“Unwanted advances. Occupational hazard for cruise ship performers.” That last part was certainly true, though Mr. Bad Guy hadn’t shown any interest in her until she’d gotten in his way
“Hm.” Maya clearly didn’t believe a word of that. “I thought cruise ships were pretty vigilant about protecting their crews.”
“Generally, yes.” Lulu decided to go on the offensive. “Am I in trouble, Chief Badger?”
“Haven’t decided yet.”
Hm, maybe going on the offensive didn’t work with someone like Maya. “Well, do let me know. I’ll give you my email address and you can keep in touch.” She moved toward the side of the boat. Sheer bravado. She couldn’t leave yet. Not alone.
But Lucas stepped in front of her. “I’d appreciate a full description of this man. I want to know if I run across him in my harbor.”
That seemed fair enough. After all, it was her fault that bastard had come into the harbor. “A little under two meters, fourteen stone, age between fifty-six and fifty-eight, I’d say. Closely shaven head with a bit of salt-and-pepper at the temples. You might even call him a silver fox except his eyes are too close together to be truly attractive. Roman nose that has survived a few fistfights. Eyes the shade of my black snakeskin boots, though a bit bloodshot, but that could be due to a penchant for whiskey. I’d certainly check at the local tavern if I were you. What’s it called again, the Moldy Salt?”
Tristan gave a snort that could have been either laughter or disbelief. “The Olde Salt. You’re really going to have to brush up on your place names.”
“But that description,” said Maya. “It’s very detailed.”
“I have that kind of memory,” Lulu explained. “I’m not much for names, but I’m very visual. Once I see a face, I can summon it up at will.”
“Do you know this man’s name?”
“He’s registered on the ship as Sebastian Perro.”
Maya picked up on her phrasing. “Are you saying that’s not his real name?”
Lulu was a hundred percent sure that it wasn’t, but her online research hadn’t uncovered anything concrete. “I suppose you’d have to ask him. But I doubt it.”
“Why is that?”
She had to tell at least some of the truth to this persistent woman. “I recognized him from a true crime program on the telly. My mum and I used to watch them. That wasn’t the name they used on the show.”
“Are you sure you’d remember?” Tristan asked dryly. “Names don’t seem to be your strong point.”
“Yes, I’m sure, because I use mnemonics to remember. Perro means ‘dog’ in Spanish, so it brings a clear image to my mind.”
“And you say you’re not interesting? I call bullshit.” Toni spoke for the first time.
Lulu gave a little curtsy. “There you have it, my one interesting ability. May I go now?”
“That’s what we want to talk about,” said Tristan. “We think you should stay here in Lost Harbor for a while.”
She looked around the circle of serious faces. “Why?”
“Because you’re obviously in some kind of trouble. We can help to protect you here. It’s a small town and we tend to look out for each other.”
“But I’m not a resident of your lovely little town. I’m a stranger.”
“Didn’t you just get introduced to all of us?” Toni asked. “I’m Toni, in case we need to do it again.”
“Lucas,” said Lucas.
“Maya.”
“And I’m Tristan, and of course you’ve already met Trixie and Fidget.” Tristan gave her a faint smile. “There you go, you’ve already met one one-thousandth of the town.”
“But…” She bit her lip, unexpectedly moved that they would actually care enough to propose that she stay. It also made her feel guilty about everything she wasn’t telling them. “You don’t even know the whole situation.”
“That can be corrected,” he pointed out. “But it doesn’t matter. It’s not as if you’re a thief in hiding.”
“How do you know?”
“I searched your bag last night.” He flashed an unrepentant grin. “Basic safety precaution for all trespassers and/or stowaways.”
She flushed, thinking of her red silk thong and the tiny vibrator that kept her company on her travels. “I assume I passed the inspection?”
“With flying colors.”
Her own color deepened. Was he referring to the red thong?
“Sorry. I kept it quick and impersonal. I had to be sure I wasn’t harboring an armed fugitive.”
“I’m British,” she said indignantly. “We don’t carry guns around like you lot.”
“Fair enough. By the way, guns aren’t allowed on my boat, just for future reference, in case you’re tempted at some point.”
What made him think she was going to stay on his boat? That was not at all a good solution, because sooner or later he’d catch on to her big—or should she say little—secret. She was amazed that he hadn’t already. She opened her mouth to say “thanks, but no thanks,” when Toni spoke up.
“Here’s the thing, Lulu. Leaving Lost Harbor isn’t as easy as you might think. You can drive, but since you don’t have a car you’d have to either buy, borrow or steal one. You can always hitchhike, which is generally safe here but possibly not in your circumstances.”
“No car hires?”
“Rentals? Not here, no. You’d have to get to Anchorage for that. You could fly. We have two commercial flights a day to Anchorage. It used to be two a week, so don’t complain. But the airport is tiny and very easy to monitor. If you’re trying to avoid someone, you’re a sitting duck there. You could also hire a helicopter or a twin-engine plane. But they all leave from the same airport, so it wouldn’t make much difference.”
“What about a boat?”
“Excellent question. There’s a reason why smugglers are so hard to catch. Boats are the best way to sneak out of Lost Harbor. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re on a boat. My big brother Tristan happens to be an excellent skipper.”
“That’s why we think you should stay with Tristan until we’ve made sure your pursuer isn’t still here.” Lulu found Maya’s practical tone more convincing than Toni’s lighthearted free-styling. “If he is, well, the Desperado can be underway in a matter of moments.”
“And as the harbormaster, I have a good read on strangers in the harbor,” said Lucas.
“But why do you even care?” Lulu repeated. “I’m no one to you. I’m a random cruise ship dropout.”
“Not true. You helped Fidget.” Lucas’s grin lit up his stern dark face. “Any friend to my dog is a friend to me.”
Should she mention that it was her fault Fidget got hurt in the first place? He’d stepped on the glass behind the dumpster, after all.
“Also, you’re on my boat, and that makes you my responsibility. It’s the law of the ocean.” Tristan downed his coffee in one long swig. “But of course it’s up to you.”