Page 23 of Erase Me
A moment later, I was on the yacht.The boat had to be over a hundred fifty feet long, and it was plush.The stern deck was laid out for partying with large, comfortable-looking chairs and couches, a table for casual dining, and a small bar.Two sets of stairs led to the main deck where I could see wood paneling, a large salon, bar, and formal dining area.
Staying on this level, I kept moving forward, past a spotless galley and a narrow companionway that led below decks.Crew’s quarters and engine room, I guessed.
Still no sign of Volpe.
Just after I passed a fully equipped movie viewing room, I heard someone coming down some steps from the main deck.
I ducked into a darkened room that turned out to be an exercise room with a pair of treadmills and racks of free weights.There was even a spa area with a sauna.This boat had everything.
A man went by with a tray tucked under his arm, humming a tune as he passed.The steward.I glanced out from my hiding place.From the back, the guy looked like a weightlifter.He turned into the galley and I heard him going down the companionway steps.
I went forward and found the steps.At the top, a passageway led past a half-dozen cabin doors, and I heard two voices coming from an open door at the very end.
Del Volpe’s displeasure and frustration were evident from his tone.A woman, her voice calm and conciliatory, was attempting to placate him.As I approached, snippets of their conversation became more distinct.Listening closely, I gathered that her role involved persuading young women to join him.Tonight, however, she had fallen short.Too bad.
I glanced into the stateroom.The place was larger than the apartment where I was staying in San Clemente.And considerably nicer.
It had a sitting arrangement on the far side of a king-sized bed, by a large window of thick, one-way glass.An open walkway led to what I assumed was a bathroom.A massage table was visible there.Volpe was leading a very tough life.Practically monk-like.
On this side of the stateroom, a substantial portion of the ship’s outside wall was open.Their voices were coming from there.Stepping into the room, I discovered that a retractable section of the floor extended over the water, creating an open-air balcony.It was spacious enough for four chairs arranged around a low table.
I edged into the room until I had a view of Volpe sitting in one of the chairs.The woman sat beside him.They had their backs to me and were unaware that I was behind them.On the table, I spied a plate of crackers and a block of cheese, along with an open bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket.
“I’ve got to give you credit, Volpe,” I said quietly.“This is the fanciest crib I’ve seen yet for a rogue quantum commuter.”
The two were on their feet in an instant, shock registering on their faces.Her wine glass dropped out of her hand and fell into the water.He held on to his.
Confusion and fear were written all over her face.From his expression, I knew he’d already figured out who sent me and my purpose for being here.
“But before the two of us get down to business...”I looked directly at the woman.“You need to go.”
She had short, dark hair and wore jeans and a baggy navy blue sweater over a white blouse.She was quick to shake off her look of fear.As she gathered her wits, her tanned face morphed into a practiced look of disdain.
“How the fuck did you get in here?”she snapped in a British accent.
Her hands went to her pockets in an apparent search for her cell phone, but her gaze immediately went to where it sat on a table near me.I picked it up and tossed it across the room.
“Our security staff will arrive at any moment, and I assure you the police are already...”
She chattered away, but my focus remained on the object of my mission.
Volpe eyed me coolly, assessing the situation.He was taller than me by a couple of inches, and the pictures didn’t lie.He had the lean, muscular look of a former athlete who had managed to keep himself in excellent condition.
“Do you want to settle our business in front of her?”I asked.
He shook his head.
“Go,” he told her bluntly.“Get a room at the hotel and call me in the morning.Don’t contact anyone else.I know what this is, and it doesn’t involve you.”
I wasn’t here to mete out justice, yet I would have very much liked to see her face the consequences for providing underage girls to Volpe.As far as I was concerned, she should have spent the rest of her life in a cell, like Ghislaine Maxwell, who had performed a similar role for Jeffrey Epstein.However, Volpe had another fate in store.
With one last look at her employer, she rushed past me and disappeared through the door.
I wasn’t about to waste words with this scum.“You broke the contract, and you know who sent me.So you know what we need to do.”
As a time traveler, once you abandoned your mission and went rogue for personal gain, you were in a world of shit.This creep’s list of crimes was a mile long.He had two options at this point.He traveled back to his original time and faced prosecution, or I finished him right here.Right now.
Either outcome worked, as far as I was concerned.
