Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The scuba shop was closed, and from the look of the place, it hadn't reopened all weekend, or at least since I'd walked by on Friday. Notes were shoved under the door, and another note, written in red and taped on the glass, just said, Where are you? I took a picture of the door and texted it to Greg.

He called a few minutes later. "What am I looking at?"

"Steve hasn't opened the scuba shop for a few days. Isn't that strange?" I sat down on a bench that had been placed in front of the shop and watched people walk to Diamond Lille's for breakfast. The Train Station, Harrold's model train store, was closed on Sundays, as were most of the other businesses.

"Maybe he's on vacation or something?" I could hear him rustling papers as he talked.

I glanced back at the shop. "Wouldn't he have put up a sign?"

"Honey, this is South Cove. You never know when someone's going to take off. Especially surfers. There might be a great wave happening somewhere."

"I think it's called something else, but okay, I'll give you that." I watched as Amy pulled into Diamond Lille's parking lot. Esmeralda climbed out of the car and waved at me. They must have seen me as they drove by. I headed across the empty street. "I've got to go. Amy and Esmeralda are here."

"Sounds good. I'll probably be home before you are. I'm out of leads to follow in Mandy's disappearance, and Bakerstown is a little put out that you were moving books at their crime scene yesterday."

"It's not like I moved a dead body," I grumbled. I heard his chuckle. "You're just happy that it's their case. Admit it."

"Actually, I am. Lorenzo would like you to stop by on Monday for a little chat."

"I'd say I was too busy, but I will be in town. I've already postponed my lunch with Aunt Jackie so I can work at the library. Tell him he can find me on the fourth floor of the library if he wants to talk to me before I head home. Otherwise, I'll stop by on my way out on Monday. I really need to finish my paper." I gave Amy and Esmeralda a quick hug. They'd waited for me outside the main door. "I've really got to go."

"Tell Greg we said hi." Amy grinned as she held the door.

"I heard that. Go have fun with your friends. Oh, and I think I have the wedding venue site solved. We can talk this evening."

"Wait, what?" I asked, but Greg had already hung up. "Just like him," I muttered.

"Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise?" Esmeralda pointed to our regular booth, and Carrie nodded. Lille was nowhere to be seen.

I shook my head as I followed them. As we got settled, Carrie dropped off silverware and menus. "No, he just has this thing he does. He says something important; then he hangs up. So it leaves me not knowing what he's talking about. I can't ask any questions. And if I call him back, he won't pick up."

"He's tricky like that." Amy grinned as she held out a cup for coffee from Carrie, who had returned with three waters, three cups, and a pot of coffee. "Justin just tells me everything. There's never a surprise or a mystery. I'm not sure I'll be able to stand living fifty or more years with him. I know everything now."

"I'm sure that's not true." Esmeralda grinned. "But that's why Nic's and my relationship works so well. We see each other maybe every other month, so there's always something new happening in one of our lives. His kid sister moved back to New Orleans and started up a design shop. So of course, he's super worried about her. He's sure that she's going to run into trouble, so he assigned a security guard to her."

"I'd hate that. Greg would know everything I was doing." I sipped my coffee and pushed away the menu. I knew what I was having. A Denver omelet, hash browns, and wheat toast. Yes, I had a Sunday brunch favorite as well.

"Actually, I think she's enjoying having someone around. They seem compatible." Esmeralda ordered a large stack of pancakes with strawberries for the top.

"So you're matchmaking." Amy grinned and then gave Carrie her order. Amy still ate like she surfed every weekend. Biscuits and gravy, three eggs, bacon, and a large orange juice. "Like in that movie where she had an acting career and fell in love with her bodyguard."

"I didn't see that one, but I think she was a singer. Besides, I'm not the one who assigned Bubba to watch her. That was Nic." Esmeralda glanced over at me. "Did you tell Amy what we did yesterday?"

"You don't have to. The mayor got a call from the Bakerstown police chief right afterward. Lorenzo thinks Greg sent you to mess with his case."

"I would never do that." I stirred some sugar into my coffee. "So he's thinking Josh had something to do with the murder."

"How did you get that from what I said?" Amy stared at me. Her mouth hung wide open in surprise.

"Why would he care, and the only person I'd be protecting would be Josh," I answered. "And close your mouth. You're attracting flies."

"My mother used to say that all the time, but I had no idea what it meant." Esmeralda sipped her coffee. "I don't think Josh killed anyone. I don't think Josh had anything to do with Mandy's disappearance, either. I think he's just really sad and worried."

"We should go visit him." I sat up, ready to make plans, when Amy groaned. "What? He's part of South Cove."

"He's also already out of the hospital. His doctor said he was sleep deprived, so as soon as they got him to sleep a couple of nights, he became more rational. I guess he's embarrassed about trying to hit Tank." Esmeralda leaned back so Carrie could drop off her plates of food.

"I don't think he was wrong." I explained what Rachel had said about the professor getting a team together. "Tank lied about when he came to town. I don't know who the third person is, but as soon as I can figure that out, I'm sure we'll find out that Tank was involved in at least the professor's death, and maybe he knows where Mandy is being held."

"You think she's still alive." Amy set her fork down. "You know the odds are against her."

"I know, but I just have this feeling." I turned to Esmeralda. "Has she appeared to you from the other side?"

"No, but that doesn't mean much."

"Seriously? If I'm killed, you're the first person I'm going to come chat with. Everyone in town knows you have a red phone line to the other side. Anyone who dies here is going to try to get your attention. Especially if they need closure, like finding their killer." I cut into my omelet. Tiny, Lille's chef, was a food god.

Esmeralda stared at me, then nodded. She focused on her plate. "Good point."

When I got home, Greg was there, mowing the backyard. We were changing over the front yard to low-water plants due to the drought, but we were keeping grass in the back. At least, if the rains actually arrived. Emma liked the green area, and it brought in bunnies and other wild creatures.

I poured us both glasses of iced tea and took my computer out to the back porch to watch him as I worked. When he finished up and put the mower away, he came up on the deck to sit with me. "Thanks for the tea."

"So tell me what you meant by having the wedding venue." I saved my work so I wouldn't lose it. I'd done that too many times before.

"Leave next Wednesday night open." He sipped his tea.

"And…" I prodded.

He shrugged. "I guess you're going to have to wait. Just don't set up anything until we talk. I think you're going to love it."

"You're not going to tell me?" I couldn't believe Greg was holding something back. Typically, he dropped birthday and Christmas gifts on the table when he bought them. He wasn't much for the surprise factor.

"Nope. So how's your paper going?" He changed the subject, sipping his tea.

"Okay, fine. I'll play." I opened my laptop to look at the work, like seeing it would help me explain my progress. "I need to tie up some of my ideas. As I've gone back through this, I've realized I've let some threads drop."

"It has a flashy title though. ‘City Managers, Mayors, or Business Councils: What Form Is Best To Run a Small Town?" He read my title.

"I hate it. It feels stilted. And it's like it's an all-or-nothing proposal. I wanted to focus on a peer- or business-run city management. There's just not a lot of actual cities that are run that way."

"Maybe you are defining it too closely. I think a city council and a business council could be the same thing. Like a legislative branch. And city manager or mayor is the administrative branch of the city." He rubbed Emma's head as he talked.

"You've been reading my books." I shook my head. How was it so easy for him?

He laughed as he stood. "No. I've just worked with too many towns, so I know the way they work. I took a few public administration classes in my day."

I stared at my first page. Was that the reason I was having trouble finishing? My definitions were wrong?

"I'd ask what's for dinner, but with that look on your face, I think I'll just leave you alone and grill some chops. Anything special you want?" He picked up my tea glass.

"Just food." I looked up at him. "Thanks for this. Sometimes you just know the right thing to say."

"It's my secret power. I'm a Jill whisperer." He held up the glass. "I'll bring you out a refill in a few minutes."

I nodded and refocused on my paper. I needed to change a few things and get a few more references if possible, tomorrow, but I thought I had my new premise. I started writing and cutting as I went.

* * * *

Monday morning, Greg was gone when I woke, but he'd left a plate of bacon and eggs in the microwave with a big sign on the front telling me how long to reheat the plate.

I let Emma out and poured coffee. I'd work for a few hours at home, then drive to Bakerstown so I could be in the library working no later than nine. Finding the right resources was going to be the focus today, then tomorrow after work, I'd tighten up the paper and send it off to my professor before the deadline. Or I could hold on to it and question my findings until then.

Wednesday night, Greg and I would do his surprise thing. And the next day, I'd see if my aunt had time for lunch to talk about her retirement. Everything was falling into place. As long as I finished my paper.

When I drove into Bakerstown and headed upstairs to the table where I liked to work, a man in a suit sat there, waiting for me. So much for getting to work early this morning. I was glad I'd spent some time at home.

"Miss Jill Gardner?" The man stood and set down a book on economic theory that someone had left on the table.

"Yes, are you Lorenzo?" I set my bag on the table and held out a hand. "Sorry I'm a little late. My dog found a bunny in our yard and didn't want to come into the house this morning."

He blinked.

I guess he hadn't heard that excuse before. He shook my hand, and we sat down.

"So, what can I help you with?"

"You and Esmeralda DeClair were at Professor Wellborn's office on Saturday?"

Apparently, this wasn't going to be a quick conversation, since he already knew that. "Yes, we were. Esmeralda called Greg when we found his office had been ransacked. I assume Greg called your office, but that's just hearsay."

He waited for me to go on, but I'd learned one thing from being involved in so many investigations. Keep your answers short and about what you had actually seen. I'd already broken that part by saying Greg must have called him. When he realized I wasn't saying anything else, he asked another question. "Why were you there?"

The why question was tricky. I didn't want to give away too much. But I didn't want to lie either. "I thought maybe the professor's office would hold some clue to where Mandy Jensen was located. With Josh working with him on the Santiago journal, I thought maybe there was a connection."

Again, I stopped talking, and he looked up from his writing. "That's it?"

I nodded. "We're all worried about Mandy. It's not like her to just disappear."

He waited again. "Okay, you're worried about Mandy and knew about the lost treasure. Why would that lead you to search Professor Wellborn's office?"

"Professor Wellborn was working with Josh on the Santiago treasure. He told me that himself when I saw him here in the library. I took his California history class a few years ago. If there is a lost treasure, as you called it, and if someone thought Josh knew where it was, taking Mandy might be a bargaining chip." I thought that part had been obvious, but apparently, he wanted me to say it aloud.

He didn't look up from his writing before asking, "Do you think there is a treasure?"

Now that was a good question. I knew that the California coast had been settled with the help of the church and Spain trying to hold on to their claim to the area. My own house had some "buried" treasure we'd found when I'd inherited it. "I'm not sure. It's possible. Not likely after all these years, but possible."

He nodded. "I agree. I think there's a lot of people who just want to find the treasure so it's an easy payday, but it's been years since the treasure was hidden. The journal is an interesting development though."

"Have you read it?" I wondered if this was why Josh thought it had disappeared. If the police had taken it in as evidence. "Well, before it was lost?"

"It's not lost. Greg has it secured in South Cove. I came over yesterday morning and read through it. For Gabriel starting out life as a bank robber, he sure did a lot of charitable things for his community." He relaxed, and I wondered if my breaking and entering had been forgiven. "But that's another conversation, right?"

I shrugged. "In my experience, things are more tied together than you think." I leaned forward. "Did Greg tell you I talked to Rachel, one of Wellborn's teaching assistants? According to her, Professor Wellborn called three people to help him study the journal. I only knew about Tank until Saturday. But now, I'm wondering if the third person might be the person who kidnapped Mandy and killed the professor."

"The third person no one knows about, but you and this girl." Lorenzo looked at me. "You were one of Professor Wellborn's students, too."

"Yes, but as I said, I took one class from him. An elective I thought would be fun because it was about California. Man, I was wrong. Besides, I never worked for him. He has history graduate students. I have a job, so I didn't go the graduate-assistant-fellowship way when I started my MBA. According to Rachel, the third person was a teaching assistant." I thought the interview was about to end and not in a good way.

"That's good to know. Good luck on your paper. Greg tells me this is your last class to complete your master's." To my surprise, Lorenzo stood, pushing the chair back under the table as he paused.

I glanced at the tote, where my laptop was still sitting. "If I ever get this paper done."

"I'm sure you'll find time. At least you might if you stop getting involved in my case." He nodded. "Good day, Miss Gardner."

He sounded like Greg. I watched him walk out of the area and through the stacks just like Professor Wellborn had done that day he'd stopped by to chat. The professor had been so excited. I frowned, thinking about that day. He'd been over the moon with Josh's journal find, or had his excitement been because of the treasure? Or just the fact that an original document from that era had survived? Was he looking for the treasure or just clues on what history hadn't told us yet? I think Rachel's explanation about writing the new book was probably the right answer, but dead men tell no tales, as the pirates said.

Something about that day was bugging me, but I didn't have time to think about it. Not now. I needed to focus on my paper. Talking to Greg last night had given me a new angle to focus on, and I'd sketched out an outline, using what I already knew. Now, I just needed to fill in the holes. Before Wednesday.

I was the little engine that could. Or at least I hoped I was. I pulled up the online directory and started looking for sources while I muttered, "I think I can, I think I can."