Mistress-of-the-Game - By Tilly Bagshawe Sidney Sheldon Page 0,134
concerned for her health.
Three minutes later, Lieutenant Carey walked outside with a paper cup full of water. When the duty sergeant heard his boss's scream, he thought he was having a heart attack. He rushed outside.
"Don't just stand there!" Lieutenant Carey was apoplectic. "Put a call out to all units. The suspect has absconded. I want roadblocks. I want guys at the airport, the docks. I want helicopters."
"Yes, sir."
"And get me Sanchez and Shaw."
"Yes, sir. Should I call anyone else, sir?"
"Like who?"
"I don't know, sir. I thought maybe...the FBI?"
Lieutenant John Carey closed his eyes and watched his retirement condo on Kaanapali Beach crumble into dust. He glared at his sergeant.
"No. This stays within the department. Understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"She must still be on the island."
I'm gonna find that conniving little bitch if it's the last thing I do.
The flight attendant smiled at Gabe.
"I'll show you to your seat, sir. Right this way. My name's Catherine."
"Thanks, Catherine." He followed her to the front of the plane. Max had woken up a few minutes earlier and was now gurgling contentedly in his arms. The flight attendant thought: How cute to see such a hands-on dad. Most fathers would give the baby to the nanny for the whole flight and open a newspaper.
"Congratulations by the way, sir."
Gabe looked blank.
"It was today, wasn't it?"
"Oh! Yes. Thank you." The wedding. It felt like a lifetime ago already.
"Mrs. McGregor's not flying with us today?"
"No." He didn't elaborate. The flight attendant hoped she hadn't inadvertently put her foot in it.
"Well, anyway. I hope you'll both be very happy."
Gabe didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
So do I, Catherine. So do I.
It was so dark Lexi could barely see her hand in front of her face. She heard the lapping of the waves. Holding her brother's hand tightly, she inched along the dirt track toward the water.
"Danny!" Robbie hissed through the blackness. "You there?"
"Right here."
Illuminated by a handheld gas lamp, a familiar face jumped out of the gloom. "Hey, Lex. Long time."
"Oh my God. Danny French?" Lexi hugged him. "I don't believe it."
Lexi had known Daniel French since she was a little girl. They used to play together during summer vacations at Dark Harbor. Once, when Lexi was thirteen, they'd even kissed under the nets of his dad's trawler. She hadn't seen him in decades.
"Robbie told you?"
"He told me you were in trouble. That's good enough for me. Hop aboard."
Taking Lexi's arm, Danny walked her to the rotting jetty at the end of the track and helped her onto a small fishing boat. There was a makeshift hiding place beneath some nets and tarpaulin. It reeked of fish. Lexi couldn't have been more grateful if Danny had been showing her to her suite at the Ritz.
"Thank you." Her voice was choked with emotion. She'd never done anything for Danny French to deserve this kind of loyalty. Danny should have been at my wedding, not a bunch of stupid senators. When will I learn?
"You're welcome. I figured if anyone can work her way out of a jam, it's Lexi. When this is all over and you're stinking rich again, you can pay off my mortgage. Deal?"
Lexi grinned. "Deal."
Danny started the boat's engine.
Robbie Templeton watched from the shore until the darkness swallowed his sister completely. He had no idea when, or if, he would see her again.
Chapter Thirty-Two
"CAN I GET YOU ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE LAND, madam? A hot towel perhaps? Something to drink?"
Greta Sorensen shook her head. She gestured toward the tiny pink bundle strapped to her chest. "I don't want to disturb her."
"She's been good as gold, hasn't she?" The flight attendant smiled. "I don't think we've ever had an infant as quiet as that."
"She likes her sleep. Takes after her father."
Across the aisle, a pile of blankets heaved rhythmically up and down. The only sign that there was a human being underneath them was the tuft of white hair sticking out of the top.
"Bless him," said the flight attendant.
Lieutenant Carey was on the phone.
"What do you have for me?"
"They're booked into the honeymoon suite at the Amanyara. Turks and Caicos."
Detective Antonio Sanchez spoke quickly.
"Flights?"
"They were both booked on the nine-fifteen P.M. flight to Providenciales. But Gabe McGregor changed the reservation this afternoon, right after we came up to the house. He canceled his wife's reservation and had new tickets issued for the nanny and the little girl. He kept his own seat."
"He went on the honeymoon on his own? With his wife in the slammer?"