“Nice morning,” Malichai observed, uncertain what one said to Dozer. Amaryllis, from the way she introduced Dozer, had made it clear he was her friend. “Everything good?”
Dozer frowned. “Had some whack job in full diving gear grab my ankle and pull me off my board just now. It was on purpose too. I don’t understand these tourists anymore. There’s a big ocean out there. Why get upset because a few of us are riding the waves?”
Malichai sat up straighter, exchanging a long look with Amaryllis. “Is Dozer given to fantasy? Because if someone pulled him off his board and—” He broke off.
“Right here, dude, and no, I’m not given to fantasy. Some asshole in full scuba gear came off the shelf underwater right at me.”
“You’re telling us a diver caught your ankle and deliberately jerked you off your surfboard? What else did he do once he had you off the board?” Amaryllis demanded.
“I kicked him in the head before he got me off,” Dozer admitted. “At first, I thought he was a shark, then I got a good look at him. I’ve heard of divers messing with surfers, but he could have drowned me. He came at me a second time, like maybe he was going to try to take me under, but I punched him, right in his face mask. Three of my buddies swam over to make sure I was all right and he dove deep and was gone.”
Malichai didn’t like it. First, he’d read Anna’s lips and she wanted to tell the cops she’d overheard something worrisome. Then there was the artsy couple, one believing he’d overheard—with Anna—a group wanting to kill the maximum amount of people. Now, Dozer. “You hear anything recently, or see anything that bothered you, Dozer?”
Amaryllis slipped her hand in Malichai’s, threading her fingers through his and squeezing down gratefully. She liked that he didn’t just dismiss what Dozer was saying. He couldn’t. In spite of Dozer acting far younger than his age, he was more than a good swimmer. He practically lived in the ocean. If he said someone yanked him off his board and acted as if he was trying to drown him, it was most likely true.
Dozer shrugged, leaning on the surfboard he’d stuck in the sand. “I hear lots of things that bother me, but I went to see Miss Crystal the other morning. She hadn’t opened her magic shop on time. She’s kinda getting up there in age, you know. Just checkin’ on her. Man answers the door. Says Miss Crystal is gone for a few days, that she’s off vacationing with her son. I said she didn’t have a son. The man says he made a mistake, that she’s vacationing with someone she regards as her son and she’ll be back in a couple of weeks. I told him I was going to call the cops and have them do a well check. She doesn’t like to be away from her store. Guy was a liar and total asshole, but he’s the only one I can think of other than the diver.”
“Be careful,” Malichai warned. “Weird things seem to be happening around here.”
Dozer nodded, caught up his surfboard and made his way down the beach.
Malichai watched him go. “That’s going to teach me not to make snap judgments on anyone. I wouldn’t have thought he even knew what a well check was.”
“What are we going to do about Miss Crystal, Malichai?” Amaryllis asked.
“We don’t know anything is wrong yet,” he answered. “But I’m getting a little worried. Early this morning, around three, some visitors came to my room.”
Instantly her face changed. “Let me guess, that would be Linda, Lorrie and Lexie. The sinful, divine sisters. They tell enough stories about how they share their men.” She rolled her eyes and moved very subtly away from him. At the same time, she tried to slip her hand from his.
Malichai laughed as he tightened his fingers around hers. “The sinful, divine sharing sisters. I see. No, they didn’t come visit me, which is just as well. I wouldn’t like having to throw women out of my room, and I’d have to. I’m taken. This woman right here is everything I’m ever going to need. And I’m not into sharing. At. All. Man or woman. Just so you know. I would hope you wouldn’t be either.”
She drew in her breath and relaxed a little beside him. She didn’t protest or agree with his assessment of being taken. “Who came to your room at three in the morning?”
“Burnell and Jay. They wanted my help. I guess I must look like a hit man or bodyguard to them. They were afraid of another one of the guests, he’s in room fourteen. Craig Williams.”
“Our southern gentleman. He is always unfailingly polite. A very nice man.”
“Apparently he stares at Burnell and Jay.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. He’s a really nice man.”
“Has he been here before?”
“No, this is his first time. He’s meeting a couple of old school friends here for a reunion of sorts.”
“You seem to know a lot about him.” Malichai didn’t like the suddenly cold feeling sweeping over him.
“I clean his room, remember? We talk sometimes.”
“I see.” The swamp was looking better and better to take his woman to. He might ask Cayenne to wrap her in silk, and drape more all over the walls to make it impossible to escape.
Amaryllis burst out laughing. “You don’t see anything. You should, but you don’t. I’m not looking at Craig Williams. I’m looking at you. I shouldn’t be, but I am. Now, tell me what you plan to do to figure out whether Miss Crystal is alive and well.”
“Dozer did say he asked for a well check. I think it wouldn’t do any harm to have Marie call them as well, but let’s wait a day on that. Two callers, and the cops might very well decide she’s a priority. Tomorrow I’ll pay a visit to the magic shop and inquire about my good friend, Miss Crystal.”
“I’ll go with you,” she offered immediately.
Malichai brought her hand up to his mouth and gently bit down on her fingertips. “I’m potentially setting myself up. After I make the inquiries, I’m going to go swimming in the ocean without scuba or snorkeling gear. I’ll make certain to let whoever answers the door know that’s where I’m heading next. If they make their try for me, we’ll know something is off and we need to bring in the cops.”
“If they make a try for you?” she echoed. “You’re setting yourself up as bait.”
He nodded. “I told you, vacations aren’t my thing. If Miss Crystal is being held somewhere, or is dead, I want to know. I’m not letting her suffer, thinking no one is looking for her. Maybe if enough people ask, they’ll have to produce her.”
“I don’t know if I like this plan.”
“I’m good in the water, babe. You just think about trying to fix my leg. In the meantime, we have to eat breakfast because I’m starving, and then we’re going to see that movie you’ve been wanting to see. And tonight, we’re on the roof again. I like being on the roof.”
Mostly, he was going to take the day to sort through everything Burnell, Jay and Dozer had told him. He was also going to send out for more information on everyone staying at the bed-and-breakfast. In the back of his head, the whisper of conspiracy was getting louder.
5
Malichai rolled over and stared up at the stars. Amaryllis lay beside him on a blanket. The roof was flat and closed in on all four sides by a low redwood planter filled with green, lacy plants. The flat space was accessed through the attic. The roof jutted out over the porch at the front of the building. Few knew that one could hide right there in plain sight and look out over the beach and the rolling waves. The view was incredible.