by Gigi Pandian
Douglas Black shook his head incredulously.
“Never trust a fellow who dusnae smoke real cigarettes,” he said.
“Daft,” Fergus mumbled. “A treasure worth a fortune in ‘is hands, ‘n he puts it back, ‘n goes ‘n kills instead.”
“He’ll be in hospital for a time,” Angus said. “Nae pretty recovery for tha’ one.”
“And Rupert’s finally getting the medical attention he needs,” I added. “He should be out of the hospital soon, as long as his father doesn’t kill him.”
“Dougie!” a female voice called from the back. “Yer not askin’ about the treasure!”
Angus stifled a smile. Malcolm laughed out loud. “Ach,” Fergus mumbled.
“I’m gettin’ there, woman!” Mr. Black grimaced.
“The treasure Jaya found is safe under guard at the police station until it can be transferred to a museum,” Malcolm said. “My treasures are still in the ground.”
“Miss Jones found her fayrie treasure,” Fergus said approvingly, grinning broadly and revealing his gray teeth.
The British and Indian authorities would no doubt take ages to sort out what would happen to the Rajasthan Rubies. I still had the original artifact that had set off this whole adventure, but even if I had been tempted to forget to mention the bracelet to the authorities, I doubted Rupert would let me. Not now that I was heading back to San Francisco and close proximity to Lane, rather than staying in Britain with him.
Rupert hadn’t been able to sneak off with the treasure, so the jewels were all safely at the police station. At least I had every reason to believe they had all of the jewels….There was only a slight possibility it wasn’t the storm that had disturbed the spot at the edge of the tree after we left in search of Rupert. And it was most likely only our overactive imaginations that made it look like the antique box we found so close to the surface had been opened recently. Just because some of the dirt around the hinges looked a little disturbed….
Could a reformed jewel thief resist?
There was still a king’s ransom of treasure left. Ruby-laden gold ornaments for all kinds of adornment, in the same beautifully ornate style as the bracelet I had first seen only a week ago. And more importantly, the diary of Willoughby Gregor. The history, and the knowledge, had been left for the world.
I had a few minutes with the diary before the police confiscated it for safekeeping for the proper authorities, whoever they were determined to be. The story we had pieced together was true. And it wasn’t only a story. It was a life. Many lives. Their loves, losses, successes, risks, and beginnings. Willoughby Gregor, a merchant with the East India Company, who married Ameena Bashir, an adventurous young woman who knew of a rumored treasure that had been hidden away. She didn’t survive the Sepoy Rebellion or make it out of India alive, but the fortune she found for her beloved husband and daughter did. The first page of Willoughby’s diary said more than anything else: For Elspeth. His daughter.
Willoughby hadn’t revealed the treasure to anyone else, even though Elspeth had died first. He had removed some of the pieces for his estate and family, dropping one piece during a fierce Scottish storm, but not the vast majority of riches. But I had to wonder….
Willoughby didn’t destroy that sketch showing the location of the treasure after Elspeth’s death. He wanted someone who understood to find it.
As for me, the one who found the treasure? I’d found something much more than I was expecting. The one item Lane had left behind was a piece of paper with the address of an apartment in Berkeley. I didn’t know what I’d find there, but I knew who I’d find. And I could hardly wait.
Author’s Note
Though Artifact is a work of fiction and the characters and treasure in the book came from my imagination, the historical details about Scotland and India are true.
In Scotland, the story of the Picts is presented as scholars have pieced it together. Though this particular archaeological site does not exist, Pictish standing stones are being unearthed to this day. The cliff-side setting is an accurate portrayal of that region of the Highlands of Scotland and the nearby Dunnottar Castle is a dramatic site to visit. The legends of the Tuatha de Danann and the bean nighe are alive and well in Irish and Scottish folklore.
In India, the styles of Mughal artwork described are real, as are the challenges art historians face in separating factual depictions from artistic license. The battles and social norms of the British East India Company also existed as they are described in the book. The British East India Company transformed itself from a trading company into a military power, assuming a greater military and political role after the 1757 Battle of Plassey, with the British Crown taking over direct rule of India a century later, after the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857. Indian independence was achieved in 1947. There were many violent conflicts leading to lives and treasures being lost, but during certain periods of time there were also marriages between British men and Indian women. It’s entirely possible that the story in Artifact may have played out in unrecorded history…
Reader’s Discussion Guide
1. Written in first person, the reader only sees what Jaya sees. Was she a reliable narrator, or did she have blind spots you could see?
2. Would you make the same choices as Jaya? Would you have hopped on a plane to Scotland if you were the only person who believed someone dear to you was murdered? Would you have bailed Lane out of jail after he revealed his secret?
3. Artifact is a fair-play “puzzle” mystery where the reader is given clues to solve the mystery. Did you solve it? What types of misdirection obscured the truth about the treasure and the killer?
4. What was the most surprising plot twist? Did you find the plot twists the most memorable parts of the book, or were you more drawn to the characters and their relationships?
5. Superstition is used to reveal non-supernatural truths. How did Scottish legends and folklore shed light on the secrets of the buried treasure? Were you familiar with any Scottish folklore before reading Artifact?
6. Being part of two cultures and spending parts of her life in each, Jaya describes feeling like an outsider. Do you think that’s one of the reasons she and Lane have a connection? And is that why her music is such an important part of her life?
See the scenic settings of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries on Gigi’s Pinterest boards: http://pinterest.com/GigiPandian
Learn more about the history of British India and Scotland at the British Library’s online gallery: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery
About the Author
Gigi Pandian is the child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India. After being dragged around the world during her childhood, she tried to escape her fate when she left a PhD program for art school. But adventurous academic characters wouldn’t stay out of her head. Thus was born the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Series. The first book in the series, Artifact, was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant.
The Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Series
by Gigi Pandian
Novels
ARTIFACT (#1)
PIRATE VISHNU (#2)
QUICKSAND (#3)
MICHELANGELO’S GHOST (#4)
THE NINJA’S ILLUSION (#5)
Short Stories
THE LIBRARY GHOST OF TANGLEWOOD INN
THE CAMBODIAN CURSE & OTHER STORIES
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