Treasure in Paradise Read online

  “I guess the news must have come as quite a shock.”

  “Not really. Everyone knew that treasure was going to get Buck killed. He was a nice guy. It really is a damn shame everyone was right.”

  “Did you know him well?”

  Gertie tilted her head as if considering my question. “Buck was one of those sweet old guys who was born and raised on the island but never did amount to anything. He was as nice as nice can be, but he wasn’t carrying a full deck, if you know what I mean. The proprietors in the area sort of adopted him. He never could hold down a job, but we all looked out for him, paying him to sweep up and do other odd jobs.”

  “That’s really nice.”

  “You know that those of us who make the island our home are like a family.”

  I did remember that in spite of the angst I harbored the summer of my visit, those I did let in were some of the nicest people I’d ever met.

  “You mentioned that the treasure was most likely responsible for Barnes’s death, but it looked to me like someone killed him.”

  Normally I wouldn’t bring up this particular subject in a dining establishment, but it was an off time of day—late for lunch and early for dinner—so, other than whoever was in the kitchen, Gertie and I were the only ones there.

  “Buck was an outgoing sort who would more likely than not strike up a conversation with anyone he happened across in the course of his day. While that’s something those of us who knew him well loved about him, he did have a tendency to attract attention from certain individuals he was better off not fraternizing with.”

  “Like who?”

  “Like tourists who came to the island chasing after the same legend Buck devoted his life to. He had an arsenal of stories at his disposal, some true but most made up. He’d get to sharing his experiences with total strangers who caught the fever after hearing one of Buck’s elaborate tales.”

  “And no one tried to stop him from talking?”

  “We did. But Buck was a stubborn one, and to be honest, the treasure hunters who visit this area make up a significant percentage of our annual tourism. I guess none of us wanted to squelch Buck’s enthusiasm completely.”

  “Can you think of anyone specific who seemed like they could be a threat to Buck?”

  Gertie paused. “You thinking of digging around in this?”

  “No, not at all. I’m just curious.”

  “Uh-huh.” Gertie looked at me doubtfully. “Your daddy was in last summer when he was on the island visiting Garrett. We shared a spot of moonshine while we caught up. He told me that you’d turned into some sort of an amateur detective. Seems like a mysterious death your first day on the island would be something you PI types would be interested in following up on.”

  “I’m not a private investigator and I’m not a detective. At least not officially. I do have a very active curiosity, and it does seem that I tend to get pulled into whatever seems to be going on at the moment.”

  “I’m not surprised a bit.” Gertie chuckled as she slid onto the bench across from me. “I knew you had the eye when I met you as a child.”

  “The eye?”

  “Sort of like a sixth sense that tells you what to notice and what not to bother yourself with. My granny had the gift. Always knew what was gonna happen before it happened, and then once it did happen she’d know just what to look for to help explain things. You know, the first time you met me you asked about my black cat. Now the fact that a young girl would ask about a cat isn’t all that odd, but the thing is I had just gotten the cat and no one, including Garrett, even knew I had it. When I asked you how you knew, you pointed out a single piece of cat hair on my blouse. Like I said. You had the eye.”

  I smiled. I doubted I had this supernatural power that Gertie seemed to be alluding to, and noticing cat hair on a person’s blouse didn’t seem like it was any sort of superpower, but suddenly I remembered exactly what I’d loved about the jolly woman from the diner.

  “I forgot how much I missed you after I returned home from my trip that summer. Do you still believe in ghosts?”

  “Be a damn fool not to.”

  “One still living in your house?”

  “Goin’ on thirty years now. I know there are those whose minds are too clouded to see what’s right in front of them, but I can assure you, child, old Gertie ain’t never going to let go of the magic. A world without magic is a very dark world indeed.”

  “I have to agree.” I looked around the charming room. There was something about this space that was so peaceful and serene. “I don’t suppose any of your living-impaired friends have mentioned what might have happened to Buck?”

  “’Fraid not. But I do know of one man you might want to talk to if you’re interested in tracking down Buck’s killer. I’m not sayin’ he did it, mind you. I’m just sayin’ he might have information critical to this particular investigation.”

  “Who?”

  “Toby Upton. Buck and Toby used to be occasional partners, but they had a falling out a while back and went their separate ways.”

  “So Toby is a treasure hunter like Buck?”

  “He tries. Although, unlike Buck, Toby manages to hold down a job at the local grocery in addition to his treasure hunting.”

  “Do you have any idea what the falling out between them was about?”

  “The men partnered up to buy an old map from an antique dealer. Now, it wasn’t near as valuable as, say, the map to Barkley’s treasure, but had the treasure the map supposedly led to been found, it would have paid for itself a hundred times over.”

  “They didn’t find it?”

  “They lost the map. Or, as Toby tells it, Buck lost the map.”

  “He lost it?”

  “In a poker game. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why would a self-proclaimed professional treasure hunter risk a map worth who knows how much on a poker game? The truth of the matter is, Buck didn’t always think straight on those unwise occasions when he mixed gambling and alcohol.”

  “I imagine Toby was upset that Buck had been so careless,” I said.

  “Upset is too mild a word. Toby was madder than a wet hen and insisted that Buck owed him not only what he’d put out for the map, but half of what the treasure, had they found it, would have been worth. Of course, Buck didn’t have any money, so Toby never saw a cent back, but ever since then Toby had been going around town threatening to get even.”

  “You think it’s possible Toby killed Buck over the map?”

  Gertie paused. “I don’t think he would have come up with a plan to kill Buck that he then carried out, but I can imagine a scenario in which Buck was telling everyone he had the map to Barkley’s treasure, causing Toby to follow him to collect what he thought was due him.”

  “So Toby followed him to Garrett’s attic where they got into a tussle, and Buck was killed in the fray?” I finished.

  Gertie shrugged. “It’s a theory. I’m not even sure it’s a good theory, but it might be worth checking out. If Toby didn’t kill Buck, he might have some insight as to who might have. Even though the men had a falling out they did tend to travel in the same social circle.”

  “Do you know where I can find Toby?”

  “Like I said, he works at the market.”

  Our conversation paused as a young couple with two small children came into the diner. Gertie excused herself to take their order at just about the same time Grandpa returned from the bathroom and the group on the deck returned from looking at the boats. I only half-listened to the enthusiastic retelling by the girls of all the awesome crafts they’d seen as I tried to sort out everything that Gertie had shared with me.

  When Gertie returned with our food, the conversation naturally segued from a recapping of the boats in the harbor to general chitchat, including a very en
tertaining description of the social activities available on the island.

  “One of the most popular activities during the warmer months is our outdoor theater,” Gertie informed us. “Folks gather on the beach and watch a movie that’s projected on a large white sail. We don’t really have access to new movies, but an old one watched under the stars is a truly magical experience. Folks come from all around to share in the event.”

  “I wanna go,” Gracie chimed in.

  “Movies are shown every first and third Wednesday during the summer.”

  It did my heart good to see Gracie’s face light up at the prospect of an outdoor movie. When I was a child growing up in Serenity, the town just at the foot of the mountain had a drive-in movie theater. It had since been torn down, but I still remembered the magic of putting on a pair of PJs, making a paper bag full of homemade popcorn, and heading down the mountain for a double feature. There really was something special about sitting out under the stars as a story unfolded on the big screen in front of you. A movie on the beach sounded like heaven on earth, and I, for one, couldn’t wait for Wednesday.

  “So I assume this Podunk island doesn’t possess an actual movie theater?” Ashley asked rather rudely.

  “You would be correct in your assumption,” Gertie answered. “However, we do have an awesome community center that holds activities every Friday night for the young folks on the island.”

  “What kind of activities?” Ashley asked suspiciously.

  “This Friday we’re having a barbeque for teens and preteens in the sixth to tenth grade.”

  “I’ll be in the sixth grade this year.” I noticed a small smile beginning to form in the corners of Ashley’s mouth.

  “Then you should definitely sign up.”

  Ashley frowned and forced her face back into a scowl. “Sounds dumb, just like every other dumb thing on this dumb island.”

  “Ashley,” I scolded. “Gertie was just trying to help. I want you to apologize.”

  Ashley got up from the table, her food untouched. “I hate you, and I hate this island.” With that, she stormed out the front door.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said to Gertie as I began to get up.

  Kyle placed his hand on my arm. “I’ll get her.”

  I nodded and turned my attention back to Gertie. “I really do apologize. I know she isn’t happy about having her life uprooted for a whole summer, but I don’t understand why she’s so determined to be miserable. I’ve tried to talk to her about her attitude toward our adventure, but she’s made it clear she isn’t buying anything I’m selling. I’m sure she would have a lot of fun at the barbeque, and I do appreciate your mentioning it.”

  Gertie shrugged. “Kids are angsty by nature even when they aren’t angry about something specific, like being dragged to stay with their father’s old friend while he’s away at a business meeting.”

  “I wasn’t that bad.”

  “Lordie be, that girl has nothin’ on her big sister. I remember you stompin’ around town making sure that everyone knew the pain you had suffered. But like you, Ashley’s got a big heart and tender soul. Give her time; she’ll come around.”

  “I hope so, for everyone’s sake.”

  Gertie crossed her ample arms across her ample chest. “It’ll be easier on her once she makes some friends. There’s a wonderful woman who runs a summer kids’ camp at the recreation complex on Shell Beach. You might want to look into it.”

  “That sounds great. Where can I find out more?”

  “Just drop by the recreation complex. It’s located at the end of the road you drove to reach the resort. Just continue on past the point where you turned off onto the resort road. You can’t miss it.”

  “Thanks. I’ll do that. Maybe in a week or two after we’ve had a chance to settle in.”

  Gertie shook her head. “I wouldn’t be waitin’ long. That girl of yours needs to unleash some of the anger that’s been building up and the sooner the better.”

  “Okay, I’ll look into it on Monday. I promise.”

  “Is the camp for kids my age too?” Gracie asked.

  “You betcha, sweet cheeks. And it is fun, fun, fun. They even take groups of kids on overnight camping trips. They were going to take a group this week, but it was postponed on account of the special town meeting.”

  “Town meeting?” I asked.

  “I figured you’d know all about it, considering that the topic of conversation is Garrett’s land.”

  “Garrett’s land?”

  “There’s a developer in town who has been going around getting local business owners to sign a petition to try to force Garrett to sell his land to Destination Properties.”

  I frowned. “Force Garrett to sell? Can they do that?”

  Gertie shrugged. “On the surface, it seems Garrett can do what he pleases with the property, but the man who showed up a month or so ago from Destination Properties seemed to have been moderately successful at convincing the business owners to support his bid to buy the land. He’s promising everyone huge increases in their bottom lines if they get onboard. The man managed to get enough support that the mayor called the meeting.”

  “Garrett never said a word about that.”

  “He might not know. The people who know how to contact him seem bent on protecting him. Still, it does seem the cat would have found its way out of the bag one way or another.”

  “The man behind this—what’s his name?”

  “Greg Norton. He’s staying over at the inn if you feel the need to have a chat with him.”

  “I do have a need. A rather large one. Do you have a phone number and address for the inn?”

  “I can get if for you. The Gull Island Inn is run by a nice woman named Hallie Bolton. I’ll let her know you’ll be stopping by.”

  Chapter 3

  As soon as we returned from dinner, I called the inn, but Mr. Norton was out, so I decided I’d just stop by the next day. I also wanted to have a conversation with Toby Upton, but I figured speaking to him about a murder with two kids in tow wasn’t the best idea, so I decided to table that discussion until the following day as well.

  Once I’d gotten the girls settled with their animals in the rooms they had picked out, I headed back downstairs. I was trying to decide if I should start unpacking or just relax when I heard a loud, high-pitched squawking.

  “Kill the cat, kill the cat.”

  I ran downstairs just in time to see my cat, Cuervo, jump from the top of the birdcage, where he must have been harassing the poor bird, and run for cover.

  “Are you okay?” I asked Blackbeard.

  “Kill the cat, kill the cat.”

  “How about we move you back to the sunroom? We can get you settled in for the night.” I was afraid that moving the extremely large cage back and forth from the living room to the sunroom was going to be a huge pain, but Kyle had found a second cage in Garrett’s bedroom that he’d set up in the sunroom. I made sure Blackbeard had plenty of water, as well as a special treat, before I closed the door to the cage, checked and rechecked the latch, covered the cage with the drape Kyle assured me was supposed to be used when the bird slept, then slipped out of the room, closing the door behind me. I was going to have to have a chat with Cuervo about house-guest etiquette and how rude it would be to eat the resident bird, but for now I poured myself a glass of wine and took it out onto the deck.

  It was a warm evening with just a tiny breeze. I watched as the waves crashed onto the beach less than a football field away. It had been a hectic and stressful day tacked onto a stressful and hectic few months, but as I watched the sun set into the ocean, I knew I’d found a haven to mend my heart and bring a sense of order back into my life.

  Both Grandpa and Doc had retired to their rooms and, as promised, Kyle had gone to fetch enough
groceries to see us through a couple of days. Now that we were finally here, the adrenaline I’d existed on ever since I’d made the decision to make the trip east had dissipated, leaving behind a level of fatigue I couldn’t quite describe. I’d made the decision to come to the island on a whim after several life-altering events left me feeling unsettled.

  My downward spiral began when my longtime boyfriend Hunter Hanson’s grandfather, Jake Hanson, passed away two months ago. Jake’s health had been failing for quite some time, so his death wasn’t unexpected; still, Jake had been one of the town’s founding fathers, so his passing had impacted almost everyone I knew in one way or another. The most abrupt change in my own life was to my relationship with Hunter. I loved Hunter, I would always love Hunter, and I knew he loved me, but somehow that was never quite enough for us. I truly believed Hunter and I only continued to move our relationship forward because we both loved Jake, and our eventual nuptials and the prospect of great-grandchildren seemed so important to him. After he passed and the dust settled, Hunter and I had talked and decided to part as friends. On the surface this shouldn’t have caused the emotional roller coaster I’d experienced since the breakup, but when Hunter began dating the new pediatrician in town shortly after we split, emotions I hadn’t even known I’d been holding at bay gushed forth in one big burst of instability.

  Of course, the real reason I headed for the east coast at the drop of a hat, had more to do with my father’s recent engagement. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my dad and I was happy that he had found love after so many years of being single. The problem wasn’t that my dad was planning a life with the woman he’d been dating for the past few years; it was that the girls and I lived at the resort with my dad, and the new living arrangement left me feeling like a third wheel. When I’d heard about Garrett’s need for someone to oversee the resort renovations, I’d jumped at the opportunity to take a step away from what had become my very complicated and confusing life.

  Of course, now that I was here and I’d seen firsthand how my spontaneous decision had affected my sisters, I had to wonder if I hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of my life.