Читать книгу Heather Graham Bundle: The Island / Ghost Walk / Killing Kelly / The Vision - Heather Graham, Heather Graham - Страница 19

THIS TIME KEITH DIDN’T KNOW the man who lay on the sterile stainless-steel table.

Though completely antiseptic, the place had a smell. It seemed that no matter what, a morgue had a smell.

“Victor Thompson, twenty-seven, been diving since he was fifteen, been on boats all his life, grew up in Marathon and knew the reefs like the back of his hand,” Mike Burlington said. “Made a living taking out charter tours from Islamorada.”

“Drowned?” he said, looking from Mike Burlington to the medical examiner, James Fleming.

Fleming had a reassuring appearance. In fact, he would have made a good family physician. He had a rich head of white hair, a pleasant, weathered face, and appeared to be in his early fifties. Old enough to have learned a lot, young enough to maintain his sharpness.

“Yes, his lungs are full of water,” Fleming said.

“There was a good fifteen minutes left in his air tank,” Mike said.

Mike Burlington was also the type to demand respect. He was tall, lean and wiry, in his early forties. He was the kind of man who had known what he wanted all his life. Coming from a sound but lower-income family, he’d joined ROTC in high school, gone into the military, gone for his degree on army funding, then headed straight into investigative work. He was tough, inside and out, but never lost sight of the fact that his purpose was to protect the living.

“There are no bruises, no sign of force on the body?” Keith asked.

Dr. Fleming shook his head. “Be my guest,” he said softly.

Carefully, his hands gloved, Keith made his own inspection of the body.

Just like…

He studied the lividity markings and looked at Fleming again.

“Yes, I think he drowned, was taken out of the water, then thrown back into it. The blood settled forward, so he was transported face downward, then thrown in the water again, all within hours of his death. He washed up on Marathon.”

“And his boat?” Keith looked at Mike again.

Mike shook his head. “Nothing like the kind of luxury vessels that have disappeared. He was out on a twentynine-footer. A decent enough boat. He took good care of it but it wasn’t worth a fortune.”

“Has the boat been found?” Keith asked.

“Not yet.”

“He went out alone, I take it.”

Mike nodded grimly.

“Any suggestion to friends that he was heading toward Calliope Key?” Keith asked.

“The police in Monroe County have done some investigating. Seems he and his friends talked a lot about sunken ships and the wrecks along the Florida coastline. I can give you a list. Anyone know where you are right now?” Mike asked him.

Keith shook his head.

“All right. Keep it that way. At the moment, since we don’t know what the hell’s going on, I want everything on a need-to-know basis.”

Keith considered arguing the point. But Mike wasn’t a trusting person. He’d been around too long. He’d seen the best of human nature, courage and loyalty. He’d seen betrayal, as well.

“There’s a lot of weird shit going on here, and I’m starting to think it’s connected,” Keith said.

“Go ahead, explain,” Mike said.

“Gentlemen? May we let this young man rest in peace?” the doctor asked.

“For the moment, but his body’s not to be released yet,” Mike said.

“I’m not sure if the local authorities—”

“I’ll deal with it,” Mike assured him. He looked at Keith dryly. “Come into my office and tell me everything,” he said, leading Keith out to the hallway.

When Keith had given him a full report, Mike said, “Someone is leaking information.”

“Not necessarily,” Keith argued. “Too few people know about the operation.”

“Too many people are dying,” Mike said. “Someone knows something they shouldn’t.”

“That doesn’t mean there’s a leak. Hell, there are people who know who I am,” Keith reminded him.

“Keep an eye on your co-workers, that’s all I have to say,” Mike said sternly.

“Right,” Keith agreed tensely. Yeah, he would keep an eye on them, just as he’d been doing. But he couldn’t believe either Lee or Matt was involved.

He looked down for a moment, then stared at Mike again. “We might have screwed this up. We can still change the procedure. Just do the whole thing up big, warn people, keep anybody else from getting hurt.”

“Oh, great. Call the papers. What then?” Mike demanded. “Just forget everyone who’s already died?”

“Doesn’t look like we’re managing to stop the flow of blood the way it is,” Keith said.

“We’re close, dammit,” Mike insisted.

Close?

Close enough to prevent any more loss of life?

“You’ve got your orders,” Mike said flatly.

“Right.”

He left, and just as he exited the building, his phone began to ring. He answered, expecting Lee or Matt.

Certainly not the slightly accented voice that spoke to him.

“Mr. Henson?”

“Who is this? How did you get this number?”

“We can all do a little sleuthing, Mr. Henson. I’m talking to you because of a mutual friend.”

“All right. Who are you?”

“Manny Ortega. You remember me, yes?”

“Yes. Why are you calling?”

“I need to speak with you. In person. I believe that I can help you. And you can help me. I believe that you will believe me.”

He glanced at his watch, uneasy with the time but equally curious. “It’s got to be quick, and I suggest you tell me first who gave you my phone number.”

He was surprised by the answer, and more curious than ever. “When? And where?”

“There’s a boating store on Twenty-seventh. Huge place. Open late. Can you meet me now?”

“Give me an hour.”

“I don’t need much of your time.”

“There’s an errand I have to run first,” Keith told him. “Then I’ll be there.”

BETH DIDN’T ATTEMPT TO turn around.

There was a knife at her throat. She didn’t doubt for a moment that it was real.

Nor did she doubt that her attacker would use it.

Her pepper spray was in her purse. Worthless. The only thing she could do was stand there and pray. Even if she could somehow overpower the person with the blade, there was the other one to deal with after. If there was an after.

Because the “shadow” was armed, as well. And she was sure the gun pointed at her could stop her escape cold.

Her blood was racing through her veins; her limbs were rubber. She could make out nothing of the shadow’s face, because he—or she—remained at a distance. She didn’t even know if the shadow was male or female.

Just as she didn’t know if she was being held by a man or a woman.

A man, she decided. The grip was powerful. She didn’t think many women—no matter how deadly or well muscled—had that kind of painful strength. She also tried to tell herself that when someone went to the trouble of hiding their identity, it was because they didn’t intend to kill. If she could see faces, then she would be in danger.

There was no way she could identify either person.

The whisper that slithered into her ear was no more helpful.

“This is a warning. Drop it. Forget Calliope Key. Forget you ever heard the names Ted and Molly Monoco. Next time, you’ll die. Don’t go to the police. Don’t tell the police anything. If you even think about going to the police, remember this—you have a niece. That pretty little girl can die right in front of you, just so you’ll know you killed her before you die yourself. Got it?”

Got it? She wasn’t sure she had anything. She was frozen. She had been terrified enough—and then they had mentioned Amber.

Suddenly there were lights in the street. Lights from a car, coming to a halt in front of her house.

She was suddenly shoved hard. She went down on her knees, then fell flat. As she fell, she heard the sound of running footsteps.

Her attacker was gone.

So was the shadow.

“Beth!” It was Keith. He was by her side in seconds. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

Then he was gone, running in the darkness.

Still stunned, she lay still for several seconds. Her heartbeat slowed. She inhaled, and the air was ridiculously sweet. Her first realization was that she was alive.

Her second was that her knees hurt.

She managed to stumble to her feet and get the door open. She nearly screamed again when she heard running footsteps, and turned, ready to fight off any attacker.

But it was Keith.

“Call the police,” he ordered.

“No!” She shoved him away and headed inside. He followed, and she locked the door, then headed straight for the kitchen. She poured a shot of brandy, ignoring him. She stood at the counter, aware of the pain in her knees, just staring.

He took her by the shoulders and shook her. “Beth, you have to call the police.”

“No!”

“You were just attacked, and the bastards have disappeared. I can’t search the neighborhood by myself.”

“No,” she repeated.

“Then I’ll call them.”

He reached for the phone. She grabbed his arm.

“No, I’m begging you—don’t call the police.”

“If they threatened you—”

“They didn’t just threaten me. They threatened Amber.”

He hesitated. “Beth, no matter who they threatened, you need to call the police.”

“I will not put her life in danger. If you call the police, I swear, I’ll call you a liar. I’ll say you’re harassing me.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“The hell I wouldn’t. I mean it, Keith.”

He swore, turning away from her, running his fingers through his hair. Beth swallowed a second brandy, and found that despite her anger and misgivings about him, with Keith there, she felt safer, with a renewed sense of determination. She was furious at herself for being so gullible, so vulnerable, such easy prey.

“I’m going to assume you’re not a cop yourself,” she said harshly.

He spun on her. “I’m not a cop. But I do know that you can’t let people get away with threats.”

She turned, reaching for the phone. She wouldn’t call the police, but she would call a cop.Ashley. No. Maybe she was being watched. Ridiculous, she was in her own house, curtains drawn, the lock locked—and Keith inside, with her.

It was doubtful that the thugs who had attacked her had the resources to bug her phone, but even so, she didn’t dial.

They had threatened Amber. That was terrifying.

Did she dare take a chance with her niece’s life? And then there were the events of the day. A skull sitting on her desk and—an entire club full of people convinced she was overreacting to a prank. With her luck, she would get Officer Garth again. She could just imagine the conversation.

“As you know,” she reminded Keith icily, “I already called the cops once today. Just imagine what will happen if I call them again. ‘You’re sure you didn’t imagine there was someone behind you? In front of you? Why can’t you say what they looked like? It must have been a prank.’ Then I could speak in my own defense, ‘Look, my knees are cut up.’ And the friendly cop could tell me, ‘I’m sure you were frightened of a bush, Miss Anderson. You must have fallen and hurt yourself.’”

“Beth, I was there. I saw them.”

“Right. You saw them. You went after them, but they’d disappeared.”

“This whole area is overgrown. There are a million places for someone to hide. But that’s the point. They’re cowards. Someone else showed up, and they ran.”

“I’m not an idiot. But we’re talking about my niece.”

He put his hands on her shoulders. “Beth…”

She wrenched away from his grasp. “Even if the cops come, there won’t be a damn thing they can do. I’ve had it with people doubting me. And my niece is in danger, too.”

“Beth, you’ve been in danger since the day you saw the skull and the girls mentioned it when we were together as a group that night.”

“So you’re suggesting that someone on the island was responsible for the skull being there?”

“If there was a skull,” he said softly.

“Not you, too!”

“Beth, I knew you were hiding something. I searched the area.”

“And you knew what you were looking for?” she demanded.

“No, but I would have noticed a skull.”

Beth stared at him hard, arching a brow.

He sighed. “All right, Beth, I didn’t have a lot of time, I was interrupted almost immediately. But I had known you where you were—I should have found something.” Again, that implication. If it had been there. Then he shook his head, as if aggravated with himself for that admission, rather than her. “Beth, that night, there were people out and about when they should have been sleeping. I had even expected—been awaiting—that. Something was going on there. But…”

She stared at him. “I’ll call my friend Ashley,” she said. “She’s a cop, and she knows I’m not insane, and that I’m not someone who tends to panic easily.”

She hesitated, staring at him, then poured another shot of brandy. No, she didn’t panic easily. But at the moment, she needed more fortification.

She drank down the shot, amazed to realize that she relished the burn when it went down her throat.

She still felt uncertain, with no idea what to do. She believed with her whole heart it was wrong to give in to criminals in any way, but…

They had threatened Amber.

She poured another brandy. Keith walked up behind her, taking the glass from her. She spun on him, eyes filled with fury.

“That isn’t going to help the situation,” he told her.

“Really? And what is?”

“Calling the police.”

She backed away from him. “Let me deal with this.”

“Beth, listen to me—”

“No. And don’t you have something to do, somewhere to go?” she demanded.

She wanted to beg him to stay with her, protect her. But she had a life to live—and obviously so did he. She couldn’t ask him to be her personal bodyguard. That wouldn’t help Amber. She felt furious, trapped and very afraid.

“I can’t stay,” he said in soft frustration, as if to himself.

His words reminded her that he seemed to be playing a million different games. “Excuse me, but I don’t recall asking you to,” she said.

He stared at her hard, then picked up the phone himself. She grabbed it, but his grip was firm. “Stop it. I’m not calling 911.”

“Who are you calling, then?”

He took a deep breath. “Jake Dilessio.”

She dropped his arm and took a step back from him, folding her arms across her chest. “So you do know Jake and Ashley.”

“Yes,” he said flatly.

He dialed. “Jake, it’s Keith. Sorry for the short notice, but can you meet me at Beth’s house?”

Beth narrowed her eyes, watching, listening. Obviously, he knew Jake well. Her sense of betrayal grew.

When he hung up, she stared at him. He stared back. “Want to explain?” she asked.

“You know I’m a diver,” he told her with a shrug. “I’ve been called in to work this area before.”

“With the police?”

“Yes,” he said impatiently.

She shook her head slowly. “That’s all you’re going to say?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Were you on Calliope Key…looking for a body?” she asked.

“No.”

“Then…?”

“I have to leave when Jake gets here, but I’ll be back.”

She turned and walked away from him. “Don’t bother. I’ve known Jake a while myself. He’s married to one of my best friends. I think I’ll rely on him for whatever help I need.” And leaving him standing there, she headed upstairs.

IF BETH HAD BEEN AFRAID of being obvious by having a cop arrive at her door, she needn’t have worried, Keith thought.

Ashley dropped off Jake, with both kids in the car, in their car seats.

Keith explained the situation briefly. “And you didn’t make her call in a report?” Jake demanded.

“Apparently Miss Anderson is your good friend. You talk her into it. I’d love to see you succeed.”

“I’ll talk to her,” Jake said firmly.

Keith mentally breathed a sigh of relief. He could safely leave—Jake Dilessio was there. Maybe the man could talk some sense into her.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Keith told him.

When the door closed and locked behind him, he surveyed the area. He cursed, wondering how the hell the two attackers had disappeared so quickly and completely after assaulting Beth. He was fast, but in the seconds it had taken him to make sure she was all right, they’d disappeared. They’d headed down the block, turned the corner and been gone.

He knew he needed to get going to keep his appointment with Manny, but the speed with which the attackers had vanished disturbed him. He strode to the corner and looked down the street. There were more row houses. There was an old single-family residence, set back deeply in a large yard. Across the street, there were more houses. They could have taken off through any of the yards, and done so easily in the time it had taken him to bend over and see about Beth.

He headed for the yard of the house that was set back so deeply and crossed over the grass, his penlight on the ground before him. He traversed the area several times, but it seemed undisturbed. He turned his attention to the houses across the street and made a number of mental notes.

Then he walked back to his car, got in, and shifted into gear to keep his appointment with Manny Ortega.

“YOU KNOW WHY WE’RE NOT finding anything?” Lee murmured, sitting at the computer console in the main cabin, his eyes darting from the screen to a book of charts.

“The damn thing isn’t really there?” Matt asked wearily. He was on the sofa, his head on one of the throw pillows. A feeling of guilt and unease still plagued him. Lee had returned from his evening out with a full report—nothing. He’d gotten to see the clubs of Miami Beach. End of story.

That had been the time for him to speak up. Tell the truth. I was taken for the ride of my life. Sorry, guys. I can’t believe she used me as if I were a horny high-school kid.

Lee turned and stared at him, shaking his head. “It’s there. I know it’s there. It’s just broken up so badly that we’re not getting anything. The coral’s probably grown over a lot of the ribs and the hull.”

“So why aren’t we picking up the cannons?” Matt asked.

“That I don’t know.”

Matt felt a greater guilt. Still, he kept silent.

“Shit,” Lee swore suddenly.

“What?”

The television mounted over the doorway to the aft area had been on, the sound muted. Lee reached for the remote and turned up the volume. The news was on. The tragic death of a local charter-boat owner and dive master was being reported.

“Another one,” Lee said.

“They didn’t say anything about him being anywhere near Calliope Key,” Matt pointed out.

“It’s time we get our own asses back out there,” Lee said. He shook his head. “Keith is crazy, thinking he can find out something at that yacht club. We need to be out there. Watching. Shit. Where the damn hell is he, anyway?”

WHEN KEITH RETURNED, Beth’s house was dark.

He wasn’t accustomed to even feeling uneasy, so it disturbed him to realize he was feeling something akin to growing panic. He dialed her number, but there was no answer. Where the hell was she—and, worse, where the hell was Jake? When the answering machine came on, he felt like an utter fool, but he started speaking. “Jake, dammit, answer. Beth, pick up. You don’t have to see me or let me in, but pick up. I see your car. I know you’re there, and I’m worried. If you don’t answer, I’m going to get the police out here.”

She picked up. “Yes?”

“You are there.”

“Yes.” The terms “icy” and “distant” wouldn’t begin to describe the tone of her voice.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. Is there a reason I shouldn’t be? Jake is here, remember.” If anything, her tone grew harder still.

“You guys didn’t answer the phone,” he said irritably.

“Jake is in the bathroom, and I’m fine. We don’t need to talk right now. It’s late.”

“Beth, look, I’m sorry. I told you, I had some things I needed to do, and I knew you’d be all right with Jake there. But…we do need to talk.”

“I’m not calling the police. And as for you…don’t be sorry. You were around to run them off and now…now I’m with a friend. So don’t be sorry. We all have an agenda, don’t we? I just don’t care to see you or talk about it any more right now.”

“Beth…” He hesitated. There was nothing he was at liberty to say to her.

“Beth,” he said, “it was a strange day.”

“I just want to be alone, all right? Jake is here. I’m fine.”

She hung up.

He sat there, his phone in his hand, for several seconds, just registering the fact that she had cut him off so coldly.

Well, what the hell had he expected?

It didn’t matter. He was loath to leave. Nothing had been solved. Jake had a job and a family. He couldn’t just turn his life over to keeping tabs on Beth.

His phone rang. He expected it to be Jake, and he answered quickly.

“Where the hell are you?”

It was Lee, and he was aggravated.

“Busy. What’s up?”

“The noose is tightening. We really need to move.” Lee was quiet. “They found another diver. The news just came out. We need to get back on the boat.”

“I know we need to get back out there. I just need a little more time.”

Lee was silent. “I told you before, we need to focus. There’s the project, and that’s it.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Listen to me, Keith. We’ve got to get back out on the reef.”

“I’ll be there. I have something to solve first.”

“Look,” Lee said, sounding seriously pissed, “we need to talk. We have a job to do. You can’t go taking care of the rest of the world. We have to be back on that reef by tomorrow morning.”

“Where are you now?”

“Right where we’ve been. Waiting.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

“Really soon,” Lee said.

Keith hung up, contemplating the situation. He hesitated, then dialed Beth’s number again. She had been attacked. And then there was the skull on her desk. That had to mean something, as well.

Why the hell couldn’t he just find the connection?

He closed his eyes for a moment. There was money in this, big money. Maybe Mike was right. Money often meant corruption.

He called the house number, determined to tell her at least some of what was going on, and to hell with the consequences. The machine came on.

“Beth, I know you’re angry. You have a right to be. But I’m worried about you. Jake can’t stay there forever. Listen. I think that you were followed today, from Nick’s to the club. A couple left right in your wake. That was why I followed you. A couple, Beth. It might have been Brad and Sandy, in disguise. If they’re the pirates, they’re dangerous.” He paused. “Guilty of murder. Jake has to go home sooner or later. You need to stay with someone.”

“What’s happening?” she picked up and demanded. “Why did you leave, then, and come back so worried and determined?”

“I had a meeting, that was all. I said I’d be back. Put Jake on the phone, if you just want to fight with me. Please. Honestly, if I knew what was happening, I’d tell you,” he said bitterly.

He heard her sound of frustration. “Listen, Beth, I’ll explain everything to you as soon as I can, I promise. For now…please, pack a few things and go with Jake to his place.” He was quiet. “I’m not leaving until I see you go with him.”

“All right.” She hung up on him.

He remained where he was, tense, pondering his next move. Then his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and realized she had hit Redial. “Beth?”

“It’s Jake. She’s coming back to my place.”

“Thanks.”

“She still won’t agree to filing a police report. I’ve tried everything but brute force,” Jake told him.

“Just keep her safe, huh?”

“You bet,” Jake assured him.

Keith remained where he was. He expected a long wait, but it was no more than ten minutes before Jake and Beth appeared. She locked the house but didn’t glance his way. Jake gave him a wave as he got into the passenger seat of her car.

Despite Jake’s presence, Keith followed. He pulled out his phone and dialed when he realized she was going in the direction of Nick’s.

Lee answered. “I’ll be there in about another ten minutes,” Keith told him. “You can bring the tender and get me at the dock at Nick’s.”

“Great. Glad you’ve had your entertainment for the night,” Lee said sarcastically.

Keith hung up.

He waited in the car while Beth parked at Nick’s, grabbed her overnight bag and headed toward the rear with Jake. Then he followed.

The place was jumping. It was a Saturday night. Nothing could go wrong with that many people around.

Please, God, he thought. Let that be the truth.

He saw Ashley, her youngest child in her arms, making her way through the tables to meet Beth and Jake.

Once they were all together, Keith circumvented the busy patio and headed out to the pier.

He heard the motor of the tender soon after. Lee had come. The stare he gave Keith spoke volumes.

“No involvements,” Lee muttered with disgust. “Yeah, like hell. We came in for information. Not for your entertainment.”

“Let’s just go,” Keith said.

“Hell, yeah. Let’s just go. Eye on the prize, pal.”

Keith swung on him. “Hey, swallow this, pal. Fuck you. The prize has changed.”

IF NOTHING ELSE, it had probably been the longest, most eventful day of Beth’s life. By the time she reached the privacy of Ashley and Jake’s place, in an ell off the restaurant, she was so keyed up she was ready to scream—and not at all sure of where to start.

“You lied to me,” she told Ashley.

“I’m not at liberty—” Ashley began.

“I’ve already explained that,” Jake said, staring at Beth. “Over and over again.”

“Oh, come on. You know I would never say anything to anyone else if you told me not to. What the hell is going on here? I can’t imagine that you’ve become buddy-buddy with some kind of criminal, but he keeps denying that he’s a cop.” Beth stared from Ashley to Jake.

“Shh,” Ashley pleaded. “You’ll wake the kids.”

She let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to make your lives any harder, but—”

She broke off, wincing.

But Amber had been threatened. And Keith’s words on the phone had hit disturbingly close to home. She had noticed the couple herself. She just hadn’t realized they had followed her.

They had probably been following her all day, before staking out her house. She had to pray they hadn’t waited around to follow her here.

She stood very still and stared at Jake. “I need someone off duty to keep an eye on my niece,” she said softly. “And I mean now. That’s the only reason I agreed to come here. You two can help me. I need Amber protected.”

“Amber?”

She nodded. “Jake, you’ve got cop friends coming out of the woodwork. I can pay, but I want Amber protected. Without Ben knowing. I don’t want him doing anything stupid.” She was angry; her decision was made.

“Does someone want to explain exactly what’s going on?” Ashley demanded.

“Beth was attacked,” Jake said.

Ashley gasped.

“Threatened is more like it,” Beth said.

“Keith showed up, they ran off.”

“And you didn’t call the police?” Ashley asked incredulously.

Beth groaned.

“I told her she should have called the police immediately,” Jake said sternly. “So did Keith.”

“They threatened Amber,” she said. “And I’m not filing a report of any kind. I mean it. I’m not taking any chances. I want you to help me with this.”

“Keith saw a couple here today, while you two were together today. They followed Beth when she left. I’m willing to bet they’re the same two who are suspected of pirating the missing boats.”

“Here?” Ashley said. “Beth, do you think it might have been them?”

“I don’t know for sure, but it’s starting to sound likely. And, oh yeah. I found a skull on my desk today, but the cop I called seemed to think I was a paranoid lunatic, so if you don’t mind, I’m not speaking officially to any more police today. I think that someone got into my office, then followed me. The official cop couldn’t see that. Okay? Wait! I don’t care if it’s not okay. You lied to me, Ashley. You said you didn’t know him.”

Ashley glanced guiltily at the floor.

“And if he’s not a cop, what the hell is he?” Beth demanded, still angry.

“We don’t have the right—” Jake began.

“Oh, Jake! What do you think Beth is going to do—post it on the Internet?” Ashley demanded impatiently. “He’s not a cop. In fact—”

“Don’t even try to tell me he’s a scuba instructor,” Beth snapped.

“Well, actually,” Jake said, “he is.”

Before Beth could literally scream with aggravation, Ashley spoke, explaining, “He’s with a company that specializes in dive rescues and retrievals, salvage and maritime crimes.”

Beth stared at her friends, perplexed. “Why couldn’t you tell me that?”

“Because we don’t know what he’s doing,” Jake said impatiently. Then he hesitated. “They contract their services to the government. He could be working for the feds or the state. When I see him, I don’t ask. Whatever he’s doing this time, it’s important that people don’t know who he is. He often works undercover. So when he doesn’t tell me what he’s doing, I respect his position and don’t ask. I don’t want to jeopardize his work—or his life.”

Beth stared at him, shaking her head. “Why wouldn’t he tell me? Why wouldn’t he trust me?”

Jake shook his head. “Beth, when you’re undercover, you tell no one. You pray that you don’t run into the people who know you. And if you do, you pray they keep their mouths shut.”

“Who on earth would I say anything to?” Beth protested.

Jake shook his head. “You wouldn’t say anything on purpose, Beth, but what if you accidentally let something slip to Ben? They’ve already threatened Amber.”

“Get someone out there now, Jake,” Beth demanded hotly, then added a soft “Please.”

“All right.”

He went away to arrange it, leaving her with Ashley. Beth still felt angry.

“You could have said something to me,” she insisted.

“Beth, the point is, anyone can inadvertently say something. You just learn to keep your mouth shut.”

“Fine,” Beth said. “Then let’s see what I can tell you. It seems that Sandy and Brad—or whatever their real names are—have been stealing yachts and murdering people. They probably changed their appearances and came here to scout for their next victim. They somehow decided that I had them pegged, probably when they saw me here with you, so they attacked me. They’re out there somewhere, but Keith Henson—if that’s his real name—has decided to go back…somewhere. I hope to find them.”

“There’s already an APB out across the country for them,” Ashley said.

“Well, they were here. Right here, on land,” Beth said. “And there was a skull on the island. Keith was in the clearing right after I discovered it. Did he take it? Did he bring it in somewhere? Did it belong to one of the Monocos?”

Ashley shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Beth shook her head in disgust. “Great detective I would have made. I figured Eduardo Shea must have had something to do with it…someone who was profiting off the dance studios. Or Amanda. I probably just wanted her to be guilty of something.”

She fell silent.

Had Keith Henson been questioning Amanda? Had she misread that whole thing?

Jake reappeared. “Amber will be fine,” he assured Beth.

“Jake, I don’t care what it costs. I’ll pay it. You called people you really trust, right?”

“Beth, I called people I’d trust with my own life, Ashley’s life—my children’s lives,” he assured her. “And they’re friends, doing me favors. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Yes, I do,” she said firmly. “But the point is, until…Brad and Sandy are brought in, Amber has to be kept safe.”

She felt deflated suddenly. She’d been so angry, so frightened. And now she felt as if she were a balloon that had been suddenly popped.

“Beth, are you all right?” Ashley asked. “You look pale.”

Beth lifted her hands in a shrug. “At least he isn’t a criminal.”

“Keith? No, he isn’t a criminal,” Ashley said.

“Beth, the FBI, the local police, the Coast Guard—everyone is looking for Sandy and Brad. They will be caught,” Jake told her.

She forced a smile and nodded.

Sure.

But when?

That was the question of the hour.

WHEN JAKE AND ASHLEY HAD gone to bed, Beth found that she was still too restless herself to sleep. She went online and looked up the island. To her surprise, there was a great deal written about Calliope Key. Apparently almost everyone since Columbus had put ashore there. Ponce de León had stopped by. The Spanish had claimed it, then the English. Despite its proximity to the Bahamas, it had remained part of Florida after trades between the Spanish and English, the Spanish and the Americans, and the English and the Americans.

When the Spanish had held the island, they had often lain in wait to surprise English ships and lured them onto the reefs. Apparently the welcoming sight of the island, and the sound of the wind on the water and through the trees had beckoned them onward, and thus the name, Calliope Key. Sadly, the islet had been like a siren, enticing men to their deaths.

There had been too many wrecks to count, but as she read, Beth came across one very specific incident. A battle between an English ship and a Spanish ship, the Sea Star and La Doña. Captain Pierce had battled Captain Alonzo Jimenez. All had been lost, including the innocent travelers aboard, seeking to reach Spanish ports in Central and South America.

Beth stared blankly at the screen.

The ghost story, the tale that Keith had told that very first night around their campfire, had been true, or at least based on truth.

She was suddenly certain that meant something.

That it just might be at the base of everything else.

But what did it mean? Treasure seekers were always combing the coast of Florida. There were so many known wrecks that had yet to be found. The legend of the Bermuda Triangle had sprung up because so many had been lost and no trace ever found.

She hesitated, then began combing the article again. Both ships had been lost with treasure aboard, as had so many ships before their sad encounter. But these treasures had been worth millions, even at the time. Heaven only knew what they would be worth now.

Enough to kill and die for, certainly.

THEY WERE STILL ANCHORED in the bay.

Matt was pacing the cabin. “All right. Sandy and Brad are guilty. They’ve been stealing yachts. They have a base somewhere, and they’ve managed to get the boats to this base, where they’re being done over. Every law-enforcement agency out there is onto them. So…what is the difficulty now? Why don’t we just come out with the big guns—major league underwater equipment?”

“We’ve got to be back out there in the morning, and we have to find it,” Lee insisted. “It’s ridiculous that we haven’t been able to.”

“Maybe our coordinates are wrong,” Matt said.

“I don’t believe that,” Keith said firmly. He was the one who had studied the accounts of the wreck, taking into consideration every storm that had ravaged the area since. He had also been the one to study and calculate what had possibly occurred after they had received the new records, only recently turned over to the United States by the German government. He had figured in time and tides.

Keith stopped pacing. “Why do you think they didn’t try to steal this boat?” he mused.

“Huge boat, three men. Witnesses,” Lee suggested.

“Just two of them,” Keith mused. “Tough guys when they’re armed, against a retired couple, one friendly diver…”

“But they hung around out there,” Matt said.

“Maybe they were looking for the right opportunity,” Lee said. “Hoping we’d eventually show some vulnerability.”

“They won’t dare show up out here again,” Matt said. “They must know the law is onto them.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Keith put in.

“I just don’t get it. Why are we still tiptoeing around?” Matt said.

Keith rose. “Because we work for a company with a government contract and this is what we were hired to do. Not to mention that we’ve got another dead diver on our hands.”

“Who might never have been anywhere near Calliope Key,” Matt reminded him. “Plenty of assholes put on dive gear.”

“This man was experienced,” Keith pointed out.

“And didn’t own a yacht,” Matt added.

“Accidents happen,” Lee murmured.

Keith kept silent on that score. He had seen the body.

There had been no accident.

ON SUNDAY MORNING, the newspaper carried an account of a diver found dead in the Keys.

Beth found herself obsessing over the article, reading it over and over again. When Ashley awoke, she stuck it beneath her nose.

Ashley shook her head. “Beth, everything in the world isn’t related to a missing couple and pirated boats. Those two couldn’t have been everywhere.”

“It was idiotic of them to have been in Miami,” Beth said.

“Not really. Think about it. The area is huge, boats everywhere. Hide in plain sight.” She looked at Beth. “He didn’t have the kind of boat our pirates have been stealing. And, Beth…Jake and I were out one day in the Keys, diving down to the Duane. A guy on our boat wasn’t in the best shape and shouldn’t have been doing such a deep dive. He panicked, popped up to the surface and died. It happens.”

“I know.”

“So do you have a plan for the day?” Ashley asked, carefully changing the subject.

“Besides just being worried sick?” Beth asked her.

Ashley leaned forward. “They will be apprehended. And Amber will be protected. Look, Beth, you have a right to be scared. And angry.”

“I’m angry about having to be scared. I have a lot to do this week.”

“We can get a man into the yacht club, as well.”

“Ashley, you and Jake can’t go calling in every favor you’ve ever earned. You have to let me pay these guys.”

Ashley shrugged. “If you were to allow me just to report what happened—”

“No. I will not risk Amber.”

“But, Beth—”

“Hey, I reported the skull. Lot of good that did.”

“This is different.”

“Maybe they’ll be caught soon,” Beth said. Her cell phone rang, and she excused herself and picked it up.

“Where the hell are you?” Ben’s voice demanded angrily.

“At Ashley’s,” Beth said.

“Why didn’t you tell me? What were you doing, babysitting?” Ben asked.

“Something like that,” Beth lied. She hesitated. Why not tell her brother the truth? Because he had doubted her over the skull? Because he would panic over his daughter? She didn’t like lying to Ben. But for the moment… “So what’s up? What do you need?”

Ben was silent for a minute, still angry. His voice was tight when he said, “Amber is anxious about you—I don’t know why, and neither one of you seems to want to tell me. I have to clean the hull today, so I’m taking her to lunch at the club, and she’s going to swim and sunbathe while I’m working. Will you come?”

She didn’t want to do anything but fume and fret and worry, she realized. But that was a stupid course of action to take. She had to trust in her friends, and wait for Sandy and Brad to be apprehended.

They were probably hiding in plain sight, just as Ashley had said. And if so…

They were hiding around boaters. She looked at Ashley. “Want to have lunch at the club?”

“Sure. I just need to arrange a babysitter.”

KEITH COULD HEAR THE LULLING sound of his own breathing, at forty-five feet down, following the path of the reef. With breaks here and there, it stretched for nearly a mile.

Lee was topside. He and Matt were tracing a grid, with Matt perhaps twenty feet west of his position as they moved south.

Matt looked over at him and made the “okay” sign.

He returned it.

They continued searching the area. In his mind, he ran over and over his conversation—conducted in the fishing rod aisle—with Manny Ortega.

“You had my name and number from Ted Monoco?” had been his own first incredulous and very suspicious demand.

Ortega had given him a shrug and a shake of the head. “You didn’t know Ted, but he knew you. Four years ago, you were in the Everglades. A small plane had gone down. People he knew were on that plane. You and your crew rescued their daughter.”

Manny continued. “I tried to reach you before. The number Ted gave me was for an office in Virginia, and when I called, they said you were away on assignment for an unknown length of time.” He shrugged. “I contacted the police. I believe they tried with what resources they had. But the law in this country is that you may disappear if you choose if you’re an adult and doing nothing illegal.”

“Go on.”

“The last time I heard from Ted was when he mentioned you and gave me your number to try to reach you. He thought he was onto something. He didn’t say that he was afraid of anything, he was just very excited. I didn’t think much of it until time went on and I didn’t hear from him. Then I began to worry. That was when I tried to reach you but couldn’t. I finally felt there was nothing I could do. Then you appeared here.”

“So how did you get my cell phone number?”

“It wasn’t as difficult as you think. You gave it to Laurie Green, the girl you pulled from the plane in the Everglades. I finally thought to call her and ask.”

“I see. So what do you think I can do for you?”

“Find Ted and Molly. Dead or alive. Though I’m very afraid it will be dead.”

A ray suddenly dislodged sand near the base of the coral, drawing Keith’s mind back to the task at hand. The water was murky in the wake of the panicked fish. He nearly kept going.

Then he saw something.

Just the corner of something black that wasn’t coral.

He circled, looked. The sand had resettled. Carefully, with just his fingertips, he explored the area. Dusted carefully, trying not to create such a cloud of sand that his vision would be impaired. Patience was needed for this kind of work, and he had learned to practice that kind of restraint through the years.

His efforts paid off at last. He found the object.

It looked like a crusted, big black button.

But it wasn’t. His heart skipped a beat. He needed to get it back up to the boat, but he was almost certain what he had found.

His hand curled around it. He looked over at Matt, who had realized he was onto something.

For a moment he was tempted to drop the object, to shake his head to show he’d been mistaken and come back later. Mike was so convinced that there was someone on the inside….

And Manny Ortega believed Ted and Molly Monoco were dead. So did Keith, but he didn’t believe they’d been killed for their boat.

He believed they had found something on or near Calliope Key, then died for their discovery.

Too late.

Matt swam over to him. He produced the object. Matt stared at it, nodded silently, then studiously began searching the area further.

Keith placed the object in a pouch and joined Matt in the search.

They were close….

So close.

He had to wonder, though: Had others been this close before them?

But had those others even known just what it was they were really looking for?