Stormy Vows - Iris Johansen [84]
“Yes, the newspapers will probably plaster the story all over the front page,” Penny concurred gloomily. “Together with the account of your arrest and jail sentence.”
Jane shook her friend's arm reprovingly. “Stop talking like that,” she ordered cheerfully, “I'm not about to get caught. We have it all worked out.” She reached in the back seat for her backpack, and as she strapped it on she continued soothingly, “Look, Penny, it will all be over in another hour. All I have to do is to row out to Dominic's yacht and climb the anchor line to get on board. I make my way to Dominic's cabin and write my message on the wall. Then I leave my backpack with the bomb in it in the cabin and row back to the pier.” She tightened the strap of her backpack and smiled winningly. “Then you pick me up here and take me out for a well-deserved pizza. Your treat. It's another three days before I get my monthly insurance check.”
Penny Lassiter flinched. “I wish you'd forget about that bomb, and just write your blasted statement on the wall,” she said unhappily.
Jane shook her head stubbornly. “They might ignore the graffiti. We need to make them angry enough to make a fuss.” She shrugged. “After all, it's not as if it were a real explosive. It's just a stink bomb. Les made it himself at the chemistry lab,” she continued with satisfaction. “He says that when it goes off, it will cause a positively nauseating odor that will permeate the whole cabin and all the furnishings.”
“Well, that should upset them enough to content even Les Billings,” Penny said sardonically. “And what, may I ask, is Jake Dominic supposed to be doing while you're redecorating his cabin? No one could sleep through all that.”
“No problem,” Jane said blithely. “He's still in New York. There was a picture in the morning paper of Dominic and his latest mistress at Club 54.” She frowned. “It's really too bad that he's not here. We'd get much more press coverage if he were on the spot.”
“And it would also be much more dangerous,” Penny said firmly, seeing the speculative gleam in Jane's golden eyes.
“Perhaps you're right,” Jane said impishly. “If Dominic were here, I'd have to worry about stumbling over not only him but his latest bedmate. You know that Dominic always takes a woman on his cruises.”
“You've been reading the gossip columns again,” Penny said absently, her worried eyes on Jane's glowing face. “Jane, don't do this,” she urged seriously. “It's not worth the risk.”
“Of course it is,” Jane said firmly, her golden eyes alight yet serene. “If you believe in something and it has value for you, then any risk is worthwhile.” She leaned over and kissed Penny lightly on the cheek. “Relax, Penny. It's going to go off smooth as silk.”
Penny shook her head slowly, her brown eyes oddly sad. “They'll probably crucify you,” she said quietly. “This cynical old world doesn't have a place for people who care as much as you do, Jane.”
“Then, I'll just have to make a place for myself, won't I?” she asked tranquilly, as she opened the door and jumped out. “Remember, be back here in one hour,” she said, and she slammed the door. With a jaunty wave of her hand, she hurried toward the pier, where the rowboat waited.
Jane Smith cautiously opened the cabin door and slipped noiselessly inside, closing it after her with the utmost care. She leaned against the door in the stygian darkness for a brief moment and tried to still the rapid beating of her heart.
Despite her brave words to Penny, she was finding her first attempt at housebreaking—or was it yacht-breaking—a terrifying experience. She closed her eyes for a second and relived the panicky, helpless feeling she'd known as she had clung like a koala bear to the anchor line while