The driver immediately did as instructed and swam toward Xavier, but since the surroundings were black as coal, he accidentally hit Winnie on his way to the latter.
Annoyed, Winnie made way for the driver and remained quietly in her spot while listening in on their conversation.
“Where’s Calvert? Did he not get thrown off the boat?” Xavier asked.
As it turned out, Calvert Wood was none other than the man in white Winnie had seen on the yacht. He was also the private detective Xavier had tasked to track down his “Dumbo.”
“He didn’t!” the driver thundered. “He was one the who hired the yacht and those men. Mr. Fairchild, do you think they’re in cahoots?”
“Ha! I can’t believe I’ve misjudged him,” Xavier scoffed.
“What a sc*mbag! Once we’re back on shore, I’ll get the police to arrest him,” the driver fumed. Right as he said that, a light suddenly shone in the distance.
A few seconds later, it went out and came back on again. That pattern continued three more times before the light stopped flashing altogether.
The driver was the first to break the silence. “Mr. Fairchild, that’s the signal from the bodyguard to board the fishing boat. We’re safe now!”
“Good. Let’s go, then.”
It took a few minutes, but the three of them eventually climbed on board the small fishing boat.
There was a light on the boat, and since Winnie had given Xavier her tank top to use as a bandage earlier, all she was wearing on her upper half was a bra.
Because of that, she quickly ducked into the cabin as soon as she got onto the boat.
A couple in their fifties operated the fishing boat, and even though Winnie didn’t like how the old man was staring at her, his wife seemed friendly enough.
“We don’t have any other clothes on the boat, and this raincoat is all that’s left,” the lady said as she handed it to Winnie. “It’s still better than nothing, though. You can wear it if you don’t mind. I doubt it’d be convenient for you to walk around a boat full of men in that state.”
“Thank you. The raincoat will do nicely,” Winnie replied while putting it on.
Alas, it was also then that she realized her period had come, and to make matters worse, it was a heavy flow.
Despite burning with embarrassment, she had no choice but to ask the old lady for a pad.
“Sorry, I don’t have any,” the lady answered. “We don’t usually go out to sea when we’re having our periods because that’s a taboo. Bear with it for a while. We should be back on the island once day breaks.”
Winnie frowned slightly. “Okay. Thank you, anyway.”
“It’s okay. Stay and rest here in the cabin. I’ll tell the men outside not to come in.”
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