Could she? What other choice did she have? Scout glanced over at Naki one more time, his quiet presence steadying her nerves just enough to give it a try. She exhaled and nodded, putting her free hand into the tub. She scooped out a large glob and, with a wince, pushed that hand down into the crevice, trying to coat the slick gel on her wrist with two fingers. When she pulled that hand out, the Vaseline glistened on her skin.
Naki nodded. “Okay, try easing the other hand out now.”
Scout hesitated a moment because she knew this was goingto hurt. Her wrist was jammed in there and probably swelling. Naki seemed to read her mind. “Just go slow and steady.” Cautiously, she pulled, and the Vaseline helped ease her wrist from the rock’s tight grip. Sitting up, she let out a breath of relief. Her poor wrist and hand! Scratched and bloody and raw.
Kneeling beside her, Naki cupped her wrist to examine it with a gentleness that she found touching. “Nothing broken. Cuts aren’t too deep.” He turned her hand over to check her palm. “You really thought I wouldn’t come back for you?”
Scout looked up. “Well, some might see it as an opportunity. To take the gold and run.”
He met her gaze, unwavering. “I don’t run.”
For a beat, they locked eyes. Something between them felt different. Something had changed. Then a massive wave crashed against the boulder they stood on, sending sprays of salt water over both of them. Scout staggered back, shocked by the sudden cold.
Naki grabbed her to keep her from falling, his arms tightly around her. She looked up at him, into those dark eyes that she could get lost in, and was shocked at how comforted she felt. Like she knew she was safe, that he wouldn’t let any harm come to her.
“Let’s get you to the car.”
She was surprised that she didn’t want him to let her go. “Wait. The gold. Where did it go?”
“It’s in my pocket.” He released her and reached into his pocket, pulling out the brass box, along with her pink hair ribbon. “This belongs to you, I believe.”
“You found it!” She grabbed her wet hair into a ponytail and tied the ribbon around it. “I wish you could’ve saved my favorite ranger hat. It’s halfway to Nova Scotia by now.”
He watched her curiously. “Let’s get to the car before we get washed out to sea.” He retraced his steps, and she tried tofollow, but she couldn’t keep up with the pace of his long legs. She tripped, and he stopped to help her up, then took hold of her left hand. They made their way carefully over the slippery boulders, following the beam of the flashlight, toward the jeep.
As cold as Scout was, her hand in Naki’s felt like it was burning.
Ranger Rivers leaned back in his chair, the tarnished gold coins gleaming dully under the office light. He let one roll between his fingers before setting it on the desk with a soft clink. He gave a low whistle and shook his head. “I’ve seen a lot of strange things in this job, but treasure hidden by a tide might top the list.”
Scout, her scratched-up hand resting gingerly on her lap, gave a subtle nod toward Naki. “All credit goes to Mr. Dana. He figured out the clue.”
“Naki will do,” he said quietly.
Tim’s eyes shifted to Naki, who stood near the door, his arms loosely crossed. “While you two were out on the gold hunt, things have been unraveling here.”
Scout tilted her head. “Unravelin’ how?”
Tim began counting off on his fingers. “I got a phone call from the fellow who stole the envelope from Maisie. He came to my office to discuss his terms.”
“Terms?” Scout scoffed a laugh. “Like, a ransom?”
“Well, sort of. He wants exclusive rights to the story. But while he was here in my office, someone broke into his car and stole the envelope.”
Scout blinked. “Wait—someone stole it again?”
Tim snorted. “Apparently. So now Maisie and Frankie are chasing a lead to find who stole the envelope. But one silver lining. Fletcher has read through the papers and studied the clues. The two of you can work with him.”
“Fletcher? Chase Fletcher?”
Surprised by the flat sound in Scout’s voice, Tim glanced at her. “Right. He owns theBar Harbor Gazette.” He watched her for a moment. “You know him?”
“I do,” Scout said, eyes lowered.
“Any chance,” Naki said, “that Chase Fletcher was on the tour boat today?”
Scout nodded.
Tim’s gaze shifted between the two. “Do either of you recall the name of the lighthouse keeper?”
