The police are nodding as though they understand him, as though all of this has been pre-agreed. How would Jackson even know where to start? His level of company protocol in aman overboardsituation is beyond impressive.
As everyone disperses, Jackson’s face is unreadable. ‘Come with me, please, Maddie.’ I follow him up the stairs behind the police and try to gauge his tone. Disappointed? Dispassionate? Disapproving?
‘The good news is that this isn’t a formal police investigation for another forty-eight hours and so, as the official LoveIt Holidays senior manager, Iam technically in charge until then. The police are helping me with enquiries, so the captain says we can use his quarters while they search your cabin. Can you show me the way, please?’
‘Sure. No problem.’ I hurry through the increasingly crowded dining area towards the staff staircase. Keeping my head down and my gaze straight ahead, I’m keen not to make eye contact with any guests. I wonder what they must all think. I wonder what Jackson thinks. He must know I’m innocent in all of this. Surely?
Once we’ve reached the captain’s quarters, I’m surprised to find the door already open. The captain’s cabin is clinically clean. No personal effects, no clothes strewn on the floor, his bed neatly turned down, hospital corners, the lot. It’s neat to a military degree.
For a moment, neither of us seems to know what to say. They are understandably odd circumstances under which to be meeting each other again. Especially considering how we left it last time. Dry humping on the sun mattresses like horny teens. I notice Jackson leaves the door wide open and stands next to it rather than sit beside me. His body language speaks volumes. He peers outside in the corridor before lowering his voice. ‘How are you?’
‘I feel this is a real low point,’ I say, perching on the edge of the bed. I clasp my hands between my knees. I hope it doesn’t drive a wedge between us, spoil things. What with our working together and… possibly starting a bona fide relationship.
‘Understandable.’ His gaze sweeps over the harness and elaborate binding of ropes and clips criss-crossing my body. Tiffany has been nothing if not thorough. ‘This is hardly staying under the radar.’
‘Yes, I am fully aware of that, thank you.’
‘And that utter guff upstairs. The whole blind raki thing and the torn vaginas. This… this bondage gear. It’s like you want to draw attention to yourself.’
‘I panicked, okay. When was the last time you had to deal with police in a foreign country? And it’s not bondage gear. It’s a harness. A very tight and uncomfortable one.’
Jackson nods. ‘Remind me of how you got yourself into this situation?’ His tone is assertive, demanding and a little too sceptical for my liking.
I lower my head, embarrassed. ‘I was trying to see if Garry was hiding in the waste pipe.’
‘And where exactly is that?’
‘Outside near the bottom of the hull.’
‘Uh-huh. I see.’
‘Tiffany tied me up like this so that I could abseil down head first.’
‘Ah. And then her thinking was to leave you tied up and looking guilty, ready for the police to arrive?’
My shoulders sag. ‘I never thought of it like that.’
He blinks slowly. ‘Need some assistance to get it off?’
I nod glumly. ‘Yes, please.’
Jackson approaches me warily as I stand up to allow him to unbuckle the many hooks. His hands wander lightly over the fastenings and lengths of rope twisting around my body. I flush with mortification, heat searing from every pore as he looks on, baffled.
He clears his throat. ‘Bend over, please,’ he says with a large degree of awkwardness as he stands behind me, doggy style, his breath hot on my neck as he reaches round and underneath. ‘Huge apologies.’ His hands reluctantly follow the curve of my bottom as he gingerly pats his way underneath. It’s like a game of Twister gone horribly wrong. It’s clearly humiliating for both of us. After some umming and ahhing while he’s fiddling around underneath my crotch, he reaches his conclusion. ‘I think we may have found our point of entry.’
Things could literally not be any more embarrassing, but I make eye contact with him regardless and say the first stupid thing to come to mind. ‘Enjoy.’
He takes a beat to frown at my wildly inappropriate encouragement. It seems to stretch uncomfortably on before he looks away.
After a sharp tug downwards, some thrusting and some clinking of metal, Jackson manages to simultaneously free me from my bondsand, as it turns out, performMore!’sPosition of the Fortnight.
I gingerly peel the shackles from my body. ‘I guess this will affect me leaving the gulet tonight?’
‘Yeah. I’m afraid so. All the suspects… I mean, the staff and guests. Everyone needs to stay on board.’
We lock eyes for a long while. The question about what happens now, between us, is left unspoken, hovering above us like an ominous cloud. He is making it abundantly clear that any romantic relationship is now off the cards.
I chew my lip, still not quite getting it. I’m innocent. Surely he must believe that? Isn’t he even going to offer some reassurance that everything will be all right?
