“The treasure is real,” Harriet told them flatly. “You don’t know him. It’s real, and it’ll change everything for the boys. It’ll set their lives aright. I’m going to win against Grandfather. When I see him in the next life, he’s going to know I won in the end.”
“You know what is the stupidest thing about all of this? We’d have let you look for the treasure if you just asked,” Rita told Harriet as she adjusted the gun on her shoulder and clearly moved her finger to the trigger. “Now get off my property and away from my friends.”
“Aunt Harriet,” the young man said carefully, “we need to go. If constables are pulled in, we’re going to have trouble.”
“They’ll never let us back there, John. If we leave, they’ll call the constables and we’ll lose everything. We’re so close. The treasure is near, I can feel it.”
“Is it?” Vi demanded. “How long have you been searching the ruins?”
“My whole life. Of course it’s in the ruins. We’ve dug, we’ve uncovered the cellars, we’ve found old out-buildings. Oscar and I know more about this property and what lies here than anyone else ever could. It’s just a matter of time.”
“And your grandfather was a man of honor?” Vi demanded.
“Are you trying to be funny? Of course he wasn’t. He was a first-rate scoundrel, but he always followed the rules of his games. This was his game.”
There was something in Harriet’s tone that said she had been party to far more games than she had ever wanted even when she’d wanted nothing more than escape.
“Then,” Vi told Harriet as though she were dim, “he kept the rules of the game to himself and tricked you into believing false ones.”
Harriet stepped back. Her expression had shifted and Vi would guess that Harriet saw the possibility in what Vi had said to her. She’d been tricked and the poor woman recognized it. “Come,” she told her nephew. “We must go.”
Rita kept the gun on her shoulder as the two left and Victor stepped in front of Vi just in case the duo decided to turn and take a chance in shooting them and continuing their hunt.
“What—” Victor started and then stopped. “I feel bad for her. She thinks you might be right, Vi. If you are, all of those things they discovered about this old place are nothing more than curiosities and a wasted life.”
“You probably should feel bad for her,” Smith told Victor. “It’s what makes you so compelling.”
“What?” Victor asked, staring at Smith.
“It’s clear that woman’s life was dark. You can see it in her. When you aren’t treated like you matter, you don’t learn that the people around you matter.”
“You feel sympathy too, Smith,” Rita told him, handing him the elephant gun. “If you didn’t, Beatrice wouldn’t love you.”
“I am not—” Smith started and then groaned. “Why do I put up with you all?”
Victor slapped Smith on the shoulder. “It’s all right, old man. You can be the devil among us if you prefer. We’ll let Beatrice be the one who knows all your—”
“Please stop,” Smith said evenly. He looked in the direction Harriet and her nephew had gone. “That woman has crossed the line to madness. Let’s focus on what is important, shall we? Stopping them from murdering us in our sleep because we let down our guard.”
Rita sniffed and looked at the ruins behind her. “They saw us come in here.”
“Did they?” Victor asked.
“They had their gun at the ready. If they didn’t expect us, their weapon would have been hidden.”
“How could they know what we’re doing?” Victor asked.
“Obviously,” Rita snapped, “they’re watching us. Do we need to worry about Ham and Jack?”
“No,” Victor said immediately. “I hate the idea that they’re watching the house.” Victor scowled. “My wife is in that house. My daughters. We should call the constables.”
“We should,” Smith agreed mildly. “But then, of course, we’d be overrun with those looking for this treasure.”
“I agree with Smith,” Vi said. “We have to find the treasure, discredit its existence, or abandon this place. Otherwise every time Ham and Rita turn around someone will be sneaking in and digging holes or locking them in the house or whatever mad morons do.”
Rita glanced towards Vi and then she laughed. “Christmas morning, some idiot in leather pants digging a hole in the orchard, certain he’s found the final clue. He’s decided the curve on the bottom of the goblet is the tree line or the…the…way the wind flows through the trees.”
Vi bit down on her bottom lip, but her own giggles escaped. “So, we don’t know this old man. But we do know that he wanted the end of the game to be obvious, right? Or at least we think so.”
“He was a sadist,” Smith told Vi. “That much is obvious. That woman wouldn’t be so mad if he wasn’t. That Oscar fellow has to be just as mad.”
“Let’s telephone the inn,” Vi said. “We need Edward Hollands on our side.”
“How do we know he isn’t working with them? He’s Oscar’s protégée.” Smith didn’t sound amused.
“He’s not like that,” Rita said. “He’s an adventure addict. Both of those brothers are. Africa, a rain forest, anywhere that’s farther or more dangerous than before.”
“Maybe,” Violet said, “it is that simple as well. They’re not wealthy.”
“They aren’t. They went with us to Africa because they provided protection and a doctor. We paid the way.” Rita shook her head, expression certain. “I know those men. Edward Hollands saved me on that trip. Shelby took care of my friends. They’re not bad men. Even in all this, I never suspected they were legitimately involved.”
“So, let’s pay the way for their trips,” Victor said, understanding Vi’s thought process immediately. “We could let them go anywhere.”
“Why?” Smith shook his head and laughed. “Anywhere, all their trips, just like that?”
“Sure,” Victor agreed. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“Because, fool,” Smith snapped, “they’d help you just for
