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“David is a sensational writer,” Janine said. “Although I have to admit, I was terrified for at least fifty percent of the book.”
Alyssa perked up, intrigued. “Does his writing ever come through his personality? Like, does he ever creep you out?”
Maggie giggled. “No! His books and his personality couldn’t be more different. That, or he works out all of his complicated emotions within the books.”
“That makes sense,” Janine offered. “I had a few writing friends in the city, and they all said that thriller writers were the kindest writers of them all.”
“Maybe everyone should write thrillers,” Alyssa suggested.
“Maybe that’s what Teresa set out to do with this scavenger hunt,” Janine said.
Alyssa’s eyes widened. “You’re right! It’s like the early start of a thriller.”
Maggie shifted on her water taxi bench. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“You’ll have to ask David what happens next in a story like this,” Alyssa said, swatting Maggie on the shoulder. “Please!”
Maggie grimaced and retreated into her phone, texting out the question. “I don’t think I’m going to like what he says.”
A full minute later, David texted back with the following:
Hmm. What happens next in this story? Maybe someone also knows about the scavenger hunt— and follows you to steal the treasure!
Maggie shrieked as she read the text aloud, then glanced around the water taxi. “You haven’t noticed anyone following us, have you?”
Both Janine and Alyssa laughed.
“Maggie, David just made that up!” Alyssa pointed out. “Nothing like that is going to happen.”
Maggie folded her lips. “I shouldn’t have asked him. The thought alone is giving me the creeps. That, and the weird book Eva gave us. That thing is obviously possessed or something.”
Back in the villa, Janine made them cups of tea and then opened the large, water-logged art book, bending over it to analyze the very small font, the miles and miles of text, discussing the intricate differences between various eras of art over the past five centuries. The clock on the wall read nine, then ten, then ten-thirty, and still, it seemed that they parsed through nothing of meaning with no clues in sight.
“Eva said to think outside the box,” Alyssa said, rubbing her eyes.
“But I don’t think I can think at all anymore,” Maggie said. “Maybe we should go to sleep and try again tomorrow?” She paused, sipped her cold tea, and eyed Janine nervously. “We’ve been locking the door at night, haven’t we?”
“Of course, honey.” Janine placed her hand over Maggie’s on the table, touched that Maggie was frightened and wanted to lean on her mother for safety. “What David told you was completely fictional. You heard what Eva said earlier. Venice is one of the safest places in all of Italy. You can sleep peacefully.”
* * *
Up in her bedroom, Janine sat in shorts and an oversized t-shirt and called Henry, whom she’d begun to miss terribly. It was just past five on the east coast of the United States, and Henry was hard at work in his studio, cutting and editing and re-editing another documentary. Often, when he fell so deeply into his work, he edited all evening and into the morning— forgetting to take breaks and driving himself insane. This was another reason, Janine knew, that they should move in together soon. He needed someone to reel him in, to tell him to rest.
“How is it?” Henry asked, sounding slightly outside of himself.
Janine explained what had happened in the mausoleum and at Eva’s home, and Henry was fascinated, asking numerous questions about the cemetery, Eva’s house, Eva’s relationship with Teresa, and how much Eva knew about the scavenger hunt.
“It sounds like this woman has a lot of mischief up her sleeves,” Henry said.
“I can tell you want to do a documentary about this.” Janine giggled.
“Is it so obvious? I mean, Alyssa and Maggie are learning about their family in real time through an intricate puzzle game. This stuff doesn’t happen outside the movies,” Henry said.
“David thinks it’s like a thriller,” Janine said.
Henry cackled. “David’s a writer. He can’t turn his storytelling brain off.”
“And I think it’s driving Maggie up the wall,” Janine said.
