Chapter 4
Felicity forced her eyes open, fighting against the fog clouding her mind. A dull ache pounded away at the back of her head, yet she willed herself to focus on her surrounding. She remembered the man who gave her a lift but very little after that. She tried to work out where she was. Her shoes were gone, so she could feel rough wood beneath her bare feet. The room itself was small and strangely, seemed to be leaning slightly to one side. Getting unsteadily to her feet she gingerly felt her way around the dimly lit room, trying to locate a light switch. Finding nothing, she turned her attention to the small window on the other side of the room. It was filthy, almost black with dirt and grime. She briefly ducked on the cuff of her blouse and scrubbed at the dirty window with the damp fabric. A little of the muck came away, but the outside of the window was dirty also. However, she had managed to make the room a little lighter, enough to locate the door. Pressing her ear against it, she heard nothing. Testing the door, she was unsurprised to find it locked. She tried listening at the window, but all she could hear were birds. Leaning back against the wall, she slid down it and rested her forehead on her knees. Then the door opened. She lifted her head to glare at the man who had seemed so polite that afternoon. "What do you want with me?"
"I want to teach your boss a little lesson. It's time he knew how it feels when someone takes away someone who belongs to you."
"What has Mr. Poirot ever done to you?"
"He murdered my father!" Albert bellowed.
Miss Lemon couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Nonsense! Mr. Poirot is a good man. There's no way he killed anyone, it's just not possible."
Albert scoffed at her. "You stupid woman! He had my father executed. Because of your friends, my father was hanged. They took him away from me, and I am going to make them pay."
Felicity was terrified, but the tried to keep her voice even. "What do you mean?"
Albert smiled. Grabbing the front of her dress, he dragged her to her feet. He put his face close to hers, so close she could smell the whisky on his breath and see the maniacal look in his eyes. "I am going to take you away from them. I am going to kill you."
In sheer terror and panic, summoning all her strength, she broke free of his grasp, and bolted for the open door. Throwing herself up the narrow steps she saw daylight. She was nearly there. Teaching the top, she blindly reached out for whatever was there. A hand grabbed her foot, and she wildly kicked at it, loosening the grip. Falling bodily forwards, she scrambled to her feet and looked around her. The last vestiges of hope within her died. All she could see was water. The tears fell as her legs gave way beneath her and she collapsed on the deck. Behind her, Albert was laughing. "Nobody's going to find you. Nobody will hear you scream. And I promise you, before you die, you will scream." He seized her by the hair and dragged her back to the cabin.