The Vision (24 page)

The younger man’s eyes widened. Adam Harrison smiled. “Of course. I would have

expected no less.”

“I admit my former colleagues have only good things to say about you.”

The waitress stopped by to pour Thor’s coffee and take their order. The younger man

waved a hand, indicating he wasn’t eating. Adam ordered an English muffin and orange

juice. Thor opted for eggs and toast. Though it wasn’t good to overeat before a dive, it

could be worse not to eat at all.

Thor sipped his coffee, staring at Adam. “You’ve come here to ask me to leave,” Adam

said.

Thor arched a brow, setting his mug down with precision. “You’re not going to convince

me that our project is being hounded by ghosts.”

“It doesn’t disturb you that a young woman you obviously care about is suffering?”

Adam asked.

“I think you insinuating that she really is seeing ghosts is just going to make matters

worse,” Thor said quietly.

“You do know I’ve worked for the government?” Adam said.

“Oh, yes.” They were engaging in a staring contest, Thor realized. “And I know some

presidents have sworn that Lincoln haunts the White House.”

“He does,” Josh Harrison commented.

Thor ignored that.

“Mr. Harrison, the body of a woman was discovered on the beach. There is a serious

danger in the Keys. It’s coming from a real killer. Messing everyone up with talk of

ghosts and things that go bump in the night isn’t going to help anything.”

“Ghosts are not necessarily evil,” Josh said seriously, his brow furrowed. “If you let

them, they can help with the real, the present.”

“Thank you,” Thor murmured, stopped from saying more when the food arrived.

“You’ve got to see my position,” he went on when the waitress had gone.

“I do,” Adam Harrison said. “And my people and I will try very hard to stay out of your way.”

Thor chewed his food without tasting it. “Don’t disturb my divers,” he said at last.

Adam Harrison leaned forward. “Look. You’ve checked me out. You know I’m honest.

Give me a chance to be around. And we’re not talking about divers, plural. We both

know we’re only talking about one. And she’s more than a diver to you.”

“She’s scaring you,” Josh said.

Thor shot the young man a withering stare.

“Don’t let what’s happening turn you against a wonderful woman,” Adam said softly.

Thor wondered if the guilt the words made him feel was clearly written across his face.

Yes, all this made him uneasy. It made him want to hold her, protect her. It also made

him—him—want to run. To get out before…

“I don’t believe in ghosts,” he said firmly.

“But you will,” Josh said softly, almost sorrowfully.

Thor sighed. “I know I can’t convince you to leave today. So be aware I don’t believe in

what you’re doing for a second. And tread lightly.”

Adam shook his head. “I’ll do my best to stay out of your way, but I have a job to do, too.

And I honestly believe you’ll wind up grateful for my presence.”

Thor was surprised to discover he had eaten his eggs, apparently, much like a normal,

unenraged human being. He rose. “I had hoped we could come to some kind of an

agreement,” he said tersely.

Adam Harrison’s slow, easy smile was grating. “No, you had hoped to intimidate me into

leaving. But I do understand. I harbor no resentment. Good day, and good diving to you.”

Fortified by a long, hot shower, Genevieve dressed for a day of diving, throwing on a suit

and a terry cover-up.

Downstairs, she discovered Thor had left her coffee. She smiled, wondered how she

could feel so touched and poignantly sad at the same time.

Because he would never stay with her. Because she really was going crazy.

She washed up in the kitchen, angry again. Until they locked her up, she had to work, had

to keep going.

She gathered the few things she wanted to take back to the cottage at the resort and

locked up the house.

As she turned the key in the lock, she froze, a prickling sensation suddenly sweeping up her spine to her nape.

She looked around. It was still early. Not full light. Shadows everywhere.

And from the shadows, she felt as if there were eyes. Staring at her.

She swore aloud. This was really getting ridiculous.

Determinedly, she started down the path. Bushes and trees seemed to rustle behind her.

She found herself hurrying.

She was alone on the streets.

She started to walk, still feeling as if she was being watched. She stopped, angry, spun

around. There was no one. And not a sound. Not even a bird cheeped.

She started forward again.

Then she heard the footsteps. Running footsteps, hurrying over grass and pavement.

She turned quickly. Yes, there by the bush…a shadow.

She started to run, afraid to turn back to look.

And hit Duval Street.

And there, coming from one of the bed-and-breakfasts, was a deliveryman.

She nearly crashed into him.

“Good morning,” he called cheerfully.

She came to a halt, swallowing, heart pounding. She dared to look back.

The street was empty.

12

G enevieve wound up being just a few minutes late—the last arrival of the morning. The

deliveryman had realized she was shaking and worried about her, even getting her a

bottle of water. She had quickly regained her composure and bought him a Starbucks

latte in thanks.

Still, the morning should have been good. The skies were clear, the breeze soft. Perfect

diving conditions.

Professor Henry Sheridan was ready with his model and his lecture.

There was one flaw.

Marshall wasn’t there.

His absence had already been discussed when Genevieve arrived. Thor appeared to be so completely irritated—though whether about Marshall or something else, she couldn’t

tell—that she immediately determined to keep her distance from him.

“This isn’t like Marshall,” Victor insisted.

“Not at all,” Alex chimed in.

“I’m really worried about him,” Bethany said.

While Marshall was absent, Jay was present, as were a pair of handsome strangers, the

woman a beautiful blonde, the man with striking features that denoted Native American

ancestry. Sliding into a seat on the bench at the picnic table next to Bethany, Genevieve

demanded in a whisper, “What’s going on? Who are those people with Jay? I don’t

understand anything here. Marshall isn’t here—Jay is. With strangers. But I take it

someone knows why Marshall isn’t here?”

“Unavoidably detained on the mainland. That’s why Jay is here. Evidently Marshall

called the police station last night, too late to call one of us, afraid we might be worried, and asked that someone come out here and explain, and relay his promise to be back as

soon as possible.”

“So that’s why Jay is here?” she asked.

Bethany shrugged and nodded. “And probably why Thor looks like ye olde thunder god.

He’s disgusted. I guess. He’s used to running a tight ship, and so far this dive has been

anything but.”

“If we could quiet down, please? I miss Marshall like the rest of you, but he’s a a

responsible man, so if he says he’s unavoidably detained, well then, we move on,” Thor

snapped.

They all fell silent.

“All right, here we go,” Professor Sheridan announced. He indicated the ship with his

pointer as he spoke. “The Marie Josephine. Launched in October 1803, purchased by the

British in 1816. Displacement, one thousand eight hundred pounds, length one hundred

and sixty feet, depth 14.3 feet, in the hold. She carried thirty long guns and two twenty-

four-pound bow chasers. Those guns are down there somewhere. She had her masts

blown to bits, and holes in the hull. She was mortally wounded before the storm ever

began. Using descriptions of the damage written in one of the pirate’s journals, we

reconstructed her sinking via the computer. I believe she took on water in such a way that

she split in half as she began her descent. It’s estimated that the storm that caught them

was gusting up to two hundred miles an hour. That would mean huge pieces of her might

have been carried more than a mile, so we’re looking for a truly vast field. Your clues

will be the guns and…” He pulled out a sheaf of paper from his briefcase. “These are

computer illustrations, showing what pieces of the ship might look like now.”

“Looks like coral,” Alex murmured.

“Precisely. You might be staring right at a piece of the hull and not even see it. That’s

why this morning’s lecture is important. You need to learn how to see what’s hidden

from the eye. Take a really good look at these pictures. She’s there, and judging from that

coin you found, you’re right on top of her. You just have to find her. Well, that’s it. I’m done for the day.”

He stepped back, looking pleased. The divers were studying his pictures, and no one had

yawned.

“Thank you, Professor,” Thor said firmly.

The others looked up. As if on cue, they started to clap. Professor Sheridan flushed a

deep red.

“Thank you. And good luck.”

“Hey, Professor,” Jack said. “Do you want to go out on one of the boats today?”

Sheridan lost his color, turning white. “Thank you, but I’ll leave the diving to the

experts,” he said.

Genevieve noticed that Jay was talking to Thor, who still looked grim. He turned to the

couple who had come with Jay, barked out a few questions, then shrugged, as if nothing

were of the least importance to him anymore. Then he turned suddenly, as if aware

Genevieve was standing there. His frown deepened. “You’re with me,” he said.

“Hey, who’s my buddy?” Victor demanded. “Jack?”

“Me. I hope you don’t mind,” the blond woman said, smiling as she approached him.

“How do you do? I’m Nikki.”

“Hi, Nikki.” Victor suddenly seemed thoroughly pleased with the situation.

“Sorry, guys,” Jay said. “I should have made the introductions earlier. Nikki and Brent

Blackhawk work for the government. Now, don’t let me hear any groans. They’re

pitching in because we’re short a man and a boat. Jack and Brent will be topside on

Thor’s boat, and I’ll be staying up on the police cruiser.”

“We can take my boat,” Jack offered.

“Gee, thanks,” Bethany teased.

“Hey, all she needs is paint.”

“Trust me, the cruiser has everything you’ll need,” Jay said.

“The cruiser is great. We appreciate it,” Thor said.

“Right,” Alex muttered, shaking his head. “What the hell is Marshall thinking?”

“Let’s do the best we can for the day, shall we?” Thor asked. “Now, let’s get going.”

He grabbed the bag holding his diving equipment.

Genevieve realized that Nikki had fallen into step with her. She flashed her a quick smile.

“Hi, I’m Genevieve. Nice to meet you. So you’re an experienced diver?”

The woman’s smile matched Genevieve’s. “I dive.” She paused. “Actually, I’d prefer diving with you, but…I’m grateful just to have gotten on the boat.”

“I see,” Genevieve said, though in reality she didn’t see anything. “Victor is my usual

partner. Don’t let him fool you. He’s a top-notch diver.”

“I’m sure.”

“You are?”

“He wouldn’t be on this project if he weren’t.”

Genevieve found herself smiling in turn. That was true.

They split up when they reached the dock and neared the boats. Genevieve stared at the

woman suddenly, frowning. Adam Harrison had mentioned he had people coming,

people who were acquainted with the kind of difficulties she’d been having.

She had feared he meant psychiatrists.

Now she knew he had meant ghost hunters.

Ghost hunters with government connections? Maybe that wasn’t so strange.

“Wait!” she called.

Nikki paused, looking at her with an expectant smile.

“I know you’re with Adam,” she said softly. “He told me.”

Nikki nodded, but her eyes shot to Thor, who was ahead of them.

Genevieve almost laughed aloud. She felt ridiculously relieved. “Not a word,” she swore.

On the way out to their coordinates, Thor was entirely uncommunicative with her, but she

heard him speaking softly with Brent Blackhawk. The man had a smooth, easy voice, and

she could understand why Thor seemed to take to him so easily. He was a man’s man, his

authority quiet and unassuming. His smile was quick. He had the appearance of someone

who could withstand any storm.

And yet, when he glanced Genevieve’s way, he was quick to offer a smile, and a wink.

Looking at Thor, she realized that he knew. Somehow, he knew why Nikki and Brent

were there, and, despite that fact, he was behaving decently.

Why? Was he just waiting to throw them to the sharks?

The motor sputtered to a stop. Brent Blackhawk came to help her up once she had

buckled on her tank. She caught his eyes again. They seemed to offer reassurance. She

thanked him, then met up with Thor at the stern. He stared at her for a long moment, then

stepped out to the platform and jumped in. She followed suit.

He was leading. She followed.

As they moved deeper, she glanced at her gauge. Fifty feet…fifty-five…sixty. There was coral to her right; ten feet to her left, there was a drop-off leading down another ten to

twenty feet. Glancing through the water, she could see Victor and Nikki about forty feet

away.

She moved slowly. The water was clear, the current easy. Thor kept looking back at her.

She stayed about ten to fifteen feet behind. The sound of her regulator was as soothing as