Passionate Choice

Chapter 5.2

   "Ben, when you went diving two years ago with Professor Langdon, was it then he Four the artefacts that have been identified as having belonged to the Santiago?" Selena asked.

   He gave her a puzzled glance and ruffled his hair.

   "No, no," he said with a touch of impatience. "You should remember because I told you Louis found the treas— I mean those valuables when he was diving alone last year. It was after he had been to Spain to have identified that he came to me at the university and suggested that the site be registered and explored for the remains of the galleon, and we made application to the government of the islands for permission to explore and to tar any artefacts back to Ben to be examined."

   "Then when you were here you didn't explore the crevasse or the rest of the reef?"

   "Yes, as a matter of fact we did dive near that particular reef," he replied with a little laugh. "Nothing there, except fish. Why all the questions?"

   "I..." She took another sip of her drink quickly, wondering how she was going to bring up the matter of the wreck lying under the outgrowth of coral on the other side of the reef from the crevasse. "Did you look through Louis's notes this afternoon?" she asked quickly, changing her mind about what she had intended to say.

   "Yes, I did." He shook his head slowly from side to side. "I hadn't missed anything. I didn't think I had."

   "I didn't think we had either," she admitted. "But I just wondered whether you'd come across any reference to..."

   "Excuse me," interrupted a voice with a drawling accent muck like Keith's, "but haven't I met you before?"

   Selena swing round on her stool. What she had hoped wouldn't happen had happened. The man with the beard was standing beside her, looking at her with merry brown eyes, and looking into those eyes she recognized him at once. He was Bill Davis, a friend of Keith's who worked as a charter captain, skippering a forty-two foot ketch out of a charter fleet based in St. Thomas.

   "I...I don't think so," she said weakly, aware that Heather had come from behind the bar and perched on a stool beside Ben and was listening.

   "Well, if I haven't, I beg your pardon," he said pleasantly. "But you're the spitting image of a woman I met a few years ago. She was English, too, but I can't remember her name offhand. She was on a yacht that was cruising around the islands."

   "I suppose I'm just a typical English type," said Selena with a light laugh. "There are probably replicas of me all over the world." She half turned away from him to sip some more of her drink. She was beginning to shake again and was relieved when one of the charter party called to Bill Davis to ask if she could go back to the yacht to get something.

   "Well, sorry I've bothered you," he said. "The name is Bill Davis, by the way. Does that ring any bells with you?"

   "No, I'm afraid not." Selena didn't turn to him again although she guessed he thought she was rude for not telling him her name.

   "Her name is Selena. Selena Mason. Does far ring any bells with you, Bill?" asked Heather brightly and Selena stiffened all over.

   "Bill," called a whining female voice. "Come on. Come with me to the yacht. You know I can't get aboard without help."

   "'Scuse me, right now," said Bill. "I'll see you again. You're staying here, Selena?"

   "Yes, she's staying here," said Heather and he went off through one of the doors with a small dark woman who had the whining voice.