Riley flipped the coin over. The familiar words, Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité were inscribed around the edge of the coin. In the center it read 50 Francs and between the number and the word, Riley saw something that looked liked etchings. A Spanish lullaby this time. Etchings on the coin. A new puzzle.
She would find him.
Riley took a deep breath and the rain-washed air tasted fresh and clean. The ashy taste was gone. She started laughing and though tears wet her cheeks, she didn’t mind this time. The librairie in town might carry a magnifying glass. And maps. She’d need maps.
She stuffed the iPod into her jacket pocket and started walking back down the quay toward the centreville. Her pace quickened until she was almost skipping.
Theo had told her to be careful, so she kept glancing back over her shoulder.
Cole was crazy.
But the next time she looked, the tall man in the green jogging suit had fallen in behind her.
The end
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The true story of the French submarine Surcouf is a fascinating and tragic chapter from World War II. When she was commissioned in 1934, she was the largest submarine in the world. In February of 1942, while serving under the Free French flag, she left Bermuda bound for Panama and disappeared. One hundred and thirty-one men died with her making the Surcouf one of the deadliest submarine disasters on record. Though the wreck has never been found, many theories about her demise have been proposed by authors, archeologists, military specialists and conspiracy buffs.
This book is a work of fiction, and I have taken a great many liberties with what is known and what is surmised about the fate of Surcouf. The characters in this book are not based on any of the real crew members of the Surcouf, and this imaginary tale does not reflect the great respect and admiration I have for the French and British naval men who sacrificed their lives for the Allies’ cause.
It is my hope that my readers will become intrigued with Surcouf and spend a little time on the Internet reading about this marvelous chapter in naval history.
–Christine Kling
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank the following people for their help, ideas, support and encouragement: Kevin Foster for bringing me the idea of SURCOUF, James Rusbridger, author of Who Killed Surcouf, my editors Ramona DeFelice Long and Mary Jastrzebski, my mentors Jim Hall and Lynne Barrett, friends Bruce Amlicke, Kathleen Ginestra, Barbara Lichter, my Britishisms reader Judith Reiss, my brother and fight expert Stephen Gray, explosives expert Paul Laska, Intelligence community critics Michael John Smith and Ed Magno, readers M. Diane Vogt, Joyce Li, Kerry Fisher, Linda Lowe, Rochelle Stabb, Emily Adams, Hawkeye Sheene, PJ Arnn, Lynn Hightower, the muddlers from Writers in Paradise, members of the Bluewater writers group Mike Jastrzebski, Neil Plakcy, Sharon Potts, and Miriam Auerbach, my fellow contributors at writeonethewater dot com, and Akinoluna of afemalemarine dot com.
The cover art for this book was done by Robin Ludwig Design, Inc.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christine Kling has spent more than thirty years messing about with boats. Her articles and stories have appeared in many boating publications including Sailing, Cruising World, and Motor Boating & Sailing and her short stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. It was her sailing experience that led her to set her first nautical suspense novel, SURFACE TENSION (2002), on the New River in Fort Lauderdale. Featuring Florida female tug and salvage captain, Seychelle Sullivan, the first book was followed by CROSS CURRENT (2004), BITTER END (2005), and WRECKERS’ KEY (2007). Her latest book CIRCLE OF BONES (2011) is Christine’s first stand-alone sailing thriller. Having retired from her job as an English professor at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Christine lives aboard her 33-foot boat Talespinner and goes wherever the wind and free wifi may take her.
Visit Christine at http://www.christinekling.com
Christine’s eBooks Available on Kindle
Surface Tension
Cross Current
Bitter End
Wreckers’ Key
Sea Bitch: Four Tales of Nautical Noir
Circle of Bones
Table of Contents
Title page
Copyright
Dedication
Inscription
Map
Prologue
1-Royal Naval Dockyard
2-The island of Guadeloupe
3-At sea off Guadeloupe
4-New Haven
5-At sea off Guadeloupe
6-The Atlantic south of Bermuda
7-Aboard the Bonefish
8–The harbor at Point-a-Pitre
9- Washington, DC
10–Pointe-à-Pitre
11-Marigot Bay, Guadeloupe
12-Pointe-à-Pitre
13-The Atlantic south of Bermuda
14-Pointe-à-Pitre
15–Pointe-à-Pitre
16–Pointe-à-Pitre
17-Aboard the Bonefish
18-Aboard the Shadow Chaser
19-Le Mambo Cafe
20-The Atlantic south of Bermuda
21-Le Gosier
22-Aboard the Bonefish
23-Grand Terre, Guadeloupe
24-Fort Napoleon
25-Bourges des Saintes
26-Îles des Saintes
27-The Atlantic south of Bermuda
28-Îles des Saintes
29-Îles des Saintes
30-Aboard Bonefish
31-Aboard Bonefish
32-The Atlantic south of Bermuda
33-Aboard the Fish n’ Chicks
34-Aboard the Bonefish
35-Aboard the Shadow Chaser
36-Bourges des Saintes
37-Aboard Shadow Chaser
38-Aboard the Shadow Chaser
39-The Atlantic south of Bermuda
40-Aboard the Shadow Chaser
41-From Bonefish to Shadow Chaser
42-Portsmouth, Dominica
43-Aboard Fish n’ Chicks
44-Portsmouth, Dominica
45-Indian River, Dominica
46-Indian River, Dominica
47–The Atlantic south of Bermuda
48-Indian River, Dominica
49-Indian River, Dominica
50-In the air
51-The Atlantic Ocean
52-Îles des Saintes
53- Washington, DC
54-McLean, Virginia
55-Foggy Bottom
56-McLean, Virginia
57-Foggy Bottom
58-The Atlantic Ocean
59-Foggy Bottom
60-The Library of Congress
61-Washington, DC
62-Washington, DC
63-Washington, DC
64-Georgetown
65-At sea off Guadeloupe
66-Georgetown
67-Georgetown
68-Leesburg, Virginia
69-Leesburg, Virginia
70-Fort Napoleon
71-Aboard the Savannah Jane
72-Aboard the Savannah Jane
73-The Caribbean Sea off Guadeloupe
74-Scott’s Head Bay, Dominica
75-Scott’s Head Bay, Dominica
76-Îles des Saintes
77-Scot’s Head Bay, Dominica
78-Aboard the Bonefish
79-Aboard Fast Eddie
80-Aboard the Bonefish
81-Aboard Shadow Chaser
82-Aboard the Bonefish
83-Aboard the Shadow Chaser
84-From Bonefish to Fast Eddie
85-Off Îles de la Petite Terre
86-Aboard Fast Eddie
87-Aboard Shadow Chaser
Epilogue - Cherbourg, France
Author's Note
Acknowledgments
About the author
Books by Christine Kling