Eleven Suspects

6- The Crook

"Why are we on the deck?" Virgil asks me. He's sitting on a bench, looking out at the water. "It's pretty clear your feelings on this right now, but this is obvious, even for you." His voice is more serious, practiced. Tense is a good word.

"What feelings?"

"You're smart enough to know that Celia's toying with you, and you've linked it that Lester and her are connected. I admit, you are jumping to conclusions about the Ghost's motives." I narrow my eyes.

"What motives?"

"Nobody causes chaos for the sake of causing chaos, Margaret." He just used my full name. What's he up to?

"Are you connected with the Ghost?"

"Please. I'm connected with everyone who's ever nicked anything in this forsaken little world you call a country."

"Celia said something like that. Do you know Celia?"

"Of course I do. I can't stand her. She thinks she's so much better than me, but if that's the case, then why...ooh." He leaves off.

"Why what?"

"Why nothing."

"You're hiding something."

"Yes, I am. Everyone on this ship is hiding something illegal. You don't see good little boys and girls bidding their fortunes on a legendary diamond with a code on it."

"You know about the code."

"Seriously, you think Joan got all the smarts. I'm just as smart as her, and I consider myself more."

"Are you connected with the Ghost?"

"I already answered that."

"You're lying."

"No, I'm pretty sure—

"Don't lie to me. I'm done with you. I want answers, and I want them now." Virgil rolls his eyes. "You don't get to lie to me. Why did you close that window?"

Virgil looks at me, smiling creepily. "Oh, now there's a question I can answer without getting shot."

"Shot?"

"Lester's not the only one here with smuggled weapons."

"Celia." I hiss, clenching my fists.

"I've gone through everyone's stuff already." He points at the bags under his eyes. "Two hours of sleep a night if I'm lucky. There are some very suspicious types on this boat, you know." My head falls into my hands.

"Why does everyone know about this but me?"

Virgil scowls. "Think of it as a test."

"A test?"

"A game. It's obvious that whoever the Ghost is, they're testing us. I overheard Joan talking to you earlier about the code. He was planning to promote someone."

"How did you—

"Closing windows does a multitude of things. You should consider it sooner or later." I glare at him.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that whoever finds out everything first gets to learn the truth."

"Truth about what?"

"I don't know!"

"Celia does. I bet we could squeeze the information out of her."

Virgil rolls his eyes. "She has a gun."

"But—

Virgil pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket. "We have a time limit."

"Constance and Joan—

Virgil looks away, biting his lip. "Our time limit has boundaries. Constance went outside of those boundaries. She's locked away somewhere."

"What do you mean—

"She could be dead."

"Why would they do that?!"

"I told you that this country was sick! Did you listen? No! But they know that the Ghost is on this ship. Or a Ghost. Or whatever! But they aren't letting anyone leave until we've figured it out. It's self-preservation for them."

"Why are they—

"I don't know, for the last time." Virgil says, looking drained. "But for every Ghost, there's a spy here, working for them."

"Them is the right thing."

"Grammar." Virgil says under his breath. "And you don't know that."

"The Ghost—

"Didn't hurt a soul. But your beloved government has us under siege."

"Then—

"We find the Ghost. You decide whether or not to turn them in. We all escape and live happily ever after, never to set foot on any kind of boat ever again." Virgil says, standing up. "It's that simple."

"I don't want to be Joan."

Virgil sighs. "Joan's gone."

"From the ship."

Virgil shakes his head, his eyes watery.

"From the country."

Virgil stands up. "No." He says, gathering himself. "Worse than that."

"She was killed?"

"No." Virgil scowls. "And whatever you do, I talk to Celia first. Stop following us and try to find out the real mystery here. We're just side projects."

"Virgil..."

"You heard her. I'm the crook. I'll do whatever I can to find any clues. You focus on the people."

"What about Lester? He's involved with Celia, and—

"Stop worrying about him. The only thing wrong with him is that he's in love with you." Virgil says with a smirk, heading back down to the commons room. He waves without looking back. "If I get in a fight, it's your fault!"

"Virgil!" He slams the door behind me, and when I open it again, he's gone.

What was that all about?

I thought Lester was the one that was mysterious. I can't trust Lester...but Virgil? I thought he was just dreaming of being a crook—but now he probably knows more than Lester and I combined. This is too much. Too much. And the countries...what's wrong with our country?

And how might Lester and Virgil be connected to Celia?

quotwE.