“We don’t know what we’re going to find. If there are fumes or dust or contaminants, most of them will land on your lab coat instead of your clothes,” Kenzie said.
“I’ll start the audio/visual.” Braham stepped over to a panel on the wall and pushed several buttons. The door closed, and a click-click signaled the audio/visual equipment was operating.
“Let’s start with chest number one, which was found by Rick and Billie about twenty feet from the remains of the bald cypress,” David said.
“So, you’re going back to Billie?” Kenzie whispered.
Billie nodded, concealed her mouth with her hand, and whispered, “I don’t think Meredith would appreciate me hollering fuck every other word.”
“She hears it from Elliott all the time, so she wouldn’t be surprised to hear it from you. But Charlotte would be offended,” Kenzie whispered.
“Okay, I’ll control my potty mouth around Charlotte.”
“Kenz, tell us what ye discovered about these chests,” David said.
“Sure. I’ll do my best impression of Vanna White.” Kenzie picked up a remote and clicked on a monitor mounted above the table. She clicked again, and a picture of one of the chests appeared. She clicked a third time, and another chest appeared alongside the first. “I scanned an image of our chest and searched for a similar one. It matched this seventeenth-century Gothic iron pirate chest made in Nuremberg. The only difference between the two is that ours are decorated with painted designs. As you can see, the greens and reds are still visible.”
“What about the locks,” Rick asked.
“David will explain those.”
“Thanks, Kenz. The locking mechanism works off one massive key, which we don’t have. The key operates six deadbolts that lock in sync, and an engraved metal plate covers the mechanism. Kenzie’s research indicates the faux front lock was known to pack gunpower in case someone tried to break the lock. The real keyhole is here,” David pointed to the lid, “and it’s covered by a moveable round plate.”
“If you break into it, is it going to go boom?” Billie asked.
“It’s possible, but let me ask ye this. Do ye think yer pirate would have booby-trapped the chest?” Elliott asked.
“No,” Billie said without thinking, “but Dominique might have. Not to hurt me, but to ensure no one else got control of whatever is inside. Dominique would assume I would check for a booby trap.”
“Then we have to assume it’s booby-trapped,” David said.
“Locks are kids’ toys to you, McBain. Show us your stuff,” Kenzie said.
David turned to an open metal cabinet full of tools and grabbed a small case. Inside was a locksmith pick set. “This might take a few minutes.”
It took five, but that gave them time to return to the safe room, hit the restroom, and get a drink from the refreshment bar.
“Rick, get gloves for everyone,” Elliott said.
Rick returned to the cabinet that stored the lab coats and retrieved a box of disposable gloves. Billie put on a pair, snapping them to her wrists, and that reminded her of doctors, which reminded her of the upcoming procedure. She shifted her weight from one foot to the others as an anxiety-type prickling rippled through her.
Rick whispered. “Are you okay?”
“Damn. Are you wearing an antenna or something?”
“No”—he ducked his chin—“but I’m pretty tuned in to your moods and body language by now, and you’re shifting your weight. Since you just hit the head, it has to be something other than your bladder.”
“The gloves reminded me of the procedure I’m facing. I got a little anxious.”
He kissed her forehead. “I’ll be with you, babe, and so will the rest of the family.”
She assumed he’d be with her, but everybody? That would make her more nervous. Maybe if she shared her feelings with Kenzie, she could encourage the rest of the family to stay home.
“That’s what we do,” Rick added. “Nobody goes through anything alone around here.”
“It’s close,” David said, drawing their attention back to the action on the stainless steel table. “I’ve almost got it open.” Seconds later, the lock clicked, David smiled, and everyone gasped in anticipation as they crowded closer. He flipped back the lid, and they gasped louder.
“Shit,” Billie said.
“Damn,” David said.
“Dear God,” Kenzie said.
“Fuck,” Rick said.
“Goddamn,” Elliott said.
Remy smacked his hands on the stainless table. Ba-dum-CHING!
On top of the treasure in the chest were eight solid gold plates and eight solid gold goblets. David set them out on the table.
“We used those at dinner the night the British officers came to dine in hopes of persuading Jean to side with the British.” And then she was reminded of Lieutenant Bowes’s ring with the crossed-keys symbol of the Illuminati, and she shivered. Did Jean find the lieutenant later? Or did the lieutenant find Jean? She shivered as a chill tingled across her skin.
Rick moved to stand behind her and rubbed her arms. “Do you want me to find you a sweater? There’s an entire wardrobe over there.”
She shook her head. “I was thinking about that dinner and Lieutenant Bowes.”
“He can’t harm you now,” Rick said.
Oh, but he can.
Beneath the plates and goblets were gold doubloons and jewelry set with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. David picked up handfuls and set them on the table, where they rattled and clanged against the stainless steel. The jewels glittered in the bright light.
“There’s probably close to a billion dollars in gold and jewels,” Elliott said. “It far exceeds the California treasure.”
David emptied the chest. “But no torc or brooches.” He unlocked the second chest in less time than the first, and on top were similar gold plates and goblets. Beneath them were more doubloons and pieces of jewelry. The excitement was dwindling.
Then, at the very bottom was a small gold and silver box. David picked it up. “If this is what I think it is, then ye should open it, Billie.”
“Me? Why?”
“Because Lafitte must have searched the globe for it,” Elliott said.
Billie’s hands shook as she took the box and set it on the table. A harbor scene, showing two sailing ships, people, and exotic birds, was engraved on the top. Before opening it, she took a deep breath and smiled at Rick. Then very slowly, she opened the lid and studied the object inside. She glanced at David, then Elliott. “Is this the pendant that holds the topaz?”
Elliott stepped up beside her. “I believe it is.” He drew the topaz brooch out of his pocket, stared at it for a moment, and then held it out to her. “I don’t know what will happen when the two are reunited. It may not be safe for any of us.”
“Billie, please don’t,” Rick said. “David can use AI to put them together behind a protective wall.”
Billie looked at it but didn’t touch it. “I don’t think it’ll hurt me.”
“That damn brooch burned your hand and stranded you in Barataria. Hell, yes, it can hurt you.”
“But that was before…”
“I can’t let you do it,” he pleaded. “At least let me hold your hand.”
She shook her head. “I’m not living dangerously, babe. I’m just not afraid of it. Trust me on this.”
“M-kay. But we’re taking precautions. David, stand on the right side of her. I’ll stand behind, and Remy, you stand on the left side. If anything happens, grab her and go.” The three men got into position, standing only a couple of feet away.
“I believe it’s unnecessary, but if it makes you guys happy, then thanks for watching my six.” She accepted the brooch from Elliott. Since the last time she held it, she’d gone to hell and back. “I noticed after I bought this that the edges were worn. Someone has removed and replaced it several times. I wonder why.”
“To protect it from falling into the wrong hands,�
�� Rick said. “At least that’s what I’d do.”
She set down the pendant, but before she could press the topaz brooch into it, Rick wrapped both arms around her waist. “I’m not going to let you go anywhere alone.” Then Remy wrapped his arm around Rick, and David did the same. Kenzie attached herself to David and Elliott to Remy.
“We’re all in this together. Go ahead, babe. Do it.”
Billie pressed the brooch into the pendant, holding her breath. They all did…until several seconds ticked by and nothing happened. One by one, they exhaled.
“So what happened?” Remy asked.
Billie glanced at Elliott. “How do you feel? Less stressed? The same? Worse? Better? Anything?”
Elliott rolled his shoulders. “Like I’ve had two shots of whisky. I don’t know what to make of it. It’s not what I expected, but I’m not sure what I expected.” He rolled his shoulders again. “Stress isn’t chewing up my gut right now.”
She removed her gloves and tossed them in the trash, ready to get out of there. “That’s good news. I guess nothing’s going to happen.” She looked at Rick. “Let’s go.” As a parting gesture, she covered the brooch with her palm and jerked her hand back. “Damn, it’s hotter than hell.”
“Step away now!” David barked.
They all moved toward the door just as the brooch and pendant started sizzling and rocking against the stainless steel table.
“Shit!” Billie said. “What the hell’s it doing?”
“Damned if I know,” David said. “But I believe we’re about to find out.”
A brilliant shower of sparks exploded from the brooch and created a shitshow for twenty minutes, expanding to a ten-foot radius. When it finally stopped, David approached the table and felt the brooch. “Now, it’s ice cold.” He picked it up and removed the brooch from the pendant.
“What are ye doing?” Elliott asked.
“An experiment.” David held the pieces in his hands, then put them together and set the pendant back on the table. After a few minutes of nothing happening, he asked Billie, “Did ye do anything else before we moved back out of the way?”
“I felt it,” she said. “Remember, I said it was hot.”
“Okay. Will ye do the same thing now, with the same hand, and the same amount of pressure?”
Billie returned to the table, but before she touched it, David did. “It’s cold,” he said.
She covered the brooch with her hand, and after a few seconds, said, “It’s hot!”
“Step away!” David demanded.
They waited the same length of time until an identical explosion took place. “I wonder why it’s not stinking up the room with that awful peat smell,” Billie said.
“I guess it only does that when the brooch is open,” Rick said.
David took her hand and studied her palm. “Where’d that scar come from?”
“When the topaz activated the first time, it burned me, but it didn’t burn Rhona and Philippe.”
David folded his arms and plucked at his chin. “Kenzie, get pictures of this scar and see if there’s anything there.”
“What are ye thinking, David?” Elliott asked.
“Maybe it’s a map, a message. Could be anything, or nothing at all.”
“Does this have anything to do with the door in the cave?” Rick asked.
“There’s no shape on the door for the pendant,” David said.
“What door?” Billie asked.
“There’s a cave beneath Elliott’s castle in the Highlands. Inside the cave is a door with twelve slots for twelve brooches. We assume that once we have twelve, we’ll be able to open the door.”
“And go where?”
Rick shrugged. “Wherever we want to go.”
“Like in Scotland, or the world, or what?” she asked.
“To the past or the future,” Rick said.
“Shit!” And that’s when she decided to hell with Billie. She couldn’t go back—ever.
“I didn’t think Billie cussed like that,” Rick said.
“She doesn’t. But Penny does. And now that I’ve heard about the cave door don’t ever expect me to be Billie again.”
There was a collective sigh of relief that surprised her. “What?”
“We all love Penny,” Remy said. “Most of us doan know Billie.”
“You don’t care?” she asked.
“Ye can be whoever ye want to be,” David said. “But we’ll all still call ye Penny.”
She glanced at Rick’s big smile.
“Hot damn,” he said. “You had me scared there for a while.” And then he pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the mouth.
“Since Penny is here instead of Billie, ye might enjoy racing the horses around the practice track,” David said.
“Like a racetrack? Hell, yeah,” she said.
Rick side-eyed David. “Why the hell did you tell her that? I was hoping to enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the cabin.”
She knuckle-punched Rick’s arm. “Aw, come on. It’ll be fun. We can enjoy the hot tub after dark.”
His eyes lit up. “Is that a maybe or a sure thing?”
She blew him a noisy kiss. “A sure thing.”
“I suggest we take a break for the rest of the afternoon. Settle in and meet for dinner,” Braham said.
“Let’s lock up the gold, jewels, and brooch in the safe and get out of here. Kenz and I are taking the kids out on the houseboat if anybody wants to join us,” David said.
“Penny and I are going to the cabin. We’ll see you guys at dinner.”
“Wait,” Kenzie said. “Let me take pictures of your scar.”
Penny held out her hand, and Kenzie used her iPhone to take several pictures from different angles. “I don’t know if there’s anything here, but if there is, I’ll find it.” Kenzie ran her finger around the odd-shaped scar. “It’s shaped sort of like the Baltic Sea. And the only reason I think that is because I’ve been looking at maps of Sweden. I’ll show the pictures to Sophia and see what she thinks.”
“Gothenburg, Sweden. We’ll be there in July.” Rick studied Penny’s palm. “Lady McBain must be into reading inkblots. Her perception is different from mine. To me, it just looks like a splatter.”
“We’re looking forward to the trip,” Braham said. “There are Viking ships and museums in and around Gothenburg, The kids are making lists of places they want to visit between games, and Matt Kelly has been working on a Viking curriculum. It’ll familiarize them with the history of the country.”
“Whatever we do, we’ll have fun being together,” Kenzie said.
“Okay, are we done here? Penny and I are going to the cabin to settle in and decide what to do next,” Rick said.
Braham tossed Rick a key fob. “Take the Suburban. I’ll pick it up later to unload the gear.”
“Come on, babe. Let’s get out of here,” Rick said.
“See y’all at dinner,” Penny said. “Oh, wait a minute. Can I have the gold and silver box the pendant was in?”
David picked it up and handed it to her. “It’s a beautiful piece. From what I’ve heard about Jean Lafitte, I bet he searched just as long for the container as he did for the pendant.”
Penny hugged it to her. “I believe you’re right. Thank you.” She turned to go but thought of something else. “I’ve wondered so many times why the brooch stranded the Fontenots and me in the past. And I just now thought of something that might explain it. Maybe the topaz is unstable when it’s a stand-alone, but once it’s in the pendant, it acts like the others.”
“That’s a thought,” David said. “I can only speak for myself, but I wouldna want to depend on it, even if it’s inside the pendant.”
“Whatever the reason, we’ll figure it out one day, Wilhelmina. Yer sacrifice has allowed us to move forward in our search for the true purpose of the stones. We don’t know why ye were selected, but we’re glad ye were.” Elliott kissed her cheeks. “Enjoy yer afternoon. We’ll see ye at dinner.�
�
65
Mallory Plantation—Penny
As Penny and Rick left the basement through the door to the backyard pool and garden area, Rick said, “You should know, every guy in the family used to have a complex because of Jack. He’s a handsome, Southern charmer, and every woman he meets wants to climb in his bed, but he has eyes for only one woman. He used to be a jackass, but Amy settled him down.”
Penny stopped and held both Rick’s muscular biceps. “Look. I admit I went a little fangirl on him and got overly enthusiastic, but the reason I wanted to change my name back to Billie was that I didn’t think Penny fit in here. I’m not that insecure, but I’m still trying to integrate what I’ve been through with who I was before and who I am now. And you’re a major part of that. I want to fit into your world here, but I can’t change to please other people. I’m me. And I think that’s the woman you want to be with. Right?”
He kissed her. “When I saw you for the first time at the Villére Plantation, I didn’t know who you were, but I thought you were ugly, you smelled terrible, you were vulgar, and…you were carrying a serious-looking cutlass. I didn’t want to have anything to do with you.”
“Why don’t you tell me how you really feel, O’Grady? That hurts my feelings. But look at you. You were always so suave and debonair, crooning like Frank Sinatra. But you’re just as raunchy and crude. So what does that say? That we’re both fakes?”
“No. It says that we trust each other and know we won’t be rejected for our vulnerabilities. You know you can dye your hair blue, and I’ll always love you. And I know I can tell you how much I want to fuck you, and you’ll spread your legs because you love me. It’s not that we’re vulgar people. I can still be suave and debonair, and you can wear a gown that melts on you and a million dollars in jewels. But when we’re alone, we don’t have to live up to society’s expectations, and if I’m triggered and wig out, I know I’m safe with you, as you are with me.”
“Penny! Penny!”
She turned around to see Soph waving from the upper deck. “Hey, are you going to be around for a while?”
The Topaz Brooch Page 73
