Wild Fiction

With the stern of the boat pointing into the middle of the lagoon, they slowly increased the engine speed. The boat was vibrating and water churned between the hulls as they tried to reverse the boat and pull the box free. After holding steady at half throttle for a full minute, Conrad pushed the speed up to three-quarters and the boat moved backwards tugging the box free. He put the engines in neutral. James pushed his foot down on the windlass engine button and pulled up the anchor chain until the shiny silver box popped out of the water. It hung briefly between the hulls before it came over the joining boom with a loud clang and fell into the net.
The box was the size of a small suitcase. A few barnacles had fastened themselves to its lid. The boys reattached the anchor and Rebecca carried their find into the saloon.
By the time the boys had joined her she had towel dried the box and removed the barnacles. The silver sheen had left the box with the water and it sat there, dull grey. Rivets reinforced the edges and four clasps secured the front shut. Conrad and James sat down on either side of Rebecca in front of the box and reached forward in unison. Not a single clasp would move. They were super-glued shut with rust. James fetched a chisel from the toolbox and broke each clasp off.
The lid released and they opened it up. There were a number of foam lined compartments inside, all perfectly dry. In one was a state-of-the-art camera with fancy buttons and knobs and a large telescopic lens. Two others contained smaller lenses and a fourth held a number of film canisters. The group of three looked at each other.
‘I didn’t expect it to be camera equipment. I know it’s a camera box and all that but I was expecting something a bit more exciting,’ Conrad said.
‘There must be more,’ Rebecca said lifting out the equipment. She pulled up the foam cushioning. Lying on the bottom of the box was an A4 manila envelope. Rebecca lifted it out and opened it. Inside was a sheet of paper and a key. Printed on the sheet of paper in bold letters was:
B.J.F.
Sort Code: 45-21-36
Account Number: 51648414
Access PIN for safety deposit box: 3154
‘I bet that key opens the safety deposit box,’ Rebecca said with a smile after she had read what was written on the sheet of paper.