“And when my father found out and wanted in, Neil arranged for his murder.”

Marco stood up from the bar and reached over my shoulder to take a grape from the table.

I put my hand on top of his. “You’re an accountant. Did you suspect—”

“No. He didn’t.” Dede returned from the kitchen with a chocolate croissant in her hand and sat at the end of the couch. “Marco’s never had anything to do with Athena’s financing. He wouldn’t know the first thing about it. Neil and my husband, Walter, handled everything until things got too busy, and Neil needed to travel for the business. Tatiana, you may remember Walter from when you first visited us onboard years ago.”

“I remember you teaching me to make Sharlotka while Walter sat in the kitchen and watched.”

“We had a good time. Back then, Walter and Neil were in business together. But I’m the reason Marco never worked for Neil or Walter after they bought Athena. I wasn’t about to have an ex-felon handling our financial affairs. In fact—”

“Dede,” Marco held his hands up, “you don’t need to get into it. It was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter.”

“Maybe it does. I never told you before, Marco, and maybe it’s because we’re locked in here, and I’ve no idea what’s going to happen, but lately, since I’ve become friends with Neil’s niece, Elli, I’ve begun to rethink things. And I can’t help but wonder if what you did—what you went to prison for—you did to save what you could of Neil’s inheritance. What I’m saying, Marco, is that I’m sorry I’ve been so rude to you all these years.”

Marco put his fist to his mouth. “Thank you, Dede. You didn’t have to say that, but thank you.”

“But as for Neil, Tatiana, he’s always been quiet about his personal life. That alone is enough to make him suspicious, but I know the man and his financial dealings are sound. My name and Neil’s are still on the business account, and I know he wouldn’t do anything to risk my safety or those he feels responsible for, including becoming part of some high-stakes smuggling operation. I’m sorry to say this, Tatiana, but if your father kept two sets of books, I’m certain Neil had no idea, and I’d be more suspicious of your father.”

“Do you feel that?” Marco went to the blinds and swept them aside. “We’re moving! Look.”

I joined Marco at the sliding door, and together, we watched as small whirlpools formed in the black waters beneath Athena’s hull as she pulled from the harbor, and the lights of Positano began to fade into the night sky.

Marco checked his watch. “It’s nine p.m. We’re right on schedule. They’re not wasting any time.”

“So much for thinking Chief Sullivan planned to escort Dede ashore and turn her over to the local authorities for Ida’s murder.”

“That was never going to happen.” Marco walked back to the bar and poured himself another drink. “We know too much. Once the Inspector knew we were on to them, they never intended to let us go.”

“So what do we do now?” Dede asked.

“Pray,” I said.

* * *

Five hours later, there was a heavy knock on the door, and Chief Sully and Inspector Garnier entered Dede’s cabin. Sully held a gun with a long silencer attached, and the Inspector had a sidearm holstered beneath his shoulder.

Tatiana screamed and ducked behind the bar.

“Well, would you look who’s here?” Sully walked over to the bar and grabbed Tatiana by the hair. “She’s going to make it easy for us, Inspector. We can eliminate this Russian doll when we toss the others overboard. Save us answering a lot of unnecessary questions about her father, and nobody will know the difference once she’s gone.”

Sully strong-armed Tatiana, tying her hands behind her back with plastic wrist ties, and handed her off to the guard.

“And you, too, Marco. You should be more careful about choosing your friends. It would have been better for you if you hadn’t tried to get so close to Ms. Lawson here. We knew she was trouble when she started asking a lot of uncomfortable questions.”

“Like what?” I asked. “Questions about the jewelry, like that gold signet ring you found on Ida? Or was it the questions I asked about the antiquities the Professor claims are on loan to him for his lectures? Maybe because I was curious about Athena’s itinerary, spending so much time in such a small area? That shouldn’t have been so upsetting unless you and your group were worried that I thought Ida might know something or that I had talked about it with Oleg. But you murdered him before I had a chance.”

“Nobody murdered Oleg. He was drunk and fell overboard.” Sully looked at the guard. “Cuff them. We need to get moving.”

Inspector Garnier took Dede by the arm. “You too, Dede.”

But Dede refused to move. “I’m not going anywhere. Not until I see Neil.”

“Oh, you’re going to see him, alright, and Captain Byard, too. Now get moving.” The Inspector took his gun from his holster, shoved it into the small of Dede’s back, and pushed her toward the door. “And you too, Ms. Lawson.”

I stood up and slung my backpack over my shoulder.

“Hold on there, Ms. Lawson.” The Inspector took hold of the strap over my shoulder. “What do you think you going with that?”

“I’m a reporter. It goes where I go.”

“What’s inside?”

“What do you think?” I opened the bag. “My camera. A notepad. Pair of shorts and flip-flops. Anyone finds this bag without me, and they’d know I was in trouble.”

The Inspector glanced inside. “Fine. Take it with you. We can throw it overboard when we’re done with you.” Then, nodding to the guard, he told him to cuff me.

The guard cuffed my hands, and I followed Dede out the door. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there.” Garnier poked me in the ribs with his gun. “Just keep moving. End of the hall to the stairs.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

The lights on the Marina Deck, where we had been earlier that morning and found Ida’s body, had been turned off. The entire gym area was dark. The only light was that that came from a snack machine. And the only sound was the sloshing of water from the indoor pool. Sully went ahead of Marco and Tatiana and, finding a light switch on the wall, flipped the overhead lights on, then pointed with his gun for us to enter.

The four of us shuffled through the doorway.

“There’re some towels on the rack by the pool. You can use ‘em to sit on if you like. You’re going to be here awhile. And don’t get any ideas about screaming for help. Nobody will hear you, not over the sound of the engines. Besides, everyone upstairs is sound asleep. Doctor Jon spiked their welcome-back drinks when we left Positano. Between what the Doc put in their drinks and the ship’s rocking, nobody will ever know about what happened here tonight.”

“What are you going to do?” Dede snapped. “Throw us overboard?”

“That’s up to you, Dede. But right now, you’re all going to sit down while we wait for your friends to arrive.”

“What friends?” Marco twisted his hands in the plastic ties around his wrists.

“Sit down!” Sully pointed his gun at us again, and we struggled to sit cross-legged on the floor.

“As I said, your friends should be here in a minute. I’m surprised Elli and Irene aren’t here already, but they’ll be along. After that, Antonio will be down with Neil, Captain Byard, and that nosy cabin boy, Finn. Things got a little out of hand upstairs. Captain Byard tried to be a hero, and Neil doesn’t look so good, but they’ll be fine.”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked.

“Why do you think? You know too much. In fact, Ms. Lawson, if you hadn’t come on board and gotten so curious about everything, things might have ended happily. Instead, I’m sorry to say we have some rather unpleasant business ahead of us. Your friends can thank you for that.”

“So, Ida was right all along,” I said.

“Shut up!” Sully stepped forward, raised his hand above his head, and was about to hit me across the face when the elevator doors opened. He stopped with his hand in the air. “What the… Why’d you take the elevator, you fool? I told you, take the stairs. We don’t want to alert anyone.”

“What do you expect? The old lady can hardly walk.” Doctor Jon held Elli and Irene by the elbow, one on either side of him, their hands tied behind their backs, as they got off the elevator and pushed them toward us.