We sailed into Pago Pago at 7.00am and I stood on deck with Chris, taking in the panoramic view of clear blue waters against a backdrop of rocky hills and mountains. The weather was picture perfect and I was eager to go ashore.
“I don’t see what the big hurry is, Mia,” Chris protested, still half asleep.
I’d ordered room service breakfast for 6.00am and woke Chris with it, pushing him to hurry, eat, and get ready for our day out. I wanted to be off the ship before Smythe appeared.
The last couple of days we’d spent at sea, Chris worked hard to hack into the ISP archives to no avail. He seemed to be having trouble locating the correct server. The problem was compounded by the fact that we ran into rough weather and the satellite connection kept cutting out, thus making working online impossible at times.
While Chris kept busy working, I mingled with the convention members in case I picked up any useful information. At the same time, I ensured I only came into contact with Smythe when others were around me.
I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was trying to get me alone so we could talk, but I wasn’t yet ready to face what had happened between us. So I kept busy onboard and always surrounded myself with people.
The night before we reached our port of call, Dobbs and Smythe discussed over dinner their upcoming meeting with the Pago Pago authorities. I heard them mention the meeting time of 9.00am. My plan, then, was to get Chris and disappear for the entire day the minute we reached land.
Now, as we stood on the Promenade Deck watching the ship being brought in and secured at the dock, I patiently listened to Chris’s complaints.
“Man, I could’ve slept two more hours! I mean, who gets up so early?”
I sighed and ignored his latest protest. “What do you say we rent a motorbike?”
This got his attention. “You’ll let me drive it?”
I knew I was taking a risk riding on a motorcycle with a young man who would probably speed, but I would rather ride with Evel Knievel himself than be stuck with Smythe on a romantic island. He was bound to catch up with me at some stage after meeting with the local authorities, but not if Chris and I rode around the island all day.
“Yes. You can drive us around,” I responded to his enthusiastic remark.
He turned a suspicious gaze on me that made me blush with guilt. “Okay, what’s going on?” he demanded.
“Er... nothing’s going on. I only thought it’d be fun riding around the island seeing as in Vila we had to go rather slow because of the professor.”
Unfortunately, it looked like he wasn’t buying my excuse. Worse still, he was now fully alert. “Ferrari, I can smell the bullcrap coming from you, and it ain’t good.” He accused with a merciless look in his eyes.
I sighed and knew when I was beaten. Chris was not going to let this rest unless I coughed up. “Damn you, Chris! If you must know, I’m trying to avoid Smythe.”
He rolled his eyes. “Is that all? When are you not trying to avoid him?”
“No. You don’t understand... He... I...” The colour on my face must’ve turned a deep red when I caught the sudden look of realisation in his eyes.
“Oh, my God!” he exclaimed, a big grin on his face. “The sex site got to you. I knew it! And you and Smythe—”
Thankfully, anger came to my rescue. “It’s not like that, you fool! What do you take me for?”
He turned confused eyes toward me. “Then, I don’t understand.”
I gave him a brief account of what Dobbs had told me about Smythe not interfering with my police application. “Smythe was very decent about the whole thing,” I confided, “plus he took the abuse I threw his way all these years without saying anything.”
Chris looked stunned. “Does this mean in future we’re going to work together with him, and he won’t stop us?”
Trust him to care only about future investigations. “How should I know?” I snapped.
Chris smiled now. “So, you two got cosy, huh?”
I examined my shoes, trying to find something fascinating about them. “Let’s just say we had a weak moment,” I finally admitted, and added when I happened to glance at his eyes and noticed his knowing gaze, “It’s not what you think, so get your mind out of the gutter. We simply kissed. Besides, it’s none of your business.”
He looked at me with a touch of triumph. “Touché for when you were teasing me about my ‘ladylove’.”
“Fine. And now that you know, you keep your trap shut about all this. I don’t want Dobbs in on it as well. I need to work things out with Smythe at some stage. I’m not sure what he thinks about the whole thing, plus I’m not ready to start anything with him.”
“You know you can count on me, Mia,” he reassured me, and I felt better. “My only regret is my dad didn’t do anything sooner to win your love. His loss, I guess.”
I pecked him on the cheek. “Thank you, sweetie,” I said and he blushed. “Whatever did or didn’t happen with David, you know I’ll always be your friend and pseudo-mother.”
He nodded, at a loss for words.
“Now, let’s get out there and hire that bike!” I declared with a smile.
He didn’t need a second invitation.
~~~
We spent the day touring the island, stopping here and there to explore a beach and buy souvenirs from quaint open-air markets we came across. We then went into town for lunch; and after riding to a few lookout points, we finally returned the bike and made our way back to the ship one hour prior to sailing time.
Dobbs and Smythe met us when we came onboard. I knew they’d been on the lookout for us.
“Where the hell did you guys get to?” Dobbs enquired, sounding put off. “I thought you were going to wait for us so we could spend the day together.”
He looked rather disappointed, but I couldn’t help it. I also noticed the frown on Smythe’s face, and said, “We didn’t know how long you’d be. You know how it is with these official things, so Chris and I decided to venture out on our own.”
They seemed to accept my explanation even though Smythe still looked rather unhappy. “What did you end up doing?” he asked.
I’d pre-warned Chris not to babble about the bike as Dobbs would freak out and threaten to tell David Rourke. So Chris said, “We found a great spot for snorkelling and hired some equipment. It was really great.”
Wow! The kid was beginning to take after me. I was impressed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to shower. My hair’s full of salt.”
“We’re meeting for dinner with the captain,” Dobbs informed us. “After this morning’s meeting with the police, we decided it would be better to expedite our way to Honolulu.”
I remarked, sounding surprised, “He’s going to change the itinerary?”
Dobbs nodded. “We’ll talk later. Let’s meet at seven in Horizons. I’m starving already and it’s not even four.”
I smiled. “Get yourself some afternoon tea. That’ll tie you over till dinnertime.”
Chris and I started to walk off, but Smythe stood in front of me. “Can I have a quick word with you?”
I saw Chris smirk and he and Dobbs went off toward the lifts, chattering in a lively manner. I knew I was trapped. “If this is personal, now’s not the time. I’m dusty, sweaty, and tired.”
His blue-green eyes pinned me to the spot. “You can’t avoid me forever, Mia.”
I sighed. “Later, okay? I promise.”
A variety of emotions passed fleetingly across his face, and I thought he was going to keep me standing there until we had it out, but he gave me a half smile and let me go on my way.
~~~
We met for dinner in the a-la-carte restaurant and were seated at a round table behind black rattan screens for privacy. The captain, Garcia and Mark were already there having pre-dinner drinks with Dobbs and Smythe. When Chris and I arrived, I went straight for the chair next to Dobbs and sat down. Chris ended up sitting next to me with Smythe on his other side.
“Mia, Chris, can I order you a drink?” The captain greeted us with a smile.
“Just Pellegrino water for me, thanks,” I replied, and Chris nodded for the same.
We chitchatted until the drinks arrived and we ordered our meals. Then, the captain turned to business.
“Under the circumstances, I decided to change our course. We’ll still complete the trip as is, but I intend to put into Honolulu next so we have an extra day to deal with the authorities and offload the bodies. Then, we’ll end the voyage on the Big Island.”
“Can you do that?” Chris asked.
Mark answered, “The company reserves the right to change the itinerary as the captain sees fit. So yes, we can do that. In any case, we’ll offer passengers free flights back to Honolulu for those who were originally going to end their voyage there.”
“But they could stay in Honolulu once we arrive,” Chris returned.
“Yes, but they already paid to visit the Big Island, so we’re not going to cancel this for them.”
“What about the extra day in Honolulu, are we going to sail faster to make up for it?” I asked the captain.
“Yes. As you probably know, we usually sail at a leisurely speed so we give the impression that we’re cruising,” the captain replied. “But the ship’s capable of going much faster if need be.”
Our entrees arrived then, and while we ate we reverted back to chitchat.
“Hey,” Chris said to me quietly, “this means we get to go to Honolulu with Dobbs and Smythe after all.”
“Yes, but don’t go thinking they’ll let us hang around with them while they’re dealing with the authorities.”
He shrugged. “I don’t care about that. Let them deal with all the red tape. I want to visit Pearl Harbor.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“So if you let me rent a bike, we can—”
“Not this time, Chris. Honolulu has a lot more traffic than some small island in the middle of nowhere.” He looked crestfallen, so I added, “But we can rent one of those big American Cadillac convertibles and drive all around.”
His eyes shone. “Wow! That’s even better.”
“Let’s just keep it between us, okay?”
He nodded and we joined the general conversation once again. “Captain,” I said, “when do we arrive in Honolulu now?”
“Well, instead of the four days we were going to spend at sea, we’ll make it in three. This’ll give us the extra day for the stay in Honolulu.”
The men then started discussing the procedure for handing over to the Honolulu Police while I turned back to Chris. “This is our last chance to catch ourselves a killer. You’ve got to find out who Erotic Heart is.”
“I tried the satellite connection when we returned onboard and it seems okay now. If we get good weather from here to Honolulu, I’ll have three days to work on it.”
“Good,” I replied, looking thoughtful. “In the meantime, I think we should try and flush out the killer.”
“Are you crazy? That’s too dangerous,” Chris exclaimed.
A few faces turned our way and I shushed him. “Keep your voice down. I’ll discuss it with Dobbs and Smythe, of course; but we have to do something if we’re to catch this bastard before we get to Honolulu.”
“And what about trying to work out if there are any future victims?”
I shrugged. “That’s going to take more time than we have. But if you come across a name that jumps out at you, let me know. Mind you, even if we did get a few names, how do we know in which order the killer will get to them?”
Chris nodded. “You’re right. Plus once the captain announces the change in itinerary, this’ll put the squeeze on the killer. He’ll surely strike if he still has unfinished business, so we need to catch him urgently.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “My sentiments exactly.”
Chris shook his head. “I don’t like it, Mia. Besides, to flush out a killer you need bait, and who’s going to be stupid enough to volunteer?”
~~~
“Daaaaarling, long time, no see!” Enrico Lotti sashayed toward me while I took a solitary walk on the Promenade Deck after dinner.
He wore white pantaloons and a cotton shirt, open all the way to the waistband of his pants. He had obviously been sunbathing because he sported a deep tan; and with his blond hair and green eyes, he looked like a sex god. No way he was the killer.
“Just the man I was thinking about,” I said in greeting when he reached me, took me in his arms, and kissed me on each cheek. He obviously got over our little tiff, when I’d told him I wasn’t going to give him any gossip.
“Why, you look positively radiant!” He admired me from top to bottom and flashed a smile of approval revealing his very bright and shiny teeth.
I was wearing white, like Enrico, in the way of an Indian cotton dress; sleeveless and with a ruffled skirt that felt like gossamer against my skin. I had gold-coloured strappy sandals on my feet and gold hoops in my ears. My light tan complemented my appearance.
“I’ve been looking for you, Enrico.”
He put an arm around my shoulders as we continued to stroll along the deck. “And what can I do for you, bella?”
“Well...” I let the word linger for a moment. “How would you like to help me flush out a killer?”
The wide-eyed look he gave me, plus the parting of his luscious, cherubic lips into a beautiful smile, was his answer. “I’m at your command.” He took a little bow for effect.
I stopped walking and turned to him. “I know this sounds like a stage production for you; but Enrico, you need to know—you’d be the bait.” I felt I had to warn him lest he think we were playacting. With Enrico, one never knew.
He didn’t even bat an eyelid, and I had to wonder at his sense of chivalry. “I will do this no matter what,” he said while he picked up my hand and kissed the back of it in true gentlemanly fashion.
I told Enrico I would get back to him after I had a chance to put a plan together. He bid me goodnight with another kiss on each cheek and went on his way. I walked a little longer along the deck, but after a day filled with adventure I was ready to turn in. Therefore, I was totally unprepared when, about to reach my cabin, a door opened on the other side of the passageway and an arm stuck out, grabbed hold of my arm, and pulled me inside.
The door of the cabin shut and I was left leaning against it with Smythe standing in front of me. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place!
“What do you think you’re up to? Let me out this minute!” I protested with as much indignation as I could muster.
“Not until we talk.”
I knew from the determined tone in his voice I wasn’t going anywhere until we had our discussion. I sighed and gave in. “Okay, if we must.”
He relaxed his stance. “Can I offer you a drink?”
“No, thanks. Let’s just get this over with.” I didn’t mean to sound so dismissive of the whole thing, but I truly was tired and my body craved for sleep.
“You snuck away during dinner,” he accused with something like hurt in his eyes.
“Only because I came up with an idea to flush out the killer, and I had something to attend to.”
His eyes flashed caution. “Mia, you’re not to take any chances, do you hear? We’re not dealing with an amateur here. Besides—”
“Hey, hold your horses, Smythe,” I reassured him. “I have every intention of discussing it with you and Dobbs first. I was simply answering your question now because you accused me of sneaking out from dinner.”
This seemed to have a pacifying effect on him, but not for long. He wore a frown when he said, “What is it with you? You can’t deny that what happened the other night was one-sided.”
He stood so close to me, I felt the current between us. But with everything that was happening around us, this was not the time to deal with our personal feelings. I wanted to process everything Dobbs had told me about my father, and I needed time to come to terms with my physical attraction for Smythe.
I took in his good looks, felt the sizzle between us, and knew I could make it easy for us by jumping into bed with him. At the same time, I was sure I’d regret it if things happened too fast. There were many unresolved issues between us at present and I didn’t know how to proceed at this point.
I sighed with frustration. “Look, I don’t have any answers right now. What is it that you want from me?”
Wrong question! But it was too late. No sooner were the words out of my mouth that his lips swooped down on mine and we became locked in a deep kiss too difficult to break. Not that I felt I wanted to break it. Besides, his arms were far too strong; his body too close; the excitement between us, too much. We didn’t even talk except with our bodies. I gave in to the heady sensation of pure, unadulterated passion, and threw caution to the four winds.
I wasn’t sure how we ended up naked in his bed or how what followed made me think I’d died and gone to some sexual heaven where orgasmic sensations were the norm. What we did initially was not make love but simply explore our raw sexuality. Our attraction for each other had been pent up for far too long, and now it exploded into being.
It took three times before we were able to slow down enough to a tender kind of lovemaking that brought tears of joy to my eyes. And this was how I finally fell asleep—in his arms, feeling safe, cherished, and loved.