“Yes. Doesn’t mean the company is connected, because the vessel was sold.”
“Sold for what purpose? To do what exactly? Like the rumors said—for criminal purposes? It was supposed to be a state-of-the-art salvage vessel. So what was it sent to salvage? What cargo was it carrying when it was lost in astorm? The photograph that Remi took certainly seems to confirm that it was a salvage vessel,” she said. “As for the other ship that Caleb was on, that you brought up and then Evelyn shut you down ... we can investigate that tonight. I think that’s what she wants us to do. I’m not sure why she couldn’t just tell me, unless she is still looking for answers too.”
“Or she’s too scared. Like you said, the investigators died shortly after searching.”
Cressida removed the dish from the microwave and dropped it on the counter. She shook her fingers, blew on them, then popped the next one in and set the timer. “She wanted to talk to me. She asked for me, Braden. Remember? She knows something, and she wants to tell me. It must have to do with my father.”
“Let’s talk about the other players here. Malloy has experience using an ROV—remotely operated vehicle—in underwater salvage operations, and Diggins allegedly transported illegal artifacts. There’s a lot going on.” He rubbed his temple. “I need a crime board.”
“Use your iPad. A piece of paper. You’ll get it,” she said.
He could potentially fast-track the investigation and zero in on the crux of things if he asked her about the article that her mother had shut down. But he wasn’t supposed to know about it. If he could get her talking about herself tonight, what she was doing before this project, then maybe she would tell him. Or he could press Octavia again. Worst case ... yeah, he’d press Octavia. There was no getting around it—they needed to know the danger level.
Elevated risk?
Maximum alert?
His cell buzzed, and he pulled it out to look at the text from his sister.
Want to schedule a time to talk to Elise today? Mrs. Danecalled to ask how Elise was doing,and then Elise asked about talking to you.
He was in the middle of a volatile, dangerous investigation, but talking to Elise was a good reminder of why he had to play by Octavia’s rules.
And Octavia was making sure to remind him.
27
After Remi was kind enough to drop off her things, Cressida hauled everything to the room upstairs right next to Evelyn’s master suite. To Cressida’s way of thinking, all the rooms in this estate were master suites. Staying here in Driftwood Manor felt all kinds of creepy and weird, but she wouldn’t pass up this opportunity. Never once had she been given this kind of access.
She thought back to Evelyn’s reaction to Braden’s comment...
“Wait. That’s not it,is it? He was on another—”
Evelyn had become flustered and upset and shut Braden down.
“I’ve said too much already,”she’d said.
About her losing her son, Caleb. What was the vessel he was on that was lost? Since his grandfather had sent him out, that information had to be somewhere within the former Harborstone Shipping Company databases, ledgers, or manifests. Though Evelyn appeared afraid, she was also a woman who wanted the truth to finally be discovered and for the world to know. Or maybe that was what Cressidawanted, and she was incorporating that into Evelyn’s simple request.
Regardless, Cressida intended to make good use of her time. Through the window on the second floor, she watched Braden unload a duffel from the back of his county vehicle. Maybe he carried overnight basics everywhere he went. He glanced around, taking in his surroundings, then tossed the duffel over his shoulder before heading toward the manor.
Confidence. Broad shoulders. Thick brown hair. Sharp eyes that seemed to search her until he found what he was looking for. A few days ago, he’d been a stranger, and now he was on this mission with her. He’d already told her that he liked her. That, because she’d said it first.
He suddenly glanced up to the window, almost as if searching to see if she was looking. Had he sensed her watching? If so, then he’d caught her.
In the act.
Instead of standing there and holding his gaze, she backed away from the window as if she’d been caught committing a crime. All she had to do was wave. Now she was found guilty of staring at him when she thought he wasn’t looking.
Cressida groaned, then returned to the window and opened it to feel the misting breeze. The morning had passed so fast, then the event with Evelyn, then lunch, and now the afternoon was growing late, and she hadn’t even started working.
Still, it was hard to walk away from such an incredible view. Though the house wasn’t built quite on the edge of the cliff at the front, the back of the structure edged a cliff overhanging an expansive beach where sea stacks and rocky outcroppings could be clearly seen. She could watch the waves crashing all day long from this view.
Evelyn had mentioned spending time watching out the window for the vessel her son had taken before she neverheard from him again. Those words had nearly broken Cressida’s heart. Once this was over, she’d love to just relax and put it all behind her, watch the sunset on the beach.
With Braden.
She shook off the not-so-crazy thought. Fog was moving in from the ocean toward the shore, and fast. If she peered into it long and hard enough, would she see a ghost ship floating out there, waiting for her to find answers to what happened to the vessel and its crew?
