Chapter 6 - The Yacht That Left Without Permission)
The party ended in confusion.
Guests gathered near the upper railings as the marina lights slowly moved away.
Some laughed, assuming the departure had been planned.
Others complained about unfinished drinks.
No one understood that the captain was running toward the bridge demanding control of his own vessel.
Emily stayed with Sophie.
That became her only priority.
Danil could chase Vanessa.
Caleb could fight the computer system.
Captain Morris could worry about engines and navigation.
Emily watched the seven year old girl.
Sophie knew where danger lived.
And right now, every time an adult raised a voice, she folded inward.
Emily led her into the crew dining room.
"Sit here."
Sophie sat.
Emily found crackers, juice, and a blanket.
"Are you hungry?"
The girl nodded.
Emily opened the crackers.
For several minutes, Sophie ate without speaking.
Then she looked at Emily's cheek.
"Does it hurt?"
"A little."
"My daddy did that."
"Yes."
Sophie stared at the table.
"He's not usually mean."
Emily considered her answer carefully.
"People can do something wrong even if they aren't always mean."
"Are you mad at him?"
"Yes."
"Are you going to leave?"
Emily looked at her.
"Not while you're scared."
Sophie began crying silently.
Emily moved beside her.
She did not hug her immediately.
She waited until Sophie leaned against her first.
Then Emily wrapped an arm around the child.
Above them, feet pounded along the deck.
A speaker announced that all guests should remain in the upper lounge.
Emily felt Sophie tense.
"What happened to your mom's box?" she asked gently.
The girl wiped her face.
"Vanessa took it."
"When?"
"A long time ago."
"How long?"
"Before Christmas."
Months earlier.
"Did you see what was inside?"
Sophie shook her head.
"But I heard it."
Emily frowned.
"Heard what?"
"Mommy."
Emily's breath stopped.
"What do you mean?"
Sophie's fingers tightened around the cracker package.
"The box talked."
"A recording?"
Sophie nodded.
"I think."
"What did your mom say?"
"I don't remember all of it."
"Anything you remember could help."
Sophie closed her eyes.
Then she whispered, "If something happens to me, don't trust the contract."
Emily felt goosebumps rise along her arms.
"What contract?"
"I don't know."
"Did Vanessa hear it?"
Sophie nodded.
"She got really mad."
"What did she do?"
"She took the box and told me Mommy was sick in her head."
Emily looked away for a moment.
Sophie's mother had been dead for three years.
Yet somehow Hannah had left a recording hidden beneath a floorboard.
A recording about a contract.
And Vanessa had hidden it.
"Why did she put you in the storage compartment tonight?"
Sophie's expression changed.
"I found the blue papers."
"The folder?"
She nodded.
"In Vanessa's room?"
"No."
"Where?"
"Lucas gave them to her."
Emily leaned forward.
"You saw Lucas tonight?"
Sophie nodded.
"Where?"
"Near Mommy's room."
"Did he see you?"
Another nod.
"What did he say?"
Sophie looked toward the door.
"He said I was supposed to be asleep."
Emily's pulse quickened.
"And then?"
"Vanessa came."
"What happened?"
"They argued."
"About you?"
"About Daddy."
"What did they say?"
Sophie squeezed her eyes shut.
Emily could see she was struggling.
"Vanessa said he wouldn't sign it again."
Emily stayed quiet.
Sophie continued.
"Lucas said they didn't need him to."
The door opened.
Emily jumped.
Danil entered.
His white suit jacket was gone.
His shirt sleeves were rolled up.
His face looked exhausted.
"Sophie."
The girl did not run to him.
Danil stopped several feet away.
Emily noticed the pain in his expression.
Good, she thought.
Maybe pain would make him pay attention.
"Are you okay?"
Sophie looked at Emily.
Emily did not answer for her.
Sophie nodded slightly.
Danil sat across from them.
"We regained manual steering. Someone tried to override the bridge, but Captain Morris shut down the remote system."
Emily asked, "Vanessa?"
"Missing."
"On a yacht?"
"She's hiding somewhere."
"What about Lucas?"
"Also missing."
Danil looked at Sophie.
"Did you see him tonight?"
She nodded.
He closed his eyes for a second.
Emily told him what Sophie had remembered.
The recording.
The contract.
Lucas saying they did not need Danil to sign again.
Danil listened without interrupting.
When Emily finished, he looked older.
"Hannah hated one contract more than anything."
"What contract?"
"A merger agreement."
Grant Maritime had once planned to merge its luxury charter division with a company called Vale Atlantic.
Lucas Vale's company.
The deal would have transferred partial control of several Grant assets.
Hannah discovered unusual financial clauses days before signing.
She stopped the merger.
A week later, she died.
Emily stared at him.
"You never thought those things were connected?"
"I did."
"But?"
"The police found nothing."
"And Vanessa?"
"I met her fourteen months after Hannah died."
Sophie stared at her father.
Danil suddenly stopped speaking.
Emily saw the thought reach him.
"When did Vanessa meet Lucas?" she asked.
Danil stood.
"I don't know."
The crew room door opened again.
Caleb entered carrying the blue folder.
"I found something."
He placed the documents on the table.
"The signature pages aren't the important part."
He turned to an appendix.
"This document gives Vanessa temporary authority if you're unavailable."
Danil nodded impatiently.
"We know."
Caleb pointed to another clause.
"But unavailable doesn't only mean dead or incapacitated."
"What else?"
"Missing at sea."
The room went silent.
Emily looked at the walls around them.
They were aboard a yacht moving through dark water.
Danil stared at the clause.
Then at Sophie.
Caleb continued.
"And there's another section."
He turned the page.
"If both you and Sophie are unavailable at the same time, Vanessa becomes acting controller of Grant Maritime until probate determines succession."
Emily felt cold.
"Missing at sea."
Caleb nodded.
Danil looked toward the ceiling.
The yacht had left the marina without authorization.
His wife was missing somewhere aboard.
So was Lucas Vale.
And someone had just tried to take control of navigation.
Danil whispered, "This wasn't about hiding Sophie."
Emily looked at him.
"No."
May you like
He met her eyes.
"They were preparing to make both of us disappear."
