"And you call us classicists strange," Jeff said.
Ramirez bowed his head and smiled just a little. "Yes, I know what you are talking about."
"That's where I am now. I feel like I know the answer, or part of the answer, but can't quite put my finger on it yet."
"When you think of it, give me a call."
"What's going to happen to the cross?" Lindsay asked.
"The courts will have to decide. It looks to me like it will go to Boote."
Lindsay had mixed feelings about that. Boote could use the money that the cross represented, but it was an artifact and now that the diary was completed, there was evidence that the cross belonged with the Estrella. Maybe Boote and the university could come to some agreement.
As Lindsay, Harper, and Bobbie were leaving, they ran into Gina and Juliana coming in.
"Hi. How's Jeff?" Gina asked.
"He's doing well," Harper replied. "I think Sherlock here about convinced Ramirez that Jeff is innocent."
"Great. Was that the shoe thing?"
"That and the fact that I did get a look, albeit briefly, at the person who attacked Boote. And it wasn't Jeff. You guys had dinner?"
"Just a while ago. There's a small shopping center that has a good sandwich shop. It's about a block away. That's about the only place in this town unless you want fast food."
They followed the directions and went into the small cafe. Mike and Tessa Altman were there having dinner.
Chapter 30
""GET A TABLE, I'm going to speak with Mike and Tessa," Lindsay said. Bobbie and Harper followed her anyway.
"We'd like some peace," said Tessa. Mike stared at the glass of iced tea in front of him. The two of them sat side by side close together in a booth. Tessa had her arm through his.
"Look," said Lindsay. "We're all stuck in the same tar man. I'd like to let go and I imagine you would, too."
"Perhaps we'll get lucky and the hurricane will blow the lot of you away," Mike said without looking up.
e'll be here forever," Lindsay "Or maybe it won't, and we'll-beresponded.
"Will it get rid of you if we talk to you?" Tessa asked.
"Yes, it will. May I sit down?"
Tessa motioned toward the opposite side of the booth. Bobbie slid in first, Lindsay beside her, and Harper dragged a chair and sat at the end.
"Can I get you anything?" asked a waitress.
"No," said the Altmans together.
"We're moving to another table in a minute," said Lindsay.
"Are you two ready to order?"
"Give us a few more minutes, please," Tessa answered. She waited until the waitress was gone. "So, does this take all three of you?"
"Apparently," said Lindsay. She turned to Mike. "First, I'd like to end this feud. Tessa told me that you genuinely didn't think we needed help at the quicksand pit, and I'm willing to accept that. So are Bobbie and Harper." Harper opened her mouth and looked surprised. Lindsay kicked her under the table. Tessa almost smiled.
"If you had been in real trouble, I would have helped," Mike said. The admission seemed to hurt him.
"I accept that. I'll put a stop to all the rumors that have had all of you upset."
"So you've been doing that?" said Tessa.
"Not me personally, or Bobbie or Harper, or most of the staff. But I know where they've come from, and I'll have Lewis put a stop to it."
"So, what about the museum and the theme park?"
"They were just jerking your chain. There is no museum, no theme park. Once we're gone, the warehouse goes. When it can be released, I'd like you to read the diary Harper has been translating. It was written by a man who sailed as a passenger on the ship we're excavating. He was an intelligent and compassionate man and he provided us with incredible insight about the people who came over here to colonize. It will help you understand what we do and why we were so very angry about your association with Jones."
Mike and Tessa were silent. All in all, Lindsay thought that was a good sign. She continued talking.
"I'm not going to ask you for alibis for the night in question. None of us have them, and I don't expect you to have them, either. I'll accept that you were in bed asleep."
"I wasn't," said Tessa. "Mike was. I was doing some research on the Web-if I understand that the time in question is the wee hours of the morning. That's the time Ramirez wanted to know about."
"Did you hear anything when you were up?"
"No. But the ranger's quarters are surrounded by thick flora."
Lindsay looked at Mike. "You said that Nate and Keith fought. When did you see that?"
Mike shrugged and looked at Tessa. "Several weeks ago," he said. "One of the windows in our apartment looks out over the walkway. They were yelling at each other about the wreck. From what I gathered, Keith wanted to have some of your artifacts for all his help." Mike shook his head. "The fool, just like with my plants. He thinks he can just take things. Anyway, it ended with him pushing Nate into the railing-that's how it broke-and stomping off. I don't know what happened after that."
"Did you see him after that?"
"No," said Mike.
"I did, a couple of days later," Tessa said, "down on the beach. He was looking at the surf. Keith was nothing but a beach bum."
"Did you ever witness anyone else arguing with him?"
"That other guy, what's his name?" Mike asked. "Captain Nemo, Keith was always calling him."
"Steven."
"Yeah, that's the guy. He wasn't too bad. Not loud and in your face like Nate."
"Steven Nemo argued with Keith?"
"Several times. You could tell he didn't like him, called him a looter and a pothead-"
"Pothunter?"
"Yeah, that was it. Pothunter. I looked all over the island to make sure Keith wasn't planting any marijuana patches."
"That's a word we use for a person who loots archaeological sites."
"Wish I'd known, I could have saved myself some work. Anyway, Nemo really didn't like Keith. Nemo also fought with Nate and Trey Marcus about using Keith and the old man to help locate whatever it was you guys are trying to find."
"Objects from wrecks often wash up onshore. Keith and his father have been searching the islands for a long time, and Trey wanted access to their collections."
"Did you all ever find anything?" asked Bobbie.
Tessa held out her right hand to Lindsay. She had a beautiful gold ring with a large ruby in it. "Mike and I found the stone in the sand. I stepped on it with my bare feet. Mike had it set for me. I'd like not to have to give it up."
"Keep it," said Lindsay. "Do you remember where on the beach you found it?"
"A couple-of-miles up the beach from the house."
It sounded like the same spot that Lindsay had found the coins.
"Did anyone else argue with Keith?" Lindsay asked.
"Trey had a big fight with him in the break room a few days after Nate did."
"What was it about?"
"Let's see. Same thing, I think. No, he accused Keith of taking something out of the lab." Tessa thought a moment. "An astro something-"
"Astrolabe?"
"I suppose. Keith thought that, since you all had two of them, he could have one. Trey didn't see it that way. He was very angry."
"I can imagine. Thank you for talking with me. I won't keep you from your dinner any longer."
They moved to another table and ordered soup and sandwiches. When the Altmans finished, Tessa stopped by Lindsay's table.
"Look, someone will probably tell you this sooner or later, so I'd rather you hear it from me. Before we knew what a complete jerk Keith was, Gretchen dated him a couple of times. This was way before all of you got here and it ended before any of you arrived. Gretchen isn't involved in this and her mother is in a nursing home and not doing well. Gretchen has a lot to deal with and she doesn't need to be questioned by you or the police. She is a very nice person. She even likes you guys."
"I'm not off
icial anyway," said Lindsay. "Ramirez may find out on his own, but not from me."
After the Altmans left, Bobbie said, "You sure were easy on them."
"I did lay into Mike and Easterall pretty heavily already. Besides we wouldn't have gotten anything from them if we'd been hostile."
"I know, but you gave her a ruby ring, for heaven's sake. Lewis isn't going to like that," said Harper.
"There was no provenance. There was nothing to dispute that a tourist simply lost the set out of her ring and Tessa found it."
"Well, Trey didn't have anything to do with Keith's death," said Harper.
"I thought you were mad at him." Lindsay teased.
"I am, but I don't want him to go to prison."
"I've known Trey since he got a job in the Archaeology Department. I don't believe he's a murderer. I'm sure if I'd been here and met Keith, I'd have had an argument with him, too. It looks like everybody on the island did at one time or another."
"You ever date him?" Harper had her elbow on the table and her chin resting in the palm of her hand.
"Who? Trey?" Lindsay looked surprised.
"Yes, Trey."
"No. We almost went dancing once, but events were kind of overtaking me at the time. Why?"
"Just wondering. So, Bobbie, how's Luke?"
"He's good. John's got him working a lot now. I don't think he's going to get any time off for a while."
"Are they related?" asked Harper.
"Cousins," said Bobbie.
"So, Harper, you going to come to UGA?" Lindsay asked.
"Maybe. I have indications that the Language Department is interested."
"They certainly ought to be," Bobbie said.
They left the restaurant and drove the SUV to the guarded lot where several of the university vehicles were parked and motored across the intracoastal waterway to the island. It was a short trip and they were grateful because the water was choppy, even between the mainland and the island.
The barge had left St. Magdalena hours ago for the dam and Lindsay and Bobbie didn't want to take a boat in the dark with the water as rough as it was. So they stayed in Harper's apartment.
Harper was greeted with a bowl of orchids sitting on her desk-and a card from Trey.
"You think he picked these on the island?" whispered Bobbie.
"No," Harper said.' The card is from a florist. Isn't this sweet?"
"I suppose he must be really sorry." Lindsay smelled one of the flowers.
"He says he is." Harper grinned.
"What's this?" Bobbie asked, pointing to a large flat box sitting on the breakfast table.
"A candy box," Harper said, "with lots of candy."
"He must be really, really sorry," Bobbie said. Bobbie and Lindsay gathered around her as she opened the card.
"No," said Harper, "Lewis is really sorry."
While they talked about everything from the guys, the diary, to the state of the union, and ate the candy, Lindsay worked on the drawing of the HSkR4, the last skeleton.
"Here he is," she said at last.
"That's him then? Valerian?" asked Harper.
"I don't know. Someone. I've looked at all the bones, but I need to do it again and read the diary again. I'm afraid that the way things are going lately, I might have missed something."
"I somehow pictured Valerian as more handsome," Bobbie said.
"I could work on him some," offered Lindsay.
"You gave Lopez a long nose, and the guy in chains, Sancho ... do you think he is Sancho?" asked Bobbie.
"Probably. He's the only one the diary said was in chains," Lindsay replied.
"You gave Sancho a short nose. How do you know?"
Lindsay touched the bridge of Bobbie's nose. You can tell by the length of the bridge of the nose and nasal sill. Long noses need support."
"How neat," said Bobbie.
"Yes, it is." Lindsay yawned. "I'm getting tired. How about we get some sleep?"
"You got my vote," agreed Harper.
Harper pulled a rollaway bed out of the closet for Bobbie. "Maybe we'll get lucky and in the morning the hurricane will have just wound down," Bobbie said as she pulled the covers over her.
In the morning Hurricane Harriette was moving northeast. The south Florida coast was the most likely target for landfall. Lindsay went to the dam to work, but her mind was on the murders. Were they about the treasure ship? Had Keith found it? Is that where he got the cross? But if he found it, why didn't he have more of its treasure? Ramirez did tell her that he had found no evidence that Keith had been trying to sell gold or gems on the local market.
What did Hardy Denton have to do with it? Keith didn't have the equipment to go after the wreck himself? Maybe he brought Denton and Jones into it. He'd tell where the wreck was and they would help him bring it to the surface-but they double-crossed him. Then why was Denton killed and why was Jones having the Altmans steal information? Lindsay was getting a headache.
She wondered if she was wrong not to speak with Gretchen. After all, she knew nothing about the woman. This could be a crime of love gone wrong-certainly a more common motive than fighting over Spanish treasure. But then, where did Denton fit in? Did he witness it? But why would he be killed so long after Keith? Maybe he was blackmailing Gretchen? Perhaps that was why Mike and Tessa were stealing information for Denton and Jones. That would mean that the three of them would be in on Keith's murder.
"Lindsay, Lindsay! Are you in there?" It was Trey sitting on his haunches beside her.
Lindsay rose to a sitting position. "Oh, hi. How is everything? Did you get the bell bailed out of jail?"
"We heard from the lawyer this morning. The judge refused to issue a warrant. The lawyer said we should have been there to witness Eva Jones in district court. He said the hurricane was nothing compared to the whirlwind she caused."
"Aren't we lucky that Harper provided me the complete translation, so that I could recognize the bell for what it was?"
"Thanks, Lindsay. I needed you to remind me. Is Harper still mad at me?"
"The flowers helped. So did the candy."
"What candy?"
"Oh, yes, I forgot. The candy was from Lewis."
"You're in a great mood this morning, aren't you?"
"Actually, I have a headache. How's Jeff? Have you heard?"
"He's doing well. I think they're letting him out of the hospital today. The police are holding off on charging him. Seems you convinced Ramirez."
"I doubt it. They just didn't have enough corroborating evidence. At most, the DA probably thought that without other evidence, my testimony would ensure reasonable doubt in a jury's mind. You can bet they still have their eye on him. Is Jeff coming back here?"
"He's going to work with Carolyn in the lab for a while. I'm sending several divers back home until the danger is over. That will be fewer people to evacuate if it comes to that. Lewis is very impressed with you, by the way."
"Good. Do you think this would be a good time to hit him up for a raise? Look, Trey." Lindsay lowered her voice. "I'm not having very good feelings about the disposition of the contents of the treasure ship if we find it."
Trey was silent for a long time, staring at the sandy mud and the wooden form that Lindsay was excavating. "I know. We've had long, hot conversations with him about it."
"What are you going to do?" asked Lindsay.
"I told him I'd fight to keep it together."
"So did I," she said. "He didn't seem to mind."
"No, I imagine not. Lewis is a man very sure of himself."
Lindsay wanted to ask Trey if he thought that Lewis could kill anyone. But she felt as if she were plotting mutiny the way it was, so she kept silent about that. She did ask Trey, "Is Lewis computer literate?"
"You still skeptical about Nate's computer model?"
"Yes." Lindsay was skeptical, but that wasn't the reason she was asking. Lewis had used the phrase "timed out" in talking about artifacts. It was one of the phrases in th
e threatening computer message to her. It concerned her, yet for the life of her she couldn't figure out why Lewis would be involved in murder. Besides, everybody used that phrase these days. But she was glad Trey misunderstood the intent of her question.
"Lewis doesn't know much about computers at all. But he is into chaos theory, and he liked Nate's description of it in his prospectus. And I've seen a printout of Nate's last couple of runs. I'm impressed."
"Well, at least the two of you set Jones back a few squares."
"You did, really," Trey said.
"What's the weather like?"
"You worried?"
"I think we all are. It's heading this way, isn't it?"
"John has a lot of confidence that the dam will remain standing," Trey replied. "I don't have to tell you that putting it out in the ocean was a very controversial affair. But his design got an okay from all the engineers we submitted it to. At any rate, none of us will be in it when the storm comes. It will fill up with water." Trey smiled, trying to look optimistic. "What are you excavating?"
"Another sea chest. Maybe we can hoist it up by the end of the day."
After work Lindsay wanted nothing but to spend a quiet evening with John. She sat beside him in a sheltered corner of his barge.
"You cold?" he asked.
"Not really. I was just trying to see some stars in the sky, hoping for a clear opening." A white, orange, and black calico cat jumped in her lap. "Who's this?" Lindsay stroked her long fur and rubbed her head as the cat vibrated with a loud purr. "She has a strong motor."
"That's Polly. Stan is here under my chair." Lindsay squinted her eyes, finally seeing the black tuxedo cat curled up beneath John. "They keep the barge free of mice. Very good at it, too."
"I guess you heard about Eva Jones trying to take possession of the ghost ship."
"I heard. I also read the diary pages. Bobbie showed them to Luke and he showed them to me, so I guess the ship is an open secret now. Good thing about the hurricane or we'd start having more boaters out here to deal with."
"Lewis is determined to find it. From the account in the diary, the Estrella was almost on top of it when the storm hit."
LC 04 - Skeleton Crew Page 31