Page 27 of The Curse Breaker

the island others cannot see.

Benny eyed certain words she sensed meant something important: Monument. Rock. Beach roses. “What are piping plovers?”

“Tiny birds,” Gil said immediately. “They fly over the coast.”

Zara rolled her eyes. “I will never repeat this in public, but those little buggers have claimed half the beaches out here in the spring for breeding. If you get too close, they dive-bomb your head.”

“Very true.” Gil looked nervous. “We always tried to avoid them.”

“Fun.” Benny played with the hair tie on her wrist. Monument. Rock. Beach roses. Piping plovers. Where was Evelyn leading them?

“We don’t have any piping plovers on the property,” Wally said, “but the birds are endangered, so environmental groups have put up fencing to protect their breeding areas, so that no one can disturb them. That might help you narrow down areas.”

“It sounds like there’s numerous spots,” Benny said, biting her lip. “And I’m sure every beach has beach roses.”

“Since the power is restored, why don’t I bake something to boost your energy for sleuthing?” Wally winked. “You’ll need your sustenance to figure out this next clue.”

“Thanks, Wally!” Benny looked at Zara and Gil. “We’re going to need more than cookies. The invisible ink. The fact that Evelyn didn’t explain more in her last letter. Evelyn’s game is a lot harder this time.”

“Please. You’re a natural at this riddle-puzzle stuff,” Zara told her. “And Gil and I are here to help you crack this. Even without Ryan, we’re still a team.”

A team. Benny had tried to hold herself back from this friendship with Zara, but there was no denying it anymore. She and Zara were becoming good friends. Yes, Zara wanted to save Aggy, since they were related, like Gil wanted to save himself and his friends. Benny wanted to win the game and save them. They all had something to lose or gain here. “Alright. We need to think of monuments.”

“I don’t know of any,” Gil said. “There were none in Greenport in my day.”

“What about the Greenport Fisherman Monument?” Zara pulled up something on her phone and showed it to Benny. It was an article from the Greenport Herald. “The Rudds erected this in 1830 for Axel and others lost at sea. Evelyn wasn’t allowed to attend the ceremony since the monument is on Rudd property.”

“The monument is at their house?” Benny was surprised to hear this.

“Well, it was Elias Rudd’s house, but after the monument was built, they left it vacant and spent years in Europe. A while back Vivian turned the property into the North Shore Country Club, which, of course, the Rudds also own,” Zara looked at her. “We can’t get in without a membership.”

“The Rudds?” Gil stood, his expression darkening. “You can’t trust that family with anything. Axel tried to steal the treasure for himself!”

“We know,” Benny said and put a gentle hand on his arm. “Evelyn was probably trying to be smart: Where would be the last place the Rudds or anyone else would find one of her clues? Right under the Rudds’ noses.”

“You may be right. Sparrow was so clever,” Gil said.

“We need to get to that monument and look around.” Benny gathered the pages and put them in her bag. “Do you know a member who could get us in? Maybe we lie and say we’re meeting him? It’s not like anyone knows we’re fighting with him because he tried to trap us in a room filling with water.”

“Only Ryan.” Zara read from her phone. “According to their website, if you want to visit the monument, the country club has to let you in, but you have to register your name as a guest.” She frowned. “They’ll know our names.”

Benny thought for a moment. “They’ll know our names either way.” An idea came to her. “But if we say I’m a potential new member, maybe they’ll let us take a tour of the grounds.”

Zara smiled slyly. “Yes! You are an heir, after all.”

“By the time someone is alerted to us, we could be finished sleuthing,” Benny hoped.

A rumble of thunder made Benny pause. “Okay. Let’s read Evelyn’s pages and catch Gil up. After the rain, we’ll go to the monument.” She hesitated. “There’s still one page I don’t get—All it says is ‘Don’t trust her.’” She glanced at Gil, who was squirming slightly.

“I wish I had an answer for you, but I don’t,” Gil said, blinking hard.

He knows something. She just had to find a way to make him trust her. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out soon enough.”

Greenport Herald

July 9, 1938

Cate Callahan sizzles in Summer Point