Page 43 of The Sunken Truth
“From the shipwreck?” Flynn asked. “The one on the sea floor, which has been underwater for more than a century?”
Grinning, the man wagged a finger. “I know what you’re thinking… that such documents wouldn’t survive underwater, but you’d be surprised what we’ve found in relatively well-preserved states.”
Lily exchanged a puzzled look with Flynn. “How?”
“Paperwork was often protected in oilskin cloths and steelchests. Certainly, we wouldn’t expect to find anything perfectly preserved, but it’s entirely possible that we find enough clues to piece together what happened. Did Mr Tremayne tell you anything about the circumstances of the shipwreck?”
“He said it went down in a storm,” Flynn said.
Lily wrinkled her nose. “He says his grandfather was smuggling gold from South Africa, but surely he wouldn’t have made an insurance claim for smuggled gold?”
“No. Absolutely not. The insurance claim is for silk, and for the ship itself.” He steepled his fingers under his chin. “The insurance company asked a few questions at the time. Funnily enough, the lack of a log book was suspicious. Usually, it’s something which the captain and his crew would be keen to save. Them not saving it raised questions. Though, they argued that in the chaos of the storm, they didn’t have a chance.” He paused for a moment. “Sergeant Proctor mentioned that Mr Tremayne is keen to get his hands on any gold recovered from the wreck…”
Flynn and Lily nodded in unison.
“Does it seem he wants any other artefacts or only the gold?”
“Both, as far as I’m aware, but he was offering a higher reward for the gold.”
Morris rubbed his palms together. “It’s certainly interesting.”
“Is it?” Flynn asked.
Morris had a twinkle in his eyes. “Technically, if evidence of insurance fraud comes to light, the descendants could be called to pay the money back.”
Lily’s eyes bulged. “Even though it’s a hundred and something years later.”
“If the insurance company is still in existence, it’s apossibility,” Morris said. “Though I can’t imagine it. If Mr Tremayne was worried about that, he’d be keen to get his hands on the logbook too. Or maybe he’s not asking about it because he knows it’s not down there. He might have it at home! Maybe the logbook was never lost, only hidden by the captain.”
Flynn rubbed at his forehead. “My primary concern is that Mr Tremayne has been offering cash rewards when he shouldn’t be. His reasons aren’t overly interesting to me.”
“I think it’s fascinating,” Lily said, tilting her head. “What happens if gold is found down there?”
“Then we’d have an exciting new exhibit for the museum.”
“TheBritishMuseum?” Lily asked.
Fairly sure he knew where her thoughts were, Flynn inwardly grimaced.
“Yes,” Morris said.
“But if there is gold, it was stolen from South Africa,” Lily said. “You wouldn’t ask if they wanted it back?”
Morris grunted and shifted in his seat. “If it’s found in British waters it would more than likely be kept in the British Museum.”
“Hmm.” Lily’s eyes sparkled with delight. “How many items in the British Museum are technically stolen goods?”
Flynn managed to keep his amusement hidden while Morris continued to squirm in his seat. “I’d argue the artefacts belong to humanity as a whole rather than to any specific country. And they are displayed in a museum for everyone to visit.”
“I see,” Lily said brightly.
Morris stood. “My accommodation should be ready for check in. I won’t take up any more of your time.”
“It was good to talk to you,” Flynn said. “EustaceTremayne expressed that he’d be more than willing to speak with anyone who was interested in his family history.”
At the change in subject, Morris’s demeanour relaxed again. “I’d be very interested in speaking with him.”
Flynn wrote down Eustace’s details and explained that he doesn’t go out much so any meetings would probably involve a trip to Bryher.
