Pickups and Pirates (Southern Relics Cozy Mysteries Book 3)

by Bella Falls

  Luke chose another leather journal from the table and turned it to a bookmarked page, reading out a section:

  “Against my personal sensibilities, I have enlisted T. Gandry as an unknowing participant in our mutual formulations to keep Ann’s true treasure a secret forever. Preying on his immense guilt in his part in her demise, I have left with him the illustrated map to be revealed at a later time. I have finished carving the box and will complete the mechanism sometime in the next week. Captain Roger Moreton will find himself in possession of the second facsimile of the chart with a riddle written for him alone that shall pay him the returns he wrought upon himself for his misdeeds.”

  My head swam with all of the new information that countered what we’d been working on so hard. “So, Daniel created all of it for sport? And we’re the unlucky victims?”

  “I think I understand his intent,” Dad said with quiet comprehension. “There was something bigger he was charged to protect, so he created everything to throw off those who dared to believe in the riches the infamous pirate ‘Bonny’ Ann had to have accumulated and buried when she came ashore here in the Carolinas.”

  “What about the use of the aquamarine stone and how it worked with the map or opened Dr. Simons’ box?” Rissa inquired. “I thought we were onto something. Wait, what about that key from the hidden drawer I found?”

  Luke did his best to show sympathy. “My guess is it would have led to another object, which would have taken you somewhere else. I heard you say when you arrived at the house that the game wasn’t over. But I think that’s all this has ever been. A game that no one could win.”

  “And I allowed myself to get drawn in like a fish who swallowed the bait whole.” Rissa bit her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. “For some reason, I thought everything was happening the way it should. That I would be a part of something that would leave its mark on history. Change how we viewed this woman I think was so much more than a pirate. How could I have been so stupid?” She bent her head, hiding her embarrassment and burgeoning tears.

  Auggie dropped her intense demeanor and made her way to her former student’s side, laying a comforting hand on her back. “First of all, if you’re dumb for believing in the treasure, then look around this room. You’ve got good company. Second of all, making mistakes is how we learn. I’ve made plenty in my time, and you’re going to make yours. But I’ve seen you in action, and I couldn’t be prouder. You’re doing just fine on your own.”

  The compliments coming from the crusty older woman broke Rissa even more, and her tears fell freely. “Thanks. Ugh, now I feel stupid for crying.” She fished in her pocket and pulled out the handkerchief Dr. Simons had given her to wipe her eyes.

  Auggie stiffened, her whole body on high alert. “That scent.” She snatched the fabric out of Rissa’s hand and held it to her nose, breathing in deep. “It’s funny how something can trigger your brain to start working. The person who attacked me from behind had the same cloying smell. I’ve heard of professional ruthlessness in academics but knocking me out takes things a little too far.” She waved the hanky in the air like a flag.

  “Why would Dr. Simons attack you?” Rissa asked, standing up in horror. “Maybe that’s how he got the bruise on his face?”

  “I don’t think so,” interjected Mason. “I can say with absolute certainty the professor from London did not assault Auggie.”

  “But I definitely recognize that awful cologne,” the crusty professor countered. “It’s got to be too much of a coincidence.”

  Mason spoke in a clear tone, his warden professionalism taking over. “I’m not saying you weren’t both exposed to the same man. I’m saying that he wasn’t Dr. Simons.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Charli asked, a little protective of everyone’s doubt of her boyfriend.

  The detective selected something on his phone and held it up for everyone to see. “Because the real Wilfred Simons was found in his flat in London. The authorities there suspect he was murdered.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I knew there was something fishy about him,” I burst out over the tumult of incredulity and shock in the room. “You should have let me hex him.”

  Mason chuckled, breaking his stoic demeanor for the first time. “Maybe. Although I think we’ve got enough on our hands without adding in having to spellcast his memory to make him forget he witnessed magic. No offense, Dr. Waters.”

  “None taken,” Auggie reassured. “I’ve already had a significant discussion with Ms. Johnson about what will need to happen to me when all of whatever this comes to an end.”

  I gaped at Ebonee, surprised that she had been that forthcoming with the professor. Then again, it was more than possible that even the coven leader had begun to admire the crotchety but lovable woman as much as the rest of us.

  “While the man we met with was distracted at the museum, I followed my gut and snapped a picture of him and then went outside to get his license plate on the car he drove,” Mason continued. “And before you ask, the name registered to the rental is a dead end. Literally. He was using the deceased professor’s identification.”

  Luke sat down on the edge of the table, anger radiating off of him. “Which means all of you were in the presence of a murderer at the museum.” In a steely voice, he asked, “And where is this person now? If the authorities don’t already have him in custody, I could always assist in finding him.”

  His predatory words sent shivers down my spine. I’d witnessed almost every side of this man in our time together as a couple. Even when he went into protective mode, I usually found it amusing and a little hot. But the look in his eyes conveyed a new dimension of his persona that terrified me. Luke’s icy good looks weren’t the only thing about him that said killer at the moment.

  “The authorities in London were alerted to his absence from his job after the real Dr. Simons stopped showing up for his classes or office hours.” When they checked his modest flat, they found it completely destroyed on the inside along with the very deceased body of the professor.”

  “Then who was the person we met?” I pressed, my emotional attention split between the betrayal of the incredible deception we’d been a part of and the unease of why my vampire boyfriend refused to meet my gaze.

  “I called in some favors to my buddies on the force up North and sent them the picture I took. Because I didn’t get a clear shot of his face, it may take longer to find a match.” Mason pointed to right under his left eye. “The bruise and scratches might slow things down even further.”

  Ebonee asked for a copy of the image to be sent to her. “I have connections in different places that I’d like to try.”

  “Is it possible this guy was the same one that was captured in Nigel’s video where he’s attacked?” Odie pointed to the phone in his hand.

  “My official warden’s answer is that until we know who we’re looking for and where he might be, nobody will be able to make a positive identification.” Mason moved to sit back down. “My personal opinion from communicating with the wardens who worked the crime scene at the marina is that the DNA from underneath Nigel’s fingernails will match those scratches.”

  “So, we’re stuck in a bad news, bad news situation again,” Rissa stated. She stood up and paced to the table, passing her hand over the wooden box until she held it up as if she’d been burned. “Oh, this is actually a piece of evidence now, isn’t it?”

  “Technically, yes,” the detective admitted.

  Dad pushed himself to his feet. “I guess what I’m wondering is, what is our role in what happens next? Turn over whatever we have to the authorities, mortal or magical?”

  “What about the safety of those who met with the imposter?” Luke asked. “Perhaps protection should be provided for them. If the fake professor thinks Rissa or anyone else who was there might have something of value to him, he’s clearly shown he’s willing to do the absolute worst to get it.”

  An idea formed in my head, and I alm
ost danced in place, knowing I had the answer. “That’s it. That’s how we find Willie.”

  “Willie?” Mason asked.

  I waved him off. “It’s what I was calling him after getting tired of his smarmy attitude. But that’s not important.” Closing the distance between my boyfriend and me, I snaked my hand around his waist, needing the physical contact to bolster my courage. “Luke is right. The imposter will definitely go to any lengths, and that will ultimately doom him.”

  “I don’t think any of us follow you, butter bean,” Dad remarked. “But I can tell you’re cookin’ up something good.”

  I pointed at my friend. “Rissa, did Fake Willie exchange phone numbers with you when he talked to you the first time at the museum?”

  She looked at the screen of her phone. “Yes. I guess we could use it to call him or maybe Mason could give it to the police to trace him. Although if everything else about him is fake, isn’t it probable that he used one of those burner phones?”

  “More than likely,” agreed Mason. “How could his phone number help?”

  I flourished my hands over all of the materials scattered across the table like I was Vanna White. “We take inspiration from Daniel Jewell. If this guy wants to find treasure, then let’s give him the hunt for his life. He has no idea about the hidden compartment in the box. If we took on the task of creating a fake clue for him to follow, then we can trap him in a honey pot of our own making.”

  Luke pulled back from me and I chanced to glance up at him, expecting to be showered in his disapproval. Instead, his warm smile bathed me in relief. “That’s actually an elegant plan. Uphold your family member’s intent in order to bring an end to not just the search for the treasure but also to catch a killer.”

  The room buzzed with excitement as others caught up to the idea. Auggie erased the chalkboard and jotted down some of the suggestions people blurted out.

  “Wait,” Mason stopped us. “I think the idea has merit, but the bait isn’t necessarily good enough to ensure he’ll bite. Telling him we found another clue and a key in the box might get him out of hiding. But if we’re going to put any of us at risk in this sting operation, then I’d like to make sure this guy shows up.”

  Uncle Jo’s chair creaked as he shifted to talk to my dad. “Do we have anything in the barn that might work?”

  “We might have a chest that, with a little work or the use of a decent glamour might work as a container,” my father replied. “But we don’t have anything that could stand in as plausible pirate’s treasure.”

  “You could use the coins,” Auggie offered. “The wood they must have been in had long ago rotted, but that silver would surely be enough to nab the imposter’s attention.”

  “It’s an impressive haul,” Luke said, grabbing my hand and dragging me towards the door. “But if we’re really going to bait the hook, then I think it’s going to take something shiny. Or a whole lot of sparkles.”

  Luke drove the two of us over to his place. His vintage Impala rumbled underneath my rear as he pulled onto his private driveway that wound its way through pine and live oak trees. He parked next to a modest house painted white with black shutters adorning the windows.

  “You don’t want to pull into your garage?” I pointed at the large structure that dwarfed the house in its size where he kept all of his precious babies restored to perfection by his hands.

  Getting out, he moseyed to my side of the car and opened the door like a true gentleman. “We won’t be here long enough to make it worth the effort. I’m just going to have to take the chance that no birds will defecate on it and no squirrels will drop nuts from the branches above.”

  I giggled, allowing him to launch me out of the seat and into his embrace. “Defecate,” I teased. “Sometimes your formality is so misplaced.”

  “Fine.” He rolled his eyes and looked upward. “Hey you birds, don’t poop on my car.”

  Cradling my body in his arms as if I weighed like a feather, he carried me all the way to the front door. Too many thoughts about the symbolism of the effort crowded my brain, and I kicked my legs to get him to set me down. A momentary flash of regret filled his face, but he didn’t say anything as he entered in an insane amount of numbers to disarm his security system, one of the main reasons I tended to ask him to stay at my house rather than coming to his. Only a vampire had the brains to remember that long of a combination.

  Luke unlocked the two major deadbolts on his door before twisting the knob. “I know you think I hide a lot from you. And you might be justified in that statement. But I wish I could reassure you that I’ve never shared as much of myself with anyone else as I have with you.” He took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles. “Someday, I’m going to make you believe that you are all that I want, that I will ever need, and that you can trust me. And maybe tonight is a first step in that direction.”

  Luke pulled me through the entrance and into his kitchen. The small space was spic and span due to his habits more than the fact that he didn’t have to prepare or eat food. “I bought this place for one particular feature that no new construction offered.”

  “I thought it was how secluded the property was,” I said, watching him move the small table and chair out of the way.

  “Nope. I did all of the new construction on this house so I could make it fit all of my needs.” He grasped the handle on his vintage-style refrigerator and tugged it open.

  Instead of shelves full of cold food, a light flashed on, revealing a secret entrance and a narrow set of stairs that led down into a hidden area.

  “No wonder you knew what a bolt-hole was,” I exclaimed, allowing him to help me down into his hidden space.

  Luke flicked a switch and more lights hummed to life, illuminating concrete walls and floors that ran the whole length of his house. More organized and fancier than what we’d found in Auggie’s cabin, it still reminded me of her layout. Worktables with fancy tools sat in the middle. Three large, intimidating safes lined one of the walls. If I continued to explore and inspect everything in here, I wouldn’t emerge for a good week.

  “You know how I don’t need sleep. I’ve spent years coming up with different hobbies. Woodworking, furniture making, metal work. Anything to keep myself from becoming bored.” He picked up a welding helmet and held it over his face like a mask.

  Although Luke was sharing something big with me, a hole drilled into my gut, a sense of betrayal acting like acid and eroding my trust bit by bit. “I can understand you having hobbies. That’s fine. But this?” I turned around at the reality of how much I didn’t know. “What else have you kept from me?”

  Using his vampiric speed, he blurred over to embrace me from behind. “I think we can both agree that a space like this doesn’t exactly scream that I’m normal. And I like being normal with you, Rue. I love it, actually.” He spun me around and lifted my chin, waiting for me to look him in the eyes. “You’ve never been with me because of what I have or possess. From the moment I clapped eyes on you, I felt the intense connection between us. And, I guess I thought letting you see the darker places like this might damage what we have.”

  Too many emotions flooded my brain, and the rational side of me that screamed for me to be cautious got outvoted. I planted my lips on his in a quick kiss of reassurance. “You’re definitely not off the hook, because we’ve got an awful lot to unpack about all this, mister. But if this is you taking the first step to letting me in here,” I tapped his chest where his heart didn’t beat, “then I guess I’m willing to give you a chance.”

  He grabbed my cheeks and crushed his lips against mine, devouring the moment and obliterating the doubts that waited in the shadows. I knew they weren’t gone for good, but I sunk into his relieved affection, reveling in our bodies’ responses to each other.

  With a regretful sigh, he brought the moment of intimacy to an end. “I really hope you still feel the same way after I show this next thing to you.” He led me by the hand to the safe closest to us.

/>   “How did you get this in here?” I wondered, touching the cold metal vault.

  Luke pressed a button and a keypad lit up. “Very carefully,” he replied with a smile, commencing with the multi-pointed task of opening the safe that included more numbers, a long password typed into a keyboard, and an actual eye scan.

  “Whatever you have in there, it must be pretty valuable.” Trying to play it cool like I didn’t care about the contents on the other side of the thick door, I shifted from foot to foot in anticipation.

  Once the door swung open, it revealed several lockboxes stacked on top of each other. “We might have to sift through what’s in them to choose the right items.” He pulled one out and set it on top of the nearest workbench. Placing his thumb on a sensor pad, the safety mechanism unlocked. “Start with this one while I choose a couple more.”

  With shaky hands, I swung the top open and almost gagged at the sight before me. Black velvet lined the inside, and nestled in the soft cushion of fabric were several large pieces of jewelry. Bigger than any I had ever seen in the real world and in some of the museums I’d managed to visit.

  “Luke,” I choked out, clutching my neck with one hand while my other hand pulled out a string of exquisite pearls. “Honey, just how many boxes like this do you have?”

  He set down two more right beside me. “In this safe alone, probably at least a dozen more.”

  I coughed, overwhelmed and a little turned on by the rainbow of colors that glittered back at me. “Holy hexes, is that a tiara? Tell me those are real diamonds and sapphires.”

  “Probably,” he replied with casual dismissal.

  Before he could fetch one more box of priceless items, I grabbed him by the arm. “Luke, stop acting like none of this is a big deal. It’s a huge deal that you possess all of these precious things.”