Page 31 of The Sunken Truth (Lily Larkin Mysteries #5)

Chapter Thirty-One

Perched on the wall at the front of the station, Flynn replayed his conversation with Kurt.

If he was telling the truth about finding the cigar case further out from the wreck, that would mean he was no longer a suspect.

And if it was true that he’d seen Harry swimming in Ryan’s direction, then Harry should be his prime suspect. But that still didn’t ring true.

Kurt had been lying to him all along. If he’d been lying before, maybe he still was. His instincts told him he needed to speak to Benji.

Setting off in the direction of the dive school, he hoped he’d be able to track him down without too much difficulty. He was striding along Garrison Lane when he decided he could do with some backup.

Lily answered the phone after only a couple of rings. “How did it go with Kurt?” she asked.

“Not great. He stuck to his story that he found the artefact but didn’t cut the air hose. He claims he kept quiet because of the sabotaged equipment. Apparently he was worried about someone coming after him too. ”

“Did you believe him?”

“No. But until I have proof, that means nothing. I put him in a cell and the sergeant’s given me two hours before we’ll need to release him.”

“That’s as long as you can keep him for?”

“Legally, we could keep him longer, but logistically things are different over here. We don’t have the same facilities and staff as we would on the mainland.”

“I see.”

“Plus, the superintendent is leaving tomorrow, so this is my last chance to show him I’m capable of my job.”

“You’re great at your job,” she said, her words tinged with irritation.

“Anyway, I’m on my way to track down Benji and see what he has to say.”

“He knew about Kurt finding the cigar box?”

“It seems like it. I want to check if his story matches Kurt’s.”

“Good idea.”

“Can you come with me?”

“You don’t need me to hold your hand.”

“I realise that. What I need is for you to do your investigative thing and figure out who cut Ryan’s air hose.”

“You’re perfectly capable of figuring it out yourself.”

“I’m running around in circles,” he told her.

“I always feel like that too, but if you’re finding new information, it means you’re getting closer to the truth.”

Flynn shook his head impatiently. “I’m going to see if Ryan knows where I can find Benji. Once I know where he lives, I’ll message you and meet you there.”

“I’m working,” she said. “And you can do this alone. Stop doubting yourself.”

“Don’t do that,” he said .

“What?”

“Leave me to figure it out alone because you think I need the confidence boost. I don’t. All I need is to get to the bottom of this and my best shot at that is you.”

“That’s not true.”

“I know I’m good at my job,” he said. “But detective work isn’t actually my job. You’re good at it. Help me out so I have a shot at earning the superintendent’s respect.”

“I won’t be getting any credit then?” she joked.

“Absolutely not.” A smile pulled at his lips. “Please don’t make me beg.”

“Fine. I’ll tell Jessica I’m nipping out for an hour. But only an hour.”

“That’s fine. I have every confidence you can figure it out in an hour.”

“ We can,” she said pointedly. “I’ll head for Ryan’s place. Let me know if I should meet you elsewhere.”

At the side of the dive shop, the door to the garage stood open and Flynn wandered in, letting his eyes trail over the collection of oxygen tanks and storage boxes neatly labelled with the relevant diving equipment.

A rack of wetsuits hung on one side of the room, and shelves held more assorted items.

“Looking for something in particular?” a gruff voice asked.

“Hi,” Flynn said, turning to Ryan. “I wanted to speak to Benji. Do you know where I might find him?”

“He’s doing a few jobs on the boat, but he should be here soon. Did you figure out why Kurt was in such a rush to leave the island?”

“It seems his mum is ill and he wants to fly home to be with her.”

“She’s been ill for a while,” Ryan said. “Why go now? ”

“He handed an artefact over to Eustace Tremayne and was using the reward money for a flight to Australia.”

Tipping his head back, Ryan pushed a hand through his hair. “So it was him who cut my air hose? He tried to kill me for the sake of some quick cash?”

Flynn shook his head. “He claims he found the artefact himself and was nowhere near you at the time.”

“What did he find?” Ryan demanded.

“A cigar box.”

A frown wrinkled his brow. “It could definitely have been a cigar box that I found. And if he didn’t cut my hose, why did he keep quiet about his find?”

“Apparently he was nervous of sabotage after someone cut your hose.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Ryan grumbled. “He was with Benji. There’s no way Benji would have kept quiet about finding something. And I can’t see how he wouldn’t have noticed his dive partner making a find like that.”

“That’s why I’d like to speak to Benji.”

Ryan tipped his head to the side door. “Come in. I’ll message Benji and tell him to get back here.”

Torn, Flynn cast a glance outside, wondering if it’d be quicker to catch Benji at the boat, before deciding that he didn’t want to risk missing him if he was already on his way.

He checked his watch and felt a pang of despair that time wasn’t on his side.