The boyfriend cut a look at Frankie. “If it wasn’t important, then why do you want it back?”
Frankie glared at him. “Dude. She wants it back, okay?”
“So what does this local guy look like?” Sophie said. “What color hair? And how old?”
Yes! Let’s get back to him.Maisie’s eyes went to the sky, as if she could see him in the clouds. “How old? Maybe ... he’s in college? He has a preppy look. Sandy brown hair. Cute. Like ... he could be a model in a L.L.Bean catalog.”
“How cute?”
“Supercute.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know him. Chase Fletcher. Half the locals are in love with him.”
Frankie snorted. “Which half?”
Sophie’s boyfriend crossed his arms against his chest. “Yeah. Which half?”
Sophie’s expression shifted into a knowing grin. “You got nothing to worry about, Enzo. Chase Fletcher says he’s married to his work.”
Frankie grew instantly serious. “Where does he work?”
Smart! Maisie wouldn’t have thought to ask.
“He’s not in college, kid. He’s, like, the king of theBar Harbor Gazette.” Sophie made a dismissive gesture, as if Maisie’s male radar wasn’t working. “And Chase Fletcher would never steal anything.”
Enzo the boyfriend snorted. “The original Boy Scout.”
Maisie exchanged a glance with Frankie. “Let’s go,” he said.
Maisie and Frankie dashed down the street, their footsteps quick and in sync. They were working as a team, and it felt ... well, kind of awesome. Just the way she’d always imagined it could be between them. They’d found out who took herenvelope, and they’d just saved Frankie’s future career with the NPS.
“Pops! We found him!” Maisie burst into the office, practically out of breath. “His name is—” Then she stopped abruptly. There, sitting across from her grandfather, was the last person she expected to see.
“Chase Fletcher,” Pops said, looking up, totally unruffled. “Owner and publisher of theBar Harbor Gazette.” He didn’t even blink.
The look of surprise, then disappointment, on that girl’s face when she recognized him made Chase squirm. She wasn’t the type who could hide her thoughts or feelings, or keep information to herself, which he had already figured out at the coffee shop. It was the very reason he had easily tracked down her grandfather to call him.
“Hey! I know you,” Frankie said. “You were on the boat tour today.”
Chase nodded at him. “Frankie, right?”
Frankie looked at the girl. “So this is the guy who stole the envelope?” He scoffed. “He’snotsuper cute.”
“Lower your voice, Frankie.” The ranger got up and closed the door behind the girl and Frankie. “Mr. Fletcher was just explaining to me why he stole the envelope from you, Maisie.”
Maisie! So that’s the girl’s name. “Actually, what I was really trying to do was explain why I called you about it.”
“Go on,” the ranger said, his voice sharp.
Chase took a breath. “I think this story—and the gold—deserve to be handled the right way. And that’s why I’m here. I want in.”
Frankie let out a loud scoff. “Good luck with that. Scout and Naki have been given that privilege. They’ve probably already found half the gold.”
Chase doubted that. So did the ranger, from the look on his face. “Let me help. Let me be part of this.”
“There’s no way!” Frankie’s arms flew in the air. “Chief, you can’t let him butt in on this. He’s a newspaper guy. And where is the envelope, anyway?”
“It’s in a safe spot.” Fairly safe. In the back seat of Chase’s car. His locked car. He’d made sure of that.
