“Thanks, Betty. I rushed out without sun protection.” Liz extended her hand and Betty hopped onto the deck with amazing agility. “You sure dressed for the occasion, but I wasn’t planning on taking us out. There are new developments.”
Betty sat on the stern’s teak-cushioned bench. “Can’t wait to hear them. You couldn’t ask for a more perfect day. You sure you don’t want to take a short cruise out to ‘our’ island?”
Betty was referring to a small uninhabited island south of the Sebastian Inlet. In the past, they would pack a picnic lunch, throw anchor, and wade toward shore. Then they would pretend to be stranded on the island, like in Robinson Crusoe, one of Liz’s favorite childhood reads. The island had shrunk in size over the years from hurricanes and changing water surges. She hoped it even still existed. Liz hadn’t driven a boat since she’d been back, but she was familiar with every nuance of the Serendipity, even down to the correct amount and type of wax to use on the vintage teak deck.
“I’d love to. But I don’t think we should leave port until we sort out all the latest developments.”
Ryan strolled up to the dock wearing sky-blue shorts, a white t-shirt, Wayfarer sunglasses, and a blue Miami Marlins’ baseball cap. He looked the antithesis of dark, enigmatic Brooklyn Ryan as he called out, “Hey, Skipper, what mysterious ports are we cruising to?”
“I haven’t taken this baby out in ten years,” Liz said, laughing. “Are you sure you want to take a chance?”
“Fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself,” he said as he climbed on board.
Liz almost fell into the lagoon. He’d just quoted Daniel Defoe from Robinson Crusoe. “We should stay near shore for the time being. I’m waiting for my father to come back from the courthouse. If we head out to sea, I might lose my cell phone signal.”
Ryan stepped on board and took a seat next to Betty. He removed his sunglasses and hat, then gave Liz his full attention. “Okay, Captain, fire away.”
Liz swiveled in the pilot’s seat so she could face them. “There’ve been so many new developments in the last few hours that I thought I’d call in our little posse to help me see the big picture.”
Betty reached in her tote and removed her iPad. “I have a few things to share also.”
Ryan took out his phone. “As do I.”
“Who goes first?” Liz asked.
“You go, Liz,” said Betty. “Do you mind if I record you?”
“Not at all.”
Ryan touched something on his phone. “Great idea.”
Liz stood at the same time a huge powerboat sent a tsunami-sized wake in the Chris-Craft’s direction. She teetered and tottered, then fell directly into Ryan’s waiting arms. Liz laughed with embarrassment, even though she didn’t mind the hand-to-hand contact or the smell of his neck before she reluctantly pushed up and righted herself. “Oops. Sorry, have to get my sea legs back. I’ve been a landlubber too long.”
Ryan smiled. “If you can handle this boat all by yourself, then you’re a better seaman than me. I’ve only been a passenger on fishing boats, and I have to admit I always get seasick for the first half hour. Then my stomach settles and I’m good to go for hours.” He moved over and patted the cushioned bench next to him.
“Thanks, but I have to stay out of the sun.” Liz returned to the pilot’s seat under the canopy. “The first bombshell, and possibly the only one we’ll need is…wait for it…I just saw Brittany Poole wearing the same ring Regina Harrington-Worth wore Thursday night.”
Betty slapped her knee. “Holy smoke!”
“Are you sure?” Ryan asked.
“Beyond sure. You can’t miss this thing. It’s huge, with a humongous emerald. I know it doesn’t necessarily make Brittany guilty of murder, but it could point the finger at her boyfriend, Nick.”
“Speaking of Nick,” Betty said, “I was talking to Captain Netherton, and he said that when he was swabbing the deck of Queen of the Seas, he saw Iris and Nick heading out on Nick’s father’s skiff, both dressed in diving suits.”
“Interesting,” Liz said. “That might explain the champagne bottle and two glasses I saw in Iris’s suite the day before the murder and the fact that she’s always disappearing. But with their age difference, it’s hard to picture them in a relationship.”
“Maybe it was a business arrangement, not romantic?” Ryan suggested. “They could be diving for treasure. By the way, I have a call in to the new owner of Edward’s business in Miami. I also had a little chat with Edward, as you suggested, Liz. He claims he was at Squidly’s during the time Regina was murdered and he has a charge receipt to prove it. Along with the bartender as an eyewitness.”
“Squidly’s is within walking distance of the Indialantic,” Liz said. “He could have snuck out the back door, done the deed, then returned to the restaurant without anyone noticing. That place is packed from the moment they open their doors until closing time.”
“Grandad said Squidly’s makes an amazing Thursday night crab boil. I’ll have to check it out and see if anyone can verify Edward’s alibi. I also had a conversation with Brittany over a glass of wine. She claims that she and Nick spent the evening at her place, exhausted from the Spring Fling.”
A glass of wine? “Ha,” Liz said, a little too harshly. “What did she do? Break a fingernail ringing up sales?”
Betty looked at Liz. “It seems that all three of them have weak alibis.”
“I left my father a voice mail about the ring Brittany was wearing. He’s at the courthouse. Iris was arrested.”
“Say what!” Betty held her iPad close to Liz’s mouth.
“Agent Pearson arrested Iris for stealing one of Regina’s earrings and trying to pawn it, along with Regina’s cat’s diamond collar.”
Betty’s eyes opened wide. “I didn’t see that one
