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Remington and Laura drug themselves onto the beach, where, out of breath and exhausted, they collapsed onto the sand. "I’m out of shape," Remington commented between gasps. He looked over at Laura. "Are you all right?"
"I- think so," she said.
He lifted a hand to touch her forehead. "You’re sure?"
She nodded, and sat up to look around. "We need to find those supplies he mentioned," she decided, brushing the sand from her hands as she spoke.
"Not just- yet," he said, trying to draw her back down beside him. "We’ve just swam almost a quarter of a mile," he reminded her. "Let’s rest for a few minutes-" Laura resisted his efforts and rose to her feet- and would have fallen, if Remington hadn’t noticed the hand to her head and scrambled to his own feet as well. "Take it easy," he said, keeping his arm around her waist. "Between that knock on the head and the swim, it’s a wonder you can stand at all." He looked toward the upper edge of the beach, where the sand turned into palm trees and undergrowth. "Let’s go up there in the shade and find you a place to sit and rest while I look for those supplies, eh?" She didn’t argue- which worried Remington all the more as he found a nice, cool, grassy spot for her to rest. "If you need me," he told her softly, "just call . . ."
"I will," she responded.
He tried to keep her in sight as he searched the area – finally coming upon a box just in the edge of the jungle. Tearing it open, he surveyed the contents before picking it up with a grunt and lugging it back to where he’d left Laura. She was laying back in the grass, eyes closed. Remington felt for a pulse, then touched her cheek. "Laura?"
She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Mr. Steele. I had a terrible nightmare- I dreamed we were . . ." She sat up and looked around. "It WASN’T a nightmare, was it? It really did happen."
"I’m afraid so," he said. "But our friend wasn’t lying about supplies." He indicated the box, turning to open it again. "Bottled water – dried foods, just about everything we need for at least two weeks, from what I can see. Perhaps longer. Even some canvas for a shelter of some kind. And," he said, pulling out a small box, "a first aid kit. We need to clean that cut on you forehead." He opened the kit and found the disinfectant and a cotton swab. "This might sting a bit," he warned as he touched the tip of the swab to the injury.
"Mr. Steele- Maxwell can’t let us go," Laura said in a quiet voice. "He knows that even if he’s found innocent in THIS trial, the first thing we’ll do when we get back to Los Angeles is have him arrested for kidnapping."
That same thought had occurred to Remington as well, but he’d refused to voice it. "Now, Laura. Really. A positive outlook is most important. Do you really think Mildred will believe that we were killed on that boat? If I know her, she’ll be out here for the next year, searching every island she can find until she locates us." He put a small bandage on the cut. "There. That should keep the sand out, anyway. Does your head hurt?"
"A little," she admitted.
He pulled out some painkillers and a bottle of water. "Here. Take these. And then get some rest while I do some exploring."
"I’m not an invalid, Mr. Steele," Laura insisted, taking the tablets and the water. "I’m feeling better," she said, replacing the cap of the bottle and looking up at him as he stood. Holding up her hand, she said, "We’ll BOTH explore the island. Maybe Jim missed something that might get us off this rock."
**********
Charlie approached the dock where the Sea Rose had been moored the previous evening, and frowned. Entering the office, he saw his niece on the telephone, talking to someone. "Nari, get off the phone," he said, thinking she was talking to a boyfriend.
"He just came in," she said into the receiver, then covered it. "Uncle – It’s . . ."
"Where is the boat?" he asked her.
"I don’t know. It wasn’t here when I got here this morning. I thought you’d taken her out."
"It’s been stolen. I’ve got to call the police-," he began, grabbing for the telephone.
"Uncle, Nick’s on the phone. From Devonshire Island?"
Charlie took the phone. "Sorry, Nick, but I can’t get out there today," he began. "Looks like someone’s stolen the Sea Rose."
"That’s what I was afraid of, Charlie," Nick said. "She was here at the island this morning . . ."
"She was? Who was piloting her?"
"Someone who said his name was Jim. Told me he’d hired on with you a couple of days ago. Said you had some personal business to take care of this morning and couldn’t pick up Miss Holt and Mr. Steele. I called Nari to find out if they had arrived safely."
"The boat’s still gone, Nick. Look, let me call the police and let them know what’s going on. I’ll call you back." He hung up and dialed another number.
Nari looked at her uncle. "What’s going on?"
"I’m not sure," he admitted. "Get on the radio. See if you can reach the boat – and see if anyone has seen it between here and Devonshire."
Nari turned toward the radio across the room as Charlie waited for the police to answer the telephone.
*************
The island was small- easily crossed in the space of a few hours- even with stopping every little while for them to rest. "We have to conserve our strength in this heat," Remington reminded her when she would have argued with him about the rest stops. In truth, the reason he stopped was to give Laura a chance to sit down. She was looking a bit pale, he thought, and was still too quiet. The Laura he knew should have been ranting and raving, turning the island upside down to try and find a way to let someone know they were there. Instead, she was quietly allowing him to take the lead. "Have some water," he suggested as they stood on the beach on the far side of the island. "We’ll stay on the south side of the island where we came ashore," he decided. "And at least we found that freshwater spring. If the bottled water runs out, we’ll have something besides treated salt water to drink." He saw her shiver. "Let’s walk back around the beach to the camp," he suggested. "I’ll start a fire and we’ll be able to dry our clothing. You can wrap up in that canvas until yours are dry."
She smiled at last. "Trying to get my clothes off, Mr. Steele?" she asked.
"The thought never occurred to me, Laura," he insisted, but his eyes held just enough twinkle to give lie to his words. At least she was showing SOME sign of her old spark. But he kept his arm around her just the same as they turned to walk along the sandy beach. "You know, as long as the food holds out, this little detour might not be so bad, at that."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Neither of us were really ready to go home," he reminded her. "Perhaps this is Fate’s way of granting us our wish."
"Home," she mused. "Do you really think of it as home?"
"Yes," he told her honestly. "I do. I can’t imagine living anywhere else – unless, of course, you’re there as well." He dropped a kiss onto her head as they continued walking back toward their makeshift camp.
***********
"What do you mean they’re MISSING?" Mildred said into the telephone. "You said they got onto the boat this morning-."
"They did, Miss Krebs," Nick informed her. "But they did not arrive at their destination. And there has been no sign of the boat. It was stolen early this morning. The police are investigating, and the Coast Guard is searching for it," he said apologetically.
"Call me as soon as you hear anything, okay? I’ve got to make some calls here."
"I am very sorry, Miss Krebs," he said again. "Very sorry."
"Just find them," Mildred told the man, then hung up and dialed the number for the district attorney’s office. The DA was NOT going to be happy when he heard that his star witnesses in the case against that snake Jerome Maxwell were missing.
As she waited for the man to come online, Mildred said a silent prayer that Mr. Steele and Miss Holt would be found safe and sound.
**********
Laura didn’t have to use the canvas after all. There was a length of fabric in the box- brightly coloured, which she wrapped around herself sarong fashion. As she brought her wet clothes back toward the fire that Remington had started, he looked up and smiled. "Well, if it isn’t Dorothy Lamour."
She smiled, feeling a little better as he plucked an orchid from a nearby bush and tucked it behind her ear. "And who are you? Bing Crosby or Bob Hope?"
"Oh, Bing, of course," he insisted. "He always got the girl." Laura nodded, dropping her other clothes nearby. "I need to wash those out and find a place to hang them to dry."
"Why?" he asked, picking through the cans in the box. "I think you look rather fetching."
"I can’t wear it all the time," she reminded him.
His eyes took on a decided lecherous gleam. "Who said you had to?" he asked, causing Laura to pick up a small piece of wood and toss it in his general direction. "You must be feeling better."
"I guess I am. My head’s not hurting like it was earlier, anyway."
"Good. How about something to eat? It’s nearly lunchtime –."
"What’s on the menu?" she asked.
He frowned. "Not very much, I’m afraid. Mostly beans." He picked up a can and the opener. "Not exactly cordon bleu, but it will have to do."
"At least we won’t starve," Laura reminded him, digging through the box for some spoons.
He grinned. "That’s something, I suppose." Holding out the opened can, he said, "Care to join me for dinner, Miss Holt?"
She came around the fire to sit beside him on the log he’d rolled into place. "I’d love to, Mr. Steele."
**********
It was nearly dark when the Coast Guard ship spotted the remains of something floating atop the water. A couple of divers went down into the water to investigate, returning with a white lifesaver with the words Sea Rose in black lettering. The captain sent out another team to search for survivors, then went to the radio to report that the Sea Rose had apparently gone down between Devonshire Island and Oahu- with no immediate signs of survivors.
To Be Continued . . .