“No.They only ask about me if they want gossip.”
How incredibly lonely for her.“What else do you do?”
“I go to Faith’s horse-riding lessons on Saturday when I can make it.”
Oliver frowned.He couldn’t imagine Dot riding.“That’s different.”
She glanced at him.“It is, but it’s nice to do something different, something where I’m a student and no one’s side-eyeing me to check my reaction.”
“Why would they?”
“Because I’m a police officer.People don’t relax around me.They always watch what they say, in case they get into trouble.”
“Sounds like a lot of guilty consciences.”
She shrugged again.“Maybe.The only people who treat me normally are Nhiari and Lindsay.”
“What about Sam and Sherlock?”
A brief tension in her muscles before she relaxed.“The situation is complicated.”She sat up.“Tell me about the shipwreck.What have you discovered?”
The abrupt change of subject and the absence of her warmth against his chest made him pause.He wanted to ask how the situation was complicated, but it probably related to her work.Pushing back his desire to learn more about her, he said, “Now we have the journal, it makes identifying the wreck much easier.Finding the cannons they jettisoned during the storm supports Tess’s assertion the journal is from the shipwreck.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
He nodded.“Yeah.”There was one thing that had been bothering him.“Lilian’s journal says she found the treasure but then hid her portion.Do you know if the Stokes ever found it?”
Dot didn’t look at him.“You’ll need to ask them.”
“What do you know, Dot?”
She said nothing.
“This would be a huge historical find, one which would tell us more about the life of the period.”
The water lapped against the side of the boat, rocking it gently.Finally she said, “I can’t discuss this with you.”
Meaning she knew something and was keeping it from him.He opened his mouth to continue his argument but she crossed her arms and leaned away from him.The movement reminded him she was a police officer.There were elements at play that he knew nothing about.Things above his pay grade.He let out a breath.“Will you tell me when you can?”
She nodded.
“Thank you.”
“How did you pick your team?”she asked.
Oliver frowned.“The team diving with me now?”At her nod, he said, “Suzyn, Tom and Rajesh are post-graduates.They volunteered as soon as they heard about it.”
“And Andrew?”
“His father donated to the expedition.He insisted Andrew be part of the dive.”
Dot stiffened.“Is Andrew a student?”
“First year.Started mid-year.The others aren’t happy about it because he’s not interested and there are others who would love the chance to be here.”
“What’s his father’s name?”She got out her phone and opened a note-taking app.
“Lucas Fitton.”
