Page 49 (1/2)
Zoe looked at her and tried to s," Zoe said
Vanessa tried to brighten "I did"
They all looked at her
"Well, of course you did," Jay said "What?"
She looked around at the faces Sean was just waiting, Liam at his side Bill, Jake, Jay and Zoe ide-eyed
"I don’t know," she said
That wasn’t true She knew that she had found a --perhaps a diver had lost it But for some reason, she decided not to tell them all about the knife--just as beneath it
"The floor was uneven, and it was all crusted…I think it ht have been what remained of a sword or a cutlass I didn’t have tiure it out--Barry was hit But we can find out tomorrow I know exactly where it is," Vanessa said She shostly figurehead in the water She had found it on her own
She saw that Bartholo just behind Liaht have been German, or fairly o back down right now," Jay said
"No Not today," Sean said "Today, we had a member of our crew injured We’ll head back and let the others knohat happened, and wait to hear about Barry’s condition"
"Oh my God, you are worried he could die!" Zoe said
"No He just needs care But this is it for the day," Sean said He headed to the hel a throw around her shoulders--she hadn’t been able to shake the chill that had seized her as she had waved goodbye to Katie
She was anxious to hear that the Claddagh had arrived safely in Biht
Watching Zoe, Bill and Jake
They didn’t have far to come in to the island, but she decided that the deh that night, and she slipped off the seat, telling Sean that she was going to take a quick shower It was good, though quick Zoe followed her lead while the guys washed off on the deck, using the equipment hose
She felt better once she was dressed in jeans and a sweater And in another fewfor the ties and the bumpers They had returned to Haunt Island
A fire had been built and the barbecue had been set to blaze and dinner put on in their absence Jaden, busy flipping thin flank steaks, was horrified when she heard about Barry, and Ted had to take the barbecue fork from her hand to save a piece ofbut an accident" He set a hand gently on Zoe’s shoulders
"And he’s going to be all right," Vanessa added
"They’ll call soon," Sean said
Vanessa felt she had to escape for a fewto put a few things away in her tent She glanced at Sean, hoping that he would follow her
She started entering the tent Bartholoround, Indian-style, hands folded prayer-fashion and tapping his lower jaw He started to rise when he saw her, but she shook her head and sank down beside hi all day," he said
"And?"
"And your theory is right It has to be I told you--I knew them, Mad Miller and Kitty…and they weren’t evil or cruel Mad Miller reement with Dona Isabella She traveled a lot--they could have met at several ports He was…he was soft Once he had stopped her ship, she took control She insisted it be sunk, and she murdered Kitty It all makes sense now"
Vanessa shook her head "It still doesn’t urehead--she was the one leading me around"
The tent flap opened and they started, but it was Sean, and evidently he had heard them
Sean shook his head "Whatever type of spirit she is, she’s been playing with you She’s been leading you She wanted you to find the pendant, because that lent credence to the tale That would bring everyone aboard to follow this whole route again And--just in case it didn’t--she then had you find the body She probably didn’t realize that a forensic anthropologist would i body"
"But the body disappeared," Vanessa said
"She led you--and she’s leading someone else," Sean said Bartholo "I did pick up soap in the ship, on top of the object I was describing" She produced the knife and showed it to Sean He studied it, rolling it over in his hand and chipping at the crust on it
"T-B-E," Sean read "To," he said