Fatal Tide - Iris Johansen [30]
“Yeah, you could say that. Get back to me.” He hung up.
Archer. The man in the cruiser now had a name and a past. A very dirty past. Well, if he'd been responsible for the deaths of Lontana, Maria Perez, and Carolyn Mulan, he had an even more ugly present. He'd be no loss if Kelby decided to go after him.
If? The decision was already made. Why should he hesitate? Since he'd first met Melis he'd been weak as water and he was sick of it. He had a line on Archer. He could find ways to pressure Melis into keeping her bargain. Marinth was on the horizon waiting for him.
So do what he wanted. Go after Marinth. Take the bargain.
And definitely take the sex.
Chapter Six
Melis's phone rang at twelve-thirty in the morning.
Carolyn.
She hadn't been sleeping, but the sound still caused her to jerk upright in bed. It was too reminiscent of that night when Carolyn had called her. Hurt. Dying . . .
The phone rang again.
Cal calling from Tobago?
She pressed the button.
The male voice was smooth, soft. “Melis Nemid?”
It wasn't Cal. “Yes. Who is this?”
“Special delivery.”
“What?”
“I have a package for you.”
“Is this some kind of joke?”
“Oh, no, I'm very serious. I've left your present tied to the net. I got a nasty shock. It left me with a very bad feeling toward you.”
“What the hell is this all about?”
“You know, you really shouldn't have been so stubborn about Marinth. It's good for me, but you're not going to like the consequences.”
“Who is this?”
“We'll talk later. Go get your present.”
“I'm not going anywhere.”
“I think you will. Curiosity is such a lure. You know, those dolphins squealing at me were very annoying.”
She stiffened. “If you hurt them, I'll cut your throat.”
“Such violence. You have a lot in common with one of my employees. You must meet him.” He paused. “It was delightful talking directly to you. It's much better than just listening in on your conversation.” He hung up.
She sat there, frozen.
That last sentence could mean only one thing.
Carolyn. He'd been the one listening, forcing Carolyn to lie to her.
“Christ.” She jumped out of bed, pulled on her shorts and T-shirt, and ran out of the bedroom. She opened the electric box and pulled the lever to up the power. The front door slammed behind her as she darted out of the house.
“Where the hell are you going?” Kelby was standing in the doorway as she ran down the pier.
“Susie and Pete. That son of a bitch is going to hurt my guys.” She untied the motorboat. “I won't let—”
“What son of a bitch?” Kelby was beside her, jumping into the boat. “And why should he want to hurt the dolphins?”
“Because he's a bastard.” She started the engine. “Because that's what he does. He hurts things. He cuts and slashes and makes—”
“Will you tell me what the hell is happening?”
“I got a call from the son of a bitch who killed Carolyn. He told me he had a present for me. And then he started talking about Pete and Susie and how—” She drew a deep, shaky breath. “I'll kill him if he's hurt them.”
“That's what you had in mind for him anyway. Did he tell you his name?”
“No, but he as good as told me he was the one listening when Carolyn called me.” She reached down and grabbed two powerful lanterns and tossed them to him. “Make yourself useful. Shine those beams beyond the net. He could be out there with a rifle waiting for me.”
“It's not logical.” He lit the lanterns and shone the beam on the black waters beyond the net. “Nothing. I don't think he wants you dead.”
“Screw logic.” She slowed the boat as she approached the net. “Oh, God, I don't hear Pete and Susie.”
“Maybe they're underwater.”
“Not if someone was fooling around with the net. They're like guard dogs.” She took the whistle she wore around her neck and blew into it. She still didn't hear them. Panic surged through her. “They could be hurt. Why aren't they—”
“Easy. I hear them.”
She heard them, too, she realized with relief. A high clicking near the south bank of the inlet. She turned the boat. “Shine the light on them. I have to make sure they're okay.”
Two sleek gray heads lifted