Laura Marlin Mysteries 2: Kidnap in the Caribbean (4 page)

To make matters worse, a cruel parking inspector had refused to allow Rowenna to wait even a minute close to the harbour, which meant that Tariq and his backpack were on the jetty with Laura and Skye while Rowenna had been left with no choice but to park the car on the other side of town.

Calvin Redfern was at the information booth on the jetty. Frowning slightly, he came over to them. When he saw no sign of Rowenna he looked more concerned still. ‘Let’s hope she gets back soon. Our ship sets sail within the hour and we can’t possibly leave Tariq here on his own.’

He studied the folder of travel documents. ‘Laura, would you mind very much if I go on ahead while you wait with Tariq and Skye? There seems to be some confusion over our documentation. Here is your boarding pass. As soon as Rowenna gets here, say goodbye to Tariq and Skye and board the ship immediately. A steward will show you where to go. You have your phone with you, don’t you? Any problems, call me on my mobile.’

He shook Tariq’s hand. ‘Goodbye, lad. It’s a shame you can’t come with us. I know that Laura will miss you. Next time. Bye, Skye. Hey, that rhymes!’

Laughing, he joined the colourful stream of passengers crossing the gangplank to the ship and soon disappeared from view.

Laura looked at Tariq. He was eleven like her and tall for his age, but when she’d first met him he’d been almost skeletally thin. Since then he’d filled out and become sinewy and strong. He had skin the colour of burnt caramel, amber eyes and glossy black hair that came down to his collar. Laura, by contrast, had a cap of pale blonde hair, grey eyes and peaches-and-cream skin. Walking down the street, they made a striking pair, particularly if the husky was with them.

‘If this was a movie, I’d smuggle you and Skye on board and we’d all sail away to the Caribbean together,’ Laura said.

‘That would be cool. I’d love that.’ Tariq’s tone was wistful. He’d recently learned to swim and he loved boats and the sea. ‘I’m going to miss you.’

The husky whined softly. He’d been downcast ever since Laura had taken her suitcase out of the cupboard. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t go to Antigua too.

Laura scanned the crowds. There was no sign of Rowenna. A gleam came into her eye. ‘Tariq, I have an idea. Why don’t you come aboard with me and you can take a quick look around the ship. There’s plenty of time before it sails.’

Tariq’s face lit up. ‘Really?’

‘Really.’

‘But what about Rowenna? Won’t she be worried if she comes back and doesn’t see me?’

‘She’ll probably guess you’re on the
Ocean Empress
. Besides, you’re likely to be back before she is. She can always call us if she’s anxious.’

With that, the trio joined the throng of holidaymakers, many of whom were wearing shorts, flip-flops, sunglasses and great flopping beach hats in defiance of the scudding grey clouds, whipping wind and churning sea. As they crossed the gangplank, Laura felt more cheerful than she had in days. In moments, she’d be on board the
Ocean Empress
and on her way to the Caribbean. Nothing could stop her now.

She’d have been less happy had she known that, at the precise minute she was presenting her boarding pass to the steward, a man on the jetty was following her progress with binoculars. Had she known who he was, she’d have wondered what the stranger Calvin Redfern had met with in the dead of Thursday night in St Ives’ cemetery was doing at Falmouth Harbour at eight on a Sunday morning.

As Laura stepped onto the ship, he took out his mobile and barked four short words into it: ‘The game has begun.’

‘WHERE’S YOUR BOARDING PASS
, young man?’ the steward asked Tariq, barring his way. ‘And I need to see the dog’s papers too.’

‘They’re not travelling …’ Laura began, but the rest of her sentence was drowned out by the escalation of a row going on beside her.

‘Yes, ma’am, it’s true that we charge by the cabin and not by the person,’ the purser was saying patiently, ‘but that’s based on the understanding that, since there is only one double bed, a maximum of two people can share. If you wanted a family cabin you should have asked for one.’

A woman in a white sundress that contrasted sharply with her orange tan removed her sunglasses. ‘Are you telling me I have to break the heart of my ten-year-old son, Jimmy?’ she demanded in a shrill voice, indicating a podgy boy with ears that stuck out like wing mirrors, a coppery dusting of freckles on his nose, and hair that made him look as if he was the victim of a recent tornado.

Jimmy, Laura noted, did not look in the least bit devastated at the possibility of being made to leave the ship. He was absent-mindedly eating an ice cream while peering at a control panel dotted with flashing lights and multi-coloured buttons. ‘Dad? Dad, what do you think this does?’ he asked, indicating a scarlet lever marked: ‘For emergency use only.’

His father, a giant of a man in a loud Hawaiian shirt, brushed him aside and advanced on the purser. ‘Let me get this straight. You want us to break the heart of our boy and wreck his dreams?’

Jimmy’s right hand hovered over the lever. He had the look of someone who’d run a mile to avoid doing five minutes of sport, but his small, bright brown eyes were alive with curiosity, dreaminess and mischief. Laura decided he was like a cross between a naughty cartoon character and a squirrel.

‘I don’t think you should touch that,’ she said.

He regarded her with surprise. ‘Why?’

Laura was taken aback. Usually it was she who questioned everything, especially rules and orders, and it was odd to have the tables turned on her.

‘Because,’ she retorted. That was the favourite response of grown ups who didn’t know the answer but wanted to pretend that they did.

‘Because why?’

Beside her, Tariq coughed to hide a laugh.

‘I just don’t think it’s a very good idea, that’s all.’

Jimmy licked his ice cream. ‘Oh.’

Laura and Tariq turned their attention back to the row, which was heating up. ‘Sir, ma’am, I’m not telling you which of you should be disappointed,’ the purser was saying to Jimmy’s parents. ‘What I am telling you is –’

Laura was quite interested to see what would happen next, but she could feel the boy’s gaze boring into her. ‘
What?
’

He shrugged. ‘I was just wondering if you and your friend were in trouble with the law.’

Tariq was incredulous. ‘Do we look like criminals?’

Laura was unable to prevent a hot flush of guilt stealing up her neck. Had Jimmy overheard them talking on the dock? Did he know that Tariq and Skye were not supposed to be on board?

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she said crossly. ‘Why would you say a thing like that?’

Jimmy gestured towards the crowded jetty with his ice cream, which had sprung a leak and now left a trail of green across his T-shirt. ‘Then why were you being watched by a sinister man with binoculars?’

‘What sinister man? What on earth are you going on about? Is this your idea of a joke? Leave us alone and don’t talk to us any more. Oh, and you might want to do something about your ice cream before it totally destroys the carpet.’

‘I want to see a supervisor!’ Jimmy’s father was ranting.

‘Is this going to take all day?’ demanded another passenger, waiting to board. There were murmurs of discontent from others in the queue.

The purser turned away and, in a whisper, asked the steward to call security in case things got ugly. Rolling his eyes at Tariq and Laura, he said: ‘Go ahead, kids. This might take a while.’ He checked Laura’s boarding pass. ‘Deck C, you’re on. Through that door and down two flights of stairs. Cabin 126.’

As he prepared to face the family once more, Laura heard him mutter: ‘Where’s a good tidal wave when you need one?’

Laura was very proud of Skye, who throughout this exchange had sat regally beside her. She gave him a big pat as she and Tariq ducked into the stairwell.

They were halfway down the first set of steps when the boat horn sounded and a message came over the tannoy: ‘Will all visitors and personnel not travelling on the
Ocean Empress
today please leave the ship immediately.’

Laura’s phone started ringing. It was Rowenna panicking about the whereabouts of Tariq. ‘Oh, no,’ said Laura, unable to bear the thought of saying farewell to her best friend and her beloved husky. ‘I really wanted to show you around the ship, Tariq. That annoying family delayed us.’

Tariq hesitated. ‘We’re almost at your cabin. Maybe there’s still time for me to take a quick look inside.’

Laura snatched at the chance of a temporary reprieve. ‘Oh, I’m sure there is. It’s only going to take a second.’ She sent Rowenna’s call through to Voicemail. ‘Come on, let’s hurry.’

At the top of the next set of stairs, however, they were forced to slow. The light wasn’t working properly. It flickered on and off and snap, crackled and popped alarmingly. Laura hoped it was not about to burst into flames.

The crackling stopped abruptly and they were plunged into darkness, Laura gripped the banister with one hand and Skye’s lead with the other. It was silly, she knew, but she felt a bit nervous. She was glad Tariq was right behind her.

Light bathed the stairwell. A person lay sprawled on the floor of the corridor. Before she could make out whether they were dead or alive, the blackness descended. ‘Did you see that?’ she whispered to Tariq, not sure why she was whispering.

‘I know what I think I saw, but I’m really hoping I’m mistaken.’

The boat horn sounded. The step beneath Laura’s feet rocked slightly. ‘Tariq, you need to go,’ she said into the darkness.

‘There’s no way I’m leaving you until I know everything is okay.’

The light flickered on and Laura gave a cry. Lying at the foot of the stairs was her uncle. Skye bounded forward. Laura and Tariq rushed too, almost falling down the remaining stairs when blackness swallowed them again.

As soon as the light crackled on, they flew to Calvin Redfern’s side. He was unconscious. His feet were twisted at odd angles and in the space between his trouser bottoms and socks his ankles had already swollen to twice their normal size. The husky licked his face.

A sob escaped Laura.

Calvin Redfern stirred. Wincing at the pain, he pushed Skye away and stared up at them groggily. ‘Where am I?’

‘On the ship – the
Ocean Empress
,’ Laura told him. ‘You’ve had a bad fall. Uncle, Tariq and Skye will stay with you. I’m going to get help.’

‘No!’ With surprising strength and speed, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. ‘No help and no doctors. No one must know. Promise me.’

In the instant before the light fizzled out again, Laura caught Tariq’s eye. He looked as startled as she was. ‘I promise,’ she said, not feeling as if she had any choice.

Her uncle squeezed her hand. ‘Thank you.’

The corridor flooded with light. Calvin Redfern struggled to sit up. His eyes widened as it dawned on him that not everyone present was meant to be there. ‘What on earth are you doing on the ship, Tariq? You’re supposed to be meeting Rowenna on the jetty. Laura, what’s going on? Why is Skye here?’

‘Umm, well, you said not to leave Tariq on his own …’ Laura stammered. ‘I was about to show him our cabin. Everything would have been all right if it wasn’t for—’

‘But where the devil is Rowenna?’ Calvin Redfern demanded, his voice rising.

His phone trilled in his pocket. As he reached for it there was a sudden, violent jolt. Laura had never been on a cruise ship in her life, but there was no mistaking the motion. The
Ocean Empress
had just set sail for the Caribbean.