Death on the High Seas by Anna Legat

Author:Anna Legat [Legat, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Headspace Books
Published: 2024-02-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Sam couldn’t sleep. That was his second sleepless night in a row. He should be dog-tired, and he probably was, but adrenalin was pumping through his veins and his brain was doing overtime in heavy-duty thinking. Having Maggie sprawled over him, warm and trusting, didn’t help matters. For one, it felt so good that it would be sinful to sleep through it. Mainly though it was because she had pinned him down with the full weight of her ample body and he simply couldn’t move. He lay stiff as a plank of wood, killing time by planning his next step. Ultimately, it was Sam’s arm that had gone to sleep while Sam stayed wide awake.

At five in the morning he’d had enough. His whole body was numb and bruised in places. Maggie had had a fitful night, muttering in her sleep, tossing and turning, and on a few occasions jabbing her knee into Sam’s groin and her elbow at his jaw. She had slept right through her assaults.

Gently, Sam lifted her arm, holding it by the wrist, and placed it on her chest. That enabled him to sit up. From there, it was just a small nudge against Maggie’s knee and her leg obligingly swung away, taking Maggie with it as she turned. Sam was free to go.

He spent a few minutes limping the length of his room to restore blood circulation to his limbs. When he was at last in full control of his extremities, he changed from his Christmas evening wear into his tracksuit, ready for his morning power walk with Maggie. But before that, he had a visit to pay to Benedict Raw-stinking-botham.

The ungodly hour of five o’clock in the morning didn’t matter. This wouldn’t be a social call. It’d be a dawn raid. Sam was looking forward to it.

He knew exactly where to find Count Dracula’s sarcophagus – his cabin was on level 2, where most of the crew and entertainers lodged. Sam had located it on one of his earlier recces when he had gone exploring the man’s unhealthy interest in Maggie. He had conducted his operation the day after the scoundrel had given Maggie the roses. A cheap tokenistic gesture, without a doubt. Sam was glad he hadn’t resorted to such tacky exploits himself. And he never would. Actions spoke louder than flowers.

He hammered on the bastard’s door – no half-measures, no small pleasantries. ‘Open up, Benedict! I need a word!’

A sleep-muffled voice responded from within, ‘Who the hell is that?’

‘It’s Samuel Dee!’

‘Who?’

‘Maggie’s friend – Samuel!’ Sam kicked the door in sheer frustration. ‘Open the damned door or everyone will hear what I have to say!’

Expletives and rushed movement ensued inside the room, and promptly Maestro de Norte presented himself in the doorway, bleary eyed and scowling. He was clad in a pair of pathetic greyed long johns with stretched knees and a hanging crotch. His naked chest looked scrawny with a few strays of white hair sprouting from his breastbone. It was

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.