Page 10 of The Sunken Truth
“Starving.” Lily jumped up and took a sandwich from the box Seren held out. Then her eyes slid to the women on the higher deck, and she waved sheepishly. “Sorry,” she said.
“Not at all,” the blonde woman said. “You’re very welcome. Can I tempt you to a tequila shot?” She raised the bottle and her gaze roamed over the others in Ted’s boat. “Who wants one? Kit Treneary come over here and have a drink with us!”
“We’re only having a lunch break,” he said cheerfully. “Then we’re going back into the water.”
“What’s your point?” the woman said, then fell into fits of laughter with her friends.
Lily came back to sit beside Flynn with a sandwich in each hand. “No wonder I caught you contemplating jumping overboard,” she whispered in his ear.
He knocked his shoulder against hers, then lowered his face to take a bite of her sandwich.
“You said you already ate!” she chastised.
“I did.” He chewed slowly. “That was purely to annoy you.”
She held his gaze, and her eyes sparkled. “I’m not sure anything could annoy me today.”
“Be careful… that sounds like a challenge to my ears.”
“I really don’t think even you can annoy me,” she said cockily.
A sudden influx of small waves rolled up to the boat, soaking Flynn’s trousers where they were rolled at his knees. When he cursed, Lily reached down and splashed more over his face.
Smiling, he stood. “You realise I’m an officer of the law, doing a very important job?”
“I actually wouldn’t have guessed that.”
As more waves rushed at the boat, Flynn finally looked up and registered the speedboat bobbing on the waves and heading slowly in their direction. He spotted Sergeant Proctor first, then the superintendent beside him.
“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Flynn muttered while hastily rolling his trouser legs down. Not bothering with his socks, he shoved his bare feet into his boots.
“Uh oh!” Lily said merrily. “Sergeant Proctor caught you flashing your calves. You’re in trouble now.”
Ignoring her, Flynn pulled his shirt straight and locked eyes with the superintendent.
“PC Grainger,” he said as the boat bobbed on the waves.
Flynn flicked his chin. “Superintendent Brand. Good to see you again.” The blatant lie felt toxic in his throat and his reaction to seeing his superior was visceral and all-consuming.The man was on a mission to ruin Flynn’s life and so far he’d been doing a great job of it.
“I see policing over here is a little different from London. Not so much time for sunbathing back there. We stay in uniform when on duty, too.”
Flynn’s heart raced erratically. The desire to grab the nearest object and fling it at the superintendent was intense. Probably not the best idea, though. Especially since the nearest object was an oxygen tank.
“Just trying to keep cool,” Flynn said, feeling as helpless as a small boy.
The superintendent tipped his head. “As I say, things are a little different here.”
“It’s hot,” Lily piped up. “Surely you don’t have a problem with him keeping cool. He’s not much good to anyone if he collapses from heat stroke.”
A quick glance confirmed Flynn’s suspicion that everyone on the surrounding boats was watching the exchange.
“I have no problem with officers keeping cool,” the superintendent said, eyes sliding over Lily in a way that had Flynn’s fingers itching to grab the oxygen tank. “I would just expect them to use their brain and keep cool by placing themselves in some shade.” He looked pointedly at the cover on the top deck.
“Everything all right out here?” the sergeant asked, smiling reassuringly at Flynn.
“Yes. Nothing to report.”
“No one’s found gold yet?”
