Part 32 (2/2)
”I just don't understand it,” Bob said. ”How could she slip through my fingers like this? The police officer said that if it was a kidnapping, we'd probably be contacted soon about ransom. Ransom! I just pray to G.o.d that whoever has her doesn't hurt her. I couldn't stand it.”
”Look, Bob, maybe there's another explanation,” Olivia said, hoping there was one.
”Yeah, she might've jumped, but I don't think so because of the robbery. I haven't been the ideal husband. I mean, you know that. I've made my life so complicated. But I do care about her. A lot.”
”We know you care, Bob. Maritza is a sweetheart,” Olivia said. ”She's the kindest woman you ever married.”
”Yes,” Bob said.
”Maybe the robbery and Maritza's disappearance are unrelated,” Nick said.
”That would be too coincidental,” Bob said. ”I just feel like this is my fault! I wish I knew what to do. I feel so awful! You know, Maritza would cook for me. I never had a wife who could cook. She makes me a cake on my birthday. No one ever made me a cake besides my own mother. She sewed b.u.t.tons back on my s.h.i.+rts for me. She just did all these wonderful things for me. Sounds silly, I guess.”
”The woman really loves you, Bob. The most precious gift someone can give you is their heart,” Nick said.
”Yes, I can see now that it is. And I blew it. I made so light of her affection that either she jumped or she let herself get into a precarious situation that led her into grave danger. And I failed to protect her. This is my fault. I'd give anything I own to see her face right now.”
CHAPTER 14.
Bob's Side
It was Sat.u.r.day, the Fourth of July, right before eight in the morning, when the police boat pulled up beside Le Bateau de l'Amour. Captain Jack hurried down to meet it and he sent one of the crew to find Bob. Bob was on the treadmill and quickly got off, grabbed a towel to wipe away his sweat, and hurried to the main deck, taking the steps instead of the elevator.
”Good morning, Officer!” Bob said, shaking his hand. ”Would you like coffee?”
It was the same policeman Bob had spent time with the day before.
”Gracias. Thank you. Coffee would be muy bueno.”
Bob nodded to a crew member, who would have the coffee order out in a flash.
”Please. Come and sit. Tell me what you have learned.”
”Gracias, thank you. Well, we have something, pero it's not much and it may turn out to be nothing, but it is something to start with.”
”Tell me. Please.”
”S, s. As soon as I returned to la estacin yesterday, I called the musicians and the photographer. The musicians, all three of them, came down to the station right away. They were shocked and surprised to hear this terrible news. And they said, and all of them were questioned separately, that they had never had trouble in their lives beyond traffic violations. We checked, and es verdad. These are all honest men who have never been arrested for anything. Nada.”
”That's it?”
The coffee arrived and was placed before them. Bob watched as the police officer put four sugars in his cup and stirred.
”No, there is una cosa ms. So we said we would like to let our forensics team search their boat and they said it was no problem for them. Absolutely no problemo. And so we went down to the marina and my team went over their boat with a fine-tooth comb. That's the expression, s? Fine-tooth comb?”
”Yes.” This b.a.s.t.a.r.d is sure taking his sweet time getting to the point, Bob thought. ”And?”
”And? There were some long blond hairs in the bow, under a tarp where they keep the life preservers and oars. I can't tell you that they match your wife's DNA until they come back from the lab.”
”You think my wife was on their boat?”
”No se. I do not know yet. But the s.p.a.ce was big enough for a small woman to crawl in and conceal herself.”
Bob's mind was spinning.
”And the photographer?”
”I know the photographer. He is my wife's fourth cousin and he's an idiot. Muy estpida. Ibiza is a small island, really. Families have been marrying each other for centuries. He is a bad result of a small gene pool. Anyway, when I put two and two together, I knew it could not be possible that it was him. He is not worth the telephone call.” The police officer finished his cup of coffee and smiled.
”Do me a favor,” Bob said. ”Humor me. Call the idiot. Maybe he saw something.”
”Of course. I will do it then. Well, that's it for now.”
”How long will it take to get the DNA information?” Bob asked, wondering how many other things there were that the police would not think was worthy of the follow-up time.
”We should know by Monday. Oh, and Mr. Vasile, we have been policing the sh.o.r.es of all the Balearic Islands and nothing, gracias a Dios, has washed up of any consequence.”
Bob swallowed hard and stood up from the table. ”Thank you, sir, and thank you for coming to tell me this in person.”
”De nada. You're welcome. I will be in touch. And you're certain that there was not another man in her life?”
”Not a chance. Maritza adores me.”
”I see. You know, Senor Vasile, women leave their husbands every day. They get, well, I'm sure you know how women can get.”
”Better than most men do, I think. Yes, women walk away from their families every day but not like this,” Bob said. ”They don't disappear into thin air in a foreign country without taking their cell phone and pa.s.sport unless something very bad has happened. And there's the better part of a million dollars worth of jewelry gone too. If she was leaving me, I would've heard from a lawyer by now.”
”A million dollars? What? Senor Vasile! You did not tell me her jewelry was worth so much! I have to turn this over to the FBI! Or maybe I misunderstood!”
”That is an excellent idea,” Bob said. ”Please do it right away!”
”S, s. Yes. I think you're right.” They shook hands. ”Lo siento mucho. I'm very sorry.”
This police officer is such a dummy, it's unbelievable.
The main deck filled up quickly with crew who had been behind the scenes waiting for the police officer to leave. They began setting up the breakfast buffet in one well-orchestrated swoop.
Ellen and Gladdie were having breakfast in their room, as Ellen was still seething over Colette's insults, or what she perceived to be Colette's insults. Bob had tried to explain to Ellen that technically, Colette was right. However it wasn't Colette's place to correct Ellen because Colette did not sign her paycheck, but she was correct in that it wasn't Ellen's place to voice her displeasure over her employer's guest list. Perhaps, Bob suggested as diplomatically as he could, she should not make her feelings or the nature of their personal relations.h.i.+p so obvious. This infuriated Ellen to new heights because she saw it as rejection from Bob, and it pushed her another rung down the ladder, further away from her goal. So the last twenty-four hours had taken a painful toll on her affair with Bob, and as a result Ellen and Bob were barely speaking.
Frankly, Bob felt a measure of relief, given the real-life disaster he had on his hands.
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