Seriously dark and disloyal thinking. It roiled my stomach worse than bad milk in the Mess. Holding back a few items from the tellers paled by comparison. Was I totally off base?

There was an inner room in a high-rise across the Lagoon that the lads had cleared of debris to play a noisy game they called handball. My brain felt like that room right then, my careening, colliding thoughts racketing off the walls in unpredictable directions. As a wet dawn brought me light enough to read, I reached for the old book, hoping it would soothe me toward a few hours of sleep.

Later, if I got up the nerve, I’d confront Daniel directly with some of these questions. If I got up the nerve . . .

March 16th

We today saw a pretty bottle floating close to us and corked tight. We could see that there was a rool of paper in it—the bottle was not a common one but figured & stained very prettily. We did all we could to get it but could not—we could not get out our boat as it was full of Leigh coal and we dare not jump in and swim for fear of sharks. I am very curious about it as it might contain the loss of the steamer Hartford or some other vessel, but we can only speculate upon it. We all feel much anxiety but hope it was only thrown over by someone just to make talk and news for the papers.

—

When I went down to breakfast, Daniel wasn’t there.

Not my business, but still, I was bothered. I shook out my salvaged poncho and climbed up to the walkway to grab a look before I ate. Hard rain chewed the rising water into chop, one of those hot rains we hated, the far side of the Lagoon blurring in the steamy downpour. At the rail, I peered across at a shuttered book boat, returned to its earlier mooring, its boarding ladder rolled and neatly stowed in the stern pit. The dinghy, tied up alongside, was covered with a tarp.

“Trusting sort, ain’t he.”

“Huh?”

Breakers was folded into the watch shelter, rifle held close to keep it dry. “Leaving it all like that, I mean.”

I glanced back at the boat. “Probably just trying to get some sleep.”

“Nah. The guy I relieved said he took off.” She moved over to make room for me under the canopy.

I stayed where I was. “Took off? When?”

“Middle of the night. Shifted mooring, then somebody showed up in a small, fast motor and whisked him away. Our guy said it sounded like a woman.”

“He was sure?”

She shrugged. “It was dark. Looks like the dude’s got friends all over town.”

She didn’t need to add: friends with a fast boat and fuel. Rich friends.