Morrissey only nodded grimly.
“When you make your rounds of the dive shops,” Zach said, “can you keep it on the quiet side? This may be a shot in the dark, but if we’re on to something, and if there is a killer out there, we don’t want him to know we’re getting close.”
Morrissey smiled dryly. “No problem. And I’ll ask you to share your insights with me and keep quiet otherwise.”
Zach nodded, smiling in turn. “Yeah, sorry. I know you weren’t born yesterday.”
He thanked Morrissey, and stepped off the Sea Maiden. Forensics could literally be a lifesaver. Few people knew that better than he did. But when nothing was available, when there were no prints, hairs, fibers or useful substances, footwork was in order.
He headed back to the office, where he found Cal, Marni and Caer bent over the desk.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Cal said. “Caer didn’t know Eddie, but she’s been hearing so much about him that I thought she might be interested in seeing some old photos, and then she asked to see his last entry in the register. I figured you would want to see it, as well.”
Caer’s eyes were clear when they met his. Why the hell did he always find her so suspicious? She’d been Sean’s nurse in Ireland—if he could guarantee that anyone was innocent of Eddie’s disappearance, it had to be her—but why the hell would she be interested in seeing the reservation book?
“Yes, I would like to see it,” he told Cal. “Did they dust it for prints?”
“They dusted everything for prints and came up with hundreds of them—so much for cleaning crews,” Cal said, shrugging. “But it’s doubtful that Mr. ‘John Alden’ touched the book anyway. Eddie is the one who made the entry.”
Zach nodded, pulling the book closer and turning it to face him.
“Right there,” Marni said, pointing.
Eddie had neatly entered the date, the man’s name, the price paid and the notation “cash.” A side note stated that they would be cruising the bay, then heading for the sound. “Pass Cow Cay,” Eddie had written.
Morrissey had told him that the boat had been found not a hundred yards off Cow Cay, a small, uninhabited island where settlers had once raised cattle, hence the name. The Park Service owned it now, and boaters often visited it in the summer, because it was legal to take pets and have picnics. On a hot day the place was frequently crowded, but in December it was deserted.
If someone had gotten dive equipment on board, they might have made Cow Cay easily from where the boat was found, Zach thought.
He looked up. “What’s on schedule for today?” he asked Cal.
“I’m taking a couple out on the Sea Lady,” he said. “Two-hour sail, that’s all.”
“Great.” Zach looked at Caer. “I’ll show you the area. Cal, I’ll take the Sea Lass.”
“What?” Cal said, blinking. “You want to take out the Sea Lass?”
“Yeah, I’ll give the Irish lass a spin in the Sea Lass, give her a look at the area from the water.” And get a chance to talk to her one on one, he thought, and maybe figure out why she kept raising his danger signal
Caer looked white, but she didn’t say anything.
“But…” Marni said.
“Yes?” Zach stared at her.
“Sorry, sure, whatever you like,” she said. She knew Sean had given him carte blanche to borrow any unused boat when he was in town. “No, no, I’m sorry. I just thought you were anxious to look for Eddie, and I thought Caer was working…that Sean might need her.”
“Sean has Kat right now, and she wants some time with her father,” Zach said. “Caer?”
Despite her obvious fear, she nodded.
“Are you going to need a hand?” Marni asked.
“No, we’ll be fine,” Zach said.
“Are you a sailor, Caer?” Cal asked.
“Not really, but I’m game for anything,” she said, making an attempt to sound happy.
False cheer, Zach thought. But that was all right. “Come on, then, I’ll show you the Lass.”
He caught her by the elbow and led her out. “I take it you’ve never been out on a sailboat before?” he asked as the door closed behind them.
She shook her head.
“Are you afraid of water?”
“No.” He led her down the dock to the Sea Lass’s berth. The Sea Lass was a twenty-five-footer, just right for a couple or a small family.
She was also equipped with a first-class engine, which was perfect, since Zach had no intention of taking a leisurely cruise.
“Hop on,” he said.
She stared at him.
“Go on.”
She didn’t exactly hop, but at least she made it aboard.
He released the boat from the dock and directed Caer to a white bench near the main mast.
“I can’t help you sail, you know,” she called to him over the hum of the engine.
“We’re not going to sail.”
“What are we doing, then?”
“Motoring out to the spot where Eddie’s boat was found,” he told her.