Page 6

“Was it Grandpa’s handwriting?”

“We don’t know. The document examiner hasn’t seen it yet.”

“But you thought of me.”

“Yes.”

Ward reached me.

“What happened?” he asked.

I put the call on speaker.

“Ward is here.”

“Good,” Ben said. “I was going to call him next.”

Ward’s expression hardened.

“What did you find?”

“A body in a sealed chamber. Approximately three years deceased.”

“Ross?”

“No.”

Ward looked toward the ocean.

“Who?”

“We don’t know.”

I heard voices in the background on Ben’s end. A door opened, followed by the clipped sound of someone issuing instructions.

“Ben?” I said.

“I’m here.”

“Where are you?”

“Inside the Coast Guard command office.”

“Are you alone?”

“No. Commander Keating and two investigators are with me.”

That reassured me more than I wanted to admit.

Ward held out his hand for the phone.

I gave it to him.

“What is the threat assessment?” he asked.

“The Coast Guard has Blackwater locked down. They found signs that someone entered through the eastern maintenance tunnel within the last few days.”

Ward became completely still.