Chapter 74
Blank space
As Gray maneuvered the skiff towards the docks at the Lagoon, he felt wrung out. Even though the day had just started, he was done dealing with Shelley. Declan and Daniel came down to the dock to help unload the supplies.
"Morning, mate! Thanks for bringing all these today; it's a big help. The VIP tour was very early this morning. Morning, Shelley. Are you moving here?" Declan asked, pointing to the large gear bags and exchanging a look with Gray and Daniel.
"Oh, it's so good to see you both again! And no, silly, it's not all mine. There's equipment in there for Gray, and I wanted to be prepared for any weather!" Shelley beamed as she held out her hand for help off the boat.
Daniel stepped forward, offering his hand. He may not like her, but he'd take the high road and stay respectful. Shelley stepped onto the dock, looking around as she breathed in the salty air.
"I like these docks, much more stable. I didn't get to see much yesterday--" She glanced at Declan as she said this, clearly blaming him for keeping her away from Gray the day before. Still, she would forgive him.
"Why don't you head up to the lab, Shelley? We'll leave your bags here on the dive tank rack. Honestly, I don't want to haul these bags up to the lab, and they'll be safe here. Tourists aren't allowed past that point." Gray pointed to the sign marking the staff-only area.
"Whatever you think is best!" Shelley crooned, her voice dripping with sweetness. She had no plans to stir up more friction this morning; that would come later.
As Shelley walked toward the lab, Cam stepped out to greet her. Once she was out of earshot, Declan and Daniel crowded close to Gray under the guise of unloading supplies.
"You okay, man? You looked wrecked when you pulled in. How'd last night go? Did she try anything funny?" Declan asked, concerned.
"Funny doesn't even begin to cover it. She thought I'd sleep on the couch, or that we'd share the bed! What was she thinking? We do not, nor have we ever, had that kind of relationship. When I told her it was the couch or the floor, she pouted like a child. And then she put on not pajamas!"
"What the hell are not pajamas?" Daniel asked, grabbing some items from the boat to make it look like they were busy.
"Something tiny and inappropriate. I couldn't even look at her! She acted all innocent, like it was normal nighttime wear."
Declan frowned. "Wow, she's got some confidence in her skills of persuasion. But seriously, what's in those giant bags?"
"Stuff for me, oh get this, it's more videotapes and three more TDRs!" Gray said, his voice rising with frustration.
The two men exchanged stunned looks. They both knew Gray didn't need more videotapes or extra Time Depth Recorders; it made no sense. Gray had three with him, and they could only record with two dolphins at a time; otherwise, it was total chaos.
"Dude, this is bad. She can't stay with you.
I hate to say it, but she's trouble. If Riley sees her dressed like that around you, she's going to assume you're okay with it.
Riley's like a sister to me, and I know she'll feel hurt.
Even if you swear nothing's happening, Shelley's going to make it look like there is.
Be careful." Daniel clapped a hand on Gray's shoulder, giving him a pointed look.
Gray sighed, rubbing his temple. "You think I don't know that? I'm trying."
The three men grabbed the supplies needed for the lab.
"Oh, good!" Shelley greeted them brightly as they entered.
"Cam and I were just talking about your research.
We were going to review the tapes so I could see the parameters you're measuring.
Then I'll be the most helpful in creating the stats and diagrams for the amazing papers you'll be publishing! "
Gray clenched his jaw but managed a nod. "The sessions with Shiloh. Cam, maybe we could show Shelley some data we've already gathered?"
"Sure, we can even run a session with Abaco and Anejo this afternoon," Cam replied, glancing at Gray with a knowing look.
"Oh, how exciting! I can't wait to see it all in action!" Shelley beamed.
Cam cleared his throat. "Gray, I need to drag you away at lunch. Lady Thatcher asked to see you this afternoon."
"Lady Thatcher! Doesn't that sound positively posh! I'd love to come along," Shelley said with a flutter of her lashes.
"Sorry, Shelley. Lady Thatcher is very particular about her guests. She specifically asked for Gray," Cam said firmly.
"Well, that is a disappointment! Hopefully, she'll meet me soon and be absolutely delighted to have me over.
Now, let's look at your method, and then I'll be ready to get Gray back on track.
I'm excited to make sure his findings are shown in the best way possible.
" Shelley's tone was sugary-sweet, but underneath, she was seething.
She didn't want Gray out of her sight, and she certainly hadn't expected him to be this difficult.
Still, her plan relied on patience and timing.
Once Gray realized what wasn't on the tapes, he'd come around.
She glanced down as Cam slid the first tape into the recorder. A self-satisfied smile curled on her lips. This was too easy.
"Alright," Cam said, leaning back slightly as he pressed play. "This is a session tape from Shiloh's data. We filmed it two weeks ago. She's been our best dolphin for the project, probably because she was the least scared of the Velcro."
At this, everyone but Shelley chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Shelley's eyes darted around; her irritation was clear.
Gray smirked, arms crossed. "It was ridiculous, honestly. I didn't include it in the official report because, well, it's embarrassing. But apparently, dolphins find Velcro terrifying. We had a bit of a setback until they got used to it."
The team laughed again, the camaraderie clear in their easy smiles and shared glances.
"Oh, well, I'm sorry I missed it. Sounds hilarious," Shelley replied, her tone sharp. She forced a tight smile, but the words lacked any sincerity. The laughter faded, replaced by an awkward silence.
Cam cleared his throat, bringing the focus back. He pointed to the screen as the player whirred to life.
But there was nothing.
A black screen stared back at them.
"That's weird," Gray muttered, leaning forward to check the time counter. "It's playing, but... huh." He scratched his head and looked over at Cam.
"Maybe we started recording later on the tape? Try fast-forwarding a bit," Cam suggested.
Gray nodded and fiddled with the controls, but as the seconds ticked by, the screen remained dark.
"Maybe I mislabeled the tape?" Gray said, his voice tight. "Get the tape from Friday. That was our best session. You'll see, Shelley. Shiloh was incredible at 45 feet underwater. You'll be impressed with our superstar."
Cam handed over another tape, but when Gray hit play, the result was the same: a black void.
Gray's movements grew more frantic as he ejected one tape after another, each one a devastating repeat of the last. No data. No footage. Just static.
Shelley struggled to contain the grin threatening to spread across her face. She bit her cheek and folded her arms, doing her best to look concerned. Inside, she was brimming with satisfaction. Her plan was flawless. Gray would spiral, and she'd be right there to pick up the pieces.
Except Gray didn't spiral the way she expected.
By the fifth tape, his hands were shaking as he slid the cassette into the machine. The screen flickered, and then there was nothing. Gray exhaled sharply, his breath hitching. Then, to Shelley's shock, his shoulders trembled.
He was crying.
"Gray," Marta's voice cut through the tense silence. She had slipped into the lab unnoticed, but now she was at his side, wrapping him in a comforting hug. "Oh, Gray, what's happened? We reviewed the tapes last week. Where's the recording?" Her voice cracked, tears brimming in her eyes.
Around them, the team stood frozen, their gazes bouncing from the empty screen to the scattered tapes. Cam broke the silence first.
"How did this happen? We spent an entire month gathering the data. How can it be gone?" His voice was rough, disbelief clear in every word.
Shelley's confidence wavered. She had expected frustration, maybe even anger. But this? The way they all seemed connected, mourning the loss together, unsettled her. She needed to regain control fast.
"Hey, hey now," she said, her voice a deliberate mix of sympathy and encouragement.
"I don't know what happened, but this is awful.
I don't think we need to start over, but I'm here to help.
We'll gather the data again, plus we have all the other data from your project back at the lab.
I saw the breathing rate sheets, and the TDRs should have saved data on them.
We'll record the underwater portion again, and it'll be even better this time.
You're the best at this, Gray. It'll all be okay. "
Her attempt at reassurance fell flat.
Gray's head snapped up, his eyes locking onto hers with a fierceness she hadn't seen before.
"You," he said, his voice low and dangerous. He stood, pointing an accusatory finger. "You did something. I don't know how, but you did." Gray waved his hands around the room, motioning to the trainers, his friends, who had been helping him go above and beyond his research goals.
"Gray, that's enough," Cam interjected, his tone firm but strained. "She just got here yesterday. Let's not jump to conclusions."
"No, Cam!" Gray shouted, shrugging off Marta's hand as she tried to calm him.
"We all know these tapes were fine. We watched them last week, and now they're gone.
This isn't a coincidence." He felt sick and now he regretted that they'd never booked a time with the dive team to make copies of the tapes.
"You're being ridiculous!" Shelley snapped, her carefully constructed facade slipping. "So what if the video's gone? We'll record it again. This isn't the end of the world."
"It might as well be!" Gray shot back, his voice cracking.
"You don't understand what we've lost. It wasn't just data; it was progress and something no other researcher had added to their project.
That was why the committee gave me another 2 months.
They wanted more data points, sessions, and dolphins included in the project.
Now we don't even have the first videotapes to show them.
They wanted to standardize the method and then try it with the dolphins in Roatan. "
Without another word, he stormed out of the lab.
"I'll go check on him," Marta said quietly, following him out.
Declan muttered something unintelligible and left. Daniel didn't even offer an excuse as he walked out.
That left Cam and Shelley standing in the suffocating silence.
"Well, they're certainly upset," Shelley said, forcing a laugh as she reached out to touch Cam's arm. "Things happen. We're scientists. We adapt."
Cam recoiled from her touch as if it burned.
"Here's the thing, Shelley," he said, his voice low and steady.
"I don't have proof that you did anything, but your attitude, your timing, and your complete inability to grasp what we've lost — it doesn't sit right with me.
I suggest you take a walk to the tourist area and stay there while we figure out how to move forward. "
Shelley opened her mouth to argue but thought better of it. She needed time to think and to salvage her plan before it unraveled completely.
"Fine," she said, forcing a tight smile. "I'll give you some space. But I'm here to help, Cam. Don't forget that."
Cam didn't respond. He looked grim, already focused on the mess of tapes in front of him.
Shelley turned and walked out, her mind racing. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. But she wasn't done. Not by a long shot.