Page 55 of Lost Truth
Guns galore had greeted her. Handguns. Rifles. More ammunition than she could ever imagine anyone needing. Couple all of that with night vision goggles and binoculars, plus many gadget bags stuffed with camera gear, and she’d only been able to stare.
Hayden had fairly glowed when he talked about each piece of equipment and firearm, but he’d said they would take just a few of the weapons as a precaution in case Palmer turned on them. Which Hayden didn’t believe he would do.
So forget about it. Relax.
She watched the road ahead as they arrived at the beach, and Hayden parked as close as he could to the abandoned boat. She stepped out of his vehicle and was met by a bright afternoon sky scattered with soft, white clouds. The air was mild—typical for the Oregon coast, where even in the peak of summer, the temperature rarely climbed above seventy degrees.
A brisk wind swept across the sand, whipping it into the air and stinging her skin. She ducked her head against the gusts and headed for the boat, not bothering to check if Hayden was behind her.
He soon caught up. “It might be broad daylight, but we need to stay alert. Never know who might be watching the boat.”
Concern lifting her head, she cupped her hand around her eyes to keep the sand out. Seeing the boat up close made her take a step back. Boat, hah! It was more like a yacht, if you asked her.
She looked at Hayden. “Do you remember the story about a beach near Florence when a whale beached itself on shore?”
He shook his head.
“It was years ago, but authorities didn’t have a clue how to get rid of it. So believe it or not they blew up the rotting carcass with dynamite, hoping it would disintegrate.”
“They what?” He blinked at her. “Sounds like all kinds of trouble waiting to happen.”
“It was. The big kaboom, and then small, foul-smelling pieces of whale showered everyone who’d come to see the event and tainted the beach. It was a failure of epic proportions.”
“And one I doubt they’ll ever repeat again.” Shaking his head, he led the way to a ladder on the side of the boat and looked back at her. “I’ll go first and let you know if it’s safe to board. Stay alert.”
He started up the ladder and climbed over the side, soon disappearing from view. She forgot all about the whale fiasco as unease had her gnawing on her lip. The ladder he’d climbed led to an open area on the first level of the boat, and another one rose up to a top level located above a closed section. It appeared as if the upper level was for the pilot and the living quarters took up the middle.
Hayden poked his head over the side. “It’s clear to board.”
She took one last look around, then started up the ladder and landed on the boat’s open deck. She’d been on plenty of boats in her life, and it felt odd for this one to be stationary and not rocking with the water.
“Let’s start in the cabin.” Hayden handed her a pair of disposable gloves. “Don’t touch anything without these on.”
She nodded, and he pointed at a closed door in the middle.
She slipped on the gloves and stepped ahead of him, pushing through the door. Inside, a cozy living area unfolded before her, its mahogany-paneled walls giving the space a warm, refined feel. To her right, a compact kitchen gleamed with stainless steel appliances, and just beyond that, a doorway revealed a stairwell leading below. Windows lined nearly all of the walls, framing the stunning view from every possible angle.
“Straight ahead are two bedrooms,” he said. “Mind searching the one on the right, and I’ll take the one on the left?”
“Works for me.” Before she stressed over being with him in such tight quarters, she set off, passing a small bathroom called a head in the boating world and entering the berth, where a queen-sized bed consumed most of the space.
The boat owner had likely crammed trafficked people in these rooms. Shoulder to shoulder. Terrified. Maybe alone. Maybe beside their family. Everything they’d known and cherished left behind. Wondering what their future would hold.
Shuddering, she got busy with her search before her thoughts made her cry. She tore off the bedding. Flipped the mattress from the platform to the floor. Felt the pillows. Pulled open drawers at the end of the bed.
Nothing.
Backing out, she headed for the other bedroom. “I didn’t find anything.”
Hayden looked up. “Nothing here either. If you want to go back to the galley, I’ll take the bathroom.”
She hurried out of the small space and started in the cabinets, going straight for the mugs since she’d been successful in finding the flash drive in a mug at Kai’s cottage. She jiggled and peered inside every one, finding nothing. Finally, she moved on to other cupboards until she’d completely searched each one.
Okay, maybe the appliances held a lead. Microwave first. Empty. Small oven next, where she ran her hand over the top in case they taped something inside. Her fingers met only the smooth finish of the oven. Last was the refrigerator and freezer—both warm now, unused since the boat had been abandoned. The fridge held only a few bottles of water. In the freezer sat oversized ice cube trays filled with water, a small pint of strawberry ice cream, and a handful of frozen entrées.
Law enforcement had obviously left these items alone, but why? If what Abby had said at Kai’s house held true, criminals hid things in food packaging. The ice cream had been opened, so she started there. She took the carton to the sink and rattled a spoon around the inside. It connected with something hard and reverberated in her hand.
But what?
