Mark of the Devil Read Free Page B

facing the beach took it head-on.”
    “Coulda been worse,” Steve said. “At least my son got the boat out of the water over at the marina in time.” Turning to Matt, he added, “But you still haven’t told me why you’re here. Navy call you back to active duty to take over a Special Warfare Detachment at Mayport?”
    Matt laughed. “Not hardly. I’m still head of security at NAARPA. My Aunt Freddie died about a month and a half ago and left me a house over on Fourth Avenue North here in Jax Beach. Came down from Charleston just before the storm hit to put it on the market with an old friend over at Watson Realty. Unfortunately, looks like it’s gonna be awhile before he can do anything with it. Storm took off part of the roof.”
    “If the roof is all that’s damaged, you’re lucky.”
    “Yeah. Finally reached a Jacksonville roofing company this morning, but they can’t get to it till later this week or next. I haven’t decided whether to head back to Charleston or wait here for the roof to get fixed.”
    Park took a swig of his beer and slapped Matt on the shoulder. “Tell you what, ol’ buddy, if you stay, I’ve got just the thing.”
    Matt laughed and raised one eyebrow. “Last time you had
just the thing
for me, Park, I damn near drowned on that goddamn shipwreck off Mayport. What is it this time?”
    “This.” Park pulled a folded sheet of paper from his hip pocket, opened it, and used the fleshy edge of his hand to smooth it flat on the bar counter. “Fax from the Coast Guard. Tug and barge caught in the hurricane little less than three miles off Jax Beach. Heading south from Brunswick to Port Everglades. Tugboat skipper cut the barge loose and made it back into the St. Johns River as far as Blount Island before going aground.”
    “What happened to the barge?”
    “Nobody knows for sure, but they think it’s probably on the bottom near where he cut it loose. It was taking on water pretty bad.”
    Matt reached over and, with the tip of his finger, slid the sheet of paper closer until he was able to read aloud, “With all Coast Guard assets currently employed, it will be at least two weeks before we’ll be able to locate and mark the barge as a hazard to navigation. Based on your willingness in the past to work with the Coast Guard, your assistance in this effort is requested. All expenses relative to the operation of locating and buoying off the barge will be reimbursed. Sincerely, John W. Worley, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Group Mayport.”
    Matt pushed the fax back in Park’s direction. “Steve Park to the rescue, huh? Gonna do it?”
    “Probably not far enough out to be in the normal shipping lanes, but it can screw the hell out of a shrimper’s net. I was gonna try to do it tomorrow, but I’m shorthanded right now. Son’s wife’s expecting anytime, so don’t want him stuck out there with me if the baby comes knocking.”
    “You got nobody else?”
    “My two dive masters, but one’s in Texas visiting relatives, the other’s on crutches with a broken leg. Motorcycle accident. How ‘bout it? The shop’ll be closed for another day or two anyway. I’ll furnish the dive gear. Anything you want. You can keep it when we’re finished, courtesy of Uncle Sam’s Coast Guard.”
    Matt shrugged his shoulders. “Something to do while I’m waiting on the roofers, I guess. Let me call Ashley and let her know this is taking a few days longer than I thought. If she’s tied up on a job, she’ll have tunnel vision until it’s over and won’t know whether I’m around or not.”
    Park finished his beer before turning to Matt. “Never met Ashley. Your second wife, right?”
    “Yeah, four years now.”
    “You never told me what happened to your first wife. Peyton, wasn’t it?”
    Matt sat for a moment, gnawing at his bottom lip, slowly dredging up part of the past he really wanted to keep locked in the deep freeze of his mind. Finally, he said, “She died in childbirth. In