“It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours,” Rick said. “The thing is, it’s pretty hard to go missing in a town this size. Especially now that Adam’s got Deputy Baker. The bottom line is I’m not really needed.”
“But what if you’re wrong, Daddy? You should totally see if the cops need you.”
“No, Alex. I’m not calling Adam. There’s no reason.” Suddenly, Rick wished Devon hadn’t come here this morning. It wasn’t that Alex liked death—at least, he hoped not. He drew more comfort from the notion that she was fascinated by solving the puzzle of who committed the crime. Or as it was in this case, if there even was a crime.
“Mr. Van Horn, have they set up a search party to find the body?”
Marquetta stood behind Alex and placed her hands on Alex’s shoulders. “Sweetie, we need to leave this to the police. And, as your dad said, Captain Carroll may be alive and well.”
“But Daddy always consults with the police.”
“Those days may be over,” Rick said. “Marquetta’s right. If there’s any investigating to be done, it will be a police matter. And even if Adam does ask me to help, I don’t want you getting involved. Do you understand?”
“But I need to write a story for the Cove Talkers and this is huge.”
“Listen to your dad, Alex,” Devon said. “I was at Crusty Buns this morning when I heard the news. It got me to thinking about that story you we’re asking about.”
“The one on Joe Gray?” As soon as he asked the question, Rick knew from the look on Alex’s face that wasn’t the story she’d talked to Devon about. Once again, he suspected Alex was following her own path. “What story?”
“Well…you wanted me to do it on Mr. Gray.”
“And…” insisted Rick.
“He had that big argument with Captain Carroll, and so I thought I could ask questions about The Treasure King.”
Rick shook his head firmly. “Absolutely not. We agreed you would stick to Joe Gray. Besides, I got a text from Sasha’s mother that has me concerned. I want you to stay away from The Treasure King.”
Alex groaned and slumped back against Marquetta. “I wanted to do something people would want to read.”
This was not going the way Rick would have liked. Then again, what conversation with an eleven-year-old did? He sighed and looked at Marquetta. She knelt next to Alex so they were at eye level. “Sweetie, your safety is what matters most. That’s why we don’t want you going near that boat. And now that Captain Carroll is missing, we don’t know how long they’ll be here. Obviously, they can’t leave until he turns up.” She looked back to Rick. “However long that takes.”
“I should probably be going.” Devon raised the mug and finished his coffee. “Looks like I’ve caused enough trouble for one day.”
“Actually, it’s probably good that you did.” Rick looked directly at Alex and said, “I wasn’t aware of what happened, but now I can take steps to ensure we aren’t interfering in police business. Right, Alex?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Rick didn’t miss the rolling of the eyes or the heavy sigh. Clearly, Alex wasn’t happy about leaving this situation alone. Nor was he comfortable that she really would.
After Devon left, Rick, Alex, and Marquetta settled in for breakfast. Their talk felt subdued to Rick, as though they were each distracted by their own issues. He could only guess what was distracting Marquetta, but was confident Alex was thinking about Captain Carroll. Despite what he’d said earlier, he decided to call Adam. He might as well ask if he was still the department’s unpaid, unofficial consultant. Maybe, with Deputy Baker on board, he’d be off the hook. If nothing else, maybe he could determine if there had even been a crime.
Midway through her bowl of cereal, Alex’s phone pinged. She looked at the display, her eyes lit up, and she stood. “May I be excused for a minute?”
“Your cereal will get soggy,” Rick protested.
She nudged the bowl away. “It gets that way anyway. I’ll only be a minute.”
“Go ahead.” Rick watched as Alex hurried through the butler door. “What do you suppose she’s up to?”
“I have no idea, but I think we might want to keep her busy for the next few days.”
“Definitely. The last thing I need is my daughter launching another of her shadow investigations. I’d much rather have her learning math than trying to find the elusive Captain Carroll.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Alex
FLYNN O’CONNOR IS waiting for me at the front desk. She’s wearing her deep blue camp shirt and khakis. I love that shirt on her. The blue is a totally cool color for her. She’s reading something on her phone and doesn’t see me until I’m almost next to her.
“Hey, Flynn.”
I give her a big hug. She hugs me back, then pulls away. “What’s this all about, Alex? You said we need to keep something quiet, but you didn’t say what it was.”
“It’s The Treasure King. They have a map that shows the location of the San Manuel. I thought you should know.”
Flynn looks down at her phone, makes a face at it, then stuffs it in her back pocket. “I’ve heard the scuttlebutt, but I don’t know how much of it we should believe.”
“That’s why we need to find out.”
“We?”
“Yeah. If there is a map, I can totally help. Somebody else having a map would really mess up your project. Right?”
“It would force me to play defense, which I hate. But, this is something I need to deal with. If there’s one thing I know about treasure hunters, it’s that they’re concerned about results, not methods.”
“I think that’s why Captain Carroll’s dead.”
“Excuse me? He’s dead? Where did you hear this?”
“From Mr. Van Horn. He was here and told us Captain Carroll’s missing. But with all that treasure at stake, he’s gotta be dead.”
Flynn frowns at me. “Alex, I think you’re making a big leap. There’s a huge difference between missing and murdered. Don’t be putting the cart before the horse.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It’s an old expression that means you can’t be assuming a man has been murdered when there’s no evidence.”
“But there is! It totally makes sense. Captain Carroll has a map that’s super valuable, and he disappeared just a couple days before he was going to bring up all the treasure. Either that, or the whole map thing is a fake-out so they can spy on you.”
“Whoa, girlfriend. Slow down. Have I taught you nothing about a methodical process? When I take charge of an excavation, I can’t assume anything. I have to take one step at a time—observe, evaluate, decide on a course of action. Isn’t that what the police have to do, too?”
“Yes, but…”
“It’s a clear-cut process, Alex. I know you’ve solved murders by interpreting the clues differently than the police—and even your dad. But those were different situations. These people are…dangerous. And if Captain Carroll has been murdered because of a treasure map, his body will turn up. At which point there will be an investigation. And as for spying on me, I don’t think they have the patience. Promise me you’ll stay away from this whole thing.”
“But, Flynn, we need to find out if there really is a map!”
Flynn’s face gets kinda splotchy and she starts breathing real fast. “No. You need to let the police handle this. I suppose your dad will be called in, but you cannot be asking questions of these people. Some of them are criminals.”
“But…”
“No buts. We have a special relationship. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“What about the San Manuel? They might get to it first.”
“Not if I can help it. And if they do, I have legal remedies.”
“You can’t watch them 24/7!”
Flynn lets out a big sigh. “You’re forcing me to do something I don’t want to do, Alex, and that’s breaking our trust. Please, leave this alone.”
She’
s super worried. I can see it on her face. Her voice is getting super frantic. I totally don’t want her going to my dad, so I guess I have to agree—for now. “Okay. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Thank goodness. I don’t think I could bear it if something happened to you.” Flynn lets out a breath and crushes me next to her. “By the way, why aren’t you in school?”
“We’re on spring break.”
She steps back and looks at the door. “That’s nice. Enjoy it while you’re young. I have to be going.”
This is getting super complex. Now I have to investigate without Flynn’s help? Whatever. I’m totally gonna crack the secrets of The Treasure King.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Rick
AT NINE-THIRTY, Rick told Alex it was time to go to Seaside Cove Market. On his first visit to the town’s only grocery store, he'd been surprised at how much the owners squeezed into such a small space. The brand variety was limited, but he and Alex had quickly adapted, thanks to a crash course in grocery buying Marquetta had given them. Over time, they’d devised a simple division of labor for the list. Alex handled the produce; Rick took the rest.
While they waited in line behind a man Rick didn’t recognize, Rick looked over the items Alex had added to the cart.
“That’s a lot of apricots, kiddo.”
“Marquetta said she needed two dozen.”
“Okay. Ours is not to question why. I’m sure she has her reasons.”
The stranger, who wore jeans and a Whaler’s Cove tee-shirt, looked at Rick. “You’re a local?”
“We moved here about a year ago.”
“Can you tell me how to get to the lighthouse? I’m on foot, but I heard it’s a good place for a picnic.”
“It’s a bit of a walk, but not too bad,” Rick said, then gave the man directions. The line inched forward. The stranger thanked Rick, and placed his purchase on the conveyor belt.
Alex bumped against Rick’s hip, then cocked her head toward the stranger.
“What’s up, kiddo?”
Alex whispered, “That man’s from The Treasure King. He’s one of the crew members.”
“How do you know that?”
“Me and Robbie and Sasha were watching when they docked.”
Rick grimaced. The last thing he wanted to do was start lecturing Alex in public, but he also needed to deal with this while it was a fresh subject. “You and I need to have a little talk later.”
“Okay,” Alex said absently.
It frustrated Rick that she was paying more attention to the conversation between the crew member and the checker than to him. He made a mental note to deal with that at the same time.
The man ahead of them in line, who had been silent until now, spoke in a loud tone. “What do you mean our account’s been closed?”
“It hasn’t been closed, sir. There never was one. For your purchase, we can take cash or credit card.”
“Captain Carroll told me himself he opened the account. You must be wrong.”
"I’m not wrong, sir. There’s no account for anyone by that name or for The Treasure King."
"I’ll have him come in later and settle up with you,” the man insisted. “Just give me my items now.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. Would you like to speak to the manager?”
Rick had resigned himself to a long wait when one of the other checkers grabbed the front of his cart and led them to a different station. “Thank you, Maisy,” Rick said.
“No worries. That’s probably going to take a while.” Maisy stopped, watched the crew member walk out, then scanned the next item. “Or not.”
“I’m still thankful you pulled us away.” Rick pointed to the end of the checkout stand. “Alex, help Maisy out and bag, would you?”
“Okay.” She opened the first of their four bags and began adding the heavier items first.
As Alex bagged, Maisy said, “I heard they have a map to the San Manuel.”
“If they had a map, why wouldn’t they be out diving?” Alex countered.
“Good point. But every army must be fed.”
“He wasn’t buying that much stuff. If they were going out for a long time, they’d need a lot more food.”
Maisy looked at Rick as she scanned the next item. “Pretty sharp little girl you have there, Rick.”
“Yes, she is,” Rick said as he beamed at Alex. “A little too inquisitive for her own good sometimes, but very bright.”
“My teacher says being inquisitive is what makes me a good student,” Alex chirped.
“Your total is $92.92, Rick.”
Rick put his credit card into the terminal slot and waited for the authorization process to complete. He looked up at Maisy. “I’m going to have to have a talk with Mrs. Rawlings. She must not realize the monster she’s helping to create.”
“My son had Mrs. Rawlings. That was back when she first started teaching, but she never told me he was too inquisitive. He was always the opposite.”
“How’s he doing?” Rick asked as he signed for the purchase.
“Okay, but he’s thirty and feels like he’s stuck in a rut. What a shame for someone so young.” Maisy handed Rick his receipt, then closed down her register. “You two have a good day.”
Rick and Alex said their goodbyes to Maisy and stepped out into the sunshine. The air was still cool, which was one reason Rick liked doing the shopping early in the day. At the next corner, they stopped to wait for a car turning left in front of them.
“Daddy? Do you think Captain Carroll came here to spy on Flynn?”
“Why would you say that?”
“It just seems weird that they showed up here. Mr. Gray said they should have had enough supplies, so they have no reason to be here unless they’re up to no good.”
“Did he say this while you were at the docks?”
“Uh huh.”
As they were making their turn onto Front St., Rick said, "So that man in the market works on The Treasure King?”
"When Mr. Gray made them move the boat, he’s the one who ran it."
"I’m concerned about you going near that boat, Alex. After what Sasha's mom said, I don’t want you going back to the docks until they leave Seaside Cove."
"But we only go there during the day. There’s people around, so it’s safe."
"This is one of those times when I have to pull rank on you, kiddo. I avoid it when I can, but you’re more trusting than I am. Do not go near anyone from that boat."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Alex
MARCH 27
Hey Journal,
I’ve got thirty minutes before I have to go help Marquetta. We’ve got a room to clean and then we’ll have to prep for lunch. After me and Daddy talked on the way home from the market, I started thinking about how much I like Seaside Cove. I didn’t think it was going to be any fun ‘cause it’s such a little town and I wasn’t gonna know anybody. But before we ever moved here, Marquetta asked my dad what my favorite colors were. Teal and purple, of course! It turns out they’re Marquetta’s favorites, too.
But what’s totally awesome is that she painted my room teal with purple trim before we moved in. She even decorated the room with white bedroom furniture and accents that match the room colors. After I told her I loved the furniture, she got all teary and told me it was hers when she was my age. She even made my favorite meal, Mac n’Cheese, for our first night here.
I was hoping my dad was going to ask her to marry him at last night’s dinner, but I guess Captain Carroll totally messed that up. My dad’s got good intentions, but, just between you and me, he’s kinda out of practice in the whole romance department. Now I have to come up with another plan to get them together. I also wanna help Flynn find out what’s going on with the treasure hunters. I know she said she doesn’t want me to be involved, but that’s just her being super cautious. I’m gonna text Sasha and see if we can meet this afternoon. Maybe we can do a little spying on the docks to see if we
can answer the question about the treasure map!
Bye for now,
Alex
—Hey Sasha, need to spend time watching the marina this afternoon. Wanna find out what’s up with that treasure map.
—My mom says I’m not supposed to go near there. Did your dad talk to you?
—He said he didn’t want me going near the treasure hunters, but didn’t say I couldn’t watch from Front Street. It’s gonna be like a real surveillance!
—Awesome! I didn’t think about watching from there. We’re gonna need binoculars. Got any?
—Got one pair.
—Can get my dad’s. He won’t care. What about Robbie? Are you gonna ask him?
—Totally. He’ll do it if I ask right.
—What time?
—Surveillance starts at 1:11!
After I know I’ve got Sasha on board, I text Robbie. He’s kinda reluctant at first, but he finally agrees to meet at the scheduled time. The whole thing of convincing Robbie everything was gonna be cool takes longer than I thought it would, so I have to hurry to catch up with Marquetta. She’s super fast and probably has a couple of the rooms done already.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Rick
RICK SAT BEHIND his desk contemplating the bookshelves along the walls. How many secrets had they heard over the years? Probably more than he would ever know about. He brought up the news story by J.K. Keneally. Was it possible the event that had made Neal Weiss and Captain Jack look so grim had taken place in this room? Could the bookshelves have witnessed that event? If only they could speak.
He checked his email and messages. There was nothing from the San Ladron Times. It was either too soon or they’d deleted his original request or…it was even possible his message had never been received. Keneally might have left years ago. Still, there was no harm in sending a second request to show his determination. He opened a new window, brought up the contact form, filled it out, and was double-checking his contact information when someone knocked on the door.
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