Chapter Ten
Ten
Berthed at the farthest end of the long pier, the largest vessel in the Molo Luise marina was by far The Prophet. A sleek, white tri-deck. Nikki estimated the superyacht at eighty-five meters.
Jayston spoke into his phone as they approached.
“I’ve found her…no…no…she’s fine. On the pier. Coming aboard now.”
Nikki followed Jayston and Audrey across a short gangplank and onto the tail of the boat. They were met by a bearded man in captain’s uniform. He greeted Jayston, then bent down to Audrey.
“Little madam,” he said, “you had us all worried. Where on earth did you get to?”
“I took a taxi,” Audrey said proudly.
“A little excursion in town,” Jayston said, ruffling her hair. “Henry, would you take Audrey to my wife?”
The captain looked uncomfortable.
“Your wife is…indisposed.”
“Very well. Would you please ask Shonda to put Audrey to bed?”
“Certainly,” said the captain. He extended a hand to the girl, who, as she had with Nikki, complied without protest.
“And…Henry?” Jayston called after him. “Thank the crew for their hunt, will you? They’ll see my appreciation reflected in their bonuses.”
“Yes, sir.”
—
Nikki followed Jayston. The yacht’s luxurious interior was fashioned after a British country estate—walls alternately papered or paneled in mahogany, framed paintings, the floors polished hardwood and thick ivory carpeting.
They passed up a set of stairs and into a comfortable living space—the main salon.
A housekeeper was here, vacuuming. She switched this off when they entered, leaving without a word, taking the vacuum with her.
“There you are,” said Jayston, snatching up a small pink rucksack from the sofa. He dug through the various compartments, coming up at last with a small coin, which he tossed to Nikki with a twitch of a smile. She caught it and turned it over.
“Tracker,” he explained. “Not the first time Audrey’s got the idea to run off, or hide. Whole damn crew’s been looking for her…tearing the boat apart. I expected she would take her rucksack, though. She’s supposed to keep her EpiPen with her. Peanut allergy. Terrifies me. Do you have children?”
Nikki shook her head.
“A delight and a horror,” he said.
It was only now he looked down and seemed to notice his stockinged feet.
“Pardon me, won’t you? I was in the middle of dressing when I learned my daughter had gone missing. Here—do make yourself comfortable. I’ll fetch the passport at once.”
He left the room with the same brusque efficiency that he’d done everything.
Nikki looked around the space. The furniture was leather and burgundy silks, the fixtures in gleaming brass. On one table, a profusion of orange and pink blossoms overflowed an enormous vase. Watercolor landscapes in gilded frames hung on the walls.
The elegance of the space was eased by signs of living: a jacket tossed on a chair, an unfinished puzzle on a table, a shuffle of papers with a clutch of crayons.
At one end of the room stood a sleek bar with a stocked wine fridge and a backlit display of high-end bottles. Nikki was facing this and didn’t hear Jayston enter.
“Forgive me,” he said. “I seem to have quite lost my manners. May I offer you a drink? Terribly sorry, I fear I’ve already forgotten your name.”
Nikki turned. He was poised just inside the door, one hand resting on the frame. There was a graceful tension in his body that she recognized from the sailing community—a balanced readiness.
“Nikki Serafino,” she said. “And, please, don’t trouble yourself.”
“Not a trouble, Nikki.”
As his expression softened, she realized the intensity that had lived in those features only minutes ago.
“I just had a moment alone to think,” he continued. “And I realized…you brought Audrey back from across Naples. No fuss at the police station. No spectacle. No demands. Merely a kindness to a child and her parents. I’m most grateful. Thank you.”
Heat rose to Nikki’s cheeks, and the familiar discomfort brought on by praise.
“No thanks needed,” she said. “I really should go.”
“Do join me for a drink, won’t you?”
He strode into the room and opened the wine fridge, surveying the contents.
“A Livio Felluga pinot grigio? Or Meursault? There’s a rather lovely Castello di Ama Chianti I’ve been waiting to open.”
Nikki hesitated. He glanced up and flashed a smile.
“A whisky, perhaps?” he said. “I must say, a Lagavulin sounds just right.”
She nodded. “Thanks. I’d love a whisky.”
“Do take a seat.”
Jayston slapped the passport on the bar and crossed behind it.
—
He leaned down, collected two heavy tumblers, and poured the amber liquid. Nikki perched on a padded stool.
“So, tell me about yourself, Nikki. Do I hear a trace of London in your accent?”
“Camden,” Nikki agreed. “I spent a decade in London.”
“Ah. And now you’re in the police.”
“I’m in a special liaison unit—Phoenix Seven. We work with the police.”
She took out a business card, and set it on the bar. He glanced at it.
“I see.”
He handed her a tumbler and raised his own.
“To you, Nikki. I’m in your debt.”
They drank.
“And what is it you do, Mr. Lake?”
“Investments. I’ve been quite fortunate in that regard. I came into my inheritance as a young man, in the dot-com nineties, and took a bit of a gamble. Invested in some technology companies. Risky, but it turned out to be a stroke of luck. I’ve managed to build upon that initial success.”
He looked around the beautiful room, and nodded. “Quite fortunate.”
Then he glanced down at the passport on the bar between them and his expression shifted.
“This dreadful business with Claire has cast a pall on all of us, I’m afraid,” he said. “It is quite impossible—truly inconceivable—to imagine why anyone would wish to harm her. She was such a sweet thing. Audrey adored her…we all did.”
“Can you tell me about Claire, Mr. Lake?” Nikki asked.
“I’ve already spoken with the police.”
“Oh,” said Nikki, “I’m not part of the investigation anymore. You don’t have to talk to me, if you’d rather not.”
He took another drink, and swirled the glass, watching the liquid move.
“Young. Bright,” he said. “Enthusiastic…keen to explore the world…a lover of books…and exceptionally caring. She had the correct credentials, of course. But beyond that, she had a natural affinity for children—really helped Audrey out of her shell. Claire joined us at our home in Kensington from July this year. Then, when we set sail, we simply couldn’t imagine being without her. ”
“I understand that she went missing last week—in Capri?”
“Yes. Quite puzzling. We’d spent the day together: a bit of sightseeing and some shopping.
After dinner, Claire brought Audrey back here…
settled her into bed. When Fiona and I returned, Audrey was fast asleep, and we presumed Claire had retired to her quarters as well.
It wasn’t until the next morning we discovered her missing.
And Fiona noticed that her jewelry had also vanished. ”
“What jewelry was missing?” Nikki asked.
“A gold pendant…a diamond tennis bracelet…three or four rings. There may have been more, but Fiona couldn’t give a good accounting. Fiona’s memory is…faulty these days.”
“Was there any evidence that Claire had taken the jewelry?”
He looked sharply at her. “No, you’re quite right in observing that.
As I mentioned to the authorities: Claire was genuinely good-hearted and kind.
We compensated her fairly, and she looked after Audrey with great care.
She was practically a member of our family.
It’s hard for me to believe she would have taken anything from us, or fled.
Moreover, if she had been planning to leave, it doesn’t make sense for her to go without her passport. ”
“What do you think happened?”
He leaned on the bar.
“I shared my theory with the police: I believe she was coerced. It’s my suspicion that someone threatened her—or perhaps threatened Audrey. If Claire did take Fiona’s jewelry, it’s likely she was compelled to do so by this other individual.”
“Did anyone see her leave the yacht?”
“No, but that’s not particularly unusual. We were docked with only a minimal crew onboard. The rest of the staff were on the island.”
He poured himself another substantial serving of whisky and offered to Nikki.
She let him pour, but didn’t intend to drink.
With Jayston talking so openly, she wanted a clear head.
Sonia had dismissed her from the case, but she didn’t feel dismissed.
If anything, she was more alert and energized than she’d been for months.
She’d told Audrey that she would find whoever had hurt Claire. She realized now that she meant it.
“How was she behaving…on the day she disappeared? How did she seem to you?”
A sad smile played on Jayston’s lips. He stood upright and shook his head.
“Well, it really wasn’t a good situation.
Fiona, my wife, can be quite demanding and…
well, unfortunately, rather suspicious. That day, she was exceptionally hard on Claire.
I should have intervened. Put a stop to it.
However, my past attempts to mediate only seemed to add fuel to the fire—worsening Claire’s situation.
This time, I chose not to say anything. In retrospect, I deeply regret not stepping in. ”
“So, if Claire was upset,” Nikki said, “do you think it’s possible she did run away—that she felt bullied and trapped and decided to take the jewelry and leave?”
“It is possible, of course,” he said. “But I doubt it. It would be so unnecessary. There are formal ways to deal with this. She could have told me she wanted to leave—or told Henry, or the agency. We could have arranged to fly her back to London. There are clauses for termination we could have managed. No, it really doesn’t make any sense at all.
Which is why I keep returning to some hidden influence. Someone must have swayed her.”
“Do you have any idea who this could have been?”
“I really can’t say. Perhaps a friend. Perhaps someone she’d just met.”