085 Sea of Suspicion Read online

  "Talia told us about her brother Jaime being killed," Nancy said.

  Sean sighed. "We all took it pretty hard." He stared out to sea, then slowly swiveled and leveled his gaze at Nancy. "I hate to ask you this—I mean, we've only just met—but I'd be grateful if you could help me figure out what's going on."

  "Well, we're supposed to be on vacation," Nancy said hesitantly. "But I guess we could do a little sleuthing, too," she added.

  "All right!" George exclaimed, flashing Nancy a grateful smile.

  * * *

  A short time later Nancy, George, and Bess were standing in Sean's cabin under the ship's bow.

  "This is where I keep the gold ingot from the Ninfa Marina," Sean said. He opened a cabinet next to his bunk. "We found it all by itself near the end of a reef. It must have drifted from the wreck site because we didn't find anything else in the immediate area."

  Inside the cabinet was a metal safe. Sean twirled the dial until they heard a click. Then he opened the door and pulled out a shiny gold bar.

  Bess was obviously impressed. "How much is a gold bar like that worth?" she asked.

  "About ten thousand dollars on today's market," Sean replied.

  Nancy turned the gold bar over in her hand. "Were you planning to sell it?" she asked.

  Sean shook his head. "It's more valuable to me as a fund-raising tool. When investors see this hunk of gold, they're much more likely to invest in my company, Atlantic Deep Ocean Technology," he explained.

  "How many investors do you have?" Nancy said.

  "Eight major ones," Sean replied. "So far I've raised enough money to be able to hunt for treasure for another six months or so."

  Nancy handed the ingot back to Sean. "Who else knows about this ingot?" she asked.

  "Everyone on my crew—and just about everyone in Key West, too," Sean said. "I'm afraid we treasure hunters have a tendency to brag when we stumble across a find," he added sheepishly.

  "Maybe the person who set the fire wanted to steal the gold bar," George suggested.

  Nancy shook her head. "It's more likely that they'd want to stop Sean from finding the rest of the treasure," she said.

  "What do you plan to do first?" Bess asked a few minutes later when the girls were back on deck.

  Nancy pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "I want to question the crew—especially Rusty," she said. "I got the impression he wasn't telling everything he knew about the engine fire."

  Nancy left George and Bess leaning on the rail, staring out to sea, and headed for the galley. She found the cook stirring a pot on the stove. When he saw her he smiled and asked, "Want some pie?"

  "No, thanks," Nancy replied. "Actually I wanted to ask you some more questions about the fire today."

  Rusty glanced shrewdly at Nancy. "Why are you so interested in that fire?" he asked.

  "Just curious," Nancy said simply. "Did you notice anyone near the engine before the fire broke out?" she asked.

  Rusty plopped a lid onto the pot he'd been stirring. "No, I didn't. I wasn't even on deck at the time. Like I said, I smelled smoke, ran up and saw it, then I went for the extinguisher," he said flatly. "You seem like a nice young lady, Miss Drew—so let me give you a piece of advice. Don't go sticking your neck out for Sean. It isn't worth it. Look at me," he complained. "I worked hard for him for three years, and what reward did I get? A cook's job in a stuffy galley."

  The shrill blast of a ship's horn cut through the air. "I hope that's the Coast Guard," Rusty muttered.

  Nancy ran up on deck. Everyone was clustered together on the stern, watching a black-hulled boat approach.

  Sean was glaring. "That's Dorning's Sea Scorpion/' he said to Nancy. "It figures that he'd show up when we're stuck like this."

  Nancy could see a tall, broad-shouldered man with wavy blond hair at the helm of the Sea Scorpion. He had to be Leif Doming, she realized. A couple of burly crew members were standing on the bow.

  Doming threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Bad luck, Sean," he called out with mock sympathy. "I'm afraid I don't have time to give you a tow. I'm hot on the trail of the Ninfa Marina."

  "You're lucky I didn't report that incident with the equipment line last week, Doming," Sean yelled. "You'd better keep your distance from now on."

  "At the rate you're going, I won't need to keep my distance," Doming taunted. "Anyway, you can consider last week a payback. See you later." With a wave, Doming pushed the Scorpion's throttle forward and roared off.

  Sean shook his head. "Dorning's what we call a blow-and-go treasure hunter," he said to Nancy. "He and his crew destroy the natural seabed environment at the sites they excavate."

  "He sounds like a real jerk," George fumed.

  "What did Doming mean by 'payback'?" Nancy asked.

  "Beats me," Sean said, shrugging.

  On the horizon Nancy spotted another ship approaching at high speed.

  Zach peered at the boat through a pair of binoculars. "That's the Coast Guard," he said, dropping the glasses. "I'll go signal them."

  "Wait, Zach," Sean said. He faced the tall man and Talia. "I want you to know that Nancy's going to help me investigate everything that's been going on here," he told them.

  Nancy bit her lip and hoped her frustration didn't show. She hadn't wanted Sean to make her investigation general knowledge. She'd have to tell him not to blow her cover to anyone else.

  Talia seemed surprised by Sean's announcement. "I'm a detective/' Nancy explained, trying to sound casual. "I just need to ask all of you a few questions."

  Zach wheeled around to face Nancy just then —his long, thin face strangely agitated. "Sean's afraid to tell you the real reason for our bad luck," Zach said, his pale gray eyes blazing. "He won't tell you why Talia's brother was killed."

  Nancy stared at the first mate, open-mouthed.

  "Tell her, Sean. Tell Nancy about the curse of the Ninfa Marina!"

  Chapter Three

  "Cut it out, Zach!" Talia cried, the yellow flecks in her hazel eyes glittering gold. "I won't listen to you blame my brother's death on some old sailor superstition."

  "Calm down, you two," Sean intervened. "Zach, I think you owe Talia an apology."

  Zach bristled for a moment. Then he blinked. "Sorry if I upset you, Talia," he mumbled at last.

  "No harm done—I guess," Talia said. She headed down the side deck toward the bow. "Come on, Sean," she said, "Let's get the lines ready for the Coast Guard."

  As soon as Sean and Talia disappeared, Zach spoke. "I didn't mean to upset Talia by mentioning the curse," Zach said. "She's a scientist, so she can't allow herself to believe in that kind of thing."

  Bess's blue eyes widened. "What kind of curse are you talking about?"

  "A lot of folks around here say that anyone who searches for the wreck of the Ninfa Marina is doomed to die a horrible death," Zach said quietly.

  "Do you believe the Ninfa Marina is cursed, Zach?" Nancy couldn't keep the skepticism out of her voice.

  "Ever since we found that gold ingot, things have been happening to us—bad things," he said grimly. "Maybe there is a curse."

  "But Talia's brother was killed before you found the ingot," Nancy pointed out.

  "That's true, but Jaime was killed on the very first dive we made to find that ship," Zach replied.

  "How was he killed?" George asked.

  Zach's face darkened. "I was alone on the Lady Jane that day. The rest of the crew had gone down to check out a formation. Jaime never came back up." Zach studied his feet. "Bad oxygen mix, the autopsy said. But the stuff in the other divers' tanks seemed all right."

  "So Jaime's death was the first of the strange incidents you blame on the curse," Nancy said thoughtfully.

  "That's right," Zach said.

  "By the way, Zach—where were you when the flames broke out today?" Nancy asked.

  The mate's face registered surprise at Nancy's question. "I was in the pilothouse," he explained. "When I heard Rusty shouting about
a fire, I ran out and joined him."

  Their conversation was interrupted as the coast guard cutter pulled alongside the Lady Jane. Zach went foward to help Sean and Talia attach a towline from the other vessel.

  During the long ride back to port, Nancy, George, and Bess sat on deck chairs and watched the crew check out the engine. Sean seemed very subdued as he worked silently beside Zach and Talia.

  "I think that fire really hit him hard," George observed. Bess leaned over and whispered something in George's ear. "That's a good idea," Nancy heard George say. Then George rose from her chair and walked toward the hatch that led down into the ship.

  "Where's George going?" Nancy asked Bess.

  "You'll see," Bess said with a grin.

  While George was gone, Zach and Talia went forward to gather more equipment.

  When George reappeared on deck, she was holding a plate with a slice of pie on it. "Here, Sean," she said, and held out the plate to him. "Bess was sure that a piece of pie would lift your spirits."

  "Thanks, George—thanks to all of you guys." Sean smiled at Nancy and Bess. He wiped his hands off with a rag and took the pie. "Meeting you has lifted my spirits," he said softly to George. "Would you like to go swimming tomorrow?" he asked. "I know a great little beach."

  Nancy thought she spied a slight blush creep up George's face. "Sure," her friend replied.

  "Okay, you two." Nancy rose from her chair and walked toward them. "Back to business. Sean, what did Zach find out when he checked the fire alarm? Why didn't it go off?"

  Sean shook his head. "We can't figure it out," he said. "There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it. Just another mysterious malfunction. I'm almost beginning to believe in the curse," he joked weakly.

  "Why does Zach believe the wreck is cursed?" Nancy asked.

  "Folks around the Keys love to swap stories about sunken ships, especially treasure galleons," Sean explained. "I'm sure someone said the Ninfa Marina was cursed as a joke and someone else took it seriously. That's how these legends and superstitions get started."

  "Well, at least we know that the engine fire wasn't caused by any curse," Nancy said, lowering her voice. "Sean, I think we should keep my role in the investigation under wraps for the moment."

  Sean thumped his forehead with the heel of his palm. "And I just blew it by telling the crew, didn't I?"

  Nancy shrugged. "It's okay. Let's just concentrate on my keeping a low profile from now on."

  "I still can't believe that any of my crew would be involved in this," Sean said sadly.

  "It's possible that no one on your ship is involved," Nancy replied. "I just have to rule out the possibility before we look other places for suspects."

  As soon as they arrived back at the marina, Sean and Zach started the actual work on the Lady Jane's engine. "We're going to need a new pressure gauge," Sean said. "I'll head over to Hank's and pick one up." Nancy saw him glance at George.

  "Would you like some company?" George asked with a smile.

  "I was hoping you'd offer." Sean grinned, including Nancy and Bess in the warmth of his smile. "Why don't you tag along, too? I can show you around the marina."

  "Sure thing," Nancy agreed.

  Hank's Place was an old clapboard diving and engine shop at the edge of the marina. The shop had seen better days. Pieces of equipment, new and old, were piled everywhere.

  A stocky, red-haired man was tinkering with an engine in the front yard of the shop.

  "Hey, Hank,' 5 Sean called out. "Nancy, George, and Bess—this is Hank Morley. He owns this place."

  "Having more engine trouble, are you?" Hank asked, rising and dusting off the knees of his well-worn overalls. "You know where everything is, Sean. Help yourself."

  As Sean nodded and went inside the shop, Hank stared after him. "Seems like Sean's in here every other day finding something to help fix the Lady Jane, " Hank said. "I guess that's the price of treasure fever."

  "Treasure fever?" Bess repeated. "What do you mean?"

  Hank wiped some engine grease off his hands onto a filthy rag. "That's what treasure hunters get when they're after a mother lode like the Ninfa Marina," he said. "It eats away at them. They spend every moment thinking about their ship—and the treasure."

  "You sound like someone who knows," George commented, smiling.

  Hank nodded. "I used to be a treasure hunter and managed to find just enough gold to buy this shop. Now I only dabble on the weekends. No more treasure fever for me."

  Sean came out of the shop with the new gauge. "Put it on my tab, Hank," he called to the shopkeeper.

  The sun was beginning to hang low on the horizon. "Has anyone thought about dinner?" Bess asked. "I'm famished."

  "It is getting late," Nancy replied. "We should probably head back to the inn."

  "I'll come by and pick you up tomorrow morning," Sean said to George.

  After he left, Nancy, Bess, and George made their way back to their car.

  George's face glowed in the red light of the sunset. "I can't believe it, guys," she confided to Nancy and Bess. "I know I just met Sean, but I really like him. Is it possible to go for a guy after only one day?"

  "Sure—it happens to me all the time." Bess grinned.

  "I can see why you like him, George," Nancy said. "He's very cute."

  "And charming—in an older-guy kind of way," Bess chimed in.

  George tied a sweater around her shoulders before climbing into the convertible. "Flirting's not usually my style, but it can be fun!" she said as they drove off.

  Early the next morning Sean knocked on the door of the girls' room.

  "Hi, Nancy," he said when she opened the door. "Is George ready to go?"

  "You bet!" George said from where she was standing behind Nancy.

  "I was going to have Rusty pack us some pastries for breakfast at the beach, but I couldn't find him anywhere," Sean said to George. "We'll have to grab something on the way."

  "We'll meet you back at the ship after your swim," Nancy said to Sean. "Say about noon?"

  "Great!" he replied. "We can ask Rusty to whip up some sandwiches for lunch."

  After Sean and George left, Nancy and Bess headed downstairs for breakfast. As they passed through the inn's lobby, Bess was drawn to a brightly colored brochure that advertised a treasure ship museum.

  "Look, Nancy!" Bess cried, holding up the glossy pamphlet. "This says they've got heaps of emeralds on display at the museum. Emeralds are my absolute favorites!"

  Nancy grinned at Bess's enthusiasm. "I wouldn't mind seeing the museum myself," she said, flipping through the brochure. "Maybe we'll pick up some information about treasure hunting that will help on the case."

  "Look at those diamonds!" Bess squealed, pointing to a sparkling tiara in the museum. "Imagine being the queen who wore these jewels," she said dreamily.

  As Nancy stepped forward to improve her view, she was rudely jostled by someone.

  "Hey!" she exclaimed, and turned to see a man with a brown beard disappear into the crowd.

  "What happened?" Bess asked.

  "Oh, nothing," Nancy replied. "Someone just bumped into me and didn't even apologize."

  "Some people can be so rude," Bess said.

  "Let's forget it," Nancy said, examining another display case. "Get this—the ship's treasure is worth more than four hundred million dollars," she said, reading from a plaque.

  "That kind of money is enough to give anyone treasure fever," Bess commented.

  Bess was right, Nancy realized. Their quick tour had given Nancy a better understanding of the prize that motivated treasure hunters like Sean and his rival, Leif Doming.

  Nancy and Bess left the museum to head back to the King Point Marina to investigate a little before Sean and George got back.

  As she was driving, Nancy checked the rear-view mirror several times.

  "What do you keep looking at, Nancy?" Bess asked curiously.

  Nancy squinted to get a better look in the mirror.
"I'm sure I saw the man driving the car behind us at the museum," she said. "He was the one who bumped into me."

  Bess craned her neck to peer over her shoulder. "No wonder you remember him," she said. "He's creepy looking."

  "He's followed us the whole way," Nancy said.

  "Why would he do that?" Bess asked.

  "I'm not sure," Nancy replied, "but I'm going to try something. Hang on, Bess."

  After checking to make sure there were no pedestrians or bicyclists, Nancy made a sudden right turn into a small alley. She heard the brakes of the car behind them squeal as the bearded man obviously tried unsuccessfully to follow them. Nancy cautiously maneuvered the convertible through a maze of small streets until she was sure she had lost the bearded man.

  Bess's knuckles were white from clutching the dashboard. "Wow!" she said. "I guess he was following us. Do you think we lost him?" she asked.

  "I think we gave him the slip," Nancy replied. "I wonder who he is." She frowned. "Maybe Sean knows."

  Nancy and Bess were surprised to spot George and Sean on the dock next to the Lady Jane. The couple appeared to be having an intense discussion.

  "Looks like things are heating up romantically between George and Sean," Bess observed.

  "I don't know," Nancy said, puzzled. "I wonder why they're back early."

  Sean raised his head as Nancy and Bess approached. "Fve had some bad news," he said. "Rusty Jones has disappeared—and so has my gold ingot!"

  Chapter Four

  "Your gold ingot has been stolen!" Nancy gasped. "How? When?"

  "I guess someone broke into the ship last night and jimmied open the safe," Sean said angrily. "George and I found out about it when we stopped by here on the way to the beach."

  "You said Rusty is missing—so you think he stole the ingot," Nancy said.

  Sean nodded vehemently. "When George and I arrived this morning, I found out that Rusty hadn't shown up today. Zach and I went by his house to look for him. The door wasn't locked, so we went in and discovered that Rusty's clothes and suitcases were missing."