Chapter 21
Thought of the day…
If you’re caught up in chaos of someone else’s making, it’s not your job to untangle the mess.
(Repeat after me: Not my circus, not my monkeys.)
In another life, I could have been an actress – a decent one if my performance at dinner was anything to go by.
I convincingly held up my end of the conversation, but my stomach was so tied up in knots, I could only pick at my food. A pity because Dimitra’s Cyclades-inspired menu was extraordinary – every morsel I did manage to swallow was delicious.
As the crew cleared the dessert plates – my volcanic lemon soufflé barely touched – Julian suggested that he, Dale, and Kovalec retire to the lounge two decks below for Metaxa and cigars – almost verbatim what I’d said to Trudy earlier.
And what Tommy had warned me about. This was it – whatever was going down was about to happen.
As Julian and the other men descended the main staircase, I looked about for Tommy, catching sight of his retreating head and shoulders on the companionway near the bow.
‘Um, sorry, Trudy, nature’s calling again,’ I said, standing and picking up my clutch.
Without waiting for a response, I scurried across the deck and ran down the staircase.
Julian had already led the other men to the deck below – I could hear him talking about the cigars he’d imported – but had Tommy followed them?
The deck was clear in both directions. No crew about and no Tommy either. Fuck.
‘Psst, Ally.’
I spun around and peered into the shadows.
Tommy was standing in the alcove I’d hidden in before dinner.
‘In here,’ he said, sliding open the salon door.
He crossed the spacious room, then looked down the corridor towards the bow.
Still no one about, so we entered the day head and he locked the door behind us.
‘Is there such a thing as the nautical mile club?’ I joked.
His stern expression didn’t waver.
‘Sorry, just a joke. I’m nervous.’
‘Understandable – you being in the midst of a sting operation. It’s not too late, you know. I can have you off the yacht in less than five minutes.’
‘I can’t leave Julian.’
‘Just me.’
‘I’m sorry?’ I asked, thrown off kilter. ‘Did you just—’
‘Never mind, it’s not important.’
‘Then why bring it up?’
He looked away, remorse marring his perfect features.
‘And I didn’t leave you, Tommy. You abandoned me – you abandoned our marriage for a job.’
I could have left it alone, not said that last part, but he’d brought it up – he’d made the offensive parry.
‘This isn’t the right ti—’
‘Time. I know. It was never the right time,’ I countered.
I wasn’t even sure what I meant by that – the right time to discuss our marriage or the right time for the marriage itself?
And then I realised he was probably referring to the person – or people – listening in on our conversation.
The entire yacht is bugged. I could just imagine Elsa locked away in a cabin somewhere, sniggering as Tommy and I squabbled.
I shook my head, returning to the matter at hand. ‘So, what happened when you asked about immunity? For Julian.’
‘I’m still waiting on con—’
‘But you asked, right?’ I interjected. It was a poorly disguised accusation that he hadn’t, which I instantly regretted.
‘I said I would and I did,’ he replied shortly, an undercurrent of hurt in his voice.
God, what was wrong with us?
‘Sorry,’ I said.
‘It’s fine.’ Only it plainly wasn’t.
‘So, what are we waiting on then, a phone call or something?’ I asked, ignoring how disappointed I was with myself – I should have trusted him.
‘We’re not waiting on anything – I’m waiting on—’
Just then, there were three light knocks on the door – two fast, then a beat, then a third. Panicked, my eyes flew to meet Tommy’s, and I was about to call out, ‘It’s occupied,’ when he calmly faced the door and repeated the same pattern, then unlocked it.
It opened and Trudy slipped inside the tiny room, then closed the door behind her, locking it again.
What the actual fucking fuck?
‘Sorry, what’s happening?’ I asked, completely flummoxed.
‘Well, Ally, what’s happening is that you have inserted yourself into the middle of our operation.’
My mouth opened and closed several times but at first, no words came out. ‘What?’ I squeaked eventually. ‘So, you’re… you’re…’
I continued to gawp at Trudy, waiting for everything to fall into place. Only it didn’t. It all just tumbled onto the floor in a huge, indecipherable heap.
Trudy placed her hand on my forearm. ‘I’ll explain what I can later, but for now Tom needs to interrupt that meeting.’ She turned to Tommy. ‘We got the go-ahead, so get to the lounge and tell Julian his son’s on the phone – and it’s urgent.’
‘But Julian doesn’t have a son,’ I said, becoming even more confused. ‘He doesn’t have any children.’
‘I know, hun. And so does Dale. He’ll understand that something’s up and know to keep Kovalec occupied while Julian’s out of the room. That’ll give me time to brief Julian.’
So, Dale is in on it too? So much for the cutesy retirees from Ottawa!
Tommy nodded sharply, then left me alone with Trudy.
‘Come on, hun,’ she said, ‘you should head back upstairs. Unless you do need the bathroom.’
‘Uh, yes, actually. Do you mind?’
‘Not at all.’
Trudy left and I sat heavily on the lid of the toilet, snippets of our interactions flitting through my mind.
I’d warmed to Trudy immediately – she’d been so sweet and chatty, if a little nosey at times.
But that wasn’t her being nosey, I realised.
She was getting close to me to protect the operation.
The day on the sailboat… the cooking class with Yiayiá… the breakfasts… the afternoon at the spa… her harping on (and on) about Tommy being interested in me… The entire time, Trudy was evaluating me, determining if I was a threat.
Or a distraction.
Which I had been.
‘Oh god,’ I groaned, dropping my head into my hands as another realisation landed. It must have been Trudy who’d raked Tommy over the coals.
Perhaps he was right. Maybe I needed to get off the yacht and out of harm’s way. Although, if Trudy believed I was in danger, wouldn’t she have suggested I leave? Or even told me to?
I took in a long, slow, deep breath and blew it out.
Then did the same again. And again. Soon enough, my heart rate started to slow.
I stood up and wet a hand towel, patted my neck with it, then dropped it in the basket at my feet.
I retrieved my lipstick from my clutch and with as steady a hand as I could muster, reapplied.
(Never underestimate the bolstering power of a bold red lip.)
I looked myself in the eye. ‘All of this is for Julian. Just stay calm and leave it to the professionals.’
Hah! If only I’d given myself that advice before I invited myself to dinner.
After one more bracing breath, I opened the door and peeked out. No one in the salon but when I looked down the corridor, Julian and Trudy were standing close together, talking in terse, muted tones. Julian’s face was in shadows, and I could only imagine what was going through his head.
Every part of me wanted to rush over and urge him to do whatever Trudy said to avoid being arrested, but there was no possible scenario in which that would help.
Instead, I scurried across the salon, out onto the deck, and upstairs to the flybridge.
Scott the chief steward was there, checking that the table had been properly cleared.
‘Oh, hello,’ he said, noticing me. ‘I hope you’re enjoying your evening.’
‘Absolutely,’ I lied with a wide smile. ‘The crew’s been brilliant, and the meal was just incredible.’ Translation: I’ve barely engaged with the crew and I was too nervous to eat much of anything.
‘Always good to hear,’ he said with a grateful nod. ‘Can I get you anything?’
I was about to say no, but I was suddenly ravenous.
‘This is super cheeky,’ I said, playing coy, ‘but could I possibly have a toasted cheese and Marmite sandwich?’
His mouth twitched, but otherwise he maintained his professional air. ‘I’ll do my best,’ he said with a smile, then left.
I sat on one of the long, built-in leather sofas, my body facing Naxos, and stared at the lights dancing on the water.
I could just imagine what was happening in the galley – Dimitra pointing at Scott with a spatula and saying, ‘Over my dead body will I make a toasted cheese and Marmite sandwich.’ She was a Michelin-starred chef, after all.
‘You look like you’re a million miles away.’
I jolted, then looked up.
‘Not really,’ I replied as Trudy joined me. ‘I’ve just asked for a sandwich and I’m going back and forth on whether they’ll have Marmite.’
She gave me an odd look but didn’t say anything. One thing was evident: the gregarious, effusive, sometimes ditsy woman who I’d befriended was a cover. This Trudy had the type of self-assurance that was forged in the fires of leadership – having to make difficult calls, then defend her actions.
Though there was a softness in her eyes, compassion – she wasn’t flinty or hard, just different to who I’d thought she was.
‘You’ve known all along who I am, haven’t you?’ I asked.
She nodded slowly. ‘Yes, mostly. Though your connection to Tom came later – after you arrived on Aetheria.’
Tommy had said something similar, and I wondered how it could possibly have been missed. Ah, that must have been Elsa’s cock-up, I thought. Although, it was moot now and I had other more pressing questions.
‘And all those times we talked about Tommy – sorry, Tom – you were testing me.’
‘I was keeping you close,’ she said, not breaking eye contact.
‘Right.’ I licked my lips. ‘Did you ever think about forcing me to leave?’ I asked.
‘Never forcing you, but I was close to fabricating some sort of emergency back in London.’
‘Like a photograph of me and Julian going viral?’
‘That wasn’t us,’ she said with a subtle shake of her head.
‘I know.’