Chapter 34
The candle flickered but stayed lit.
I asked Kate one more time to blow it out, but nothing happened.
I looked at Vanessa. "You felt her presence, didn't you?"
Vanessa frowned. "No. I didn't feel anything.”
"Are you sure?”
"I'm positive.”
"How do you explain the window and the candle?"
"Random.”
"And the perfume?"
"I never smelled it.”
"I'm not crazy. I saw her. She was here for an instant. Sitting where you are.”
Vanessa gave me a doubtful look.
"I know what I saw. I know what I felt.”
"Well, you’re way more sensitive than I am about this kind of thing. You always were. If you say she was here, then she was here.”
"Don't patronize me.”
"I'm not. I'm agreeing with you. I recognize that you may have certain gifts that I don't have. That I will never have.” She paused. "So where does that leave us?”
I shrugged. "Did someone own this boat before Declan? Maybe I'm picking up on something really old."
"Declan had this boat custom-built.”
I frowned.
Then she added, "He's loaned it out to friends before. Not really a charter, but business associates, friends, inner circle. That kind of thing. Anything could have happened aboard the boat when Declan wasn’t around. Maybe a woman named Kate was killed on the ship. Who knows?"
It was a possibility to consider.
"Either way, there's nothing we can do about it,” Vanessa continued. “You tried your best. You're not a detective. You don't have to solve everything. Like Luciano said, we should all be grateful for this moment. We have our whole lives ahead of us because of you. I think that's pretty special.”
I smiled.
"I'm so glad I invited you on this trip. I might be dead now if I hadn't."
She leaned over and gave me a hug. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for another drink. Let's get out of here before we scare ourselves to death.”
We climbed off the bed, and I blew out the candle. We left the stateroom and made our way back up to the sky lounge. The poker game still raged. We took a seat at the bar and had another drink or two.
I didn’t want to overdo it. It'd been a long day, and I was tired. I told Vanessa I was calling it a night and headed back to my stateroom.
When I stepped inside, the portlight was open again.
I moved to the window and closed it, but the latch didn't seem to be working properly.
It came open again, and I left it.
I looked around the cabin again and checked the closet for good measure.
There was nobody in there.
I stepped into the en suite and went through my nightly routine, brushing my teeth and taking off my makeup.
Afterward, I peeled out of my clothes and slipped into bed. I lay there with a gentle draft coming in through the open window. Shafts of moonlight cascaded across the room.
I wasn't scared.
I wasn't freaked out.
For some reason, I was calm and centered. Grateful. Maybe Kate was a mystery I wasn't supposed to solve.
Just as I was dozing off, I got a whiff of cigarette smoke. Fresh, like someone had just sparked up.
I climbed out of bed and moved to the window, but I didn't smell it there. Maybe someone in the hallway had passed by with a cigarette. But nobody in our group smoked. Not that I had seen.
I know this is going to sound strange, but random times throughout my life, I would smell cigarette smoke in a place where I knew no one had smoked recently. It always made me feel like there was some kind of presence.
I put on my shorts, tank top, and flip-flops and moved to the hatch. I unlatched the deadbolt and peered into the corridor.
There was nobody there.
But I still smelled the faint traces of cigarette smoke.
I stepped into the hall, pulled the door shut behind me, and locked it.
Someone had clearly walked down the hall smoking a cigarette. I knew the guys smoked cigars in the sky lounge for their poker game, but this wasn't cigar smoke. I followed the scent up to the main deck just out of curiosity. It would bug me all night if I didn't.
I climbed to the main foyer, then looked into the salon.
It was empty.
I stepped onto the side deck, made my way aft, and saw Pete at the stern, looking over the gunwale at the ocean. The cherry glowed as he took a drag of his cigarette. But with the wind coming across the deck, there was no way I could have smelled that in my cabin.
I walked down the side deck to join him and leaned against the gunwale.
"Oops. You caught me," he said, taking another drag before tossing the cigarette into the sea. The cherry spiraled its way down, then vanished in the inky abyss.
"You shouldn't litter," I said, trying not to sound like I was scolding him.
"I know. I'm a bad person. Sorry. I'll do better," he said in a meek voice, exaggerating. "It won't happen again.”
"I smelled it in my cabin.”
Pete grew serious. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you.”
"No. It’s just… I'm not sure how I could have smelled it. Did you walk down the corridor with it?”
"No. We're not allowed to smoke in guest areas or aboard the ship, really. I just couldn't sleep and had to sneak one.”
There was an awkward moment between us.
"Did you have fun ashore today?"
I scoffed.
"That doesn't sound good.”
"No. It was great. We had a really good time. I think everyone enjoyed themselves."
"Are you sure about that? Everybody looked pretty strange when they came back. Did something happen?"
"No. Nothing at all," I said in an innocent voice.
Pete's eyes narrowed, knowing better. But he knew not to push it with a guest. He raised his hands innocently. "It's none of my business.”
I paused, then said, "Can I ask you a strange question?”
He looked intrigued. "That sounds interesting.”
"Do you believe in ghosts?”
He sucked his lips and thought about it for a moment.
"I don't know. I believe there's something more out there. Something after we die. At least I hope there is. Maybe some of those wayward souls linger around for some reason. Unfinished business, maybe.” Then he muttered aside, “Maybe they didn’t like where they were going.”
"I read this article that said 53% of people believe in ghosts.”
Pete smiled. "That's a lot of people."
"Who knows if it's true?”
Pete shrugged.
"You said you’ve been on this boat for six months now?”
He nodded.
"And during that time, do you ever remember seeing an attractive redhead aboard? Stylish hair that hung just above her shoulders. Classic features, emerald eyes."
Pete looked uncomfortable. "You’ve asked me this before.”
“I’m asking again.”
“I'm not really supposed to talk about passengers.”
"Right. Nondisclosure agreement.”
"It's in all of our contracts.”
"What about crew matching that description?”
He lifted his hands, helpless. "I can't tell anybody anything about what happens aboard this boat, who comes on the boat, and what they do.”
"You take that seriously, don't you?"
"I like my job. Besides, when I give somebody my word, I stick to it.”
"That's admirable.” I paused for a moment.
"I don't want you to do anything that could get you in trouble.
But let's say I kept pressing the issue.
And you actually do recall someone who matches that description.
Somebody who had been aboard this boat in the last six months.
You'd probably say good night and walk away before you compromised your oath. "
Pete hesitated for a moment. “Ah, see now you’ve put me in a really awkward position. I’m going to say good night eventually, and you’re going to wonder.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
He sucked his lips again. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night. Whoops! See, there, I said it.”
Pete walked off, and I wasn’t sure what to make of the interaction.
I leaned against the gunwale, looking out over the sea. Moonlight glowed the water. The wind blew across the deck and rustled the pages of a fashion magazine that Sophia had left on a chair. She had been reading it before dinner.
I moved across the deck and picked it up.
I figured I'd give it back to her or leave it at her door on the way back.
The page just happened to be open to an ad with a gorgeous model wearing a designer gown.
Diamonds sparkled her elegant décolletage.
She wore long, elbow-length gloves and had dark smoky eyeshadow.
She looked like a Hollywood movie star of old. I did a double-take.
The model was Kate.
I was sure of it.
Both the model and photographer were credited in the small print of the advertisement.
Kate Moreau.
I wasn't crazy at all. This was the woman I had seen. The woman I’d had a conversation with.
I hurried back to my stateroom. I wanted to tell someone. Everyone. But it was late. I thought about calling Tyson in Coconut Key, but I didn't want to disturb him at this hour.
Back in my cabin, I searched the Internet on my phone and tried to learn everything I could about Kate Moreau.
What I found chilled me to the bone.