Page 73 of The Sunken Truth
“That’s as long as you can keep him for?”
“Legally, we could keep him longer, but logistically things are different over here. We don’t have the same facilities and staff as we would on the mainland.”
“I see.”
“Plus, the superintendent is leaving tomorrow, so this is my last chance to show him I’m capable of my job.”
“You’re great at your job,” she said, her words tinged with irritation.
“Anyway, I’m on my way to track down Benji and see what he has to say.”
“He knew about Kurt finding the cigar box?”
“It seems like it. I want to check if his story matches Kurt’s.”
“Good idea.”
“Can you come with me?”
“You don’t need me to hold your hand.”
“I realise that. What I need is for you to do your investigative thing and figure out who cut Ryan’s air hose.”
“You’re perfectly capable of figuring it out yourself.”
“I’m running around in circles,” he told her.
“I always feel like that too, but if you’re finding new information, it means you’re getting closer to the truth.”
Flynn shook his head impatiently. “I’m going to see if Ryan knows where I can find Benji. Once I know where he lives, I’ll message you and meet you there.”
“I’m working,” she said. “And you can do this alone. Stop doubting yourself.”
“Don’t do that,” he said.
“What?”
“Leave me to figure it out alone because you think I need the confidence boost. I don’t. All I need is to get to the bottom of this and my best shot at that is you.”
“That’s not true.”
“I know I’m good at my job,” he said. “But detective work isn’t actually my job. You’re good at it. Help me out so I have a shot at earning the superintendent’s respect.”
“I won’t be getting any credit then?” she joked.
“Absolutely not.” A smile pulled at his lips. “Please don’t make me beg.”
“Fine. I’ll tell Jessica I’m nipping out for an hour. But only an hour.”
“That’s fine. I have every confidence you can figure it out in an hour.”
“Wecan,” she said pointedly. “I’ll head for Ryan’s place. Let me know if I should meet you elsewhere.”
At the side of the dive shop, the door to the garage stood open and Flynn wandered in, letting his eyes trail over the collection of oxygen tanks and storage boxes neatly labelled with the relevant diving equipment. A rack of wetsuits hung on one side of the room, and shelves held more assorted items.
“Looking for something in particular?” a gruff voice asked.
“Hi,” Flynn said, turning to Ryan. “I wanted to speak to Benji. Do you know where I might find him?”
