met,’ said Ray carelessly now, sitting down at the computer and attempting to turn up the database detailing any charters that had come in since he’d been away. ‘I see the Ariadne got back okay.’
‘Why wouldn’t it?’ Lily was offhand, but she was hurt that Ray was shutting her out. ‘Oh, and by the way, Dave says the engines in the Santa Lucia need overhauling. If you want him to do it, you’d better give him a ring.’
Ray glanced up at her. ‘I will. Maybe in the next couple of weeks.’
‘You might have to take the Lucia out of service before then. We’ve got a group—’
‘Oh, yeah, yeah.’ Ray interrupted her as his memory kicked in. ‘You mean that fishing party from Boston.’ He shrugged. ‘I wonder if we can get away with leaving it until after their booking. What do you think?’
Lily shrugged without answering him. At any other time she’d have given her opinion, but it wasn’t her responsibility, after all. If Ray chose to take chances with his licence, that was his affair. But she couldn’t help thinking that in his place she’d have taken the safer option.
Ray scowled, but then, evidently deciding it would be wise not to push it, he said, ‘I suppose you know Laura Mathews is back on the island?’
‘Laura?’ Lily was surprised.
Laura Mathews had been a close friend before they’d each gone their separate ways: Laura to New York, to work in an advertising agency, and Lily to university in Florida.
‘No, I haven’t heard from her.’
Of course, recently there’d been talk about Laura’s father losing a lot of money at the tables in Las Vegas. Once the richest man on Orchid Cay, these days Dee-Dee said he was struggling to survive due to the downturn in the market. And it was rumoured that he was only living there on borrowed time.
Certainly he’d had to sell some property. As witness, the house at Orchid Point, Lily mused with some reluctance.
Years ago, Laura and her mother had lived in the villa that Rafe Oliveira now owned. Laura’s parents had separated when she was a child, and since then Grant Mathews had occupied the plantation house alone.
Ray shrugged. ‘I heard she’s been back a few days,’ he said, and Lily gave a shrug.
‘Perhaps she’s come back to comfort her father,’ she remarked casually. Although her memory of the other girl said the opposite.
‘Anyway, get on to Dave Tapply and tell him I’d like the Lucia’s engines overhauled, but not until after next week,’ Ray said now. Then, getting tired of trying to find the information he was looking for, he got up from Lily’s desk. ‘Print me out a copy of the current financial statement, would you? I’m no good with computers.’
Lily felt a twinge of apprehension. It was only intuition, but Ray wasn’t skilled at hiding his feelings and it was apparent that he had more than the Lucia’s problems on his mind.
‘You look…worried,’ she said, despite her determination not to get involved. ‘We’re not in trouble, are we?’
‘You’re not,’ said Ray at once. ‘You had more sense than to invest your hard-earned cash with a crock like me.’
Lily gasped. ‘I didn’t have any money to invest,’ she protested.
‘Nor do I,’ said Ray dourly. ‘Ain’t that a shame?’
Lily stared at him. ‘But Cartagena Charters is the best on the island.’
‘Which isn’t saying a lot in the present climate, if you’ll forgive the pun. People aren’t coming to the island in the off-season like they used to.’
‘Some are.’
‘The stalwarts, yeah.’ Ray was phlegmatic. ‘But all these hurricanes in the Caribbean; they’re bad for business. You know we’ve had a couple of cancellations, and since I lost those two boats in that storm last fall it’s been a struggle to—dare I say it?—keep my head above water.’
‘But they were insured. The boats, I mean.’
‘Were they?’ Ray gave a mirthless laugh. ‘In the small print I think you’ll find there was something about excluding acts of God.
‘And that’s what hurricanes are, Lily. You ask the Reverend, your father. I haven’t been able to find an insurer yet who’s prepared to accept liability for storms!’
Lily realised the apprehension she’d been feeling earlier had been justified. ‘But why buy a new schooner? Can we afford it?’
Ray regarded her warily. ‘Does it matter? We needed it,’ he reminded her. ‘Haven’t I just said we lost two boats last fall?’
‘Yes.’ Lily looked thoughtful. ‘And I suppose if you’re going to get anyone interested in Cartagena Charters, you have to present a successful front.’
Ray made an affirmative gesture. ‘Now you’re talking.’
An investor like Rafe Oliveira, thought Lily uneasily. Her nerves prickled at the memory of the other man standing in the office, regarding her with those night-dark eyes.
Oh, God! She swallowed. Was Ray really hoping to get Oliveira interested in the agency? She doubted if even Dee-Dee could foresee what the South American might do if that happened.
Or herself, for that matter.
LILY WAS TEMPTED to go for a swim that evening.
The prospect of feeling the soft water cooling her overheated body was so appealing after more than a week of avoiding the beach that she couldn’t resist.
Ironically, Dee-Dee had also mentioned Laura Mathews as soon as Lily got home from work that afternoon. Little gossip escaped her notice and anything to do with the Mathews family was worthy of a mention.
The West Indian housekeeper usually stayed to provide the Reverend’s lunch and prepare the evening meal for both of them. Most afternoons she was still there when Lily got home.
The news about the Mathewses warranted a longer discussion however. Apparently, the gossip was that Laura had been keeping her arrival under wraps. For some reason, no one had previously had an inkling that she was staying at the plantation.
But the news was out now. And, according to Dee-Dee, it was believed that Laura had lost her job in New York. Which might account for the low profile she’d been keeping since she got back. As far as Lily was concerned, she was sorry if things were not going well for the girl. Okay, Laura hadn’t had much time for Lily in recent years, but that didn’t mean she wished her ill.
Whatever, Lily put these thoughts aside as she dropped her clothes and towel on the sand and splashed into the ocean. It was almost completely dark and there was little chance of her being observed.
Not that there’d been any sign of anyone on the cliffs
