Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“Sure. I’m thinking about everything,” he said, voice softer now. His gaze warmed, and I felt it like sunlight across my skin.
“I hate seeing you in a hospital bed,” I blurted. “It just isn’t right. You don’t belong in a hospital. This is totally wrong.”
“Hey,” he said gently, tugging me closer. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”
“But you weren’t fine,” I said, my voice cracking. “You were almost blown up, Aiden. And it wasn’t even a big case.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them.
He reached out and pulled me onto the bed, careful to keep me on his uninjured side. His chest was warm beneath my hand, his heartbeat steady.
“I’m okay, Anna,” he murmured. “Really. I don’t usually get blown up.”
I sniffed, still half pressed against him. “We were following a stupid leprechaun,” I muttered.
His chest moved as he exhaled, amusement mixing with exhaustion. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I have to admit, I wasn’t taking this case as seriously as I should have. It all seemed so ridiculous with the leprechaun, the costumes, and that silly treasure map etched on the bottom of the silver boxes. It felt like something out of a St. Patrick’s Day festival, not a real investigation.”
I sighed. “Same here. I figured somebody had stolen the boxes for the silver, to melt them down. But that doesn’t make sense now.”
“Agreed.”
My heart rate picked up. Maybe I was on to something. “If that was the goal, they wouldn’t have left them sitting in a bag. They’d have taken them to a smelter or somewhere remote. So it has to be the map.”
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes distant. “I don’t see how. You kids searched all over that map years ago, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. We totally did.” I reached for my purse from the chair beside the bed and pulled out the folded paper. “But I brought it, just in case.”
He raised an eyebrow as I handed it over. “You still had that thing?”
“Of course,” I said, shrugging. “Nana keeps everything. It was stuffed in a drawer with Monopoly cards.”
Aiden chuckled softly, the sound rough but warm. “You already reached the conclusion that it’s about the map?”
“What else could it be?” I asked. “If they didn’t want the silver, then the map’s the only thing left that matters.”
He unfolded the paper and held it between his hands, the hospital light casting faint shadows across the creases. “So we’re dealing with someone who thinks this thing actually leads somewhere.”
“Exactly.” I slid my chair closer. “When I went out there earlier—around Shanty’s Peak, or at least the base of it. I was looking for these two rocks.” I pointed to the jagged V-shaped markings near the bottom corner of the map. “We never found them as kids, and I didn’t see anything today either.”
Aiden studied the page, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I don’t recognize this section in the background, but yeah, it looks like Shanty’s Peak.”
“That’s what we always thought,” I said. “But there’s never been any treasure. Just stories.”
His eyes still looked a little unfocused. “Where was the bear trap in comparison to this map?”
I pointed to the very edge, away from the rocks and Shanty’s Peak. “Not part of the map. I got a little lost.”
He traced the area with a finger. “Why would someone steal the boxes, not melt them, lose them, and then steal them again?” he murmured. His voice had gone flat, the tone he used when something didn’t line up. “If it isn’t money or silver, maybe it’s obsession. Someone who really believes in the legend.”
“Or someone crazy,” I said.
“Maybe both.”
Before I could respond, another thought hit me. “Oh. Before I forget, can you get the CCTV footage from the hospital parking lot?”
Aiden immediately reached for his phone on the counter. “Absolutely.” He hit a button and waited. “Hey, it’s Devlin. I need all security footage from the hospital lot between yesterday afternoon and this morning. Yeah. Thanks, Saber.” He clicked off.
I swallowed. “Heads up. Cormac Coretti probably has access to the CCTV already.”
He frowned. “Why would he have it?”
“Because he’s… well, connected,” I said vaguely. “And because I might’ve mentioned it to him.”
Aiden froze mid-movement. “You talked to him?”
“Yes.” I took a breath, knowing how this would sound. “I went to the bed-and-breakfast earlier. I wanted answers.”
Aiden rubbed a hand down his face, his jaw tight. “Anna.”
“I’m telling you, I’m onto something,” I said quickly. “He’s not what he seems, but I don’t think he’s our bad guy.”
Aiden reached out and tugged gently on a strand of my hair, his tone low. “Don’t go seeing Cormac alone again.”
“I think he’s harmless.”
He gave me a look that was all steel. “He’s not harmless.”
“Well,” I said, softening my tone, “maybe not harmless, but I don’t think he wants to hurt me. And he used to work with Rory, so I figure that’s worth something.”