The voice called out again, “I know you’re there.”
She swiped at the long bangs that blocked her vision, and saw the silhouette of a tall, muscular body. Then she heard that same body jump on deck. The boat rocked at the man’s bulk.
“I told you to stop!” he said.
Liz stifled her own whimpering, as Nick Goren’s huge hand grabbed her by the shoulder.
“What are you doing sneaking around my father’s boat?” he demanded.
She ducked and stepped to the bow of the skiff, where the fog rolling off the water was thicker. “I um, I thought this was my father’s boat. This damn fog is relentless.”
“Brittany says I should stay away from you. You’re a nosy bitch who likes to steal things.”
Liz wanted to say, “I like to steal things! Get real.” Instead she said, “I’d better get going to meet my father on his boat. He’s waiting there with Agent Pearson.”
Suddenly the skiff moved to the right and they heard a guttural moan, like a bear trying to free its foot from a trap. Nick moved to the leeward side of the boat and called out, “Who’s there?”
“Nick-k-k…”
“Father?”
Nick flipped up a bench, removed a lantern, then turned it on. At first, all they could see was the mist bouncing back at them. Then Liz saw a hand hanging on to a cleat on the edge of the boat. She peered over. Edward looked up at her from the inky water. She clasped his wrist in both of her hands and tugged. “Help me, Nick. He’s heavy.” She didn’t have time to worry about whether Nick was Regina’s killer. They had a life to save—his father’s.
Nick pushed her aside. “I’ve got it.” He leaned over and grabbed Edward’s arm above the elbow and tugged. Thirty seconds later, Nick laid his semiconscious father onto the deck. A huge gash on Edward’s forehead oozed red, and he mumbled, “David… David tried to kill me.”
Nick put a hand on either side of his father’s head. “David Worth? Why would he want to kill you?”
Except for the blood that trailed from his scalp into his left eye, the lantern made his face appear ghostly white. Through blue lips, he said, “He had me stab him. But I didn’t kill her. I swear, I didn’t.”
“Stop. You don’t have to tell us anything more right now,” Nick said.
Edward closed his eyes and his head drooped to the side.
“I don’t have my phone. Call nine-one-one, then run to the hotel to get help. I’ll stay with my father,” Nick said.
As Liz stepped off the boat, she heard Nick say, “I took diving lessons and I’m certified now. You can be proud of me now, Daddy. Hang in there. Help is on the way.”
Chapter 36
Liz called 911, then ran toward the hotel, stumbling to her knees three times before she reached her father’s office door. She banged her fist against the door like a madwoman, but no one answered. She sped to the outside kitchen door. It was locked, the kitchen empty.
When she finally made it to the revolving door at the hotel’s entrance, she collapsed against the glass and was spit out into the lobby. She tripped on the Persian rug and landed on her knees, knees that were bleeding from her previous falls. Out of breath and wheezing, she pushed herself up to a standing position and saw Aunt Amelia sitting on the floor. Betty was crouched next to her, holding a glass of water to her great-aunt’s trembling lips.
“Auntie! What’s happened?” She rushed to her side. Her great-aunt’s cheeks were flushed, and her scarlet hair had escaped its ponytail. Liz placed the palm of her hand on Aunt Amelia’s forehead, just like her great-aunt had done to Liz when she was young and awakened from a nightmare. “Betty, what’s going on?”
Betty set the glass on the bamboo table, and they helped Aunt Amelia onto a chair.
“Amelia saw David Worth in the lobby with his suitcases,” Betty explained. “She tried to convince him to stay, but he flew past her, knocked her to the ground, then sped off in his Bentley.”
“A rude young man,” Aunt Amelia added.
Barnacle Bob squawked from his cage by the reception desk, “Rude young man.”
“You said it, BB.” Aunt Amelia attempted to stand, but sat back down.
“An ambulance should be here any minute,” Liz said. “I’ll have them take a look at you, Auntie.”
Betty said, “I’ve already called Ryan. He should—”
Ryan flew through the revolving door and was at Aunt Amelia’s side. “What’s happened?”
Betty explained while Ryan checked Aunt Amelia’s vitals. He said, “Your pulse rate is slightly elevated, but I think you’ll be fine.”
“Of course I’ll be fine, Ryan. I’m a certified zumbaoligist. Could beat you in a relay race, I’m sure.”
“I’m sure you could.” he said, grinning. “What’s a zumbaoligist?”
“An expert at Zumba.”
“I’ll explain later,” Liz said hurriedly. “Ryan, can you step outside for a moment? I hear the ambulance.”
“I don’t think your great-aunt needs an ambulance.”
Liz caught his gaze and nodded her head toward the front of the hotel.
“Okay, ladies, I’ll be right back. I’ll talk to the paramedics and tell them they aren’t needed.”
“Of course, they’re not needed,” Aunt Amelia said.
Liz and Ryan stepped into the same section of the revolving door. It was tight quarters, but after what Liz had just been through, the closeness was comforting.
Once outside, Ryan said, “Hey, you’re bleeding.”
“Just a couple of scrapes.” She grabbed Ryan’s elbow and led him onto the path on the south side of the hotel. “We have to hurry and meet the ambulance at the dock.”
“I thought the ambulance was coming for Aunt Amelia?”
It was endearing to her that he’d added the word “aunt” to her title.
Liz continued to hold his arm as they walked through the fog, explaining what had gone down with Edward and Nick Goren.
When she’d finished, Ryan said, “Not even I would have guessed about Edward Goren stabbing David to give him
