A Treasure to Die For (A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery Book 1)

by Terry Ambrose

  “Nineteenth century is still pretty old,” Reese said. “I’m hopeful.”

  Howie returned her smile and shrugged. “If it turns out to be legitimate, the stains would make sense.”

  “Thank you for your help, Howie.” Rick glanced at Reese. It was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

  She murmured her appreciation, but seemed anxious to leave. As they walked out, Rick glanced back into the shop. Howie grimaced and shook his head. Rick understood. He wanted to throw his hands up in the air and scream in frustration. If the map wasn’t from the sixteenth century, how old was it? When and why had it been created? And did she already know the answers to those questions?

  Chapter 27

  RICK

  Rick took his time closing the door to Howie’s Collectibles. He had so many questions running through his head, but he felt sure Reese wasn’t yet ready to trust him with the answers. When he turned away from the store, she was standing in front of the Crooked Mast.

  “You said their food is good?” She cocked her head and peered into the front window of the restaurant.

  “The locals love it.”

  The Crooked Mast drew a hefty lunch and dinner crowd. It was another of Seaside Cove’s gaudy attractions with green siding, orange trim, and white accents. This was one of those times Rick was thankful Captain Jack had stuck to basic white for the B&B.

  “They don’t open for another half hour,” Rick said.

  “I see the hours posted.” She closed the distance between them. Let her gaze rest on his. “Look, I appreciate you trying to help. But, you have to understand, this is a complex issue. The map may be a fake. The San Manuel is real. Period. Who’s this guy Joe Gray that Howie mentioned?”

  “He runs Gray’s Sailing Charters. He’s done a lot of work with treasure hunters in the past.”

  She turned away and again examined the restaurant. A few seconds later, she looked at him and smiled. “Can he get me a boat?”

  Thank goodness the ruse he’d used earlier with Joe might actually turn out to be true. However, something wasn’t right in the way she was acting. She was either the biggest flirt he’d ever seen, or she was deliberately trying to keep him off balance. Rick took a small step toward her. “Well, sure. You want to talk to him?”

  “Lead the way.”

  They walked in silence to the wharf. There were so many things Rick didn’t understand about this woman or her friends. They followed the ramp to the boats, bypassed a large yacht, and stopped at Joe’s Gray’s houseboat.

  “Ah, you’re back,” Joe said as he looked up from the small wooden cabinet he’d been sanding on the front deck. “Come aboard.”

  “Thanks,” Rick said. “This is Reese, one of the people I mentioned.”

  Joe placed the sandpaper in a small plastic toolkit, wiped his hands on his jeans, and groaned as he stood. “Nice to meet you, Miss…”

  “Potok, Reese Potok,” she said as she shook his hand.

  “Glad you came. I’m happy to have a break from maintenance. It’s a constant battle against the elements with this old girl. Sometimes I wonder why I don’t get myself a little apartment so I don’t have to fight this never-ending battle. The problem is, I love being on the water. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

  Reese gave Joe a warm smile, then eyed the boat. “She’s a beauty. Is that all teak paneling on the sides?”

  “Yup. They don’t make them like this anymore. She’s solid through-and-through.” He ran his fingers over the wood. “Everything today is fiberglass this and composite that.” He pointed in the general direction of the B&B. “This boat is a lot like that place of yours, Rick. A grand old lady. She needs to be taken care of, but she’ll survive the years with proper maintenance.”

  “We’re trying to get her there,” Rick said.

  “Captain Jack and his big remodel,” Joe turned back to Reese. “I assume you want that boat Rick mentioned earlier.”

  “Yes. Something with a dive platform and good speed. My team has a spot we’d like to investigate off the coast.”

  “Your team?” Rick gaped at her. “I thought none of you liked each other? You’re really going to work with the other treasure hunters?”

  She gave him a confident smile. “Under the right circumstances.” She cocked an eyebrow at Joe. “Well?”

  “You do realize there is, in all likelihood, no Spanish gold out there. The gold traveled either to Manila for trade or back to Spain. And it’s highly improbable that, as your group seems to believe, a hurricane blew a ship this far north.”

  “Mr. Gray…Joe, I realize you probably think because I’m a woman I don’t know what I’m talking about. But, I’ve been researching the San Manuel for years, and I know Spanish ships left Acapulco bound for the Philippines loaded with silver. When they returned, they carried porcelain, spices, and silks. There are a number of ships unaccounted for—like the Content, for instance. The fact is, no matter what the San Manuel contains, what matters to me is being the one to find her. So, are you going to charter a boat for me or not? I’ve only got a day or two left and I need to test my theory.”

  Joe raised his eyebrows and nodded at Reese. “Little lady, you’ve got yourself a boat—as long as I’m the captain.”

  Chapter 28

  ALEX

  Daddy just left with Miss Potok. She’s all dressed up. Kinda like my mom dressed. She stood real close to him. Flipped her hair back. And the way she was watching him. I might only be a kid, but I can tell when a girl is flirting. I can’t believe he abandoned us…for her.

  I jump when Marquetta comes up behind me. She kneels next to me and puts her hands on my shoulders. I lean into her as hot tears well up from deep inside.

  “I’m so sorry, Alex. I thought you might get some time with your dad.”

  “It’s not fair!” My voice cracks and the first tear dribbles down my cheek. “Why’s he like her?”

  “Who, Sweetie?”

  “Miss Potok! She met Daddy, and they left together. I saw them. I saw them!”

  Marquetta’s got a frown on her face and I’m sure she’s sad, too. She doesn’t like Miss Potok either. She doesn’t wipe away my tears, but pulls me in close and hugs me again. This time I don’t let go, but hang on. It feels good. Like something from long ago…

  “Sweetie, you can’t be spying on your dad. It’s not right.”

  “But they were acting like…like they were going on a date.”

  Marquetta’s jaw is kinda pinched and her eyes are all watery. “It doesn’t matter. We can’t control who other people like.” She sniffles and clears her throat. “Come on. I have work to do.”

  She stands up and smiles at me. I can tell she’s faking it. She hurts, too.

  “You and Robbie did a good job with the cookies. Why don’t you go upstairs and play?”

  “Okay.”

  Robbie’s been standing at the butler door trying to ignore what’s going on. But he asked that question when we were in Miss Kelley’s room, and Marquetta will have the answer. “What’s unequivi-cable mean?”

  “Where’d you hear that, Sweetie?”

  “I read it someplace.”

  “It helps to have some context. But, it basically means without doubt.”

  “So, like, undying love?”

  “Where’s this going, Alex?”

  I glance over at Robbie. He’s been through a lot. I totally don’t want to be crying in front of him. But I’m glad he was here even though he looks like he wants to be somewhere else.

  “Just curious. C’mon, Robbie.”

  I grab his hand, and he follows me up the stairs. We’re at the top and Marquetta is still standing in the lobby. She’s sniffling and looks lonely. I want to go to her, but she turns away and heads for the kitchen before I make up my mind.

  “Robbie, Marquetta’s gonna be busy and my dad’s gone. You know what that means?”

  He shakes his head. I roll my eyes. Wanna say something about boys being clueless, but th
ere are two men down the hall whispering and I don’t want them to hear us. When I look, I see it’s Mr. Joshua and Mr. Luhan. Together? They’re angry, too. I close my eyes and listen, but it’s hard to make out what they’re saying. After a few seconds, I pull Robbie in the other direction.

  “Where we going, Alex?” Robbie’s eyes are real big cause he’s staring down at the master key in my hand. “Are we spying again?”

  “We’re gonna check out the Fore Sail Room. That’s where Miss Potok is staying.”

  He grins at me. “Awesome.”

  Getting in is easy, just like before. We close the door, and I look around. It’s kinda disappointing cause she’s picked up. “This sucks. She’s another neat freak.” I take in a deep breath cause I’m determined to find something. “Look under the bed.”

  Robbie gets on his knees and does what I asked while I start going through the dresser drawers. There’s nothing. No diary. No papers. Nothing.

  The room is getting blurry again. I can’t have been wrong about Miss Potok. I can’t! I want to slam my fist into something!

  “Alex?”

  “What?” I sniffle.

  “I think you’re gonna want to see this.”

  “Okay.” I take a deep breath. Get ready for another huge disappointment. I swipe away a tear and turn around.

  My jaw drops.

  Robbie’s spread a huge piece of paper out on top of the bed. We both stand there looking down at it.

  “Holy crap, Robbie. This is a totally different treasure map.”

  Chapter 29

  RICK

  The meeting with Joe Gray ended with Reese agreeing to Joe’s terms. They scheduled a departure time of first light the following morning. Joe would captain the vessel. With the deal made, Rick thought about asking Reese to lunch. Was it because he felt an attraction? Or was he keeping his enemies close?

  He asked. She declined. More business to handle in town. Which raised another question—what other business could she possibly have in Seaside Cove?

  Questions nagged at him during the walk home. He arrived to find Alex, Marquetta, and Robbie on the back patio. They were laughing. Smiling. Happy. A welcome relief, actually.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” Rick asked.

  “Marquetta wanted to eat out here, Daddy. Are you gonna have lunch with us?”

  Rick glanced at Marquetta.

  She averted her eyes before she stood and gave him a polite smile. “I have plenty of salad makings. Have a seat; it’ll only take a sec.”

  He sat. Marquetta stood and went into the kitchen. Rick chitchatted with the kids, but couldn’t stop from glancing over his shoulder. Two women. So different. And confusing.

  When Marquetta returned, he stared at the plate in front of him. “Wow, salad heaven. Tomato, carrots, and some leftover chicken. Nice and healthy.”

  “I can get you something else if you’d prefer,” she said.

  “Nope, this is good.” He winked at her, got no response. Maybe he could lighten the mood? He pretended to eye Alex’s and Robbie’s plates. “PB&J with potato chips. It pays to be a kid around here.”

  “Would you prefer a sandwich?” Marquetta snapped.

  Rick raised both hands. “No, I was just kidding. A salad’s great. So what’s been going on?” And what had he done to irritate Marquetta so much? He’d never seen her like this.

  Robbie picked at his chips, but Alex ignored her food.

  “Daddy, where did you go with Miss Potok?”

  “Ah, long story, kiddo. The short one is we wanted to see Howie Dockham. What did you do while I was gone?”

  “I’d like to know that, too,” Marquetta said. “When I looked for them earlier, they were nowhere to be found.”

  “We were playing hide-and-seek,” Alex said. “You didn’t find us.”

  Her ear-to-ear grin was a little over-the-top as far as Rick was concerned. He crossed his arms. “Really.”

  “Sounds suspicious to me.” Marquetta frowned as she glanced at Alex.

  “So what did Mr. Dockham say?” Alex immediately bit into her sandwich.

  It was obvious she was working hard to divert attention from what she and Robbie had been up to. He might pursue that line of inquiry if Robbie weren’t here, but those questions had to wait for now.

  “Howie inspected the map we showed him. He believes it’s fake and wanted to send it off for testing, but Reese declined. He said the paper seemed too new. It had an odd odor to it.”

  “Wait.” Marquetta said with her fork poised in midair. “What kind of odor?”

  All eyes focused on Rick. The only sounds were those of the distant ocean surf and the kids munching on their chips. Rick shrugged. “Howie said he couldn’t place it.”

  “Was it a floral aroma?” Marquetta stabbed a cherry tomato and popped it in her mouth.

  “It didn’t smell like any flower I recognize.”

  “Was it a love note?” Robbie gazed at Rick and Marquetta with wide eyes.

  Alex clamped her hand over her mouth and coughed, then reached for her milk. She took several gulps as Rick watched her.

  “No Robbie,” Rick said. “It wasn’t a love note. Are you okay, kiddo?”

  The girl nodded and took another swallow.

  “Then why did it smell like flowers?” Robbie asked.

  “I’ve got the same question.” Rick gave the boy a thumbs up, then watched Alex closely.

  “Miss Kelley was in her room when I popped in with fresh linens,” Marquetta said. “She showed me her section of the map. It had a very distinct odor.”

  “That’s exactly what Howie said.” Rick shook his head. “But he couldn’t identify it.”

  “It’s Darjeeling oolong tea.” Marquetta shrugged and held his gaze.

  “It’s what?” Rick screwed up his face to show his skepticism. “How would you know that?”

  “I studied teas in cooking school. Just as aroma is important in wine tasting, it also plays a role in teas. Her part of the map reminded me of a divine oolong tea from China.”

  Rick listened to the rhythm of the surf slapping the shore. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Marquetta. “Are you positive?”

  Marquetta straightened up in her chair; her jaw tightened. “I know my teas, Rick.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like I doubted you. I had no idea you were a tea expert.”

  She leaned back, closed her eyes, and took a measured breath. “It’s okay. What I smelled was a second flush Darjeeling oolong. It has a very rare muscatel flavor and is quite expensive.”

  “What’s that mean?” Alex asked.

  Rick rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. “That this whole San Manuel thing is a fake.”

  “It is,” Alex blurted.

  Rick sighed. And what did that mean? He stared at Alex, but she was avoiding eye contact. How could she be so positive? Because she was a kid? Or she knew something. He turned to Marquetta. “You said your father was into chasing treasure.”

  She closed her eyes and paused. “Yes.”

  “I just want to ask you one question. And it’s not about him. Have you ever heard of the San Manuel?”

  “No. This one’s all new to me.”

  “That’s what Joe said, too. He’s certainly been around a while. I guess he worked with your dad at one point.”

  Marquetta dropped her fork and stared at Rick. “How do you know that?”

  He pressed his lips together and swallowed the lump in his throat. “We went there to charter a boat.”

  To his left, Alex sat watching him. He’d told her so many times how she should be honest. He couldn’t lie. Not to Marquetta. The lump settled deep in the pit of his stomach and the words tumbled out.

  “When he told me he worked with your father—I shouldn’t have asked the questions I did. I’m sorry.”

  “This happened with Miss Potok there?”

  He shook his head and croaked, “Before.”

  “Before what?” M
arquetta glared at him with an anger Rick had never seen before.

  “After Devon was here. When breakfast was over, I left and went into town. That was the first time I saw Joe.”

  The color drained from Marquetta’s face. She stood. Held his gaze. “So you lied to me.”

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  Tears welled in her eyes. “I trusted you.” She stormed away without another word.

  Alex jumped up and raced after her. “Marquetta, wait.”

  Rick’s insides twisted. He wanted to follow Marquetta, but his feet were encased in concrete. “Let her go, Alex. She’s right. I made a terrible mistake.”

  “Stop her, Daddy!” Tears streamed down Alex’s cheeks and she appeared torn between chasing after Marquetta and coming back to the table.

  Rick walked, stiff-legged, to Alex. He put an arm around her shoulder, but she jerked away.

  “You’ve ruined everything!”

  “Come sit down,” he said. “She’s upset with me, not you. Give her some time to cool off.” He turned his attention back to Robbie. “And you have company.”

  “I don’t understand, Daddy…why’s Marquetta so mad at you?”

  “It wasn’t right for me to ask questions about her without her permission. She feels like her privacy has been violated. It’s why we always notify guests when we need to enter their rooms.”

  Alex stiffened; Robbie stopped nibbling on his chips and began chewing on his lower lip. What had these two done?

  He knelt next to his daughter and held her at arm’s length while he kept an eye on Robbie. “You have something to tell me, don’t you?”

  Alex’s thin frame shuddered in his arms. At the table, Robbie couldn’t take his eyes from her.

  “I promise I won’t get angry, but you need to tell me what it is.” His voice grew stern as he added the final emphasis. “Right now.”

  “We were spying,” Robbie mumbled.

  “Robbie!” Alex stared at the boy with her mouth open.

  “Spying?” Rick look straight into his daughter’s eyes. “Alex?”

  “We wanted to help you solve Mr. Gordon’s murder.” She hung her head and as if she were talking to the concrete.