“He never missed a detail,” Dane agreed. Maxie was the most professional officer he had ever known. “I can’t imagine Maxie forgetting anything.”
“Also, the hard drive on his computer was erased, save a few mundane files. All of his research was wiped clean. That isn’t the sort of thing a burglar would do. The biggest reason, though, is what they didn’t mess with.” She paused. “Dad’s study looked untouched: his desk, his filing cabinet, his books.”
“Why would burglars mess with his books?” Bones asked. “Is there a big black market for old James Micheners?”
“People will sometimes hide money in their books,” Dane explained. “Or they’ll get those fake books that are hollow on the inside and put their valuables in there.”
Bones raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Dude, I would make a lousy burglar,” he said. “The desk, I get. They’d be looking for checks, credit card numbers, money, stuff like that.”
“You said the study looked untouched.” Dane had caught the inflection in Kaylin’s voice. “What makes you believe someone had been in there?”
“The work Dad was doing,” Kaylin looked up at the ceiling, seeming uncertain how to answer, “was sort of a research project. He told me that along with his real work, he kept a fake journal. Some of it was accurate, but with key information altered or missing. He kept it in the safe in his study. If someone got hold of it, they’d think it was real, because he’d gone to the trouble of locking it up.”
“The sneaky son of a…” Bones whispered. “Oh. Sorry. No disrespect or anything.” He stared out the window with a faint smile and a distant look in his eyes. “I don’t know if you remember him the way we do. It’s all good, though.”
“That’s all right, he was sneaky.” Kaylin laughed and reached out to pat Bones’ shoulder. “He figured that if whoever was after him ever got hold of it, it would protect us, and also keep them from finding what he was looking for.” She shook her head in admiration.
“I assume the false journal was missing,” Dane said, finding himself drawn into the puzzle despite his surprise at the news of Maxie’s death.
Kaylin nodded. “The safe was locked. All his other papers appeared to be undisturbed, but the journal was gone.”
Dane folded his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. He just could not believe Maxie was gone. The man had always seemed indestructible. Dane’s parents had died in an auto accident while he was in the service, and Maxie had stepped in to fill the void left by their loss, serving as a guide and role model. The two stayed in touch for a short while after Dane left the military, but life had gotten in the way. Now, he regretted not having put more effort into the friendship.
“I truly am sorry to surprise the two of you with all this,” Kaylin said. “Someone comes out of the blue and drops a bomb on you. It isn’t the best way to deliver news. In any case, Mr. Maddock…”
“Please, call me Dane.” It jarred him to realize that, after their conversation, they still were not technically on a first-name basis.
“All right, Dane.” The way she said it reminded him of how Melissa used to try a new flavor of lipstick: pursed lips and sort of a withholding judgment expression on her face. “I know this all comes as a surprise, and not a pleasant one at that, but I need your help.” She reached across the table and laid her hand on his arm.
“Hold on. Why me?” Dane was momentarily taken aback. What could he do to help with a murder investigation? He fixed the woman with a questioning gaze, but let her hand remain where it was. “I mean, you didn’t come all this way just to deliver bad news. Why are you here?”
“Dad told me how to find the two of you.” Her eyes darted to Bones and back to Dane. “He said that if anything happened to him, I should come to you.” She let that statement hang in the ensuing moment of stunned silence.
“Wait a minute,” Bones finally said. “Maxie wanted you to come to me?” His look of exaggerated shock would have been comical had Dane not been so completely caught off-guard by Kaylin’s revelation.
“He knew the two of you were working together. He told me that you,” she gestured at Bones with her beer bottle, “were a character, but as trustworthy as they come. He’s definitely right about the first part. As to the second part, that remains to be seen.”
“But we’re marine archaeologists, not policemen,” Dane protested. What had Maxie been thinking? “We dive on wrecks and look for treasure. How can we help you?”
“Marine archaeologists are precisely what I need,” Kaylin said. She bit her lip and looked from Dane to Bones and back to Dane. It seemed as if she was uncertain whether to say any more. Finally she continued. “I need you two to help me find a shipwreck.”
CHAPTER 3
In my lifetime, I have had many joys and few regrets. The greatest of those things I regret, however, is the loss of my beloved treasures that January night. I was the first to rediscover the wonders and riches of those historic cities. I should have been the one to bring their secrets to light. But without that most precious of artifacts, no one would listen to me. I was scoffed at by my peers, ridiculed in scholarly circles, condemned from on high. I had no choice but to hold the truth close to my breast.
It is strange to think that I boarded the Dourado with the belief that I would return home a hero. The truths I had to share would have shaken the foundations of mankind. But alas, the fates have denied me the renown that I so richly deserve. Because I do not wish to hold myself up to the mockery of future generations, I will not record my findings in this journal. I will say only that truly, there is none like it.
Dane closed the translated copy of Rienzi’s journal. He ran his fingers across the smooth cover. Maxie had bound his translation in a simple, three-ring binder, and had printed “Journal” in his precise hand.
“So Maxie was looking for whatever this guy, Rienzi, lost. Do we have any idea what it was?”
Kaylin stood with her back to him, not answering, staring over the balcony and down at the Ashley River’s slow moving waters where the river flowed into Charleston Harbor. Content to wait until she was ready to talk, Dane left his seat at the bar that separated the kitchen from the living area of her small apartment, and joined her outside. Propping his forearms on the rail, he took in the peaceful view. A few sailing vessels plied the calm, gray harbor waters, their white sails glistening against the blue sky. He had always had an affinity for the water. If he could not be on the water, he wanted to at least be near it. He wondered if perhaps he had found a kindred spirit in Kaylin.
He and Bones had arrived late the night before, three days after their initial meeting. Despite their reservations, it had not taken much coaxing from Kaylin to convince them to sign on for her project. Their latest expedition was a complete bust, and even though the Coast Guard investigation had cleared them of all wrongdoing, it would be a while before the Sea Foam was ready to ply the seas again. The compensation Kaylin was offering was more than enough to repair the damage to their craft. More, in fact, than he thought an art teacher should be able to afford. When he had pressed her on the point, she explained that her father had provided well for her. That, Dane did believe. Maxie was the kind of man who took care of his own. He and Bones admired the man greatly. But more than that, they wanted to see his last wish carried out.
“I’m sorry,” Kaylin finally said. “It’s difficult to talk about Dad’s work.” She turned to look at Dane, her green eyes downcast. “Rienzi never names this treasure that was so precious to him. I’ve only had a few days to look over everything, but it seems that Dad was thorough in combing through everything the man ever wrote. He says all sorts of grandiose things about how important his discoveries were, but never reveals what, exactly he found.”