Nash considered this. “Brooks mentioned a guy named Dominic Russo. Does that name mean anything to you?”
Sadie shook her head. “No. Bill never mentioned anyone by that name.”
“What about your department head? This Dr. Martinez your student mentioned?”
“He’s the chair of Utah History at the University. He’s been supportive of my research, but lately he’s been … I don’t know, more interested than usual. Asking for regular updates.” She frowned. “I just assumed it was because I’m nearing completion of my thesis.”
Nash made a mental note to have Brooks look into Martinez. If Bill Harris had been compromised, anyone connected to the research could be suspect.
Silence fell over them. Nash was lost in his thoughts about the connections between Bill Harris, the Ferrantes, and the gold. When he looked up, he found Sadie studying him intently.
“What?” he asked, feeling inspected by her gaze.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” Sadie said suddenly. “With you.” She looked up at him, her green eyes luminous. “I always wondered about you.”
Nash felt his heart rate accelerate, but he kept his expression neutral. Inside, he was hanging on every word. “Really?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
She nodded. “I always thought you were so handsome. And …” She trailed off.
“What?” Nash prompted.
She looked embarrassed. “Well, youdidturn out handsome.”
Nash didn’t know what to say. He felt suddenly awkward, rubbing the back of his neck and rearranging items in the refrigerator that didn’t need rearranging. Part of him wanted to tell her that he’d thought about her too, wondered what had happened to her, imagined what she might look like now. But the words wouldn’t come.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. A text from Porter. He pulled it out and read the message, his eyebrows rising.
We’ve been researching stories about gold around Salt Lake. Have you visited Mount Olympus yet?
“What is it?” Sadie asked.
Nash looked up from his phone. “My brother Porter is asking if I’ve checked out Mount Olympus yet. They’ve been researching gold stories around Salt Lake.”
“Mount Olympus?” Sadie sat forward, suddenly animated. “That’s one of the primary locations I’ve been researching.”
“What’s the connection to Porter Rockwell?” Nash asked, intrigued by her reaction.
“There are several caves on the eastern face that local legends say were used by early Mormon settlers as hiding places,” she explained, eyes bright with excitement. “Some stories specifically mention Rockwell using one particular cave system during his time as Brigham Young’s bodyguard. The caves were perfect for hiding things—or people.”
“And you think gold might be hidden there?”
“It’s possible.” She paused. “I’ve been trying to get permission to explore those caves, but most of the eastern face is privately owned.”
“By whom?” Nash asked.
“A corporate trust called the Olympus Foundation. They own several thousand acres and have the whole area posted with ‘No Trespassing’ signs. They’re extremely protective of the property—almost suspiciously so.”
Nash’s legal mind immediately flagged this as interesting. “How long has this foundation owned the land?”
“That’s the thing—I can’t find much information about them. The property records I accessed only go back to the 1950s, and the foundation already owned it then.” She shook her head. “There’s very little public information about the foundation itself. No website, no listed board members, nothing.”
The coincidences were piling up too high to ignore.
Nash looked at her, feeling the pieces starting to come together. “I think we need to go to Mount Olympus,” he said.
Sadie’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I think you’re right. Let me make some calls to see if I can get us access. But, would you mind if we prayed first?”
Nash was taken aback. “Uh, sure.”
