Scout glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “Neptune’s the Roman god of the sea.”
“Oh, right,” Chase said, slumping back into his seat. “So ... gold is hidden at Thunder Hole?”
“We’re going to find out,” Naki said.
“Still doesn’t explain why we had to be on the road at four a.m.”
“Lowest point of today’s tide,” Naki said. “We need enough time to search before the water moves back in. The tide turns fast up here.”
Scout caught Chase’s “duh!” expression in the mirror and bit back a smile. He really was trying to redeem himself. He was the one who’d thought to bring coffee and doughnuts for everyone this morning. He’d even remembered that she loved glazed old-fashioned doughnuts best of all. He’d called the owner of the bakery last night to put in an order for doughnuts to be ready by three thirty in the morning.Sweet.Despite his unscrupulous act of stealing the envelope right out from under Maisie’s nose, she felt herself softening toward him.
By the time they reached Thunder Hole, there was a faint hint in the sky that promised the sun’s arrival. The Frantic Atlantic stretched before them, restless even in its retreat, its waves washing up against the rocks.
Walking in single file, they followed their flashlights’ beams to the staircase that led to the viewing platform. Chase peered down the granite stairs, his breath misting in the cold. “Y’know, I’ve been here a lot, but I’ve never actually been here when it’s thundering.”
“Today won’t be your day,” Naki said, moving quickly down the stairs. He turned to hand his flashlight to Scout, then swung one leg over the railing, then the other, and landed with a soft splash in the water below.
Scout stepped to the edge of the platform and stared down at him. “What are you doing?”
“One hundred and seventy-some years ago, these stepswouldn’t have been carved.” Naki looked up at her. “Hand me my flashlight.” She tossed it to him. He started wading through the water, sending the beam of the flashlight up and down the granite wall. “If it’s here, it’s got to be on this side.” He looked up at them. “It would help if one of you would light the wall with your beam.”
Right!“Yes, sir,” Scout said, a little embarrassed she hadn’t thought to help.
“Naki will do,” he said over his shoulder.
Chase leaned over the railing. “Does he really know what he’s doing?”
Scout didn’t hesitate. “He definitely knows what he’s doing.” She watched as Naki’s hands skimmed over the rock face.
He moved along the wall with quiet precision, stopping every so often to run his hands along a hollow or crevice. Finally, he turned and looked up at Scout. “You need to come.”
She blinked. “Come where?”
“Here,” he said, pointing to a shadowed gap in the granite, just above the waterline.
Scout glanced down at the water below. Her boots. Her pants. She could feel herself shiver just thinking about it. But she didn’t hesitate for long. She took off her jacket and ranger hat and handed them both to Chase.
“Don’t lose the hat. It’s my next-best hat.”
“What happened to your best hat?”
She jabbed a thumb toward the ocean. “Somewhere out there.” Then she slipped under the railing and jumped, landing with a splash. The cold bit into her knees like sharp teeth, but she gritted her teeth and waded toward Naki as he stood waiting.
“Here,” he said again, gesturing to the narrow crevice. “My hand is too large to try.”
Oh, not again. My poor hands.Scout crouched slightly, shining the flashlight beam inside the dark crack. She didn’t seeanything at first—just the slick sheen of granite, carved away by centuries of waves. She didn’t want to stick her arm into a cold, slimy rock for no good reason.
Then, there it was. A glint.
Scout didn’t say anything. She handed Naki the flashlight, reached in as far as she could, the granite cold and rough, scratching against her arm—until her fingertips brushed something solid.
A box.
She hooked her fingers around its corners, pulling gently at first, then harder as it resisted. “It’s really jammed in here.”
“Try to wiggle it up and down,” Naki said, “not side to side.”
Time dragged on as she patiently wiggled the box, switching arms every few minutes. Then, with a sharp tug, the object finally came free. Scout stumbled back, but Naki caught her before she fell. She turned around to hold up the box. “Would you look at that!” She glanced up just in time to catch it—Naki’s smile, slow-building and full wattage.Good night.If he did that more often, he could bottle it, sell it, and single-handedly fund the national park system.
