Fatal Tide - Iris Johansen [31]
They chattered excitedly and Susie started to swim toward her.
But Pete was staying at the net, swimming back and forth as if on guard.
“Get closer. There's something on the other side of the net.” Kelby was focusing the lantern on the area beyond Pete. “I see it glittering in the water.”
“Glittering?” Now she could see it too. It looked like a section of a fence, perhaps two by three feet. “What the hell is it?”
“Whatever it is, it's been fastened to the net,” Kelby said. “And we won't be able to retrieve it until you lower the net and turn off the power.”
She moistened her lips. “My present.”
“It doesn't look very lethal. But it's your call.”
“I want to know what it is. Keep that lantern on.” She started toward the disconnect point. In three minutes she'd lowered the net, disconnected the power, and was on her way back to Pete. The dolphin made no attempt to cross the lowered net. He was silent, swimming back and forth before the object in the water.
“He's worried,” Melis said. “He senses something . . . not right. He's always been more sensitive than Susie.” She stood staring at the object floating just beneath the surface. She didn't want to look at it. Like Pete, she felt a kind of foreboding.
“We don't have to retrieve it now,” Kelby said quietly. “I'll come back later and get it.”
“No.” She edged the boat closer. “As you said, it's not logical that he'd want to blow me up or anything. I'll pull alongside and you can reach over and untie it from the net.”
“If that's what you want.” He bent over the side and plunged his hands beneath the water. “It's fastened with rope. It will take me a minute. . . .”
She didn't care if it took him a decade. She hoped the damn thing would sink to the bottom of the sea. He'd put the lanterns down in the bottom of the boat, but light speared out over the water and she could see that odd glittering surface. She was starting to shake.
Gold. It looked like gold.
“Got it.” He pulled the wooden panel onto the boat and examined it. “But what the hell is it? Pretty carved fretwork. This looks like gilt paint, but there's no message painted on it.”
Golden lacy fretwork.
“You're wrong. There's a message,” she said numbly.
Golden lacy fretwork.
“I don't see—” He broke off as he lifted his gaze to her face. “You know what it is.”
“I know.” She swallowed, hard. Don't be sick. “Throw it back into the sea.”
“You're sure?”
“Dammit. Get rid of it.”
“Right.” With all his strength he hurled the panel back into the sea.
She turned the boat and headed back to shore.
“Melis, you have to raise the net,” Kelby said quietly.
My God, she'd forgotten. She'd never forgotten to safeguard the island in all the time she'd been here. “Thanks.” She turned the boat and headed back to the net.
He didn't speak again until they were once more on their way back to the cottage. “Are you going to tell me what message Archer sent you?”
“Archer?”
“Wilson says his name is Hugh Archer. If he's the same man who leased that cruiser in Greece.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I didn't have a chance. I just found out tonight and you were in no mood to listen. You were afraid for your dolphins.”
She was still afraid. So much ugliness. She couldn't imagine the degree of ugliness in Archer that had led him to send her that panel.
“You didn't answer me. Are you going to tell me what that panel meant to you?”
“No.”
“Well, that's succinct. Then will you tell me if it's a one-time contact or the opening play?”
“There'll be more.” She cut the engine at the pier. “Soon. He'll want to hurt me again.”
“Why?”
“Some men are like that.” Was she talking about the past or present? They were blurring together. “He probably liked hurting Carolyn. Power. They like power. . . .” She started toward the house.
“Melis, I can't help you if you're going to leave me in the dark.”
“And I can't talk to you right now. Leave me alone.” She went into the house and straight