Chapter Twenty Two
Andrea’s dinner of fried Yellowtail, rice, and beans was prefaced by deep fried plantain. She and Brian loved the appetizer. “How do you cook this?” Andrea spoke to the waiter when he returned with their main course.
“We peel, then slice the plantain before we fry it in vegetable oil.” He set their plates in front of them. “Mam’selle, here is your petite dinner.” Camilla giggled at his use of so formal a name for her. He set down a smaller version of Brian’s chicken dinner.
As they took their first bite, the music started. It was the same band that had entertained them the last time they ate here. “Do you think we’ll be able to dance like those people?” Andrea laughed between mouthfuls imagining their efforts.
Camilla spoke around the food in her mouth. “Papa teach me some of dose dances. When we walk on de street and the music guys play out dere, we dance.”
“Well then I guess you’ll have to teach us, eh little one?” Brian straightened the napkin on her lap. He poured her another glass of water from the pitcher left by their waiter. “Mam’selle Andrea will just have to follow my lead, I’m afraid.”
The dinner was delicious. As soon as they’d finished, Brian led Camilla to the dance floor. She demonstrated the easy steps taught her by her father and he followed amidst plenty of laughter. Then it was Andrea’s turn. Brian walked over to the table, seated Camilla again, and then bowed from the waist as he held out his hand. Andrea giggled but then placed her hand over her hot face.
“Let’s give it a try, shall we? We can’t go home not having tried to at least make a good attempt to learn the dances here.” Brian led the way and turned slowly. He opened his arms for Andrea.
“Brian, maybe this is not a good idea. I mean…well…we’re not really here to enjoy ourselves, are we? This is business.”
“Andrea, when we left, we said we were also going to have some fun. Now come on. It’s just a dance. I promise I won’t bite.” Brian made his arms as inviting as he could.
“Oh, alright. But…”
“No buts. Come. Let’s have some fun.” Brian tugged on her hand until Andrea was encased in the masculine scent of him. He swayed, almost in perfect rhythm to the beat of the steel drums. Andrea felt herself relax.
Lost in their musical surroundings, appearing as if they didn’t have a care in the world, Andrea and Brian swayed, twirled, and sashayed through three more numbers. They laughed a lot but the rhythm from the band was definitely not all that beat in time to the music. Andrea caught herself several times wanting to lay her head on his shoulder as Brian’s hand cradled her back. She feared looking in his eyes so kept her head down the whole time.
“I think Camilla is getting lonely.” She turned toward their table. Brian followed but seemed to lag behind a bit. When they reached Camilla, she looked as if she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. “Are you tired?”
“Oh, oui. But I tink you want to dance more, non?” Camilla grinned at her two new friends.
“Huh…we’ve danced enough. Right Brian?” Andrea’s face flushed more as her thoughts betrayed her common sense. “That was fun but now we need to get rested up for a busy day tomorrow.” She felt like she was escaping a cleverly laid trap.
•
Brian was sorry the night had to end. There’s something about that woman. I wonder why I never noticed before. “I guess I’m not too tired yet. Andrea, you dance very well. We’ll have to do this again.” He waltzed another step or two as they left the dining room, his feet clearly not done for the evening.
•
Andrea walked slowly beside Camilla to the elevator. I’d better not let that happen again. I can’t believe I acted that way. I hope he didn’t notice. I like Brian. I’d hate to ruin a perfectly good friendship with my nonsensical female emotions. She turned toward the topic of her thoughts at the door to her room. “Er…night Brian. See you tomorrow.” She turned toward the interior of her room.
“Goodnight Andrea. Sleep well. If you need me, call. Lock that door, okay. Maybe even put a chair in front of it.” She watched as Brian pulled the door shut.
Camilla was almost asleep before her head hit the pillow. Her last words before she drifted off were about the “party” they’d just attended. Andrea smiled. She took her time getting undressed. That child has experienced so little of life. Everything she does is a special event. The novelty of being in the Caribbean had not worn off for Andrea either. It seemed that when she and Brian had a chance to do something other than detective work, they really had a good time together. Of course, it was all for Camilla’s benefit, wasn’t it? I’m going to miss her when we take her to the orphanage.
Carefully removing the little make-up she wore, Andrea creamed her face. She did a quick step toward her side of the bed and then slipped her bare feet beneath the sheets. Camilla had sprawled across the entire width, but her waif like frame made moving her a simple task. Andrea lay quietly waiting for sleep to come. Another scuba lesson tomorrow. Ugh. I sure wish I enjoyed it more. Andrea was determined to get over her fright even if the mere thought of going into the water again caused her to toss and turn.
Lord, I want to trust you with this situation as well as the safety of the Michners. Please give me a good night’s sleep and let me not worry about the things I cannot change. If you have another way for us to follow those men without being seen, please let us know. But if this is your plan, please protect both of us and allow us to accomplish the task at hand. Oh, and give Brian a good night’s sleep too. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Andrea felt her body drift into a peaceful sleep as her mind hummed the words to her favorite praise chorus, Awesome God.
•
Morning dawned bright and sunny. While she lay there waiting for Camilla to stir, Andrea thought about the day ahead. I wonder if there are any days here when the sun doesn’t shine. She stretched. Maybe the scuba thing will be just fine. Maybe I’ll find something to concentrate on once I’m in the ocean instead of my fear. Andrea looked at the sleeping child. Maybe Camilla would be safer if she stayed at the hotel today. I’ll have to ask Mrs. Gevin if she would consider keeping Camilla for us again.
Camilla squiggled and then opened her eyes. She smiled. “Bonjour mam’selle. I ‘ave along sleep, non?” She raised herself onto one elbow. “We go eat now?”
“As soon as you can get dressed. After breakfast, though, I want you to stay with Mrs. Gevin again. Brian and I have another scuba lesson and…”
Camilla pounded her fists on the bed. Tears streaked down her cheeks. “I don’t want to stay ‘ere. I want to come wit you.”
“Honey, I know you do but Brian and I will work hard to get done as fast as we can and then…”
The child was inconsolable. She climbed onto Andrea’s lap and clung to her as if she’d never let her go. “Please don’t leave me. I’ll be good. I promise.” She sobbed into Andrea’s nightgown.
“Camilla, listen. We are not leaving you. If I give you my handbag to keep for me, and my passport, will you stay here until I can come back for you? We’ll only be gone for the morning and then we’ll…well, we’ll talk about the afternoon later. I can’t go anywhere without my handbag or passport, now can I?” Andrea hugged the tiny body to her. She rocked her until the sobs subsided.
Camilla looked into her eyes with damp eyelashes sparkling in the sunshine. “I go to Madam Gevin. I will wait, non?” She sniffed. “Can we get dressed to eat now?”
Andrea laughed and mussed her hair. “You sure can change your tune in a hurry can’t you? And I’m glad you can.” She placed the girl on the bed beside her, stood and began rummaging through the dresser for some fresh clothes. Camilla did the same.
After a short meal in the dining room, Andrea spoke to Mrs. Gevin about looking after Camilla for her. Once that was looked after, she and Brian walked the short distance to the dock where their scuba instructor’s shop was located.
The next lesson began as soon as they arri
ved. “I want you to gather the equipment you will need without my assistance. Assemble your gear by yourselves.” He folded his arms to wait for them to begin. When you’re ready, we’ll go to the pool again for our first dive. I was going to take you straight out to the ocean for both dives but, Andrea, I think another pool lesson is warranted for you. We’ll go over the basics again before we try the ocean.”
Andrea’s stomach lurched. She gave their instructor a look of gratitude for his patience and then began to assemble the equipment she’d need. She remembered her prayer from the night before as she grabbed a tank that had already been filled according to the gauge that was attached to it. She attached a regulator as she’d been taught the day before and then plunked the whole thing through the straps at the back of the vest. Brian, as her buddy, made sure her vest and tank was secure while she checked his.
“Just carry the wet suit with you. We’ll suit up at the pool. Do you have your swim suit on under your clothes?” The instructor was holding the door for them to leave for the pool.
Brian walked beside her. “Andrea, I hope that you feel okay about all this. And about last night…”
“What about last night? We were just having fun. Isn’t that what you said?”
“Yes but…” He shifted his load from one hand to the other.
Andrea looked into his face to see if she could detect anything. She decided to change the subject. “I’ll do just fine today. I prayed about all this last night.”
“Well, here we are. Thank goodness. This stuff is heavy. I don’t know how you can carry all that.”
“I have more muscles than you might think.” Andrea smirked at him with a teasing glint in her eye. “Maybe I work out. You never know, do you?”
“No, you are full of surprises.” He opened the door leading to the deck and the pool. They set their equipment on a nearby bench, took off their outer clothing and donned their wetsuits over their swim suits.
Their instructor checked the equipment and then slowly, all three entered the water. Andrea carefully inhaled and exhaled as the water covered her head. Kneeling on the bottom of the pool beside Brian, as relaxed as she had ever been, she actually began to enjoy the clear blue water. With hand signals, their instructor directed them to remove their equipment and then to put it back on again. He asked them to buddy breathe while they swam to the deepest part of the pool.
As long as she relaxed, Andrea swam with ease. The panic attack from the day before was non-existent. The water was cool, clear, and an azure blue. Other people were swimming at the shallow end. Andrea enjoyed watching their antics from under the water instead of always on top. She saw Brian’s eyebrows lift a little as he gave her the approval sign. All too soon their instructor signaled them to check their gauges. It was time to surface.
“Wow,” Andrea exclaimed when she had taken off her mask and spit the regulator out of her mouth. “That was fun. In fact I found it downright exhilarating. Now I know why people do this and I - I haven’t even been in the ocean yet … Gosh …. all the fish and other sea life.” Her excitement caused her words to jumble and her eyes sparkled. Brian smiled as he watched this otherwise quiet woman become boisterous and even a little loud. She seemed to be almost beside herself.
“Now we go to the real water?” At the dive center, they were told to disconnect their tank from their BC in order to replace it with a full one. They loaded their equipment into the boat docked alongside the dive shop. Soon they’d left the harbor behind. “We’ll go out about three miles. There’s a reef made of coral, home of many fish with a variety of colorful markings.” The proverbial teacher, their instructor went over some added information for a sea dive. “We will have a good dive, I think. All is calm today.”
Brian and Andrea sat towards the back of the boat watching the seagulls fly alongside. At almost the same speed, they skimmed over the water. “Those birds are so graceful.” Andrea pointed to one that seemed to fly sideways.
“He’s hoping we’ll throw him some food, I think. This boat looks about the same size as those fishing boats we noticed in the harbor yesterday.” Brian looked from front to back.
“I wonder what kind of fish they catch here. I’ll bet you’d like to go deep sea fishing here sometime. Maybe when this is all over, we can spend an extra day or two.” Andrea leaned her head back over the railing, letting the salt water spray her warm face. The air was warm with the sun blazing to the east.
The sky was completely cloudless and the bluest blue either of them had ever seen. “If it wasn’t for our ultimate mission here,” whispered Brian, “I could really get to like Caribbean life.”
“Oh, me too. Everyone seems so relaxed and in no hurry to go anywhere. I love being so close to the water and the sandy beaches.” Andrea had already acquired a modest tan.
•
Brian took a deep breath. It felt as if they had been here much longer than just a few days. I’ll bet Trent and Diane think they’ve been here a lot longer too. I miss them. I miss Trent’s humor and Diane’s cooking. He sighed, feeling a little guilty that he was enjoying himself so much when they probably weren’t. Of course, the look on the face of the woman across from him was a good reason to go on enjoying what time they had left before the real work of finding the Michners began. Andrea looked radiant.
•
No one noticed the other boat, just off to their right heading in the same direction. At least not at first. When they did see the sleek craft skimming on top of the waves, Brian and Andrea thought it was just another tourist, one of the many deep sea fishing craft or pleasure boats anchored in the harbor. After all, the native people made their living on the water.
The ocean rolled gently as the boat cut through each crest. Spray hit the dive team giving their skin a slightly sticky feel. It still cooled them from the hot rays of the sun. Andrea’s skin glistened. She remained relaxed while the boat captain took them to their destination.
Emerging from below decks, their instructor offered them a cool drink of bottled water. He sat beside his clients. “Why do you want to learn to dive, Brian.”
“We – uh - we are doing – uh – research … for a - a book that we are collaborating on.” The lie stumbled over his lips. “Andrea and I are writers.” He nodded his head in an attempt to confirm his story and then adroitly changed the subject. “How much farther are we going out?”
“We will go about another ten minutes or so, and then we will dive.”
“Do you take very many novices like us to this place?” Brian asked.
“Oh yes. I have enough clients each year to feed my family. Last month, I took some men, also from your country, who wished to dive for treasure, they said, but I never saw them take a boat out again after they learned to dive. Once in a while, I see one or another of them around town, but I don’t think they are doing any diving.”
“Can you tell us what they look like?” Brian’s interest was piqued.
“No, they just look like Americans. One has a thin face. The other has a large nose, but that’s all. I recognize them when I see them though. Here we are. Time to make a real dive.”
Andrea’s eyes opened just as the boat’s engines reversed to keep them steady in the water. They were faced with calm seas. There was nothing visible for miles around except a few other boats. One was just to their right but far enough away that no one on board was recognizable. “I guess we are going to have some diving buddies.” She nodded her head in the direction of the other boat. “Look over there.” Two men could be seen equipping themselves for a dive. They were still too far away, though, for facial features to be seen.
“We have many other excursion boats here.” Their instructor gathered the equipment for his students. They proceeded to suit up once again. “Now, when you have your equipment in place, put the regulator in your mouth before you enter the water. Stand on this little deck at the back of the boat. With your hand over your mask and regulator, jump into the water feet first a
nd well away from the boat. Come to the surface, but keep your regulator in your mouth. You’ll not like the taste of the salt water. When we are all in the water, we will descend together. The water here is only 25 feet, so not too deep, eh?”
Andrea and Brian completed the task of putting on all their gear, making sure they checked each other’s equipment. With swim fins on and the regulators in their mouths, first Brian and then Andrea jumped into the water. Their instructor followed closely behind.
As Andrea hit the water, it closed over her head. Panic enveloped her in its bile wrenching grip. Sucking all knowledge of scuba training from her brain, the panic scattered her senses to the wind. She kicked for the surface as if her life depended on it. At that moment she was convinced it did. Once she reached fresh air, she yanked the regulator out of her mouth. In her panic, she gasped in salt water with the air she so desperately wanted and choked immediately on the briny taste.
Almost instantaneously Brian and their instructor were by her side. The instructor shoved the regulator back in her mouth, grabbed her head between both of his hands as best he could while bobbing on the water’s surface. He pointed to his eyes and signaled for her to take slow even breaths. Andrea did as instructed. Before long the feeling of terror left her. She was able to slowly descend with one man on either side of her. She grasped their hands with the strength of a wrestler until they stopped at the ten foot level. There Andrea calmly let go of Brian’s hand and then that of their instructor. While both men flexed their fingers where her grip had almost cut off the blood supply, she became engrossed in the water world surrounding them.
Andrea saw the most incredible sight. Fish were everywhere. A small school of silvery bodies swam close by. It was an awesome experience. The trio stayed at this level for a couple of minutes until Andrea felt as comfortable as she had in the pool, then proceeded to the bottom. In the lower depths, she could see sea fans waving gently in the slight current. Off in the distance, a stingray presented its tail end as it swam toward a far off place. White sand, or at least it looked as white as anything the novices had ever seen, decorated the bottom. They swam toward small sandy hills accented with sharp coral, the home of hundreds of tiny animals.
Andrea vowed not to forget the lesson she had just learned again as she continued to take slow, even breathes. Brightly colored angel fish arrayed in blues and yellows swam by, as did a small version of Jaws. Their instructor had warned them about nurse sharks so neither grew alarmed at the sight of their first one. A giddy feeling of pure pleasure erupted inside Andrea. Who would have thought that I, little mousy office girl, would be swimming with the fish in Haiti? Boy, is God stretching my boundaries or what!
The duo swam slowly around the bottom exploring their territory while their instructor hunted for treasure. He picked up this object and then another, this one valuable enough to place in the pouch similar to the one each of them carried. Andrea noticed a large school of tiny gray fish that glistened as they swam towards her. She knelt on the bottom, staying very still to see if they would swim around her. She held out her hand slowly. Fish seemed to be everywhere within her line of sight.
•
Brian, seeing how relaxed Andrea appeared, decided to explore further. Visibility was about twenty feet, so he felt she would be in no danger. They could see each other wherever they went. Brian turned his attention to another large creature of the deep, a lobster this time. The native Haitian explored for treasure dropped to the bottom decades ago. This part of the Caribbean had been inhabited by pirates who accosted ships for their precious cargos, much of which was lost to the ocean. A lot of divers spend their time looking for treasure in these waters.
•
Andrea slowly passed by a sand outcropping with several sea fans growing beside it. No one noticed the black garbed stranger, or his gloved hand as it grabbed Andrea’s air hose from behind. With the knife he carried, he cut her air hose in two, careful not to tug or let her know of his presence. He then swam off completely unnoticed.
Andrea, caught up in her surroundings, was totally unaware of what happened until she gasped for her next breath. There wasn’t any air. Frantically searching for her dive partners, she signaled them for assistance. She carefully continued to maintain her calm since the instructor had warned them that panic could kill. In a few seconds, they were beside her. She signaled she was out of air as previously instructed so Brian offered her his spare regulator. She inhaled slowly, thankful they’d been close by. The trio slowly ascended to the surface.
“What happened?” Brian asked as soon as they were safely aboard the boat and their regulators and masks were removed.
“I don’t know. One minute I had air, the next I didn’t.” Andrea grabbed her air hose. “I think it’s been cut or maybe I cut it on some coral.”
“It looks to me as if it was cut on purpose.” The instructor looked closely at her air hose. “Someone want to scare you, maybe?”
“Well, they succeeded. I thought I was going to die. It was lucky you guys were not too far off.”
•
“Not lucky. That’s why we swim with a partner, someone to help when we need it. I think we’re finished for today.” He slowly looked around at the other boats nearby wondering where the unseen assailant had come from. The boat anchored closest to them, the one they had seen earlier, had no distinctive markings as a means to identify whose boat it was. Curious, he thought, as he proceeded to ready his diving equipment for unloading once they’d reached the dock and the dive center.
•
“When do you think we can make another dive?” Brian, more confident than ever before that someone wanted to stop them from finding the Michners, was anxious to become certified so they could be prepared before the next ceremony. We must be on the right track. . If diving was the only means to locating their dear friends and discovering why Andrea’s neighbor was killed, then so be it. He looked attentively towards Andrea. Somehow, everything seems to happen to her. The guys they were up against, were obviously cowards, afraid to tackle him, but willing to terrorize a defenseless woman. He began to feel angry, so much so that he almost choked. What would Jesus do? He knew immediately. Jesus would protect this woman from any more harm, one way or another.
•
The boat took them back to Port Au Prince following the same route they had taken to get to the reef. Instructing his students to meet him the next morning at the same time, he bid them good-bye and watched as they walked back to their hotel. He removed his equipment from the boat, and began hauling it into the dive shop for cleaning. Before the job was complete, he dialed the number for the local police.
“Hey Sergeant, put me through to the Captain, will ya?” He scratched his nail across the well worn counter top. “Good morning Captain. I wanted to report an incident that seems mighty suspicious. Someone cut the air tank hose of one of my students today. I saw a boat, unmarked, not far from where we were diving. I saw that same boat tied to the pier just down from my shop. Maybe you should check it out.”
He listened while the Captain tried to explain the incident away. That man is so lazy. “Well, I reported it anyway. If you choose not to do anything about it, that’s your business now.” He slammed the phone down, agitated that the police were so inept. He continued the job of unloading his equipment.
When his task was done, he left the shop, and headed for his truck and a trip home for a hot lunch. Just as he was getting in the vehicle, two men approached him with a look of purpose about them. It didn’t take him long to recognize his students from a month ago. He smiled a greeting. “Good morning gentlemen. Back for some more diving?”
They did not return his smile. Continuing to walk purposefully toward the native, they both reached into their jacket pocket. “You called the police on us.” The larger man growled. He pulled a knife from his pocket. The dive instructor started to back away from them. They were not there for a friendly visit. “What do you want?”
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sp; They shoved. The native backed towards some fishing nets located along the edge of the dock.
“What do you want,” he asked again. Fear seeped from his eyes. Maybe these men did cut Andrea’s hose. “I have done nothing to you. Leave me alone.”
The men never said another word. They looked around but no one was watching. They pushed him over the side into the water. He grabbed onto a net. It collapsed on his head as he hit the water’s surface. The weighted net dragged him under, entangling him in its folds. He struggled frantically to free himself. Within a minute or two, he was dead. No one along that side of the dock saw a thing, or so they told the police who arrived later.
•
Andrea and Brian were totally unaware of the nearby drama. They sauntered towards their hotel, anticipating a tasty lunch with Camilla. “That was scary this morning. Are you sure you’re alright?” Brian took Andrea’s elbow and stopped her in the middle of the street. He watched for any sign that she might be faltering in her resolve to find the Michners.
“I don’t care what they try to do to me. I know I’d never forgive myself if I gave up now. We need to know what they do with those people and where they take them.”
They continued toward the hotel. “It won’t be any fault of yours if you decide to end this search and hand it over to the police. I want to find the Michners as much as you do but somehow you seem to be the target all the time. They’re cowards. They know I’d fight back.”
The conversation ended just in front of the hotel. Camilla was reading a book on the veranda with Mrs. Gevin. She danced with glee when they approached. “Can we eat now? I am very ‘ongry, non?”
“We can eat, and then we want to visit the graveyard where people who are washed ashore are buried.” Andrea held the little girl’s hand. “You can stay with Mrs….”
“Non, non, let me come with you, pleeease,” begged the waif, looking every bit the little girl in one of her new shorts and top sets. “I be good, I promise.”
“It’s a graveyard,” explained Andrea, “not a place for little girls.” She hugged Camilla close to her heart. Her desire to protect the little girl from any more unpleasantness in her life was overwhelming. Andrea knew that could very well be the place where they would find Camilla’s parents.
Brian led his female companions into the dining room while they continued to argue about the trip to the cemetery. Camilla was adamant she not be left alone again that afternoon. Andrea was just as convinced that it would not be a good place to take her.
“Why not let her stay outside the graveyard while we explore the markers for the names of anyone we might know?” Brian hoped to appease the two females before the argument ended in a tantrum.
Andrea grinned with a twinkle in her eye. “Now, why didn’t I think of that?” It was the perfect solution.
•
When Camilla was asked what she thought, she acquiesced almost immediately. Lunch proceeded with the laughter and fun that had become commonplace when Camilla was with her new friends.
Camilla had never before known people like these two. Now they had introduced her to a friend who would never leave her, even if they had to someday. Jesus love me, care about me. She hugged the knowledge to her chest. This she believed with all her heart. Andrea and Brian had told her over breakfast that morning that she was going to go to the orphanage in Santo Domingo. I ’ear good rumors bout dat place. I can take my Jesus dere, dey tell me. At least, Brian said dey would see if that be a good place pour moi. Dey are family now, but the Padre would soon become my family, non? Her insides wanted to cry. I will miss de Americans very much.
* * * * *