Page 41 of Deadly Waves

Thirteen

“Everyone get comfortable. We’ll be heading out to the shark circle in just a few minutes.”

Eduardo Dominguez was a tall man, his hair black and gleaming against the sun as his eyes twinkled. He was clearly enjoying himself as he focused on the Hardy party. He seemed amused by the fact that James bought out his entire boat for the excursion.

“Thank you for doing this,” James said, slipping his arm around Mandy’s shoulders as they settled. “My wife is very excited.”

Eduardo shifted his eyes to the pale blonde and smirked. “She looks terrified.”

“She’ll be fine,” James said. “Trust me.”

“If you say so,” Eduardo said, settling into the seat across from James and Mandy as his son navigated the boat out to sea. “I hear you’re on the King Theodore. I saw her come into port. She’s an impressive beast.”

“Yeah, it’s a big boat,” James said, smirking when he felt Mandy rest her head on his chest. She wanted the solace of his heartbeat as she stared at the water. They hadn’t even seen a shark yet and she was completely keyed up. He cupped the back of her head and rubbed soothing circles over her scalp as he remained focused on Eduardo. “Do you know much about the guy who owns her? Man, it feels weird to call a boat named after a man ‘her.’”

“Will Davenport?” Eduardo made a throat-clearing sound. “He’s not exactly well liked in certain circles. As for the boat, well, all ships are female. That’s just one of those unsaid rule things you get used to on the see. You’ll get used to it.”

“What circles?” Grady asked, legitimately curious. He cast a sidelong look at Mandy before sitting next to her. He crowded close enough to lend her some of his warmth without making her uncomfortable. “We’ve had a few discussions with him and he seems nice enough. He could be putting on a show for us, though.”

“I don’t think Mr. Davenport is a bad man,” Eduardo said, his eyes latching onto James’ hand as he comforted his wife. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” James answered. “She’s obsessed with sharks and I surprised her with the trip before breakfast. She’s just wrapping her head around things. Trust me. When we get there, she’s going to be so excited I’m going to have to tie her to me to make sure she doesn’t fall in.”

“She looks as if she’s going to be sick,” Eduardo pointed out.

“She’s not going to be sick,” James said. “She’s just … twisting her stomach in knots. She did the same thing during a shark tour on our honeymoon. I promise she’ll be okay.”

“I’m not worried for my benefit,” Eduardo said. “I’m worried for you. You spent a lot of money on this trip. I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“I could never be disappointed when giving her sharks.”

“You’re an odd man,” Eduardo said, shaking his head and leaning back in his chair. “What were we talking about again?”

“You were talking about Will Davenport,” Mandy prodded, taking everyone by surprise when she spoke. “You said you didn’t think he was a bad man, but you clearly don’t like him.”

“I guess you’ve been listening after all, huh?” Eduardo was amused by Mandy’s fortitude. “Yes, Mr. Davenport isn’t my favorite person. That doesn’t mean I dislike him. It merely means I dislike his business practices.”

“Can you be more specific?” James asked.

“Can you tell me why you’re interested?” Eduardo shot back.

James saw no reason to lie or be evasive. “Because a young woman has gone missing from the ship during our trip,” he replied honestly. “She was a singer in the main dining room. We found a spot of blood on the deck hours before we realized she was missing. We wanted to write it off as an accident … or fluke … but now it’s feeling more and more like foul play.”

“Well, I don’t know what to say to that,” Eduardo admitted after a beat, his accent thickening slightly. His English was almost flawless thanks to long conversations with tourists over the years, but his accent flowed in and out depending on his mood. “I’ve never heard of Will Davenport being dangerous in that way. I’ve heard about him being a shark when it comes to business, but no one has ever mentioned him being anything other than pleasant and engaging in person.”

“Yeah, we’re not saying we think he’s a killer,” James said. “We’re just saying that he seems … oddly detached from the possibility of murder. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“That’s probably because he doesn’t care about the girl or her murder, if that’s what happened,” Eduardo said. “I told you Will Davenport was unlikable. That is definitely true, but not for personal reasons. His business decisions are numerous and each one gets more dastardly than the next.”

“How do you mean?” Mandy asked, perking up. “Has he been screwing natives out of property rights?”

James snorted at the question. “You watch way too much television, wife.”

“You might not want to laugh at her,” Eduardo interjected. “That’s exactly what he did, which makes her look wise and you look … less than her.” His eyes twinkled as he winked at Mandy. “Perhaps I misjudged you. I’m starting to think you might be a genius.”

“She’s a total genius,” James said, not missing a beat. “Are you serious about the land sales, though?”

“I am,” Eduardo conferred. “This is a small island but waterfront property is at a premium because some of the town leaders are determined to make this a tourist destination.”