The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom Read Free Book Online Page B

safety ropes. The raft surged ahead. Then the front half lifted and I saw the gray-and-white flesh of a massive fish, as if it were trying to tip us over. Geri, Nevin, and Jean Philippe tumbled forward and the goods were scattered, some spilling into the ocean.
    â€œSave the stuff!” Lambert yelled. I grabbed the flare gun and the bailer, and I saw Mrs. Laghari raise up to retrieve the binoculars, which had tangled with her blue gown andfallen into the water. The raft jolted wildly, and she lost her balance and toppled overboard.
    â€œOh my god!” Nina yelled. “Pull her in!”
    I scrambled to the edge but Mrs. Laghari was just beyond my reach, flailing her arms and spitting water. She seemed too shocked to scream.
    â€œStay still!” Geri yelled. “Let us get you! Don’t move!” She grabbed a paddle to pull us closer. Mrs. Laghari kept smacking her arms on the surface.
    â€œGet her NOW , Benji!” Geri screamed. I leaned over with my arms outstretched, but before I could make contact, Mrs. Laghari disappeared in a spray of seawater. It was like she’d been hit by a missile. I fell back in horror. To this moment, I cannot shake that image, Annabelle. She just blew sideways and was gone.
    â€œWhere is she?” Nina screamed.
    Geri spun left and right. “Oh, no, no, no . . .”
    We saw a spread of red blood on the water.
    We did not see Mrs. Laghari again.
    I dropped onto the raft floor, gasping for air. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I caught a glimpse of the Lord, who held little Alice in his grip. He turned my way as if he were looking right through me.

Land
    LeFleur drove with his body slightly twisted. The plastic bag was tucked inside his shirt, and he was doing his best to hide it from Rom. Not that Rom seemed interested. He stared out the rolled-down window, the breeze swirling his wavy hair.
    LeFleur had only been able to read the first paragraphs of the notebook. When he tried to turn the page, it tore in his hands. Fearful of doing more damage, he slid the notebook back into the bag. But he had seen enough. The experts were wrong. Passengers had survived the sinking of the Galaxy . For now, he was the only one who knew.
    The raft remained on the beach—it was too large to fit in the police jeep—so LeFleur called two men from the RoyalDefense Force to guard it until the next day, when he could bring a truck. The force was mostly volunteers. He hoped they knew what they were doing.
    â€œWe’ll stop ahead,” LeFleur announced, “grab something to eat, OK?”
    â€œYes, Inspector,” Rom answered.
    â€œYou gotta be hungry, right?”
    â€œYes, Inspector.”
    â€œLook, you can stop with the formalities, OK? You’re not being investigated here.”
    That caused Rom to turn.
    â€œAm I not?”
    â€œNo. You just found the raft. You didn’t do anything to it.”
    Rom looked away.
    â€œRight?” LeFleur said.
    â€œYes, Inspector.”
    What a strange bird, LeFleur thought.The north shore seemed to attract a lot of men like him, thin, raggedy drifters who were never in a hurry. They smoked a lot and rode bicycles or carried guitars. LeFleur often thought of them as lost souls who, for some reason, felt found on Montserrat. Maybe because half the island itself was lost, buried in volcano ash.
    They pulled into an open-air restaurant that was part ofa small motel. LeFleur pointed to an outside table and told Rom to take it.
    â€œI’m going to find a bathroom,” LeFleur said. “Order whatever you want.”
    Once inside, he rang the front desk bell. Out from the back came a middle-aged woman with a sweep of black hair across her forehead.
    â€œCan I help you?”
    â€œListen,” LeFleur said, his voice low, “I need a room for an hour or so.”
    The woman glanced around.
    â€œJust me,” LeFleur sighed.
    The woman produced a registration