Island of Secrets

by Janni Nell

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dark clouds were gathering as Quinn landed the helicopter on Lu’arna. I jumped out before the blades stopped turning and went to find Queenie. Everything Noreen had told me at the hospital made sense. Particularly the name of Albert’s descendant. It wasn’t Polly, but it explained her involvement. I even felt sorry for her. She’d been manipulated and used. She’d walk away with nothing, not even her dignity.

  I found Queenie on her favorite beach. She had a freshly opened bottle of gin, which was still mostly full.

  “Put that away,” I said. “I know where Dick buried the treasure.”

  She stood up suddenly, spilling the gin and not even caring.

  “The treasure is buried at Forresttia Pools,” I said. “Know where that is?”

  “Nah. Never heard of the place.”

  “Fricking great.” I kicked the sand.

  Queenie burst out laughing. “If you could see your face. ’Course I know where it is.”

  “We don’t have time for jokes,” I snapped.” Just tell me.”

  “Right you are, ducks. But you got the name wrong. It’s not Forresttia Pools, it’s Forresttia’s Pool. Bertie loved to swim there. He even liked the strange native statues standing around the edge.”

  “Ten native statues each about a foot tall?” I asked.

  “You know the place?”

  “They call it the Pool of Reflection now.”

  After taking a brief detour to borrow a shovel from Vincent, I met up with Queenie again and we hiked to the pool. The approaching storm had turned the water gun-metal gray. In the stone bowl, Evie’s dying flowers shuddered in the breeze. The little statues scowled at us.

  Queenie looked at me expectantly. “Where do we start digging?”

  “Good question.” I scratched at a mosquito bite on my arm. Bloody insects had even bitten me through my shoe. Sitting on a rock, I pulled it off and scratched my foot, while I thought about the clues on the map. We’d found Forresttia’s Pool, now we had to find the X that marked the spot.

  “That must be some insect bite,” said Queenie.

  “It itches like you wouldn’t believe,” I said, scratching my toe. My right big toe. “It’s itching again!” I jumped to my feet and danced around, not caring that one of my feet was bare.

  Queenie shook her head. “Barking mad.”

  “No, no, it itches when I’m near something paranormal. The goblins’ treasure is nearby. All I have to do is follow my toe.”

  Queenie said, “It could be itching ’cause of me.” She could be a real wet blanket when she wanted.

  “Okay,” I snapped, “you stay over there near the ferns.”

  I laced my shoe and, keeping as far from Queenie as possible, began to pace the area surrounding the pool. At every step I tuned in to my toe. The farther I moved from Queenie, the more the itch decreased. I was beginning to think she was right about my toe responding to her, when I reached the other side of the pool. Suddenly the itch got worse.

  X marks the spot. Nearby, two tree trunks bent across one another in a kind of X. Yes! I hurried over and began to dig. Several large holes later, I was no closer to finding the treasure. I leaned on my shovel.

  “Have you found something?” called Queenie.

  “No. How deep do you think Dick would’ve buried it?”

  “Not more than a few feet. He wasn’t planning to leave it there for long. It was just bad luck he got the fever before he could dig it up. Is your toe still itching?”

  Actually it wasn’t. “Looks like I’m in the wrong place.”

  “This is ’opeless, ducks. Like trying to find a needle in an ’aystack.”

  “You’re giving up too easily.”

  “I’m not giving up. Not while I’ve got the chance of seeing me Dickie again.” She marched over. “Give me the shovel. I’ll keep digging here while you walk around. Maybe your toe will itch again.” It started itching when Queenie approached, but I knew that had nothing to do with the treasure. Leaving her with the shovel, I wandered around hoping my toe would itch again.

  X marks the spot. But where the heck was X? As my footsteps crossed and recrossed the area, I scanned the pool and its surrounds, but there were no X-shaped features. Believe me, I studied everything in depth, even the stone bowl where Evie had offered flowers to the island spirit. Even the little statues surrounding the pool. Wind whipped across the surface, which rippled as though it had been slashed with razors. I looked at the statues again. Ten little statues. In Roman numerals X was ten. Was that what Dick had meant? But which statue was one and which was ten? I began a slow progress around the pool.

  Queenie watched from a distance, giving me a barrage of Cockney encouragement. Overhead the clouds turned a sickly greenish-gray. The air thickened with unshed rain. I moved slowly, stopping beside each statue, giving my toe a chance to react. I’d reached the last statue—it’s always the last one, isn’t it?—when the itch kicked in.

  “Here,” I yelled to Queenie. “Bring the shovel.”

  The ground was soft, and it wasn’t long before I’d removed a pile of dirt. I pushed my shovel in again and we heard a metallic clunk. Queenie fell to her knees, scraping away dirt with her hands until she’d uncovered a small metal box. “Tin.” She knocked on the lid. “Doesn’t rust. I remember Dick saying that when he gave us the map.”

  Together we lifted the box clear of the hole. Queenie ran her hands over the metal as though it was her lover’s body. Tears ran freely down her face, making tracks in the dirt crusting her skin. I didn’t want to rush her, but thunder was rumbling overheard and somewhere nearby One-Shell and his buddies were preparing their ambush.

  “Open it,” I said, crossing my fingers that the treasure was still inside.

  The box was locked, but that didn’t stop Queenie. Snatching up the shovel, she drove it into the lock until it broke. She opened the lid. Inside was a protective layer of some kind of skin. Goblin? Human? Whatever it was, Queenie had no qualms about peeling it away to reveal the contents. My jaw dropped. A bug flew into my mouth and I spat it out.

  Queenie held up a ruby necklace in a style that had been fashionable more than a century ago. There were gold coins, cameos, rings and a fob watch. Wrapped separately in what appeared to be the remains of a pirate flag was the Star of Light. I lifted the fist-sized diamond out of its protective covering. Even in the dull pre-storm light, it sparkled and glittered.

  Queenie sighed. “Beautiful, ain’t it?”

  “Magnificent.”

  “You can understand why someone would kill for this.”

  Well, no. Call me corny, but it wasn’t as beautiful as a human life. Or a mer’s. I thought of One-Shell heading to the ambush.

  “Come on,” I said. “We have a war to stop.”

  “You go, ducks. I can’t leave the island.”

  “I’ll bet you can now that we’ve found the treasure. How else are you going to return it?”

  “Right you are. Let’s be off.” Queenie lifted the heavy box easily. She didn’t have much muscle on her plump arms, so I figured she was getting some supernatural help.

  We were heading away from the pool when a voice came from behind us. “Not so fast.”

  Polly emerged from the undergrowth, swinging one of those big chef’s knives. The kind that can slice through skin like it was air.

  Pointing the knife at us, she said, “Put the box on the ground and move away from it.”

  “Not gonna happen,” I said, stepping in front of Queenie.

  “Put it down or I’ll cut you,” said Polly.

  “Just try it,” taunted Queenie. I told her to shut up.

  Polly moved closer to me, holding the knife as though she was going to chop vegetables. Her hand trembled. Even with a knife she wa
s no match for me. Should I take her out now or give her a chance to redeem herself? I mentally flipped a coin. Redeem herself.

  “We know you put the peanuts in Noreen’s salad,” I began.

  “You can’t prove that,” Polly said. “It could’ve been anyone in the dining room.”

  “Well, the fact you’re standing here with a knife isn’t exactly a mark in your favor. But, hey, maybe you’re right. Maybe no one will care that I found the other half of the map in your cottage.”

  “No, you didn’t,” she protested. “It was a photocopy, not the original.”

  “Did you plant the photocopy hoping I’d find it?” Her expression told me she had. “You figured that once I had both halves of the map, I’d find the treasure and you could take it from me?”

  She smiled. “It worked, didn’t it?”

  “Not yet, it hasn’t,” I said glancing at Queenie, who still held the box.

  Polly cut the air with her knife. There was a tremor in her voice, when she said, “You’re going to give me the treasure. And I’m going to leave the island.”

  “With your accomplice?”

  She stared at me, surprised that I’d put it together.

  “Yeah,” I said, “I know all about him. Do you really think he’ll share the treasure with you? If you’re lucky you’ll end up abandoned, poor and unemployed. If not, you’ll end up in jail. Why not be smart? Let me return the treasure to the people it belongs to.”

  “I can’t do that.” Her voice was as unsteady as her hand. She really wasn’t cut out for this. Oh well, I’d given her a chance.

  “You win,” I said. “Queenie, give her the box.”

  Queenie didn’t object. She’d been brought up in the slums of London, she knew when a con was going down.

  “’Ere you are, ducks.” She offered the box to Polly.

  The chef reached for it with one hand, while continuing to point the knife at me with the other. Not smart. I kicked the knife out of her hand. It arced into the air and splashed into the pool. Then I stepped closer and punched her in the jaw, knocking her out cold.

  “Blimey, you’d be right at ’ome in me local pub.” As she cradled the box, Queenie looked down at Polly’s pretty face. “She don’t look nothing like Bertie.”

  “That’s because she isn’t the one who’s related to him.” Raising my voice, I called, “You can come out now, Dylan Wallis. Or should that be Dylan Forresttia?”

  He emerged from his hiding place grinning like the pirate he was. In his hand was his rifle, which, thankfully, was pointing at the ground. “Wallis is my real name,” he said. “My cousin Brian’s name was Forresttia.”

  Yeah, I already knew that. Noreen had discovered it during her research. I was just trying to throw him off balance.

  Queenie whispered, “Isn’t he your paramour?”

  “Actually he’s a cheat and a liar. But he’s not going to get away with it.” I faced Dylan again. “When Brian died, he left you his half of the map in his will. You were using Polly to help you find the other half. She was your eyes and ears on the island.” I still wasn’t sure how Polly knew that Noreen had discovered Dylan was related to the Forresttias. I suppose she must have snooped in Noreen’s computer. It didn’t really matter now, and I didn’t think Dylan would share if I asked him.

  “Sure I needed Polly,” he said, “but I needed you more.”

  “To pick my brain for information about the treasures?”

  “Yeah, but it was fun too. You’re cute. I like you.”

  No way would I fall for that again. Hardening my voice, I asked, “Was rescuing me from the goblins just a trick to gain my gratitude?”

  “Sure.”

  And I had thought this guy was more reliable than Casper. I’d even called for him to rescue me in the alley in Papeete. God, I was dumb.

  Wanting to know exactly how dumb, I asked, “If it hadn’t been for the treasure, would you have let me burn?”

  “No.” He sounded genuinely shocked. “Although I wouldn’t have been on Tikini Island at all if I hadn’t been following you.”

  I wished he hadn’t been. If Casper had got there first… Unwilling to revisit that particular line of thought, I guessed, “You were the one following me when I was searching for Queenie, right?”

  “Yeah, I thought you’d seen me when you sat on that rock to take a drink.” He chuckled. “Lucky for me you didn’t. I followed you a lot, hoping you’d lead me to the treasure. And now you have. Good job, Allegra. No hard feelings, I hope. I really did enjoy kissing you.”

  “I wish I’d bitten your tongue.”

  He laughed good-naturedly. Well, he could afford to be good-natured. He had the rifle. And soon he’d have the treasure.

  “Hand it over,” he said. When I didn’t move, he pointed the rifle at me. “Don’t make me use this.”

  I was pretty sure he would use it as soon as he had the treasure in hand. He couldn’t afford to leave me alive to call the cops.

  “I don’t want to kill you, Allegra, but rest assured I will if I have to.”

  “Yeah, like I believe that. You prefer other people to commit crimes for you. Polly could go to jail and you don’t give a shit.”

  “Polly won’t serve time for what happened to Noreen. Who would believe peanuts as a murder weapon? It was all just a terrible accident.”

  “Or she might cave, taking you with her.” Maybe that was the wrong thing to say. He looked from his rifle to Polly’s unconscious body. Was he planning to kill her to keep her quiet? To distract him, I asked, “Why did you choose Polly as an accomplice? She’s not very good at this whole theft and murder thing.”

  “I needed someone on the island to get the other half of the map from her.” He nodded in Queenie’s direction. “Polly was the easiest to seduce. A lot easier than you, Allegra.”

  I snapped back. “You didn’t seduce me.” I was truly glad I’d never slept with him.

  “No,” said Dylan. “Maybe another time. Now be a good girl, and tell Queenie to give me the box.”

  “Tell me yourself, arsehole,” snapped Queenie.

  “Shut up,” said Dylan. “The dead should be silent.”

  “Didn’t your mummy tell you to respect the dead?”

  “Guess I wasn’t listening.” He raised the rifle. “Put the box on the ground and move away from it,” he told Queenie. “Or I’ll shoot Allegra.”

  Queenie began to wail. “If I give you the treasure, I’ll never get off this island. I’ll be stuck here forever. I’ll never see my Dickie again.”

  “Stop whining. Put the box on the ground. Now.”

  As he pointed the rifle at my head, I said, “Don’t do it, Queenie. He’ll kill me anyway, as soon as he has the box.”

  Dylan lowered his rifle and fired. Dirt kicked up near my toe. The one that had just started itching again. Now would be a really good time for Casper to appear.

  Queenie looked from me to Dylan, and made her decision. “Sorry, ducks, I can’t let him shoot you.” She put the box on the ground and moved away from it.

  A triumphant smile spread across Dylan’s face. “It’s over, Allegra. You’ve lost. And no one will find your body once I’ve thrown it to the sharks.”

  “You really are a shit, Dylan.”

  “A very rich shit.” He’d already forgotten about Queenie, who was moving behind him toward the shovel I’d left beside the little statue.

  My fist clenched. I drew back my arm, longing to land a punch on his smug jaw.

  He laughed. “You’re too far away to hit me. Besides I have the weapon.”

  Behind Dylan, Queenie picked up the shovel.

  Dylan aimed at my chest. “The first shot might not kill you, but don’t worry I’ll be sure to finish the job.”

 
Queenie lifted the shovel. Dylan didn’t see it coming. As she slammed it into the back of his head, three things happened: The rifle went off. I reeled backward. Casper appeared.

  “You’re late,” I said, examining my chest for bullet holes. When I was convinced I hadn’t been hit, I realized that Casper’s hand was wrapped around Dylan’s wrist. The rifle pointed harmlessly at the sky.

  Casper let go of Dylan’s wrist and his unconscious body fell to the ground. Queenie spat on it. “That’s for disrespecting the dead, arsehole.”

  I turned to Casper, “How long have you been here?”

  “Since you dug up the box.”

  “And you didn’t think to appear earlier?”

  “I was here—that’s what matters. I stepped in when you needed help.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. At least he hadn’t betrayed me the way Dylan had. I just had to learn to trust Casper again. I felt more kindly toward him when I realized he’d come equipped with duct tape, which he used to bind Dylan’s wrists and ankles. As he got to work binding Polly, I called Oak and told him he could find Noreen’s attempted murderers at the Pool of Reflection.

  “I’ll see you there,” said Oak. “Quinn and I are on the way.”

  “We won’t be here. We’ve got to return the treasure.” After ending the call, I said, “Casper, are you nearly done tying them up? We’ve got to stop an ambush.”

  “Heavenly is at your disposal.” He picked up the dowry box as though it weighed nothing.

  He flew us back to the yacht, both of us clinging to his shoulders and to each other.

  “Blimey, this is the way to travel,” said Queenie peering over his shoulder at the ground below. “I’ve watched that mechanical bird take off from the island so many times. I wondered what it would be like to fly.”

  “Pretty good, huh?” I said.

  The flight was too short for Queenie, but it turned out I was right about her being able to leave Lu’arna once she had the treasure. Soon we were standing on Heavenly’s deck and Casper was ordering it to go super-fast.

  Queenie was totally impressed. “Is it magic? If Dick and me’d had a boat like this, we’d have been the terrors of the whole world.”