Passionate Choice

Chapter 7.8

   Selena's voice trailed off into silence as she realized, Heather had come back and was standing where she had stood earlier, behind the screen door to the patio. Behind Heather loomed another figure, short and wide-shouldered.

   "Hello, Heather," said Selena smoothly, rising to her feet. "You can have your chair back..."

   "Oh, don't worry about that. Heather slid back the screen door. Her square-jawed face was smiling and there seemed to be nothing false about the smile for once. She was really in a good humour, brimming over the With cheerfulness. "John has come at last, "Come on, John. Don't be shy. Come and be introduced. This is John Claes, Selena. Ben, you remember John, don't you, from when you were here two years ago diving with Louis."

   The short wide-shouldered man dressed casually in jeans and T-shirt came on to the balcony. He had black curly hair and his skin was very swarthy. A black moustache curved above his mouth and black hairs marred his forearms.

   "Pleased to meet you, Selena," he said quietly. "Nice to see you again,Professor Hunt," he added politely, going over to shake Ben's hand. "I hear you've had a little accident that's out paid to your diving for a while."

   "John just flew in from St. Thomas," said Heather turning to Selena. Now there was something triumphant in her smile. "Keith will be leaving on the same plane."

   "When?"

   "Right now," said John. "At least, as soon as the pilot is ready to take off."

   "Oh, it's great to have you here, John," said Heather gaily. "It hasn't been the same without you. Has Keith told you anything about the diving?"

   "He told me that he had found the box," said John calmly, leaning back against the railing of the balcony. "I should have known he would go exploring on his own. You can't keep a good diver like Keith on board a dive-ship when it's anchored at a good place to dive. I'm sorry, Heather. It's my fault he found it."

   "What is he going to do?" exclaimed Heather. All her gaiety has faded rapidly. Her face looked drawn and anxious.

   "Nothing. He's not going to say anything about it to anyone. I explained the situation to him, and he asked me to assure you he would keep nun because he realized he would risk damaging his own reputation as a diver as well as mine, and also the reputations of Professor Hunt and his assistant, as you had pointed out to him, if he did spill the beans to the government."

   "Thank God for that," said Heather weakly, and collapsed on to the chair Selena had vacated. "If you knew how worried I've been. I should have followed my instincts. I should have sent him packing as soon as he arrived. I guessed he spelled trouble with a big T. Why the hell did you send him, John?"

   "Because I knew you were desperate to have someone dive. And because I trusted him. He's one great guy, Heather, as he's proven by not betraying us. He's one of the best friends I've ever had and he hadn't let me down." He looked across at Selena who was hovering by the open screen door. "What we don't know us how far can we trust Miss Mason, now that she knows about the box."

   "Selena has said she will do nothing," said Ben. "We have just discussed the matter."

   "Oh, good," sighed Heather. "Thanks, Selena."

   "You're welcome," said Selena coolly. "But I think you should declare the treasure to the government, Heather. You'll feel much better if you do. And there could be things in there, important historical artefacts that should be cleaned and examined, dated and catalogued, and shown to the world. Since it is know. That Ben has been searching here for artefacts from the Santiago, it wouldn't seem strange if he brought some up, a few at a time..."

   "But the government would take half of the treasure," protested Heather. "And I want it all."

   "Selena has a good point, though, Heather," interposed Ben. "Some of the stuff in there, you could never sell without rousing suspicions. I think we should consider her suggestion seriously. I'm quite willing to do what she suggests, bring up some of the most historically significant pieces and report my finds to the government. I'd feel a lot easier in my conscience too. What do you think, John?"

   "Sound great to me." He looked across at Selena again and this time he smiled at her. "You're a pretty smart woman, Selena. That plane should be about ready to take off now."

   It took a second for his remark to register. Then she realized suddenly, he was conveying a message to her. Keith would be leaving soon, within seconds.

   "Excuse me," she muttered. "There's something I have to do."

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