He asked for Tabitha’s input every now and again, but he kept his audience rapt, not needing much help to get across the gravity of the situation.
When he finally finished, there were questions from all quarters.
“You’re okay now?”
“Where’s your sub, Tabitha?”
“Did this have anything to do with your decision to leave the Merchant Marines?”
“What are you two going to do?”
Tabitha, with a look toward Spencer for his approval—which he gave—answered the last query.
“Spencer has decided to start his own diving company right here in Maine. It’ll be a store and a school, for sure, but it will mostly be a firm that can be hired to do all kinds of underwater work. He hopes, optimally, to assemble a team that will help local authorities with rescue operations. I may be a part of that unit.”
Mason nodded, looking thoughtful. “The area sure could use an organized outfit like that,” he said. “Mostly we rely on a few of the guys on the SWAT team who have diving experience, or on the local PD’s and Fire Departments to send out their divers, but there’s no group that is one-hundred percent vested in thosejobs that are often emergencies. Sometimes it takes way too long to amass enough rescue personnel.”
“Exactly,” Spencer responded with excitement.
He went on to outline all the tasks with which his new outfit would have expertise, and how Buck had agreed that if things looked achievable, he’d easily sign on. He also praised Tabitha’s skills and her connections, which hopefully would help them get started.
As the family hashed things out—everyone putting in their two cents—Tabitha realized it was time for her nightly call to her sister.
“If you’ll excuse me. I have to talk to my sister in Florida,” she said to no one in particular.
Ellen heard her and steered her to a small room off the kitchen that served as a den. “It should be quiet enough in here. Take your time. I won’t put food on the table until you’re finished.”
“Thank you,” Tabitha nodded, already dialing.
She watched Ellen leave the room as the call went right to Sheila’s unused mailbox.
Huh.It wasn’t like her sister to miss their nightly girl-time.
Tabitha tried dialing again.
Once more, the phone went directly to voicemail.
That was strange. Tabitha hoped her sister was alright.
Should she…?
Yeah.There’s no way Tabitha would feel relaxed enough to eat until she found out her sister was okay. She dialed one of the house monitor’s numbers.
“Hey, Mindy. This is Tabitha.”
“Oh, hi, Tabbi. What’s up?”
“I was hoping you could tell me. I just tried calling Sheila, and I didn’t get an answer. Is she in one of the common rooms?”
“Uh, no. I haven’t seen her since this morning. But I wouldn’t worry,” Mindy laughed. “She was busy raiding the kitchen for a bunch of food so she could spend the day working on what she said was a special project in her room.” Mindy chuckled again. “She also said she wasn’t to be disturbed for any reason, then carried off enough snacks to easily last her into next week.”
Tabitha got a bad feeling in her stomach.
She didn’t know why. Sheila never…
“Listen. Mindy. Can you go look in on her for me, please? If she has a fit that you’re encroaching on her space, you can tell her it’s my fault.”
“Sure. Give me a second.”
