Samantha (Barrett 2)

"Because Summerson visited the Bountiful every day for a week before we sailed, and stayed for hours. Because he met with Anders three or four times behind closed doors. Because every time they emerged, they were discussing the cargo he'd be transporting aboard my ship." Towers drew a slow breath. "And because Summerson just exchanged a fortune of money with the bastard who sold my crew."

"Sold your . . ." Suddenly it all clicked in Rem's mind. '"You're telling me that Summerson paid a privateer not only to dispose of your ship and its fictitious cargo, but to sell your crew?"

"I am."

"And are you also saying Anders is involved?"

"That I don't know. I never actually saw Anders do anything illegal, and I can't prove he knew the cargo was phony. Summerson was alone when he and the privateer met at the dock."

"When was that?"

"An hour ago. Just before I saw Harris and realized from his uniform that he was with Bow Street. Summerson and his pirate friend didn't notice me ... not that they were looking. They assumed I was long since on my way to wherever I was being sold to. My escape was pure luck ... and thank God for it."

"Damn ... there's got to be something to implicate Anders," Rem muttered, his brain going a mile a minute. "Keep talking, Towers. Tell me about the attack on your ship; where it happened, how it was done, where you and your men were taken and how you got away."

"It was just south of the Goodwin Sands, sometime between midnight and one a.m. The privateer ship was shielded by the Dover cliffs; we never even saw them coming. They just rowed alongside the Bountiful in their longboats, bound and gagged us, and dragged us back to their vessel. From there we were blindfolded, taken to a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, and informed that we were about to be sold as slaves. I preferred drowning. When I saw my chance, I slipped into the water. I managed to unbind my ropes and stay afloat long enough to signal a passing English ship. Here I am."

"What did you tell the captain who rescued you?"

"Only that I'd been thrown from my ship during a storm. I didn't have to explain further. My uniform had been seized. I wore only these." Towers indicated his faded shirt and pants. "The captain had no reason to believe I was anything other than what I claimed to be. He transported me back to England."

"You arrived tonight?"

"Yes."

"And when you docked and left the ship, you saw Summerson?"

"Summerson and his privateer."

"You actually saw them exchange money?"

"I did."

"That's enough evidence to hang Summerson," Boyd proclaimed, triumph lighting his eyes.

Rem nodded, still deep in thought. "What about the privateer?"

"I could identify him in a minute."

"I'm sure you could. But tell me, did he say anything during the time he held you captive? Anything specific or memorable?"

"He didn't do much talking. All he did was taunt us."

"What did he say?"

Towers shrugged. "That we were going to vanish without a trace, that no one would ever see us again, that we'd be swallowed up, forgotten, like the lost isle of Atlantis. He muttered the same thing to Summerson just now on the dock—something about Atlantis being a success. It must be his sick idea of humor."

Rem's eyes met Boyd's. "That's it," he said quietly. Turning back to Towers, he added, "Captain, just one more thing. During the week prior to your sailing, did you overhear any conversations between Summerson and Anders?"

"Nothing unusual." Towers's brow furrowed. "Just snatches here and there. All the usual prattle: the number of boxes in the cargo, the weather, that sort of thing."

"Anything else? Think, Towers. It could be important."

"They boarded the ship the morning we sailed, said they wanted to check it out together," Towers recounted slowly, thinking aloud. "Anders was concerned about something, because Summerson kept telling him to stop worrying, that he'd calm their nervous partner down. Then they left."

"Partner?" Rem gripped his mug with both hands. "Summerson used that word?"

"They both did. That didn't strike me as odd; businessmen often deal with more than one partner, don't they?"