An hour later, at Irene's request, Marco carried Teresa down to poolside and a well-placed lounge chair under an umbrella. Irene provided an ice pack for the sore foot, and Stefan artfully folded a beach towel into a comfy cradle to elevate the iced appendage just as the doctor had ordered.

Greg had been exiled by the Dupree parents as soon as they had arrived at Terry's room. Three out of four Duprees breathed sighs of relief when both Greg and the doctor left the hotel room at the same time.

By the time Stefan had the towel/cradle installed, Irene was tipping the waiter who delivered a cold soft drink for Teresa. The waiter left and Irene relaxed in a chair on the opposite side of Terry's umbrella stand. Stefan left to hunt for Gregory.

Marco had been lingering on the edge of the group while they settled Teresa, and he stepped forward to officially take leave of them.

"I hope you're feeling better soon, Miss DuPree," he said. "My name is Marco. If there is anything I can do to make your stay at Emerald C's more enjoyable, I hope you will let me know."

Teresa turned her most dazzling smile upon him. "Why, thank you, Marco," she purred. "Maybe there is something."

Stefan and Greg rounded the corner of the pool deck in time to see Marco making what looked like very good time with Terry. Greg's jaw clinched, his eyes blazed, and he nearly leaped at the executive. Stefan towed Greg away, and they kept walking, past the pool and toward the beach.

When they reached the sailboard rental hut, Irene was waiting for them. "There you are! I was afraid you'd forgotten our date. What is wrong, now, Gregory."

"She's doing it again."

Stefan added, "Teresa is fraternizing with a man at the swimming pool."

"You mean, a man similar to that one?" Irene nodded to where Irving sat under a nearby palm tree, watching them while pretending not to.

"Oh, dear, they are all quite nice looking, aren't they!" Stefan breathed. "All the little watchdogs."

"That's the guy who belted me last night," Greg murmured. "I don't need him following me this morning."

Irene pinched Gregory's cheek playfully and winked at Stefan.

"Why don't you go play, lambykins, and let Mommy and Daddy take care of the bad old monster. Hmm?"

Greg studied both of his parents. Could they really handle this bruiser, in broad daylight?

Stefan reassured Greg with a look and a pat on the back. "Go on, son. Let us have our fun. We'll meet you at the boutique after lunch."

The parents made shooing motions. Greg smiled at them.

The parents turned and sauntered away seductively, closing in on Irving. Greg slipped away unnoticed.

In a matter of minutes, Greg was lifting weights at Emerald C's Fitness Center. A dozen other guests lifted weights, walked treadmills, and rode stationary bikes behind a wall of glass through which the beach and swimming pools could be seen.

From the station where Greg was pumping, he could see Terry still entertaining Marco at poolside. He saw Stefan and Irene plying Irving with compliments and ice beverages, and he saw Gino stationed at the Umbrella Hut, watching the beach.

Greg pumped one more time, then stopped, wiped sweat from his face with a towel, and draped the towel around his neck. "All present and accounted for," he murmured. "On with the hunt." He rose and left the gymnasium.

In no time at all, Greg was busy searching along the walls in one of the Fitness Center stock rooms. If a casino was hidden in this place, there had to be a hidden door somewhere.

"Can I help you?" someone said.

Gregory spun around to see a skinny stock clerk about 17 years old. Gregory let out his breath. This was not at all like meeting the hulking Irving in a dark boathouse.

Smiling as if embarrassed, Greg said, "I was trying to get from the weight room to the sauna without going through the lobby. I guess I got turned around."

"Come with me. I'll take you through the pro shop."

Greg followed the gawky stock clerk, apologizing all the way. "Thank you. Thank you very much. I knew this couldn't be right, but they said 'the second left' and I thought ..."

"You took the second right," the clerk said, helpfully.

"Oh! ... Imagine that. ... Thank you again. No telling where I might've ended up. You may have saved my life, you clever, charming person. What did you say your name was?"

In a short while, Gregory had finished his Fitness Center mission and worked his way around to the pool deck. Marco was no longer there, and Terry was reading when Greg approached and squatted beside her chair.

She pretended to ignore him.

"How's the foot?"

"Better. Swelling's going down. Soon I'll be able to slip into my shoes, and you won't need to carry me around ... ever again."

"Good. Just reporting in. No false walls or doors in the stock room or elsewhere in the Fitness Center. If you're okay here, I'll take Mom and Dad with me to get a look at that airplane hangar beyond the golf course."

"I'm fine here." She still had not once looked up from her book.

He watched her for several heartbeats, then he sighed, rose, and left.

Coming across the pool deck toward him was Lola, a seasoned prostitute well known to Officer Greg Hallstead. She seemed to be working the poolside crowd.

Greg ducked behind a palm tree, then sneaked away as fast as he could, but Lola had glimpsed him leaving Terry's chair. Lola hurried to where Terry was reading.

"Excuse me, honey, but was that a cop you were just talking to?"

"No! Not at all. That was my brother." Terry definitely looked up from her book for this conversation.

Lola removed her designer sunglasses and cleaned them with the hem of her transparent swimsuit cover-up. "Whew! That's good news. I thought it was this cop I knew. Kinda promised him I was getting out of the business."

"But you haven't?"

"Sort of. I don't normally work hotels, but I was told they don't bust ya here. High class place, see?"

"Yeah. Good."

"How'd ya hurt your foot?"

"Kicked my stupid brother with it."

"Mm. Probably deserved it. They always do."

"He always does," Terry agreed.

Lola replaced her sunglasses on her nose. "Well, nice meetin' ya. Hope the foot gets better soon."

Terry waved, and Lola sashayed back into the crowd of potential business partners.

Terry couldn't keep from saying to herself, "Another one! And he says 'I don't have any babes.'" She scoffed and tried to concentrate on her book.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  The search continues for Emerald's secret casino, but there seem to be too many women at the resort who recognize Greg Hallstead.  Soon there will be one more: Terry's mother is about to surprise everyone. Stay around for the next installments of Emerald's Secret. 

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