Page 72 of The Summer Inn on Plum Island
“I know Jennifer will jump at the offer,” Liam assured Scott. “She loves L.A.”
“That’s settled then,” Scott said. “And I’ll stay behind to ensure my brother and Ben don’t kill each other and take my sister with them.”
“Sounds like a plan. We can solve this together.” Liam glanced toward where Dawn, Wade, and Ben were now talking calmly. “Idon’t think I’m going to get much help from those three. It seems it doesn’t take much to spark a flame there.”
“A lot of unresolved issues,” Scott told him. “Liam, don’t tell them our plans or that I’m on my way there.”
“When are you planning on arriving?” Liam asked. “I can get you a suite ready.”
“I’ll be there tonight,” Scott surprised him by saying.
Before Liam could reply, a commotion sprung up once again. He swung around and sighed in unison with Scott.
“Uncuff him now!” Dawn demanded as one of the Coast Guards secured Ben’s wrists with cable ties.
She started trying to release them, and another Coast Guard pulled her away.
“Take your hands off her!” Ben and Wade shouted in unison.
“Uh-oh,” Liam said, springing into action and positioning himself between all of them. He nodded toward Ben. “Release him. He’s not the criminal here but one of the victims.”
The Guard looked at the phone to Scott for confirmation.
“You heard the man,” Scott said. “Liam’s in charge.”
Ben was released from his restraints.
“How are we going to get the boat back to shore?” The Coast Guard in charge asked Scott and Liam. “We’re not equipped to tow it back with the boat we’ve got here.”
“I’ll check it out,” Wade offered, turning toward the cockpit of the boat. “It’s like a much smaller version of the Black Ocean Two.”
“It’s laid out like the Black Ocean Two, but it’s so tacky in its extravagance and overstated elegance,” Wade added. “You should see the inside.”
“Let’s go check it out,” Wade said to Ben.
The two of them turned to go look at the boat, stopped, and turned back to Dawn. “You coming?” Ben asked her.
Liam’s breath caught in his throat at the looks of sheer joy that lit up Dawn’s face. She nodded and ran to catch up with them.
“And just like that, it’s like nothing happened.” The main Coast guard shook his head as he watched the three of them disappearbefore turning to Scott. “Have you managed to find out anything about the boat?”
“No.” Scott shook his head. “I’m having no luck with the yacht’s ownership. The registration details are a maze of shell companies and dead ends. No one seems to own it on paper, yet it exists, bobbing there beneath your feet.”
“We’ll try and help with that,” the Coast Guard told Scott and Liam. “If you’ll excuse me? I’ll go find out if your brother is able to get the yacht started, or we’ll have to radio in for a tow.”
Liam nodded, and Scott thanked the men for their help.
“I’ll see if Sam can look into this as well,” Liam told Scott. “He has friends in all walks of life and may be able to help.”
“Good idea,” Scott agreed. “I’m sure the owner already knows we’re looking into the boat.”
“What I can’t understand is,” Liam’s brows drew together in contemplation, “what was all this about?” He glanced toward the cockpit, where he could see Wade and Ben, their temporary truce as fragile as the calm sea around them. “Why leave Ben and Dawn out here? Whoever’s behind this must’ve known we’d find them.”
“I know what you mean,” Scott said. “The false poisoning of Carl, the way they managed to get Ben’s bio band off without it alerting me…”
“Leaving the bio band next to Wade, who someone knocked out in his room with a candelabra.” Liam blew out a breath. “Even the thefts prior to all this. It’s like it was staged. But why?”
“I figure it’s either a badly planned and executed kidnapping, scaremongering, or a warning,” Scott told Liam.
