I answered the door to find Finn holding a tray of hors d’oeuvres. “These are from the kitchen. Chef Louie thought you might like something.”

I stepped back and allowed Finn to enter the apartment.

“He wanted me to let you know how much he appreciated you attending his cooking class, and in addition to the cheese board, he’s included a souvenir cheese knife.”

Finn placed the hors d’oeuvre tray, an assortment of olives, figs, nuts, and cheeses on the dining table. On top of the tray, wrapped in a linen napkin with its blade exposed, was a silver cheese knife with a forked tip that looked more like a weapon than something one might use for shaving cheese and serving delicacies. The coincidence wasn’t lost on me. And I couldn’t help but think Chef Louie was sending me a warning.

“What’s happening, Finn? Anyone around?”

“No.”

“What about Marco?”

“He’s locked in his cabin. I haven’t heard a word.”

“What about Professor Braun and Greta? Or the Inspector and Camile?”

“The same. It’s hot out. I suppose everyone’s napping. I don’t expect to see anyone until Tatiana boards and Athena leaves the harbor.”

I walked Finn to the door. “Have you ever met Tatiana?”

“Several times. She looks like Oleg. Very blonde with sharp features. But unlike her father, she’s a woman of few words and cold as ice.”

“How long do you suppose she’ll be on board?”

“I’ve no idea. It could be Tatiana’s here to go through his apartment, pack things up, and leave when we get to Positano. Or maybe she has ideas of her own and wants to pick up where her father left off.”

“You mean assume Oleg’s role as Athena’s resident accountant? Wouldn’t that be up to Neil?”

“Not necessarily. It depends on what Tatiana knows, what her father may have told her, and whether or not she can convince Neil to let her stay. Not to speak ill of the dead, but Oleg made Neil’s life miserable.” Finn opened the door and stepped into the hallway. “I’m not sorry he’s gone.”

I shut the door behind Finn. Was Oleg blackmailing Neil? Was that what Finn meant when he said Oleg made Neil’s life miserable? Is that what got Oleg killed? I returned to the dining table, where I could see a small speed boat approaching. Onboard, a lone female sat in the center of the boat, shading her eyes against the sun. Despite the headscarf and dark glasses, I could make out her platinum-blonde hair. I took the cheese knife from the hors d’oeuvres tray and slipped it into my backpack. Whatever Oleg knew had cost him his life, and if Tatiana was aware of what her father knew, then Oleg might not be the last person to die mysteriously onboard.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

By the time Athena got underway, I was at dinner with Captain Byard. He had reserved a quiet corner table at Romanos next to a window overlooking the deck. The table was set with a small, simple centerpiece of miniature roses, the sun was low over the horizon, and Byard had ordered a glass of white wine for me and sparkling water for himself. Whether it was the uniform, the way he cocked his head when he looked at me, or the slow smile that crossed his face when I spoke, I had to remind myself this wasn’t Eric. I wasn’t sitting across the table from my first love. This was Byard, a man I had only recently met and didn’t really know.

I have no idea how many doppelgängers there are in the world or if there really are such things, but Byard’s look was close enough to that of my first husband that it would have been easy to allow myself to be distracted and fall into a flirtatious comfort zone. But Oleg was dead. I had a $4 million coin I had found in Dede’s bag, and the Gang of Eight was looking for it. And if they found it, I was going to have a hard time explaining why I had it. I didn’t need a romantic dinner. What I needed was to be one hundred percent certain that Byard didn’t know anything at all about Athena’s hidden cargo or her Gang of Eight. I needed to be sure I could trust him.

I let Byard take the lead. He began by apologizing for Athena’s late departure. I tried to focus, but my mind was racing, thinking about Tatiana, the Gang of Eight, and whatever treasures Athena had hidden on board.

I listened, but only halfway, as Byard explained how Tatiana’s unexpected arrival had required our charted course to be delayed until traffic cleared through the narrow channel between Italy’s southern boot and the eastern tip of Sicily. Then, he went on about the ancient methods of maritime travel. Yada…yada…yada. My mind refused to focus.

“Plus, now the fog’s rolled in, and the currents are unpredictable.” Byard looked uncomfortable.

My eyes must have clouded over. Byard took his napkin from the table and twisted it between his hands. I smiled. This was an awkward dinner.

“Sometimes there’s whirlpools, and giant fish are thrown up from the bottom of the sea. Have you heard about the sea monsters of Messina?”

“What?”

“I’m boring you.”

“No, not at all.” I was doing everything I could to appear interested in the rules of maritime navigation while all the while trying to figure out how I was going to explain that I thought he was piloting a ship with a group of outlaw senior citizens intent on smuggling a pirate’s bounty across the Med.

“You’re sure. You look like something’s troubling you.”

I put my elbows on the table and leaned in closer so no one might hear what I was about to say. “Actually, something is bothering me. And I was hoping we might have a chance to talk about it.”

“Excuse me, Captain Byard.” A ship’s mate interrupted us before I could go on. “We have a problem, sir. Captain Rob instructed me to find you. Right away.”

“What’s the problem, Sailor?”

“I think it would be best if you came with me, Sir.”

Byard tossed his napkin on the table and stood up. “I’m sorry, Kat. If you’ll excuse me. It appears we have a situation. Please go ahead and order. Enjoy yourself.”

From my window seat at the table, I watched as Byard and the young sailor rushed out onto the deck where several residents had huddled by the railing. One of the residents pointed to something in the water. Byard stopped, leaned over the rail for a better look, then ran toward Athena’s bow.

I got up from the table and went outside to the deck. The group along the railing was now two and three deep.

“What’s going on?”

A man in front of me pointed to a speedboat. Like a giant water fountain, rooster tails flew from the rear of the boat as it skipped along the water, weaving in and out in front of Athena’s bow. “That,” he said. “She’s trying to slow us down.”

“Who?” I slipped in next to the man and grabbed the railing.

“Don’t know.” The man shook his head. “Could be pirates. Although it’s not usual in this part of the world. More common ‘round the Suez.”

“Eh, that’s no pirate.” Marco slipped in beside me, his hand on my shoulder. “You know who that is?”

I leaned over the railing to get a better view. Athena had slowed, and the speedboat had turned around and pulled up along Athena’s side.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Standing in the center of the small boat, clutching her shopping bags, red hair flying, and full skirt billowing about her legs, was the woman whose driver’s license picture I had been staring at just days ago.

“Is that?”

Marco smirked. “Sure is. That, my dear Kat, is Dede Drummerhausen.”

I looked to see if anyone else was surprised, but instead, those around me had stepped back from the railing and were laughing. A few even clapped.

From below, Dede motioned for the speed boat pilot to hand her his bullhorn.

“Captain, this is Dede. I need you to turn this ship around. I need to get on board.”

Captain Byard grabbed the railing and hollered back. “Sorry, Dede, I can’t do that. We’re under strict orders to clear the harbor. Go back to Sorrento. Take the train to Positano. You can board there. You know the rules.”

“I most certainly will not go back to Sorrento, Captain. Toss me a ladder. I’ll climb aboard myself, but believe me, you’ll regret this.”