He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
I mean, what is there to say?
He couldn’t rightly tell her the truth, which was that he missed her. Missed her every second of every day. Because that’s not whatfriendsdid. And that last day on Key West, which had been filled with tense moments while Winston was in surgery and then again while they were each taken into separate rooms at the police station to give their statements, that’s exactly what Chrissy had told him she wanted.
“Let’s go back to the way it was before, Wolf,”she’d said.“We had a good thing going, didn’t we? I don’t want to ruin that. I want us to stay friends forever.”
He hadn’t argued. Not because he hadn’twantedto, but because he had too much dignity to beg her to love him like he loved her.
He’d hoped once he returned to Wayfarer Island, the acute, agonizing ache in his chest would lessen.
But whoever coined the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” was nuttier than a squirrel turd.
Out of sight was one thing. Out of mind was something else entirely. Something else that was entirely impossible.
“Why ground penetrating sonar?” LT asked Alex now. As a group, they’d started down the path that connected the campsite to the beach house.
“The metal detectors are only good for about eighteen inches,” Alex explained. “I originally figured that would be plenty to locate the mother lode if, indeed, it was buried here. But maybe I was wrong. Now that we’re pretty positive Captain Vargas survived the wreck, I’d say it’s possible he instructed his remaining crew to bury it eighteenfeetdeep. From everything I’ve read about the man, he was a tenacious sonofagun.”
“She’s right.” Mia was somewhere in the middle of the pack, so everyone held their breath to hear her. “I know this all feels discouraging. But take it from someone who’s done countless excavations and studied numerous historical sites. If theSanta Cristina’smother lodehad been found,someonewould’ve talked. It would be recorded somewhere. It wasn’t possible to hide that much wealth, even in the sixteen hundreds. And since ithasn’tbeen recorded anywhere, and given all the clues we’ve found, it’s my professional opinion it’s still here. Somewhere.”
Even though Wolf wasn’t in an optimistic mood, Mia’s words gave him a glimmer of hope.
They must’ve done the same for LT because he sighed and said in that slow, Louisiana drawl, “So then we try to scrounge up the money required to buy some damned ground penetratin’ sonar.”
“I can put out feelers with my contacts at the Agency,” Olivia offered. “Quite a few people still owe me favors. Maybe one of them could pull a string and let us borrow some government equipment.”
Olivia no longer worked for the CIA, but once a spook, always a spook. There was allegiance and fealty within the ranks there same as there was in the Navy.
“And I can sell back the metal detectors to the shops,” Romeo added. “A couple proprietors said they’d buy them back at half price if we returned them in good condition.”
“I guess that’s the plan then.” LT was at the front of the line of people snaking their way through the forest. Which meant when he came to a stop on the trail, the entire train screeched to a halt behind him.
Wolf brought up the caboose and had to lean sideways to see what’d caused the sudden lack of forward motion.
Uncle John, wearing his most eye-bleeding hula shirt, sauntered down the path toward them with Meat and Li’l Bastard in tow.
“John,” LT said, “we were headed your way for lunch. What is it today? Tuna casserole or tuna casserole?”
LT’s uncle only knew how to make one dish. When it was his turn to cook, they all knew what they were in for.
“You’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Uncle John said. “I ran out of saltines so I added cornflakes to the top. I think it adds somethin’.”
Romeo, who was in front of Wolf in line, turned and made a face of revulsion.
Wolf whispered, “PB&Js it is,” and Romeo nodded emphatically.
“But that’s not why I came out this way,” John said as Meat made his way down the row of people, sniffing feet and giving the occasion shin lick as he passed. Fresh on his stubby tail was Li’l Bastard. No sniffs or licks from the rooster, but he did ambush a palmetto bug that crawled near Wolf’s flip-flop. “I took a phone call from Winston Turner of all people,” John explained. “He was callin’ for you, Wolf.”
Wolf was still leaned far to the side, so he had a perfect view of everyone turning to stare at him. “Me?” he asked in confusion. “Did he say what he was callin’ for?”
John nodded. “Said he hoped you’d come visit him in the hospital this afternoon. Said around three P.M. would be good if you could make it.”
“I’ll fly you,” Romeo volunteered after a quick glance at his diver’s watch. “While you’re visiting with Winston, I can go around reselling the metal detectors. And then we can pick up fresh supplies before heading back.”
“That’s a good idea. Add saltine crackers to the list.” LT smirked and then motioned for John to turn around so they could all start moving again.
As the line trudged toward the beach house, Wolf’s mind kept coming back to the same question.What in the world does Winston want with me?
