Page 26 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

I snapped a picture of the drawing and sent it to Ace, captioned Mortas Mafuso.

A few minutes later, he texted, “I’d give all the gold in Nassau to see him like this.”

* * *

I searchedfor a pirate captain who allowed women on his ship. Jake told me boarding a pirate ship was a hard no, but I would be ready to save Marco at all costs.

It was unclear if Vane allowed women on board. I’d have to copy Sasha and dress as a man if Marco was on his ship. I knew Calico Jack wouldn’t mind a woman, but as of that July, he was still Vanes’ quartermaster.

There wasn’t any information on a ship called theSea Storm. I closed the book. If I didn’t find Marco on the next jump, he’d be arrested before I could return in August. If Marco was in jail, why hadn’t he escaped? Surely, he could get out of an eighteenth-century prison.

I sipped the coffee I’d neglected on my side table and made a sour face. It was cold. I glanced at my clock. Damn. I was late. I had to be at the chiropractic office by 8:30. Since I’d showered last night, I could get away with dry shampoo, a ponytail, and a quick drive-through at Micky D’s.

After putting on my Saturday scrubs, I hauled butt downstairs two at a time. Gertie was on her way up with an iPad and coffee.

“Good morning. I’m late.”

“What’s new,” she said, not glancing up from her iPad.

“I was on time yesterday.” OK, maybe on time was being a bit generous, but I was there before the patients, so that counts.

“Whatev’,” I heard her say as I rushed down the stairs and slid out the door.

Ten

Imotored into my parking space only five minutes late. Kudos to me for showing up almost on time with an iced coffee, breakfast sandwich, and a sparkly attitude. The sparkle was mostly due to the half-day Saturday work schedule and the new intel Ace found.

Mary, the office manager, and Paulina, Eli’s chiropractic assistant, stood hands on hips, staring at the phone.

“What’s the matter?” I put my coffee on the desk and bit into my breakfast sandwich.

“Someone keeps calling and hanging up.” Paulina motioned at the phone like it was a rodent they had cornered.

“Did you check the caller ID?” I chewed my way through the words. “Maybe it’s a patient trying to schedule?”

“Nothing comes across the ID.” Mary twisted her mouth into a disgusted scowl.

“It’s like a ghost calling us with a message from the outer banks,” Paulina said.

A shiver ran up my spine, followed by a piece of breakfast sandwich falling out of my mouth onto the desk.

“The outer banks are in North Carolina.” Mary looked at the half-chewed sandwich on her desk and then narrowed her eyes at me. “You gonna clean that up?”

I scooped the runaway bite into a napkin. My stomach got all squishy with the mention of a ghost.

The phone rang again. Mary snatched it off the hook. “Dr. Cloud’s office. How can I help you?” Her tone a mix of sarcasm and strained sweetness.

“Listen.” She shoved the phone at me. Paulina stuck her head next to mine. Heavy breathing came from the other end of the line.

“Ewwwe.” Paulina leaned away.

Mary pulled the phone back to her ear. “Is that you, Bob?”

“Who’s Bob?” I mouthed at Paulina.

“Bob’s the stalker.” Paulina pumped some hand sanitizer into her hands as if the breather had somehow contaminated her through the phone line. “He’s the vertically challenged, skinny accountant who’s been stalking Helga.”

Helga, the office’s German massage therapist, was six feet tall, ate raw eggs for breakfast, and won some kind of wrestling championship back in her home country.

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