Robb’s round eyes bored into the man who’d asked. “’Course. Sorry if I kept you waiting. Made you worry. But when I saw my boat was gone, I swam to one of yours. Radioed it in while you were down.”

No laughter, then.

“Now, about my boat . . . ” He slipped the treasure back into his bag, precious metal rattling like chains.

“I’ll give you a share in mine till your insurance—”

“You’re welcome to come with—”

“I can draw up a contract right now—”

Robb held up his hands for silence. “I only want one partner in this, and it’s the man who knows these waters best.”

Every diver smiled, sure Robb meant them. Alden looked ill. Robb looked at Alden.

“It’s not your feet that stop you from diving. It’s what’s down there. That ends now. I know you’ve been waiting a long time. Suit up.” Robb tossed a mask at Alden and rose from his chair. He kissed me and took my hand, leading me back to his room.

The divers sat silent behind us like a flock of greedy birds.

***

“You shouldn’t have gone into that water,” I said. “You shouldn’t have taken that gold.” I twisted my hair as he buzzed around the room packing his bags.

“I didn’t.”

“What?”

“I was never in the water. Not there.”

My heart dropped like a cut anchor. “But, your boat—”

“I was watching from the shore. By the hill.”

I sat on the bed, my hands shaking. Every secret I had now lay naked under his bright eyes, like exposed seafloor under a hot sun.

He knelt before me, ran his fingers over the scab on my cheek. “I saw what he did. I saw you try to stop him.” He squeezed my hands between his and leaned in to kiss me again. I pulled back.

“But those coins?”

“From older dives, other shores. I keep them in a jar on my dash, as a reminder.”

“Of what?”

“Time. Death. That the sea controls both.” He let go of my hands and zipped up his duffel bag.

“Where are you going? What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to put your brother in the water.”

My gut heaved and I felt the sea at the back of my throat. “Robb, no. That beach . . . I know you don’t believe the stories. Yes, there are bodies under there. And yes, probably treasure, too, but it’s not worth it . . . ”

“You’re right, it’s not. Not to me. But it is to your brother—worth lying for, worth killing for. Worth hanging around this ghost town. Must be worth dying for, right?”

“Please, Robb. He did an awful thing. But please don’t hurt him.”

“I’m not going to. He’s going to hurt himself.”

I shook my head. “It’ll be harder than you think to get him in that water.”