10

Evan stood on the dam watching Lou sail across the grey water. This was a mistake. Who knew what she’d find down there? What evidence still remained after all these years? How long would all this take? Maybe he should stop hiding the past. It wasn’t his fault, after all. All those involved were long since dead.

A car pulled up, a door slammed, and footsteps clunked across the tarmac towards him. Black suited arms leaned on the parapet. “Evan. You’re a hard man to track down.”

His heart sank. “Varian. Obviously not hard enough, as you managed it.” He glanced sideways. “What can I do for you? I was under the impression you weren’t coming.”

“We need to talk in person.”

He leaned his back against the parapet and spread his hands. “So talk.”

“Not here. She’ll see me, and I can’t have that yet. We’ll talk in the office.”

Evan shrugged and walked with him. “Is this because you’re not in her good books, right now?”

Varian glared at him. “What’s she been saying?”

“She hasn’t said much, but I can tell. This is a little mean and underhanded even for you. Taking her away from her big discovery and putting her here in the back of beyond.”

Varian slammed the door shut behind them, making Evan jump. “That is none of your concern.”

Evan narrowed his eyes. “I want to know what you’re playing at.”

Varian glowered. “You know what happened here as well as I do. Your family was just as involved as mine.”

“Precisely. By sending her down there you risk exposing everything.” He sucked in a deep breath. “She’s already asking about the fire.”

Panic flittered in Varian’s eyes. “How did she know about that?”

“The church spire is blackened. Anyone with a decent pair of binoculars can see that. And once she dives, she’ll know how extensive the fire was.” He raked his hands through his hair. “You know Great-grandad left a journal?”

Varian’s gaze flicked back and forth. “No, I didn’t.”

“Oh, don’t fret, Varian. I have it locked away in the safe.”

“There’s a reason I’m doing the Dark Lake dive and no one else is. I can control what information gets out and becomes public knowledge.”

“And if more bodies wash up? She showed me photos of a bone. A charred bone, I might add.”

“The report will state it came from the graveyard by the church. If she uncovers too much, the report will be lost. Nothing will ever be published. Don’t worry.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not living with the woman.”

Varian raised his eyebrows. “I’m sorry?”

“She was attacked in the hotel last night,” Evan said. A horrid feeling crept into the corner of his mind and spread like wildfire through his body. “I was there, rushed in, saved her life, and offered her a safe place to stay.”

“I see. That was Bart Manchester, I assume?”

The rush of realization set off alarm bells. “Did you plan that?”

Varian glanced away. “What if I did?”

Evan wasn’t fooled for an instant. “What if I hadn’t seen him from the street, run to her room just in time, and he’d hurt her more than he did?”

“He was told to rough her up a little.” Varian shrugged and peered through the window at the boat moored by the church spire. “Just scare her away. At which point I release a statement saying there is nothing of consequence left under the waters of Dark Lake.”

Anger speared Evan, and he clenched his hands into fists. “Good grief, man! The bloke you sprung from the loony bin is a serial rapist who tortures for fun. The only reason he wasn’t in a proper prison is he pleaded insanity and got away with it. He knows exactly what he’s doing. I thought Lou was a friend of yours.”

“She is.”

“Remind me never to become an enemy if that’s the way you treat your friends.”

“That’s rich coming from you. And since when have you and Dr. Fitzgerald been on first name terms?”

“So what if we are?” He bristled. “As you asked so nicely, ever since I saved her life. I didn’t set her up the way you have. Or treat her the way you did.”

“No, you’re just lying to her.”

Evan jabbed his finger irately at Varian. “I’m not lying as such—merely not telling her everything I know up front. Maybe I’m tired of the cover up. Great-grandad was following orders. Your grandfather’s orders to be precise. Perhaps it’s time the truth did get out.”

Varian grabbed his arm. “A word of caution. Burn the journal. Let the past stay buried. I’ll give her a day or two and then shut this down due to nothing further found down there. She’ll be laid off, and if she creates a stink, I’ll have all her work discredited. She’ll never work in archaeology again. This whole thing will go away and be forgotten.”

Evan tore himself away. “And if she finds anything?”

“I’ll take the paperwork and burn it. Any artefacts she finds will be destroyed. You keep quiet. Do I make myself clear?”

Evan faced him down. “And if I don’t?”

“You’ll regret it.” Varian spun on his heel and left, closing the office door behind him.

Evan glowered. No one threatened him and got away with it.

Ever.

~*~

As she sailed across the lake, Lou had decided to use the church as a marker and was pleased to find somewhere to tie the rope to the steeple. She’d spent half an hour or thereabouts taking photos of the shoreline where the bones and other artefacts had washed up, trying to determine where in the lake they could have come from. Then she took photographs of the spire and the damage to the brickwork. Scrapings of the burnt areas went into her bag. She wasn’t expecting much from that, but there was always a chance.

Finally, she could put off the moment no longer. She wasn’t much for praying these days, but the telegram prayer for safety shot heavenward anyway. She checked her air tank before putting it on and fixing the rest of her equipment. Satisfied everything was ready, she fitted her mask and mouthpiece. Then she unfastened the prosthesis and slid backwards into the water.

Momentary fear surged as the cold water engulfed her. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the breathing techniques she had learned from the therapist and coach. After ten terrifying seconds, she had things under control enough to open her eyes. She flicked on the wrist torch and began swimming slowly down the church walls. It was in good condition considering how long it had been underwater.

Her torch illuminated the walls, as she took photos of the windows and stone work. Fish swam past her as she worked. The stones were definitely blackened. There was no evidence of a bomb. That would have destroyed the building completely.

She reached the floor of the lake. Gravel and stones mixed with sand and mud. Grave stones stood as reminders of the past. She frowned. Shouldn’t the dead have been exhumed and moved elsewhere before the village was flooded? She took photos to remind herself to research that tonight. The church towered above her. Her torch picked up the remains of a huge wooden door, the evidence of a fire very much here as well as on the surrounding stonework.

The door hung open enough for her to slide though. It was more than a little eerie to say the least. A massive fire had raged through part of the building; that was indisputable. Glancing up, she could see the roof had gone. Some of the pews were intact, others weren’t. The pulpit stairs led up to nothing, the brass warped by the intense heat. It really must have been some fire. Torch light glittered off of a few of the remaining stained glass windows, but most were broken.

Lou slowly swam towards the front of the church, her light illuminating a plaque on the wall, dedicated to those village soldiers who had died in the First World War. She swung the torch across the pew and jumped as it lit up a skull, which sat transfixed as if listening to a sermon. Trouble was, what was left of the ropes obviously used to bind him into his seat told a different story. He wasn’t there by choice. The fellow’s jacket swung gently as the water moved, and as Lou shone the light on his face, he winked at her.

Her heart almost leapt from her chest, and terror swamped her right before common sense prevailed and a fish swam from the eye socket. Lou shook her head. She was letting her imagination run away with her. She took several photos as she wondered who it was and what he was doing here. Why hadn’t he left with everyone else? Had he been caught in the fire and, therefore, left here?

She shone the torch further up the line of pews. At least three more figures could be seen. Lou swam up to them, photographing bodies and the ropes securing them in place. She aimed the torchlight onto the floor. Moss grew between the flagstones. Weeds moved gently in the water. She photographed everything. This job was going to take longer than she had, but her interest had been piqued. She had more questions now than when she’d begun.

Something dropped onto her shoulder. She almost burst out of her skin, her already taut nerves shifting into overdrive. She whirled around, eyes widening and mouthpiece falling from her mouth as total panic set in.