Get Charlie Noah

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SIX

Ben always thrilled to moving beneath the ocean. Breathing air in a heavy pressured foreign liquid environment where humans were visitors for only brief occasions before having to return to land and fresh air. He checked his watch and depth gauge before moving across a huge sponge garden, gently touching their soft surfaces. Fish swarmed around him, hoping that he would unearth something for them to eat. They were used to humans. Others had been here before him many times and that had been the case before the Frenchman purchased the cove and blocked off the access road.

Ben swam slowly around a huge bed of green weed waving gently in the onshore current. The sand and weed ended abruptly as he came to the edge of the drop off. Even after years of diving Ben always felt some degree of apprehension when he approached the edge of an abyss. He looked over the edge, hovering for a moment before commencing his descent. As he approached the bottom at around 20 metres, several reef sharks approached him. One seemed to be more inquisitive than the others and it came quite close, watching him with black eyes. It was only a small shark, perhaps two metres long but quite harmless if left alone and not cornered or threatened. The environment in which Ben usually existed seemed a million miles away as he became a part of the silent underwater world.

He glided slowly up the sponge and coral covered rock face, accompanied by three reef sharks and a variety of large fish. No wonder the Frenchman had named this place "magic". The sun threw jagged beams of light down onto the sand at the top of the drop off. He moved toward a large bed of swaying sea weed, running his hands through the thick broad blades.

It was just a glint of bright light amongst the weed but it was enough to stop Ben and make him turn back. Probably just the sun shining on a bright shell. He searched. There it was again. He adjusted his buoyancy vest and sank slowly into the green weed. It wasn't a shell. It was a large gold bracelet. He picked it up and swam out of the weed bed to a sandy place where he could stop and examine this exciting find. Huge chunky gold links with the clasp undone and the tiny safety chain hanging loose. Three gold charms were attached to the bracelet. One was a small boar's tooth. The next was a little open book with the initials "CN" inscribed inside. The next appeared to be a heart but it was roughly shaped and hung sideways from the bracelet. The word "LOVE" was inscribed in the centre of the heart. What appeared to be tiny rubies had been inserted into the gold on what would have been the top of the heart if it had not been hung sideways. The initials "JAM" were inscribed on the back of the heart. Ben tucked this amazing find into the top of his wetsuit. Whoever CN or JAM was would be missing this fine piece of jewellery and would be overwhelmed to have it returned. He would make inquiries. He swam slowly towards the beach. At the five metre depth mark he suddenly recalled what Rick had said in relation to Pamela. "She also wants an underwater metal detector". Why would anyone want an underwater metal detector in a place like this? It was clear that this bracelet hadn't been in the ocean for more than a few days. It wasn't even slightly discoloured. Could Pamela have been looking for it? How could that possibly fit in with the initials CN or JAM inscribed on the charms? Questions and no answers. Ben hated that. He would get the answers and ensure that what was obviously an extremely expensive bracelet was returned to the rightful owner.

Ben lay the bracelet down on the marble bench top in the kitchen. He took photographs from various angles and then close-up photos of the boar's tooth, the initials on each side of the book and the curious side mounted heart with 12 tiny red rubies set on the curved end. He noted that the small safety chain had become undone from one side of the bracelet and the main catch seemed to be loose. The wearer had lost it accidently and probably while diving as it was quite a way out from the shore. Private property signs had been erected on each side of the cove and he hadn't seen boats in the cove or attempting to land since he arrived. He found that somewhat unusual in fact because his experience of human nature was that people loved breaking rules, especially where it came to invading the privacy of other individuals.