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Chapter 15
Pearl did not know what was going on, but his heart of a guardian angel told him
something was very wrong. He called Mason, but Mason was not to be found
either in his office or at home. No one knew where he was.
Pearl couldn’t find any peace, and he was just hanging around his own office,
waiting for something to happen and praying to have enough time to prevent it
from happening, whatever it was.
The phone rang, and Pearl flew onto it like a hawk. “’The Last Resort.’”
“Pearl?”
“Jeffrey?”
Pearl was not the biggest fan of Kelly’s luckier suitor, but he felt the call had
something to do with his premonition that tied his heart up in a bundle of barbed
wire. “Jeffrey, is anything the matter?”
“I – I don’t know. Is Cruz in?”
“No – but you can tell me.”
“I’m not sure – I’d rather phone later.”
“Please tell me, Jeffrey. What’s wrong?”
Not Kelly, Pearl was praying silently. Oh God please not Kelly.
“It’s Mason – he called me in the afternoon and – as good as ordered – to cancel a
boat trip I’d planned.”
“So?”
“So I did, and it was a good thing Kelly did not know, so she does not feel
disappointed.”
It was a catastrophe that some people could not keep to a point, Pearl said to
himself, annoyed. “And?” he prompted. “You said you were not sure…?”
Jeffrey sighed. “Mason said the trip could be dangerous – he said it was the same
gang that had kidnapped him.”
‘Damn you Mason, why didn’t you tell me,’ Pearl thought angrily.
“And--” he said aloud.
“And just now I went out to pick up a bag from the car, and it seemed to me I saw
a man near who looked like an Indian.”
“Indian?” Pearl jumped off the desk he’ d been sitting at. “Where are you know,
inside the house?”
“Yes.”
“And Kelly?”
“In another room right now.”
“Disconnect now and join her. Do not go out, either of you. We’ll get him and ask
him questions later.”
*
The boat was really a luxury little yacht; it looked like a toy rather than a ship. It
was not surprising Jeffrey thought he could manage it alone; but, after all, he was
not going to cross the ocean, he was just planning a romantic getaway.
Mason was looking at the yacht from the shore. It was not too late to turn to Cruz
and Pearl for help, but he knew he wouldn’t. Maybe he was making a fatal
mistake; well, it was his life and his decision to make.
He’d thought that Elena would be waiting for him there, and now, for the first time,
it occurred to him what if that was the Indian there rather than his sister. He
wished he’d taken a gun with him; but for this, it really was too late.
Mason exhaled loudly and got on board the boat.
“Elena?” he called.
Swinging graciously, the yacht cast off.
Pearl did not know what was going on, but his heart of a guardian angel told him
something was very wrong. He called Mason, but Mason was not to be found
either in his office or at home. No one knew where he was.
Pearl couldn’t find any peace, and he was just hanging around his own office,
waiting for something to happen and praying to have enough time to prevent it
from happening, whatever it was.
The phone rang, and Pearl flew onto it like a hawk. “’The Last Resort.’”
“Pearl?”
“Jeffrey?”
Pearl was not the biggest fan of Kelly’s luckier suitor, but he felt the call had
something to do with his premonition that tied his heart up in a bundle of barbed
wire. “Jeffrey, is anything the matter?”
“I – I don’t know. Is Cruz in?”
“No – but you can tell me.”
“I’m not sure – I’d rather phone later.”
“Please tell me, Jeffrey. What’s wrong?”
Not Kelly, Pearl was praying silently. Oh God please not Kelly.
“It’s Mason – he called me in the afternoon and – as good as ordered – to cancel a
boat trip I’d planned.”
“So?”
“So I did, and it was a good thing Kelly did not know, so she does not feel
disappointed.”
It was a catastrophe that some people could not keep to a point, Pearl said to
himself, annoyed. “And?” he prompted. “You said you were not sure…?”
Jeffrey sighed. “Mason said the trip could be dangerous – he said it was the same
gang that had kidnapped him.”
‘Damn you Mason, why didn’t you tell me,’ Pearl thought angrily.
“And--” he said aloud.
“And just now I went out to pick up a bag from the car, and it seemed to me I saw
a man near who looked like an Indian.”
“Indian?” Pearl jumped off the desk he’ d been sitting at. “Where are you know,
inside the house?”
“Yes.”
“And Kelly?”
“In another room right now.”
“Disconnect now and join her. Do not go out, either of you. We’ll get him and ask
him questions later.”
*
The boat was really a luxury little yacht; it looked like a toy rather than a ship. It
was not surprising Jeffrey thought he could manage it alone; but, after all, he was
not going to cross the ocean, he was just planning a romantic getaway.
Mason was looking at the yacht from the shore. It was not too late to turn to Cruz
and Pearl for help, but he knew he wouldn’t. Maybe he was making a fatal
mistake; well, it was his life and his decision to make.
He’d thought that Elena would be waiting for him there, and now, for the first time,
it occurred to him what if that was the Indian there rather than his sister. He
wished he’d taken a gun with him; but for this, it really was too late.
Mason exhaled loudly and got on board the boat.
“Elena?” he called.
Swinging graciously, the yacht cast off.
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