Cherry Orphan

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Although Robert knew the huge Italian-built yacht offered the ultimate in floating luxury, he had no clue to its principal history of service. The vessel's owner, Marcus Vertoni, never used the thing himself, it paid dividends in other ways. Miami registered Princess Levant was, for want of a better description, a floating bordello. Every aspect of the vessel's interior décor attested to this fact.

Her skipper, a huge black, bearded Jamaican called Moko, had seen it all. From the moment he welcomed the Nameths aboard they got all the lurid details island by island, orgy by orgy, until Robert told him to put a sock in it.

About a year ago Robert supplied a special edition Ferrari to the immensely wealthy stockbroker that involved months of tedious negotiation with a similarly well-heeled German collector in Switzerland. The only way the Swiss Kraut would part with the machine was if Robert found an equally valuable and obscure Mercedes prototype. Privately, through intelligence sources, Robert located the car in Latvia, but getting it out proved difficult. By performing the impossible, arranging the swap, and generally behaving fairly to all concerned, Princess Levant became Robert's bonus, to enjoy any time she wasn't occupied entertaining Vertoni's special clients. Of course, in Robert's case, the crew didn't include a bevy of hostesses drawn from the Miami porn industry.

First they put in at Freeport, then Nassau. Gradually they worked their way along the Bahama chain towards the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Just over a week went by before Robert, reluctantly, decided to call California. The previous night they'd dropped anchor at Providenciales, Five Cays, in the Caicos Islands. All three kids were learning how to scuba dive and even Colleen had tried it. One of Levant's six-man crew, who also doubled as a dive instructor, had really taken to Calley and Sonia. He always seemed eager to submerge them among the coral any time they pleased. Hardly surprising given the way they looked and dressed most of the time.

Refilled scuba tanks were being loaded onto Levant's fantail dive platform as Robert climbed down into the inflatable motor launch. "I'm going to phone home from the dive center. There might be more news on the police situation," he called back to Colleen. He suspected she'd started to wonder why he hadn't done it yet, and any further reticence might arouse too much suspicion. "I shouldn't be gone long."

"How about I come with you? Calley's sunbathing and I think Sonia and James are in his cabin playing some sort of game."

"No, it's okay. I'll be right back after I make the call and pay for the refills. We'll all go ashore later and check out the town." He waved and nodded to the boatman, who cracked open the throttle on the idling outboard.

"Where's Dad going, Mom?" Calley emerged from the main saloon onto the aft deck and came up behind her mother as she waved at the diminishing launch.

Colleen turned and instantly registered disapproval. "Calley! How many more times? I don't want you wandering about the boat like that. You know your father gets embarrassed when other people see you, especially the crew."

Whining. "Oh, Mom. I'm starting to look like an Oreo cookie."

"Get your top on now—and tell your sister the same goes for her. When you're away from the boat, off on your own, I don't care what you do."

"Boy, you've sure changed. I remember pool parties at your place when half the neighborhood went skinny dipping."

Colleen almost propelled her daughter back inside the main cabin. "That was then, this is now. I'm prepared to play by Bob's rules if it means some form of stability in this family."