Read Online The Pandora Box by Lilly Maytree - Free Book Online Page B

Hawkins and his friend Henry Starr had seemed, she had no intentions of letting the journal (much less a fifty thousand dollar heirloom ring) fall into their hands. She had made the deal with them because they already knew most of what she did and had planned heading out on the expedition on their own anyway.
    Now, she would not have to worry about them working against her if they were working for her, and a partnership seemed to be the only logical answer. Large sums of money did strange things to people.
    The port office was small, but cheery. It had a bank of windows overlooking the marina and was attached on one side to a bustling bait and tackle shop.
    Dee had to wait while the only person in attendance—a middle-aged woman with flaming red hair, who dressed like a teenager—filled out a fishing license for an elderly gentleman. According to several posters tacked between the docks and the bait shop, there was a salmon derby going on.
    “What can I do for you?” the woman asked as the gentleman left.
    “I’m here to pay a bill,” Dee replied. “Quite a big one, I understand. For the Pandora , in slip number forty-three?”
    “ Pandora ? That’s Hawk’s boat. There’s no money owing on that one. As a matter of fact…” she flipped through a desk file a few feet away. “He’s paid up for next year, too.”
    “That’s funny. Yesterday, he told me the dock fees hadn’t been paid for two years and next month it was going up for auction.”
    “Well,” the woman hesitated as if she had to decide whether or not to confide in Dee. “Formally”—and she drew the word out long, as if what was going to follow was a good piece of gossip—”it is going up for auction next month. But he’s got an in with the Harbor Master and the whole thing’s already decided. Know what I mean?”
    “I’m beginning to. You wouldn’t happen to know where Hawk is right now, would you? He wasn’t on the boat.”
    “Oh, if I was going to guess, I’d say he’s probably over at the Seahorse Lounge .”
    “Next to the restaurant?”
    “That’s the one. His party came in about an hour ago with the biggest catch of the day. Thirty-seven and a half pounds. If nobody brings in anything bigger before midnight, you can chalk up another twenty-five bucks for Starr’s Charters .”
    “He works for Starr’s Charters ?”
    “They’re partners.”
    “I thought he worked here at the port. On boats or something.”
    “Only when you can talk him into it. My computer’s been down for three days and can I get him over here? But,” she sighed wistfully, “if I had the kind of money he does, I’d only work whenever I felt like it, too.”
    “I should probably head over and talk to him, then. How late will you be open?”
    “Oh, I’ll be out of here by five, but we open at eight every morning. Thinking about buying Pandora ?”
    “Something like that.”
    “Hawk must want to sell pretty bad. You’re the second person to ask me about it this week.” She laughed and shook her head. “That boat’s changed hands more times than a fickle woman! People always show up out of nowhere, put a bunch of money into her, then get scared and take off. Been watching it happen for years.”
    “Sounds like you know something nobody else does,” Dee prompted.
    “I do indeed.” She smiled and pointed a bright nail-polished finger toward one of the bay windows. “Been working here fifteen years, and know all there is to know about every boat in this harbor.”
    “Mind sharing what you know about Pandora ?”
    “Not a bit. Like I say to everybody. Don’t tell me any secrets because I never keep them. And the secret on that boat is”—she leaned her forearms on the smooth wooden counter and looked Dee straight in the eye—”there’s a curse on it.”
     
     
     
     

9
     
    Small Craft Warning
     
    “Can you start around the world day after tomorrow?”
    “I can start this minute,” I answered, quickly trying to stop the rapid