“We are. Sort of.”
A great egret landed on the railing just in front of us, and the big bird hopped to a vacant tabletop. I looked up and a short-haired lady in a dirty apron was bringing a plate of scrambled eggs out from behind the bar.
She set the dish on the floor and the bird hopped down and started eating.
“A bird eating eggs,” said James. “It doesn’t seem right.”
“Only scrambled. He only eats the scrambled ones.” The woman watched the tall white bird for several seconds then disappeared behind the bar.
“Actually, Maria, you hit the nail on the head yesterday. You said you thought we were probably treasure hunters and we were looking for a wrecker’s camp. Well, Mary Trueblood’s great-grandfather ran a wrecker’s camp. He sacked treasure ships, so looking for the site of the camp is exactly what we’re doing.”
“I knew it.” She slapped the table, rattling the four coffee cups. “Well, I wish you luck. I always thought it would be neat to find some gold coins down here. I’ve known several people who have. They didn’t get rich, but-”
“We have an idea that his wrecker’s camp was located at the vacant property behind the doctor’s office. Where O’Neill and Malhotra do their business.”
It’s the best story we could come up with.
“Behind Malhotra and O’Neill’s building? The fenced land where the Coral Belle stood?”
“Yes.”
“But there was a hotel there. Not a wrecking camp.”
Obviously there were holes in our story.
“Well, the information is a little sketchy, but maybe the camp was there before the hotel was built.”
She nodded, thinking it through as a blue heron landed on the railing.
The pure-white egret looked up from his meal and squawked as the blue heron jumped down and paraded over to the plate of eggs. The egret flapped his wings and rose about six inches from the planked wooden floor as two seagulls swooped down, one landing on a chair, one on the floor. The egret and the heron both squawked, and I caught the dishtowel from the corner of my eye as it flew through the air, coming dangerously close to Em’s head.
“Shoo, shoo!” The lady ran from behind the counter, picked up the towel, and rushed the blue heron, who wisely leaped to the railing and gracefully launched himself into the air.
The two seagulls frantically pecked at the egg on the floor, then took their leave, flying inches above us.
“Gotta love the peace and tranquility out here,” Em said as she ducked.
And, to be honest, I did.
We’d finished our second cups of coffee. The birds had all flown away once the eggs were consumed. Green water lapped at the deck and a small sailboat almost brushed our railing as it headed out from the harbor.
“So, let me get this straight. You want me to drive down to the lot, walk down the south fence line, and see if there’s any sign of your digging last night?”
“Yeah, sort of.”
“But if the dogs ran you off-”
“Honest to God, Maria, you can’t tell anyone about that.” James’s eyes were wide and he grabbed her hand across the table.
“Because you are afraid you’ll get caught?”
“Because he’s embarrassed that the dogs almost caught up with him.” Em smiled. Always stirring the pot.
“Shut up, Em.” He let go of Maria’s hand and regrouped. “We left our shovels. But due to a boat arriving, we don’t think they paid much attention to the-”
“A boat? At that hour of the morning? Maybe it was a fishing boat.”
I leaned in. “We thought it was strange, too. Thirty-five people were on this boat. They all had suitcases with them.”
Maria frowned, looking out at the water.
“Strange things happen down here. You just never know.”
“Will you go look?”
She shrugged. “Why not? There are some nice cottages on that side of the property. I could just be scoping them out, you know, for possible sales.”
Em had called this one right.
“Of course, I would like to be considered if you find gold coins.”
“Yeah.” James and I both shouted together. We weren’t after gold coins. We were after pounds of gold bars. And this biker babe was going to give us a hand.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
We stayed away, went nowhere near the scene of the crime. Maria met us at a Walgreens drugstore across from the post office.
“You’re right. There are several small clearings where you can see into the property. Your shovels are there, just laying on the ground.”
“And what about the ground?” James said.
“It appears to be dug up where the shovels are laying.”
We sat in the parking lot, Maria on the soft leather seat of her Harley, the three of us on that cracked vinyl bench seat in the truck.
“If they’d sent those dogs in to run you off, they would have searched the area and confiscated those shovels,” Em said. “As it is, they didn’t even check the grounds. The entire emphasis last night was on that boat. Maybe the dogs were to protect whatever cargo they had. You said they all carried suitcases.”
“Again, what time did that boat arrive?” I knew, but wanted to hear it again.
“Three thirty.” Em pointed to her watch.
“So we dig at two thirty tomorrow morning. Just in case there’s another boat at the same time.” I was determined to find what my shovel had hit this morning.
“I won’t be there. That’s past my bedtime, kids.” Maria pointed to her watch. “Speaking of time, I’ve got a house to show. Remember, if you find gold coins-”
She twisted the handle, adjusted the Harley engine to a throaty roar, and pulled out onto Highway 1.
“Think she’ll keep quiet?” I asked.
“I think she likes the idea of being a part of this little scheme.”
“Gold coins and all.”
“We’ll dig tonight, pard, but,” he turned to Em, “I hope we pay more attention to who shows up.”
She bristled.
James drove back to Pelican Cove.
“This time, I’m gonna take a short break, partner. Not much to do till early this morning is there?”
I studied him as we pulled into the parking lot.
“She’s married, James. You do know that.”
“She’s a big girl, Skip.”
Em nudged me and I opened the door and stepped out.
“I’m a big boy,” he said.
“Not necessarily a smart boy,” Em responded as she walked away.
James watched her, then turned to me and shook his head.
“I think it was Will Rodgers who said it best, my friend.”
“What was that, James?”
“He said, ‘Never miss a good chance to shut up.’”
“I never knew the man.”
“Yeah, well, he made sense.”
