Jo never said anything when she crept into Nick’s room an hour later. She just put her blanket and pillow on the floor and lay down on them.
Nick was vaguely aware that someone had entered the room. He thought he should probably wake up and deal with the situation, but he really, really didn’t want to. He wanted to stay asleep. He made an unintelligible sound.
“Nick, I’m sorry,” whispered Jo. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“Tha’s ‘kay,” muttered Nick, fatigue slurring his words.
“I was getting creeped out, and I thought I’d feel safer sleeping here. Go back to sleep. Don’t mind me.
As much as Nick wanted to do just that, chivalry kicked in.
“You can’t sleep on the floor, Jo,” he said, without opening his eyes.
“Sure I can,” replied Jo. “It’s no problem. Go back to sleep.”
Nick didn’t answer for a moment. When he did, he wasn’t sure that he hadn’t gone back to sleep for a bit.
“No, Jo.”
“Please, Nick. I won’t bother you. I just don’t want to be alone.” Jo’s voice broke on the last word.
Nick pushed himself over to the far side of the bed, not an easy thing to do in a bed that’s not rectangular. He held up the edge of the duvet. “C’mon. Get in.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m fine here.”
Nick’s patience wore thin, and he growled. “Hurry up, and get in here. I want to go back to sleep.”
Jo stood up and crawled onto the bed, dragging her pillow with her. She left the blanket on the floor. Nick dropped the duvet over her and turned his back to her.
“Goodnight, Nick,” whispered Jo.
There was no response. Nick was asleep. Jo turned her back to him and pulled the pillow down under her head. In a moment, she was asleep too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jo didn’t know how much time had passed when she heard, “Jo, wake up.”
She felt Nick’s strong arm reach out and wrap around her middle. She opened her eyes but could see little in the dim light.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Someone’s on the boat,” said Nick. “Move over here. Slide your body up against mine.”
Jo didn’t waste time asking questions. Through the narrow windows, she could see the bobbing light of a flashlight. She slid back against Nick, molding her body to his, stretching her legs out along his, tucking her head under his shoulder. Then she closed her eyes and prayed.
Nick formed his body into an arc and pulled Jo into it. He moved over her, thankful that she was so thin. She fit up against him, and when he hunched over her, he hid her completely. At least, he hoped so.
Nick had wakened immediately when the intruder stepped onto the boat. His eyes flew open, and he followed the sounds of the footsteps on the back deck. He noticed the flashlight beam and realized that whoever was out there meant business. Nick guessed that someone was Pete.
If it was, that meant Pete hadn’t believed Jo’s phone call. He didn’t think she was at a hotel. He thought she was here on the Lenore…with Nick. The fact that Pete was absolutely right did nothing to ease Nick’s mind. It meant that no matter what the truth was, Nick was now a co-conspirator on the side of Jo.
Nick pulled her close. “Keep still,” he whispered, placing his left leg at an angle and stretching out his arm, hoping to hide her body.
Jo flattened herself to the mattress and sheltered up against Nick, trying to be one with him.
Nick pulled the duvet over Jo’s head, hoping she would still be able to breathe. He could feel the intruder moving along the far side of the boat. The steps stopped about midway, and Nick knew that Pete…there was no point in thinking of him as an anonymous intruder, it was Pete!...Nick knew he was shining the flashlight into the guest bedroom.
Nick had a vision of the layers of clothing Jo had been wearing earlier and wondered what she’d done with them. Then he remembered. They were in the hallway where he had told her to leave them. They would be out of sight no matter where Pete looked in the window.
Jo herself was another matter. Nick hoped she would be out of sight as well. For once in his life, he hoped that someone would think he was just fat.
“Here he comes,” whispered Nick, as he heard Pete move to the front deck. He felt Jo stiffen beneath him and hold her breath.
When the light beams began to play over the bed, Nick closed his eyes. It was hard to keep them closed. The temptation to sneak a peek from under his eyelids was almost overwhelming, but he fought the urge. He forced himself to stay still and breathe evenly.
Nick’s blood ran cold as he heard Pete try and lift the hatch over the bed. What if Pete had something more out there than just a flashlight? Nick searched his memory. Had he locked that hatch? He sagged with relief when he heard the click and realized that he had.
The footsteps moved slowly along the gunwale right by Nick’s bed. They moved very slowly and determinedly along the rail. Nick knew Pete was taking his time, playing the flashlight over the bed…looking for Jo…looking for evidence that Nick was a liar and a false friend.
Up to this point, Nick had been the innocent bystander, caught up by accident in the drama unfolding between the other two. But now he was in it up to his neck. As much as he had believed Pete…and Nick still wasn’t sure of the veracity of Jo’s tale…Nick had reacted against him, hiding Jo and lying to Pete about her whereabouts.
Nick kept his eyes firmly closed and prayed for daylight. He knew things would look better then. They had to. They were looking pretty fucked up right now!
Pete moved up the side of the boat and back onto the back deck. Nick could hear him moving around, and he heard the rattle of the door handle and the hatch cover. Even though Nick was absolutely sure that he had locked both, a frisson of doubt tingled up his spine. He sucked in a breath of air and held it, not daring to move.
Nick didn’t release the breath until he felt Pete leave the boat. Then he slowly exhaled. He felt Jordana’s body relax beneath him.
“Not yet,” he whispered, without moving his lips. He felt her tense up again.
Nick counted slowly to sixty. Then he did it again. He was afraid to open his eyes in case he saw Pete staring in the window at him. Nick was sure the man had left the boat, but he had no idea what he’d done then.
Finally, Nick opened his eyes a fraction of an inch. He could see nothing. His back was to the window. There were no flashlight beams dancing around, but that didn’t mean that Pete wasn’t out there waiting for movement or voices.
“Can you breathe okay?” Nick whispered to Jo.
“Yes,” she replied, without moving.
“Then let’s stay this way for awhile,” suggested Nick. “Just in case.”
Jo whimpered softly. Nick realized that she really was afraid of Pete. Nick wondered again if she had cause to be. Because he knew now, if Jo had cause to be afraid of Pete, then so did Nick. It wasn’t a comforting thought.
They lay together silently, ears straining to hear any sound, their nerve endings alert for any movement on the boat that did not belong there. Eventually, they both fell into a fitful sleep. They both woke up several times during the rest of the night, but neither moved from the position.
Nick woke up finally because his right hand was asleep. The tingly pins and needles feeling would not be ignored. Nick could see the first grey light of dawn seeping through the windows. He opened his eyes and stretched his neck. He swiveled it one way and then the other. When he moved it toward the window, he was almost afraid to look.
There was no one there.
Of course, there’s no one there, you dolt, he told himself.
Nick lifted the duvet off himself and slid out of the bed. Jo moaned softly and curled into a ball. Nick tucked the corners of the duvet around her and then reached up and pulled the navy curtains across the windows.
There! She was hidden again.
Nick went to the head and then moved to the living room. He set up the coffee maker and looked around the room nonchalantly. What would Pete have seen through the windows last night?
Nothing. Just the furniture and appliances and that ugly sailboat picture.
And…
Oh shit! thought Nick. Why don’t I ever learn to clean up after myself?
Sitting on the table in the living room was an empty beer bottle. Beside it was an empty plastic water bottle. Beverages for two!
The coffee maker gurgled to a stop. Nick grabbed a mug out of the cupboard. He poured himself a cup of reality. As he sipped the hot liquid, he mulled over his options. If Jo was right, then Pete was a danger. That meant that authorities had to be notified. If Jo was wrong, that meant that some apologizing and face-saving had to be done by Nick. Hopefully, Pete wouldn’t be too pissed and take it to the media.
Either way, it meant that Nick wasn’t getting out onto the ocean just yet.
He checked the bedroom door, making sure it was closed. Then he moved to the hatchway. He unlocked the door and unbolted the hatch cover. He slowly slid the hatch back. Then he opened the door and climbed the stairs, peering around innocently. There was no one there.
In fact, there was no one anywhere. It was just past six in the morning, and everyone else at the marina was asleep. Nick didn’t see a light on anywhere. He climbed to the bridge and looked around, but he didn’t see any movement on the Sunset Voyager.
Nick sipped his coffee thoughtfully and stared at the boat. Now what?
He guessed Jo had the answer to that. He went below to wake her and hear her explanation.
