He nodded, and she skipped off toward the water. Stepping inside, he glanced around the familiar space. The shelves were crowded with stacks of fins, reef shoes, snorkels, and masks. Racks of postcards and swim goggles crowded the aisles, and displays of T-shirts and bathing suits plastered every available inch of wall space, filling the air with the scent of a mixture of rubber and new clothing. The aroma was as comforting to Bane as old shoes and brought back the memories of working here. Some of the best years of his life had been spent in this place. He suppressed a smile at the way Leia was sniffing the air. He often joked that she had a nose more sensitive than his dog’s.
He glanced around the small area, packed with tourists talking to dive instructors. He didn’t recognize most of the divemasters. The turnover here tended to be high. Though Moloka’i proclaimed itself to be “the most Hawaiian of the islands,” it was also the most quiet. Many who came here looking for work found it to be too rural for their tastes and moved on to the bright lights of O’ahu or Maui. His gaze stopped at the dark head of hair he was looking for. Antonio Romero—Tony to his friends—bent over the cash register as he rang up rental snorkel gear for a family of four. As the family left the counter, he straightened and saw Bane.
Tony’s lips parted in a smile that flashed unnaturally white teeth. “Bane! When did you blow into town? Is the research ship here too?” He came around the end of the counter and grabbed Bane. The two men did what Bane called “the man hug,” a brief clasp of one hand on a shoulder and one hand in a handshake.
“Just me so far, but the Pomaik’i will be here later today. You look healthy and happy. Ready to find that treasure?” Bane nodded toward the doubloon hanging on a gold chain around Tony’s neck.
Tony fingered the coin. His smile held even more confidence than usual. He glanced around and lowered his voice. “I’m glad you’re here, Bane. I need a friend I can trust. This is it, my friend. We’re all going to be rich.”
“I think I’ve heard that one before.”
“I’m serious, Bane.” Tony dropped his voice and leaned in. “I found an old man out at the leper colony who says he knows where the treasure is buried. He says he knows where to find the ship’s remains too.”
Leia leaned in. “Koma?” Her lips held a wry twist. “Last week he told Eva he saw Ku coming out of the fishpond.”
Tony’s bright smile faded. “I believe him,” he said in a sullen voice.
“About Ku or the ship?” Leia smiled as if to take the sting out of her jibe.
“We’ve heard those ship stories for years, Tony,” Bane said. “Two years ago you were sure the ship was sunk off Mokapu Island. That was a bust. What makes you so sure this time?”
“This guy says his ancestor helped bury it. If you’re so skeptical, why did you hire on to help look?”
Bane didn’t answer, not with Leia listening. “If you’re so sure it’s been buried on land, why do you want to search the ocean floor?”
Tony flushed. “Okay, I admit Koma’s story is a little farfetched, but I want to follow every lead. I want that treasure no matter where it is.”
Bane studied his friend’s face. The safest course of action was to change the subject. “We’ve already got problems. I dropped my plane into the drink off Kahi’u Point this morning. Have you mapped that area at all?”
“There’s a wreck I dive out there some when the weather is good. The reef is a decent size in sixty feet of water, then if falls off sharp into blue hole. If it’s in the deep, you’re in trouble.”
“My equipment is down there.” It was probably trashed now. “Hey, where’s that new wife of yours? I’d like to meet her.”
Tony nodded in the direction of the bikini display. “Hawking our wares.”
Bane raised his eyebrows at the sight of the leggy blonde knitting a minuscule bathing suit. She sat on a stool with a bag of yarn beside her. A frown creased her smooth fair skin. Honey-colored hair rippled down her back to her waist. The pictures he’d seen hadn’t done her justice.
“Get your tongue back in your head,” Tony said with a grin. “That’s the reaction of every man who comes in here. She’s good for business.” His voice held more than a trace of smugness. Tony motioned to his wife. “Candace, Bane’s here.”
Candace glanced their way, then put her yarn down and walked over to join them. Her smile was eager, and she held out her hand. Bane shook it. There were no bright lights, no kick of the pulse, and Bane managed to hide his relief that even though she was beautiful up close and personal, he could admire her as he would a painting and feel no real attraction.
He grinned at Tony. “A gorgeous wife who actually knits. Why are you even bothering with a lost treasure that’s probably just a myth?”
“I tell him the same thing,” Candace said. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Tony thinks you’re some kind of superman. How long do you think it will take to find the treasure so he quits being so obsessed and notices he has a wife?”
He jabbed Tony in the ribs. “In the ten years we’ve been buddies, I bet we haven’t had a single conversation where the subject didn’t come up. As far as finding the boat, our chances would have been better if my plane hadn’t taken a nosedive into the Pacific. It’s going to set us back some.”