Pickups and Pirates (Southern Relics Cozy Mysteries Book 3) Read online

  “I confess,” Dr. Simons said, “I am unsure of where to begin to look for a key or why. There doesn’t seem to be any place to use one.”

  Placing my hand in my pocket, I felt the lump of the box I’d stuffed in before, and an idea took root. “Rissa, I think we may have something in the Bellfort historical exhibit that may relate to all this. Could you come with me to tell me if I’m right?” I jerked my head in the direction of the hallway and made my way to the door without hesitation. “Why don’t the rest of you try to figure out what the new verses mean and how it relates to the box?”

  If my instincts were correct, we didn’t need to know where to find a key. We already had one.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Once I stepped outside, I drew in a cleansing breath free from the scent of Willie’s cologne. Rissa grabbed me by the arm and dragged me away from the offices.

  “What are you talking about?” she whispered. “This has nothing to do with the exhibits.”

  I uncurled her tight fingers from my arm. “You and I both know that, but your guest doesn’t. I wanted to check with you first. I think I know what the key in both clues is referring to. It’s not an actual one like we normally think of.” Digging in my pocket, I recovered the small box containing the stone amulet. “There’s a round metal receptacle in the middle of the top surface. And I think it’s about the size of what’s in here.” I shook the magical container.

  Rissa’s eyes widened with glee. “That’s good thinking.” She complimented me as I opened the box until she grabbed my hand to stop me. “Wait, what if something, you know, not meant for mortal eyes happens if you’re right? What if you put the stone in that place and it does something we can’t easily explain to Dr. Simons?”

  “Then we’ll have to fix it using our considerable resources, if you get my meaning.” I huffed. “We’ve got two choices. We don’t try the stone to see if it fits, and nobody finds out what’s inside that box. Or we try it and deal with the consequences but possibly come a step closer to our ultimate goal. Which do you want?”

  I tapped my foot, waiting for her to choose. Dani appeared, wildly waving her hand for us to come back. “Whatever y’all are doing, we can’t keep him occupied for much longer. Mason left to go outside for some reason, and Charli and I are running out of things to say. He almost bit her head off when she asked him why he didn’t just break the box.”

  “Let me guess,” I said. “The professor has tried, but it hasn’t worked. Yeah, just like what we’ve been running into, I’m pretty sure it’s protected with a spell. Rissa?” I asked, ready to overrule her if she chose not to try the stone.

  “Let’s do it,” she replied with determination. “What have we got to lose?”

  I dragged her back with me. “You have got to stop asking questions like that,” I scolded. Before entering, I pulled out the stone and unwrapped it, holding the aquamarine out for Rissa to take.

  “I don’t want to use it. You do it,” she insisted, pushing my hand away.

  I rolled my eyes. “He’s not going to let me touch his precious box. And how is it going to look if a volunteer who works for you rather than with you is the one to make the attempt? No, it has to be you.”

  Mason returned, and I ushered him inside, pushing Rissa for a final answer.

  She reluctantly accepted her fate, cupping her palm for the stone. Plastering a smile on her face, she entered before me. “Here it is. I think Ruby Mae is right. We may have something that was recovered in historical Bellfort that might do the trick.”

  Dr. Simons hesitated in giving her access to the wooden box. “How is that polished stone going to work? Does it have some mystical properties, so you can wave it over and the whole thing will unlock?” the professor mocked.

  Rissa’s hand trembled slightly. “Of course not. But Rue’s family deals with antiques, finding and selling them. She recognized that type of box that’s been found here in historical households. It was her idea to see if the stone fits in that metal spot on the top.”

  I nodded, trying to pick up on the lie. “Uh, yeah. Seen it a few times in some boxes that we bought and sold.”

  With a snap of his fingers, Dr. Simons opened his expectant hand. “Then give it here and let me try.” All semblance of his manners vanished.

  Rissa straightened and her trembling stopped. “The stone is property of the museum. And as we are here, in the museum in which I work, I will be the one to execute the attempt. If you do not agree to that condition, then you may take your materials with you and leave.”

  The color in his cheeks turned a shade between red and the color of his bruise. “Fine, I acquiesce. But I shall stay immediately by your side so I may be the first to see inside if this is truly the answer that has been missing for three centuries.”

  Taking a deep breath, Rissa positioned the stone and placed it against the metal spot on the top of the box. With one finger, she gave it a little push and it dropped into place with a light click.

  “What was that flash?” Dr. Simons asked. “I swear, there was something in that stone a second ago.”

  I patted his arm. “You must be jet lagged from your trip here.”

  “Maybe.” He jerked away from my touch. “Let me try to open it,” he demanded in a gruff voice. Pulling the box away from Rissa, he gripped the sides and dug his fingers into the wood, grunting in his efforts to open it.

  “If you would let me continue,” Rissa interrupted him. “I was just going to add that I think the verse you read out gives you the actual instructions. It has the cardinal directions on it. And if you look at the edge of the metal, you’ll see the carvings of the letters N, S, E, and W. But you have to turn it like a dial to face the right way in the right order. First turn it up to face North, then to the right to face East, and back to the left to the West. And last, pivot down to face South.”

  A metal mechanism from the inside clacked twice followed by a distinctive click. The top released a fraction of an inch, ready to be opened. Unbeknownst to Willie, I readied myself for any magical booby trap that might happen when the box opened. Mason nodded a silent confirmation that he was doing the same.

  Rissa slid the box in front of Dr. Simons. “She’s all yours.” With a subtle twitch of her fingers, she summoned a little power as well just in case.

  “Finally,” the professor uttered under his breath, as if the rest of us didn’t exist. “I can confirm if Roger Moreton did find the treasure after all.” With slow deliberation, he pushed the wooden top back on its hinges and leaned over. “No. No! It can’t be!” He reached inside and pulled out another torn piece of parchment with more words scribbled in a familiar handwriting.

  “What’s it say?” I asked.

  The disappointed professor tossed the paper at me. “Who cares? The box is empty? But it feels weighted, unless. Yes, one moment. There is a false bottom to it.” Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a pocketknife and whipped a blade open a little too close to Rissa’s face. “If I can just fit it into the crack here, then maybe I can pry it.”

  A heavy hush fell over the room. Dr. Simon’s despair wafted off of him in waves. He reached in and pulled out a thin layer of wood. Turning the box upside down, he dumped out a pile of sand onto the table.

  I read the words he threw away and repeated them out loud.

  “A heart of love you asked in trade

  For abandoned pride I would have stayed

  Your blind ambition was your curse

  The better of you turned to worse

  Once in your grasp is now a waste

  Success in venture never taste

  Know this in your moment low

  The true treasure you will never know”

  Dr. Simons leaned on the table, his breath heaving in his chest. “It was all for nothing. Nothing!” With a wave of his hand, he knocked the glass of water off the table, knocking Rissa backwards in the process.

  “Hey!” shouted Mason. “I’m not sure if anyone informed you, but I
actually work for law enforcement. I suggest you try to control yourself before you hurt someone.”

  Gritting his teeth, the professor appeared to be gearing up for a fight. But a quick survey of the room and all the eyes on him brought him back to his senses. “My deepest apologies.” He replaced the knife into his pocket and retrieved a handkerchief from it. “Here, Miss Ward. You may use it to wipe yourself off. I am not accustomed to being wrong, and it is a bitter pill.”

  Ready for the encounter to end, I assisted in gathering his papers. “Perhaps the lesson is not to spend time wishing for a shortcut to wealth.”

  “Only one who has been well taken care of all her life would be able to make such a statement,” he replied with intentional sharpness. “I am sorry I have taken up so much of your time this morning.” The professor righted the box in the middle of the towels and began wrapping it up.

  “Uh, Dr. Simons? You’re forgetting the stone,” Dani noticed, elbowing me.

  “What? Oh. Well, it seems as if the stone and the box go together so well that I forgot.” The guest caressed the top of the aquamarine amulet. “Would it be possible to take it on loan? In case there is another container like this one in the estate?”

  Rissa stopped wiping herself off with the handkerchief. “No, it is to be a part of an exhibition we are putting together, and I would prefer for it to stay here. If you find another box like this one, let me know and we’ll see what arrangements can be made in the future.” She offered the wet fabric back to its owner.

  “Keep it,” he said. “It’s the least I owe you.” He slid the files back into the briefcase and buckled it close, tossing it into his suitcase.

  Rissa closed the wooden box and turned the stone in the opposite directions from the instructions. It popped back up with very little coaxing, and she held it in her hand. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out the way you hoped they might.” She placed the object in the middle of the towels and began wrapping it up.

  “My disappointment in this being the end should not overshadow the immense amount of assistance you and your team have been,” Dr. Simons stated. “Truly, I thank you. And since it no longer holds any value, perhaps you can keep it and use it in your future exhibition in trade for your sharing any information regarding Ann Bonnet with me?”

  Rissa accepted the offer. “It would be my honor.”

  Zipping his suitcase closed, the disheartened man made his way out of the room with our friend following right behind. Absent of his presence, Dani, Charli, and I all breathed a little easier.

  Mason took out his spell phone to check it. “I’m waiting on a reply from some friends of mine. When I went outside, I took pictures of the plates to his car. I even snapped him when he was absorbed in his own brilliance.” He showed us the couple of pictures.

  “Why did you do that?” Charli asked, pulling his arm around her shoulder and leaning on him.

  “I don’t know. There was something about his demeanor that just pinged my warden training. He was lying half the time. And that bruise? He was definitely in a fight. And those scratches looked suspect as well.”

  Rissa came back in a rush and closed the door. “There was no way I was going to let him out of here with this box. But I had to make him think leaving it was his idea.” She revealed the stone still cupped in her palm. “There’s a game going on, and Dr. Simons just lost his turn. But if I’m right,” she placed the aquamarine into the hole in the top, “then everything changes.”

  “How? He had the exact same lines we did,” I countered, ready to give up the pursuit for anything related to Ann Bonnet.

  Rissa pressed the stone into place. “No, he had similar instructions. But there was a subtle change. First turn it South like this, but instead of turning it to the right and then to the left, East to West, we reverse that. And then up to North.” Another clack of metal mechanics and an additional click resounded in the room, and a small hidden drawer popped open. A rusted key lay inside, and the educational director picked it up for all of us to see.

  “Great. Another clue that will probably lead to another clue,” Mason complained.

  “I don’t know what our next step is,” Rissa admitted, an eager grin on her face. “But I definitely think it means the game’s not over yet.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  We helped Rissa make sure her alarm system was up and running before any of us left the museum. Splitting the group in two, Dani rode with the educational director back to our house to fill in Auggie. Mason, Charli, and I headed to the marina where Nigel Lansing’s boat was most likely docked.

  On our way, I called Luke. “Hey, have you found anything interesting?”

  “In between swatting Auggie’s hand off my behind, yes. I’m hoping you’re calling as you’re driving back. There’s something you need to know about the treasure,” he replied.

  I told him about Rissa and Dani. “Tell Granny Jo to get her skillet warmed up. We’ll be starving by the time we get there. Right now, we’re going to confront Nigel face to face.”

  After a long pause, Luke replied in a hesitant voice, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  Mason took my phone away and put my boyfriend on speaker. “I want to get a good read on him. I’m pretty sure he’s the one who’s been breaking in and stealing things to pass off his own discoveries based on the videos he’s posted.”

  “If he did, then that means he also assaulted Auggie,” Luke reminded us. “Not someone I’d like Rue to be talking to. At least not without me there.”

  Charli spoke up, “Mason can hold his own, even if he’s not a vampire.”

  “Thanks,” the detective said, grasping her hand and bringing it up to his mouth for a kiss.

  I slowed to turn into the parking lot for the marina. “We’ve got an experienced warden with us. I just want to see what he has to say for himself and decide whether or not to get official law enforcement involved. If we do, that could be the end of our search for the treasure. Everything’s a fine balance, and I’m worried about tipping the scales.” Pulling into a parking space, I threw the truck into park and let it idle, waiting. “Luke?”

  “Fine. But Mason, you pull the plug on this the second your instincts tell you to, all right?” my boyfriend insisted. “And Rue, try to stay out of trouble.”

  “That’s like asking the sun not to shine,” I muttered under my breath to Charli, who cracked up at my joke.

  “I heard that,” Luke declared. “Vampire hearing, remember?”

  Snatching the phone out of Mason’s hand, I took it off speaker. “Fine. I’ll do my best not to get into trouble. That’s the best offer you’re gonna get. Take it or leave it, old man.”

  “You are so getting spanked for that,” he teased.

  I wiggled my eyebrows. “Promises, promises.”

  “Stop flirting and let’s go,” Mason said, opening his door and helping Charli out.

  Not waiting for Luke to take the deal, I declared my love and hung up the phone. Walking toward the docks, we noticed a few smaller boats damaged by the hurricane and a couple flipped on their sides on the land. But most of the larger crafts survived due to the floating dock and tall pilings they were moored to.

  “How will we know which one is his?” I asked, staring at the rows of white boats that all looked the same.

  Mason placed his hands on his hips. “I think it might be time to flash them a badge for information.” He left Charli and me waiting while he went inside the office building.

  The two of us strolled along the dock, avoiding seagull poop and amusing ourselves with the monikers painted on the backs of the ships.

  “You know, you and Mason don’t have to stay. If you need to go home, we’ll understand,” I insisted, picking up a stray shell bleached by the sun and chucking it in the water.

  “Thanks. It’s been an intense couple of days.” She stopped walking and looked out over the water. “But I would regret it if I didn’t see this all the way through. After what we jus
t witnessed with the box, the mismatched clues, and that note inside the box, I have to find out how it’s all tied together. Plus, I’m still hoping to get a chance to convince you to bring some of the stuff you’ve got to Honeysuckle and open up a store. Think of it as a special branch of Precious Jewels, where you can actually sell some of your goods that possess magic.”

  Heavy footsteps rocked the dock, interrupting our intriguing conversation. Mason waved for us to follow him. “It’s two rows that way.” We hustled into action, trying not to run and cause a spectacle but also wanting to get to the right spot as soon as possible.

  Mason stopped in front of a specific boat, and I pointed at the painted name. “He has a serious amount of nerve.”

  “What?” Charli questioned. “What’s The Real Indy?”

  “Indy, as in Indiana Jones. He’s making the bold claim that he’s the real thing versus the fictional character,” I scoffed, taking in the size of the boat. “He must be paying for this using all those donations he claims are for him to be able to achieve his adventures. What a tough life he leads.”

  Mason cupped his mouth and called out Nigel’s name a couple of times. With no answer, the detective readied himself. “Stay here for now. I’m gonna jump on and see if he’s there,” he instructed. “Coming onboard!”

  I hugged my arms about me, imagining how Nigel would react when confronted about the stolen items. And whether or not he would confess straight away about hurting Auggie or not. The longer I waited, the hotter my blood boiled.

  “I’m gonna jump onto the boat, too,” I declared, a little worried about making the leap and not falling into the water.

  Charli held onto me. “I trust Mason. Let’s wait a few more minutes for him to return and tell us what’s going on.”

  As if saying his name actually summoned him, the detective reappeared, his face locked in a stony mask. “I think it’s time you contacted whoever you need to for them to inform the wardens. I’m going to have to call in the regular police.”