Jewel Heist. JJ Keller

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      “I don’t know, I guess because Conrad was beautiful. Maybe he was forced into stealing.” This thought had been recurring since the entire ordeal began. The incident had to have been some sort of mistake. Didn’t it?

      “What do you mean, you don’t know?” Jenn stood in front of Mary, looking a bit like a dark Peter Pan. “He was the leader.”

      “We’d been together for almost a year. Other than ditching me a couple of times, he was a perfect gentleman.” Mary had to breathe. Her heart tapped little beats against her chest. “I loved him. I thought he loved me too.”

      “Hello, part of the con-artist personality. Get in, pretend to be someone else, steal and escape. I thought you understood that by now?” Jenn’s snarky tone must have alerted her to the need for a new jolt of nicotine because she stomped away and withdrew another patch from her purse. As an attorney’s office assistant, her knowledge of criminal activity and the law was priceless, but it came with a lot of stress. In addition, she and her husband had decided to start a family, which had encouraged Jenn to stop smoking.

      “Okay, we know he had attributes. But overall, he stole from your place of business and made it appear you were to blame.” Phoenix rubbed Mary’s arm, gentle little circles that reminded Mary of how she soothed Kim’s girls when they’d been hurt.

      Mary put her drink on the side table and held her palms to her eyes, pressing so the pain would stay away. Everything her friends said was factual. She had to admit the truth and move past this entire ordeal. “Which is why this sperm-seeking cruise will be perfect. I’ll get a baby without the blind fallacy of love.”

      “You’ll need to hear the rest of the out-clause before you leave to jump on the boat.” Kim withdrew a notebook from the sofa table. “Phoenix, you have the best penmanship. Write down the donor list and what the acronym stands for.”

      Kim met Mary’s gaze as if she sought the truth. “Do you still want to have a child?”

      Mary lowered her hands to rest on the top of her thighs. Last chance kept repeating in her head. “You all know my grandfather’s edict. I haven’t saved enough money to buy my house. It’s the only thing of value left from my parents. The job, I can get one anywhere. I’d miss being my own boss and I love the store, but the building isn’t as important as the memories inside my home. If I want to keep my life the way it is, then yes. I need to have a baby and hope Grandfather won’t care about the marriage first.”

      “Okay then. You’ll leave from Port Authority in about an hour. After the second full day, you’ll disembark at Kingston. Then, you’ll stop at the big island. I think it’s called Port Yama. You’ll find out straightaway if slime ball is on the ship because he’ll find you. If he is, you jump ship at Kingston, seek out Sasha Framee. His name and phone number are on the back of this card.” Kim handed Mary the card. “He’ll get you on a plane or boat to Vermont.”

      “Go to my brother’s house in Cage, and he’ll hide you in his guest cottage.” Phoenix sat down on the edge of the sofa. “Once we’re notified you had to run, we’ll go to Jenn’s friend, Hotel Director Stubbing, who works on the ship. He can let us know what happened. As hard as it’ll be for all of us, we’ll have to stay away because Conrad had a partner and we don’t know what he looks like…right?”

      “Right, no one knows who he was. Conrad kept at my back the entire time and I didn’t see any skin on the accomplice, just black clothing from head to toe. I recognized Conrad’s voice, scent, and then the molar shaped mole on his hand. The hidden camera showed Conrad, but not a clear view of the other guy. They did get a voice imprint from the store’s security equipment. He sounds a little like Darth Vader.” Her throat had closed, making breathing difficult.

      The entire situation was really too much. She should stay at home and hide out like she’d been doing for the last several hours. Why hadn’t she canceled the cruise after Conrad betrayed her, stole from her and left her blind-folded and tied to a chair?

      “James Earl Jones is the voice. Deep. Husky, kinda sexy,” Jenn said, “like a smoker. God, I wish I had a cigarette.” She jumped up and paced to the edge of the family room and then to the white board.

      Phoenix handed Mary the diary containing the donor list. “Calculate the averages and select the best candidate. You have four days for optimum fertilization. Make them count. Probably research the top of your list for two days, select the father for your baby, and let the little spearheads swim the next two days.”

      “You’re going to have to act a part, Mary. You can’t be prissy or let guilt ride you. Most important of all, send snap shots of the finalist if you get a chance.” Kim winked.

      “I’m not sure I can be a scientist like you, Kim. I do feel guilt and I’m not sure I can select a guy to impregnate me using such a cold and callous scientific method.”

      “How do you think women select a sperm donor from a bank?” Jenn asked. “The only difference is you get to see the real guy. Unfortunately, you have to do the screening process. Also, having unprotected sex with a near stranger will be risky.”

      Mary slipped Dane Bushard’s business card inside the journal and pressed it against her chest. “Maybe I shouldn’t go. My destiny might not include children or love.”

      Kim was right on with the guilt comment. She couldn’t tell the candidate her intentions or they might not perform, thinking she had ulterior motives. Yeah, she had motivation–she wanted a child. Did this make her an unlikable person?

      “Sweetie, we didn’t mean for you to abandon the donor project. We simply want you to be safe,” Phoenix said, sincerity flooding her words. “We included an escape bag with a pay-as-you-go phone inside in your luggage.”

      Mary forced a smile. “Who knows the man in Kingston?”

      “I do.” Jenn had added a new piece of gum and chomped. “He’s an old friend. Quite a nice guy. Clean, good looking, family dates back to the early Jamaicans…and the organs were all in working order.”

      Kim laughed. Phoenix’s body jiggled with suppressed mirth.

      “What?” Jenn’s expression was one of surprise. “She only has two days on the ship before she ports, she might need a last chance.” Jenn pressed her lips together as if in thought or recapturing a memory. “He’s not blond, but he’s hot, handsome, and quite skilled with his tool. He has the sexiest wink, slow and deliberate. I get orgasmic just thinking about him.”

      “Thanks, Jenn, I’ll keep that in mind.” Mary glanced at the board and then her friends. What if she couldn’t get pregnant? Being the last member of the Keefe family might not be too bad. The town’s name, Keefe, would last forever even if the descendants died off.

      When she reached thirty, she’d inherit her trust money and could adopt a baby. She stood. A guy to hold at night, to kiss, and take to dinner or the movies–she didn’t need one. Abandoning the cruise would be very easy to do.

      “Don’t, Mary.” Phoenix’s low tone drew everyone’s attention.

      Of all Mary’s fabulous friends, Phoenix knew her the best and had always delved into her mind and found her weak points. Mary started for the door, notebook in hand, handbag in sight.

      “Don’t what?” Jenn asked between snaps and crackles.

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