Page 77

He winced. ‘I was properly out of it. I can barely remember anything from that night.’
Long, dark hair. There were a few women on board who matched that description. Or it could have just been someone wearing a wig as a disguise – someone who must have known Liam was desperate enough for money that he would accept an offer like that. An easy target to frame for the deaths. Liam had told her that Sergei was new on board – so maybe he was in place to make sure the plan was executed properly. And when things immediately went wrong, Sergei had been forced to act …
‘Jesus, Liam. Why are you telling me this?’
He frowned. ‘You said you were the intended target for the champagne. Since it was your cabin originally.’
‘Or the Hugheses’. Ingrid seemed to think so. They were given cabin sixteen as their first choice.’
‘Fuck. What are we going to do?’
Olivia stared at him in alarm. ‘Wearen’t going to do anything. How can I trust you? You could be making all this up!’
‘Why the heck would I do that? You could go to the captain now and tell him that I did it and I’d be locked up like that.’ He snapped his fingers. ‘But I think we can help each other.’
Olivia searched his face. He was right – he didn’t gain anything by confessing that he put the bottle in the cabin, except to gain her trust.
‘So who do you think is behind it?’ Liam asked.
‘I have no idea …’
‘Come on, you must know something.’
She hesitated. ‘At first, when Aaron didn’t make it on board, I thought it was a genuine mistake. But …’
‘But?’
‘Just before the cruise, I’d overheard him and Stefan talking about a threat he’d been facing. Someone had been sending him threatening emails accusing him of having something to do with the artist – Yennin’s – death. Then I found a note in among his clothes, kind of accusing him of the same thing. He’d been in a lot of debt too, that the profit from this deal was going to clear. I just wonder if it all caught up with him. But then there’s the fact that Ingrid thinks there’s pretty good motive against her and Cutler too. He’s planning on retiring and closing down his entire business. What if it has nothing to do with me and Aaron at all?’ She sighed. ‘But then there’s the yacht …’
‘The yacht?’
‘Did you see it while you were kayaking? It has a dark blue hull – theClarissa II.’
Liam nodded. ‘The captain alerted us all to her this morning. Some rich guy wanting adventure – we had to coordinate to make sure our landings don’t cross over toabide by IAATO rules. What does that have to do with this?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe nothing.’ She didn’t know how to explain her connection to that particular boat name. ‘But if Sergei is no longer on board theVigil, where did he go? Did he go to theClarissa II?’
‘OK, listen. Take this.’ He passed her his radio. ‘I’ve got a second one. If you feel any kind of threat, any concern at all, radio me. Then tonight we’ll be on the continent.’
‘No way. I’m not doing that now, not after what happened to Stefan. I’m just going to lock myself in the cabin and wait it out.’
Liam frowned. ‘But your cabinmates are all on the excursion with me, right?’
‘Um, yes.’
‘So if they’re all with me, you’d be left totally on your own. I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
Olivia sucked in her bottom lip, then nodded. Liam was right. Being alone did not sound very appealing. Though neither did being on the ice. She didn’t know which was the lesser of two evils. Maybe she didn’t have to choose just yet. She took the radio and slipped it inside her jacket. It did feel better to have it on her.
‘C’mon. I’ll take you back to your cabin and make sure you’re not alone before I leave you.’
‘Thanks, Liam.’
‘Whatever happens, I’m going to keep you safe. I owe you that much.’
38
Patty and Janine were in the cabin when Olivia opened the door. Liam touched her arm. ‘Stay safe. And remember.’ He tapped at his chest pocket, the place where she’d tucked the radio in her own jacket.