Krewe Of Hunters: Haunted Destiny Part 28

Jude eased back into his seat. "Religious artifacts?"

"Oh, some gorgeous things! A marble cross, a stained-gla.s.s window from an ancient church in Rome, parish Bibles from England. I'd keep them myself, but I'm selling the house and moving into a condo in New York City. My son works on Wall Street and my daughter is in fas.h.i.+on design. They're in the city, so of course, I want to be nearby."

"Of course," he murmured. "Tell me something. Since your husband must've known about collecting such things... Did you ever handle a set of saints' medallions that were created right before World War II?"

"Why, yes, I believe Sam did have a set. Italian, I think. I'm not sure which church they came from, but I recall that they were created to help provide for orphaned children. I vaguely remember seeing the set. The medallions were silver-plated-exquisite but not very expensive!"

"Did he happen to sell those to Roger?" Jude asked.

"Oh, no, Mr. McCoy-Jude," she amended quickly. "I didn't meet Roger until after Sam died. I'm afraid I don't know who the medallions were sold to. But the buyer would be on record with my husband's accountant. Sam's bookkeeping was meticulous. Were you looking for a set of medallions? Perhaps Myles Barton could help you. He was Sam's a.s.sistant."

"Yes, I've been looking for exactly this set," Jude said. "Flora, as soon as we're able to make contact with the outside world again, I'd appreciate it if you'd speak to your bookkeeper and find out who bought that set from Sam." To make his interest in the medals seem straightforward-merely a collector's obsession-he added, "I've wanted these for years, ever since I, uh, first read about them."

"I'll be happy to look into it," she told him.

After a few more pleasantries, he left.

There had originally been five thousand sets. Just because Flora's husband, Sam Winters, had sold a set, that certainly didn't mean he'd been the one to sell it to the Archangel.

But being this close to learning about one of the sets-and, more than that, learning there'd been a connection between the seller and one of the suspects...

It seemed like more than a coincidence.

He wasn't much of a believer in coincidence.

Ghosts, yes, he told himself drily.

Coincidence? No.

Jude did not come to rescue Alexi and Clara.

They stayed with Jensen Hardy through an afternoon of contests and games.

By five o'clock, Alexi was pretty sure she hated Jude McCoy.

Hank poked his head in, Ginny Monk on his arm, just as Jensen was teasing that they'd make one of their last games of the day a wet T-s.h.i.+rt contest.

During the final trivia game, the ballroom had begun to fill up with older teens and young adults. They cheered him on.

Alexi could see Hank entering the ballroom with Ginny. The bar had been open for a long time; maybe that was why Jensen's suggestion of a wet T-s.h.i.+rt contest brought enthusiasm and laughter-and a surge of people heading to the bar.

"Sales!" he told Alexi and Clara happily.

"Sales," they murmured to each other.

"How can we have a wet T-s.h.i.+rt contest?" one young woman called out.

"Well, now that you ask..." Jensen grinned and searched the shelves of the large trunk, on rollers, that often went with him from venue to venue on the s.h.i.+p. "Aha!" he cried, producing spray bottles of water. "Ten. We can have ten entries. And to make it lots of fun, each young lady willing to have a wet T-s.h.i.+rt is welcome to have her man-her friend, her sister, broker, companion, whoever-wield the spray bottles!"

"What if a young man wants to enter the contest?"

"I know that voice," Clara whispered to Alexi.

"Simon?"

"It's the singer!" someone else said.

"I say let him join!"

Simon walked through the crowd, smiling, his hands up. "Just kidding, folks. However, the winner is welcome to wet down my T-s.h.i.+rt!"

"That's a deal," a girl called out, drawing a round of laughter from the crowd.

"Ah, now, if my lovely a.s.sistants will select ten young ladies-only those with their hands raised, we take no prisoners on this s.h.i.+p!-we'll get it going," Jensen said.

"I am really going to kill Jude," Alexi muttered to Clara.

"I'd kill him, too-except that I'm happy to be alive!" Clara said.

So am I! Alexi thought. Still...how could he just leave us here?

Guarded by Johnny, a security man she liked, she reminded herself.

But with Jensen? For bingo and all these games-and a wet T-s.h.i.+rt contest.

"Hey!" someone shouted. "Personally, I'd like to see the lovely a.s.sistants in the wet T-s.h.i.+rt contest."

"Not a prayer, buddy!" Clara said under her breath.

"We can't," Alexi said. "But for those of you who are eager and willing..."

In fact it was easy for Alexi and Clara to come up with the right number of contestants. First rule for volunteers-to enter the wet T-s.h.i.+rt contest, you had to be wearing a T-s.h.i.+rt. And then you needed a companion or friend.

She was standing near the bar when she heard Ginny and Hank talking. "It'll be fun! Oh, come on, Hank. We'll have a good time!"

"I don't want everyone seeing my girl in a wet T-s.h.i.+rt," Hank said stubbornly.

"Actually," Alexi said, walking toward them quickly, "the T-s.h.i.+rts aren't going to get that wet. They're just little spray bottles."

"See?" Ginny said.

"If you're set on it, be my guest. But I don't want to be involved," Hank said.

"Okay, don't worry about it," Ginny told him. "We'll just watch."

"I'm happy just to watch, too," Alexi said, moving on.

One girl joined with her brother, who was mortified. Jensen had a great deal of fun teasing the two of them. Alexi discovered that, in some ways, this event was similar to her evenings in the piano bar-minus the singing and the piano, of course.

It all had to do with engaging the crowd.

And Jensen Hardy was very good at that.

Each team had a cheering section. And despite what Alexi had seen as a distinctly uncomfortable activity, the contest was fun. It had nowhere near the s.e.xual edge it might have had poolside.

The brother kept wetting his sister's arm, drawing all kinds of criticism and laughter from the crowd.

And everyone involved got a ten-dollar credit for drinks or the casino-with no expiration date, in case the weather got worse and they were unable to use them during this cruise.

Casino credits certainly didn't represent a loss to the s.h.i.+p; most people used up their ten dollars and perhaps even won. Only to put their winnings-and more-back into the machines and in the hands of the dealers.

Simon allowed a group of girls to soak his T-s.h.i.+rt with their bottles when the contest was over. He was more the lean ascetic type than the brawny he-man, but the girls still enjoyed themselves and Simon was entertaining.

"You're just chorus?" she teased, bringing him a towel after he'd been drenched.

He grinned at her. "Ah, but I don't intend to stay just chorus!"

"And I'm sure you won't."

Guests were trailing out now. Hank and Ginny were having an intense discussion at the bar. Clara, she saw, was staring at the door. She started walking toward it, and Alexi hurried after her as she stepped out into the hall. And there was the ghost of Byron Grant, leaning against a wall. He'd probably been there, watching all the while. But Clara was still staring at him, and he was staring back.

"Who are you?" she demanded in a whisper.

"Clara!"

Alexi caught her by the shoulders, turning her so they were facing each other. People were walking by, giving them curious looks, since Clara seemed to be talking to herself.

"Clara, please don't!"

"Who the h.e.l.l is he? He's watching all the time. He could be-"

The killer.

"He's not!" Alexi responded quickly to the words Clara didn't quite say. "He's not! Look at me, listen to me. Let all these people get out of here."

Jensen was inside the ballroom, cleaning up.

"Jensen, we have to leave. See you later!" she called. She set an arm around Clara's shoulders and led her down the hall, glancing at Johnny, who was waiting for them, so he'd follow them down the hall to the elevators.

"Don't talk yet. I'll explain in my room."

"Everyone just ignores him," Clara said. "And I see him all the time. It's creepy!"

"Clara, we have to get to my cabin before we talk about this."

She smiled weakly as they pa.s.sed people they knew, or had met while entertaining on the s.h.i.+p. Finally, they reached the employee cabins. Alexi waved her thanks to Johnny and urged Clara into her room.

"Out with it!" Clara insisted. "Who is that man? Why are you defending him? He looks suspicious. He sometimes follows me!"

"Clara, he's not going to hurt you," Alexi said.

There was a soft knock at the cabin door. "Alexi, it's me, Byron."

"That's him, isn't it?" Clara demanded. "Let him in. I'm going to tell him a thing or two. Is he with the FBI? Someone should've told me."

She didn't open the door.

But a second later Byron appeared inside.

Clara looked at him, and then at Alexi.

And then she collapsed-luckily, close enough to Alexi's bed so she could guide her friend onto it.

Every inch of the Destiny, with the exception of the guest cabins and employee quarters, had been searched.

The security guard who'd been a.s.signed to the employee hallway that morning was gone. He was Nathan Freeman, veteran of many a voyage. He'd been a Dallas cop before he'd joined the Celtic American group over a decade ago, and he was one of David Beach's most dependable men.

But he was nowhere to be found. He seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Engine rooms and storage areas, every lifeboat, every nook and cranny, had been exhaustively searched. Various members of the staff had taken part and, after his visit with Flora Winters, Jude had joined in, as well.

Regular announcements had been made over the PA system, asking Nathan Freeman to report to Security. Nathan had not appeared.

Once again, Jude and Jackson met with David Beach and his security men in their small office. This time, Captain Thorne was present, too.

"The only places we haven't searched, of course, are the cabins," David Beach said. "Captain, do you want us to start checking out guest and employee cabins?"

"If he is in a cabin somewhere, I'm going to a.s.sume it's with a friend, a crew member. Perhaps he was suddenly taken ill," Captain Thorne said.

He didn't believe it. None of them believed it.

"At least we haven't found his body," Beach said, a catch in his voice.

Jackson had been silent, listening to Beach and his men go through their reports.

Now he spoke up. "I'm afraid we're not going to find Mr. Freeman's body. We're all aware that we're sailing in very rough seas."

"You think Nathan deserted his post-and fell off the s.h.i.+p?" Beach demanded indignantly.

"No, I do not," Jackson said. "I do suggest another intense search for him. Knock on cabin doors. Honest people will understand that we're in a difficult situation. Anyone who won't cooperate will give us reason to take a second look. Captain, aren't there maritime laws that can be invoked?" He paused as Thorne nodded grimly. "However, I'm afraid we won't find him."

There was silence.

"But we'll try every possible approach," Beach said.