“Thanks, Tina,” Oscar said.
“Sure thing. Tell me what you find out.” She hurried back down off the porch.
They waited until she was inside, then a little while longer. When it seemed no one else was stirring, Oscar opened the briefcase.
As Tina had said, there was more than one object tucked within. The first was an unlabeled VHS tape, which matched the outline in the dust they’d seen.
The second was the missing ledger.
“Damn.” Chris picked up the old book and flipped through it. “Gloria didn’t hide it after all. But why would Ethan take something like this? It’s just a bunch of numbers.”
“You can find out a lot from looking at a bunch of numbers,” Oscar said.
“We did look at it though. And if Ms. Montague found out he’d hidden it from her and let Gloria take the blame, she’d be livid.”
“Unless she was the one who told him to conceal it,” Nigel said uneasily.
Oscar looked grim, but he picked up the VHS tape. “We have to go back in the house to watch this. Chris, bring your camera. Nigel, load up on salt. Let’s find out what someone didn’t want us to see.”
CHAPTER
FORTY-FOUR
The camera bobs unsteadily, as though the operator is walking over uneven terrain. Most of the view is nothing but darkness, with the exception of the small pools of illumination made by flashlights.
“I can’t believe Ruthie insisted we lug this thing out here,” Montague grumbles from behind the camera.
The flashlight swings around, though it’s impossible to make out the face of the person holding it. “If we find something, we’ll want it documented,” Robin says. “Would you rather carry the shovels?”
“No.”
“That’s what I thought.”
They walk in silence for several minutes, until they emerge from the living forest onto the first dunes. Robin shines her flashlight around. “Okay, so we need to head north and look for the pond.”
More walking, until they reach the northern tip of the island. A small pond glints in the beams of light, separated from the ocean by a narrow band of dunes. “Landward side,” Robin says, as if reciting directions, “then we find the gap where we can see The Cottage’s light though the trees…there. Come here and get a shot of it.”
Montague does as she’s told; a red light glows in the sky, though it’s impossible to make out anything around it. “I swear, if Daddy finds out there was pirate treasure here the whole time and he sold it without knowing, he’s going to freak out.”
“Do you think that’s why the Vanderwalls lied about finding it?”
“Maybe—but then, why would they cover it back up again? Wouldn’t they want to sell it?”
The camera swings back to Robin and the pond. Robin shrugs. “I don’t know. Gloria says they found it and wouldn’t show anyone, and that’s why she’s flinging books at them. Her father, on the other hand, just wants everyone gone. If I had to guess, he sees the treasure as his and doesn’t want to part with it.” She considers a moment. “Maybe that’s even why Gloria wants it removed. So he can pass on, and they can both be at peace together in the next world. But the Vanderwalls didn’t do what she wanted, so now she’s throwing a tantrum.”
“It makes sense,” Montague agrees. “Let’s get to digging. I hope it isn’t buried too deep.”
She puts down the camera, positioning it so it will capture them working. Robin holds out a shovel to her. “Do you know which end goes in the ground?”
“Excuse me, I love to garden.”
“By which you mean tell the landscapers where to put the flowers.”
Montague laughs, a young, carefree sound. “You know me too well, love.”
Robin grins and they exchange a quick kiss. Then they start digging.
It doesn’t take long. After perhaps five minutes of work, Robin freezes. “Patricia, is that…?”
