BooksBarbecue
Back Point Last Seen
Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

When Sofia stopped, Elle spoke in a slightly hostile tone. “Then, you come here.” She lit up. “Really? You will? I wish you would. Mom, I’ve been so scared.”

Adam could bear witness to that, although lately, as time went on and nothing happened, as she practiced martial arts and made friends in Gothic, she’d been gaining courage and strength.

“If I hadn’t had Adam, I would have curled up and cried all the time.” Elle sounded like she had on the first days: sad, fearful, lost. “Did you call the ship about me? What did they say?” She listened so hard she leaned into it. “That’s not good. Yes, you should have.” She looked at Adam and raised her eyebrows meaningfully, although he had no idea what she meant. “Send your flight information to my email address. No, my phone is at the bottom of the sea, but Adam has a computer, and now that I know who I am, I can access email. I love you, Mom. See you soon.” Elle hung up and relaxed against the seat. “She’s flying to the States. She’s coming here.”

What did you mean when you said, “I’m going to marry him”? “I guessed. When?”

“As soon as she can.”

What did you mean when you said, “I’m going to marry him”? “She called the ship to ask why she hadn’t heard from you?”

“She called me, didn’t get me, didn’t think too much of it until I didn’t return the message. After a couple of days, she got worried I was sick. She called the doctor, who said he knew nothing. After another day of waiting, she called the captain, who said he wasn’t a babysitter, that I was a grown woman and I’d call when I felt like it.”

What did you mean when you said, “I’m going to marry him”? “That seems fraught with possible legal issues. As captain, he faces repercussions if someone goes overboard and he doesn’t report it.”

“The times I met him, he didn’t seem cold. But Penderghast... Yes, of course the captain would be afraid of Penderghast. Penderghast put his hands around my throat, looked in my face and squeezed.” Her voice grew hoarse, and her gaze lost its focus. She was back in that moment of her death. “I was frantic. I couldn’t believe he meant to do...what he was doing. He’d always been polite, although lately he’d grown—” she hesitated “—impatient.”

Adam pulled to the side of the road and parked. “Because you hadn’t discovered the treasure?” He turned to her, placed his gentle hand on her shoulder.