Page 373 of The Romance Adventure

Eventually, Harley takes him in her arms and rubs her temple. “Guys, do you know what time it is?”

“Yes,” I say softly, staring at the bell. Electricity surges under my skin and it’s not from the coffee. My lips part as I study the old copper bell.

“Are you having a staring contest with that thing?” Ryan asks.

“This is it.” I point at it and then verify my assumption was correct.

Everyone looks at me like Royal was right, and I’m lacking logic.

“Ship’s bells like this one were traditionally used as a function for keeping track of time, indicating changes in the watch, and, at times, to signal alarm.”

My brothers nod, knowing this and more about the history of copper ship’s bells thanks to Chip.

“But this isn’t any bell. In the logbook, next to the coordinates to the barque, there was a note that the sailors on watch the night before the Petrel discovered the wreck had heard ringing. Not normal for pirate-infested waters because it was better to be as anonymous as possible, but if a pirate was ringing a bell⁠—”

Royal interrupts. “How do you know this is the same one and in what way does it help us?”

“Normally, the bell would have the ship’s name stamped on it somewhere.”

Lally points. “This one has a crown. It’s small, though.”

“Common symbol,” Ryan says.

Eyes wide, I blink a few times. “Guys, what are we looking for?”

“A crown,” they chorus.

“This came off the Crimson Tide. The diary, too. Chip, that clever old sea dog. But if he found the ship, where is the crown?”

“How do you make the connection between this bell and the Crimson Tide? How does it help us?” Royal asks.

I turn my attention to my wife. “The map.”

“I don’t see a crown or a bell or anything on it,” Harley calls from the kitchen.

Jolie’s lips part with realization. “Not that map. The one in the Sip & Scoop.”

“The one I restored?” Isla’s eyes grow. “Come to think of it, there is a bell right next to an island.”

I snap my finger and point because it’s all coming together. “The pieces of the map we have are zoomed-in on the area we need to explore. But the mural at the ice cream shop is the zoomed-out version of the more general area where we need to go.”

Royal doesn’t seem to buy it, or he’s uneasy because he doesn’t like going on the water.

I lock up the house and we all rush into town. It’s early enough that the Sip & Scoop isn’t yet open. We gather around the colorful mural on the wall. Harley tells us it was covered with a mirror that must’ve broken during Hurricane Howie.

“Thought it was kind of odd it had been covered up,” Ryan says.

Opening a regular map of the Caribbean on my phone, I identify which island is on the wall.

“Land’s End,” Magnus says over my shoulder.

“Fim Ponto,” I add.

Ryan and Royal, wearing twin expressions of surprise, say, “The End.”

“Like in the will?” Isla asks.

“And where your grandparents got married,” Harley adds, having read Chip’s diary.