Everyone was staring at the treasure thoughtfully or looking at Jaden.
She hesitated and then took another step back, and another. And when no one noticed her moving at that point, she turned and headed into the brush and the pines.
She had unbuckled her dive knife earlier and shoved it into the pocket of her jeans, and she had her jeans on now….
Right. Like a dive knife could save her against the maniac who had decapitated and dismembered two people!
She entered a tree-shaded trail, and felt as if a mist and darkness gathered around her. It did not; it was just that the sun wasn’t penetrating through the pines.
“Carlos?” she said softly.
He stepped out in front of her.
“Jesus Cristo!” he said, and crossed himself. “I have been waiting for you. I have tried so hard to reach you. I need for you to understand.”
There had been so much commotion over Vanessa’s discovery that they had finally broken to go about different tasks when Sean realized that he didn’t see Vanessa anywhere in the group. He saw Katie laying towels over one of the support ropes for her tent to dry, and he hurried over to her. “Katie! Where’s Vanessa?”
“What? Well, she was there with the rest of us, listening to Jaden, and then…”
Her voice trailed away and she stared at him with fear in her eyes.
Sean was afraid that she was going to scream or alert the others. He was terrified that she had been dragged into the pine woods and brush, and he quickly looked around the encampment, searching for members of the original film team.
Zoe was with Bill, preparing the barbecue. Barry was showing Jay the fish he had caught that afternoon while they’d been diving—two snappers and a medium-size grouper.
David came over as he searched the group.
“What’s wrong?” David asked.
“Vanessa,” Sean said.
“I’ll help you search.”
“No—I’ll find her. Make sure that everyone else stays around here, David.”
“Right. If you’re not back in ten minutes, though, I’ll send Liam and Jamie after you.”
Sean nodded and hurried back toward the pines. There was a trail—small and overgrown, but it had been traveled recently.
He ran down the trail, afraid to call her name and afraid not to, his heart thundering. He reminded himself that he was certain that the murders had not been committed by one person alone, that whoever had done it had to have had some assistance.
And they were all back at the beach. All of them except for Vanessa. Lew Sanderson had been there as well, rinsing dive gear with Jamie on the Claddagh. Carlos Roca.
He was alive. He had been in Key West. He had followed them to Miami.
And now he was here. On the island.
And he had Vanessa.
He drew out the .38 Special he had stuffed under his jacket and kept moving as quietly as he could along the trail. Visions of what might have happened plagued the back of his mind.
Vanessa. Down on the sand, beautiful blond hair trailing out over it.
Eyes open with horror…
He was about to scream out her name, scream with a desperation that would be heard throughout the island.
He bit back the cry and hurried onward, then paused, listening.
He heard conversation. Hushed. Two people. Whispering. To his right.
He broke through the trees and brush then and burst upon the two of them—Vanessa, perfectly fine, standing in the clearing with her arm on Carlos Roca’s shoulder, as if she had been urging him to do something.
He aimed the .38 Special at Carlos Roca’s head and said flatly, “I spent time at target practice before the trip. At this distance, I can guarantee a clean shot between your eyes. Step away from Vanessa. Now.”
Roca instantly moved to do so.
And Vanessa stepped in front of him, lifting a pleading hand to Sean.
“No, no, please, Sean! Carlos is innocent. He’s been desperate all this time. He’s been following us—at great risk to himself—determined to keep anything horrible from happening again.”
Sean grated down on his teeth, tension bracing his muscles. “Vanessa, get away from him.”
“Sean! You have to listen.”
“Fine. Carlos, we’ll walk back to the encampment. And you can talk to everyone there.”
Carlos looked at Vanessa.
“No, Sean, please, no!” Vanessa begged.
He eased the gun down, still ready to lift it again if need be. He didn’t want to keep it aimed at Vanessa.