waiter over.
“They’re not going to find her after all this time, Joe. I don’t understand it. What could have happened when she left the club? How could she have fallen overboard?”
“I wish I could help, Dale. The truth is I got really drunk and went back to my cabin. I have no idea where she went when I left her.”
Oddly, Dale seemed to accept that simple disclaimer at face value. Was it because Joe had just met Adrienne a few hours prior and had no reason to harm her? Or did he know Joe wasn’t on the scene?
They were quiet for a moment or two.
“So, how long have you two been married?” Joe asked.
“Let’s see, six years. Yeah. I’m thirty-two, so it’s six years. I was playing for the Rays. We met at Tropicana Field in Tampa.”
“Do you ever miss playing?”
“Yeah, sometimes,” he shrugged. “The truth is they would have let me go. I thought it was better to take the money and run.”
The waiter arrived and Dale ordered a vodka and tonic.
“I’ll have the same,” Joe said.
The waiter nodded at Joe. “Yes, sir, right away.”
“Anyway, the timing was right,” Dale said. “Adrienne needed me to woo the wives and keep them from feeling jealous. Besides, we had a helluva spark in the beginning, you know what I mean? I thought I died and went to heaven when I married Adrienne.”
“So you two travelled with your clients a lot?”
“Yeah, the heavy hitters like Gill and Cathy. Especially cruises, Adrienne likes cruises. Liked cruises,” he said.
Although Dale wasn’t spelling it out in so many words, it sounded to Joe as if the “spark” had fizzled a while ago. “So what happens now? Do you keep working for Paradis Travel?”
“Damned if I know. I signed an agreement with Adrienne when we got married, but I don’t remember exactly what’s in it. Her folks live in Paris, you know. They’re rich, wanted to make sure I wasn’t after her money. Funny thing was , I really loved her. I didn’t give a shit about her money.”
Joe noted the past tense again and something that sounded like a pre-nuptial agreement. Like hell he doesn’t know what’s in it. “So, no kids, Dale?”
“No. Adrienne never wanted any; I did, but…”
But you’re still a young stud and now you can have some, Joe thought.
“I could use some advice, Joe. The security cops think I did something to her. Hell, I was in my cabin the whole night, but how am I supposed to prove that? I was alone.”
“I don’t think that means much. So was I. So were a lot of people.”
“ You were alone? Where was Julie?”
“We had a fight. She slept in the Solaria spa, came back before dawn,” Joe said. “We made up.” Once again, he noted Dale’s unquestioning acceptance of someone who got bombed with his wife and didn’t have an alibi for the night. Why doesn’t he suspect me? I wouldn’t be so trusting if our positions were reversed.
“Listen, Dale, the problem you’ve got isn’t just opportunity. Take it from me; I’ve been an investigator for a long time. When you get off this ship, what the cops will be looking for is motive . For instance, they’re going to ask if Adrienne had insurance and who’s the beneficiary.”
“Yeah, I figured that,” he said, frowning.
“So here’s how it’s going to go; pretend I’m the cops. Are you on her policy?”
“Yeah, but I never figured anything like this.”
“Of course not,” Joe said sympathetically. “The other thing they’re going to look at is your relationship, Dale. I mean, if you two weren’t getting along…”
“Hey, we had our differences like anybody, but we weren’t planning a divorce or anything like that!”
Yeah, I bet the pre-nup ruled that out…
Dale picked up his glass and drained it. “This whole thing really sucks.”
“It does. Sorry, man,” Joe said.
“Oh, hell,” he said, rising. “I’ve got to go. Paradis Travel has a shitload of unhappy passengers who want to make sure they
“They’re not going to find her after all this time, Joe. I don’t understand it. What could have happened when she left the club? How could she have fallen overboard?”
“I wish I could help, Dale. The truth is I got really drunk and went back to my cabin. I have no idea where she went when I left her.”
Oddly, Dale seemed to accept that simple disclaimer at face value. Was it because Joe had just met Adrienne a few hours prior and had no reason to harm her? Or did he know Joe wasn’t on the scene?
They were quiet for a moment or two.
“So, how long have you two been married?” Joe asked.
“Let’s see, six years. Yeah. I’m thirty-two, so it’s six years. I was playing for the Rays. We met at Tropicana Field in Tampa.”
“Do you ever miss playing?”
“Yeah, sometimes,” he shrugged. “The truth is they would have let me go. I thought it was better to take the money and run.”
The waiter arrived and Dale ordered a vodka and tonic.
“I’ll have the same,” Joe said.
The waiter nodded at Joe. “Yes, sir, right away.”
“Anyway, the timing was right,” Dale said. “Adrienne needed me to woo the wives and keep them from feeling jealous. Besides, we had a helluva spark in the beginning, you know what I mean? I thought I died and went to heaven when I married Adrienne.”
“So you two travelled with your clients a lot?”
“Yeah, the heavy hitters like Gill and Cathy. Especially cruises, Adrienne likes cruises. Liked cruises,” he said.
Although Dale wasn’t spelling it out in so many words, it sounded to Joe as if the “spark” had fizzled a while ago. “So what happens now? Do you keep working for Paradis Travel?”
“Damned if I know. I signed an agreement with Adrienne when we got married, but I don’t remember exactly what’s in it. Her folks live in Paris, you know. They’re rich, wanted to make sure I wasn’t after her money. Funny thing was , I really loved her. I didn’t give a shit about her money.”
Joe noted the past tense again and something that sounded like a pre-nuptial agreement. Like hell he doesn’t know what’s in it. “So, no kids, Dale?”
“No. Adrienne never wanted any; I did, but…”
But you’re still a young stud and now you can have some, Joe thought.
“I could use some advice, Joe. The security cops think I did something to her. Hell, I was in my cabin the whole night, but how am I supposed to prove that? I was alone.”
“I don’t think that means much. So was I. So were a lot of people.”
“ You were alone? Where was Julie?”
“We had a fight. She slept in the Solaria spa, came back before dawn,” Joe said. “We made up.” Once again, he noted Dale’s unquestioning acceptance of someone who got bombed with his wife and didn’t have an alibi for the night. Why doesn’t he suspect me? I wouldn’t be so trusting if our positions were reversed.
“Listen, Dale, the problem you’ve got isn’t just opportunity. Take it from me; I’ve been an investigator for a long time. When you get off this ship, what the cops will be looking for is motive . For instance, they’re going to ask if Adrienne had insurance and who’s the beneficiary.”
“Yeah, I figured that,” he said, frowning.
“So here’s how it’s going to go; pretend I’m the cops. Are you on her policy?”
“Yeah, but I never figured anything like this.”
“Of course not,” Joe said sympathetically. “The other thing they’re going to look at is your relationship, Dale. I mean, if you two weren’t getting along…”
“Hey, we had our differences like anybody, but we weren’t planning a divorce or anything like that!”
Yeah, I bet the pre-nup ruled that out…
Dale picked up his glass and drained it. “This whole thing really sucks.”
“It does. Sorry, man,” Joe said.
“Oh, hell,” he said, rising. “I’ve got to go. Paradis Travel has a shitload of unhappy passengers who want to make sure they
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