Chapter 21 Luke

CHAPTER 21

LUKE

"Here's your classroom." Luke reached down and unfastened Lulu's backpack. He pulled it from her shoulders and handed it to her as a stream of students swirled past them in the hallway. "There you go. Have a good day."

"Wait." Lulu eyed him with a displeased look. "Did you get it?"

Not that again. "No."

She scowled. "I told you to get Tay a thank-you present. She de-serves one."

He frowned and absently rubbed his neck where it was irritated by the strap of his sling. Since Tay's now-infamous fountain dunking last week, Lulu had decided that her uncle owed Tay something for "saving" him.

He stooped in front of his niece. "Look, I get what you're saying, and a thank-you present sounds nice and all. But I think it might be a bit much."

Lulu crossed her arms. "You don't have to spend much. Just get her some flowers."

"That's not what I meant. She's just not the type—" He caught himself. "Listen, I told her thank you. I said it very politely, and she smiled when I said it. That's enough."

Lulu's mouth turned mulish. "No, it's not."

Lord protect him from New Jersey divorcées with anger issues, which must have been Lulu's previous life. He raked an impatient hand through his hair and stood. Lulu didn't understand the situation. He'd worked too darn hard to get himself into Tay's good graces and wasn't about to risk that on a lame grand gesture. The timing wasn't right for it.

Not yet, anyway.

He opened the classroom door. "Go."

"Buy her some cupcakes, then. She likes those and—"

He leaned into the classroom. "Miss Fenton? Lulu's here!" He put his hand on his niece's shoulder, guided her into the room, and closed the door.

"Thank goodness for public education," he said fervently. He walked down the hallway, stopping to return his parent hall pass to the nice lady at the check-in counter before making his way to the parking lot. That kid is killing my blood pressure.

He wished he were at the point with Tay where he could get her a little something, and not just as a thank-you gift, but just because. Just because she'd allowed him to join her on this amazing adventure. Just because she tolerated his at-times-nerdy sense of humor without the usual eye rolls. Just because she was so smart, relaxed, funny, and everything else he'd never thought a woman could be.

He heard his own thoughts and grimaced. I'm losing it. I really, really am. Muttering to himself about having put his cart before his horse, he flexed his finally better wrist. It had taken a week, but he could now move it without squeaking like a mouse that had had its tail slammed in a door.

Luke started up his truck and drove to Ace Hardware, where he spent a good half hour picking up light bulbs for the varied and sundry light fixtures at the bookshop. That done, he stopped by the post office for a pack of mailers. Lately, Grandma had gotten into the habit of picking up the mail on her way home in the evenings, so he hadn't been here in a while. I'll save her the trip today.

He tucked the mail under his good arm and carried everything back to his truck. When he climbed in, he dropped the lot into the passenger seat. As he did so, a bright red stamped letter caught his attention. The stamp read PAST DUE THIRD NOTICE . The letter was from a finance company in Asheville that he'd never heard of.

That couldn't be good. Instantly uneasy, he did a search on his phone and winced at the huge number of negative reviews. Oh no. What had she done? Heart heavy, he turned on his truck and headed for the bookstore. He'd known Grandma Rose was having financial trouble. He'd overheard her muttering about it more than once, although she always denied it whenever he called her out.

But there'd been other signs, too. For one, unless a repair was absolutely necessary, it didn't happen. For another, whenever he mentioned an improvement or made a suggestion that would lighten her workload, she immediately rejected it based on cost, even before she knew the amount.

For the hundredth time, he wished she would let him help, but she refused to touch a penny. He'd given her large checks on numerous occasions, saying the money was for his and Lulu's rent. He'd hoped Grandma would use it for daily expenses or even upgrades, but every single time, she'd torn up the checks and then raised hell about how she didn't take charity.

He parked on the street, collected the mail and the bag of light bulbs, and headed inside. The Dove Pond Book Club had just had their Wednesday morning meeting, so the bookstore was busy, the numerous members wandering the aisles after putting in their orders for next month's selection. Grandma Rose was in her usual place behind the counter, taking those orders with the efficient, no-nonsense air of an admiral commanding a battleship.

He waved to let her know he was back before he went to the back room to store the light bulbs in the closet. That done, he put her mail on her desk with the exception of the red-stamped letter, which he carried back into the bookstore. There were still customers in the store, so he busied himself by reorganizing the best-selling rack.

As soon as the last customer left, he went to the counter and placed the letter in front of her. "This came in the mail."

Grandma Rose froze in place, her hand still hovering over the messy stack of bookmarks beside the register.

He pushed the letter across the counter. "What's going on?"

She opened the drawer under the counter, slid the letter into it, and then slammed the drawer closed. "It's junk mail. Nothing more."

"It's not junk mail, and we both know it. I looked up the company, and I know what they do. Grandma, if things are that bad, you have to let me—"

She slapped her hand on the counter. "I don't have to do anything! And stop offering me money. You know I won't take it."

"If you took out a loan and can't pay it, then—"

"I'm done talking about this. Did you finish with the new release rack? If you did, I have a whole list of items that could use your attention this morning." Scowling bitterly, she picked up a scrap of paper and jotted down a dozen or more tasks that didn't really need to be done, and handed it to him. "Do these." She picked up her cane and limped toward her office, saying over her shoulder, "When you're done with those, we'll talk."

But they wouldn't. Not about the loan or money or anything else important. Swallowing the urge to curse, he went to work on the items on her list. He had to figure out a way to get some money to her. But how? She had to be worried sick, and yet her pride wouldn't allow her to even admit how bad things were, let alone accept help.

As he worked, he looked back at Tay's office. She wasn't in yet, which was unusual, as lately she'd been arriving just as the store opened. Oddly enough, he found himself worrying about her, too.

That was concerning. He was getting way too wound up over Tay Dove and he knew it. But no matter how he tried, he hadn't been able to forget how, just last week, she'd leapt past him and into the cold water of the fountain like a modern-day Lara Croft. Since then, they'd been working together on the clue they'd found etched in the brick, which meant they'd spent most of every day together. He'd liked that. He'd liked that way, way too much.

If he had to name one reason why he found Tay so interesting, he'd have said it was her passion. He'd never met anyone who loved their job the way she loved hers, and he was jealous of that. To be honest, he'd never been passionate about anything, but watching the way she focused on every aspect of her research—how she beamed whenever they discovered even the tiniest bit of information from a dusty old record, and the enthusiasm she brought with her to every conversation—he wanted that. He wanted to feel that excited, that happy, that enamored of something.

What had made her like that? Was it because of her Dove gift? He couldn't stop thinking about how she'd touched the carved letters in the fountain. As she did so, her face had changed in a subtle way he couldn't describe. The effect had been astounding. It was as if, for a split second, she'd become someone else. Her face, her expression, her air, the way she held her mouth—everything had changed, but for such a short moment that he'd barely been able to register it before it disappeared.

If someone had asked him just a few short months ago whether he believed the rumors about the Dove sisters that flew around town as regularly as the seasons—about how, when there were seven sisters, as there were now, they were each blessed with a special power—he would have said no so firmly that it stuck. But now…

He mentally shook himself. He had more important things to think about. She was warming up to him, little by little, although not nearly as quickly as he'd have liked. Still, he could tell that his don't-rush-things methods were beginning to thaw this particular ice maiden. Stay the course, Day. You can't afford to mess this up.

He unboxed the new stock and registered it in the system. He'd just finished and was fixing himself a coffee when Tay finally arrived. She wore a long cardigan over a flowered dress today and looked adorable from head to foot.

Grandma Rose happily eyed the paper bag in Tay's hand that was stamped PINK MAGNOLIA TEAROOM.

Tay carried it to the counter. "Ella made Victoria sponge cake for Ava's tearoom, so I brought you some."

Grandma Rose peered inside the bag. "I was wondering what was keeping you."

Luke joined them at the counter. "I don't suppose you got me a Victoria whatever-it-is?"

Tay shot him an amused glance. "No, but you know where Ava's tearoom is, so feel free to get one for yourself."

He narrowed his gaze on her chin. "I see you already had one." Her hand flew to where he'd looked and he laughed. "There's nothing there. I was just giving you a hard time."

Tay grinned, but Grandma Rose fixed him with a hard look. "Hey!" she barked. "Stop teasing my best customer."

" Best customer?"

Tay raised her hand. "That's me. I've bought at least a half dozen books a week since your grandmother let me use the office, and probably more."

"It was more," Grandma Rose assured Tay. "I won't bother you with the exact number, as I know you already have trouble sleeping."

"Oh, I slept like a baby last night."

That caught Luke's attention, and he realized she appeared pretty darn happy for this early in the morning. Had she figured out the new puzzle? No, she wasn't that excited. It had to be something less exciting, but just as satisfying. "Did you get some news on your book woes?"

A slow smile curled her mouth. "I've been letting my lawyer do the talking, and, oh, how she must have talked."

"What did you get?"

"My name as the author, with an internal note stating that Richard contributed significantly to two chapters."

"I'm surprised he went for that."

"You know how narcissists are. I offered to put his name as a coauthor, but he had to be listed second since he did so little of the work. He flatly refused that, so…" She shrugged. "Here we are."

Luke got the impression that if Grandma Rose hadn't been nearby, Tay might have done a victory dance. He held his hand up for a high five. As she slapped it, he said, "I'm buying you lunch today."

"Done! Now, if you'll excuse me, I should get to work. I'll catch you all later." She was gone by the time she said the last word.

Luke watched her hurry to her office. Maybe Lulu was right and he should have gotten Tay a present.

He turned around and realized his grandmother was watching him. "What?"

"Nothing. Have you two figured out the fountain code yet?"

"No."

"I wish you all would get a move on and find that gold. I'd like to refresh the place a bit."

"Grandma, I've told you dozens of times that if you need money, I'll be happy to—"

"I'm not taking money from my own grandchild." She scowled at him. "I have my pride, you know."

Great. His grandmother wouldn't let him pay rent, but she'd happily accept stolen gold from a train robbery. I can't even.

"Stop looking at me like that. I'm just kidding about the gold." She settled on her stool and pulled a book from under the counter, a bright red bookmark peeping from between the pages. "You should know that this silly treasure hunt of yours is starting to get people riled up. Grace told me this morning that our one and only law enforcement officer had to chase numerous people out of the fountain after you and Tay took that swim last week."

"I'm sure Blake can handle it. He needs something to do, anyway."

"Nonsense. Your fake gold hunt is an embarrassment and it makes this town look cheap." She sent him a sour look. "Help Tay figure out what that family secret is and be done with it before the gossip train runs over the whole darn town."

"Right. I guess I should go help Tay, then." He started to leave, but then—on impulse—he stopped and gave his grandmother a quick hug.

"Idiot," she muttered, although he caught her faintly pleased smile. "While you're back there, make yourself useful and scan in the returns, too. They're in the box beside your desk."

"Will do." He collected his coffee and made Tay a cup, too. As he walked toward the office, he saw that Tay was already sitting at her desk, her head bent over an old Register . Her finger moved down the page as she read. In the past few weeks, while working next to her, he'd discovered a lot of random things. She read faster than he could, she had bifocals—she tilted her head up just the tiniest bit whenever she wanted to read something—and she drank more coffee than anyone he'd ever met.

He was halfway to her office when, idly glancing at the shelves as he walked past, he noticed a title he hadn't seen in a few years. He stopped and, placing the coffees he was carrying on the edge of a nearby shelf, picked up the book. He'd loved this one. And I know right where it needs to go.

He tucked the book under his arm, collected the two cups of coffee, and continued to the office. He walked in, and Tay looked up from where she sat, half-hidden behind a stack of folders.

"I brought you a little something. Two little somethings, in fact." He walked around her desk, set the coffee near her pencil holder, and then placed the book in front of her. "It's Beartown by Fredrik Backman, one of my favorites. There's adventure, quirky characters, humor, emotion—it's like the everything bagel of books. Read it if you ever have trouble sleeping. You'll be entertained, and you'll never feel alone."

Her gray-green gaze, framed by her glasses, lifted to meet his. "That's the problem with not sleeping while everyone else is, isn't it? You feel alone."

He nodded. There had been plenty of nights after he'd first been tasked with taking care of Lulu that he'd lain awake feeling that very thing—alone. "It's worse at three a.m. for some reason."

"Everything is worse at three a.m. Thank you for this." She put the book on the small stack that rested on the corner of her desk. She caught him eyeing her book stack and made a face. "Such is the cost of working in a bookshop. It's like working in a bakery. Weight gain is expected."

"Hey, I wasn't judging."

"Good." She took a sip of her coffee. "Ah. It's perfect. Thanks. By the way, I had a thought about the clue we've been working on."

"Excellent." He sat in his chair and wheeled it next to hers, stopping to pick up his notebook as he rolled past. There, on the front page, he'd written out the clue. Nine seven keyed in brass by the people. All around were notes and squiggles and the numerous disproved theories he and Tay had come up with over the last week while trying to solve it.

He parked his chair next to hers, rested the notepad on his knee, and poised his pen to write. "So… what was this thought you had about Sarafina's latest riddle?"

Excitement warmed Tay's gaze. "Sections."

He blinked. "Sections?"

"We keep looking at this as one long code, and we haven't been able to figure it out. So let's break it into sections and look at one word and phrase at a time. We can make a list under each section, and if we see some crossover… bingo!"

"That's a great idea." He looked at the clue and then drew a slash after nine seven , the word brass , and the final phrase by the people . He showed it to her. "Was this what you had in mind?"

"Exactly." She scooted closer, her head next to his. "Let's do the numbers first. We'll brainstorm a list of possible answers and then go from there."

The faint smell of her citrusy shampoo reached him, and he had to move away a little so he could think. "How about… a house number?"

She nodded, so he wrote that down.

She said, "Maybe letters of the alphabet? A G and an I ."

He added that to the list.

They were quiet a moment, the clock on the wall ticking softly. "Ah!" he said. "A post office box number."

They added a few more random thoughts and then sat quietly for a while longer.

Tay leaned back in her chair. "Let's move on to ‘brass.'?" She bit her lip and stared at the wall. "I can only think of decorative things."

"That's where you see brass nowadays, but we have to think like it's the early 1900s. Brass was used for a lot of things back then."

"Right." She tapped her fingers on her desk. "Doorknobs."

He wrote it down. "And kitchen utensils."

"Also post office boxes. The old ones had brass doors and were very elaborate."

He looked up. "Post office boxes also had numbers. We have a crossover between the two lists. Should we check to see if there's a post office box number seventy-nine?"

"Absolutely, although…" She frowned. "Post office boxes have to be paid for annually, don't they? It might have been closed long ago."

"Maybe they paid in advance?"

She shook her head. "The rates for those boxes would have increased dozens of times between now and then, if not more. Besides, it would have gotten packed with junk mail, too, and rendered useless decades ago."

"We should call Mark Robinson at the post office. He'll know."

Tay was already reaching for her phone. She spoke to Mark for a few minutes and then hung up. "It can't be a post office box. He wouldn't tell me who was renting it, but he said they'd only had it for the past twenty years or so, and they have no connection to Sarafina or anyone else."

He sighed. "Back to brainstorming ‘brass,' then."

They worked on for another twenty minutes, adding over a dozen more things to the "brass" line, and then moved on to "by the people."

"This phrase is intriguing." Tay frowned at the notebook in his hands. "Does it mean the brass work is ‘by the people,' or that the thing made with brass is ‘by the people,' or is ‘by the people' written on the brass thing somewhere? I have no idea."

"Neither do I. We could be here all year if we wrote a list of things made ‘by the people.'?"

They stared in silence at the phrase until, out of the blue, a thought struck him. "Maybe it's a government thing. ‘By the people' was in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address."

"That's possible, I suppose." Her gaze still locked on the notepad, she absently tapped her pen on the edge of the desk, the clicking sound loud as they sank into silence.

He realized he was chewing on the end of his own pen, and he slipped it back into his shirt pocket. "It's a very slogan-y phrase, isn't it?"

She nodded absently. After a long moment, she said slowly, "Slogan-y. You're right. It sounds familiar, too, as if—" She stopped, her eyes widening.

He leaned forward. "What?"

"It is a slogan," she said in a breathless tone. "For a bank. ‘A bank for the people, by the people.'?"

Luke had to fight the urge to jump to his feet. "The First People's Bank where Zoe works! The slogan is carved on the concrete plaque by the door."

"Seven nine! It wasn't a post office box but a safe-deposit box! I need to talk to Zoe. She'll know who it's registered to."

"But…" His excitement faded a bit. " If she can tell us. There might be both privacy and property rights involved if it's a safe-deposit box."

Tay didn't seem the least fazed. "Zoe will know the rules."

"And don't safe-deposit boxes open with a key? We haven't found a key, so—"

"But we have." Tay smiled. Opening her drawer, she pulled out an old tin box and fished out an ornate key threaded onto a chain. She placed the key on her desk.

"Is that the box your sisters found in the fireplace surround?"

She nodded. "This key was in there, too."

He couldn't have been more excited. "And there we have it: a safe-deposit box number and a key. Now to get permission to unlock it."

"I'll call Zoe."

Smiling, he wheeled his chair back to his desk. Even though he was no longer close to the phone, he could hear Zoe's excited voice as she and Tay talked.

It was a good twenty minutes or longer before Tay finally hung up. "Zoe was in the Moonlight Café with some friends, but she ran across the street to her office and looked in the old ledgers for the name of the owner of the box."

"And?"

"Safe-deposit box seventy-nine is in Sarafina Dove's name."

"We got it right!"

"Indeed we did. Zoe said it's an older box, one of the originals, and the doors are made of decorated brass." Tay gave an excited hop in her chair. " And… Sarafina paid for a fifty-year lease on that box, too."

His smile disappeared. "We're past that."

"Zoe says we might be fine. In the 1970s, the bank was required by their insurance company to install newer, more secure boxes. The bank made everyone come in and move their things over, but no one came for that one."

"Uh-oh."

Tay shook her head. "Her father was in charge of the bank back then, and he loved those old brass boxes. Said they were historical and beautiful, and he'd be darned if he'd remove them. Once the brass boxes were marked ‘out of use,' he had one wall of the old vault replaced with a glass wall and a door, and it's now a conference room. Those old brass boxes are still there and are undisturbed."

"Whew. That's good news. Will she open the box for us?"

"Yes. We can't remove the contents without the proper paperwork, which will take time, but we can look. Since I'm a direct descendant of the family, Zoe thinks I might be able to claim the contents, as Lucy never had children of her own. Well, providing no one in my family files a counterclaim, that is."

"Your sisters would never fight you on that."

"I know, right? It'll probably take me a while to get full ownership, but Zoe said she needed to take an inventory of what's inside, anyway. For today, we can at least take a peek."

He rubbed his hands together. "I can't wait to see what's in there."

"Me neither. I—" Her phone rang and she glanced at it, then frowned.

Instantly, his euphoria over their find dissipated a little. "That's Richard, I take it."

"He's probably calling to tell me how to edit the book so he can take credit for that, at least. That's how narcissists are."

Luke shot her a curious look and then said in a carefully neutral tone, "When you used to talk about Richard, you always seemed… bruised, I guess. But today you're just annoyed. That's progress."

She made a face. "I used to think I was heartbroken, but now I've realized that the only thing that got hurt in that relationship was my pride. I just got lost in—" She caught herself and wrinkled her nose. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"Why not? We're partners, aren't we?" He closed his notebook. "When do we meet Zoe?"

"In half an hour. She's going to have papers for me to sign, and she'll have the box out and ready for us to open."

"You're lucky she knows you so well, or you might have had to go through even more legal mumbo jumbo to get to it."

"It helps that she's even more excited than we are." Tay pursed her lips, her brow furrowed. "I hate to say this out loud, as I don't want to tempt fate, but it feels as if we're getting close to the end here."

It did. He wondered what, exactly, he would do with his time once they finished this adventure. The thought instantly depressed him. He'd had more fun sitting back here, in this old office, looking through dry documents and teasing Tay than he'd had at any other point of his life for the past thirty years. His gaze moved to Tay. He thought he knew why, too.

She caught his look and smiled. "It's been fun."

Her admission surprised him, but he found himself nodding. Yes, it had been. "What will you do when you finally solve Sarafina's mystery?"

"I'll finish writing her book."

That was what he'd expected her to say. She could do that here in Dove Pond if she wanted to. "I can't wait to read it."

She quirked her eyebrow at him. "And you?"

"That's a good question. Sadly, I don't have an answer for you. All I know is that it won't be as much fun." Not without you sitting next to me.

"We should go." Tay got up and was pulling her cardigan back on, her face slightly red. "Ready?"

Luke stood and pushed his chair back under his desk and joined her. Five minutes later, he and Tay walked into the First People's Bank. The building had been constructed during the 1850s, and while the interior had been redone numerous times over the years, the exterior had been left untouched. Luke loved this bank. He loved the redbrick fa?ade, with its light tan brick accents around each arched window, and the wrought-iron front door and bank windows.

Zoe met them in the lobby, looking chic as usual. Her hair was pulled into a slick bun, and she was wearing a very dashing retro cherry-red pantsuit, which fit her like a glove. "This way, please." She tucked a sheaf of papers under her arm and led them to a conference room, her gold hoops swinging from her ears like bells.

Luke followed Tay inside, stopping when he saw Grace already sitting at the big table, which was empty except for an ornate brass safe-deposit box.

"Ah, there you are!" Grace refolded the spreadsheet she'd been reading and tucked it into the pocket on the outside of her briefcase. "Hello, Tay. Luke. I hear you've discovered yet another clue."

Tay sent Zoe a questioning look.

"Sorry," Zoe said brightly, although she didn't seem the least bit sorry. She placed the papers on the table and gestured for Tay and Luke to take a seat. "I was having breakfast with Grace at the Moonlight when you called. She heard everything, so, since we'll need an extra witness to sign the form for the box, I thought she'd come in handy."

Grace clasped her hands together. "Besides, as the mayor, I'm keeping an eye on this search of yours. Our poor sheriff spent the past week chasing people out of the fountain, and he had to answer two calls caused by people getting stuck in that tree at the Day family cemetery, too."

"People can be crazy," Luke said as he and Tay took their seats.

Zoe snorted. "Crazy about gold." She sat down beside Tay and began organizing her papers. She pulled one from the stack and handed it to Grace along with a pen. "You and Luke will need to sign this to verify that all contents of this box were returned to it. I can't sign, since I work here, and neither can Tay, as she's already stated that she'll soon be filing a claim."

Grace signed the form and slid it across the table to Luke, who scrawled his name on the line marked with a tab.

Zoe set the paper to one side and handed Tay the rest of the pages. "You'll need to fill these out to make your claim. Bring them back when you're done and I'll start the process." When Tay nodded, Zoe scooted a little closer to the table. "You said you had the key?"

While Tay looked in her purse for the key, Luke leaned forward to get a closer look at the box. It was about a foot long and four inches by four inches in width and height. Luke turned it this way and then that, admiring the beautifully scrolled brass work on the small door. "It's a work of art."

Zoe gave a satisfied smile. "The original boxes are all like this. Just beautiful. We could have used the space for another vault, but Dad couldn't stand the thought of throwing them out, so he made them into a ‘decorative wall' instead."

Tay found the key, her gaze meeting Luke's. "Ready?" she asked softly.

A trill of excitement lit him up. Darn, but he loved it when she lowered her voice like that. "Let's do this." He slid the box to Tay.

She inserted the key into the lock and turned it, a satisfying click sounding in the quiet.

"It worked!" said Grace.

"Open it," Zoe added eagerly. "Pour everything out on the table so we can all see what you've found."

Tay opened the door and then gently tilted the box so the contents would come out.

Nothing happened.

Luke frowned.

"Shake it harder," Zoe ordered.

Tay shook it, but still nothing happened.

"Let me see that!" Zoe grabbed the box and peered inside. "There's nothing in here but a piece of paper, and it's stuck under the edge of a corner weld." She reached in, pulled out a yellowed piece of paper, and handed it to Tay.

Grace's smile had disappeared. "That's it? That's a bit disappointing."

Luke leaned closer to Tay so he could read the paper with her. There, etched in pen, was a map. It was a strange map, though, and consisted of a large rectangle broken by random angles, a dark squiggle of broken lines, and one large X.

Tay laid it out on the table so everyone could see it.

Zoe leaned forward, her eyes widening. "Lord help us all, it's a genuine treasure map! There's even an ‘X' on it."

"I feel like a pirate," Grace said in a breathless voice.

But Tay's eyebrows were drawn together as she stared at the map. "There are no words on this. I don't even know what it represents."

She was right. Luke touched the thick middle line. "Could this be Main Street?"

"Maybe. Or maybe not. I can't tell." She dropped back into her seat, her gaze locked on the paper. "There are no identifying marks anywhere. Not one street or building is labeled."

Grace frowned. "You're right. As treasure maps go, this one sucks."

"It's pretty sparse on information," Zoe agreed. "How are you all going to figure this out? I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"I don't know that we can," Tay admitted, her shoulders slumped.

"Maybe there's more to it." Luke picked up the paper and held it up so the light from the window shone through it. After a moment, he grimaced and returned the paper to the table. "Nope. Nothing."

Zoe suddenly gasped. "Hold on! I once saw a movie where a detective had to pee on a piece of paper to get the secret information."

Everyone looked at her.

"Hey, I'm not saying that has to happen here."

Tay sighed. "This is going to take some thinking."

"I hate to say this," Zoe said, "but you can't take that map with you. However, you can copy it if you'd like."

Luke immediately ripped a page from his notebook. "Hand it here."

"Go ahead," Zoe said. "Just don't damage it in any way."

He placed his paper over the map and traced it. Once he was done, he slid the original to Tay. "Find out what your Dove gift says about this."

Surprise flickered over her face, and then she smiled. "Sure."

He watched her with interest as she pulled the map closer, making sure she touched only the edges of the page.

Grace asked, "Have you ever done this with a map before?"

"Yes. Only hand-drawn ones, of course, although they were all far more elaborate than this."

Zoe scooted closer. "Touch it, Tay. Tell us what you see."

Tay took a steadying breath and then rested her fingers on the closest drawn line.

Luke leaned forward in his seat, fascinated. For a second, Tay didn't move at all, but sat as if entranced. Suddenly, her eyebrows drew together and there it was, that moment when—just for a second—an expression washed over her face that made her look as if she were someone else.

She let out a breath and blinked her eyes and then looked around the room as if surprised to find herself there.

Zoe's gaze moved over Tay's face. "What did you see?"

"The map was drawn by Sarafina."

Yes! "And?" Luke asked, unable to look away from Tay.

"David Tau was with her. She was sitting here at the bank, too. This safe-deposit box was right in front of her. She drew the map very quickly, so I didn't get to see much, but judging from the style of David Tau's clothes, I'd say it was sometime in the 1920s."

This was big. So big. But still… Luke frowned and drummed his fingers on the table. "This is really starting to bother me. We've both been thinking it's a secret about Sarafina, since the clues are all here in her hometown. But her husband, David, who, as far as we know, had no ties to Dove Pond at all, was here with her, planting these clues for Lucy to follow. The family secret had to have involved him as well."

Tay nodded. "I was wondering the same thing."

They were all silent for a moment until Grace said, "If you want to find out why David was involved, then I suppose you two will have to follow these clues to the desired end."

"That's what I was thinking," Zoe said.

"Don't worry." Tay tucked her copy of the map into her satchel and then handed Zoe the original. "Luke and I are committed to figuring this out. We won't stop until we do." She collected her things and stood. Luke did as well.

Zoe returned the map to the box and locked the ornate door before handing the key back to Tay. "Before yesterday, I'd have told you all that if you did find gold under that X, to bring it here and put the money into a nice investment account, but now I know that won't happen."

"Why not?" Tay asked.

"If you find the gold, you won't be able to keep it. I did some research. After the robbery, an insurance company paid the claims. During the financial crisis in the 1930s, the company became insolvent and was dissolved."

Grace leaned forward. "So there's no one to stake a claim, then."

"No, because when that company dissolved, it owed what would now be millions of dollars to various banks in New York."

Tay winced. "And those banks are still around and would have a claim?"

"A very valid claim, according to my source," Zoe said. "Once they find out about that gold, they'll all come running."

Grace looked disappointed. "I was hoping someone in town might get rich off that."

"Won't happen. It'll be tied up in court for years and years, and when it's all said and done, the person with the most aggressive lawyer will walk away with it."

Grace shook her head. "That's sad. I guess, for us here in Dove Pond, the real riches would be in unlocking that discretionary fund that is limited now to the fountain upkeep. If I could figure out a way to convince people to reallocate portions of that, it would be of great help to the small businesses around here."

Luke's confusion must have been evident, because Zoe explained, "Grace wants to use that fund for grants to deserving small businesses. A lot of them are still reeling from supply chain and staffing issues and—well, you two know how things are."

Hmm. Would Grandma accept a grant from the town? Or would she consider that charity, too?

Grace collected her briefcase and stood. "I should get back to the office. Call me if there's anything you all need." She waved and then, with a smile, left.

Zoe got up from her chair. "I'll put the box back after you two are gone. Should I see you out?"

"No, thank you," Tay said. "I know you're busy, too."

"Okay. See you two later." Zoe left, and Tay and Luke gathered their things and were soon walking back to the bookshop.

Luke cut her a side glance and could see that she was deep in thought, her head bent, the spring breeze teasing the hair that had escaped her ponytail. He stayed quiet and let her think.

The map was an intriguing item. He wondered what the lines might represent. He tried to imagine their little town from the vantage point of a drone and realized that no streets matched the layout. What could it be?

They turned the corner and the bookstore sign came into view at the end of the street. Tay suddenly seemed to realize how quiet she'd been and shot Luke an embarrassed look. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

"Me too. Figure anything out?"

"No." She bit her lip. "Sort of."

"Sort of?" He grinned. "That sounds like a yes."

"Maybe. I don't know how to read this map yet, but I think this is the last and final clue."

"Why?"

"Because X marks the spot, right?"

Ah. That made sense. "I wonder why Lucy didn't even try to follow the clues her parents placed for her. I don't think I could have just walked away."

"Me neither. But… maybe she knew just enough about this particular secret to avoid it."

That had to be it. She either knew or at least suspected what this family secret was and decided it was safer or less hurtful not to know.

They neared the bookshop and Tay hurried the final few steps so that she reached the door first. She swung it open. "I'll go make some copies of the map. Would you find the town surveys I pulled a few weeks ago? They might be of help."

He followed her inside. "Sure. I'll do it now."

She flashed him a smile and then headed for the copier, the wood floor creaking in her wake.

Luke went into the office to find the survey maps. They were so close to finding an answer that he could taste it. Which made him wonder what he was going to do when it all ended. Would that be the moment that Tay, after crossing her last t and dotting her last i , would pack up her things and leave?

As much as he hated to admit it, it was possible that when this search ended, so would their friendship. For reasons he wasn't yet sure about, the thought depressed him.

Luke sighed and started looking through the stacks of folders on Tay's desk for the one holding the survey maps. One thing at a time, Day. One thing at a time.