she’d lost her sandals during the fight – and
put a pincer grip on her little toe. ‘I don’t like your answers, I break it. Where’d you learn to fight?’
‘A defense class at the community center,’ Claudia lied. She suspected the correct answer – the Corpus Christi Police Academy
– might land her over the railing with a bullet in her head.
Gar squeezed her toe. She held her breath. ‘Where’s your purse?’
Oh, God.
Her police department ID. She didn’t have her gun in her purse – she was on vacation and hadn’t felt the need to carry today
while fishing – but her badge and ID were in the purse, in a separate wallet from her driver’s license, credit cards and cash.
‘I don’t know. Around. I don’t think I’ve got five bucks in my wallet.’
She heard him stand and walk around the stateroom. She couldn’t remember where she had put her purse.When Ben had given her a tour of the boat, she’d set it down along the way. They were in the larger master stateroom. Outside
it was a short hall leading to a small guest stateroom with bunk beds and a head, then the small stairs leading to the main
salon. At the forward end of the
Jupiter,
more steps leading down to the small galley, then a stateroom, also with bunk beds, a head, and a separate shower. She figured
the purse was either in this stateroom or in the salon where they kept Ben.
Drawers opened and closed; she heard an unzipping that filled her mouth with sour-tasting fear until she realized it was the
zipper on her purse. Keys jingled – the keys ringed to her wallet.
Did he see the ID?
He’d kill her if he knew she was a cop, she had no doubt.
A wallet snapped open. ‘Claudia Marisol Salazar of 55 Mimosa Street, apartment 23, Port Leo, Texas,’ Gar said. He’d found
her driver’s license. She waited for him to spot and open her police ID wallet, say,
Oh shit,
and close his fingers around her throat.
Instead Gar pressed his thick, wide hand into the small of her back. ‘So this nice fancy boat, it stays at Stoney’s house?’
‘Yes.’
‘Anyone else there besides Stoney? Staff for the rich man?’
‘I think there’s a housekeeper who comes when asked. No one living there but Stoney and Ben.’
He grabbed her little toe again, gave it a hard twist. ‘Lying’s gonna cost you.’
‘I’m not lying,’ she said. ‘Look, piracy is a federal offense. Adding homicide to it isn’t going to help you.’
He snapped the bone of her little toe and she screamed into the pillow.
‘Did I fucking ask for a lecture from you?’
‘I’m sorry,’ she managed to say, the pain sharp as a blade.
He released the broken toe, tickled and kissed the bottom of her foot, took hold of the fourth toe. ‘I tell my buddy maybe
I like you real good, maybe I want to spend a little quality time with you, he’ll stop laughing so much. He’ll go green with
envy. He gets real jealous if I take an interest in a pretty girl like you. He’ll break every bone in your body, starting
with the rest of your toes and then the fingers and working up to ribs, collarbone, major organs. And no one out here to hear
you scream. So don’t lecture me.’
Claudia bit the pillow. The stateroom door opened again.
Danny said, ‘I told you to leave her alone.’ Sounding a little uncertain, trying to be in command.
‘I didn’t do nothing,’ Gar said.
‘Her nose is bleeding. I won’t tolerate you hurting her.’
‘I got something for you to tolerate. She’s his puss, man. She’s no better than he is. Price of the choices you make.’
‘Did he hurt you, Claudia?’ Danny asked.
Claudia hesitated for a moment before choosing her answer. ‘I tried to kick him and he dissuaded me.’
‘You’re not to hurt her,’ Danny said, ‘unless she tries to escape. And by escape, I don’t mean she mouths off at you or you
feel like dishing out fists. You understand?’
‘I don’t see no captain’s hat on your head,’ Gar
put a pincer grip on her little toe. ‘I don’t like your answers, I break it. Where’d you learn to fight?’
‘A defense class at the community center,’ Claudia lied. She suspected the correct answer – the Corpus Christi Police Academy
– might land her over the railing with a bullet in her head.
Gar squeezed her toe. She held her breath. ‘Where’s your purse?’
Oh, God.
Her police department ID. She didn’t have her gun in her purse – she was on vacation and hadn’t felt the need to carry today
while fishing – but her badge and ID were in the purse, in a separate wallet from her driver’s license, credit cards and cash.
‘I don’t know. Around. I don’t think I’ve got five bucks in my wallet.’
She heard him stand and walk around the stateroom. She couldn’t remember where she had put her purse.When Ben had given her a tour of the boat, she’d set it down along the way. They were in the larger master stateroom. Outside
it was a short hall leading to a small guest stateroom with bunk beds and a head, then the small stairs leading to the main
salon. At the forward end of the
Jupiter,
more steps leading down to the small galley, then a stateroom, also with bunk beds, a head, and a separate shower. She figured
the purse was either in this stateroom or in the salon where they kept Ben.
Drawers opened and closed; she heard an unzipping that filled her mouth with sour-tasting fear until she realized it was the
zipper on her purse. Keys jingled – the keys ringed to her wallet.
Did he see the ID?
He’d kill her if he knew she was a cop, she had no doubt.
A wallet snapped open. ‘Claudia Marisol Salazar of 55 Mimosa Street, apartment 23, Port Leo, Texas,’ Gar said. He’d found
her driver’s license. She waited for him to spot and open her police ID wallet, say,
Oh shit,
and close his fingers around her throat.
Instead Gar pressed his thick, wide hand into the small of her back. ‘So this nice fancy boat, it stays at Stoney’s house?’
‘Yes.’
‘Anyone else there besides Stoney? Staff for the rich man?’
‘I think there’s a housekeeper who comes when asked. No one living there but Stoney and Ben.’
He grabbed her little toe again, gave it a hard twist. ‘Lying’s gonna cost you.’
‘I’m not lying,’ she said. ‘Look, piracy is a federal offense. Adding homicide to it isn’t going to help you.’
He snapped the bone of her little toe and she screamed into the pillow.
‘Did I fucking ask for a lecture from you?’
‘I’m sorry,’ she managed to say, the pain sharp as a blade.
He released the broken toe, tickled and kissed the bottom of her foot, took hold of the fourth toe. ‘I tell my buddy maybe
I like you real good, maybe I want to spend a little quality time with you, he’ll stop laughing so much. He’ll go green with
envy. He gets real jealous if I take an interest in a pretty girl like you. He’ll break every bone in your body, starting
with the rest of your toes and then the fingers and working up to ribs, collarbone, major organs. And no one out here to hear
you scream. So don’t lecture me.’
Claudia bit the pillow. The stateroom door opened again.
Danny said, ‘I told you to leave her alone.’ Sounding a little uncertain, trying to be in command.
‘I didn’t do nothing,’ Gar said.
‘Her nose is bleeding. I won’t tolerate you hurting her.’
‘I got something for you to tolerate. She’s his puss, man. She’s no better than he is. Price of the choices you make.’
‘Did he hurt you, Claudia?’ Danny asked.
Claudia hesitated for a moment before choosing her answer. ‘I tried to kick him and he dissuaded me.’
‘You’re not to hurt her,’ Danny said, ‘unless she tries to escape. And by escape, I don’t mean she mouths off at you or you
feel like dishing out fists. You understand?’
‘I don’t see no captain’s hat on your head,’ Gar
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