Rising Tide Read online

  ‘Emily,’ he said as he reached her, grasping her shoulders and pulling her towards him. ‘Emily, it’s so good to see you.’

  ‘Oh, Thomas, I … I’m … it’s …’ Emily stumbled over her words, overwhelmed suddenly by his presence. ‘It’s been so long and I’ve been so wanting—’

  ‘I can’t stay, Emily. I have a couple of things to finish up at work but I had to see you, even just for a minute. I’ll be back later. The rehearsal’s at seven and I’ll see you right afterwards. And Emily, I have the next five days off. Plenty of time for us to catch up, hang out, go sailing. We have to go sailing. I can’t wait.’

  Emily could barely get a word in, but she didn’t need to. It was clear from Thomas’ words what his feelings were and as he spoke Emily’s feelings also became clearer. Five days together. Time. Time to talk and laugh. Time to explore the island and explore each other. Perhaps time enough to figure things out.

  ‘I better go or I’ll never get back by seven,’ Thomas said, and with a quick kiss on the cheek he was gone.

  Emily smiled as she returned to her lounge chair and looked around her. Had the water ever been this blue, the sky this bright, the flowers this vibrant? She closed her eyes and let her hand drift to the sand. Had the sun ever been this warm, the sand this soft, the breeze this gentle? The warmth of Thomas spread through her and she soon drifted off to sleep.

  But it was short-lived as she heard talking and laughter behind her. ‘Peggy, here, let me help,’ she called out, seeing Peggy struggling carrying Maggie, a bag and a rolled mat across the sand.

  ‘Thanks, Emily,’ Peggy said, dropping her stuff on the lounge chair next to Emily. ‘Seems like this is your job every time you see me. I’ll try not to let it happen too often.’

  ‘No problem.’ Emily reached for Maggie. ‘Here, let me hold her while you set up.’

  Peggy unrolled the brightly colored mat on the sand. ‘This was in my room,’ she said. ‘Annie must have left it there. And a basket filled with everything a baby could need or want − extra diapers, a sun hat, sunscreen – seventy-five SPF. I don’t think I’ve ever seen seventy-five before. This pail and shovel, some water toys.’

  She put the pail and shovel, a sippy cup with water, a shape-sorter box and two small board books on the mat and reached for Maggie. ‘The mother’s helper should be here any minute.’ She sat Maggie down and flopped onto the lounge chair. ‘I’m still exhausted. I’m afraid it was a short nap and by the time I unpacked Maggie was awake, but hopefully it will mean an early bedtime.’ She paused and glanced at Emily. ‘I don’t mean to pry, but Sarah mentioned that there might be a romance brewing for—’

  ‘Peggy,’ they heard Annie call from the path before Emily had a chance to say anything. Walking with her was a beautiful young girl, thin and tall with long legs, blonde hair that reached well below her shoulders and the deep blue eyes that were so prevalent in Aruba. ‘Peggy, let me introduce Ariana Van Meeterens,’ Annie said, turning towards the young girl. Emily imagined her to be about seventeen.

  ‘Hi, Ariana.’ Peggy reached out her hand as Ariana gave a soft hello.

  ‘And this is Maggie.’ She gestured towards the baby, who had turned her head up to see who was there and smiled a perfect smile.

  ‘Oh, she’s so cute. How old is she?’ Ariana asked.

  ‘Just turned nine months, and yes, she is cute but don’t be fooled – she can be a handful.’ And as if to demonstrate that, Maggie picked up her pail of sand and dumped it over her head. Peggy bent to rescue her from the cascading sand and Ariana joined her on the mat.

  ‘Ariana is on her winter break so she’ll be able to help out for several days,’ Annie explained. ‘She has lots of experience with little kids. She’s one of the most sought-after babysitters on the island. She’ll be greatly missed when she goes off to college in the fall.’ Ariana blushed.

  Emily noticed how quickly Ariana was able to engage Maggie. She started filling up the bucket with sand again, but when Maggie pushed it away (perhaps remembering what had just happened), she quickly picked up one of the board books. ‘Mama duck had five little ducklings,’ she began, making quacking noises as she read. Maggie giggled with each quack.

  ‘Oh, that’s great,’ Peggy said, slowly getting up from the mat to let Ariana and Maggie play together.

  ‘She can stay for about an hour now and then come back this evening and mind her during the rehearsal and dinner. Till about ten, I think. Is that right, Ariana?’

  ‘Ten is fine, even eleven is OK.’ Ariana seemed easy-going and perceptive, sensing quickly when Maggie was losing interest in what they were doing. ‘Can I take her down to play in the water?’ she asked. ‘She seems to be getting bored playing here.’ She stood up and took off her Dance Aruba T-shirt.

  ‘Oh, what’s happened to your arm?’ Annie said, reaching out to stroke the fiery bruise on Ariana’s right arm.

  ‘Oh, that,’ Ariana answered, and looked away for a moment. ‘It’s nothing. I’m just so clumsy.’ She shrugged. ‘We’ll just play at the edge and then maybe I could take her for a walk in the stroller.’ She looked at Peggy as she slipped the T-shirt back over her head.

  ‘Be my guest,’ Peggy said. ‘I’d love to take a short snooze here on the beach.’

  ‘OK then,’ Annie answered. ‘I’ll leave you all to it. Time for me to head up to the house and see how all the rehearsal arrangements are coming along.’

  ‘I think I’ll head back to my room. A nap before dinner sounds like a great idea,’ Emily said, but Peggy already had her eyes closed.

  FOUR

  Emily woke from her nap energized and excited. She opened the shutters and looked out at the darkening sky. Night had fallen while she was napping and she knew she needed to hurry now. The rehearsal must be underway and that meant under an hour till dinner, but she could not resist stepping outside to see the moon’s ascent. Bright twinkling stars began to appear and she could hear the soft lapping of the water. The air was cooler than this afternoon but pleasant, with the same soft breeze. As she sat for a moment she heard a sound on the path that led to the main house. In the distance she saw what looked like three figures, a man, a woman and a child in a stroller. She realized that it must be Ariana with Maggie, but as she looked the third figure seemed to disappear; maybe it had never been there.

  As they got closer, Emily raised her arm to wave and Ariana noticed her.

  ‘Whoa,’ she said, her voice surprised. ‘I didn’t see you there.’

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Looks like Maggie wasn’t ready to fall asleep.’

  ‘Not by a long shot. She was a little upset when Peggy left so I put her in the stroller and walked up to the rehearsal. She was much happier outside so I thought we should just keep walking around. I’m hoping she gets sleepy.’

  ‘Well, she looks pretty sleepy now,’ Emily said, seeing Maggie’s drooping eyes. ‘Has the rehearsal started?’

  ‘Just a few minutes ago. On the beach in front of the main house. It seems to be going pretty well. Sarah will be a beautiful bride. She’s so lucky.’

  ‘I’d better get ready,’ Emily said, opening the door to her suite. ‘Good luck; I hope she settles down.’

  Emily hung her lime-green dress in the bathroom and ran the hot water for several minutes until the steam took care of the last of the wrinkles. She took out her strappy green sandals, with heels, and placed them by the bed. They had been an unusual purchase for her. Michael, only an inch taller than Emily, had never liked her wearing high heels. She showered and dressed quickly, leaving her red hair loose around her shoulders, anxious now to get to the main house. Dinner, she knew, would be an elaborate affair held at the resort’s restaurant, Pepperhearts.

  The moon had risen higher in the sky and it cast a silvery glow on the water and the sand. As she walked along the path, she savored the sweet smell of the bougainvillea. Up ahead, she could see the twinkling white lights that draped the small trees at the entrance to the
restaurant. It was a beautiful space, open to the night with a series of terraces leading all the way down to the sea wall. She could see many of the guests were already sharing cocktails, and their conversation and gentle laughter filled the night.

  ‘Emily,’ a voice called as soon as she entered. ‘My dear, we’re over here.’ I’d recognize that voice anywhere, Emily thought with a laugh. And there before her was a tall, perfectly coifed woman, her patrician face meticulously made up, highlighted with smoky eyeshadow and luminescent lips. Her incredibly thin frame was draped tonight in a deep emerald gown with a rhinestone-trimmed halter top that emphasized her long, thin neck.

  ‘Marietta, it’s wonderful to see you,’ Emily said as she joined her on the terrace. Marietta St. John was an aging New York society columnist. The only daughter of the black sheep of a prominent family, she had used her name and connections to make a career for herself. A frequent guest at the Bluffs, she had been caught up in last year’s murder of Roger Stirhew, and had even been a suspect for a brief time.

  ‘You look just lovely, my dear. Now, I hope you are heeding the advice I gave you last year. Not too much sun. I see you’ve already gotten some today. You’re so fair. It will only bring out more freckles. Isn’t this a marvelous occasion? I couldn’t be happier for Sarah and Jon, especially after all that nastiness last year. And, of course, for Annie and Martin, too. And tell me, my dear, what is happening with you and that …’

  Emily was spared from answering Marietta’s question by the arrival of Nora, Marietta’s constant companion. ‘Oh, Nora, look who’s here. It’s our Emily, and doesn’t she look wonderful?’

  A pleasant-looking woman in her late fifties, Nora Richards had undergone a remarkable change since Emily had seen her last. She was no longer chubby and plain looking, trying desperately to blend into the background. Tonight she was stylishly dressed and self-possessed, comfortable as she came to Marietta’s side.

  ‘Hello, Emily, it’s so good to see you again and yes, Marietta, she does look lovely. Now, here are your pills and you really must try to remember them.’

  ‘I know, I know. I do try, dear, really, I do,’ Marietta answered, placing her hand gently on Nora’s arm. ‘You’ve heard our news, Emily?’

  Emily certainly had heard their news. Although she had become quietly aware of it during last year’s investigation, it had created quite a stir when Marietta St. John had come out, revealing to the world that her long-time companion was in fact her partner.

  ‘Of course, I always believed you suspected last year, and Nora and I so wanted to tell you, but we just weren’t ready. After we returned to New York, we talked and talked about it and decided that it was time to tell the truth and we would deal with the consequences. And, well, you know, my dear, simply everyone is doing it.’

  Emily laughed as she answered. ‘I did hear, Marietta, and you created quite a stir in New York.’

  ‘Oh, not just in New York, my dear, no, no. Everywhere. You cannot imagine the letters I received, so …’

  Just then everyone’s attention turned to the terrace steps as the wedding party entered the dining room. Sarah practically glowed as she held Jon’s hand and waved to the guests. Alex and Peggy followed behind, and Thomas and a friend of Jon’s from New York followed them.

  Martin, always the consummate host, walked to the center of the room. ‘I just wanted to take this moment to welcome all of you,’ he said with a sweep of his arm. ‘This is a very special occasion for us, one we’ve been anticipating for some time, and Annie and I thank you for sharing it with us. It seems like only yesterday that our lovely Sarah was—’

  ‘Oh, no, you don’t,’ Annie said, laughing as she joined Martin in the center of the room. ‘Save your speech for tomorrow. I think the father of the bride is only allowed one. But let me repeat Martin’s words – your presence makes this occasion all the more special for us. And now, a glass of champagne for all.’

  With that cue, waiters filed onto the terraces carrying trays filled with sparkling glasses. The small steel band struck a mellow Caribbean tune and everyone started to mingle. Thomas immediately made his way over to Emily. ‘Emily, you look lovely,’ he said, giving her a quick hug. Then, turning: ‘Marietta, Nora, it’s good to see you again, and in much happier circumstances.’

  ‘Inspector,’ Marietta said, holding out her hand.

  ‘No, no. No inspector tonight. Thomas, please.’

  ‘Of course, Thomas,’ she replied. ‘It is a wonderful occasion. I simply love weddings, don’t you, Emily?’

  Emily and Thomas quickly escaped the inquiring eyes of Marietta and headed over to where Sarah and Jon were standing with friends.

  ‘Sarah, it’s wonderful to see you. Thank you so much for inviting me,’ Emily said.

  ‘Oh, Emily, after all you did for Jon … I shudder to think of what might have happened if you hadn’t … And anyway, our best man practically insisted.’

  ‘There was no practically about it,’ Jon added as Thomas actually blushed.

  ‘Enough, enough,’ Thomas said, laughing. ‘Any more of this and Emily and I are going to sit by ourselves for dinner.’

  Dinner was delightful but decidedly low key. It was clear that Annie and Martin wanted the evening to be relaxing and finish early; after all, they had a very big day tomorrow. Emily and Thomas enjoyed being part of the ‘young crowd’ as Annie had put it. There was much laughter as the group shared stories and jokes. As many of them were to do with New York City, Emily felt a part of the conversation right away, but Thomas was a bit quiet. He was the only one who had never been to New York and gave up trying to play catch-up with the group. And although they enjoyed the dinner, he and Emily were anxious to spend some time alone.

  FIVE

  It was close to ten when the dinner ended. Most of the guests headed back to their rooms or to their homes if they were islanders, and cheerful goodnights filled the air. Jon and Sarah were headed back to Oranjestad, and Peggy was anxious to see how Maggie had fared. Emily and Thomas spent a few minutes talking to Annie and Martin, who seemed delighted with the evening and for once didn’t stay around for the clean-up. They had brought in plenty of extra staff, hoping to enjoy these few days. The night was beautiful and surprisingly quiet by the time they left the main house, so Emily and Thomas decided to take a walk on the beach.

  They had only gone a short distance along the softly lit path when a figure approached from the bay beach. Emily strained to see who it was but it was difficult to see beyond the path. It wasn’t until they were quite close that she realized it was Ariana.

  ‘Oh, it’s you, Ariana. Sorry, it’s so hard to see beyond the lights. How did the evening go?’

  ‘It was great. Maggie is adorable and after we walked for a while she settled down. And as soon as we got back to the suite she went to sleep. I wish all the kids I minded were that easy. Well, guess I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m coming back before the wedding so Peggy can get ready. ’Bye.’

  ‘Goodnight,’ Emily said, watching Ariana walk towards the resort exit. And then, noticing how deserted it seemed, she called out, ‘Wait, Ariana, how are you getting home?’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry about me,’ she called back over her shoulder and pointed to a car idling beyond the front gate. ‘A friend is picking me up. See you.’

  ‘Such a sweet girl,’ Emily said to Thomas as they walked along. ‘She’s helping mind Peggy’s baby over the next couple of days. Her parents are good friends of Annie and Martin. Annie thinks of everything … You seemed kind of quiet tonight.’

  ‘Did I? Yeah, I guess I did. It’s funny – seeing Jon and Sarah getting married makes me feel … sad, somehow. Oh, not for them, it’s great for them, but it just makes me wonder what I’m doing with my life. Jon has done so much: moving to New York, becoming a chef – something that he loves, even though his parents weren’t too happy – the restaurant, and now this. I don’t know.’

  ‘I thought you loved what you’re doing, Thomas.�
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  ‘I do, but … You know, when I was young I wanted to be a teacher or a writer. I wanted to study history and literature and classics. I loved school. More than anything I wanted to go to college, but there wasn’t much chance of that.’

  Emily remained quiet, wanting to give Thomas the time he needed.

  ‘You see, my father drank. Not so much when I was real young, but more and more. By the time I got to high school he had no job and his health was broken. My mother wasn’t able to stop him. He was never mean or angry really, just depressed and sad. Whatever his demons were, I never found out.’

  Thomas went on to talk for a long time. It seemed that once this door opened he couldn’t close it until he had said it all: his father’s death, his mother’s illness, leaving school and eventually joining the police force. Seemingly coming to terms with it all, but now … well, perhaps not.

  It was after midnight as they headed towards Emily’s suite. ‘Sorry, Em, I imagine that was more than you bargained for?’

  Emily turned towards him, looked into his eyes and gently stroked his cheek. ‘Don’t ever say that, Thomas. I can never repay you for all the nights you listened to me, never becoming tired of my uncertainty, always reassuring. It’s all part of …’ And with that, Thomas drew her to him and kissed her. Emily was drawn by the intensity of his lips and the gentle pressure of his hand on her lower back urging her closer. For a moment she felt herself melt into him.

  She hated for the evening to end, but she knew that Thomas was emotionally drained. ‘We should call it a night,’ she said. ‘You have a busy day tomorrow.’

  ‘I know, you’re right, but let’s spend the morning together,’ Thomas said, his mood brightening. ‘Let’s go sailing. I’d love for you to see Tranquility; she’s a beauty. If we get out early we can be back by noon. I don’t really have anything to do till late afternoon. Let’s, Emily.’

  SIX

  Emily rose early, showered and dressed quickly, put her hair up in a ponytail, grabbed a baseball cap and her tote bag and headed out the door. It was a beautiful morning, with a brilliant sun and a light breeze. Perfect for sailing. Few people were awake this early at the Bluffs, but on the path she met Peggy wheeling Maggie.