FORTY

The huge rollers lifted Luke’s boat to the skies before the bow slid down into each new trough. He didn’t like the beating his boat was taking, but urgency drove him on. Kate stood out in the driving rain trying to spot her uncle’s boat, but so far she’d seen nothing. The Coast Guard was on the lookout too.

The reason Paul had brought her out here didn’t bear thinking about. How could her own uncle have wanted to kill her?

His radio crackled into life. “Luke Rocco, you copy?” It was one of his Coast Guard friends.

He snatched up the transmitter. “Rocco here, I copy.”

“We have Mason in custody. No sign of Claire Dellamare onboard, though, and he denies any involvement with her.”

“Have you examined the boat to see if there’s any trace of her?”

“Affirmative. Nothing. But we picked up an SOS of a woman claiming to be Claire Dellamare. It was garbled, though. The boat captain who heard it thought she said she was on Mason’s boat. So we’re questioning Mason, and so far he’s not budging in his story.”

If she’d been there and wasn’t now, Paul Mason had to have done something to her. Luke felt like he’d been kicked in the stomach. He signed off, then went to tell Kate the news. The rain was stopping, and the wind had begun to calm. The waves, while still very choppy, weren’t the monsters they’d been when they first came out here.

Kate turned at his approach and crossed her arms over her stomach. “Tell me.”

He told her what the Coast Guard said, and her stomach clenched. “I knew he had her.”

“What could he have done with her? Is there somewhere out here he might have left her?”

Her blue eyes, so like Claire’s, held only terror as she shook her head. “Only the open sea, I think. It depends on exactly where he was.”

“I’m sure they’re questioning him, but he’s not going to tell them.” He rubbed his head and tried to think. “Let’s head toward Lobster Rock and see if we spot her.”

It was useless. If Paul had brought her out here, he’d dumped her overboard. While Claire was a strong swimmer, no one could survive cold rollers this size, especially without a wetsuit, and even that just delayed the inevitable hypothermia.

“We should go back, talk to Paul ourselves.” He started to turn when he heard a giant splash from the starboard side. The little orca he’d rescued flipped out of the water again, then came up to the side of the boat. He acted agitated and was moving haphazardly.

Luke leaned over the side of the boat. “What’s wrong, little guy?”

Kate joined him at the side of the boat. “He’s acting strange.”

“I think he’s upset about something.” He frowned and looked closer. The orca had something in its mouth. He patted the side of the boat to entice the killer whale closer. The orca’s rostrum bumped the side of the boat, and Luke touched it, then ran his fingers down to the mouth with care. He didn’t want to get bitten and dragged overboard. His fingers touched plastic, and the orca opened his mouth, releasing the item to him.

A flip-flop? He turned it over. Size seven. Rhinestones decorated the pink shoe, so it belonged to a woman. “You ever see Claire wear something like this?”

Kate touched one of the stones. “Good quality. It might be hers.” She watched the orca, still swimming erratically beside the boat. “Claire helped you with that orca, didn’t she?”

“She loved him. She fed him a lot.”

The hidden pain in Kate’s eyes changed to hope. “What if this is hers and he’s staying close to her?”

It was a long shot, but what other clue did they have? “Can you navigate the boat?”

“I’ve driven my grandpa’s boat since I was ten. What are you going to do?”

He stepped to the bow. “I’m going to look in the waves for her. She might be out there.”

His eyes burned with the wind in his face. All he could do was whisper, “Please, God,” over and over. There were so many things he wanted to say to her. They had something special, something he didn’t want to slip away. A tiny black spot grew on the horizon, and he heard a distant gonging as it rocked in the waves.

Luke reached into one of the compartments and drew out binoculars. Focusing them, he studied the formations and looked for any sign of life. Nothing moved, so he lowered them and looked for the orca swimming in circles. Luke brought the binoculars back up and trained them on the buoy. Was that a piece of driftwood on it? He adjusted the binoculars, and Claire’s face leaped into focus.

“She’s on the buoy!” He leaned out over the bow and resisted the urge to dive in. The boat would reach her before he could swim there. She hadn’t moved yet, and he cupped his hands, shouting her name into the wind. She still didn’t move.

Kate brought the boat in as close as possible, and Luke lowered the anchor, then jumped overboard. The shock of cold water nearly took his breath away, but he swam for the buoy as fast as he could. He climbed up next to Claire. When he touched her cheek, he winced at how cold she was. Was she alive? His pulse pounded in his ears as he pressed his fingers to her neck. For a long moment he felt nothing, then a gentle throb pulsed back against his fingers.

“Claire, can you hear me?”

She lifted her head and blinked. “Luke?”

He waved to Kate. “She’s alive!” He pried her hands off the buoy. “Let’s go, honey. I’ve got you.”

He had to get her aboard and wrapped in blankets.

She was cold, so cold. A voice called her name. Was it God? She tried to lift her head, but her neck wouldn’t support it, and she let her cheek drop back against the buoy. Where was she?

“Claire!”

Luke’s voice. She had to get up, let him know she was here before he passed by in his boat. Then warm hands touched her and scooped her up into strong arms. Luke’s breath warmed her cold face, and he pressed his face into her neck. Something warm and wet trickled onto her skin, and she tried to focus her gaze but everything stayed blurry.

“Don’t cry,” she murmured. “I’m okay.”

He gave a crooked grin. “Those aren’t tears. It’s the rain.” His choked voice was hoarse, and he gathered her closer. “I thought I lost you, but you’re going to be okay. You’re on a buoy.”

She managed to keep her eyes open and saw the last of the storm clouds billowing away in the blue sky. The sea still foamed around the buoy, but the waves were half the size they’d been. “The little orca. He saved me from drowning.”

Luke lifted his head from its nest in her neck. “I saw him swimming out here or I never would have found you. They caught Paul Mason, but he claimed he hadn’t seen you. The calf was swimming erratically and making sounds of distress. He had your flip-flop so I got out the binoculars and looked for you.” He hugged her tighter. “Thank God.”

She shuddered with the cold. “I’d have died.”

“Let’s get you to the boat and warmed up. I’ll have to help you swim to the boat. I’m sorry you have to be back in the water, but it won’t be for long.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. The cold water closed over her head, and she struggled to the surface with Luke’s hand on her arm. The shivering intensified, and she clung to him as he helped her dog-paddle to the boat. Kate’s face peered anxiously over the side, and she climbed partway down the ladder to help. Claire grabbed her warm hand, and Luke boosted her behind, but even with both of them assisting her, she barely had the strength to get aboard. She collapsed onto the deck.

The boat swayed as Luke climbed up behind her. “Get a blanket!”

Kate darted to a storage compartment and yanked out a blue thermal blanket. Luke knelt by Claire and pulled her onto his lap. Though his shirt was wet and cold, the heat of his skin under his clothing enticed her to nestle closer.

Kate dropped to her knees and wrapped them both in the blanket. “She’s in hypothermia. We’ve got to get her to the hospital. Get her inside, out of the wind, and I’ll turn us toward shore.”

Claire barely felt Luke nod before lifting her and carrying her into the cabin. Her vision began to go in and out again. Was she still going to die? She clung to Luke with weak fists as he placed her on the padded bench.

“We’ve got to get her out of these wet clothes. Meg has some sweats in that compartment.” He pointed. “I’ll turn the boat around and you undress her and get her in dry clothes. I’ll change too.”

Claire was barely aware of hands tugging off her clothes, but the blessed relief of dry clothing made her sigh. Then Kate wrapped two dry blankets around her. “Luke, you come hold her now. I’ll take the helm.”

Kate’s hands released her, then Luke cradled her on his lap again. He rested his chin on her wet hair and held her close. “I’ve got you. We’ll be home soon.”

She closed her eyes and let herself relax against his chest. His heart beat strongly under her ear, the rhythm soothing. Safe, I am safe. Then she stiffened and opened her eyes. “What about Kate’s mother? M-My mother too, I guess. Did she know he was trying to kill me?”

“She knew he’d killed my mom, but they both had to keep quiet.”

“I remembered. I saw it.” Claire absorbed Luke’s warmth. “How did you figure out he had me?”

“I saw his picture at the sheriff’s office and went to Mom. She told me the truth, and we knew he had to have taken you. No one else would have.” Kate turned back around to steer the boat.

Sickened by the revelations, Claire closed her eyes. There seemed no real place of home for her.