Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
I text Sid that I’m heading home and will meet him there.
The walk home gives me time to organize thoughts. The Salvador Mundi, the Star of Sebastian, Dad’s careful documentation, Reeves and his investors, Dawson’s double game. All circling around my missing driftwood star and whatever secret information it contains.
By the time Finn and I reach my cottage, I’ve decided. I’ll trust Dawson—cautiously—and keep working with Sid. Priority: recover the star and protect Dad’s discovery.
Inside, I secure the vial with our other findings in the basement. Then I remember Dawson’s words about the key. Insurance policy.
I search the basement more thoroughly than I have in three years, moving boxes of old conservation equipment, checking corners I’d ignored. And there, behind a stack of outdated marine surveys, I find it: a small fireproof lockbox I’d somehow missed when clearing out Dad’s things.
The key slides in perfectly.
Inside: a USB drive and a handwritten note.
Marnie—if you’re reading this, you’ve followed the map. The drive contains everything: coordinates, photographs, authentication documents. The Star of Sebastian is real, and it’s hidden where the lighthouse keepers have protected it for a century. Trust Tommy Fields. And trust yourself. Love, Dad.
I stare at the note until the words blur. He’d planned for this. Planned for someone to threaten his discovery. Planned for me to find it.
A car pulls into the driveway. Through the window, Sid’s silver Audi parks beside my truck.
I pocket the USB drive. Time to see how far this partnership can go.
Dad’s legacy extends far beyond the environmental conservation work he was known for. Now it falls to me to ensure that legacy is protected, starting with the recovery of my star and the secrets it contains.
Chapter Seven
Four sharp knocks sound at the front door. Finn positions himself at my side as I move to answer it, uncertainty churning within me after Dawson’s revelations about the Gillespie family.
Sid stands on my porch, his expression animated. “I think I know where your star might be.”
“Come in,” I say, stepping aside while gauging his demeanor.
Inside, Sid paces the small living room, too energized to sit. “My contact at the historical society mentioned a private property near the lighthouse, recently purchased by a shell company linked to Coastal Development Partners. An old caretaker’s cottage that’s been vacant for years.”
“And you think that’s where they’re keeping the star?”
“It makes sense. Isolated, privately owned, close to the beaches where the artifacts have been found. Perfect base of operations for Reeves.”
His reasoning sounds plausible, but Dawson’s warnings echo in my mind. Is Sid genuinely trying to help recover the star, or does he have his own interest in finding the Star of Sebastian?
“What else did your contact tell you?” I ask, watching his reaction.
“Coastal Development has been quietly acquiring properties throughout Seacliff Haven over the past year. Not just beachfront, but strategic locations throughout town. The lighthouse property was their most recent acquisition, finalized just weeks before your father passed away.”
The timing feels significant. “Dad must have realized what was happening. That’s why he accelerated his documentation efforts.”
Sid nods. “And encoded the final piece of information in your star. Information that could definitively protect the Salvador Mundi site.”
I hesitate, then decide to test the waters. “I encountered Dawson at the sixth location while you were gone.”
Sid’s expression shifts. “Did he threaten you?”
“No. He shared some interesting information.”
“About the shipwreck?”
“And about your family,” I add, watching for his reaction.
Sid stills, his excitement fading. “My family?”
“He mentioned the Gillespies have a history with antiquities collecting. That they’ve tracked the Salvador Mundi legend for generations.”
His face cycles through several emotions, landing finally on resignation. “I should have told you. But I worried you wouldn’t trust me if you knew.”
“So it’s true?”
Sid sinks onto the sofa, Finn watching him from his position near my side. “My grandfather was Alexander Gillespie II, a notorious collector of maritime artifacts. He spent decades searching for evidence of the Salvador Mundi and its cargo, particularly the Star of Sebastian.”
“Why not tell me this from the beginning?” I demand.
“Because I’ve spent my entire adult life distancing myself from that legacy,” Sid responds, meeting my gaze. “My grandfather acquired pieces through questionable means. I chose a different path, creating art rather than collecting it.”
His explanation sounds sincere, but trust, once shaken, rebuilds slowly. “And your interest in finding my star? Is that about helping me, or continuing your grandfather’s search?”
“Both,” Sid admits. “When I realized what your father had discovered, I recognized its historical significance. But my primary concern has been recovering your star because I know what it means to you.”
The straightforward acknowledgment of his divided motivations feels more honest than a denial would have. “What do you know about the Star of Sebastian?”
“Only what my grandfather told me as a child. That it was a navigational tool far advanced for its era. If authenticated, it would rewrite portions of maritime history.”