Donovans 01 - Amber Beach

his best Lithuanian amber connections might be in the United States trying to pass himself off as a fishing guide.
    Jake couldn’t think of a single good reason. Bad ones were easy. He had always suspected that the son of a bitch was working for more than one master. Now the only question was, which two or three or four? Politics in the Baltic states was a blood sport based on thousands of years of grudges. Everyone could play. No entry fee necessary. No way out of the game.
    “Was he alone?” Jake asked, flicking a finger at the sketch.
    “I didn’t see anyone else.”
    “What about a car or a truck?”
    “I didn’t look for one. Once I opened that door, all I could think of was getting it closed again. Fast.”
    “I don’t blame you. This guy looks like a nasty bit of business.”
    And he was. Pavlov might not be real long on brains, but he had the kind of contacts that were invaluable in a society where the good guys and the bad guys were a matter of opinion and nobody agreed on anything, even the color of the sky. Both Donovan International and Emerging Resources had purchased Pavlov’s expertise in the past.
    Jake wondered who was buying it now.
    Carefully he folded the sketch and tucked it into his jacket pocket, even though he no longer needed to ask around to find out the man’s identity. He didn’t want Honor asking how he knew Pavlov.
    “Did you lock up the boat good and tight?” Jake asked.
    “Somehow I don’t think theft will be a problem.”
    “Because this is such a small, backward town?” he asked dryly.
    “No. Because after you left I took the rotor cap out of the distributor. The Tomorrow ’s engine won’t start.”
    His eyebrows lifted. So much for his idea of offering to keep an eye on the boat by sleeping on it—and using the time to go through the electronics without having Honor looking over his shoulder.
    There were several ways to hide something the size of the amber shipment. The quickest, cheapest way was to bury it under the sea and mark its location electronically. Salt water didn’t leave trails and didn’t hurt amber. Kyle’s Zodiac, diving suit, and handheld GPS receiver were missing, along with an anchor heavy enough to sink a fortune in amber. All Jake needed to do was ferret out the electronic treasure map from the Tomorrow ’s computer.
    “So you disabled the engine, huh?” he asked. “Did you bring the electronics up to the house?”
    “I didn’t even think of it. Isn’t everything bolted down?”
    “Not quite.”
    She frowned. “Are you saying that the electronics are easy to remove and reinstall?”
    “Not the way your brother has them rigged.”
    “Leave it to Kyle to do things the hard way. Now what?”
    “No problem. I’ll just move aboard the Tomorrow for a while. That way nobody can break in and make off with thousands of dollars in electronics.”
    “You think somebody is after Kyle’s computer?”
    Honor was awfully damned quick, Jake thought uncomfortably. Not that it should surprise him. The other Donovans he had met weren’t stupid.
    “Computers are expensive, portable, and pawnable,” he said. “That makes them a target.”
    “I locked the boat.”
    He hesitated, then mentally shrugged and went for the gold ring. After all the instructions he had heaped on her head today, plus reading Chapman’s, she should have figured out that she wouldn’t turn into a boat driver overnight. If she was after the amber, she needed a trusty native guide.
    Or at least a knowledgeable one.
    “After reading the newspaper,” Jake said, “it wouldn’t surprise me if every amateur hard-ass with dreams of finding a fortune in amber is after your brother. A locked cabin door with a glass panel isn’t much of a barrier against that kind of ambition.”
    Without meaning to, Honor looked around the small cottage. The newly installed locks taunted her with all that she didn’t know about Kyle, stolen amber, and questions Archer wouldn’t answer.
    “I guess I can sleep on the boat,” she said.
    Clearly the idea didn’t appeal to her.
    “Why bother?” he asked. “I like being on the water. You don’t.”
    She grimaced but didn’t argue the point. “Are you sure you don’t mind sleeping on the boat?”
    “Positive. Put the engine back together while I get some stuff from home. I’ll move aboard tonight.”
    “But what if a burglar does try to break in?”
    “I’ll scream.”
    “That will be a big help.”
    “Don’t knock it