a big fan of the
casino—I was out of the money I had in ten minutes!”
“That can happen!” Wes said, nodding.
“Now, the computer classes are cool, really cool! Thank you, guys!” the young woman said, tapping Daniel McClintock on the
shoulder. “And you guys, Celia, Jeff! We can’t thank you enough!”
“Are you kidding?” Jeff said. “We love what we’re doing. Hey, careful, the rocks are getting a little more slippery here!”
He reached out to offer a hand to his wife.
Too late.
Celia hadn’t gotten good footing, but . . .
“Jeff!”
She started to slide back, her body skimming the rocks to the side, enough to slow her down, but . . .
Chloe knew that Wes could move fast; she’d just never seen him move that fast. He was behind Celia in two seconds.
He caught her before she could slip and crash down into the foot of water covering the rocks where they were stepping.
“Oh!” she cried. “Oh, my!”
“Celia, Celia, oh, my love, are you all right?” Jeff demanded, hopping down by her side.
“I’m . . . my arm. My arm is a little cut up. I . . .”
“Come on, we’re going to take the dry path!” Jeff said.
“No, no, I—”
“Celia, dry path or we can chill with Broderick down in the lagoon area,” Jeff told her.
The young woman who had just been speaking with them was staring at them in dismay. “Sweetie,” her father said, “come on,
now, let them make their own decisions!”
The young local guide they had for the climb came down to them, trying to ascertain if Celia had really been injured.
She’d scratched her arm.
That was it.
And she and Jeff made the decision just to head down and enjoy the pool with Broderick.
“Hey, do you need me?” Daniel asked them.
“Hell, no! I mean, sorry, thanks. No, we’re fine!” Celia told him. “Please, Daniel, you go ahead and enjoy!”
Chloe glanced at Wes.
Now, three of their suspects were down in the lagoon pool.
But they might be too obvious following them at this point and, in truth, she wanted to talk to Wes about what had happened.
Apparently, he’d been seeing what she’d been seeing.
Something a wee bit different.
“I think she’d intended to fall,” he murmured quietly in Chloe’s ear.
And it was what she had been thinking. Jeff hadn’t really missed his wife’s hand.
She had meant to fall.
Insurance? Had she wanted to sue someone, either the cruise ship owners, their bus guide or the young man guiding them at
the falls?
They had all signed waivers, acknowledging what they were doing and that the falls could be dangerous.
Or . . .
Did she want to hang around a nurse. Get closer to George. And through George . . .
Get closer to Edward Thompson?
“Poor thing!” the young woman said. “Oh, and she’s so great! I loved taking her classes on the apps, how to be safe . . .
But then I heard . . . Oh, sorry!” she murmured.