Ransom at Sea by Fred Hunter Read Free Book Online Page A

me, ” Lynn said with unexpected vigor. “I mean, to know that we won’t be that far from help if we need it. Even though I don’t have any fears about being on the water, it’s still comforting to know that. Don’t you think so, Emily?”
    Lynn had turned to her friend, who had one brow upraised and an odd gleam in her eye.
    â€œOh, yes!” said Emily. “I do agree.”
    Marcella dropped the fork on her plate. Her eyes glowed, and her mouth formed a broad grin.
    â€œAunt Marci? What is it?” Rebecca asked.
    â€œI can’t wait! I just can’t wait to see the island again.”
    â€œThe island? Which one?”
    Marcella blinked. “The island. It’s in Michigan.… It’s on the tour.…”
    â€œYou’ve been to this island before?” Emily asked. She noticed the pained look that crossed Rebecca’s face.
    â€œYes … I … don’t remember offhand who it was I went with, but I do remember what a beautiful place it was. We stayed in a lovely home off the lake. A bed-and-breakfast.”
    Marcella kept her head uptilted as she said this, as if picturing the scene somewhere above and behind Emily’s head. Emily had been watching Marcella’s eyes as she’d spoken: they were sparked with energy that seemed to flicker as if not properly connected to the source of their power. This continued through the rest of the meal, with Marcella getting more vague as time went on. Rebecca prompted her from time to time, always receiving an irritable rebuke for her efforts.
    When Marcella had finished eating, Rebecca turned to her, and said, “Maybe we should go down and see our cabins now.”
    â€œWhat?” Marcella said blankly.
    â€œOur cabins. Wouldn’t you like to lie down?”
    The aunt’s face turned red. “No! Why would I want to lie down?”
    â€œYou usually do after lunch.”
    The redness drained from her aunt’s face, then suddenly surged back again. “Well, I don’t want to now! I’m not tired!”
    â€œThat’s all right, that’s all right,” Rebecca said quickly, with an embarrassed glance at the other two women. “But we haven’t been down there yet, and we really should get unpacked or everything will get wrinkled.”
    â€œI’m too old to care about that sort of thing!” She turned to Emily. “Long time ago I started wearing this kind of stuff.” She pinched the side of her roomy peasant dress. “I wouldn’t travel with anything else. They look the same whether they’re wrinkled or not.”
    â€œVery wise,” said Emily with a single nod.
    â€œAfter all, I’ve got enough wrinkles of my own that I’m not going to get rid of. You know what I mean.”
    â€œAunt Marci—”
    â€œAll right, all right!” Marcella replied testily. She struggled to her feet with difficulty. Rebecca tried to help her but Marcella swatted her hand away. “I can do it!”
    Emily and Lynn watched as the two women, so different in temperament it hardly seemed they could be related, made their way past the tables to the port side door and left the dining room. Emily turned to her young friend. “You’re very quiet.”
    â€œHmm.” Lynn resumed eating.
    *   *   *
    Marcella kept both hands on the railings going down the steep metal stairs to the blue deck. Rebecca followed one step at a time, as if she were a bride reluctantly descending a sharply slanting aisle on her way to the altar.
    Marcella paused at the foot of the stairs, blocking the way. Rebecca said, “To the right.” When her aunt didn’t immediately move, she gently dislodged one of the old woman’s hands and shifted around her. “This way.”
    Marcella followed her down the hallway to cabin number 8. Inside they found her suitcase lying on the bed.
    â€œHere,” Rebecca said with