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"That's a mouthful. I think I'll stick with 'unbelievably hot sex.' But remember, that was a one-time deal."
"Oh, aye, one time." I wink. "Until the next 'one time' you take my cock in your mouth and beg me to shag you. I know how women think. 'Only once' means that it will only be once each day—or for you, once an hour. You are the most passionate lass I've ever been with."
She bows her head and shuffles the papers on the table as if she's hunting for something. Then she plucks up a photographic print, raises her head, and clears her throat. "Here's another piece of evidence I found. I had to take a photograph of it because the item is enclosed in glass and held in the private collection of a wealthy man who loves to collect rare antiques."
I accept the sheet when she offers it to me and study the picture it contains. "Is this a map?"
"Yes. A treasure map, to be precise." She points to a spot on the left quarter of the photograph. "I think this is a map to the location of the Grand Canyon treasure, or more precisely, to the location of the entrance to the network of caverns that contain the treasure."
"Have you authenticated this?"
"No, I can't. The owner wouldn't let me borrow the map so I could have it checked by an expert."
"I see." As I turn the map this way and that, I begin to sense a pattern in the lines drawn on it. "I think you might be reading this the wrong way round."
"What do you mean?"
"The map is upside down." I flip it around and tap the photograph. "I'll need to examine this more closely to be sure, and it would be best if I could see the original, not just a picture of it. Where does the owner live?"
"Manchester, England. I have his address, obviously, since I went to his house."
"Can you arrange a meeting? You and I need to study the map in person."
"I can try." She digs her mobile out of her purse. "I'll give him a call right now."
While she dials a number, I pick up the map and squint at the lines. Something about them makes me curious, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is, not just yet. I'm hoping that if I see the original map, I'll have an epiphany. A trip to England might be fun, anyway, and even if we don't learn anything of value from the map, we'll have started our adventure in earnest. That means there's no going back now.
A sort of excitement I haven't experienced in months raises the hairs on my arms. Ashley was right. I've got my mojo back.
I ignore whatever she's saying to the bloke who owns the map and focus on decoding the lines and shaded areas that seem like topographic elements. Well, the Grand Canyon is a canyon, after all. There would be deep valleys and mountains on a map of the area, but this isn't a traditional type of map. It reminds me of medieval renderings of the world rather than the modern version, and the quality of the photograph, taken through a glass case, doesn't clarify the matter.
Ashley finishes her call. "We can see the map, but only if we can be there tomorrow at ten o'clock in the morning. I said we could do that."
"We can." I gather up her papers and hand them to her. "Marilyn will get us there."
"Marilyn? I thought this was strictly a job for you and me, not your girlfriend too."
"Do ye think I'd have shagged you if I had a girlfriend? No, I wouldn't."
"So, Marilyn is another cousin?"
I try not to smile, because I want this to be a surprise for her. But she is adorable when she tries to wheedle information out of me. Ashley is adorable, full stop. Of course I'd love to have another poke with her, but I doubt we'll have time since we need to begin preparations for our trip to America, and we have our quick jaunt to Manchester too.
"You'll meet Marilyn tomorrow," I say. "Now, let's talk about how you're paying for this expedition and what equipment you already have."
She screws up her mouth and gazes at the wall. "I don't have equipment as such."
"What does that mean?"
"I have the money to buy equipment, but I haven't actually purchased anything yet." She fiddles with the papers in her portfolio. "I, um, kind of assumed you would take care of that. That's what I'm paying you for, after all. To be my expert partner."
"And you would be the financial partner."
"Exactly."
I slump against the sofa and let my mind digest everything I've learned this morning. That leads to another question. "Yesterday, you told me you're not technically rich. I want to know what that means."
"Don't worry. I have enough money to fund this expedition."
