by Amanda Lee
Mary called me back later on to let me know that she’d spoken with Adam and that they’d be attending the meeting. “Thank you, Mary. I’ll let Mr. Trammel know.”
“Fine. See you later.” She still sounded kind of cool. But if she hadn’t wanted me to pursue the documentary—which had now become a reality show—I wish she’d have said so when I’d spoken with her originally. I did let Mr. Trammel know immediately, and he agreed to let Andrew pick up him and Stacey at their hotel. I let Ted know that, and he was relieved. He was also glad I’d been able to talk the Cantors into coming so easily. After talking with Ted, I called Jack Powell who was thrilled to be included in the meeting.
Having made all my phone calls, I was back to being nervous. In fact, a part of me wanted to close up the shop, go home, and crawl into bed. The more rational side of me wanted to stick around and see what happened. Or maybe it was the rational side that wanted to go home and hide. The side that paced and ate baked chips was the one that eventually won out.
* * *
The class went well, despite the fact that I’d been so distracted by thoughts of the upcoming meeting prior to the students’ arrival. Before class, I’d taken Angus home and fed him his dinner. Since I’d filled up on baked chips, I hadn’t been hungry.
I cut class short by about fifteen minutes in order to get the students out before the people started arriving for the meeting. So that the students wouldn’t feel shortchanged, I gave them coupons for twenty percent off any single item in the shop.
As soon as they left, I straightened up the sit-and-stitch square and made a fresh pot of decaffeinated coffee. Ted texted me and asked if I needed anything. I started to jokingly request that he bring me a tranquilizer gun, but I changed my mind and simply told him everything was good.
Reggie was the first to arrive. She gave me a warm hug and told me I looked nice. Her compliment made me glad I hadn’t changed into something more casual, as I’d been tempted to do, while I’d been home with Angus.
Andrew, J.T., and Stacey were there soon after Reggie. I made the introductions and mentioned that there was fresh decaf in my office if anyone cared for a cup. No one took me up on the offer.
I’d met Andrew on previous occasions. He was young and right out of the academy. The lanky, green-eyed blond was a good officer—even though I felt he could be overly serious at times—and I felt he would quickly move up through the ranks. It spoke volumes that Ted had sent him to this meeting.
Reggie told J.T. she hoped J.T. didn’t mind her attendance at tonight’s meeting. “I find your work fascinating,” she said. “And, naturally, I’m interested to hear about what your crew might be doing here in town. The fact of a show being filmed here could bring a lot of additional tourism our way.”
J.T. smiled. “I’m honored you took time out of your evening to join us, Mrs. Singh. I also appreciate your bringing me the zoning requirements and permit documentation. Stacey will look it over, and we’ll send it on to the powers that be.”
Jack Powell was more than a little intimidated by J.T. when he first got to the meeting, but J.T. sensed that and was able to put Jack at ease. They were talking about Jack’s past treasure hunting expeditions when, at last, Adam and Mary walked in. I had to restrain myself from breathing a sigh of relief. I had begun to worry that the Cantors wouldn’t show.
I introduced Adam and Mary to J.T., Stacey, and Andrew, who I said was driving Mr. Trammel this evening. Upon telling them hello and that it was nice to meet them, Mary sat stiffly on one of the club chairs and didn’t utter another word.
J.T. asked that the rest of us sit down. After we’d done so, he remained standing and began to explain what he and his film crew hoped to accomplish in Tallulah Falls and the rest of Oregon.
“I talked with Marcy this morning about a few of the stories that have been circulating about treasure in these parts for . . . gosh . . . centuries, I guess it has been,” J.T. said.
Jack nodded his head in agreement.
“There’s the legend about the ship named the Delia, whose cargo of a fortune in pearls and other Oriental treasures was never recovered,” J.T. continued. “That’s the one that initially captured my network’s interest. But since talking with Marcy, I learned about other treasure . . . treasure buried by pirates and Sir Frances Drake . . . and even treasure that was thrown away—whether inadvertently or not—by Native Americans.
“My television network—a new network called Explore Nation that’s set to launch next fall—is interested in doing a reality show touching on and searching for some of these treasures. We plan to call the show Treasure Oregon. As we run out of things in and around Tallulah Falls to explore, we can move on to other parts of the state. It could also spawn additional shows about treasure in other states. Are there any questions so far?”
“My wife said you were interested in some old tapestry my dad had. What does this have to do with that?” Adam asked.
J.T. smiled. “I understand that your father believed the tapestry to be a map leading to the location of the Delia.”
“That’s what Mary told me,” Adam said. “But while he might’ve believed that, thinking something doesn’t make it true.”
“He did believe it,” Jack said. “He believed it so much that he was trying to figure out a way to get the money we’d need to search for it.”
“He never told me any of that,” Adam said. “Heck, he never even told me about the tapestry. Wouldn’t he have asked me to go in with him on finding this treasure had he thought it was legitimate?”
“Not if you were the one he wanted to find it for,” Jack said quietly.
Adam opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Then he leaned forward, placed his elbows on his knees, and lowered his head.
J.T. filled the awkward silence. “I’m going to have Marcy be our tapestry expert. I think the camera will love her.” He winked in my direction. “She’s going to give viewers an overview of how tapestries are made, give us a little background of their history and importance over the years, and . . . well, be eye candy.” He chuckled. “I’d like to show the viewers your father’s tapestry, Adam. And I’d also like to use it to attempt to pinpoint a location for the ship. Now, you don’t need to worry that interlopers will see the map and get to the treasure before we do, because the majority of the season will be filmed before the first show even airs. What do you say?”
Adam raised his head. “I don’t know. This sounds a little hokey to me.”
“You could make quite a bit of money off this venture,” J.T. said.
“I provide for my family just fine, Mr. Trammel,” Adam said.
“I’m sure you do. But this could be extra. Wouldn’t it be nice to take more luxurious vacations . . . to not have to save for your daughter’s college education?” J.T. raised his arms. “Heck, wouldn’t it be nice to see if your daddy’s map pans out and we’re able to find a treasure?”
“Yeah.” Adam blew out a breath. “Yeah, I guess it would. Before I agree to anything, though, I want everything in writing. I want to see what I’m getting into before I sign off on it.”
“Of course.” J.T. turned to Jack. “I’d like you to be our treasure hunting expert, Jack. You’ve done this sort of thing for most of your life. And while we’ll have people to shore up your efforts, you’ll be one of the main stars of the show as far as this expedition is concerned. Will you do it?”
“Yes, sir!” Jack exclaimed.
“All right,” J.T. said. “Am I forgetting anything? Stacey?”
“No, sir,” Stacey said. “I think this covers everything for this group. Of course, we’ll need to talk with the people at the historical societies and museums. I’ll set that up for sometime next week.”
“Good.” J.T. turned back to address the rest of us as a whole. “Stacey and I are flying back to California tomorrow morning, but we’ll be returning here the first of the week with a research panel, a film crew, and a dive team to get this project unde
r way. Please, take one of our cards from Stacey in case you need to discuss anything further or have any questions before we get back to town.”
Stacey closed her ever-present steno pad, put it into her briefcase, and drew out a silver business card holder. She gave each of us a card with Explore Nation!, J. T. Trammel, and J.T.’s contact information.
Mary and Adam were the first to leave. Andrew, J.T., and Stacey were the next to go. Jack approached me en route to the door. He shook my hand so fervently that I was afraid he’d wring it off.
“Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this, Marcy,” he said. “This show could be a shot in the arm to my treasure hunting career . . . and if not, who cares? I can retire and tell everybody I’m a television star!”
I laughed. “I’m glad you’re excited about the show, Jack.” I looked at Reggie to include her in my question. “How do you guys think Mary and Adam took the news?”
“Mary will take the news however Adam tells her to take it,” Jack said. “As for Adam, I didn’t get a good read on him. What about you, Mrs. Singh?”
“I felt that he was either touched that his dad wanted to do something as special as finding a treasure for him, or that he was upset that Chester hadn’t included him in the plan,” Reggie said.
I sighed. “I only hope that he doesn’t get home and start thinking about the tapestry and change his mind.”
Chapter Sixteen
I was more than ready to slip out of my dress and heels when I got home. I took a quick shower and then threw on a navy tracksuit and thick multistriped socks. I was curled up on the sofa watching Family Ties on a retro TV station when Ted arrived.
“You look tired,” I told him, as he slumped onto the sofa.
“You look comfy.”
“I have another old sweat suit and plenty more socks upstairs,” I said. “You’re welcome to them.”
He grinned. “I’m sure they’d fit really well.” He removed his tie, jacket, and shoes before stretching out beside me. “I’m awfully glad that when you were furniture shopping, you bought this extra-large couch. How did the meeting go?”
I rested my head on his shoulder. “Andrew didn’t give you a full report?”
“He did . . . but I’d like to hear your version.”
I gave him a brief rundown of the meeting. “I’m not sure how Adam was feeling when he left the meeting. He seemed okay, but with that guy appearances can be particularly deceiving.”
“It’s not only Adam who Manu and I are worried about. If the person or persons who killed Chester Cantor did so to get the tapestry, then we—the police department—need to keep a watchful eye on you and the Cantors,” Ted said. “The Cantors, because if Adam didn’t kill Chester, the murderer might try to take the tapestry from them.”
“But I gave you the tapestry.”
“True, but we returned it to Mary Cantor,” he said. “The tapestry wasn’t at the crime scene, so there was no reason for us to keep it.”
“And why do you feel you need to keep a more watchful eye on me?” I asked.
“Because you’re my Inch-High Private Eye.” His laughter rumbled in his chest, and he hugged me tighter.
“Secondary reason?”
He sighed. “You brought Trammel in to recover—or, at least, to attempt to recover—the Delia’s cargo.”
“So if the killer was after the tapestry and ultimately any treasure to be found, we’ve foiled his nefarious schemes,” I said. “And that was part of my grand plan to draw out the killer all along.”
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he said.
“Nonsense.”
The episode of Family Ties that had been playing ended and another started. I sang along with the theme song: “What would we do, baby, without us?”
* * *
It was a sunny Thursday morning, so I had no qualms about leaving Angus in the backyard to play while I went to visit Riley at her law office. The office had always been immaculately and elegantly decorated. It still was, but now everything had a softer appearance than before. Or maybe it was merely my imagination. The floral brocade sofa remained centered on the Oriental rug and flanked by rose-colored wingback chairs, but a white angora throw now rested over one arm of the sofa. The large cherry coffee table was still so highly polished that everything else in the room was reflected in its surface, but instead of the designer floral arrangement that used to adorn the table, an abstract family sculpture held the role of centerpiece.
Even Riley’s mom and administrative assistant, Camille Patrick, seemed softer somehow. She still wore her black-and-gray-streaked hair up, but it wasn’t as severe a style as it had been before. And she was happier and more relaxed than I’d ever seen her.
“Marcy, how are you dear?” she asked.
“I’m fine, Mrs. Patrick. How are you?”
“I’m great.” She chuckled. “I’m still getting used to the idea of being a grandmother, but it’s growing on me rather quickly.”
“Is Riley available?”
“She is, and it will do her good to see you. Her first appointment isn’t for about an hour, so you two should be able to have a nice, long chat,” Mrs. Patrick said. “Plus, Laura is awake, so you’ll get to enjoy her too.”
Mrs. Patrick came out from behind her desk and walked with me to Riley’s office. She tapped on the door. “Darling, Marcy is here.”
“Terrific! Come on in,” Riley called.
Riley’s office had changed quite a bit more than the lobby had since I’d seen it last. Though the office still carried over the rose and pastel blue color scheme of the lobby, extraneous furniture had been removed to accommodate a baby swing, a bouncy seat, a rocking chair, and a bassinette. Riley’s desk, chair, file cabinet, and one guest chair were all that remained of her “office” furniture.
“I love what you’ve done with the place,” I told Riley as she came around the side of her desk to give me a hug.
“Don’t you, though? I take all my meetings in the conference room now.”
“I’ll leave you two alone so you can visit,” Mrs. Patrick said, backing out of Riley’s office. “If you need for me to come get Laura, just let me know.”
“In her dreams,” Riley said with a giggle as her mother closed the door. “She’s nearly worn a path between her desk and the bassinette.”
I peeped over into the bassinette where Laura was lying. She was cooing and kicking her legs. I was pleased to see that the blanket I’d embellished by embroidering her initials, a spray of flowers, and a butterfly in the corner was in the bassinette beside her.
“May I rock her?” I asked.
“Of course.”
I picked up the baby and moved to the rocking chair near the window. “Oh, Riley, she’s so gorgeous.”
“Merci beaucoup. She takes after her mother.” Riley winked.
“She does,” I said. The baby had both parents’ dark hair and eyes, but I could see that she would have the delicate facial features of her mother.
Riley sat back down. “It’s good to get back into some semblance of a routine again. Now, if I could just drag myself to the gym.”
She wore a plum pantsuit, and I could see that her figure was returning to normal even if Riley hadn’t been to the gym. “You look beautiful,” I said.
“You’re sweet. I knew it would be like a fresh spring breeze for you to come by. So tell me what you’ve been up to,” she said.
“There might be some excitement coming to Tallulah Falls.”
Riley made a pfft noise. “I already know about your and Ted’s romance, remember?”
The baby cooed, and it sounded almost like a giggle. Riley and I laughed.
“I’m not talking about Ted and me. I’m talking about reality television.”
Riley made such a fierce grimace that I laughed again. Then I explained about yesterday’s meeting with J. T. Trammel and the later meeting with Trammel, the Cantors, and Jack Powell.
Riley leaned forward
when I told her about Jack’s declaration to Adam that Chester was hoping to find the treasure for him. “What did Adam say to that?”
“Nothing. He just sat there looking down at the floor.”
“What about Mary?” she asked. “Did she comment at all?”
“Other than saying it was nice to meet the people she was introduced to, Mary didn’t make a sound the entire time they were there,” I said. “It seemed weird to me. I mean, Mary acted kind of nervous when Reggie and I were at their house Friday morning before Adam left for work—and that was completely understandable, given the circumstances. But last night, she acted like she was some sort of robot or something.”
“Maybe she and Adam had argued before they arrived at the shop,” Riley said. “Or he might’ve told her ‘When we get there, you sit down and keep your mouth shut,’ and she was afraid to do otherwise. See if she acts more like herself at tonight’s class.”
“I will. You said you knew Adam from when your dad represented him on the assault charges, right?” I asked.
“That’s right. Why?”
“Have you had much contact with Mary?”
“Not much. I saw her when she was in here with Adam a time or two but that’s all.” Riley frowned. “What are you getting at?”
“I just can’t figure her out. I mean, would you let your daughter stay in a home with someone you thought might be guilty of murder . . . even if that someone was your husband?”
“Absolutely not,” she said. “But for some women that decision isn’t as easily made as it would be for you or me.”
“I think Mary’s friend Susan Willoughby is trying to convince her to leave.”
“Susan Willoughby?” Riley scoffed. “Unless she’s changed a whole heckuva lot since high school, the only reason that woman would encourage anyone to do anything was because she thought there was something in it for her. That woman’s a snake.”
