The Cursed

Dallas headed to the other side of the island to interview the married couple who had been partnered with Yerby during her fatal dive.

 

He reached their hotel and paused to looked across the road to the beach and the water. He thought about growing up here and how much he still loved to feel the sea breeze, about the way the world changed in summer, cooling down just a little bit when the sun had set and the breeze came in off the water.

 

Key West could be a crazy place—it was a destination for bachelor parties from around the world, for one thing—and you could hear a dozen different languages being spoken every time you walked down the street. Cubans had plied these waters and landed on the island long before any real settlement had been founded, and much of the island’s history had to do with the cigar makers who had made it their home. Music was everywhere and usually good, because there was so much competition and the less talented were squeezed out. Jimmy Buffet had left his mark, for sure, but you could hear anything as you passed the bars and clubs of an evening.

 

The Conch Train was in constant motion, touring visitors around the city and giving them a crash course in island history. Writers and readers came to pay homage to the master at the beautiful home that was once owned by Earnest Hemingway and was still filled with six-toed cats. Gorgeous Victorian homes dotted the island, and there was no end to the businesses offering diving, snorkeling, fishing and partying out on the water. The Conch Republic was like a mini United Nations, he thought, and he loved it.

 

And he hated the fact that the Wolf was killing on his home turf.

 

Most of all, he hated the fact that the bastard had homed in on the Siren of the Sea—and Hannah O’Brien.

 

He was a few minutes early, so he decided to take a moment to call Hannah. He made his way to the hotel pool, where he was meeting the couple, chose a seat and pulled out his phone.

 

“Everything okay there?” he asked her the minute she answered.

 

“Absolutely,” she assured him. “I’m having tea with Valeriya and Kelsey.”

 

“Valeriya?” he said sharply.

 

“She came to clean today. She needs the work.”

 

“Be that as it may, Hannah, you shouldn’t let anyone in when you’re alone.”

 

“I’m not alone. I’m with Kelsey.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “But we’re not letting Valeriya leave until one of you comes back. She’s connected to the Siren, so we don’t think she should be out alone.”

 

That, he thought, was a wise decision. But he still didn’t like it that the other woman was there.

 

Anyone—anyone—including a longtime employee, could be working for the Wolf.

 

“Hang on,” Hannah said. “I’m heading into another room.”

 

He waited.

 

A moment later Hannah started speaking excitedly. “Dallas, it’s great that she came. She was making the bed in your room and fell into—”

 

“Wait. You let her in my room?”

 

Hannah was silent for a minute, then said, “This is a bed-and-breakfast. She didn’t go in with a search warrant. She just went in to make the bed and bring fresh towels. That’s what we do here.”

 

He took a deep breath. “All right. So what happened after she fell?”

 

“She was pulling on the sheets, and she lost her balance and slammed against the wall where the plaster looks like bricks. You’ll never guess what I found!”

 

“No, I’ll never guess, since it’s pretty impossible for a treasure chest to fit in a space that’s a few inches deep, at best.”

 

“No, not a treasure chest—but I may have found the key to one. I found a key in there, Dallas. A very old key. And I don’t know why it never occurred to me ’til you just said it, but it could be the key to a treasure chest.”

 

Dallas heard footsteps and looked up. A young brunette was coming toward him, hand in hand with a man wearing khakis and a short-sleeved shirt decorated with multicolored parrots.

 

They had to be the Brennans. He rose to greet them.

 

“Hannah,” he asked quickly, “you didn’t show Valeriya the key, did you?”

 

“No, of course not.”

 

“And the officer is still parked in front of the house, right?”

 

“Yes, he’s there. We’re fine, Dallas. Kelsey knows what she’s doing.”

 

“I know that,” he said quickly. “But I’ll be there soon, anyway, as soon as I finish with this interview.”

 

“Wait! What’s happening with you?” Hannah asked.

 

“I’ll tell you as soon as I see you, but we’re finally moving in the right direction,” he assured her.

 

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