it.â
âYes,â Naomi said quietly. âI suppose thatâs right.â
âWhat time of day was this?â
Naomi shrugged. âIt was late in the afternoon when she called meâaround four-thirty or five oâclock. Iâm not sure. And it must have been between five and six when I left her cabin.â
âWhere did you go then?â
âI didnât want to go back to the room. I had been crying, and I didnât want to have to face Virginia and Sharon looking like that. So I went up to the spa. Fortunately, theyâd had a last-minute cancellation, so I was able to get in for a massage. After the massage, I spent some time in the hot tub and didnât go back down to the room until I figured Virginia and Sharon would already have left for dinner.
âWhile I was upstairs in the spa, I kept trying to figure out what to do. I thought about just skipping dinner altogether, but then I thought, no. Since Margaret knew, I made up my mind to go to dinner and face the music. I was sure she was going to bring it up regardless of whether or not I was there. The only thing I could do was be there to defend myself.â
âYou thought she was going to tell?â
Naomi nodded. âIn fact, that was the last thing she said to me as I left her roomâthat if I thought she was going to keep this dirty little secret a secret any longer, I was crazy. So when I went to dinner, I felt like a prisoner being led to execution. I was determined that when she brought it up, Iâd tell everybody the truth and get it over with once and for all. And if Virginia and Sharon decided to write me off, then I planned to leave the ship, go to the airport in Juneau and catch the first plane back to Seattle. But then, when Margaret didnât show up at dinnertime, I was grateful. I felt as though God had given me a reprieve.â
I nodded, remembering how Naomiâs flagging spirits had gradually revived during the course of dinner. Of course they had. Every moment Margaret delayed putting in an appearance meant one more moment of respite for Naomi before Margaret blew the whistle, which she no doubt would have done. My few dealings with the woman had shown quite clearly that she was absolutely ruthless and that she thrived on public humiliationâother peopleâs public humiliation.
âAnd so you made up the story you told me about Margaret probably having found some new boy toy who was keeping her too preoccupied to come to dinner?â
âIt sounded plausible enough,â Naomi returned.
Just then Virginia Metz and Sharon Carson came cruising through the lobby bar on their way to the elevators. Catching sight of the two of us sitting there, they descended on our table in a flurry of questions and shopping bags.
âDid you hear whatâs happened?â Virginia demanded at once. âMargaret is missing.â
âWe heard,â Naomi said.
âHave they found her yet?â Sharon added.
Naomi shook her head. âNot that I know of.â
âMaybe we should go talk to the first officer and find out whatâs happening,â Sharon Carson suggested. âHe told us that if we had any questions or concerns, we should come see him right away.â
âNo,â Naomi said quietly. âNot just yet. The three of us have to talk. Thereâs something I need to tell you.â
Iâve wised up enough in my old age to know when to take a hint. âIf you ladies will be good enough to excuse me,â I said, standing up, âI believe Iâll head on back to my cabin.â
7
O N THE WAY THROUGH the ship, I was still stunned by Naomiâs admission. I couldnât imagine a woman being so desperate for a baby that sheâd go to such lengths to conceive one. Why not use an anonymous donor? And the fact that her husband had helped hatch the plan was downright astonishing. As for Harrison Feathermanâin my book he was beneath
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