Byard looked up at Captain Rob, his second in command, who stood on the bridge awaiting orders. “She wants to board. It’s up to her. Cut the engines.”

I leaned closer to Marco. “She’s not really going to do it, is she?”

“You don’t know Dede. If she wants to, she will. The Captain can’t turn back. So it’s up to her. She either returns to shore or climbs Jacob’s Ladder from the speedboat to the Promenade Deck.”

“But that must be at least thirty feet.”

“Up to her. The Captain has his orders.”

Marco nodded toward Athena’s bow, where Byard stood with an extra-long rope ladder. Above him, Captain Rob stood watch from the bridge. Athena slowed her engine and came to a stop, or as close to a stop as possible, without dropping anchor. The speedboat pulled slowly up next to Athena’s hull. Byard tossed a rope ladder over the railing. It flailed against Athena’s side until the boat’s pilot could grab it. Then, sidling his small craft up next to Athena, offered Dede his hand.

With one hand on the ladder, a large bag, and several smaller shopping bags draped over her shoulder, Dede placed a foot on the ladder’s bottom rung and began to climb. From beneath her, the pilot held the ladder as best he could while those watching from the rail around me yelled for her to keep coming.

“Don’t look down, Dede! Keep coming! We’ve got you!”

Dede’s skirt swelled with the force of the wind that buffeted the ship’s side, blowing it up over her shoulders and nearly blinding her as she clambered up the ladder. I was amazed at her athleticism. Despite the ship’s rocking or the shopping bags she hung over her shoulder, she scaled the ladder like a woman on a mission, and a minute later, I knew why.

As Dede reached the railing, Captain Byard offered her his hand. She refused and hoisted herself and her bags over the rail until she came to stand directly before the Captain.

“How dare you not return to the port, Captain! I’ll have your job for this!” Then, dropping her bags, she slapped Byard’s face. A slap so loud that I could hear it from the bow to where I stood midship. “You louse! I’ll be speaking with Neil about this, and believe me, he won’t be happy when he hears what happened. You’ll not be the first Captain to be replaced!”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Gobsmacked!

It’s not a word I often use, but I could not think of a better term to describe how I felt or the scene I would later enter into my journal as I watched it play out before me.

Dede turned her back on the Captain, picked up her bags, and marched toward the midship lobby doors, pushing aside those residents not fast enough to get out of her way. “Hurry it up, people. Nothing to see here. Move along.”

As Dede passed, Marco and I backed up against the railing. Now was not the time to introduce myself, nor did I think it wise to return to the cabin.

“Classic Dede,” Marco laughed. “The woman thinks she owns the ship.”

“Does she?” I took hold of Marco’s arm. “Tell me something. Why would she think that? You’ve been holding out on me, Marco. Tell me what you know. You said you wanted to work together. You needed my help to uncover what the Gang of Eight was up to. But it’s a two-way street. If you want me to keep my mouth shut, I need to know everything you know about Dede Drummerhausen and why she thinks Neil would do whatever she says. Because from what I just saw, Dede believes she can get the Captain fired, and maybe she can. But why, Marco? Why does Dede Drummerhausen think she’s so powerful?”

“It has nothing to do with the Gang of Eight.”

“How about I be the judge of that. What is it, Marco?”

Marco grabbed the rail with both hands and leaned back, looking in each direction to ensure no one was within earshot.

“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to get into everything with you, but I can see now how you might need to know. However, I hope you’ll use the utmost discretion with what I am about to tell you.”

“If it concerns Neil’s wealth or his lack of it, trust me, I already know. I’ve done my homework.” I wasn’t about to go any further and tell Marco that I suspected Neil Webster might be broke or that he was a fraud hiding behind the illusion of his name and purported wealth. “I knew before I got on this ship that Neil’s uncle had cut Neil off and left him near penniless once he left college.”

“Not quite penniless, but certainly without the fortune he should have inherited. I worked for Neil’s father. I was the family accountant. After Neil’s parents died, I continued to handle what was left of Neil’s estate. I can’t say it was totally selfless on my part. I benefited greatly and felt a certain sense of responsibility to Neil. Neil’s parents had been very good to me, but I’ve often wondered if their death was other than accidental.”

“You think they might have been murdered?”

“I couldn’t prove it. But the circumstances always felt suspicious. They had made plans to go away to celebrate their anniversary, and Neil’s uncle had offered them his plane. It crashed on take-off. Even worse than the crash was the timing. The brothers were in the middle of restructuring the company when Neil’s parents died. Without their signatures on the new documents, the company went to Neil’s uncle. Bypassing Neil entirely.”

“So, his uncle stole Neil’s inheritance from under him? And there was nothing you could have done?”

“Neil was just a boy, and at the time, his uncle did everything he could to make it look like he intended to care for his brother’s only child. He continued to pay for Neil’s schooling in London. Paid for his education through graduate school. And when Neil completed his studies, his uncle offered him a graduation present. A final payout that absolved Neil of any connection with what was by then his uncle’s business. He gave Neil an ultimatum. He could walk away quietly, with a couple hundred thousand in his pocket, and agree to never talk about his uncle’s business again or try to fight it and lose everything.”

“I take it he didn’t fight.”

“Neil was no dummy. He knew there was no love lost between them and that he’d lose every penny to the courts if he tried. Neither Neil nor his uncle wanted a scandal…and in the end, it worked out. Neil agreed to his uncle’s terms and never mentioned anything about his disinheritance, which ironically was the best thing that could have happened. Neil had complete independence and the illusion of wealth, which had great power. Banks don’t lend money to those who need it. They give it to those who they think can make more of it. And with the Webster name behind him, Neil did just that. He opened an investment firm in London and brought me on board as his adviser. He was doing moderately well when he met Walter Drummerhausen. Walter was just beginning to do business in Europe, and together, they have an impressive portfolio. Neil had the name. Walter had the money.”

“It sounds like a good match.”

“It was. And it got even better when they attended an international financial seminar in Berlin. That’s when Oleg approached them about buying Athena. Originally, the idea was to build a fleet of floating condos at sea. Neil loved the idea. He always was an adventurous sort. However, I can’t tell you much about what happened after their initial meeting, as I left for other ventures once they got together.”

“Other ventures? By that, you mean things that resulted in you going to prison?”

“A few infractions. A minor mix-up of details, that—.”

“Landed you behind bars for what…four, maybe five years?” Marco had never said how long he had been in prison. Based on our conversation, I figured his incarceration must have begun sometime after Neil, Walter, and Oleg got together. And since Athena had been operating less than ten years, and Marco had been on board at least half that time, it seemed like a reasonably good guess.

“An unfortunate situation, I assure you. But where would we be if it were not for my brief stint in Fleury-Merogis? I wouldn’t know of Geneva’s Freeport break-in, Camile’s ex, nor Inspector Garnier’s plan to siphon off a good portion of what was stolen and sell it on the black market. And you, my dear American journalist friend, wouldn’t have the story.” Marco sounded almost cavalier as he recounted his past.

“Yeah, lucky for me.” If the Inspector, the Professor, or any of the Gang of Eight had any idea what I knew, I’d never get off Athena, much less have a chance to write my story.

“And afterward, when I got out, I remembered Neil and Walter had been discussing a possible fleet, and I looked Neil up, and well, here I am.”

“So, if I understand you correctly, you were in business with them when they first met Oleg and then again after you got out of prison.”

“Yes.”

“And, just so I know, where were you the night Oleg died?”

“You can’t suspect me. I saved your life.”

“Humor me. Where were you?”

“In my stateroom. I retired early that night. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think a brisk walk around the deck would do me good. Good night, Kat. We’ll talk later.”

* * *

Obviously, I wouldn’t be going back to the dining room and finishing my dinner with the Captain that night. Byard had disappeared to the bridge, and I returned to Dede’s suite, uncertain if I should knock and wait for her to answer the door or just walk in. The decision was made for me when I met Finn as he was about to shut the door to Dede’s apartment behind him.

“Kat! You’re here, thank goodness. Dede’s a mess. I brought her something from the pharmacy to calm her down, but she shouldn’t be alone. I assume you must have seen her come aboard?” Finn didn’t wait for me to answer. “Would you be a dear and look after her. Everybody’s calling for favors, and I’m swamped.”

Finn backed up and opened the door wide for me. I bid him goodnight, entered, and then shut the door behind me.

“Dede?” I could hear Dede in the kitchen, slamming cabinets. I called again. I didn’t want to surprise her. “Dede?”

A cabinet door slammed, and then, as I stood in the center of the living room, she poked her head out from the kitchen and stared at me. “Who are you?”