Dangerous Depths

by Colleen Coble

  “She’s a strong woman, but this would shake anyone.” Leia went to the helm and started the engine. “Tony was larger than life, and they were still newlyweds. It’s going to be hard for everyone who knew him. Okay with you if we stop by the peninsula a minute to drop off Hina?”

  “Sure.”

  She pointed the boat toward shore. “What about the search? Will you and his partner continue it?”

  “Ron has a lot invested in this search already. He won’t want to give it up now. But it won’t be the same without Tony.” He pressed his fingers to his eyes and turned away.

  She reached out to touch his rigid shoulder, but drew back. Her eyes stung, and she blinked rapidly. She’d finished with crying years ago, and as much as she liked Tony, she wasn’t about to start again now. Tears accomplished nothing except a headache. She’d learned that at age six. Gritting her teeth, she stared ahead at the sea.

  Riding high on its bow, the craft cut through the waves toward the peninsula. The swells around Moloka’i moved under the boat and made for a choppy ride. They reached the dock, and Bane stepped up to toss a rope over the moorings. She averted her gaze from his strong brown legs and back. She grabbed her backpack and towel. Eva took Hina in her arms. Five other boats ranging from yachts to fishing boats bobbed in the harbor.

  “Hang on, let me get this stable.” Bane pulled the rope tight, then leaped to the dock. He extended his hand.

  Leia moved out of the way and let Eva take her place. While Bane helped her sister to the dock, Leia stepped ashore by herself. A cluster of men and women on the beach caught her eye. “What’s going on?” She nodded toward the crowd milling along the shore. Raised voices rumbled with an undercurrent of excitement.

  Bane took the backpack from her unresisting hand. “Beats me. Let’s see.” He led the way down the gray boards of the pier to the beach. “Maybe a monk seal has come ashore.”

  “Maybe.” The seals were endangered, but they sometimes lumbered to shore and sunned themselves on the golden sand. Eva held tightly to Leia’s hand as they walked along the sand. The crowd parted in front of her, and she peered through the opening. Her confident step faltered when she saw Pete Kone in the middle of the crowd. His hands planted on his hips, Pete seemed to be barring anyone from coming near a roped-off section of beach. About thirty-five, Pete was a well-known figure on the island. His passion was teaching young Hawaiians about the old ways, from fishing to hula to crafts. His influence had helped her decide to learn to make the kapa.

  “Stay back,” he shouted at the crowd. “The police are on their way. I’ve called the DLNR as well.”

  The Department of Land and Natural Resources involvement meant whatever had Pete in a stew was big. Leia put Eva’s hand in Bane’s. “Wait here.” She approached Pete. “What’s going on, Pete?”

  His dark eyes registered her presence. “Leia, just who I need. A doctor could give an opinion on this.” He took her arm and ushered her past a line of men who stood shoulder to shoulder around an area cordoned off by yellow rope.

  She didn’t bother pointing out she wasn’t really a doctor. Most of the islanders seemed to forget she’d stopped shy of her residency. Several long white objects lay half buried in the sand. The closest one was mostly exposed to the sun, and Leia squinted to make out what it was. She caught her breath. “Bones? Where did they come from?” The remains looked pitiful in the sand.

  “We don’t know yet. I think they’re human. Can you tell?”

  Leia knelt on the hot sand and touched the smooth surface of the bone closest to her. “This one looks like a tibia. Definitely human.” The bones looked old and weathered by surf and sand. Bones were revered among her people. The mana of a chief was said to be in his bones, and in the old days, when a chief was defeated, his successor took possession of the skeleton to gain his rival’s power. By Hawaiian custom, these remains would need to remain buried to preserve what mana was left in them and to keep them from an enemy’s power. She had a length of kapa she could donate for the burial.

  She stood and dusted the sand from her hands. “How did they get here?”

  “They washed up in last night’s surge.”

  “You’ve been out here all day?” This discovery was probably why he never showed up with her students today.

  He nodded. “This could be a huge find.” His voice was hushed with suppressed excitement.

  “Any artifacts to help date the remains?” Leia glanced around and saw many more bones strewn about.

  “Look here.” He showed her a lâ’au pâlau that was used by the ancient Hawaiians as a weapon. The three-foot-long club had a stone mounted on the end and shark’s teeth embedded in the handle. “I think the surge last night uncovered a Hawaiian boat or burial spot of some kind. I want the DLNR to look into it.” He seemed to finally look at her. “You’ve been diving. Were you with Tony? I heard about his death. I’m sorry.”

  “Yes, Bane and I are on our way to see Candace.”

  “Bane is here?” His gaze went past her to Bane. A flicker of an eye showed his interest. “I should have known he wouldn’t miss the festival.” His eyes gleamed.

  The two men were friends and professional rivals at the same time. Both had a passion for cave exploration and playing the ukulele, and neither liked to lose to the other, though they respected each other as men. Leia never understood the complexities of their relationship. It was like watching two jungle cats circle each other before deciding to be friends.

  “Let me know what you learn about these remains, Pete. I’d better get back. We want to see if there is any news about what happened to Tony.” She hurried back to Bane and Eva.

  Bane listened as she told him about the bones. “I wonder if it’s a hoax. There’s no likely spot for the surge to uncover bones. Could Pete be staging something for attention?”

  “What is it with you two? One minute you’re listening to his advice, and the next second you’re trying to one-up him.”

  Bane was looking out over the water. “The ukulele festival is coming up. Think I can beat him?”

  “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” She sighed. “Winning a ukulele festival isn’t the most important thing in life.”

  His white teeth flashed in a wide grin. “I live to win.”

  That was Bane’s problem—he was so caught up in the notion that everything depended on him that he never relaxed enough to enjoy life. It was admirable to be dependable, but Bane took the trait to an extreme. The world wouldn’t come to an end if he failed at something.

  She took Eva’s hand. “It’s getting late. If we’re going to see Candace, we’d better get moving.” And then she was going to go home and forget Bane Oana. If she could.

  They left the cat patrolling the beach and got back in the boat. No one said much as they rounded the eastern side of the island and headed to town. Leia nodded toward the parking area beside the dock as they approached. “I keep my car in the lot to use when I come to town. We can take it.” They docked and headed toward the car.

  “Want me to drive?” Bane jogged to catch up with her.

  “I don’t let other people drive my car.”

  “You let me drive your car once.”

  “And you wrecked it. That taught me a lesson.” She made the mistake of looking at him. His grin made it hard to stay mad at him.

  “It wasn’t my fault!”

  “You ever hear of defensive driving? You drive like you do everything else—full steam ahead with your eyes on the goal.”

  “You just like being in control.”

  “That’s a pot calling the kettle black.” Eva began to hum, and Leia looked down at her sister. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

  “Don’t yell at Bane. He’ll go away, and I won’t get to go dive anymore.” Eva stuck her fingers in her mouth again.

  Leia pulled Eva’s hand down with a gentle touch and shook her head. Eva winced and rubbed her wet fingers against her shorts. Leia patted her arm, and Eva’s fac
e cleared. “Bane isn’t going anywhere, are you, Bane?”

  He shook his head. “Not when I get to take the prettiest girl in town diving.” He smiled at Eva, then his gaze shot to Leia.

  The trip to the Romero house only took ten minutes, but Bane’s larger-than-life presence in her small car was like being caged with a tiger shark. He was every bit as sleek and dangerous to her peace of mind as the big fish. She parked in front of the Romero house behind Dirk’s green army jeep.

  The plantation-style home sat in a grove of palm trees. Though modest, the pale pink-and-white color scheme reminded Leia of a frothy glass of pink guava juice. They stepped past the mass of welcoming flowers at the road. Candace’s green thumb showed in the banks of ginger and hibiscus that bloomed along the walk.

  Leia’s steps dragged as she walked to the front door. There would be no boisterous Tony flinging open the door to greet them. Her throat thickened, but she went to the door and pressed the doorbell with a steady finger. She could hear a murmur of voices beyond the door, then heavy footsteps approached and the door swung open.

  Dirk’s shoulders filled the doorway. He didn’t wear his usual smile. “Come on in. Candace is in the living room. The doctor wanted to give her a sedative, but she wouldn’t take it. See if you can get her to listen, Leia.”

  “I’ll try.” She stepped past Dirk with Eva and Bane on her heels. They kicked off their slippers at the door, as was the Hawaiian custom, and went down the hall. She knew the way. This home had been filled with light, laughter, and good friends. The somber tone now made the place unfamiliar. The cool tile floor felt good against her bare feet. Without the usual aroma of cappuccino candles that Candace normally burned, the air smelled stale and lifeless. Candace lay curled on the sofa with her eyes closed. Someone had drawn curtains over the wall of windows, blocking out the view of the garden.

  “Oh, good, she’s asleep,” Dirk said. “She’s been crying so much, her eyes are practically swollen shut.” His voice was a whisper, but it sounded loud in the room.

  “I’m not asleep.” Candace sat up. “I was just resting my eyes for a minute.” She rubbed her swollen face. “I still can’t believe it, you know?” Her face crumpled again, and she hugged herself.

  Leia sat beside her on the sofa and slipped her arm around her. “I’m so sorry, Candace. Tony was a great guy.”

  “Yes, he was. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know anything at all about running a dive shop, but it’s the only income we have.”

  “Doesn’t Tony have some insurance?” Bane asked.

  Candace shook her head. “Only enough to bury him. I told him we needed it now that we were going to—” She looked down at her hands.

  “Going to what?” Leia had a sick feeling she might know what Candace was about to say. She glanced at the young widow’s flat stomach.

  “We’re going to have a baby,” Candace whispered. “I just told Tony yesterday. He was so happy.” She buried her face against Leia’s neck. “We were going to wait a few weeks to tell anyone.”

  Candace’s hot tears trickled down Leia’s skin. At a loss for words, Leia just hugged the woman. No comforting words could change what had happened. The way Candace trembled made Leia feel weak. She drew away. “I can help out with the administrative part of the business a few hours a week. I can work around my clinic hours. You won’t have to pay me.”

  Candace raised her head. “Oh, Leia, would you really? Just until I get the hang of things? I never paid any attention when Tony tried to show me the books. I don’t know what to do.” She gazed up at Bane. “What about the search for the galleon? Are you and Ron going to go ahead with it?”

  Bane shifted from one foot to the other. “I haven’t talked to Ron yet, so I can’t speak for him. But I plan to stay. If we can find it, the money from the discovery will set you up for a long while. It’s the least I can do for Tony.” Bane’s voice was husky.

  Candace was wilting against Leia by the minute. “Lie down and try to sleep,” Leia told the grieving widow.

  Candace nodded. “Maybe that would be best. I’m so tired.” She stood.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow,” Leia promised. “If you need anything, just call.” No one said anything as Candace went down the hall.

  “I wish she had family here,” Dirk said.

  “What about her parents?” Bane asked.

  Leia shook her head. “They’re dead. They died in a house fire about three years ago along with her twin sister.”

  “Any other siblings?”

  Leia shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’ve never heard her say anything about it.”

  “I’ll do everything I can to make sure she’s provided for,” Bane said, his voice grim.

  Leia didn’t doubt that he would. The caretaker of the world, that was Bane Oana. Sometimes it irritated her beyond measure, but right now she wanted to hug him for it. Candace would need all the help she could get.

  Four

  The research vessel Pomaik’i floated about a mile off Kalaupapa Peninsula. There was no place Bane would rather be than standing on the bow of a ship with the throb of the engines radiating up his legs. The wind was in his face as he stood on the metal deck with his feet planted apart and surveyed the whitecaps just off the bow. Ajax, his Irish setter, lay at his feet. The dog whimpered at the whine of the crane that labored on deck.

  His boss, Ron Pimental, joined him at the railing. About forty, he reminded Bane of one of the many mynah birds on the islands—slicked-down black hair and rapid, jerky movements. He was in constant motion, which accounted for his thin frame. He popped a handful of unsalted peanuts into his mouth. “They’re raising the plane now. Good job finding it so quickly.”

  “I want to know what happened to it.” Bane refused Ron’s offer of peanuts and watched the boom crane lift the plane. The waves churned white foam as the plane neared the top of the water. Flotsam from the bottom boiled to the surface around the aircraft, and Bane leaned over the railing to watch. He itched to find the cause.

  “We owe it to Tony,” Ron agreed. “I want to find the ship now more than ever. I’ll see Tony’s widow gets her share, of course.”

  “Candace will be glad to hear that. She could use the money.” Bane hadn’t slept much last night. He knew Tony would expect him to help his widow. He turned as footsteps clanged on the metal deck, and one of the technicians, Logan Masters, joined them.

  “Ron, there’s something on our new sonar you need to see.” Logan’s red hair was a punctuation above a freckled face. He could have passed as a stand-in for Rugrats character Chuckie Finster minus the glasses.

  “In a minute.” Ron turned back to the plane. “Bane, do you think there’s a chance Westerfield Salvage has gotten wind of what our equipment can do? Could they have planted an explosive device to bring you down?”

  “I suspected sabotage from the first. I heard a bang that almost sounded like a small bomb before I lost control. Do you think Westerfield is capable of doing something like that? What would be the point?”

  “Sam Westerfield is capable of anything.” Ron tossed a peanut shell into the water, then cocked his head like a bird. “He particularly likes to humiliate me. If he finds the wreck before we do, he’d get his papers filed first to arrest the shipwreck, and we’d be out in the cold. If he had an inkling of how advanced this new equipment is, he’d do anything to remove it from our arsenal of search options.”

  “What makes you think he knows about the new seafloor scanner we developed?” Bane wanted to know.

  “Nothing I do ever goes unnoticed by him for long. I’ve never figured out how he finds out my business, but he always does. I suppose one of my men is on his payroll.” Ron sighed heavily.

  The crane lifted the aircraft fully out of the water, and the runoff rained a small waterfall back into the ocean. “Is there a history with the two of you or just professional rivalry?” Bane asked. He didn’t know much about his boss yet. Ron was good at what he d
id, and his reputation in the business was impeccable. The only rumbling Bane had heard before he took the job was that Ron never forgot a grievance.

  “We were partners once,” Ron admitted. “I headed up the business, but Sam was never one to take orders. He started his own company, which was fine. What wasn’t so fine was that he stabbed me in the back and lied to a major client, who took his business to Westerfield. I would never trust him again.” He drummed his fingers on the railing. “What do you think of the equipment? Is it all we hoped it would be?”

  “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to really test it fully, but the preliminary stuff I got back looked like it might be everything we’d dreamed of. We got some awesome imagery before the plane went down—3-D quality stuff, like looking at a top-notch video game.”

  Ron frowned. “And now it’s waterlogged. Can we salvage any of it?”

  “Maybe. Most of it was in waterproof housing. I’ll have to test it out. We might not need it for this job, though. Tony mentioned an old man who lives out on the peninsula who claims the treasure is buried there. He also says he knows where the boat sank.”

  “Sir, about the images on sonar,” the technician put in again.

  “All right, Logan, we’re coming,” Ron said.

  The men followed Logan to the deck room that housed the scientific equipment. Ajax padded close behind. The room reeked of electronics and new plastic from the meteorological and oceanographic equipment that crowded the space. Banks of computerized equipment lined the room—from bathymetric equipment like shallow- and deepwater echo sounders to multiple computer stations used to collate the data. The men stepped to the swath bathymetric sonar system. The system was capable of hydrographic charting and seafloor acoustic backscatter imaging in water depths of 50 to 20,000 meters. It was Bane’s own design, and he grew fonder of the device on every mission. There was something sexy about a machine that performed perfectly and had great graphics.

  “Look here.” Logan jabbed a finger at the image on the computer screen. “There’s something under where we found the plane. Could be a rock formation, but it’s too symmetrical. I think it’s a sunken ship.”