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Mary grimaced at her white, pruny hands as she opened and closed them.
“Hold your neighbors’ hands and everyone raise them out of the water. Let the sun warm them.” Alex stopped to clear his throat. His voice was becoming hoarse. “The water’s a lot cooler than your body temperature, and you don’t have any exposure protection on your hands like the wetsuit for your body. Again, maintain your grip on your neighbor.” He checked his watch again.
It was after 3 p.m.
Where are they?
He tightened the straps on his own BCD, making sure it was secure before going around and tightening each diver’s tank band.
Teresa, Turtle Guy’s wife, looked worried, her head whipping around and her eyes darting everywhere. “We’ve been out here forever. What if they don’t come? I’m getting cold and really tired.” Her breathing was escalating. “My God. What if they can’t find us?”
CHAPTER 30
“Patti, it’s a shame to keep all these staff photos inside the office,” Hope said. She’d spent the morning running an idea through her head, and it was time to do something about it. The two women stood in the lobby, ceiling fans cooling the air above them.
“We have the best employees on the island,” Hope said. “Let’s show them off. There’s this huge expanse of white space on the lobby wall—let’s hang the photos here. Guests love to know who the staff is, so we should give them the opportunity.”
Patti regarded the blank wall. “Hope, that’s a fantastic idea. We can start now.”
“Let’s wait.” Hope clasped her upper arm. “I’d like to get updated photos of everyone. That picture of Alex has to go—it will scare small children. He looks like he’s ready to rip the arms off a gorilla.”
Patti laughed. “Yes, he is rather intense in that photo.” She paused, tapping her lips. “New pictures for a new start! I love it. These ones are over four years old.”
“Yeah, I noticed they seemed kind of outdated. There are people in those pictures I don’t even recognize.”
Patti sighed. “We’ve been coastin’ for a while now. It just took you comin’ here for us to notice.” She squeezed Hope’s hand, then headed into the office as the phone rang. Hope continued studying the blank wall.
“Half Moon Bay Resort, Patti speakin’.” She paused. “Actually, I am the manager in charge at the moment. What is this regardin’, please?”
Hope turned her full attention to the office as Patti listened on the phone, her posture getting stiffer and more alarmed before she finally exclaimed, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Are they all right?”
“What’s wrong?”
Patti waved her off. “Yes, I understand. We’ll stand by here.” She hung up the phone and leaned her hands on the desk, blinking rapidly as her chest heaved.
“Patti, what is going on? Talk to me!”
She stared at Hope, trembling and wide-eyed as shock transformed her face. “That was the Coast Guard. The dive boat sank. Tommy got off an SOS, and the Coast Guard is on the way to their last-known location. But that’s all they know. Hope, the boat sank!”
Hope’s blood roared in her ears, and gooseflesh broke out all over. They’d had a full boat this morning—eight divers plus Alex and Tommy.
Ten people out there unaccounted for.
She lifted both hands to her mouth, tears coming to her eyes. “Are they ok? Please tell me they’re ok.”
Patti collapsed into her chair and stared at her, glassy-eyed. “They don’t know. All the Coast Guard got was the Mayday call. They asked us to stay by the phone and said they’d call with an update as soon as they have more information.”
Hope glanced at the wall clock.
It was just past noon.
“Patti, we have to let everyone here at the resort know.” She tapped her fingers on her arm as she started pacing. “Family members with loved ones out there are staying here.”
“Yes, I agree. I only wish we had more to tell them.”
“Dammit, I can’t believe we don’t have cordless phones here! That means someone needs to stay by the phone at all times. You and I need to spearhead this, ok? Let’s trade off every hour. Why don’t you stay in here for the first hour and I’ll get the guests rounded up in the restaurant, so I only have to make one announcement for updates? We can make that our central hub.”
Hope stopped pacing. “We’re fully booked right now with sixteen guests. Eight were on the dive boat this morning. Two went on a zip-line tour, so they won’t be back for another couple of hours. Another two were the wives of two divers on the boat.”
