Island of Secrets

by Janni Nell

  When I was finally convinced it wasn’t in the living room or kitchen, I headed to the bedroom with its unmade bed and discarded clothing that was ankle-deep in places. More chocolate wrappers, beads from a broken piece of jewelry, tissues streaked black with mascara. I tackled the place methodically starting with the drawers, which were mostly empty because everything was on the floor. I moved on to the closet, making sure I checked the furthest corners before abandoning it to look under the mattress. I turned the place upside down and was eventually rewarded by finding the missing half of the map in a shoe under the bed.

  I hurried back to my cottage and placed Polly’s half of the map on the coffee table beside Queenie’s. Although they matched, the map I’d found in Polly’s cottage wasn’t an original. It was a very good photocopy. I wasn’t sure whether I should be worried about that. On one hand it made perfect sense to have a copy of the map in case of fire, loss or—ahem—theft. On the other hand, photocopies could be altered.

  I read the words at the bottom of the map, which were now complete.

  North is South, East is West

  X marks the spot for pirates’ tools.

  Trouble was there was no X on the map.

  I needed to talk to Queenie immediately.

  * * *

  After finding Queenie on her favorite beach, I convinced her to come to my cottage, where we could study the map under something stronger than the beam of my flashlight. Frowning, she picked up both halves moved them closer to her face then farther away, squinting like someone who needed reading glasses.

  Finally she said, “I might not be able to read maps, but I know what an X looks like and there ain’t no bloody X on this map.”

  “Yeah, I noticed.”

  “North is South and East is West. X marks the spot for pirates’ tools.” She snorted. “Dick wasn’t much of a poet. It doesn’t even rhyme.”

  “What does pirates’ tools mean?” I asked.

  “Wouldn’t have a clue, ducks.”

  Studying the words, I said, “Well, we know the first line refers to turning the map upside down. Okay, we’ve done that. What does the second line mean? Since there’s no actual X on the map it must mean something else. I suppose it could be an anagram, but—”

  “Anna who?”

  After explaining what an anagram was, I went on, “I’ve tried rearranging the letters in the last line, but I can’t come up with anything that makes sense.” I paused, hoping Queenie would have something to offer. When she remained silent, I said, “Maybe it’s rhyming slang. Like ‘pork pie’ for ‘lie’ or ‘frog and toad’ for ‘road’. Pirate’s tools might mean rules? Or stools? Drools? Fools?”

  “That would be us,” said Queenie. “Big fools.”

  “You think Dick’s playing with us?”

  Queenie shook her head. “He was dead serious when he give Bertie and me the map. But pirates’ tools ain’t rhyming slang.”

  I wasn’t ready to give up. I had other theories. “What about a place name beginning with X? Like Xavier’s Beach or Xerox Inlet.” Seeing Queenie’s bemused expression, I said, “Forget Xerox Inlet. Maybe the X stands for a cross. Like in a church or a graveyard.”

  “We buried our dead at sea,” said Queenie. “And there ain’t no churches on Lu’arna.”

  I paced for a while, thinking. Queenie raided the maxi-bar. Before she could open the gin, I took it away from her. “I know I’m not the only one giving you gin. Did you show Polly the map?”

  “Who’s Polly?”

  “The one who gave you the gin. Skinny girl. Blond hair.”

  Queenie shrugged. “Wasn’t her wot give me the gin.” She clapped her hand over her mouth as though she shouldn’t have spoken.

  “Who gave it to you?” I waved the unopened bottle of gin in front of her face.

  “I ain’t saying any more. No, not even for a tot.” She looked at the bottle longingly. “I’ve given you my half of the map so I deserve a little reward.”

  “Not until we’ve worked out what the X means. I’ve got another idea, if it represents a cross, it might be part of a name, like—I don’t know—Sign of the Cross Beach?”

  She cackled. “Sign of the Cross—a good pirate name, that.”

  “Skull and Crossbones Beach?”

  “No, no, no.” She pressed her hands to her head in exasperation. “Bloody Dick and his bloody riddles.”

  “You think pirates’ tools is a riddle?”

  “Who knows? I wasn’t as clever as Dick. Not like Bertie. He’d have worked it out by now.” Queenie rested her head in her hands, mumbling, “Me ’ead’s aching.”

  “Really? I didn’t know ghosts could get headaches.”

  “You’re cruel, you are. I need a drink.”

  “Soon. Now try to focus. Could X be a geographical feature? Rocks in the shape of an X? Intersecting streams. Maybe an X-shaped beach.”

  “There are X-shaped things everywhere. Are you going to dig up the whole island?”

  “If I have to.” But it wouldn’t come to that. I was convinced that when I found the right X-shaped feature, I’d know it. Even if my toe didn’t itch, I was hopeful Casper would point me in the right direction. After all, he was the one who was going to fly me around the island. So much easier than walking. But that would have to wait until morning. There wasn’t much point flying over a night-dark island.

  After giving Queenie her gin and sending her on her way, I crawled into bed and set an alarm for dawn.

  As the first rays of sun peeped over the horizon, I stepped onto my balcony. Heavenly was moored off shore as though Casper had been waiting for me. He was standing on deck wearing only the board shorts Sophie had bought him. With the help of my borrowed binoculars, I could see every curve of his six-pack, which was evenly tanned. Angels didn’t burn. They didn’t even have to work out to maintain a magnificent physique. Sometimes it’s good to be dead.

  I waved my arms to attract his attention and yelled across the water. “Help. I’m in danger.” Instantly, his head turned. When he saw me, he relaxed and gave me a leisurely wave. He stretched and yawned, but he didn’t rush to my rescue.

  Okay, so I’d have to make sure he knew this was no joke. I climbed over my balcony railing and poised as though I was preparing to jump. In seconds he was beside me. Not that he looked worried.

  He yawned again. “This whole life-in-danger thing would be more convincing if your balcony was more than two feet above the ground.”

  “Get with the program, Casper. I’m in terrible danger of not solving the case.”

  He shrugged. “You know I can’t help with that.”

  “Sure, but you can help me search the island. An aerial view would be good.”

  “Does that mean you’ve forgiven me?”

  “Of course, my sweet angel. My, you’re looking fine and handsome this morning.”

  “Insincere sucking up will get you nowhere.”

  “Was I laying it on a bit thick?”

  “Just a bit.”

  “So, you’ll fly me over the island?”

  “Oh, I suppose so, but I can’t tell you what X means,” he said.

  Did I mention the X? Nope, didn’t think so. “How did you know—?”

  “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” He held a finger to his lips. “When do you want to leave?”

  “As soon as possible. Is Air Casper ready for takeoff?”

  * * *

  I hurried inside to put on a fanny pack, where I stowed the can of orange marking paint I’d taken from Vincent’s storeroom. When I returned to the balcony, Casper was watching the sun rise over the ocean.

  “Where are your wings? We’ll need them if we’re going to fly,” I said.

  “It might be better to take off away from the cottage. U
nless you’ve told everyone I’m an angel.”

  “If anyone sees us, I’ll tell them you’re a top secret government experiment.”

  “Okay,” he said. “Hang on.”

  Moving around behind him, I put my arms around his neck. “Ready,” I said.

  He took off at an angle, but soon assumed a horizontal position. Lying on his back right between his wings, I felt snug and safe. It was great except for the noise of his wings, which made quite a racket as they beat the air. Since I was supposed to be checking the terrain below, I slid forward until I could look over his shoulder. Hanging on to his neck with one arm, I used the other to keep the binoculars pressed to my eyes.

  He began by working his way along the east coast. Immediately, I saw rocks that formed an X. “Go down,” I yelled, leaning over his shoulder and pointing. I leaned too far over, lost my balance and slid right off his shoulder. Clutching air, I let go of the binoculars, which flew right off my neck.

  I thought I heard Casper say, “Fuck,” but I couldn’t be sure. You don’t really think clearly when you’re free-falling through the air.

  Something wrapped itself around my ankle, stopping my plummet to the beach below. Casper’s hand. He hung on tight, while I dangled upside down in midair. My binoculars had already hit the sand and I’d end up beside them if Casper lost his grip. He began to descend. Much too slowly for my liking.

  “Hurry up,” I yelled, and wished I hadn’t when he speeded up. The descent was so rapid, I left my stomach in the air above. Just before my head hit the sand, Casper flipped me into the air, catching me in his arms and alighting on the sand like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold.

  “You have to remember to hang on,” he said.

  “I know. It’s just I saw these rocks that looked like an X and got kind of excited.” I was still cradled in Casper’s arms. Probably I should tell him to put me down, but what the hell. I enjoyed the moment. When I couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer, I said, “Guess we’d better get on with the search.”

  He let me down and I bent to pick up the binoculars from the soft powdery sand. “Hope these still work,” I murmured, putting them to my eyes and looking out to sea. “Yep. Good as new.”

  “Where was this X you saw?”

  I marched over to the rocks at the edge of the beach. I walked around them. I waited for my toe to itch. Nope, not even a tingle. I kicked at the sand, wondering whether Dick had buried his treasure nearby.

  “We’re very close to the high tide mark.” Casper picked up a shell and skipped it across the water.

  “Not a good place to bury treasure,” I agreed. “Dick would’ve gone inland.”

  After replacing the binoculars around my neck, I put my arms around Casper and he took off again. This time I hung on so tightly he told me to stop fricking choking him. I relaxed my grip and focused on the scenery below.

  Just as Queenie had told me, there were so many X-shaped things in nature, it was difficult to know where to start. I ignored things like palms whose trunks had grown across one another. The vegetation would have changed in over a hundred years. I concentrated on things like rocks and streams that had probably remained the same. Each time we landed I waited for my toe to itch. Once I got a tingle, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it came.

  After a long morning’s work, we went to the top of the island, landing near the Pool of Reflection. There were no X-shaped things near the pool, not even the little statues. Remembering the tingle I’d felt last time I was here, I even studied the bottom of the pool, but all I saw was a lot of round rocks and pebbles.

  I was disappointed that, after landing and taking off so many times that I should’ve got frequent flyer miles, I’d only managed to mark four possibilities. The problem was that seen from above, there had been plenty of X shapes, but I belatedly realized Dick wouldn’t have had my bird’s eye view. There were many times when what looked like an X from above didn’t much look like one from the ground.

  Had I wasted precious time flying when I should’ve been walking? “Maybe it was a mistake to look for the X from above.” When Casper didn’t meet my eyes, I said, “You knew that.” So why had he wasted time flying me around? Was it just that old rule about him not being allowed to help or had he wanted us to be physically close without upsetting the Powers-That-Be? I knew what I wanted to believe, but if he’d wanted to get close to me, where did that leave Sophie?

  I gave him a long pensive look, but his expression gave nothing away.

  “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” I said. “This afternoon we’ll return to the places I’ve marked and dig up the ground.”

  “What do you mean we, Allegra?”

  “Oh please, doing a bit of digging isn’t helping me solve a case. Exercise is good for you. Now, I’m starving—let’s get back to Oak’s place.”

  As he flew me over the island, I tried not to think about what I’d do if I didn’t find the treasure in one of the places I’d marked. The thought of trekking all over the island made my feet ache.

  My stomach was growling when we landed on Sunrise Beach. Leaving Casper to return to Heavenly I walked up to the big house, but I never got to eat.

  Oak rushed out of his study to tell me Noreen was out of the ICU. Quinn was standing by to fly me to the hospital. The aunts wanted to come too, so we all climbed into the helicopter.

  * * *

  Noreen was sitting up in bed supported by a pile of pillows. Although she was still attached to an IV, there were splashes of color in her cheeks. She smiled when we entered her private room—courtesy of Oak—laden with chocolates and huge bunches of flowers. The aunts knew I was here on a mission and they cut short their visit to give me time alone with Noreen. Quinn went in search of vases for all the flowers. As I settled into the chair that Evie had vacated, Noreen offered me a chocolate. Evie had already taken the peppermint creams so I settled for a strawberry cream.

  “Aren’t you going to have one?’ I asked Noreen.

  “Can’t, they’re processed on machinery that might have processed nuts.”

  I whipped them out of her reach, making a mental note to take them with me.

  Noreen said, “Speaking of nuts, I think those peanuts were put in my salad on purpose.”

  “Yeah, I figured. Polly?”

  She raised her eyebrows then frowned. “You think it was Polly?”

  I pulled my chair closer to the bed. “Don’t you?”

  She leaned back on the pillows, slowly shaking her head. “I’m not sure. I suppose she could have, but anyone could’ve switched the plates when we were looking at the shooting star.”

  “I’m sure it was Polly,” I said. “I found part of the treasure map in her cottage.”

  Noreen’s jaw sagged. “You were snooping in her cottage?”

  Oops. Perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned that. Noreen looked disapproving.

  I tried to redeem myself. “All in a good cause. Sometimes snooping is the only way to find a murderer—or an attempted murderer,” I added, since she was still alive.

  “I suppose, when you put it like that.” But I could tell the housekeeper in her wasn’t happy about my taking advantage of Lu’arna’s unlocked doors. When she said sadly, “We used to be able to trust people,” I wasn’t sure whether she was talking about me or Polly. To cover the awkward moment, I offered her some water. After taking a sip, she yawned and closed her eyes. “Have you found the treasure?” she murmured.

  “Not exactly.”

  “And yet you have the whole map now.” Her words were slow, as though she was already drifting toward sleep.

  “The instructions are kind of cryptic,” I said.

  Her eyes popped open. “I’ve always been good at cryptic crosswords.”

  After explaining that the words on the
map weren’t exactly a crossword clue, I said, “I’ve worked out the meaning of the first line, it’s the second line that’s giving me grief: X marks the spot for pirates’ tools.”

  “Write it down,” she said.

  I dug around in my bag until I found a pen and my notebook. After writing down the line, I showed it to her. She took the notebook and sank into her pillows studying my printed words. Her eyes flicked back and forth as though she was rapidly rearranging letters in her head.

  Finally she sat back satisfied. “It’s an anagram. At least the last part of the line is. When you rearrange the letters for pirates’ tools you get Forresttia Pools.”

  I wanted to smack my forehead. “I was trying to make an anagram from the whole line.”

  She nodded understandingly. “You were on the right track. But I’d bet my relationship to Queen Victoria that there’s nothing cryptic about X marks the spot. I think it just means that. There’s an X somewhere near Forresttia Pools, wherever that it.”

  “It must be on Lu’arna Island,” I murmured. Otherwise Queenie wouldn’t be stuck there. If anyone knew where Forresttia Pools were, it would be Queenie.

  Noreen looked so exhausted I decided it was time to let her sleep. The aunts came in to say good-bye and Quinn handed me a couple of vases. While everyone hugged and kissed Noreen, I filled the vases with water and plonked in the flowers. Unlike Mom and Lily, I hadn’t attended Flower Arranging 101.

  I was the last to say good-bye. As I bent to kiss Noreen’s cheek, she said, “Don’t you want to know who is related to Albert Forresttia?”

  “I already know,” I replied, thinking her meds must be affecting her memory. “Polly had the map. She gave you the peanuts.”

  “Maybe,” said Noreen, “but she’s not Forresttia’s descendant.”