by Kate Moyer

Created on: March 23, 2009

Chapter Two

After an hour at the helm, Saul Highland was absorbed by the sunrise and the background hum of the Siren. It was the second day of trolling near Hereford Inlet with a crew of researchers who were looking for a wreck known as the Beatrice . Highland preferred the company of a fishing party on his boat rather than these dull scientific-types but these guys paid a lot better. Even if this day was as unproductive as the last, he was still getting paid.

The wreck they sought was a schooner that ran aground in a storm in 1894 while en route to Cape May. Only one crew member survived and none of it's cargo was ever recovered. The voyage was privately commissioned by a wealthy Sicilian immigrant named Reginaldo Conti for the purpose of carrying his possessions from Sicily to his new estate in Cape May. The legend surrounding the Beatrice was that it was carrying parts of Conti's lavish collection of ancient statues and metal works that were collected by many generations of his family. Fortunately for him, he was not on the Beatrice when it left for America.

The wreck salvage mission was the brainchild of Mick Dalton, an archaeologist from New York who was presently fixated on Highland's navigation screen. Mick had grown up spending his summers at Cape May where he developed a fascination for shipwreck lore. One particular late summer, the legend of the Beatrice became the talk of the town when some silver medallions washed up on shore after a hurricane. The only known wreck that was close enough to be the source was the Beatrice. Earlier in his career, he and his partner in the venture had attempted to locate the wreck on their own. After years of amassing more capital and a team of oceanography grad students, they hired Saul Highland and set out for a second attempt.
Highland broke the long silence. "So what makes you so interested in this particular wreck, Mick? There's at least fifty more along the coast to choose from."

"What makes me so interested, is that no one knows exactly what was on the ship," answered Mick.

"The ship was sent over by a man named Reginaldo Conti. He was a well-heeled immigrant from Sicily whose family collected ancient artifacts. He was probably trying to keep the contents of the ship private to protect it from thieves. I wouldn't mind being the one who brings up some of the statues and medallions that were said to be on the ship."
Highland squinted, "Is this the same Conti that owned the Estate near the lighthouse, the one that's

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