Jun looked at Tillman briefly. “We’re looking for someone big, tall. Fairly young and fit enough to outrun me,” he continued. “And someone who knows how to accurately represent Smith. Think, Aubrey.”
“Tanaka!” Tillman called again.
“Th-there’s two people,” I blurted out. “Bob Ricci, who’s really pissed with me regarding the whole closet-skeleton thing yesterday. He’s a big man and a historian. Itcouldbe him.”
“And?” Jun prodded.
I swallowed hard. “And… there’s one person who fits the physical description who was with me when I first called the police,” I whispered.
“Adam,” Jun said for me.
I nodded, biting my lip hard. I liked Adam. It hurt to suspect him ofanything. He was a good boy, and good boys didn’t fucking kill people. But the evidence that this was an inside job was stacking up fast. The treasure-hunting group must have originally all been involved in the search for One-Eyed Jack’s sweet pot, if our chat at Barnacles was anything to go by. So Josh broke the window latch to provide a convenient way of getting inside without someone having to steal my house keys. Then Cassidy and Adam/Bob went inside, something happened between them, and Cassidy ended up dead. Adam/Bob returned again tonight because the map must not have provided enough information on the treasure. But then Peg was killed. Was—crap. Was Adam/Bob killing off the hunters so he didn’t have to share the bounty?
Josh landing himself in jail, Adam/Bob wouldn’t have planned for, but now that left just him and Curtis Leon. Was Curtis going to be the next body to wash ashore?
“He’ll return to the house,” I said. “There’s no way he’ll give up when he’s this close. We can set a trap. Jun, we have to stop him before another person is—”
Jun grabbed me, kissing me silent.
I could hear Tillman let out sigh close by.
Jun gently broke the kiss, his mouth hovering a breath away from mine. “Don’t say anything,” he whispered.
IT TURNSout that when the police needed to be sweet-talked, I was not the best candidate for the job.
Who knew?
I sat cross-legged on the ground, out of the way of the commotion, police, and first responders. I watched Jun from afar as he talked with Tillman. He held himself like a man in charge, which… considering he’d fired his service weapon, meant he was at least involved a bit now. And for a man in a bloody, wrinkled, punk band T-shirt he wore yesterday, he still came off like a badass G-man.
A few men lifted Peg Hart’s lifeless body from her boat,Mistress, and onto the wharf. Her dyed hair was wet and plastered across her face. She was missing a flip-flop. It was almost too much—I’d spoken to her just yesterday.
I drew my legs up and wrapped my arms around them as I buried my face into my knees. I started to shut everything out so I could sleep, despite my location.
“Indy.”
I looked back up. Jun was standing over me. It was a good sign if he was calling me by my nickname. I think. “What?”
He crouched down to be eye level with me. “How long do you think it’ll take to find the other maps?”
I blinked a few times and felt my heart speed up. Jun knew I wasn’t a wimp. HeknewI had strengths and skills different from his own, and upset with me or not, he was depending on me like I did him. “I’m—well, I’m not sure. The database on my work computer has a complete inventory of our antiques. I can go through them and look for similarities between the map and other items.”
Jun nodded and helped me to my feet. “I bought you some time.”
“Really?”
Tillman and a uniformed officer were approaching us.
“Open the house. Treat it like an ordinary day.”
“Even with Adam there?” I asked.
Jun nodded. “If it’s him and he believes we don’t suspect him, he’ll be more likely to try again tonight.”
“I should act annoyed,” I suggested. “Like I just want to be on vacation and I don’t plan on coming in tomorrow.”
Jun’s mouth quirked. “There you go. But be careful, Aubrey. If it’s…. Don’t be alone with him, okay?”
“Aubrey,” Tillman interrupted. “You remember Officer Barney?” he asked, motioning to the man at his side. “He’ll give you a lift back to the Smith Home and will stay until your staff arrives.”
