“I thought you didn’t leave your boat?”
“Seems like a good day to start.”
“What about the government?” I demand.
He blinks.
“Won’t they take it if we find it?”
“Eh.” He shifts his cane between his hands. “Cross that bridge when we get there.”
I bat my tongue around my mouth and consider this man in front of me. My father. Rueben Vance. Cap. Whoever the hell he is.
I want to fight him on this. He’s so grouchy and seemingly annoyed that I’m here, I have no idea why he wants to do this, but something in his slightly yellowed face tells me I won’t win. I need what he knows if I’m going to get this money, and I need this damn money.
He takes my silence as his answer because he adjusts the captain’s hat on his head, slips a leather boat shoe on his real foot, and slings his little oxygen tank over his shoulder. Bare-chested cane in hand, he limps his way through the hatch, making the boat rock when he steps onto the dock.
“Ain’t got all day,” he barks. “Lock up.”
I clamber up the steps behind him, securing a padlock after I close the hatch. I don’t know why he needs to lock this boat up any more than I understand what I just agreed to or where we’re going.
“What’s your husband do for work?” he asks with a cough as he settles into the passenger seat of the station wagon.
I pluck the Thirsty for History pamphlet from my purse and toss it on his lap. “Tour guide.”
Without looking at it, he says, “Sounds good.”
“Sounds good?” I parrot, jerking my chin back. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Means he’s the one that’ll help us.”
“No.” Because no. Over my cold, dead body. “Absolutely not.”
“I said we need help, he looks helpful.”
I look at Nash’s smiling face on the cover of the pamphlet—he looks anything but helpful. He looks destructive. He looks like a pain in my ass and a hole in my heart.
“Don’t you have any friends? What about the Gabers?”
“Eh. They don’t know how to find it,” he says. “Plus, those tour-guiding bastards get access to everything. Tried pretending to be one once.” He smiles proudly before frowning. “Didn’t work. He’ll know how.”
My mouth hangs open so wide a family of pelicans could fly right into it and build a nest.
“We goin’ or not?” he barks.
Don’t do it, Rue,a little voice inside me screams.Do not listen to this man.
But that little voice isn’t loud enough to drown out the one reminding me about the money we lost or the brain tumor my mom needs removed. Unless Barry the blinking banker calls me with the unlikely news he’s found our money, I have no other choice.
I may be glaring at Cap as I pull out of the marina, but I also do as he says.
Thirteen
In theory, this shouldn’t be difficult. The words are simple.Nash, there’s been a misunderstanding. Please sign here. Also, I accidentally had your child and didn’t tell you. Or her. Oh, and this is my treasure-hunting dad—he has some questions for you. Less than thirty seconds and this can all be over.
In the scheme of everything else, it’s nothing compared to no money and a brain tumor.
And yet.
