Dillon stood at the top of the steps, and looked out across the river for a moment before entering the building. Once inside he took the lift up to his penthouse apartment on the top floor, immediately poured himself a large single malt whiskey, and then went and slumped down on to one of the leather sofas.
On the second morning; Nathan Cunningham got up early, showered, and after leaving his daughter a short note to say where he was going, had gone for a long walk along the beach. By the time he returned, Annabelle was up and cooking him a breakfast of eggs and bacon. He went through to the airy living room and pulled aside one of the large glass panels that opened out onto the timber deck. He went outside, and was about to sit down with his newspaper, when there was a loud knock at the front door. Nathan went to see who it was. And was greeted by the genial face of the local postman, Nigel Tanner.
“I’ve got a very heavy package for you, Commander Cunningham. If you would be so kind as to sign here, please.” Nathan scribbled his name on the line that Nigel was pointing to, “I’d just like to say, that on behalf of everyone hereabouts, it’s good to see you back and looking so well, Commander.” He went down the drive, looked back and gave Nathan a friendly wave, before disappearing around the corner at the bottom of the driveway.
“Who was that, Pops?”
“Only the post.” Nathan carried the heavy package out onto the deck, and placing it on the table top he started to unwrap it. As he tore away the packaging, the silver of a small chest glinted in the brilliant morning sunshine. He felt the tingle run through his body, just like it had the first time he’d found the tunnel entrance at Devil’s Hole. He carefully turned the key in the lock, and opened the lid of the small chest.
Annabelle came outside with two plates in her hands, and immediately spotted the vivid purple silk ruffled inside.
“The box is empty, except for this note,” Nathan said, looking up at his daughter. “By the looks of it, LJ sent it.” Nathan unfolded the neat square of paper.
“But why would he send it? I thought that it was going to be locked up and hidden away forever, or something.”
“Oh, you’re quite right. The spear head will I’m sure, have been locked away in some vault, deep beneath the corridors of power in London.”
“So what does the note say?”
Nathan picked up his reading glasses, and put them on.
My dear Nathan, I thought that you may like to have the chest as a lasting memento of your discovery. Like the mystery of U-683, the secret is within.
Your old friend, Edward.
“How kind of him,” Annabelle commented.
Nathan tucked into his cooked breakfast, every now and then looking out across the brilliant blue waters of Bonne Nuit Bay, and thinking how lucky he was to live in such an idyllic place. But, there was something about the note, that LJ had placed inside the box that nagged away at the back of his mind. He finished eating and pushed the plate to one side, he dragged the small silver box towards him, and carefully ran his hands over the silk lining. After a minute or two, he started to peel away the delicate material from the sides.
The false panel came out easily to reveal a hidden compartment. Twenty or thirty gold coins, each with a Nazi eagle firmly stamped into the centre were scattered around the bottom. Holding one up, the gold glinted in the sunshine. A seagull squawked high above in a sky of unbroken blue, and Nathan Cunningham laughed out loud. Until the next time…