Elli looked at her watch. “Yes. That’s probably a good idea. You’ll have to excuse me. The longer we’re stuck here in port, the busier the gym’s gonna be. Call me, Kat. I’ll save some time for you.”
I tossed my coffee cup into one of the empty pails that lined the deck. “So, Captain, will Tatiana be sailing with us, or is she coming aboard to go through her father’s cabin?”
“Neil didn’t say. But if she wants to stay, she certainly can.”
“I’m surprised.” I looked back at the shore. “Neil told me that when he first contacted Tatiana and informed her about her father’s passing, she planned to meet the ship in Sorrento. I would have thought she wanted to stay with her father’s body and accompany it home, or at least stay until an autopsy could be done.”
“Evidently not. According to Neil, Tatiana requested she come aboard as soon as possible, and she expects to go directly to her father’s cabin. She’s asked that we respect her privacy and that she not be disturbed. My orders are to ensure that happens and that she’s comfortable.”
“Sounds like you’re going to have a busy afternoon, Captain.”
“It does look that way. But at least I have tonight to look forward to. We’re still on for dinner tonight, right? Romano’s eight o’clock?”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I left Byard on the deck and returned to Dede’s cabin, where I planned to spend the rest of the morning taking in the view and scribbling a few more notes into my notepad. I tried several times to call Elli to schedule a massage, but each time I called, voicemail picked up.
Athena seemed oddly quiet as the afternoon wore on, and we waited for Tatiana’s arrival. Moored in the Med’s blue waters, the only sound was the cry of seagulls as they skimmed the water’s surface and the waves lapped against her hull. Sometime after four o’clock, I heard a knock on the door.
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.”
