Half-Past Dawn

CHAPTER 40

The white hateras yacht belonged to Jack’s friend, Mitch Schuler. They had graduated from law school at the same time, but Mitch had never been bitten by the justice bug, heading straight into Wall Street and millions. When Jack called in a favor, Mitch never hesitated. And this time, finding out that his friend was still alive, Mitch almost leaped through the phone to hug him. He made sure that his sixty-foot yacht was fueled and stocked and was happy to play the game that Jack was still dead. He told the head of the marina that Frank Archer and a friend would be picking up his boat that night and not to expect it back until the next day.

They sped into the rain-soaked marina to find the boat already running and the harbor master standing in wait. Frank quickly greeted him, slipped him a hundred, and hopped aboard.

“Listen,” Jack said to Joy as they got out of Frank’s car, holding an umbrella over her. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the cancer.”

“So, what’s this mean, you come back from the dead only to have death waiting around the corner? I can’t go through that again. You don’t know what it did to me to hear you and Mia had died.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No.” Joy calmed down and wrapped her arms around Jack. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. I love you, Jack, and I love Mia. And I will go on loving the both of you till the day I die.” Joy wiped away a tear. “Please bring her back safe.”

Jack handed Joy an umbrella as one of Mitch Schuler’s town cars arrived in the parking lot next to them. She got into the backseat and, without another word, closed the door, and the town car drove away.

Jack ran through the rain, down the pier, and jumped onto the boat. He quickly released the stern line and ran to the bow.

Frank was at the wheel, familiarizing himself with the controls, when his cell phone rang. He quickly answered it as he revved the motor. “Yeah?”

“Frank, it’s Matt Daly.”

“What’s up?” Frank said, entirely distracted with flipping knobs and levers.

“You wanted me to call you if we found anything.”

Frank froze in his tracks. He hadn’t thought about Matt since his last call, forgetting that he was probably still in his dive gear, dragging the river for bodies that weren’t there. Everything had moved so quickly; quite honestly, it didn’t really matter now if the world found out that Jack and Mia weren’t in the river. But there was an urgency in Matt’s tone that unnerved him; he stopped fiddling and focused all attention on the call. “You found something?”

“Yeah, we’ve got a body.”

Frank spun around and looked at Jack, who was casting off the bow line. “Whose body?”

“We’re not sure yet. It’s wedged in the spillway. It may take some time to get it out. It’s real tough working underwater at night.”

“I’m sure it is.” Frank was hardly listening as confusion began to wrap around him. “Do me a favor and call me as soon as you have an ID.”

“You got it.” And Daly hung up.

Jack turned toward Frank as he cast off the last line and pulled in the bumpers. “Who’s on the phone?”

Frank struggled for words. “Just my wife.”