Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
“ G one?” My voice echoes around the cave we’re standing in like a horror story we can’t step out of.
The Captain’s words hit me like a punch to the gut, and suddenly it feels as if the world has tilted on its axis. Bess lets out a strangled cry as her hands fly to her mouth.
I can’t breathe, can’t think.
The possibility that Ransom, my Ransom, and Nettie, one of my best friends, might be lost forever is too much to bear.
Just as the despair starts to swallow me whole, I see movement in the water.
“It’s Ransom,” Bess shrieks with something just this side of joy? but mostly horror.
And sure enough, it is. Not only is he swimming this way, but he’s got Nettie clinging to his back.
A surge of relief fills me just as Wes and the tour guide quickly help them back onto the platform. Ransom looks exhausted yet determined, while Nettie is pale and shaking.
“We’re okay,” Ransom says, his voice hoarse but steady. “We’re okay.”
Nettie lifts her head a notch. “And more important, we’ve got your hat.” She lifts the soggy wicker wonder out of the water and Bess and I share a weak laugh.
Just like that, the excursion is over. Half the group decides to head back to the ship, shaken by the near-tragedy, while the rest of us—Bess, Nettie, Wes, Ransom, and I—opt to continue to Gold Rock Beach, hoping the beauty and tranquility of the sea will help us recover from the ordeal. Or, in the least, cool us off.
The trip to Gold Rock Beach is quick, the bus ride taking us through lush landscapes and over quaint bridges. When we arrive, the sight before us is nothing short of breathtaking. The beach stretches out in a perfect arc of white sand, meeting the turquoise water in a gentle kiss. The sunlight dances on the waves, making the entire scene look like something out of a dream, especially since we’re still coming out of that nightmare.
We set up under a large palm tree, its fronds providing a welcome shade and the sound of the waves is enough to lull me to sleep.
Bess and Nettie collapse onto their lounge chairs, clearly exhausted from all the excitement.
“Please don’t wake me,” Bess says as she closes her eyes. “Unless there’s an icy drink involved.”
“And hard liquor,” Nettie says, closing her eyes as well. “Or a hot cabana boy.”
Bess snorts. “I thought you preferred cave dwellers with wings who like to suck your blood.”
Nettie chuckles at the thought. “You know my type, Toots.”
I shake my head at the two of them before turning to Ransom.
“Speaking of types, Hetty sure painted Amber Walker in a suspicious light.” I quickly fill him in on all the things that Hetty told me about Jennifer, Amber, and our resident specter, Beatrice.
Ransom’s brows knit together for a moment. “This Lucy gal really got around, didn’t she?”
I give his ribs a quick tweak, “Rumor has it, so did you before I stepped onto the ship.”
His lips flex in a short-lived smile. “And my life has markedly improved since I’ve met you.” He lands a quick kiss to my lips. “Although Lucy seemed to have targeted ineligible men. I would never look twice at a woman if I knew she was in a relationship.”
“Technically, I was married when we met.” I bite down on my lip and hold back a giggle.
Okay, so I had already dumped my dumpster fire of a husband by that point, but it does make for a fun conversation piece, especially at a moment like this.
“Speaking of your ex-husband”—he winces as if the thought of Stanton pained him, and it’s more or less a typical response when it comes to my ex—“I didn’t want to burden you earlier, but I think I should mention it now. He’s been sending me irate text messages. And let’s just say he’s playing fast and loose with the King’s English, and he’s not shy with the expletives either.”
“Oh my goodness,” I hiss as I sit straight up. “I’m going to kill him.”
“I’d like to punch his lights out first if you don’t mind,” he says, reeling me back in.
“But he’s all the way in Maine,” I seethe. “Safe from two would-be physical assaults.”
“Two felony convictions between us.” He sighs and his chest rises and falls, taking me along for the ride. And what a delicious ride it is. Eat your heart out, Stanton.
A low growl emits from his throat. “And since we’re on the topic of disgruntled people, there’s something else you should know.”
I lean up to get a better look at him. “You haven’t changed your mind about the engagement, have you?”
“Do I look insane?” he teases. “It’s Quinn. She’s still got you at the top of her suspect list. She’s trying to figure out why you’re such a prolific serial killer and how you’ve possibly cast your spell on me.”
“Trixie is a powerful witch,” Nettie moans it low as if she were dreaming.
“I’m no such thing,” I say. “I might see a ghost or two, but that’s only because the Man Upstairs has decided to put me in some sort of crime-fighting program with a poltergeist as my sidekick. I didn’t sign up for any of this. I don’t want any of this. But this is what I’ve got. And if the Man Upstairs thinks I’m the one that should find the bodies and solve the crime, then who am I to argue with him?”
Ransom opens his mouth to say something, then thinks better of it, or at least I think he’s thinking better of it.
“I’m sorry, Trixie, but it’s my job, not yours, to track down the killers. As for finding the bodies, I wish you wouldn’t do that either, but that’s more or less out of everyone’s control. Quinn thinks we should start monitoring your every move. Just know that I’ve already volunteered for the effort. But I’m not going to do it,” he says softly. “I trust you. I know for a fact that you had nothing to do with any of the homicides we’ve dealt with on this ship.”
“Quinn doesn’t agree. She thinks I’m a menace to the ship’s society. I bet if I told her I was leaving for good, she’d help me pack my bags.”
“That and she might escort you off the ship at gunpoint.”
My mood sours at the thought. Come to think of it, my mood always sours when Quinn is in the equation.
Ransom squeezes my hand reassuringly. “I know you’re not guilty of anything, Trix. I’ll figure this out.”
Wes heads this way, and if I’m not mistaken, it looks as if he’s doing his best to hold back a smile.
“I have some news,” he says, landing on the lounge chair across from us. “I just got off the phone with Royal Lineage Cruise Lines. They said the ship is scheduled to make one more trip through the Caribbean on the next voyage, but after that, we’re heading up the East Coast for a leaf peeper, fall foliage cruise. That includes Maine.”
Ransom and I exchange a look.
“Maine?” I say, barely able to contain my excitement. “That’s our home state! We can get married on that cruise and our families can be there.”
Ransom’s face lights up and he sheds a genuine smile. Ransom’s smiles are always hard-won, but oh-so worth it.
“That sounds perfect.” He pulls me close. “It’ll be the perfect place for our families to come together and celebrate with us.”
“And I can kill Stanton,” I say a touch too brightly.
“Just let me deck him. No need for both of us to step into legal trouble.”
Wes shakes his head. “How about no deaths and no assault charges, just a joyous wedding with friends and family.”
“I look forward to it,” I say and I’m back to biting down on my lip again as I look at Ransom. “We’re getting married on the cruise after next. That’s going to be here in five minutes!”
“Not soon enough,” Ransom counters, touching his lips to mine. “Thanks, Wes. Best news I’ve heard in a long time.”
Wes nods his way. “I’m glad to hear that. We’ll make sure it’s an unforgettable voyage for the both of you.”
Ransom and I are just weeks away from our wedding.
I’m going to be a bride, and Ransom is going to be my groom.
It’s real. It’s happening. And our families and friends will be there to help us celebrate.
It feels right, sacred, unstoppably perfect.
And even my ex can’t spoil the moment for me.
But a killer can. In fact, a killer on this very cruise spoiled every future moment for Lucy Taylor.
Quinn Riddle may not want me to meddle in her case, but if the Man Upstairs has a different opinion, who am I to fight it?
Besides, the sooner I find the killer, the sooner I can fully focus on my upcoming nuptials.
And seeing that my wedding is just weeks away, I don’t have a second to waste.
Amber Walker is about to talk, and I’m going to make sure she tells me exactly what I need to hear.