"This is private property," Barry called before they even reached us.

  "I'm sorry?" I schooled my expression into a mask of confusion, I hoped. I could have straight-up fear written all over my face. I waited for the two to reach us before saying anything further. An imaginary office worker scrambled around in my head while an alarm blared, digging through file cabinet after file cabinet full of excuses, only to come up empty-handed. Thanks.

  A soft breeze off the bay ruffled Barry's sun-streaked brown hair. He slid his sunglasses up onto his head, revealing thin tan lines that ran from the corners of his eyes and disappeared into his hairline around his ears.

  While Barry looked as if he spent most of his time outdoors, probably on his daddy's yacht, Tipp was just the opposite. His dark brown hair sat atop pale features, giving the impression he stayed mostly indoors. Probably at the gym if his bulk was any indication.

  As they had the night on the dock, Barry spoke while Tipp folded his arms across his massive chest and cast an intimidating glare. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

  Personally, I thought the answer to the second question was irrelevant, but who was I to decide? As for the first question, I'd already given my name to a potential killer once today, and I wasn't ready to do so again. "Uh…"

  "That's it? Uh?" Barry took a step closer, pointed a finger an inch from my nose. "You have two seconds to answer, and then I will release the dogs."

  Not call the police. Not even yell for private security. But unleash two animals that would probably tear us apart. Of course, one of them was named Precious, so maybe it was just an idle threat. A low growl from one of them, probably Butch, had me second-guessing that thought.

  Meghan jumped easily from a boulder, landing gracefully beside me. Show-off. "Excuse me, but who exactly do you think you are?"

  "I…" Barry turned on her. "I am—"

  "It was a rhetorical question." She shifted her long, dark hair over her shoulder, lifted her chin, and gestured vaguely behind her. "I honestly don't care who you are. My friends and I were simply walking along the beach after having a nice picnic. When the tide came in, we had to cross the jetty to get back to our car."

  If only she'd lied that easily when Mom had caught us raiding the pantry before dinner. I crossed my fingers and slid them behind my back, praying there was actually more beach past the jetty somewhere instead of it ending at a canal, or her story wouldn't hold up.

  "What's in the bag?" Barry took a step toward Eli.

  Meghan smoothly side stepped to intervene. "You a cop?"

  "No, but—"

  "If you're not a cop, and you don't have a search warrant, then it's none of your business what's in the bag. But, since I'm feeling generous after our relaxing meal, I'll tell you anyway. It's the remnants of our picnic." She tilted her head, eyed him from beneath her lashes, and fluttered them once in a way that came off as flirtatious when she did it but probably would have made me look like I'd gotten a lash stuck in my eye. "And too bad you're such a nasty man, because there's a nice bottle of wine in there we hadn't yet gotten to that I might have shared otherwise."

  Barry smoothed a hand over his mouth and glanced at Tipp, who still stood silently. "Fine, then. I'm sorry, but this is private property. I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."

  "See that, sugar?" Meghan winked. "All you had to do was ask nicely."

  I stifled my laughter as we hightailed it (or rather, clumsily navigated) back across the jetty before the Crumbholtz brothers could change their minds about letting us go. I only turned once at a repetitive squeaking noise behind us.

  When we reached the road, Eli leaned close to me, his gaze glued to Meghan, and whispered, "It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for."

  But I wasn't sure if he was admiring Meghan's handling of the situation, which didn't really surprise me all that much, or warning me about the hulking presence of Tipp Crumbholtz, who hadn't said a word.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Dejected that we hadn't been able to search the Crumbholtz property, we'd piled back into Gwen's Jeep and headed to the dock where the event registration had taken place.

  "You know what?" Eli hopped out of the back seat, all vim and verve. "If anything, I'd bet the treasure is actually secreted on the Crumbholtz property somewhere. Since we're only up to the second clue, maybe this one is still on public land."

  "Could be." But I wasn't that optimistic. I squinted against the midday sun to where a lone figure sat on a decaying wooden bench at the end of the dock, looking out over the bay. If the sun's reflection off his bald head was any indication, I thought we might have found Ike Turner. I hurried toward him. "Ike?"

  The figure turned and then stood and waved when he saw me coming. "Hey, there. Dani, right? From that cute little café in town?"

  "Yes. I'm so glad I found you." I ran a quick scan from his head to his toes. Everything seemed to be intact. "Are you all right?"

  "Right as rain." He frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"

  I gestured for him to return to his seat and sat down next to him. Together, we watched the seagulls scream and dive, a few boats stream across the horizon, and the gentle lap of the waves against the rotting wooden boards. "Francine came into the café this morning, and she was worried sick. She was looking for you at the high school, and she couldn't find you."

  He dragged his bushy white brows together in a thick line. "Why would she think I went there?"

  "In search of the second clue."

  "Oh, right." He lowered his gaze to his lap. "Ah, man. I really messed up."

  "What do you mean?"

  He waved it off. "It doesn't matter now. Anyway, I came here to look for the next clue, but by the time I walked this far, I needed to sit for a minute."

  I looked around the small gravel and seashell lot but didn't see any other vehicle besides Gwen's Jeep. "You walked all the way down here?"

  He shrugged. "Sure. Why not? I couldn't leave Frannie without the van, and I just…well, I needed a minute is all."

  I reached for his hand, gripped it in mine. No way would I believe this man had killed anyone. Nor would I let him know his wife had mentioned their argument or his feelings of inadequacy. "Francine sat with me and had a cup of tea. She said you were searching for the next clue to the whereabouts of the treasure, so when she didn't find you at the football field, she grew concerned. But, while we were talking, she told me all about your van life and how much she loves every minute of it. I can only hope I find love like that one day. You're both very fortunate."

  "You're right. We are." Tears shimmered in his eyes, darkening his lashes, and he shook his head. "Sometimes I forget how blessed we truly are."

  I smiled at him, knowing they'd be okay as soon as he got back to Francine. He might have to endure a massive scolding, but I had a feeling that was part of the charm of their marriage.

  He squeezed my hand and stood. "Speaking of blessings, I need to get back to Francine now."

  I stood and looked for Gwen, Eli, and Meghan, who'd already begun to search the thick patch of taller-than-me reeds dancing in the breeze. "Do you want a ride?"

  "Nah." He pulled a cell phone out of his shorts' pocket. "I'll call Frannie to come get me."

  "While you're waiting, you're welcome to search with us for the next clue."

  "Thanks. Maybe I'll take you up on—"

  "I found it!" Eli shoved aside reeds, standing ankle deep in muck.

  I tried to tamp down on my excitement as I jumped down off the dock and ran to him. What were the chances we'd been the first to find the clue? Someone else could have already found it then returned everything to the way it had been. Or… Another thought struck. What if someone had already found it then set up an alternate scenario to throw everyone else off the trail?

  By the time I reached him, he and Gwen were already pulling the dilapidated wooden boat out of the reeds. "Did you find the clue?"

  He shook his head and hooked a thumb toward the bay before returning to his task. "Nope. But I think I know where it is."

  "You can't be serious." No way was that thing holding all of us. I wasn't even sure it was seaworthy at all. "Anyone brave enough to take that thing out onto the bay deserves to win the fortune."

  "Just trust me." Eli propped his hands on his hips and looked at the rotting planks held together by…I had no idea if there was anything holding them together. "Do you think it'll hold all of us?"

  I pointed at the vessel (and I used the term loosely) and looked at him. "Are you seriously considering going somewhere in that?"

  He lifted one slim shoulder. "Why not? What's the worst thing that can happen?"

  I cringed. Why oh why did he have to go and tempt fate like that?

  "If it sinks, we'll just swim back to shore."

  Well, when he put it like that… I looked at the murky water, wondering what kind of critters might lie in wait, hidden beneath the surface. "Okay, I'm in."

  "Me too," Gwen and Meghan said together.

  I turned to Ike.

  But he shook his head. "If you wouldn't mind letting me know if you find the clue, I'll take it back after you return."

  "Are you sure?" I didn't like the thought of him getting in alone. Even assuming we did return to shore with the punt in one piece, who's to say it would hold up for more than one crossing?

  "I am, yes." He nodded. "Thank you, but I can't go without Francine. It wouldn't be right. And even if I did find the clue, it just wouldn't be half as exciting without her at my side."

  Warmth spread through me. "I'll tell you what. Since you were actually here first, if we do find the next clue, we'll share it with you."

  His eyes widened. "Really?"

  "Sure. No problem."

  "You've got yourself a deal." He stuck his hand out and shook mine. "And I'll wait here, even after Francine arrives. That way if you kids get yourselves in trouble, we can call for help."

  I thanked him, breathing a little easier knowing we at least had some backup if things went wrong—which there was a good chance they would. The narrow vessel had a floor and a raised flat platform on the back. A long pole lay along the bottom.

  Together, the four of us dragged the punt from where it had been hidden in the reeds into the shallow bay, my head on a swivel for rats or any other wildlife that made their nests in the boggy marshland reeking from the low tide. I couldn't even believe I was about to do this when I could be curled up on a couch in the café sipping a cup of Earl Grey. Or running myself ragged trying to keep up with business. Either way, I'd still be on solid ground.

  Once we got the boat into the water, I held it steady for Gwen and Meghan to climb in and sit cross-legged on the floor, and then I paused. "How will we know where to go? We can't just cruise around the bay hoping to come across something. Not in this deathtrap."

  Eli stood to the side with the long pole in his hand and squinted. "If you look out across the bay, about halfway between here and the barrier island, there's a strip of marshland about the size and shape of a football field. The clue is probably buried on one of the sides where you'd take a punt from if there were a goal post on each end."

  I looked across at the spot he'd pointed to in the distance then just looked back at him. "For real?"

  "Yup." He nodded eagerly and climbed onto the platform at the back of the boat.

  I still wasn't convinced this was a good idea. I pointed to where he stood, easily balanced while the boat could touch the sandy bottom. "Have you ever done anything like this before?"

  He shrugged. "It's probably just like paddleboarding."

  I lifted a brow. "And you've gone paddleboarding?"

  "Well. Not exactly, but I've sat on the beach and watched Gram do it a million times. How hard could it be?"

  I just stared at him. I was pretty sure you couldn't learn to paddleboard by osmosis. "Your grandmother goes paddleboarding?"

  "Sure. She does yoga on her paddleboard two days a week."

  "Get in the boat, Dani," Gwen muttered.

  "Yup." I climbed in and squished myself on the floor, kneeling in front of Meghan and behind Gwen so we sat in a single-file line. No way was I going to be outdone by Eli's grandmother, who also smoked cigars and hosted poker games three nights a week. I really needed to get a life.

  Eli dug the pole into the silty ground and pushed. When we didn't move, he turned around and pushed again with all his might. His face turned beet red—from exertion or embarrassment, I had no idea.

  "I think maybe you have to push it out into deeper water," Ike called from where he and Francine stood on the dock watching. "You're probably stuck on the bottom."

  And so, we all piled back out again and shoved the punt farther out into the bay. Once we were thigh deep in dark water and could no longer see whatever might be lurking beneath us, I held the boat for Gwen and Meghan to climb back in.

  As soon as they were back in their spots, clinging on to the sides and sitting perfectly still to avoid tipping over, I hefted myself over the side. And held on for dear life as the whole thing rocked, precariously close to dumping all of us back into the water. "Are you guys sure this is a good idea?"

  "Make sure you get on slowly." Ike gave Eli a thumbs-up. "You've got this, son."

  "It'll be fine once we're all in and balanced." Eli hoisted himself gingerly onto the platform, kneeling with his arms held out to the sides for balance, the pole, which was way taller than he was, clutched in a death grip.

  "They are so going over." Although he spoke to Francine, Ike's voice carried across the open water.

  "If they go in, I'll make dinner for a week," Francine countered.

  "Is that a threat, woman?"

  She gave him an elbow nudge to the ribs.

  Ike held his phone out in front of him aimed at us.

  I was glad to see they appeared to be back on track, though sorry it seemed to be at our expense. I gripped the sides hard as Eli stood, fully aware both hands and probably other body parts would be full of splinters by the time this was done. "Maybe you oughta let Meghan do that part, Eli."

  "Don't worry about it. I've got this under control." Once he was standing all the way up, he steadied himself. Then he pushed off with a huge grin…and tumbled right over the side. He went in with a huge splash and came up sputtering. At least he'd maintained a death grip on the pole.

  Gwen laughed so hard she almost dumped the rest of us over.

  Ike slapped his leg and let out a huge guffaw, all while somehow managing to hold the phone steady. "Look at the bright side. Even if we don't win the treasure hunt, this video is sure to go viral."

  "Terrific." I took the pole from Eli and passed it to Meghan—who, to her credit, was doing her best to fight back a laugh, despite the tears streaming freely down her cheeks. Then I held out a hand to help Eli back into the punt. When I got him close enough, I leaned next to his ear and whispered, "Are you sure you don't want to let Meghan use the pole?"

  He swiped his soaked hair back away from his face. "Nope. I just need to get my mojo going. I can do this."

  "All right." But I honestly had my doubts. "If you say so."

  As Eli worked to regain both his balance and his confidence, a black van with bold yellow lettering that said Taking YouTube by Storm pulled to the side of the road. Behind it, a white van pulled over and parked, and Athena and Caleb jumped out, camera already rolling.

  Storm propped his hands on his hips while Kirk got the camera going.

  I turned around to face the direction we were headed, ignoring the melee going on behind us. Hopefully, Eli wouldn't catch sight of them and dunk us all live on TikTok.

  Once he got his rhythm, Eli moved the punt smoothly through the water. Thankfully, the island was in a straight line from where we'd found the punt. I shuddered to think what might happen if he had to try to turn this thing.

  Once we reached our destination, thrilled to be back on some semblance of dry land, I jumped out. And sank ankle deep in muck. As soon as I made it back home, my cute white Keds were going in the trash. Thankfully, I could do laundry at Mom's tonight. I checked my smartwatch. I still had a few hours before I had to be there for Sunday dinner. Missing Sunday dinner at Mom's, where she hosted the entire Delaney clan each week, was acceptable if you had a great reason. Treasure hunting wasn't even a good reason. Even showing up late with a lame excuse like that would earn me persona non grata status.

  Eli counted as he walked an estimated fifteen yards from the edge of the island and then stopped. "This is it."

  "How can you be sure?"

  He shielded his eyes with a hand and looked across the wet, grassy landmass. "It's either here or on the other side, but I'm betting on this one. It's easier to get to."

  Not that anything about this had proven easy so far, but who was I to argue? "Do you have a shovel?"

  He stared at me and then back across the bay to where a crowd had now gathered at the dock. "Um."

  "Eli?"

  "I forgot the bag in the Jeep."

  Other than beach grass and mud, there wasn't much else on the island.

  Gwen leaned over and gripped the side of the punt. "Maybe we can rip one of these planks free and use that."

  "Are you crazy? No way am I sinking live on YouTube when we try to get back."

  Eli lifted the pole. "How about this?"

  "That thing's gotta be fifteen feet long. How are we going to use it to dig?"

  Meghan bent over and came up with a piece of beach glass and a small section of driftwood. "These'll have to do."

  I took the driftwood from her and started digging in the exact spot Eli had pointed to. After a foot or so of hauling up the wet, heavy sand, I handed the driftwood off to Gwen and bent at the waist to catch my breath.

  A dull thud had me straightening. "Did you find something?"

  She jammed the driftwood down into the hole, which kept filling with water as she dug, and hit something solid.

  I dropped to my knees and reached into the hole.

  Eli did the same.

  Meghan leaned over me, somehow untouched by all the mud and sand covering the rest of us.

 

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