Page 50 of This Christmas

After looking at the map, he decided to use the entrance in Max’s office, since it was the easiest to get in and out of. Besides, it stopped him from having to go up a flight of stairs only to go down back down.

The lock was still secure behind the book Ally had shown him the night before. He reached up, slid it open, and eased the entire bookcase open. A rush of cold, damp air swept out toward him, along with the smell of earth and salt water.

He shivered and flicked on his flashlight. The beam cut through the darkness, revealing a narrow stone passage. He ducked inside and closed the door behind him.

The air grew colder the deeper he went, and the ceiling dripped steadily, causing him to hunch over slightly. It felt like he could hear his heartbeat echoing in the dark. The map showed a long stretch leading downward, a few turns, then an opening into what Max had labeled the “Diamond Chamber.” He assumed it was where Faye and Nate had found the Ocean’s Heart diamond.

By the time he reached it, his boots were damp from the floor, which was still slightly wet. The passage widened into a large cavern with low ceilings and walls. He swept the beam of light across the floor and froze.

There, near the far wall, a dark figure lay crumpled in a heap on the stone ground.

“Hello?” he called out, wondering if whoever it was had fallen or, worse, had gotten caught at high tide in part of the tunnel and hadn’t made it out.

Joe’s stomach clenched. He stepped closer, slowly. When the light from the flashlight hit the man’s pale face, he drew in a sharp breath.

Peterson.

The guy’s body was already stiff, as if he’d been there for hours. His clothes were wet and half frozen. A large dark stain marked the side of his chest. He took a step closer and realized it was from a gunshot wound.

He crouched down and checked for any sign of life, but there was obviously none. The man had most likely been gone from the moment he’d been shot.

So, was this was who they had seen poking around on the beach? Who had shot him? Why?

He straightened and pulled out his phone from his pocket, his thumb hovering over Aiden’s number, but then he realized that there wasn’t any signal in the caves. The walls were too thick.

“Damn it,” he muttered, shoving the phone back in his jacket.

His pulse was pounding as he gave the cavern another sweep with his light to make sure he was alone. There were a few scuff marks near the body, like there had been a struggle. A few footprints deep in the sand were half washed away. Someone other than Peterson had been down here. He looked at Peterson’s boots and could tell instantly that the other shoe marks weren’t his.

He snapped a few photos of both prints, but the images didn’t really do them justice. He zoomed into what he thought was the other shoe print, then he headed back up the tunnel with his senses on high alert.

When he reached the door, he stepped through and locked it behind him. The moment he saw the bars appear on his phone screen, he hit the call button. He decided to stay in the office for now

“Aiden? It’s Joe,” he said in a low voice. “You’d better get over here. I found Peterson.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Aiden said.

“It’s not,” he agreed grimly, glancing toward the door. He could hear Ally and Charlotte upstairs, most likely getting dressed for their fun outing, which would have to be postponed. “He’s dead. Shot in the back from the looks of it. I found him in the tunnels under the lighthouse. It appears he’s been there all night.”

“You think he was the one you saw last night?”

“Yeah, but he sure the hell didn’t shoot himself in the back.”

Aiden sighed. “We’ll be right over. Don’t go back down there.”

“Got it,” he said and hung up.

“Is everything okay?” Ally said from the door, making him jump.