Clues in the Sand

by Terry Ambrose

  “Wow,” Rick said as he watched her face. “That would explain why he hasn’t been acting like an emissary of the Spanish government. He was either giving me a good tip or leading me astray by spreading gossip about Reese Potok. He thinks she’s getting a huge bonus for her work here.”

  “Of course she is. Whoever finds the San Manuel first is going to make millions. If she’s their only representative here, I’m sure her career is riding on this.”

  “Are you saying you think they might have more than one representative here?”

  “If you were a company that big, would you risk everything on one untested employee?”

  “I never thought about it before, but now that you mention it, the idea makes perfect sense. They’d be willing to sacrifice her if she doesn’t deliver. No wonder she’s so concerned. There’s something else—something Jordan said. That was the call I got. He suggested we get Francine to drop her support for Exploration International. Did you know they’re trying to buy up individual stores? It sounds like they want to create a museum here to serve as a way to launder their sales of artifacts.”

  “I had no idea, but the people in this town don’t want that much change.” Marquetta shook her head. Her jaw tightened and she turned back to the sauce. “Is there any way to stop them?”

  “We need Francine on our side. Especially if there’s another EI representative running around we don’t know about. I wondered if you’d talk to her.”

  “Me?” Marquetta did a double-take. “Why would she listen to me?”

  “Because she—and everybody else in this town—respects you. You’ve known Francine since you were little, and you don’t have aspirations to be mayor.” His breath caught as he realized how presumptuous he’d been. “You don’t, do you? Want to be mayor? I mean, you are on the town council.”

  “Relax, Rick.” Marquetta shook her head firmly. “I have no interest in being mayor of Seaside Cove. I love this town, and I love my job. I would not want to be in charge. That’s not what interests me.”

  Once again, his pulse quickened. It was the perfect moment to ask what did interest her, but after the way he’d pried into her past a few months ago and how angry she’d been with him, he’d made a vow to wait until she was ready to talk. He had to give her time. No matter how hard it was.

  “Would you do it, then?” Rick waited, nervous he’d asked too much.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll talk to her.”

  A moment later, Alex burst through the butler door. Both Rick and Marquetta jumped at the interruption, which caused Alex to stop and peer at them. She asked, “What’s going on?”

  Rick winced and glanced at Marquetta. “We were talking about town politics,” he said.

  “Are you ready to cook some spaghetti, Sweetie?”

  Alex went to Marquetta and put her arms around her. “Thank you for teaching me to make spaghetti and meatballs.”

  Marquetta handed a box of pasta to Alex. “You’re welcome. But technically, we didn’t make the pasta. Tonight, we’re cheating. We’ll tackle the pasta maker another time.” She went to a drawer, pulled out a corkscrew, and gave it to Rick. “Here you go, boss. Make yourself useful and open a bottle of red.”

  The three of them talked, laughed, and forgot the day’s cares during dinner. Alex loved the meatballs she’d made. Rick suspected she’d be adding professional chef to her list of career options soon. He was delighted Marquetta was willing to teach Alex. And that Alex was eager to learn. Rick and Marquetta were finishing their second glass of wine when Alex asked a question about Rick’s conversation with Mr. de la Guerra.

  His response sounded weak, even to himself. He wanted to discourage Alex’s investigation attempts but his excuses were only making matters worse. Finally, he just said, “It’s kind of complicated, kiddo.”

  “Daddy.” Alex rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Why do grownups always say things are complicated when they don’t want to answer and kids have to answer when things get complicated?”

  To his right, Rick heard Marquetta stifle a laugh. “Oh my, you have your hands full now.”

  To buy time, Rick took a sip from his glass. Talk about being caught in a crossfire. There was no good way to deal with this short of revealing what he’d heard. Besides, what was the downside? “You got me. Mr. de la Guerra thinks Miss Potok will get a big bonus when she finds the San Manuel.”

  “Robbie said she’s buying the town. Are we gonna have to sell the B&B to her?”

  “Back up the bus, kiddo. Where did Robbie get his information? The playground underground?” Rick chuckled, quite delighted with his off-the-cuff quip.

  “That’s lame.” Alex rolled her eyes. “Robbie’s dad told him after his mom’s last physical therapy appointment in town. They’re afraid they’ll have to go to San Ladron for her therapy.”

  Rick turned to Marquetta, who stared back at him for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll talk to Francine tomorrow,” she said.

  If anyone could change Madam Mayor’s mind, it was Marquetta. Of that, Rick was sure. He tried to look confident as he grabbed Alex’s hand and squeezed it. “In answer to your question, Alex, we’re not selling out to Reese Potok.”

  “That’s good,” Alex said with a smile.

  But Rick wasn’t so sure smiles were in order. If Exploration International did start buying up local businesses, how long would it be before they set their sights on the B&B? How long could they hold out?

  If he sold the B&B, he didn’t know what would happen to him and Alex. They couldn’t stay in Seaside Cove with no income. Rick’s pulse raced. He felt like he was in a pot of water on its way to a rolling boil. Reese Potok was getting to him again. Her and her employer had raised the stakes to all or nothing.

  CHAPTER 30

  ALEX

  July 21

  Hey Journal,

  Me and Marquetta got the kitchen cleaned up after dinner while Daddy went upstairs. He said he was checking on the Jib Room, but I think he wanted to get out of washing dishes. Anyway, we’re supposed to paint tomorrow. I like painting. It should be a lot of fun.

  When Daddy came back downstairs, he had another glass of wine with Marquetta. They were getting along really good, which was awesome. That’s when I got the idea about sneaking away and checking out the attic again. I’m gonna look through that box of photos I saw when me and Robbie were up there.

  I gotta do this right now cause tomorrow’s gonna be a super busy day.

  Wish me luck!

  Alex

  The door to the attic is still open. Each step I take makes it seem creepier. It’s super dark up here at the top of the stairs. I wanna turn the light on in the attic right away so I can look at the photos and get back downstairs. This is totally weird ‘cause I don’t get scared of the dark.

  The hinges on the door squeak when I give it a little shove. I don’t believe in ghosts—at least, I don’t think I do. The click from the light seems louder than it was this morning when I was here with Robbie. And there’s like no light anywhere from outside. The flashlight on my phone helps, but the dark swallows it up. This is getting super creepy. Before I chicken out and don’t look through the photos, I wanna find my mirror. I don’t know why. I just know I need to see it.

  It’s hard to find it in the dark. When I do, I see it matches my bedroom set for sure. I reach out and run my fingers over the wood. “How do I get you in my room?” I ask.

  I stand there staring at the cracks in the mirror until a loud noise startles me. It’s like the wind just hit the side of the house really hard. Daddy’s gonna be looking for me soon. I have to check the photos now.

  The floor makes a lot of groaning noises every time I take a step. It’s like it’s complaining and doesn’t want me here. Oh man, it is so spooky. The boards are hard when I kneel down, like they’re angry or something. I gotta ignore the pain in my knees. The box is right in front of me. The photos, too. It’s what I came to see.

  The top photo is in
a frame. The lady in the picture is pretty, and the man standing next to her is smiling. They look happy. I wonder who they are.

  There’s another photo in a frame right below the first one. It’s the same man and lady, but this time they’ve got a little girl with them. When I look real close at the girl, I can tell it’s Marquetta. She’s got the same smile as the lady. That must mean these are her parents. Why’s this up here in our attic?

  I lean over the box and shine my light inside. It’s full of framed photos and a couple albums. I can’t stop myself from going through them. There’s a man I recognize as my great-grandfather, Captain Jack. I never met him, but my dad’s shown me pictures of him before. There’s also one of Captain Jack with the man that might be Marquetta’s dad.

  In the bottom of the box, there’s a gold coin with a date of eighteen-fifty-four. It’s got a bunch of stars in a circle around a lady who’s wearing a funny crown. The lettering is hard to read, but I think it says Liberty. I start to turn the coin over when I hear someone call my name. Oh, crap! It’s Daddy. And I left the door open to get more light.

  I drop the coin in the box and scramble across the floor. The attic gets super dark when I pull the string for the light. My phone! I have to turn the light off.

  I scrunch up my face and wait in the blackness. It feels like I’m gonna throw up.

  This is, like, totally freaky. I crawl backwards. Away from the door. Into the dark.

  Daddy’s voice is louder. “Alex? Are you up here?”

  Something sharp sticks itself into the palm of my hand. It hurts bad, but I don’t make a sound. I’m gonna be grounded for life if Daddy finds me. I ignore the stinging in my hand and back into a corner.

  This is the darkest dark I’ve ever seen in my life. My stomach is flip-flopping like crazy. I shut my eyes super tight. I gotta fight the urge to cry.

  And then something brushes my face.

  CHAPTER 31

  RICK

  The scream from the attic sent a chill all the way through Rick’s spine. He called Alex’s name as he scrambled up the stairs, tripped on the last step, and nearly fell through the open doorway. Waving his flashlight in wild arcs, Rick pushed into the darkness but nearly fell over when Alex slammed into him.

  He pulled the string for the light and wrapped his arms around his daughter. She was shaking like he’d never seen. He held her and stroked her hair while he tried to soothe her fear. After her breathing slowed from its freight-train pace to something more normal, he asked if she was hurt.

  She shook her head, then peered up at him. Even in the dim light of the overhead bulb, her eyes were wide with fright. She swiped at her cheek and shivered again.

  “Something…touched me,” she croaked.

  The overhead light cast only a small circle of illumination, so Rick used his flashlight to search around the dark cavern. “There are cobwebs up here. And some hanging wires.” He pulled her closer. Until tonight, he’d have sworn nothing scared his daughter. “Calm down, kiddo.”

  He kissed her forehead and saw the remnants of a spiderweb on her shoulder. Brushing it off, he hugged her again. “Look, it was a cobweb. That’s all it was. I’ll bet it’s been there for ages. Let’s get you to your room, okay?”

  Without waiting for an answer, Rick flicked off the light and eased Alex into the stairway. He held onto her with one hand and closed the door with the other. That’s when he heard murmurs coming from the second floor. Great. A crowd had gathered at the bottom of the stairs. Guests were peering up at them.

  “It’s okay, folks. My daughter just did a little exploring where she shouldn’t have. No worries.”

  More murmurs. A few nods as the group dispersed. Alex wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him as he carried her to her room. She never said a word until she was in bed and Rick began to stroke her hair.

  “Daddy, am I grounded?”

  He watched her face, doubting if he needed to do anything to punish her. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” He kept his voice low and soothing. “I’ve set some very clear boundaries for you, and the attic was not someplace you were to go. I thought you understood.”

  “I do. Can I ask a question about Miss Potok and Miss O’Connor? How come they fight so much? Do they hate each other?”

  When during the past year had Alex learned to change the subject so well? He’d answer the question, but he wasn’t dropping the subject of the attic. “No, kiddo, their arguments are based on artifacts and money. They’re what you call polar opposites. You know, like the North Pole and the South Pole? Miss Potok thinks the past can be used to make money, and Miss O’Connor feels very strongly that we should study the past, not turn it into a business.”

  Alex tilted her head to one side and puckered her lips. “But nobody lives at the North Pole or the South Pole.”

  Rick chuckled. “Good observation. It’s an old expression to describe people with very different viewpoints. The reality is the right answer probably lies somewhere between the two extremes.”

  “Like Seaside Cove? We make money from the past, right?”

  “This town survives thanks to tourists and treasure hunters, so don’t worry about it, kiddo. Those two will work out their differences somehow. So have you been watching our guests again?”

  “I haven’t been spying.”

  “I asked if you’d been watching them.”

  “You want me working around the B&B, right? That means I see them all the time.”

  Rick held her gaze for a moment, then huffed in frustration. She was right, he wanted her to learn how the business ran. Perhaps she’d even take it over someday. But what happened during the past year? The old I-said-so argument no longer worked. This time, however, his daughter had outsmarted herself.

  “You are not to do any investigating. Especially by yourself. Understand?”

  “But Daddy, I’m ten. My brain is growing. There’s all this new space and it’s got to be filled or it will go to waste.”

  “Then study geometry.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Exactly. Let’s get back to my original question. Tell me what you were doing up in the attic.”

  After a long pause, Alex said, “Me and Robbie were up there this morning and I found some stuff I wanted to look at again. There was this box of old photos and Christmas decorations from like a really long time ago.”

  “You were up there this morning, too? And you went back for Christmas decorations and photos?”

  He could tell from the way Alex grimaced she knew she hadn’t helped her case. She shook her head and swallowed hard. “My mirror’s up there.”

  Rick did a double take and looked to his right. “What mirror? You’ve got one already, Alex.”

  “Not that one, the one that matches my bedroom set.”

  “You must be mistaken, Alex. Marquetta told us there was no mirror for this set when we moved in.”

  “But she lived here when she was younger than me.”

  A sick feeling spread through Rick as he peered at his daughter. “Alex, Marquetta’s past is off-limits. That’s another boundary you’re not to cross.” He gave her a weak smile. “Besides, she lived with her mom and dad in town.”

  “She said she lived here when she was in first grade.”

  “When did you have this conversation, Alex?” Rick rubbed the back of his neck. His pulse kicked up as he considered how many ways Alex’s curiosity could upset Marquetta.

  “This morning.”

  Rick stared at her. This was way too déjà vu. These were the same types of questions he’d asked of Joe Gray a couple of months ago and those questions had driven a rift between him and Marquetta that had only healed recently. He licked his lips and smoothed the covers. “Well, okay.” He couldn’t change the past. Could not take away questions already asked, but he could talk to Marquetta. Assure her she could handle this sort of thing in the future in any manner she chose. He brushed a strand of hair out of Alex’s face. “I had no i
dea she’d lived here once. Now it’s time for you to get some sleep.”

  “Can I write in my journal first?”

  He glanced at the clock on the desk. It was already nine-thirty. “Fifteen minutes at the most, then it’s lights out.”

  In the hallway, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. What did he do now? Call Marquetta? Ask her if she was upset over Alex’s questions? Let it go? He headed to his office, seeing only disaster no matter which option he chose.

  Rick sat at his desk and dialed Marquetta’s number. Deep down, he knew he had only one choice—tell all. When Marquetta answered, he recapped what had happened after she’d left and waited. To his surprise, she reacted only slightly.

  “She was asking me questions while we were cooking. I appreciate your honesty, and that you called me right away. Look, I’m not in the same place I was a couple of months ago when I got so mad at you.”

  “I never should have asked questions about you behind your back.”

  “It’s done, Rick. I’ve reconciled myself to talking about this someday. I don’t like people prying, but I’ve also come to realize you and Alex aren’t a couple of strangers.”

  Rick released the breath he’d been holding. “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to know you’re not upset with her. What about the mirror? You know she won’t let it go.”

  “Alex is right. That bedroom set was mine when I lived at the B&B. It was when I was in first grade. I’m the one who broke the mirror. It was…a dark time for me.”

  “I’m sorry Alex has been prying into your past. I’m going to tell her she should not do it again.”

  There was silence on the line as Rick waited for Marquetta’s answer. Finally, she said, “No. Don’t. She’s a persistent little girl. I don’t want her punished for my failings.”

  “She’ll be the death of me.”

  “She meant no harm. I’ll explain it to her tomorrow.”

  Rick stared at the photos on the wall. Were there more like these in the attic? Tonight was not the night to ask. Half to himself, he muttered, “I had no idea you lived here once.”