Page 29 of The Sunken Truth (Lily Larkin Mysteries #5)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Asking Pippa to borrow the boat again left Lily feeling slightly sheepish, but the friendly cafe owner seemed genuinely happy to loan it out.

Standing in the shallows with the boat swaying on the waves beside her, Lily kept an eye out for Flynn.

She didn’t have to wait long before she spotted him striding down the beach.

Stopping before the waterline, he removed his boots and socks.

“I tried calling Eustace,” he said, pushing the boat further out with her. “But he didn’t answer.”

“It must have been Kurt who gave him the artefact.” Lily held the boat steady while Flynn got in, then seated herself at the helm.

“I’d like to hear that from Eustace before I speak with Kurt.” He looked towards Hugh Town. “The ferry leaves in an hour and a half, so hopefully it doesn’t take long to squeeze the information out of Eustace.”

Lily started the engine and kept a gentle pace until they were in deeper waters.

While they skipped over the waves, she had the idea of investing in a boat of her own.

Having the freedom to move around the islands on her own schedule would be good.

Or simply head out for a ride and visit more remote spots.

Having the wind in her hair and the sun on her face soothed her soul in some primitive way.

They tied up at the quay on Bryher, then set off walking north at a hearty pace.

“What are we going to do if he denies having the artefact?” Lily said when the house came into view.

Flynn frowned. “I don’t think he’ll deny it.”

“If he does, I’ll ask to use the bathroom and have a quick poke around to see if I can spot anything that looks as though it’s just been pulled off an ancient shipwreck.”

“No,” Flynn said. “You’re not doing that.”

“Why? It’s a good plan.”

“You can’t go snooping around his house.”

“What’s your plan, then?”

“I don’t have a plan because I can’t imagine he’ll deny it. Not when he’s already told Mr Hunter about it. The only obstacle I can foresee is him refusing to say who he got it from.”

“What are we going to do in that case?”

At the garden gate, Flynn paused and eyed her with amusement. “Probably just remind him of the laws against people selling salvaged items. And remind him that whoever gave him the box sabotaged dive equipment to get their hands on it.”

“Do you really think that’s going to get him to crack?”

“Maybe.” He strode to the door and pressed the bell, triggering its tuneful chime. “Some people actually respect the law.”

“Are you insinuating I don’t? ”

“No.” He grinned. “You just seem to live by your own laws.”

“We’ll play it by ear,” Lily said. “But if I go to the bathroom, make sure you keep him chatting so he doesn’t notice if I’m gone for too long.”

The door opened and Eustace raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “I had no intention of hiding it. I’ve already told the man from the museum about it and he’s coming to take a look later. If he insists on taking it away, I won’t stop him, even though I think it’s rightfully mine.”

“Hi,” Flynn said when he finally stopped talking. “Is it okay if we come in and have a look at it?”

“Yes, of course.” He turned and set off down the hall, indicating they should follow with a wave of his hand. “I’ll show you. The man from the museum told me not to touch it, but I couldn’t resist cleaning it up a bit.”

Lily glanced at Flynn as they followed Eustace into the kitchen.

“Here it is,” he said, indicating the kitchen island, which was covered in newspaper. On top of the paper sat a small, slightly battered, silver box.

“What are the letters?” Flynn asked, moving closer and trying to make out the markings on the lid.

“These are my grandfather’s initials.” Eustace moved beside Lily and the smell of wood smoke filled her nostrils. “WGT - William George Tremayne.”

For a moment, the room fell silent.

“Where did you get this?” Flynn asked.

“Someone brought it to me yesterday.”

“Who?”

“I promised I’d keep their name out of it.”

Lily couldn’t take her eyes off the box. “This proves the ship is the Fortune, ” she said, feeling oddly emotional that the ship they’d been diving around really was the one that sank more than a century ago.

“Yes.”

Flynn straightened his spine, his full height making his words carry more weight. “I need you to tell me who brought this to you. And what you gave them in return.”

“I gave him two thousand pounds. He seemed pleased with that.”

“Who did?” Flynn asked.

“I promised I wouldn’t say.”

“Whoever brought it to you endangered someone’s life to get their hands on it,” Flynn said. “I’m going to have to insist you give me a name.”

Lily rolled her eyes. As though insisting would work.

“Fine,” Eustace said. “If it’s a police matter, I suppose it would be wrong for me not to share the information. It was that Australian guy – Kurt. I don’t know his surname.”

“Thank you,” Flynn said, while Lily felt a buzz of pride at his approach to getting information.

Studying his profile, an unexpected flurry of butterflies quivered through her stomach. She also got a rush of triumph that they’d found out who’d sabotaged Ryan.

“Could I get you a drink?” Eustace asked.

“No, thank you,” Flynn said. “You realise that buying and selling archaeological artefacts is a crime.”

“I didn’t buy it from him,” Eustace said, eyes sparkling. “He brought it to me. And then in an entirely separate transaction, I gave him a gift of two thousand pounds.”

“And those two things were unrelated?” Flynn asked, with one eyebrow hitched.

“Absolutely.”

“If you say so,” Flynn said dryly. “We’ll leave you to it.”

At the door, he thanked him again for his cooperation .

“It was Kurt then,” Lily said excitedly while they walked along the lane at a good pace. “You figured it out. I hope the superintendent will be impressed.”

A muscle in Flynn’s jaw twitched. “I need to speak to Kurt. Hopefully he’ll admit to what he did. I still have no proof it was him who cut Ryan’s hose.”

Lily inhaled a lungful of salty air, pondering everything. “You’re right. And it still doesn’t fully add up. Benji said he had his eyes on Kurt when Ryan’s hose was cut.”

Flynn pulled out his phone. “I’m going to ask PC Hill to keep an eye out for Kurt at the harbour.”

After a brief conversation with his colleague, Flynn kept quiet as they walked hurriedly back to the quay. Worry lines were etched on his brow and his frown deepened when his phone rang just as they were getting onto the boat.

“Did you find him?” he asked, while Lily hesitated to start the motor, assuming he wouldn’t be able to hear over the noise of it.

He explained what they’d found, then pressed a finger to his temple as he listened to his colleague.

“I really need to speak to him,” Flynn said eventually.

“Can you take him back to the station? I’ll be there as soon as I can. ”

“What’s happening?” Lily asked when he ended the call.

“PC Hill found Kurt boarding the ferry. He admits finding the cigar box and taking it to Eustace but not to cutting the hose.”

“That’s what you thought would happen.”

“Yeah.” Flynn massaged the back of his neck. “He also says his mum is dying and that’s why he’s in such a rush to get back to Australia.”

Lily grimaced and started the engine.

“If I’ve got it wrong about him, I’m going to feel terrible about holding him up.”

It wasn’t only waylaying Kurt that would be an issue if Flynn had got things wrong. This was his last shot at impressing the superintendent. The thought of failing weighed heavily in his stomach as they made their way back to St Mary’s.

Glancing at Lily, he caught the small smile which lifted her lips.

Apparently, piloting a boat gave her a buzz.

The first time they were out on the boat together, he’d been eager to have a go at skippering it himself, but couldn’t bring himself to ask for a turn when Lily looked so content at the helm.

Watching her, his worries dissipated, and he drank in the curve of her lips and the light dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

Too soon, they were back at Porthcressa Beach. Reality rushed back in while they pulled the boat onto the sand.

“What if he denies everything?” Flynn asked, scraping a hand through his hair. “What if I mess up the interview with the superintendent watching?”

“You’ll be fine.” Lily’s hand on his forearm was more reassuring than any words. “You’re great at your job. Stop letting the superintendent get in your head.”

“I can’t help it. Also, I don’t think interviewing suspects is my greatest strength.”

“You did well with Eustace,” she said, as they walked up the beach. “It was impressive that you got him to tell you who gave him the box. There’s something about your tone that makes people feel they can’t keep things hidden.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t overthink it,” Lily said. “Just keep asking questions until you hit on the right one. And call me as soon as you get a chance. I’ll be dying to hear how it goes. ”

“I will.” He stopped on the promenade. “Thanks for all your help with this.”

“It’s been fun.”

He smiled and some of his tension left him. “It has been fun.” At least the time he’d spent with Lily had been.

She hesitated for a moment before giving him a brief hug and wishing him luck.