“But what’s our interest in this?” Scarlet said. “Aside from gold, of course?”
“Our interest as you put it,” Eden said, “is that Victoria’s father is a very old friend of mine. If she needs my help then I’m going to give it to her.”
“Sounds fair enough to me,” Ryan said, looking at Scarlet. “Anyway, I thought everyone was interested in Thor?”
Scarlet snorted and swept her pack of cigarettes off the table as she made her way to the door. “I’m interested in anything that promises me a pay off, boy… and gold is the best promise of all.”
“We’re not just interested in bloody gold, Scarlet,” Eden said sharply. “ECHO is about more than that. We’re not just treasure hunters.”
Scarlet took the point and looked apologetic as she put the cigarette in her mouth.
“Anyway,” Eden said, a look of foreboding on his face. “We’re going to get into this because if this has anything to do with Thor and the Norse legends then this is exactly what we’re all about. Plus, if there’s a chance this might lead to anything of archaeological significance then I want it here, with us, not disappearing into some government archive.”
“Looks like I’m going to need to change into my Batman t-shirt,” Ryan said seriously.
“So where are we going?” Hawke asked.
“The Buccaneer Palm Resort,” Eden said quietly, obviously still bothered by the phone call. “She has a place there. It used to belong to her father.”
“You mean in the Florida Keys?” Lea asked.
“Yes, Little Torch Key,” Eden replied. “I want a jet fuelled and in the air within the hour and all of you on it.”
And Hawke thought that sounded like the best idea he’d heard all week.
CHAPTER TWO
The Gulfstream touched down at Florida Keys Marathon Airport less than two hours after Victoria Hamilton-Talbot’s telephone call to Sir Richard Eden. Hawke, Lea, Scarlet and Ryan made the team, with Eden keeping Alex on the island to man the computers and Maria for security.
The flight passed without any problems, but from the air they had seen Hurricane Jasmine far on the eastern horizon just as they landed. Now, from their new vantage point on the ground it was just as impressive, but too far away to be of any danger to them. This was life in the tropics.
They hired a self-drive SUV from the airport and Hawke took the wheel while Lea called Eden and informed him of their arrival. They headed southwest on Rick Turner before hanging a right onto US-1 S. The drive was flat and mostly featureless as they drove along the Overseas Highway.
Passing Bahia Honda Key and the State Park, they hit Big Pine Key and then crossed Pine Channel. Watching the sun-soaked landscape drift past the car window, Lea’s mind turned to her recent journey to Ireland, and how it all fitted together with why she was now in Florida. It couldn’t be a coincidence that her father’s research notes had been focussed on the Norse goddesses of healing and now a man connected with research into Thor had been killed.
Now, she was feeling guilty that she had kept the contents of her father’s research file to herself when she’d returned from Ireland. When she’d landed she had taken the file to her quarters, scanned the contents onto a disc and copied them to a flash-drive, and then put the notes in her filing cabinet — but she had told no one. She had no idea why her father was researching the Norse legends, and she wanted to keep it to herself until she’d looked into it more, but now that looked like a bad plan. Clearly all this had to be connected.
“We’re here,” Hawke said, casting an eye on the Sat Nav. “Little Torch Key.”
He indicated left and turned the SUV off the road. They drove across a small gravel car park and pulled up outside the exclusive resort. It was set over several acres of expensive beachfront real estate and while some here owned their properties most rented. Just inside the entrance was a long, low building which was clearly the main reception and a few people in broad sunhats were meandering along the winding paths inside the compound. The place offered the sort of peace and tranquillity that could only be bought for several thousand dollars per night.
Victoria’s place was at the south end of the resort and the walk took them several minutes through the center of the compound until they finally weaved their way to the luxury residence. It was hidden among a burst of tropical plants and shaded from the sun by several towering palm trees which swayed gently in the warm breeze now coming off the Straits of Florida.
The young woman waved to them from the veranda and they walked slowly up the steps to join her.
“You must be Lea Donovan?” she said. “Dickie’s told me a lot about you.”
Hawke gave Scarlet a questioning look and mouthed the word Dickie at her, but Scarlet shrugged her shoulders and said nothing.
Victoria caught the shared glance and turned to Scarlet. “And you’re the woman who tried to kill President Grant, right?”
Scarlet opened her mouth to reply but Hawke put his finger over her lips. “She’s kidding, Cairo.”
Victoria smiled wanly and addressed all of them together. “Please, all of you — come in. You’re most welcome.”
Inside turned out to be even more sumptuous than outside, and Ryan stared at the plush drinks cabinet and mosquito net-covered beds down the corridor with unconcealed jealousy. Through the open window, beyond a neat strip of sand, the strong, clear Florida sun pitched down on the turquoise water.
“Woah,” he said finally.
Scarlet sniffed. “I’ve never heard such a well-articulated exclamation of appreciation.”
They sat in the main room, which was part of an open-plan lower level with polished hardwood floorboards, wooden slat walls and Louvre windows. Victoria poured everyone iced tea, which elicited a look of disgust from Scarlet Sloane.
“Haven’t you got anything stronger, Victoria? When I’m saving the world I tend to run on heavier fuel than this.”
“Of course,” Victoria said. Her long brown hair blew gently in the cross-ventilation from the Louvre windows. She opened the double doors of the walnut veneer drinks cabinet and made a dramatic sweeping gesture with her hands. “The bar is open… and please, call me Vikki.”
“A vodka’ll do me, Vikki,” Scarlet said unceremoniously.
Even though she had heard Eden talk several times of Victoria Hamilton-Talbot, Lea had never met her before and she knew very little about her. She was an academic by training, specializing in maritime archaeology and her former supervisor, with whom there had been rumors of an affair, was Dr Nate Derby. She also knew from Richard that she happened to be the daughter of Lord Peter Hamilton-Talbot, the Viscount of Weston, and that entitled her to the title Lady Victoria Hamilton-Talbot, but she never used it.
Now Victoria brought the small-talk to an end as she deftly steered the conversation back around to business. “One of these days someone’s going to have to tell me where old Dickie’s little hideout is,” she said in an attempt to make everyone relax.
No one replied.
“Why are we here, Vikki?” Hawke said flatly.
Lea watched the woman carefully as she surveyed the group, and then lowered herself slowly into a wicker chair beside the open window. “As I’m sure Dickie will have briefed you, a few days ago my old boss Nate was found dead in a burned-out building up in Canada. I think he was murdered.”
“Yes, Rich briefed us on it,” Lea said taking the lead. “We’re very sorry for your loss — were you close?”