Sea Sick: A Horror Novel(40)

At first Donovan had fought back Jack’s murderous advances, but after failing to defend himself – even with his concealed handgun – the man had resigned himself to being murdered. He became more interested in hiding from Jack than trying to stop him, but Jack had become an unstoppable menace, unwilling to accept any outcome other than Donovan’s death.

But he was already beginning to tire of the violence. It had left a ragged dent in his soul and clawed at the sickly wound that had been opened years before. Jack had allowed rage to overcome him once before when Laura had died. It had left him numb inside, broken and weary.

Maybe what he needed more than Donovan’s death was some answers. Perhaps Jack needed to understand the pervert’s motivations in order to gain closure. He wanted to hear Donovan beg for his life, repent for his sins. Simply killing the guy was not enough anymore.

Jack checked all of the ship’s bars and all of the restaurants, but Donovan was nowhere to be found. It was early in the day so most of the passengers were outside in the sun, which made it easier to search the Kirkpatrick’s interior. But, after almost two hours of looking, Jack had come up empty. Wherever Donovan was right now, he wasn’t in plain sight.

Where the hell would you be hiding? You know I’m coming for you, so where would you feel safest?

The answer came to Jack and seemed obvious once he had it. There was only one place where Donovan had managed to get the better of Jack. One place where he knew the layout enough to have the upper hand...

He’s cooped up in the cargo area.

Currently, Jack was standing inside the Beluga, which was the ship’s àl a carte eatery. It was lavishly decorated with chandeliers and a wall-mounted swordfish. The tables were set with black and white linens and the silver cutlery sparkled. It was the last room that Jack had searched for Donovan, but had simply been another dead end.

Jack headed for the door, but noticed Ivor and his family sitting at one of the tables. Ivor was staring into space, straight-backed and unmoving in his chair. Vicky was holding Heather in her arms and seemed close to tears. The little girl looked terribly ill.

For reasons unknown to him, Jack was compelled to take a seat at their table. He wanted to give them reassurance, even if any that he did give would only be empty lies. Fate was going to be unkind to this family, but showing them a measure of kindness would not be a bad thing.

“Is she okay?” Jack asked Ivor, nodding towards his little girl.

Ivor broke away from his thoughts and looked down at his shallow-breathing, fitfully-sleeping daughter. “Yes, she’s fine. Just a bit under the weather. Who are you?”

Jack smiled at the man and offered his hand in a friendly manner. “My name is Jack Wardsley. I’m a police officer in the UK. I just saw your daughter and wondered if there was anything you needed?”

“I think we need to take her to the doctor,” said Vicky. She was so focused on Heather that she didn’t even look at Jack.

“She’s fine,” said Ivor. Then he stared at Jack with a stern look that could have only been developed through a lifetime’s service in the armed forces. “What exactly do you want, friend?”

Ivor seemed distrustful of Jack and annoyed by his presence. Jack thought back to the night Ivor and his family had been attacked. Ivor had mentioned something about Vicky turning herself into the police.

Maybe it has something to do with what’s going on. I should try to find out.

Jack returned Ivor’s stare and made sure not to blink. It was power struggle that military men like Ivor would often use to measure an opponent. “The police know what you’re planning,” Jack bluffed.“Running away to Germany isn’t the smartest idea.”

Ivor’s stern expression immediately diluted to one of fear. His steely demeanour dissolved as he spluttered, “What…how?”

“I just did what I thought was best,” Vicky blurted. “The man deserved it!”

Ivor glared at his wife. “Shut up, woman!”

Jack decided it was imperative to keep Vicky talking – she was the weak link. If the conversation fell too heavily on Jack then it would become obvious that he didn’t really know anything and that his claims were merely bluffs. “Tell me about it, Vicky,” he said reassuringly. “Help me understand.”

Vicky started sobbing weakly, but was controlled enough to answer him. “God, you even know my name? The jig really is up, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” said Jack. “I’m the only police officer onboard. Tell me what happened and I’ll make a decision about what I’m going to do.”

“What do you mean?” Ivor asked. “If you’re with the police then the only thing you’re planning to do is arrest my wife. Well, you’ll have to get through me first, my friend.”

Jack ignored Ivor’s posturing and kept his focus squarely on his wife. “Just tell me the story, Vicky. I’m listening.”

“Okay,” she said, sighing in a way that suggested she was preparing for an emotional release. “I’m a nurse at the Alexandria Hospital in Redditch. You know it?”

Jack nodded. He knew of it vaguely. Redditch was a moderate-sized town outside of his usual policing area, but he knew the hospital there had a bad reputation and was regularly at threat of closure.

“Well,” Vicky continued. “Most of my shifts are on the ICU ward, where I look after people in critical condition. I’ve been on that ward for a couple years now and I’m one of the most senior nurses on the floor.”