“I need to talk to you then, anyway. Privately.”
“I’ll never ditch Adam.”
“I meant privately
“Oh. Okay.”
Sam left and took a seat beside Darlene, smiling in return at the pleased grin the girl offered her.
“Did you have fun today?” Sam asked her.
Darlene nodded strenuously. “I had a wonderful time. I love to dive so much—I’m just afraid of some of the things in the water. I can’t help it. I’d never be able to dive alone.”
Sam reached over to help herself to some of the sake sitting on the table in a little white porcelain ewer. “You’re never supposed to go diving alone.”
“Your father did,” Avery Smith said suddenly, quietly.
Sam looked at him across the table. She couldn’t read his expression. She wondered if the words had been said with sorrow or malice.
“Yes, my father did,” she said softly. She looked at Darlene. “My father was probably one of the best divers who ever lived. He knew the sea, respected all the creatures in it and was confident of his own abilities. He taught me never to go diving alone. But then he did it himself. And something happened to him. So no matter how good you are, or how brave, you should never go down alone.”
“Never!” came an emphatic exclamation from the end of the table.
Joey Emerson.
Nee Shapiro.
His gaze was level. He smiled at Darlene, then offered Sam a rather awkward grin. “My dad died diving alone, too. It’s very dangerous. So it’s good that you have a healthy respect for the water.”
“Your father died while diving?” Adam said, sounding casual as he pulled up the chair next to baby Brian. A piece of teething cookie landed on Adam’s lo mein.
Brad shuddered.
Adam picked up the piece of cookie, staring nonplussed at Brad while he spoke to Joey. “I’m sorry to hear that about your father. What happened to him?”
Joey Emerson stared across the table at Sam. “It was just like Justin Carlyle. No one knows what happened.”
“Maybe neither one of them is dead!” Darlene said excitedly. She looked at Sam. “Maybe we could find that ship—that
“Darlene!” her father snapped, a definite edge to his voice. His wife kicked him beneath the table—Sam saw the motion, then heard Lew Walker grunt. “Buried treasure and all. You know. It would be great to find the ship.”
“Right!” Darlene said happily. “We might find the ship, then find out that there’s some kind of air line going into it. We’d find your dad, Sam, and maybe we’d find your father, too, Mr. Emerson.”
Joey Emerson nee Shapiro grimaced. “That would be real nice, kid,” he said softly. “Except that they found my dad. He washed up on shore.”
“Oh,” Darlene said. “I’m sorry.”
Sukee wagged a finger at her. “So there’s a lesson in that, young lady. No diving alone.”
“Right,” Darlene said.
Brad stared at Sam. “So why did your dad do it, Sam?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. But don’t you go getting any ideas, huh?”
“He won’t,” Judy Walker said sternly. “Actually, Sam, both my kids have gotten so fond of diving with you that they’re not going to want to go with anyone else.”
“Even Jerry had a wonderful time diving with you, Sam,” Liam Hinnerman said, setting his arm around Jerry’s shoulders.
Jerry offered Sam a weak smile. She looked lovely, as usual. Small, blond and delicate in a long-sleeved black knit. Pale, though. She didn’t seem to have acquired any sun while they were out, and not a trace of windburn. She was wearing more makeup than usual, though, Sam decided.
And she looked miserably nervous.
“Jerry, did you like the dive?” Sam asked.
“It was fine, thank you,” Jerry said politely.
“She can’t wait to dive the Steps again,” Liam said.
That was a lie. Jerry would like to do anything but dive the Steps again, Sam decided.
Yancy came around the buffet table with a washcloth, determined to clean Brian’s face, though the baby wanted no part of it.
“That storm’s brewing harder and faster,” Yancy warned. “If anyone wants to do any more diving, I think tomorrow has got to be it for a few days.”
“The Steps!” Liam said.
“Oh, come on, now, we’ve done those,” Sam protested.
“But it was wonderful!” Jim Santino exclaimed from the end of the table. He flashed a smile at Sam, but she realized he was studying Joey Emerson.
Shapiro.
“Even Jerry loves to dive the Steps,” Liam insisted. “Tell Sam, honey. Tell her that you’re dying to dive the Steps again. Just dying to.”
Jerry looked at her. Still so pale. “I’m just dying to dive the Steps,” she said flatly.
“Please, Sam, please!” Darlene said.
“This is really getting repetitious,” Sam said.
“But if it’s what everyone wants,” Adam said, “why not do it?”
“We’ll keep an eye on the storm,” Sam said, determined to maintain some kind of control.
“Well, of course,” Sukee said. “It would be just as dangerous to dive in bad weather as it would be to dive alone, right, Sam?”
“Yeah, it would be.”
Jim Santino stood and stretched. “One more excursion to the Steps! Well, folks, I’m for bed. If the weather is going to get us later, I’m going to dive bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow. Good night, all.”
“Walk me, Jim?” Sukee asked sweetly.
“Sure thing.”
“The kids should be in bed, too,” Lew Walker said firmly.
“Dad….” Brad protested.
“It may be our last diving day,” Judy said quickly, and the Walkers said their good-nights.
The Emersons followed suit.
Sam thought that Joey Emerson watched Jim Santino as he followed the other man out.
“Well, then, I shall retire myself,” Avery Smith said.
“Guess we’re all ready for bed, eh, sweetie?” Hinnerman asked Jerry, rubbing his fingers down her neck. Jerry seemed to grow even more pale.
“Is something wrong, Jerry?” Sam asked worriedly.
“Is there, sweetheart?” Liam asked.
“No,” Jerry said, shaking her head. “Everything is wonderful. Good night, Sam, Mr. O’Connor, Yancy. Do tell Jacques that dinner was wonderful.”
Sam had risen to say good-night. As Jerry North walked past her, Sam realized why she appeared so pale.
She was wearing too much makeup.
Trying to hide a growing bruise beneath her eye.
Sam followed the two of them out. “Jerry. Jerry!”
They stopped together.
“Are you sure you’re all right? If you’re not feeling well and don’t, er, and don’t want to disturb Liam, I can set up one of the rooms in the main house.”
