Sunken Shadows

by Kathleen Brooks

  “I think you’re doing the right thing,” Trent said for her ears only. “Wade is a good guy. He’ll help you as much as you let him. And trust Granger. He’ll go to bat for you.”

  Darcy didn’t know why, but that was the reassurance she needed. She watched Wade put their gear up as she reached for a towel. He kept an eye on her, and she knew he would do everything he could to help her. She hadn’t ever had that kind of support before. It was . . . freeing.

  “So, let’s see it,” Wade said to her as they all gathered around.

  “See what?” Darcy asked, lost in examining her surprisingly strong feelings for Wade.

  “You. Take off your wetsuit to make sure you’re not injured,” Wade said with a grin that shot Darcy’s thoughts right back to the warm fuzzies she got when she thought about him. But then he zipped down his wetsuit and let it hang from his waist again, and the warm fuzzies became incinerated fluff.

  Trent looked at him and gave him the thumbs-up.

  “Oh,” Darcy said as she bit her lip. It felt intimate, even though she’d taken off wetsuits in front of hundreds of people before.

  “Come on, Darcy. We’ll go inside and get you changed and checked out,” Harper said as she stepped into the cabin. Half of her wanted to scream, “Thank you!” The other half wanted to strip naked and leap into Wade’s arms.

  Instead of doing either, Darcy stepped into the cabin, and Harper started laughing. “You so like my cousin.”

  “What?” Darcy asked, completely caught red-faced.

  “You were looking like you wanted to lick Wade dry.” Well, crap, now Darcy couldn’t get that image out of her head. She wouldn’t need a towel to dry off. She was so hot at the thought of licking Wade’s naked body that she was sure all the water had evaporated from her flushed skin.

  “Tell me about the sheriff,” Darcy said instead of answering as she changed.

  “Granger is a great guy. He and Kord King run the department. You can trust them. And I don’t see any serious injuries. You have a bruise here or there, but nothing serious,” Harper said, before sitting down and waiting for Darcy to finish getting dressed.

  “Even if I have something that I should technically hand over?”

  “What did you steal? Is it wrong that makes me like you even more?” Harper asked, moving to sit at the edge of her seat.

  Darcy laughed. She liked Harper. Tough on the outside, kind on the inside. “It’s a jacket that has something heavy inside it. The reports I read from the lone survivor was that Timothy told them that he’d written a note for his parents, and it was very important they get it.”

  “What happened to the survivor?” Harper asked.

  “Died very soon after being rescued.”

  “Now, this is really getting interesting. No way can you hand that over yet. Can’t you just toss it back in the water after you have a chance to look it over and leave the state to find it?” Harper asked.

  Now Darcy was sure she and Harper were going to be good friends because that was the exact plan Darcy had.

  “That’s what I want to do, but Wade said we should turn it over to this Granger guy so we are technically following the law.”

  Harper made a face, telling Darcy what she thought about that idea. “Wade would. For all his happy-go-lucky ways, he’s actually a straight arrow. But, it’s a good plan if you don’t want to end up in jail. Granger and Kord will work with you. They’ll listen. Speaking of them”—Harper pulled up a blind and saw the flashing blue lights of a police boat—“they’re here.”

  “I’ll make my calls then.” Darcy picked up her phone and placed her call. “Olivia, it’s Darcy. I found the rowboat and someone tried to kill me with underwater explosives.”

  11

  Olivia promised to call the detective and would meet her on the water as soon as possible. When Darcy stepped out onto the deck, she was met with two new people. Both men were over six feet and physically fit. And both were wearing jeans and a brown polo shirt that had a gold badge embroidered on the chest with Shadows Landing stitched around it.

  However, that’s where the similarities stopped. One was in his thirties with tanned skin, a chiseled face, and wore a cowboy hat. The other was in his twenties, had smooth dark skin and black hair trimmed almost to his scalp with perfect trim lines, and sexy full lips.

  “So, that’s the deal,” Wade was saying when Darcy walked out. Both men had looked at her the second she began to open the sliding door.

  Wade reached out for her, and she slipped her hand into his. It felt natural. Safe. And when he used his thumb to gently rub the palm of her hand it made her feel very hot even as the night air had a cool breeze to it.

  “This is Darcy Delmar,” Wade said, smiling down to her. “These are my friends. Sheriff Granger Fox is in the hat.”

  Granger tipped his hat, “Ma’am.”

  “And the good-looking one is Kordell King, but everyone calls me Kord,” Kord said with a wink as he reached for her hand. “And what can two humble servants of the law do for you?”

  Darcy laughed. Humble and Kordell didn’t go together, and for some reason that made her relax. “I’m guessing Wade told you what’s going on?”

  Kord’s charming smile dropped as Granger gave a single nod. “What’s this object you need to officially hand over and then we misplace for a couple of weeks?” Granger asked, cutting right to the chase.

  “You’d do that?” Darcy asked with disbelief.

  “We always like messing with the Charleston cops. It’s fun to see them get their Kevlar in a bunch,” Kord said, grinning once again.

  Granger’s lips twitched in what Darcy thought was agreement.

  “Okay. I saved what I think to be Timothy Longworth’s coat and it’s heavier than it should be. Now, it could be nothing, but I am hoping it’s holding a clue to Black Law’s sunken boat in its pocket.”

  “What should we do with it?” Granger asked.

  “Can you keep it someplace safe? Put it somewhere no one can find it until I have a chance to examine it?” Darcy asked hopefully.

  Kord looked to Granger. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “The church,” Granger agreed with a nod.

  “The church! Why would you put it there? Isn’t there an evidence locker or something you can put it in?” Darcy asked.

  “Pirates paid for the church and there’re hidden places all over it. The Rev will know where to hide it,” Kord said, sounding as if it were no big deal.

  “Wait, I don’t want anyone else to know about it.”

  “Ma’am, if I put that in evidence, everyone will know about it. My secretary, bless her heart, loves to talk,” Granger said. “Plus, if anyone from Charleston PD comes to visit, they’ll be nosy. It’s best to keep it out of the station. You can trust Reverend Winston. Shoot, the man just led a group of senior women in a sword battle to help Harper’s sister-in-law. Hiding something to do with a Shadows Landing pirate? That will be his honor.”

  Darcy looked at everyone and they were all nodding, including Harper. “I’d trust Rev more than Kord.”

  “But who do you call in the middle of the night when you hear something outside?” Kord smirked.

  “One time! Geez, let it go.” Harper rolled her eyes. “And let’s not forget you screamed, and we had to call Gator to remove Bubba from my backyard.”

  Darcy laughed, especially after meeting Gator and hearing about Bubba. “Okay, fine. I guess this is six degrees of trust or something.”

  “Don’t look now, but Charleston is on their way,” Granger said with a sigh. “Kord, you stay here and liaise. Trent, can you and Harper take me back?”

  “You bet,” Trent said before helping Harper onto her boat.

  Granger turned and faced Darcy, and she saw someone who was stubborn and luckily, it appeared that stubbornness was on her side tonight. “Get it for me. Hurry.”

  He said it completely calmly, but because Granger was so calm Darcy knew her time was ab
out up. “Here,” she said as she turned over her future to him. “Be very gentle with it.”

  “We’ll meet you at the church tonight!” Harper called from the boat as Granger stepped on and shoved off from Wade’s boat.

  As soon as they were clear, Trent shot off. He was leaving no chance for the Charleston PD to talk to them.

  “You expecting someone else?” Kord asked as he squinted. “I’ve never seen hair not move before on a boat going that fast. Nor a woman dressed quite like that to take a boat out.”

  “That must be Olivia Townsend. She’s my lawyer.”

  Kord let out a whistle. “Is she single?”

  “I don’t know. I never asked.” Kord had a way of making her forget what a tense situation she was really in and she appreciated that.

  * * *

  Wade and Kord got to work securing the police boat and the expensive speedboat Olivia was driving.

  “Ma’am, I am at your service to assist you in any way,” Kord said, shooting a full dazzling smile to Olivia as he put his hands around her waist and easily lifted her up and over the water and onto Wade’s boat.

  Darcy stared in disbelief as her unflappable attorney blushed before brushing imaginary wrinkles from her tight pink pencil skirt. She was in full courtroom attire and Kord was right, her blonde updo didn’t have a hair out of place.

  “Thank you . . . deputy?”

  “Deputy Kord King,” Kord introduced himself.

  “Olivia Townsend. Miss Delmar’s attorney,” she said before her face transformed from kind to determined. “Detective. I see you brought company.”

  Darcy looked back to see Gerald Hemmings standing in his suit. Apparently, lawyers never took them off.

  “Want me to throw him overboard?” Kord asked quietly. Darcy heard Wade snicker next to her, and Olivia tossed him a dazzling smile.

  “What’s he doing here?” Detective Chambers asked as he stumbled onto the boat.

  * * *

  Wade stepped in, knowing this could be a delicate situation, and he wanted to make sure Shadows Landing stayed in this investigation.

  “I called them when we were attacked. Shadows Landing is closer than Charleston and I was hoping Deputy King would spot someone trying to flee north while you covered the south,” Wade explained. From the corner of his eye, he saw Olivia and Darcy with their heads together. He needed to give them time to discuss whatever they needed.

  “Sir, this is Deputy Kordell King of the Shadows Landing sheriff’s office,” Wade introduced as Kord put on his best professional face.

  “Detective Willie Chambers,” the detective grudgingly introduced.

  “Sir, it’s a pleasure to be working with you,” Kordell said in a humble tone Wade had never heard before. Kord was one of the nicest guys in the world, but modesty was not his usual approach.

  “Kordell King . . .” the man in the suit muttered as he climbed aboard. “Didn’t you play football?”

  “Yes, sir,” King said proudly.

  “You were one hell of a player. I’m Gerald Hemmings. I’m the DA handling Miss Delmar’s case.”

  Gerald shook hands with Kord and then turned to him. “Wade Faulkner, Coast Guard.”

  “That’s right. I read your report. What are you doing here?” Gerald asked.

  “I was wondering the same thing,” the detective said, pulling out his notepad as a second police boat drew closer.

  “I went diving with Miss Delmar. She was adamant that she had found something, and since I’m a master diver, I thought I would assist,” Wade said easily. It was mostly the truth. He maybe wouldn’t have assisted if he weren’t so fascinated by Darcy and her love of this treasure. Her passion for the history of the boat was something he not only respected but found very sexy.

  “And what did you find on your dive?” the detective asked as Darcy and Olivia joined him.

  “I found a rowboat,” Darcy said with a smile. “And it’s quite old. My guess is from the early 1700s.”

  “Is this what you told us you were looking for?” the DA asked.

  “Yes. It’s a part of colonial history,” Darcy answered with pride. “And I found it.”

  “Miss Townsend said something about explosives,” the detective said, bringing the interview back around to the criminal aspect.

  “Yes, sir,” Wade answered before telling them what happened. As he reported the incident, he watched the Charleston police divers gear up. “You can pretty much tell where they were set off by the dead fish on the water, but would you like me to show your men where the rowboat is located?” Wade offered after finishing his report.

  The detective looked up from his notes as if he didn’t realize others were around. “Yes, that would be good.” The detective turned to Kord. “Did you see anyone?”

  “No, sir. Did you?”

  Detective Chambers looked a little surprised at being asked, but then shook his head. “Nothing suspicious. We have all the boats we passed on camera, so we’ll look into them.”

  * * *

  Wade pulled up his wetsuit and borrowed some oxygen from the police divers. It took thirty minutes to show the divers the rowboat and also the area where the charges went off. Wade left the divers marking the river bottom with little flags as they took underwater photos of the destruction and the boat.

  As they collected what evidence they could, Wade made his way back to the boat. When he climbed back up, he found Kord regaling Gerald with football stories while Olivia worked feverishly on a laptop.

  “Are we all done here, detective?” Wade asked as he put the oxygen tank back on the police divers’ boat before jumping in the water and swimming back to his own boat a couple yards away.

  “I want to hear what the divers say first. Then you may go,” the detective told him as Darcy climbed aboard. The detective suddenly turned to her. “Where are you staying?”

  “Here,” Darcy said as Olivia looked up.

  “Why?” Olivia asked, although her tone indicated it wasn’t a question the detective could ignore.

  “Just in case we need to get in touch with her.”

  “You call me, and I’ll get in touch with her. Understand?” She smiled sweetly when it was anything but.

  The detective held up his hands. “We’re on the same team.”

  “We’ll see. First, you need to do your job and find out who is trying to kill my client. For her safety, her whereabouts or any contact information will not be put into any report. Solely my phone number.”

  Darcy stepped closer to Wade as the detective agreed. Wade would make sure she was safe. He wouldn’t leave her side until whoever did this was caught.

  “Detective!” A diver had surfaced and swam toward them. “We saw the boat. Looks old like you told us. We’re about done here. Looks like dynamite was set off for sure. Not much is left. Found some bits and pieces, but I don’t know how much we’ll be able to give you.”

  “It only takes one piece of evidence,” the detective tried to say with hope. He turned to them then with his lips thinned as if he were deep in thought. “You all can go now. I’ll call if I need anything more. I take it you’ll be making a claim tomorrow in court?”

  “Yes, she will be. I have already emailed you a copy,” Olivia said, shutting her laptop. “My client will be signing this as soon as she gets on dry land, and we will be at the courthouse the second the doors open to make the claim. Also, my client wants her diving equipment, including a professional metal detector, clothes, and purse, back.”

  “I’ll meet you there in the morning. I can’t get the clothes yet, but the metal detector and purse I can release. I want to keep an eye on who else is there when you make that claim,” the detective told them as he made his way back to the police boat.

  “You can make the claim, Miss Delmar, but you know the state will take it over, don’t you?” Gerald asked before climbing on the police boat with Chambers.

  “Yes, but I still get my name attached to the find and a small percen
tage of the find.”

  Gerald’s forehead wrinkled in thought, but then he just nodded once and got on the boat. “An officer will be staying the night.”

  “I will be here for a little while myself,” Kord called out and then winked at Olivia. “It’s romantic in the moonlight, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, the floating dead fish really set the mood,” Olivia said sweetly back as Kord lifted her again and easily set her down gently on her boat. He gave her another smile and laughed.

  “You’re good.”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  “Such a player,” Olivia said as she started up her boat.

  “And a good one!” Kord called out.

  “Darcy, I’ll meet you at my office at eight. Goodnight!” Olivia gave a wave and shot off.

  Wade just shook his head at his friend. “Coming on strong, aren’t you?”

  “It was the skirt and the laptop. Beauty and brains, my weakness.” Kord sighed, getting back onto the Shadows Landing police boat. “I’ll stay here until Charleston has everything in order. Hopefully, I can catch up with you at the church.”

  Darcy waved to Kord before they both climbed to the bridge. Wade maneuvered the boat away from the divers and other boats before opening it up. It was time to see what stories the dead told.

  12

  Darcy didn’t talk on the way back to Shadows Landing. Instead, she twisted her hands and bit her lip. “Your find is safe. I trust everyone in Shadows Landing. They won’t turn on you. They’ll help you. This town is a little pirate-crazy after all.”

  “What if it’s nothing?” Darcy finally asked. Wade reached out a hand and took hers in it while he steered with the other.

  “Then we’ll look some more. You still have all of the Shadows Landing historical books to look through.” Wade squeezed her hand before letting go and maneuvering into the marina.