Tidewater Inn

  Brent’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I know that’s true.” He clutched the Bible to his chest. “Thank you, Libby. I’ll never forget this.”

  The sun was just coming up, casting a glorious display over the water. Alec sat on the porch railing and inhaled the scent of the sea. The door opened behind him, and he turned to see Libby stepping out dressed in hot-pink sweats with her hair up in a ponytail.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked. “It’s only six.”

  She shook her head. “It seems incredible that we found Nicole. Thank you for all you did for us.”

  “I’m glad it turned out so well.” He averted his gaze. She was way too pretty this morning. Her eyes shone with excitement. “What’s on the agenda for the day?”

  “I’m going to go out to the lighthouse ruins with Nicole if she feels up to it. I’m hoping being out there will jog her memory in some way.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  She smiled and nodded. “We won’t be gone long. I want to show her what I’ve gotten done on the lifesaving station too. We have a business to run, and it’s been neglected for almost two weeks.”

  She would be leaving soon. He saw it in her expression. “Have you decided what you’re going to do about the inn?”

  She settled beside him on the rail. “Not yet. I don’t want to sell it, but I don’t see that I have a choice.”

  He wanted to protest again, but it wasn’t his call. “Uh, could I take you to dinner tonight at Kill Devil Hills? We could take the boat and go to Port O’ Call. They’ve got great crab legs and she-crab soup.”

  Her smile came immediately. “I’d like that.”

  The door opened again. Vanessa and Pearl joined them. “I thought we were the only ones up early,” Vanessa said.

  “You got in late last night. I heard your door after I’d gone to bed for the second time,” Libby said. “I wanted to talk to you, but I was too sleepy to get up again.”

  “Oh?” Vanessa sat on the top step. Pearl pulled a rocker closer.

  Libby leaned against the post. “I wanted to ask you about Tina’s meeting with Lawrence Rooney. Did she ever tell our dad what he wanted?”

  “You knew about that meeting?” Pearl asked Vanessa. Her voice was high and strained.

  Vanessa nodded. “We were there with Mom and Mr. Rooney.”

  “His first name is Lawrence,” Libby said.

  Vanessa gasped and straightened. “They talked outside for a minute, and I heard her tell him to leave her alone. I thought it was because he was pestering her about selling the inn. But do you think . . . ?”

  Pearl sighed. “He was engaged to Tina when Ray first met her,” she said.

  Vanessa gasped. “Mom was engaged to another man?”

  Pearl nodded. “It was quite the scandal for a while. Tina came to town for a two-week visit with her grandmother and met Ray. It was love at first sight for them both. She broke off her engagement to Lawrence and was married to Ray three months later.”

  “I imagine Rooney didn’t take that very well,” Libby said.

  “I think Tina was actually a little afraid of him. He threatened to ruin Ray.”

  Libby leaned forward. “He wrote that note I found in your closet!”

  “Who can say for sure, Libby? But yes. It was likely his doing. He’s always been powerful, even back then. His family owns a lot of properties. Ray tried to meet with him about Tina, but Lawrence refused. Over the years he’s been a thorn in Ray’s side on occasion. He’s wanted the Tidewater Inn for all this time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought he could get Tina back too, at some point along the way. He was an annoyance, of course. But I never thought he would harm your mother.”

  “I bet he wrote those notes we found in Tina’s jewelry box,” Libby said to her sister.

  Alec shifted on his perch. “Tom needs to know about this. I bet he’s going to want to talk to Nicole about Rooney. I’ll run into town and talk to him. I’ll meet you out at the ruins later, Libby.”

  Libby flopped on the sand beside her friend and drew in a deep breath. The long run to the lighthouse had tuckered her out. She turned her head and smiled at Nicole. Her heart overflowed with thankfulness. Nicole was alive! What a wonderful miracle and blessing from God. Nicole had begun to remember what happened to her too, but the men who kidnapped her weren’t familiar.

  She sat up and inhaled the clear air. “What happened here?”

  Nicole stood, dusting the sand from her palms. “I came here the morning before I was kidnapped. Vanessa was going to bring me to see the ruins, but I was too eager to wait on her. I figured I’d let her show me around like I hadn’t seen it. There’s more here than you know though.”

  “The cave?”

  Nicole nodded. “You know about it?”

  Libby pointed toward the cellar opening. “We found it after we saw the cellar.”

  “Then you know about the treasure?”

  “Treasure? All we found was poor Tina.”

  Nicole smiled. “Want to see? You’re going to be excited.”

  “You’re being very mysterious,” Libby said, following her friend. “Where is it?”

  “In the caves. Just outside the entrance to the cellar. You’re going to love this.”

  “You know about the cellar?” Libby asked.

  Nicole nodded. “I found a map in your dad’s Bible.”

  Libby followed Nicole back into the water. They waded through a shallow pool to the base of the rocks.

  “You have to dive here to see the opening,” Nicole said. She took off her shorts and top to reveal her bikini. “I was snorkeling here and just happened to find it. It’s not hard though. Follow me.” She held her breath and ducked under the water.

  Libby stripped to her one-piece suit and followed. The opening was barely big enough to wiggle through. Nicole disappeared through the hole and Libby went right behind her, determined not to let her friend out of sight. They surfaced in a cave about twenty feet in diameter. The ceiling was ten feet from the surface of the water. Several holes in the rocks illuminated the space, though Libby had to squint to see.

  “Bet it gets tight in here during high tide,” Libby said.

  Nicole nodded. “I wouldn’t want to be here then.” She swam to the other side and hefted herself onto a flat rock. “This way.”

  “I can’t believe you came in here.”

  “I had a flashlight with me that day,” Nicole said. “Wait until you see this though.” She rose and went to the curving wall. “Someone put everything we need right here.”

  Libby heard a rasp, then light flared from a match. Moments later a light was flickering. “What on earth?” She heaved herself out of the water and went to where Nicole stood. “Someone has put candles and matches in here?”

  “Look how old the candlesticks are,” Nicole said.

  Libby examined it. “It’s bronze. Looks late sixteen hundreds maybe.”

  “It goes with the other things I found. Follow me.”

  Nicole led her down a long narrow passageway. The sound of dripping became stronger. The floor was damp and slippery under Libby’s feet. At one juncture her inclination was to go right, but Nicole led her left.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The other room is this way. Almost there.”

  The candle cast flickering shadows onto the wall. Libby wanted to be back in the sunlight instead of this dark, dank place.

  Nicole dropped to her knees. “Now we have to crawl.”

  “How on earth did you find this?”

  “I dropped something right here. It rolled under this ledge and I found the opening.” Nicole and the light disappeared under the rocky ledge.

  Panicked at being left in the dark, Libby hurried after her and emerged into a larger cave. The candle did little to illuminate what felt like a vast space. A moment later another candle flared to life.

  “Look around,” Nicole said, smiling. She handed Libby another candle.

  This
candlestick was also old. Libby held it high and turned toward some objects on the wall to her right. Artifacts leaped out at her: a ship’s bell, candlesticks, tin plates and cups, several portholes and helm items. Several cannons were in a jumble. There were many objects she didn’t recognize.

  She stepped closer. “What is this room?”

  “I think it was a headquarters for Edward Teach.”

  “Blackbeard? Come on, Nicole.”

  “Look.” Nicole stepped to the jumble and held her candle close to the ship’s bell. The words Queen Anne’s Revenge were engraved on the brass.

  “Blackbeard’s pride and joy,” Libby said.

  “I found a ship’s log too. It says it’s Teach’s. But I don’t see it now. Funny—the stash is smaller than I remember. This stuff is probably worth a fortune to museums. There’s no gold or jewels but a wealth of information.”

  This rich history was more exciting to Libby than gold coins. “I bet the government will want to make this a protected area. Either a state park or a federal one.”

  “Probably. Archaeologists will have to confirm the artifacts’ authenticity, but it all looks real to me.”

  “But the ship sank offshore somewhere around here. Wouldn’t the bell have gone down with it?”

  Nicole turned. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought about that. Did someone find the wreck and bring these things up?”

  “Maybe. But this place might be more than a storage room. There are wooden bunks and old blankets. What’s left of them anyway.” Libby turned to stare at her friend. “It’s going to take some professionals to figure this out. Did anyone know you found this? Maybe finding this was why someone wanted to shut you up.”

  “I don’t think so. I only told Horace.”

  “I think we won’t tell the professionals,” a man said from behind them. “We won’t tell anyone.”

  Both women whirled. Horace stood with a gun held casually in his hand.

  “Horace?” Libby’s gaze went to the gun in his hand. “What’s this all about?”

  “I can’t let you ruin all my plans,” Horace said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want it to come to this, but you leave me no choice.”

  Libby saw the determination on his face. “Nicole, the lights!” she screamed as she snuffed hers out between her forefinger and thumb. At the same time she threw herself atop her friend, and Nicole’s light went out too. The cave was plunged into darkness. Then a bright light flashed from the gun.

  FORTY

  Alec told his cousin what he’d discovered about Lawrence Rooney. Tom called the state police in New York, and they agreed to pick up Rooney and question him about Tina’s death. Alec thanked Tom and returned to the inn. The visit had taken longer than he’d expected, so he thought the women would be back from their outing to the lighthouse ruins.

  He found Bree on the beach with Samson. “Is Libby back yet?”

  She shook her head. “I haven’t seen them. How long have they been gone?”

  “A couple of hours.”

  “I cried just watching their reunion,” Bree said. She rubbed Samson’s head. “Reminds me of when I found Davy after thinking for a year that he was dead.”

  Alec had heard the story. “I have to admit, I thought Nicole was dead. Libby never gave up hope though.”

  Bree’s smile held amusement. “It shows, you know.”

  “What shows?”

  “How you feel about Libby.”

  His face warmed. “She’s a friend.”

  Bree laughed. “She’s more than that and you know it.”

  “Maybe she could be. We’ll see where our relationship goes.”

  Kade and the children came to join them on the beach. Samson rushed to them and licked Hannah’s face. The little girl giggled and threw her arms around his neck. The older boy, Davy, ran ahead and splashed into the waves up to his knees. Alec’s gaze lingered on the children. He’d always wanted a houseful of kids. What did Libby think about children?

  He glanced at his watch. Where were they? Though they could just be lingering at the ruins, he felt a sense of unease. “I think I’ll walk toward the lighthouse and intercept them. Lunch will be ready soon, so I’m sure they must be heading this way.”

  Bree’s green eyes crinkled with amusement. “Have fun. I think I’ll take the kids to build a sand castle.” She put her arm around Kade’s waist. “I haven’t seen this big guy in days.”

  He hugged her back. “The twins have been asking for Mommy.”

  Alec went the other direction. The sand was soft, and he kicked off his sandals. When he still hadn’t seen the women after ten minutes, he began to quicken his pace. Some unexplainable anxiety gnawed at his belly.

  Someone had put Nicole on that island for a purpose. What if the women had stumbled into more danger? He broke into a run and was breathing heavily by the time he reached the ruins. There was no movement but the rustle of leaves in the maritime forest. The place was deserted, though he saw Libby’s and Nicole’s clothes on the beach.

  He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Libby, Nicole!” His voice rose above the murmur of the waves. He listened, but there was no answering shout.

  He walked to the water. The tide was going out, so their footprints were still intact in the sand. The footprints went into the water and didn’t come out. What had happened here? Did they swim out to board a boat? If so, why weren’t they back at the inn? And why did they leave their clothes? Not for the first time, he wished his cell phone would work on the island.

  “Libby!” he shouted again. Where could she be?

  He waded a few feet into the water. The waves were gentle today. He glanced at the rocks. The cave. Could the women have gone into it? Libby had said Nicole was an avid spelunker. Maybe she’d coaxed Libby into going in. It would explain the footprints leading back to the water. Could they have gotten trapped in there?

  He sloshed through the waves to the mouth of the cave. He peered in but saw nothing. He shouted for Libby. His voice echoed off the stone walls, but he heard nothing. He exited the cave and waded to shore. The cellar door was closed. He opened it and descended as far into the darkness as he could, then shouted again. Still no answer.

  Adrenaline gave Alec the energy he needed to make the run back to the inn. He was going to need Samson to help find the women.

  The sound of water dripping penetrated the woozy feeling in Libby’s head. She opened her eyes and blinked. A couple of candles flickered in the darkness. “Nicole?” she called out. Where was her friend?

  “I’m here,” a small voice said to her right.

  Libby turned her head and saw Nicole against the wall. Her hands were tied in front of her. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. How do you feel?”

  Libby’s wrists were bound together. She raised them and touched her throbbing head. Her fingers came away sticky. “I’m bleeding. I think I hit my head.”

  “He shot you. Horace shot you.” Nicole’s voice rose.

  Libby touched her head again and discovered a furrow. “The bullet just grazed me. I’m okay. The bleeding is stopping.”

  Clang. The noise across the room drew her attention, and she focused her bleary eyes as Horace used a sledgehammer on the wall.

  He paused to wipe his brow. “Sorry about this, girls. I didn’t want to hurt Nicole, and I really liked you, Libby. So I’m going to let the sea have you.”

  “I don’t understand,” she said, struggling to think through the roaring in her head.

  “When I get this hole through, the tide will fill this cave. All evidence will be drowned. And no one will ever discover this cave full of secrets.”

  “But why? What harm could it do to let the world know about these artifacts?”

  When he shrugged and began to pound again, she tried to think of what might happen if the world knew about this place. It would be an attraction to tourists. Knowing what she did about historical preservation, she was sure the government would take it over and run
it as well. The state would want to preserve it, likely as a park. How could that be worth murder?

  Kenneth Poe. She thought of what he’d said. This would be the spot of the new resort. But not if the state had the land. In fact, there would have to be access to the area. There would be no room for a huge resort complex on this side of the island. Poe’s investor would not be allowed to purchase it.

  Horace was an attorney. Had he been hired to help make sure the deal went through? Was he a partner with Lawrence Rooney? It made sense.

  She waited until he stopped pounding again. “You’re helping Poe? There’s no crime in helping to close a sale.”

  “You think that’s what he wants me to do?” Horace barked a laugh.

  Libby weighed this revelation. And then the truth clicked.

  “He knows you’re a diver. He’s paying you to get this stuff out of the cave before the state learns about it and steps in.”

  He stepped closer. “I don’t expect you to sympathize, but I’m nearly bankrupt. Everything was sliding out of my fingers. The money I can get for this loot will save me. I’ll be able to keep my boy at Harvard. I won’t lose my house in Saint Croix. If this deal goes south, I’m finished. I’ll have nothing left. I can’t let that happen.”

  “And an old ship’s bell is worth murdering two people?” Libby couldn’t wrap her head around that kind of thinking. “Then why even tell me about the inheritance? You could have destroyed that will and let Brent and Vanessa inherit. They were going to sell to Lawrence.”

  His eyes narrowed. “That was my intention.”

  Libby caught her breath. “But Mindy mentioned it to Nicole.”

  “Stupid woman can’t keep her mouth shut. I should have fired her long ago.”

  Libby struggled to get up and couldn’t. “You can always start over somewhere else. Life isn’t over just because your money is gone.”

  He seemed to be listening for a moment, then he shook his head. “It’s gone too far now. If you live, you’ll turn me in. I’ll go to prison. My boy will have to quit college. My wife will have no support. Her family is all gone and I’m all she has. I’m sorry, but it has to be this way.”