Chapter 33
The wind whipped across the bow, and mists of saltwater sprayed as we skimmed across the swells. The engines howled, spitting a frothy wake. With Jack at the helm, his long blonde hair fluttered in the breeze.
Isabella kept me updated on Daphne's position, and it didn't take long to get eyes on her.
We had loaded the Raptor with all kinds of tactical goodies—night vision optics, binoculars, scuba gear, and, of course, an array of weaponry in case we got ourselves into trouble.
To be honest, I wasn't worried about Daphne.
She didn't strike me as the violent type, even though she had a mean kick.
Dane and Brock, on the other hand, were the dangerous ones.
Inmates talk. I wouldn’t be surprised if word got out that Daphne was out of jail and assisting law enforcement.
Operational security within the department wasn't the best. Paris seemed to know everything that happened as it happened. She was no stranger to paying informants. I’m sure she had no shortage of takers.
On a county salary, every little extra bit helps.
The sun hovered just barely over the horizon. The sky was multiple shades of pink and orange mixed with a hint of teal. It was a beautiful sunset. In minutes, it would disappear over the horizon, and the night would reign.
I kept eyes on Daphne as she headed out toward Shark Reef. She cut the engines as she arrived, and the boat slumped into the swells. Daphne dropped anchor, then peeled out of her clothes. With a bikini on underneath, she donned her gear and gave a cautious look around.
My God, that woman looked good in a bikini.
We were far enough away that I don't think she noticed us.
She put up a Diver Down flag, plunged into the water, and swam to the inky depths.
JD and I approached at a slow speed and pulled alongside the center console. I hopped over the gunwale and boarded the boat, waiting for Daphne to surface.
Jack pulled away so as not to spook her. Hopefully, she was too preoccupied searching the reef for the stolen loot to notice.
She was down about 15 minutes before she surfaced. From the water, she tossed a brick of something wrapped in plastic onto the deck, then climbed to the swim platform.
The size was different from typical kilos of cocaine or heroin. I didn't figure her for a drug runner.
Her eyes rounded when she caught sight of me.
I helped her aboard the boat. "So good to see you again. I thought we had lost each other forever.”
"Looks like fate has brought us back together.”
I grabbed the brick, pulled out my knife, and cut through it. I wasn't totally surprised to see stacks of cash. "There's gotta be a hundred thousand dollars here.”
"A girl's gotta have a little walking around money.”
"You stashed a hundred thousand dollars at the bottom of Shark Reef?”
"I don't trust banks,” she said with a shrug. “Where else was I going to keep it? My apartment?”
With accusing eyes, I asked, "Where did this come from?”
She shrugged.
"If you can't prove a source of income, the county will have to confiscate it.”
She scowled at me. “You just want my money.”
“I have no interest in your money.”
"I just needed a little something to cover operating expenses.”
"I don't think you have to worry about that anymore. The county is more than happy to cover your living expenses moving forward.”
Daphne's face twisted. "You're not taking me back to jail, are you? You still haven't gotten what you want."
Jack pulled alongside in the Raptor.
"I'm not sure you can give me what I want," I said.
"Honey, I've got everything you need," she said with a sultry grin.
"I'm immune to your charms, so don't even try. Where's the dagger? Is it down there?”
Daphne shook her head. "No. I don't like to keep all my eggs in one basket.”
I regarded her with a healthy dose of skepticism.
The boats swayed with the swells, and the waves lapped against the fiberglass hulls. The sun had disappeared, and the sky had turned to gray.
"Kind of dangerous to be diving out here alone, don't you think?”
Daphne shrugged. "Sometimes you have to take risks."
"Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”
"Really?”
"Really!”
She huffed but complied. I slapped the cuffs on her.
"What are you going to do with the money?”
"It will get logged into the property department. You can make a claim to get it back.”
"Or we could forget all about it and split it.”
"I don't need the money.”
"Sugar, everybody needs money.”
I escorted her to a seat. "Don't move.”
"Where am I going to go?”
"You’re going to tell me where I can find the dagger.”
Daphne said nothing.
I climbed aboard the Raptor, did safety checks on the gear, then prepared to go for a little swim. Jack kept an eye on Daphne while I plunged into the water with a tactical flashlight and swam to the depths.
Shark Reef had earned its name for a reason. It was popular with bulls. But for the most part, if you kept to yourself and didn't look like a dying fish, the odds were good.