Twelve Angry Guests

Chapter 9

They all turned to see the butler striding toward them across the lawn. A military bearing and wearing a concerned frown.

"Good morning. Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all. We just seemed to gravitate to this spot naturally." Billy beamed a smile. "So lovely here with the view and the breeze." She held her camera up as she pointed.

"I see . . . well I'm here to advise you that dinner will be at seven in the main dining room."

"Will Mr. Forrester be joining us this time?" Des asked innocently.

"Ah, no. As I said before, Mr. Forrester doesn't dine with his guests."

"And afterwards?" Des pressed.

"Regrettably not, madam, but be assured, you will all be well taken care of." His smile was grim as he backed away a few steps before turning and leaving.

"Well that sounds ominous." Verna remarked, wrapping her arms about her.

"I dunno, a meal like the other night wouldn't upset me." Hart responded, getting a glare from Verna.

"What if the plan is to poison us all?" Deborah asked.

"God help us." Billy slipped on her sunglasses and slumped back in her chair.

"Hey, if God is watching us, and we expect his help, the least we can do is be entertaining."

"Parker . . ."

"Well, hell-"

"Parker."

Jeff snickered. "I thought that was pretty good, Nevens."

"The strategy, people. Could we focus on a strategy?" Arny.

****

Morning drifted into afternoon as the group settled down, and they began once more to consider their strategy. Billy seemed quiet and subdued, and Miller showed the group the photo they found in their villa.

"It was in an envelope on the bed," he said.

"This is her mom and dad at their resort?" Deb asked.

"Her dad and his partner. Billy's folks are divorced."

"Forrester has prepared quite a program for us, I think."

Jessica went to Billy and spoke quietly with her, coaxing her back into the group with hopeful assurances. Once they were settled, the meeting fell to Gretta once again for a plan.

"We need information. Information about how many we are up against. Where they all are at any given time. If there are weapons we can lay our hands on-"

"Hang on a minute. We aren't some trained swat team here, lady." Gordon protested.

"I'm not suggesting we are, but the information could be invaluable. I want to propose, that instead of arriving tonight as a group, we get there at different times. Maybe two couples then a single couple . . . that way it will be harder to keep track of us. Once inside we take liberties."

"What do you mean?" Billy asked, determinedly shaking off her personal concerns.

"Nose around without asking. Keep them busy trying to manage us. Innocent curiosity about the magnificent house, that sort of thing."

"What does that gain us?" Gordon asked.

"While you people are keeping them busy, I am going to take a private tour of the house. Malcolm has those monitors somewhere, and I'll bet they were not just recording the villas."

"You think he was watching his own people as well." Jessica nodded agreeably.

"Exactly. Information we could use. I really could use your expertise on this, Jessica. Perhaps some questions about the island. Do strangers visit by boat? Is there a marina here? That could be a major factor in getting off this island."

"Doesn't your map show that?" Arny asked.

"The map is just good for a general physical layout, not so much the details."

"Wait a minute," Hart broke in. "What makes you think you can just have the run of the place?"

"Trust me, Hart, it will happen." Arny tapped his arm in a calming gesture. "I have boggled my way through many an adventure with Gretta, and while I still complain, I know she can do it."

"Thanks, lover. So, comments? Suggestions?"

There was a mass shuffling of feet and throat clearing as they all considered the proposal.

"We know they're gonna be suspicious of us because of the cameras." Deborah said. "What if it comes up?"

"Fake it," Jessica spoke up. "You didn't know if they worked or not, and it was a case of modesty. Personal privacy, and you didn't know if the rest of us had the same experience or not. They can only suspect you're lying, they can't prove it."

"Anything else? Okay then, folks, let's enjoy some of this vacation before it's over." Gretta served them all an assured grin.

****

The dinner was as exceptional as the first night, the difference being the butler stayed in the room through every course. The marshalling of the couples beforehand had apparently upset their schedule, requiring stricter monitoring.

Gretta had slipped away and back again unnoticed as Arny had predicted, and there were meaningful glances exchanged all through the meal. At the end the butler advised them that those wishing to have after-dinner drinks may do so in the library as before. Those who didn't were requested to return to their villas directly; the change in hospitality was missed by no one.

The whole group decided to skip drinks and were dismissed with a terse good evening.

"That kind of removed all doubts." Hart whispered as they made their way across the darkened grounds.

"What the heck are they waiting for if the plan is to get rid of us?" Billy wanted to know.

"Forrester's ego trip." Jessica said turning to Gretta. "Was your snooping a success?" Gretta held her finger to her lips and kept walking, pointing toward the beach. They all followed, obviously annoyed but obedient, and when they climbed down to the beach and stumbled into the sand, high heels and shoes in hands, they stepped into the shallow surf.

"Okay, can somebody tell me what the hell we are doing?"

"Keep your voice down, Parker. They have a X64ACS portable directional microphone that is a long distance piece of technology. It can pick up human voices quite clearly up to seven hundred feet or so, even more if there is no ambient sound, that's why I suggested here. The surf will help thwart that.

"But if they follow us what difference will it make?"

"If we move down there," Gretta pointed to a high rock cliff topped by a dense forest of trees, "they will have to come down to the beach to do that, and risk being seen."

"Maybe they won't care." Gordon said.

"Then we use Plan B."

"What the hell is Plan B?"