A CRY FROM THE DEEP Read online

  “Well, did you?”

  She stared back, hiding her discomfort. “I’m always snapping, you know that.”

  He scrutinized her for a moment, then said, “Eels are one thing, but they’re not the only danger.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Yeah, watch your step.”

  She turned abruptly. He didn’t follow. He knew, she thought as she walked down the steps to the galley. He knew she’d seen him pocket the chain, or else why would he have threatened her? Did he suspect she photographed him, or was this just a warning? She was glad she hadn’t given herself away. At least, she didn’t think she had.

  She wished she could mention it to Daniel, but she couldn’t risk Hennesey or one of his allies overhearing. Neither she nor Daniel knew who Hennesey’s cohorts were. It could be any one of the crew. What had she gotten herself into? Sure, she’d been forewarned about Hennesey’s ways, but this was the first time she’d felt any real danger.

  She’d have to tell Daniel, but when and where? Everything was suddenly more complicated. It was one thing to hear about Hennesey’s doings, but it was another to feel his menace.

  She also realized she was on her own. Even the woman in the white dress hadn’t shown up that day. Was she giving up on her? Or was Catherine giving up on the spirit by not wearing the ring?

  Catherine left the boat soon after they had docked. She was so distraught over what had happened, she didn’t even check to see what Daniel was doing.

  THIRTY-ONE

  Back in her room, Catherine considered the magnitude of her photographs—one picture showed a gold chain necklace in Hennesey’s fist; the other, showed him tucking it in his buoyancy vest pocket. This was the kind of evidence that could bring the salvager down, once and for all. That is, if he kept his finds hidden. She should’ve been jubilant to catch him in the act but instead, she began to have doubts.

  Her mind spun like a spool of thread on a sewing machine. She checked her watch. Frank would still be at his office. She knew she should call him but she hesitated. Could she trust Frank to keep this to himself? If Hennesey found out about the incriminating photos, what would he do? With the kind of discovery he’d made, there was bound to be more gold down there. More gold to squirrel away. And more reason to keep a snoopy photographer from showing what was going on. It would be easy to tamper with her oxygen, weaken a regulator, or screw up a dive computer. She couldn’t take any chances. She had a child to think about. She’d have to keep these images secret until she returned to New York. Frank would just have to wait.

  Catherine steeled herself and dialed Daniel’s number, but he didn’t answer. For a second, she considered he’d seen her number and elected not to take her call. But then she decided he wasn’t that kind of man, and left a message asking him to meet her for breakfast the following morning.

  That night, she dreamt she tied the eel in knots. As if that wasn’t enough, she had to fight more eels, there must’ve been four or five. One of them had Hennesey’s eyes and a gold chain around its neck, and every time she tried to grab it, it squirmed away. A statuesque blond, dressed in a red designer suit and four inch heels, whispered in Daniel’s ear, “She’s crazy. You don’t want to tangle with her.”

  Catherine woke up panting, as if someone had been chasing her. Her sheets were tangled and she had to kick a couple of times to free her legs. The last thing she remembered before she drifted back to sleep was her brother saying when she was twelve, “Catty’s a scaredy cat, scaredy cat, scaredy cat.” He wouldn’t think that if he’d seen her fight those eels.

  ~~~

  It was a little after sunrise when Catherine entered the hotel dining room. It was empty except for Daniel sitting by the window drinking coffee. He got up from the table as she walked towards him. His hair was tousled, as if he’d just got out of bed, a look she found sexy. It had only been two days since he’d held her in his arms. They had come together as if they were meant for one another. Now, he appeared reserved, as if this was their first meeting.

  She sat down across from him. “Glad you could make it.”

  “Of course,” said Daniel, seating himself again. He poured her some coffee from the carafe on the table.

  She picked up the menu.

  “I’ve already ordered,” he said.”I thought you might’ve eaten at the house.”

  “No, it’s too early for my hosts.”

  Daniel furrowed his brow. “Right.”

  She tried to hide her irritation by staring at the menu. She was annoyed he hadn’t waited for her.

  Frowning, he said, “Catherine, what’s - ?”

  “I’ve got something I want you to see,” she said, interrupting. She took her camera out of her bag, turned it on, and pressed the button for playback. She found the photo she was looking for and handed him the camera.

  His mouth fell open when he viewed the picture. “You gotta be kidding. When was this?”

  “Yesterday, on our second dive.”

  “Jesus…!” He glowered. “Do you realize I have no idea where this was found? All that information is now totally lost. This looks like a major discovery.” He blew into the air as if he needed to release some steam.

  She hadn’t counted on him being angry. “I know. He had no intention of telling us.”

  “That’s not the point. Why did you keep this from me?”

  She wanted to say she didn’t know how to approach him after their rendezvous. Instead, she said, “It happened so fast. When I looked for you, you were meeting with Tom.” Her stomach was now rolling like a cement mixer.

  He shook his head and zoomed in on the photo for a closer look. Uncomfortable with his wrath, she looked out the window. The pink of the sunrise was fading, transitioning into shades of gold and blue. A few fishermen had already left the dock. A couple more were putting on their yellow overalls, readying to go out. A beautiful day, a stark contrast to the jumble she felt inside.

  “Did he see you take this?”

  “I don’t think so, but he may suspect something.” She then told him about Hennesey’s threat.

  He looked at her gravely. “Maybe he knows, maybe he doesn’t, but he’s warning you all right.”

  The waitress arrived with Daniel’s pancakes, sausages, and eggs. She had dark features and looked barely old enough to be working. She said to Catherine, “Can I get you anyt’ing?”

  “Brown toast and coffee would be fine.” Her appetite had been greater when she arrived, but after Daniel’s outburst, she’d lost it.

  After the waitress left, he said, “Did anyone see you take these?”

  “Not that I know of. Raul was just as absorbed as he was.”

  “Did you back them up?”

  “Yes.”

  “And where’s your laptop now?”

  Her brow creased. “It’s safe at the B & B.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

  “You don’t think...?”

  “I’d be careful.” He cut his pancakes and poured syrup on them. “I should be furious with you for not letting me know at the moment. If you’d told me then, I could’ve done something about it. The gold chain is probably gone by now. It could be on its way to Florida for all we know.”

  She exhaled sharply. “But even so, I do have the photos.”

  “They’ll help if we can trace the artifact. They won’t be much good if we can’t. He needs to be caught in possession or caught selling it on the sly. He knows that. If you say anything now, he’s apt to say he was only keeping it secret to protect the find from other salvagers. And that he didn’t want to fight them for the rights to the shipwreck.”

  “Right, I figured as much.” She regarded him while he took a forkful of eggs. “That’s why I didn’t tell Frank. I was afraid he’d get excited and tell someone. It could get back to Hennesey.”

  He looked surprised. “Maybe that’s a good plan for now. Hennesey could be holding back other antiquities.”

  The waitr
ess arrived with Catherine’s order of toast.

  While she was putting jam on her toast, she glanced at Daniel. He was gazing out the window as if the answers to their dilemma were somewhere else. The light from outside played on his chiseled cheeks, his mouth. She recalled the warmth of his lips on hers, and once again, desire coursed through her.

  He turned to her, and looked as if he was going to say something but changed his mind. He ate some of his sausage before saying, “Did you know the divers who dove beneath Hagia Sophia in Istanbul had to undergo a full body x-ray to prove they hadn’t taken any relics off site?”

  “What was there that was so valuable?” She was glad he’d changed the subject, pushing the photos to the back burner for now.

  “A graveyard. The Turkish government wanted to preserve the children’s bones that lie there as well as the burial chamber of the first priest. Before it became a Muslim museum, it was a Greek Orthodox cathedral.”

  “Of course. Back when the city was called Constantinople.” She drained her cup of coffee. “Full body x-rays. That’s extreme.”

  Re-filling their cups from the carafe, Daniel said, “From what I’ve read, the divers wanted to stave off suspicion and rumors, so they agreed to as much openness as possible.”

  “Private salvagers wouldn’t put up with that. There’d be such a hue and cry.”

  He folded his arms and leaned back. “UNESCO has been fighting a losing battle for years. They now have charters outlining how countries can preserve any submerged cultural heritage. But until we can get universal adoption of these charters, the destruction and pillaging of our underwater history will continue.”

  “It takes so bloody long to get anything done right.”

  “Maybe we can’t stop everyone, but if we do our job, maybe we can at least stop Hennesey.”

  “The operative word is maybe” said Catherine, frowning. “Sometimes I think what we do is akin to putting a finger in a dike when a tsunami is coming.”

  “Let’s hope you’re wrong.”

  While Daniel signed for breakfast, Catherine thought about what he`d said. They were both drawn to their work, like moths to a flame. Except moths didn’t get burned.

  ~~~

  She waited for him in the lobby while he went to his room to call Sean. He could’ve used his cell phone, he said, but the reception was bad. Apparently, another wedding emergency. He wasn’t gone long. “Thanks for waiting, ” he said, as he walked towards her.

  “No problem.” She was glad for the interruption. It had given her a chance to get her thoughts in order. It was stupid of her to be pining for a man whose mind was on another woman.

  He looked at his watch. “We’ve got a little time. Do you mind going for a walk before we head to the boat?”

  “Sure.” He looked serious. She wondered if it had to do with her or Sean.

  They walked down the street, away from the marina. More boats were casting off. The town was quiet. The tourist crowd was probably sleeping in after their late night at the pub.

  They hadn’t gone far when he said, “I’m still puzzled over yesterday. You were so distant.”

  So, he had noticed after all. But he was the one who’d been distant. She avoided his inquisitive face and looked at the beach ahead. “You were preoccupied with Tom, I -”

  “It wasn’t only that.” He stopped walking and grabbed her arm.

  She talked fast. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. In a few weeks, we’ll both be back -.”

  “Catherine,” he said, interrupting. “Will you be quiet for one minute?”

  Her chest tightened. She was afraid of what he was about to say.

  “Look, I didn’t mean to move in on you like that.” He paused and looked deep into her eyes. “God, you are one beautiful woman.”

  Aware that her cheeks were reddening, she tugged at the sleeves of her sweater, pulling them down over her hands, as if covering them would make her more comfortable. Though she had no evidence, she held onto a glimmer of hope he was going to confess his love for her.

  “But you’re right,” he said. “I am engaged and it wasn’t honorable of me. It wouldn’t be fair to you if I carried on as if Sean didn’t exist. Wouldn’t be fair to her ...” His voice trailed off.

  Disappointed, she turned away and stared out at the choppy waters. Its turbulence underscored the turmoil in her mind. She didn’t know what he was going to say next, but she was already sure she wasn’t going to like it.

  He turned her to face him. “Dammit, Catherine, I was attracted to you right from the start.”

  Though there was sadness in his eyes, she couldn’t get past what had happened between them. He shouldn’t have kissed her, not like that, not like it meant something. Her chest ached as if some piece of her heart had been ripped out. She forced herself to swallow. “You’re right. It wasn’t fair.”

  “Catherine, I don’t know what to say. All I know is I have to sort out what’s going on at home first.”

  Nodding, she bit her lip and tried to smile. “It’s these damn leprechauns, making mischief.”

  “I never meant…” He turned away.

  Were his eyes wet, or was she imagining it? She found it unbearable being so near him, knowing there could never be anything between them. He’d go back to Sean, and she’d go back to her farm.

  “Do you mind walking back on your own?” she said. Her tears were just below the surface. She didn’t want him to see her cry. He left her standing on the shore. She was sorry she hadn’t told him to go to hell.

  THIRTY-TWO

  Catherine did watch her step, just as Hennesey had advised. She started leaving her laptop and the SD card with the telling photos in Doreen and Adam’s safe. She then put a new card into her camera. From now on, she planned to keep her camera by her side at all times.

  She hated feeling paranoid, but better paranoid than sorry. On the boat, she double checked all her equipment before diving. Daniel did the same with his. Underwater, there were a few more finds but nothing like the one she’d captured covertly with her camera.

  Back on shore, she thought again about sending Frank the photos. The fact that Daniel had agreed with her hesitation cemented her decision. What eased her mind was the fact she was almost done. She’d be in New York in a week. Once there, she could review what she had with Frank. Hopefully, she could hold it together until then.

  ~~~

  The next few days were similar. Although the technical challenges of underwater photography were now manageable, frustration continued to rule. There was only so much she and Daniel could do to ensure an ethical approach to any relics found. They’d considered telling Tom about Hennesey’s secret grab, but in the end, decided it was too risky to trust him. Tom was new to the field, and an unknown, regarding his morals. Their only recourse was to monitor Hennesey, Raul or Jerry as best they could, but sometimes even that wasn’t possible. Hennesey kept changing the schedule, a clever way to thwart them. Suited up, they’d discover too late they were diving with Alfredo and Patrick instead, the ones they had no worries about.

  At the end of one grueling day, she was about to go down the steps to the galley to get her bag, when Daniel and Hennesey’s laughter from below took her by surprise. She snuck a peek at the two of them sitting around the table, acting as if they were old friends.

  She backed up the stairs. While doing so, she caught snippets of their conversation.

  “I wouldn’t be concerned,” said Daniel. “She’s … and I’ll…” Catherine couldn’t catch everything he was saying.

  And then, Hennesey in a low voice, “I’m counting on …”

  Then, Daniel saying, “… it’s not like Catherine …”

  She wished she could make out the conversation, to hang around any longer would risk getting caught. She left as quietly as she had come.

  As she stood in the bow, she struggled with what she’d witnessed. Daniel seemed way too comfortable with Hennesey. And yet he was the one who had testified a
gainst the old salvager at one time. Had something changed? And what did Hennesey mean when he said, I’m counting on …? Odd. What was he counting on Daniel for?

  She stayed on deck while Olaf and Mark tied up the boat. The traffic in the marina was slow. Most of the fishermen in Killybegs had called it a day. Not being able to put it off any longer, she went down to the galley to get her bag. This time, Daniel was alone, pouring over some documents on the table.

  He looked up when she went by and smiled. “Can’t believe you’re going home soon.”

  “Yeah.” They locked eyes for a moment. Then he lowered his head again over his papers. He didn’t say anything more; neither did she. Had she been taken advantage of? When she’d revealed the photos to Daniel, had he passed the information on to Hennesey? Was Daniel in on whatever Hennesey was trying to get away with? Her world had turned upside down.

  ~~~

  When Catherine opened the front door of the B & B, she found Doreen in the living room reading a book. Much as she liked her hostess, the last thing she wanted to do was make small talk. Not after the day she had.

  As Catherine tiptoed to the stairs, Doreen looked up and said, “A package came for you today. It’s on the hallway table.”

  “Thanks. You were reading and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

  “No problem. Oh, a man called. He said his name was Richard and you had his number. He said to call when you got in.”

  “When did he phone?”

  Doreen looked at the clock on the mantle. “About a half hour ago.”

  Her panic rose when she remembered she’d forgotten to turn her cell phone on. Maybe he’d tried a number of times to get her. “Well, I’m going to head up. Tired.”

  “Good night.”