“Thank you. And I’m sorry that you and your wife had your vacation upset by what happened in Broward County,” Chloe told him.
“I’m sorrier for those people! I’ll be able to take a vacation again. They won’t,” Markowitz reminded them.
“Of course,” Chloe said softly.
Markowitz turned to get back on the elevator.
Wes and Chloe continued down to their cabin.
Chloe didn’t speak until they were inside with the door closed.
Then she looked at him immediately and said, “So?”
“George is privy—as crew—to areas of the ship that we don’t see. He drew them out for me,” Wes explained. He sighed. “And I told him that I was worried about it being just him and Edward at lunch in Montego Bay.”
“And?”
Wes smiled grimly. “I think he thought that I was questioning his abilities. I wasn’t. I guess this whole thing... people shot without protest, drugs in their systems... I worry about anyone alone.”
Chloe nodded. “Do you feel that you have any new insights from tonight?”
“I wish. Right now, the same as we’ve been thinking. But I got to considering Howard Markowitz,” he said.
“He was very upset,” Chloe said. “And from watching a program that the rest of the world had to be privy to?”
“And I think that Edward Thompson is becoming more and more convinced himself that he was pushed.”
“Do you think...” she began thoughtfully.
“Do I think that he’s faking? No, we’ve been on this route. He would have died, Chloe, if you hadn’t found him—”
“If you hadn’t performed CPR,” Chloe murmured. “Okay, so we think that Edward is innocent. That leaves Celia and Jeff, Daniel and Broderick McClintock, and Amelia Swenson. Are you leaning toward anyone in particular?”
“Hm,” Wes said thoughtfully. “I feel tomorrow is going to be important. I believe that Jeff and Celia and the McClintock brothers will be going on the tour to the falls. That leaves Amelia in Montego Bay. George Garcia is aware and prepared for anyone trying anything—he’s probably the best bodyguard possible. In fact, the accident might have been a good thing because Edward Thompson will be just fine. He has a pit bull at his side for the rest of the cruise.”
“Okay, so, we watch the others and their give and take with everyone else. But here is one thing that’s strange...” Chloe murmured.
“What’s that?”
“Well, our dinner companions were talking about his job, how they would love to have a position like his. Jeff joked, of course, that Edward received much better treatment from his company than Jeff would from his own wife. Do you think that Edward Thompson was the target on this trip? And that he naively asked the very people who were after him to speak for his program?”
“Possibly,” Wes agreed. “But I think that it’s somethingbigger than that. Edward wasn’t the focus of any of the other attacks. But he is in a position where he could just about take over the company from his bosses. Milestones is about the biggest thing in the business right now. Business, gaming, security, you name it. Milestones is huge and the promise of the future, so it seems. I think that someone wants the whole kit and kaboodle and getting rid of others who might be potential candidates for the company along with Edward Thompson might be the way to get in there for a less-than-hostile takeover.”
“And you could be right. Which would mean that one—or two—of the suspects we’re chasing may be guilty. And the others might be targets?”
He nodded grimly.
“They needed more than the two of us on this ship!” Chloe murmured.
He smiled. “Remember, I’m pretty sure you even wondered if it was a wild-goose chase, that we didn’t have enough to go on. But let’s focus on the good. Edward Thompson will be well guarded. And at Dunn’s River Falls...
“Though there are wet dangerous rocks, there are also local guides, of course, as well as dozens of people around to see anything that might happen,” Chloe interrupted. “But, you know, someone could have an accident there. As in a real accident.”
“Like a soaring overboard?” he inquired.
“No one saw anything!” she reminded him.
Wes paused, picking up one of the brochures at the table. “Early morning! Off the ship at eight, on the bus by nine... an hour and a half to the site where we’ll get to climb up the falls starting at about ten thirty or so. Three hours to climb, an hour and a half at a lunch spot that’s preplanned. Then we’re back here and out to sea again by seven.”
