Crystal Blue (Buck Reilly Adventure Series Book 3) by John Cunningham (novels for beginners txt) 📕

of my nephews. I got thirty-seven nieces and nephews now. He in some kinda trouble—again?”

I swallowed. “I’m not sure, but he was paid to snatch John Thedford on St. John and apparently delivered him to somebody who’s been trying to put a stop to this concert.”

Valentine shrugged. “That sounds like Baldy. His father weren’t no better. Always looking to make fast money. I seen that red boat of his and knew it was only a matter of time till he got himself arrested for something.”

“I’d like to talk to him, find out who hired him and if he has any idea if—where Thedford is.”

“I can find out where Baldy is. Can’t promise he’ll tell you squat, though.”

As we passed over the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge onto Beef Island and the airport, Valentine whistled.

“Tell me you ain’t flying that plane there, are you?” He pointed toward the Beast. “Land that thing in the water, you’ll go right back to jail.”

“The magistrate’s supposed to square it with Duncan Mather—”

“Dunk’s my son-in-law, heck, I’ll call him myself.”

I smiled for the first time since seeing Bramble’s expression when he thought I was FBI. Valentine pulled up in front of the airport terminal and I had my hand on the door handle, ready to jump.

“What do I owe you for the ride?”

“Forget it, man. Give me your phone number. Something tells me I’ll be seeing you again, real soon. I just hope it’s not back at the jail.” Again with the brilliant smile.

“Me too, brother. Me too.”

THE BEAST ROARED DOWN the runway headed due east. Rather than pulling back on the stick to gain altitude, I kept low and headed straight to Marina Cay, then banked to starboard over Scrub Island. I spied the fuel dock and marina. I kicked down on the pedals and banked to port, which spun the Beast on its wing, a few hundred feet over the big Marriott and private villas behind it.

No red boat. Damn!

Would Baldy agree to talk to me, or just disappear?

We gained altitude and banked south. I had a lot of people to catch up with and only moments of flight time to Peter Island. I removed my headset and grabbed the cell phone.

“Buck, where’ve you been? I’ve been worried sick!”

“Sorry, Crystal. I was arrested at Customs on Tortola—”

“Arrested!? Why, what happened?”

”Old e-Antiquity loose end. No valid charge so they let me go this morning with a gazillion apologies. I’m headed over to Peter Island now. Is Avery Rose still there?”

“Yes, she said she’d wait for you. But, Buck?” Her voice dropped. “There’s been more bad news. Stud Mahoney’s kidnappers have raised their stakes, again. And they mentioned John this time.”

Uh-oh.

“What did they say, and how was it relayed?”

“They called one of the networks, CNN, I think. They were furious their demands hadn’t been met. They increased the number of prisoners they wanted released from Guantanamo and raised the ransom to two million dollars for Stud—”

Her voice broke. I wished I could see her face, but she sure sounded cut up.

“What about John?”

“They said he would…die…if the show…wasn’t cancelled,” she said between sobs. “The show’s… tomorrow night. “Everyone’s here—”

“So the same people that have Stud also have John?”

It took her a few moments of whuffling before she could speak.

“I assume so.”

“Did they make the demands at the same time to CNN?”

“Oh, no, the man called me again on my phone about John, right after the broadcast. They have to be connected, don’t you think?”

The mystery within the mystery, I wanted to say.

“What about the police, they given you any updates?”

“A senior agent from the FBI was here to ask questions. He wasn’t very friendly.”

Booth. Investigating his theory about Crystal.

“How did that go?”

“He asked a lot of questions about the phone calls, then he wanted to know about our marriage, whether John was faithful… whether I was….” She was sobbing again.

“Did he have any news or updates at all?”

It took a moment for her to catch her breath.

“Only that they had all law officers mobilized in both the USVI and BVI. He asked a lot more questions about Stud, but…”

My knuckles were white on the wheel. I waited, but she was done with the news.

I said I’d be there after I collected Avery Rose, then we disconnected. I’d been played for a fool before, and while I had a hard time believing she was involved, I had to face the fact that she could be. If she was innocent, Crystal was damned if she cancelled the show and damned if she didn’t. Would John Thedford really be released, either way? What if he was already dead? What if Baldy’s job was to throw him into Pillsbury Sound, not to transfer him?

What if Booth was right?

Peter Island grew larger ahead of me. Avery Rose wasn’t the only reason I was headed here, but for now I had another call to make.

“So you managed to get out of jail?”

“No thanks to you, Booth. Didn’t you get my call from Customs?”

“I did, but you’re off the case. I can’t afford the negative baggage that follows you like a caboose.”

I hesitated. “Fine with me—”

“I’m disconnecting the phone and cancelling the credit card.” He paused and I glanced at the fuel gauges. They were half-full. “And no more water landings. I’m telling the FAA to revoke your privileges.”

“What the hell? I still have a job—”

“Not for me you don’t.”

Good thing there was little air traffic as I sat there with my mouth agape. What crawled up his ass?

“But I found the name of the guy with the red Cigarette boat—”

“There is no red boat, Reilly—I said you were done! I don’t want to hear—”

“What, my leads? What the hell’s with you?”

I could hear him gnashing his teeth.

“Damn gang war. People disappearing, getting killed—”

“What’s that have to do with me?”

“No more questions. Like I said, you’re through.”

The line went dead.

Already well past Peter Island, I initiated a long slow turn to the west, then scanned