Part 30 (2/2)

Dar felt her own face relax into a return grin.

”Never figured you to get all wrapped up like that,” Bud drawled. ”Thought you'd end up a lonely old salt and not ever been in the Navy for it.”

Dar's nostrils flared slightly. ”I thought I would too,” she admitted. ”Life's weird sometimes.”

Bud nodded, then set his cup down and stood up. ”I gotta get the kitchen cranked up for Charlie,” he said. ”Heard some weather's brewing up east of here.”

”Great.” Dar sighed. ”Next time, I swear I'm gonna go skiing.”

Bud snorted. ”Holler if Kerry's feelin any worse.” He put the cup down in the galley sink. ”I'll send Rufus down to let you know when Charlie gets here.”

”Thanks.” Dar stood and walked him to the door. They were about the same height, and his slight rolling swagger reminded her strongly of her father. She was glad Bud's att.i.tude had softened a little. Maybe he'd just needed a little while to think things through.

They emerged onto the stern deck to a wash of late afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees. The air bore the sweet scent of gardenias, and a sense of quiet peace pervaded the scene. In somber contrast to the chaos of the previous hours, now the sleepy spell of the tropical sea surrounded them as the tide lapped gently at the docks.

182*

Bud stepped off the boat and lifted a hand, then turned and walked back up toward the buildings without a word or backward glance.

Dar leaned against the cabin and watched him for a moment. A few more puzzle pieces seemed to have been delivered to her, and now she took them, juggling them mentally as she went back inside the cabin to collect a few more. ”Now,” she eyed the spare bedroom, ”let's put two and two together and see if we get something other than zero.” With a determined look, she headed for Bob's hiding place.

THE SUN WAS setting, slices of reddish gold light peeking through the hatches and splas.h.i.+ng across the hardwood floor.

Kerry gazed fuzzily at them, then blinked her eyes open wider and stifled a yawn. Hearing low voices nearby, she c.o.c.ked her head to listen, recognizing them after a moment as Dar's and Bob's.

Her head seemed clearer, and it hurt less. Kerry stretched, grateful for that. She could still feel a little chill and there was an ache in her bones, but she found her curiosity prodding her past the discomfort and urging her to get up and go find out what was going on.

Accordingly, she eased out of bed and padded over to the dresser, removing a sweats.h.i.+rt from the bottom drawer and tugging it on over her head. She paused a moment, sniffing the distinctive smell of home in its folds, then pulled it down into place. She stopped by the dresser and peeked at her reflection. ”Uck.” She picked up Dar's brush and ran it through her hair, settling it into some kind of order. Then she eased out the door and into the main cabin. Dar was sitting in one of the easy chairs, facing Bob. Dar's eyes lifted as Kerry entered and her face s.h.i.+fted into a warm smile, which Kerry returned. ”Hey.”

Bob turned around. ”Oh. Hi.”

”How're you feeling?” Dar asked.

”Eh.” Kerry cleared her throat. ”What's going on out here?”

She went into the galley and retrieved a bottle of juice, pulling off the top as she trudged over to where Dar was seated and plopped into the chair next to her. She tucked her feet up under her and leaned on the arm, sipping her juice quietly.

”I was...um...just kind of getting into why I'm here,” Bob said.

”But first, I'd kinda like to apologize for getting you both mixed up in all this,” he went on. ”When I came out here, I thought I could get in and get out, and no one would be the wiser.”

Dar reached over and scratched Kerry's back lightly. ”All right, let me get this straight,” she said. ”Your grandfather was the captain of that fis.h.i.+ng trawler that went down just west of here.”*183 Bob nodded. ”Right.”

”He left a fortune.”

”Right.”

”The fortune went to his eldest son, your uncle,” Dar continued.

”Right.”

”n.o.body else got anything.”

Bob nodded. ”My uncle is tighter than a ten-year-old girdle.”

”I knew money had to be at the root of this,” Kerry muttered in disgust, getting a startled look from Bob. ”Let me guess-grandpa took a treasure chest with him, and you're trying to find a few pieces of eight to raise a family on, right?”

”Um. No.” Bob exhaled. ”Actually, I'm trying to prove my uncle killed my grandfather, and get him charged with murder.”

Two perfectly still faces with identical expressions of startlement faced him for a long beat, then Dar and Kerry looked at each other. ”O...okay,” Dar said. ”You have reason to think he did it?”

Bob nodded. ”If I can prove it, the will's broken and the rest of the family will take over the inheritance,” he said. ”Oh, I won't pretend to altruism. I'm due for about a tenth of it. I don't want to spend the rest of my life behind a desk, and that'll keep me in style.”

Kerry sipped on her juice to keep herself from commenting.

”What the h.e.l.l are you looking for?” Dar asked.

Bob gave her a wary look. ”I can't say,” he said. ”It's very confidential.”

Kerry rolled her eyes.

”It's something of my grandfather's,” Bob said hastily. ”We thought it had been destroyed in a fire at his house, but just recently we found out it hadn't.” He ran a hand through his hair.

”So, I decided to try and find it. I figured the wreck was the only place left to look.”

”You weren't the only one, I guess,” Kerry finally commented.

”And, I guess you won't be needing those scuba lessons, huh?”

Having been caught in his earlier lie, the young man cleared his throat and looked away. ”DeSalliers boasted he was the best in the business, and my uncle hired him to salvage every speck of the wreck. He's paying him a king's ransom,” Bob admitted. ”And his reputation is at stake.”

”That's what he meant,” Kerry murmured, ”about being hoisted on his own reputation.”

Bob stared at her. ”You talked to him?”

”Long story,” Dar cut him off. ”Your plan sucks. He almost caught you today, and if he's got a few more days to get a salvage barge in place, you're sunk.”

184*

Bob blinked. ”Um...well, yeah,” he confessed. ”I thought I'd have more time. He surprised me.” He sighed. ”I don't know. It was probably a bad idea to begin with.”

Kerry scratched her jaw, her green eyes in wry agreement with him. ”Even if you could find whatever this is, do you really think you can make a case against your uncle?” she asked skeptically.

”People with lots of power and money don't give it up that easily.”

Bob sat up. ”I'm sure the police will help us, once they see the evidence,” he told her. ”That's their job.”

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