Fatal Fortune (Blackmoore Sisters Mystery Book 8) Page 3

  Even though they weren’t going to Rune Island to look for pirate treasure other than the necklace, it was likely they might find some. The sisters were only interested in getting the relic. None of them cared about any monetary gain that might come from additional treasure. So, if she happened to find a few gold pirate coins lying around, maybe she could slip them to Jason on the return trip.

  If she couldn’t help her sisters on their missions or fight paranormals, maybe she could at least help someone. The thought of it brightened her outlook and made her eager to get to the island.

  “I know what you’re thinking.” Cal slipped his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled into his warmth. Now that they were out to sea, it had turned colder, and the wind bit through her down jacket. She pulled the brown-striped wool cap that she’d stuffed over her short-cropped blond hair down further to cover the tips of her ears. Thankfully, they’d known the fall temperatures would be cool on the island and had dressed accordingly.

  “What am I thinking?” She leaned back and looked up into Cal’s eyes. What she saw in the depths still caused a flutter in her stomach, even though they’d known each other practically their whole lives.

  “You’re thinking about that little boy and how you can help him.”

  Celeste smiled and shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Was she that transparent? Or was it just that Cal knew her so well? Either way, it felt good to have someone like Cal on her side. “Maybe we can find a way. But first we need to recover the relic. Have you made any headway on decrypting the symbols on the rock?”

  “Unfortunately, no. It’s a very sophisticated cipher. I’ve tried all the basics for decoding it, and no dice. This one is going to take some work.”

  “We may not need to decode it,” Luke said. He and Morgan had joined them at the bow. Morgan’s long black hair whipped around her face. “We already know several spots on the island that are reputed to have treasure. My team has done some thorough research, and we have a few starting points we can tackle while you work on decrypting. There’s even a big hole that people have dubbed the Treasure Pit that leads to a maze of caves where it seems likely the treasure would have been stashed.”

  Jolene had been listening from her spot next to the pot hauler. “I’m worried more about who we might find out there.”

  “From what I can gather, it’s been abandoned for decades. It used to be a hotspot for treasure hunters, but literally no one goes there anymore. Too many unexplained deaths,” Luke said.

  “Probably at the hands of Dr. Bly or his predecessors,” Jolene said. “But now that this new clue has surfaced, I bet we might see a resurgence in popularity for the island.”

  Cal pressed his lips together. “Whoever stole the boxes from the gift store think they have the clue. But they won’t know it points to Rune Island. We didn’t know until I recognized the writing on that rock, and besides, the boxes they stole wouldn’t have had that rock in them.”

  “So they could be looking in a totally different direction,” Morgan said.

  “For now. But they are bound to figure it out sooner or later,” Jolene pointed out. “I’m sure Bly has people watching us, and once he gets word we’re here, he’s sure to send people to follow.”

  “If he hasn’t already,” Celeste said.

  “I bet Jason could tell us if there has been activity on the island.” Luke headed back toward the wheelhouse, and they all followed.

  The wheelhouse was just a covered shelter that was open in the back and had windows on the side. Jason stood in front of an oak ship’s wheel, various gadgets and electronics on the dashboard in front of him. He hadn’t asked many questions and was happy to charge the fee that Dorian had paid. Celeste knew why. The man needed money. And if he did, maybe he’d taken someone else out here too.

  “Do you take many people out to the island?” Luke asked.

  Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Rune Island? No one wants to go there. I don’t think I’ve taken anyone out in ages. Young folks sometimes, maybe a tourist or two, but usually just for the day, and only in summer. It’s colder on that island than the mainland. Plus it’s pretty well known the island is haunted after the mysterious deaths years ago. People seem to steer clear.”

  “So, it’s totally abandoned?” Jolene asked.

  “Yep. There’s not much out there to see. Just some old cabins and holes in the ground. It’s isolated. No plumbing or electricity. The coastline is all rocks, so there’s not even a nice beach.” Jason studied them.

  “We we’re just wondering if we might expect to run into other people,” Morgan said.

  “I think you’ll be all alone out there. You need privacy for your documentary?”

  Dorian had used her US government persuasion to get permission to use the island. It was unclear to Celeste and her sisters who owned it, but they didn’t really need to know that. As long as they had permission and were there on behalf of the government, they were good to go.

  “We don’t like to be surprised is all,” Jolene said. “Need to figure out where to shoot and can’t have random people showing up.”

  “I’m pretty sure you guys will be the only ones out there,” Jason said.

  “But you wouldn’t be the only person to bring people out here,” Cal said. “Someone could have gotten there on a another boat, right?”

  “Doubtful. As you can see, not too many boats are in the water up here this time of year. And my marina is the only one for miles. Besides, the place is haunted and booby-trapped, and if there ever was any treasure on it, I’m sure it was found long ago.” Jason’s gaze drifted over the gray sea to the fast-approaching island. “Nope. I’m sure you people are the only ones crazy enough to go out there this time of year.”

  Chapter Four

  The Rune Island dock was nothing fancy. About twenty feet of weathered boards were built over the jetty of rocks that seemed to make up the entire perimeter of the island. Jason helped them stack the gear on the dock then gave them his cell number with instructions to call when they wanted to be picked up, before casting off and leaving them alone on the island. Or at least they hoped they were alone.

  Celeste hefted her backpack on one shoulder and her sleeping bag on the other and followed the others up the sloping hill that Jason had said led to the cabins. Here on the unprotected jetty, she could feel the sting of cold salt air on her cheeks and noticed her sisters tightening their hoods and tucking their chins into their jackets. Though it was only mid-fall, it was much colder on an island in the middle of the Atlantic than it had been on the mainland.

  “Jason said the cabins are in a more protected area. We shouldn’t have to deal with this wind there.” Cal walked backwards as he talked, loaded down with camping gear and wrestling one of the big coolers on wheels over the rocky terrain.

  “Good thing. I just hope they are habitable,” Fiona said.

  “Umm, barely.”

  They’d come to the top of a hill. Below, five cabins sat in a semicircle. They were old wooden structures shingled with cedar shakes that had weathered to a dull gray. Some had the windows still intact, but others sported boards where some of the windows should be.

  “They don’t look so bad. At least they’re solid.” Luke started toward the cabins, and they all followed. As Jason had said, the cabins were situated in a valley that protected them from the wind, which died down as they got closer.

  To say the cabins had a rustic charm would have been stretching things, but from their wide front porches, to the homemade shutters, to the window boxes—now just full of dirt and dead plants—they weren’t completely unappealing.

  “It’s not quite like the hotels we’re used to.” Fiona climbed up on the porch of the first one and pushed open the door. Inside, it was surprisingly clean, with a solid wood floor, a small kitchenette in one corner, and a cast-iron wood stove in the main room. A doorway led to another room in the back—the bedroom, Celeste assumed.

  Though the sisters had been luc
ky enough to stay in nice hotels on most of their missions, Celeste didn’t think this was too bad. At least they’d be warm and dry, and hopefully, it would only be for a few nights anyway.

  “You’re spoiled.” Jake slid his arm around Fiona’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. This will be fun. Like camping.”

  “It’s a bit chilly for camping.” Morgan snugged her purple down vest tighter around her middle.

  “Don’t worry. We can zip our bags together.” Luke winked at her.

  “It is what you make of it. I have dibs on this little cabin on the end.” Jolene’s voice was cheery, though she looked a little sad as she started toward the end cabin. She was the only one without a significant other. Was she missing Matteo? He usually didn’t accompany them on their missions, but somehow, he always showed up to help out. Maybe not this time, though. Things hadn’t been the same after what had happened between him and Jolene in Salem.

  “We’ll take this one if no one else minds.” Fiona pointed to the one whose porch she was standing on.

  “It’s all the same to me. How about we take the next one?” Celeste glanced at Cal.

  “Sounds good.”

  “Okay, that leaves this other one for us since Buzz and Gordy have tents. We’ll get unpacked and situated.” Luke put the bags he was carrying down. “Gordy, you and Buzz go scope out the island and see if you can find evidence of anyone else here.”

  Buzz and Gordy headed off, and the rest of them set to work unpacking Coleman lanterns, cookstoves, sleeping bags, an outdoor shower, and plenty of propane in medium-sized cylinders.

  There was a big fire pit in the center of the cabins, and Cal got a fire going. Before long, it looked more as if they were on a leisurely fall retreat than on a potentially dangerous hunt for an old relic.

  Jake popped open the lid of one of the big coolers. “Steaks?”

  “Yes!” several of them answered at the same time.

  He pulled out a bunch of rib eyes and some potatoes, which the girls wrapped in tinfoil then shoved into the red-hot center of the fire. Morgan produced a red-and-white-checked tablecloth and covered the top of the two picnic tables then set condiments and napkins on top of that.

  She stood back to survey her work. “All the comforts of home.”

  Luke and Jake tended to the steaks, which sizzled on top of fire grates. Fiona and Jolene found some paper plates, cups, a gallon of water, and a six-pack of beer. Celeste made a salad. Soon, they were sitting at the table with a feast laid out in front of them.

  Gordy came back just as they were starting to eat, and they shifted positions to accommodate him at the table.

  “There’s no one else on the island right now.” Gordy picked up a potato, shuffling the hot package from one beefy hand to the other as he tried to free it from the tinfoil. He placed it on his plate and split it open with a knife, the steam swirling up into the air. “The island is shaped like a cone, with a high point at the north end. It’s a great vantage point. Buzz stayed up there to keep watch while I picked up some grub. I’ll bring him supper, and then he and I will take turns keeping watch from up there.”

  “Excellent work.” Luke passed him the butter. “Did you see anything else of interest?”

  Gordy shrugged. “Not really. There’s a cove on the south side that looks dredged out. Unnatural. I figure that might have some caves like you said.”

  “Maybe that’s where the intake caverns are that flood the tunnels,” Cal said.

  “Or where pirates hid treasure,” Jolene suggested.

  “We need to check it all out,” Luke said. “Let’s discuss our plan of attack.”

  “Have you figured anything else out about the inscriptions, Cal?” Morgan asked.

  Cal pressed his lips together. He’d already finished eating and had a photo of the inscribed rock in front of him, a pencil and paper in his hand. “I’m afraid not. The rock from the basement is only half the story.”

  Luke frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “See this?” Cal held up a picture of another rock similar to the one they’d found. “This is the rock that was found years ago. It’s in the Orthon Treasure Museum now, but it’s clearly from the same rock as the one we found in the box.” He pushed the pictures of the two rocks together. “You can see that the one we found broke off from this larger rock.”

  “Yep.”

  “But look.” Cal pointed to the other edge of the rock. “It appears there is supposed to be more. There aren’t enough letters on these two rocks to give much direction. Something is missing, but I can still decipher what I have. That might help us figure out some of the steps leading to the treasure.”

  “That would narrow things down, right?” Luke asked.

  “Hopefully.” Cal didn’t look up from his notebook.

  “So we need to scour the island for another rock?” Jake asked.

  “Hopefully, that rock is still on the island and we can find it,” Luke said.

  Cal made a sweeping gesture with his right arm. “Even if it is, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

  “Still, I’ll have Gordy and Buzz look while they are on watch,” Luke said.

  “That would help.” Cal returned his attention to his work. “As you can see, there aren’t nearly enough letters here for it to give much instruction as to where the treasure is, but it could get us close… if I can break the code.”

  “Mew.” Belladonna had been trotting from person to person, shooting pointed looks at their forks as they ferried the steak from their plates to their mouths. Apparently, it was Celeste’s turn. The cat had jumped up on the bench beside her, tilting her head to the left, her ice-blue eyes flicking from Celeste’s face to her plate.

  “Fine. Here.” Celeste cut off a tiny piece, and Belladonna took it and ran under the table.

  “I fed her earlier.” Jolene peeked under the table. “You’re going to get fat if you overeat.”

  “Merow!”

  “So what do we do in the meantime?” Morgan asked.

  “We have plenty of places to start looking even without the treasure map, and we have to start somewhere until Cal can get more information out of that rock.” Luke started clearing away the plates, taking them to a big tub where Morgan had soapy water ready for cleaning.

  “What about the treasure pit?” Jake said. “Dozens of treasure hunters before us can’t have been wrong about that being a likely place to find treasure.”

  “Isn’t that where all the deadly accidents have happened?” Fiona asked.

  “Yes, but we’re smarter than those regular treasure hunters, and we have a secret weapon.” Luke pointed to the four sisters, implying their paranormal gifts could help protect them against accidents similar to those that had befallen the others who had come to the island.

  “True,” Morgan said. “Those other accidents were probably paranormal in origin. Dr. Bly or his predecessors might have been here to cause them. Normal people would be no match for their unusual powers, but we’ll be well armed to take care of them.”

  “I don’t like the idea of you girls going in there,” Luke said. “Even though we know no one else is on the island, the tunnels could be unstable after all these years. It could be dangerous.”

  Morgan glared from her spot crouched in front of the tub. “We’ve been in dangerous tunnels and caves before. You know we can take care of ourselves.”

  “I know, but—”

  “It’s the best plan to have us go in,” Jolene cut in. “We have the abilities to sense if there is a paranormal presence. Fiona can get a read on the different rocks inside the caves, I can look for negative energy, and Morgan can amp up her intuition to tell us if someone has laid a trap recently. We’ll be fine. And, besides, we need to divide and conquer. Some of us should go into the treasure pit, but some of us should check out some of the other potential areas on the island. There’s no guarantee the relic is in the treasure pit.”

  “That’s right.” Fiona grabbed a di
sh towel to dry the dishes Morgan was washing. “It will take us too long if we explore every area together.”

  “You have a point,” Luke said. “But I want you girls to go in together.”

  “I can go too. By morning, I’ll need a break to let my subconscious work on this code,” Cal said.

  Luke nodded. “Okay, then. You stay up top near the mouth of the cave. From what I’ve seen, we might need to climb down in, so let’s use a rope lead line, and you can tug on it to alert Cal if you run into trouble.”

  “Okay.”

  “We’ll stay in contact through the satellite walkie-talkies. They probably won’t work in the caves, so I’ll stay in contact with Cal. Jake and I will take the scuba gear and explore the cove,” Luke said.

  “Perfect.” Morgan stood and stretched her back, looking out over the ocean toward the west, where a bright-pink sun kissed the top of the sea, painting the bottoms of the clouds with splashes of purple and pink. “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.”

  “Yeah, I heard it was going to be nice tomorrow,” Cal said. “Indian summer. Should be in the seventies.”

  “That’s good. I don’t love the idea of getting into the Atlantic Ocean this time of year, but at least it won’t be freezing,” Jake said.

  “We should pack it in early and start first thing. We’ll need to be well rested and on our toes…” Jolene rambled on about how they would use their best practices to make sure they were safe. How she would keep an eye out for negative energy. How Morgan could amp up her intuition to sense if someone was after them. How Fiona could try to use her skills with rocks to figure out the likely treasure-hiding places and maybe even ferret out the stone. If it had been infused with special energy long ago, she might be able to sense where it was.