Page 23 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

“Good point.”

A knock sounded on the door. “Hello?” Jake’s voice called from the front of the house.

“We’re in the kitchen,” I hollered back.

He entered and headed straight for the coffee. “What have y’all found out about the chest? If I know Gertie, she’s already examined it, googled Long John Silver, and has more information than my stream of classified intel connections.”

Gertie grinned, and her chest puffed as she explained what she’d told me.

Jake sat at the table, looking dumbfounded. “It’s amazing that you found more information online than my associates with top security clearance.”

“What can I say.” Gertie lifted a shoulder. “I’m an exceptional Googler.” She plated pancakes and bacon, then brought them to the table and placed them in front of Jake and me.

Jake sliced a pat of butter that melted as soon as he topped his stack, then covered it with syrup. He took a bite, gave Gertie a chef’s kiss, then looked at me. “Now tell me what you know about Silver.”

“My history of Long John Silver is much different than Gertie’s true crime story. He was a fictional character in a book titledTreasure Island.” I took a drink of my coffee. “Fast food fish restaurants are named after him.”

Jake thought for a few minutes while he chewed his bacon, washed it down with coffee. “Why Hamilton?”

“I did a research paper on Alexander Hamilton in sixth grade.” I swirled the syrup across my pancake as I recalled the details from my paper. “His parents weren’t married. His father deserted him, and his mother died. After that, he was sent to America by benefactors who believed he had potential. He married into money but constantly took pro bono cases during his time as a lawyer. He died in a duel and left his family penniless.”

Gertie clicked her tongue as she slid into the seat next to me, topped her pancakes with my Mamma Bea’s homemade sugar-free apple butter. “Alexander Hamilton was the richest man of his time. He inherited a fortune from his grandfather. He financed the entire American Revolution with another wealthy merchant.”

I looked at her with my sorry-to-tell-you look. She glanced at me and then Jake.

“Oh, jeez. What did Marco do?” She threw her hands up. “Are we gonna have to tell that man at the wedding that the box he’s been protecting all these years is a roadmap to losing his fortune?”

“I’m not positive if Marco staying in the past affected Alexander Hamilton’s family,” Jake said.

“Didn’t you hear the man?” Gertie snapped her hands to hips. “His great-grandpappy died protectin’ that box in the war.”

Jake made a calming motion with his hands. “We need to wait until the next moon cycle, then go back and find him.”

I leaned in and snagged a slice of bacon off Jake’s plate. “You’ll send me, right?”

He slumped against the back of his chair and huffed out, “Yes.”

My head snapped around so fast I got dizzy. “Really? You’re not messing with me, are you?”

“I guess you heard about Brodie?” When I nodded, he huffed. “You’ve been there. You know where Marco was going. What ship he got on. And most importantly, you’ve seen Sasha.” He looked distraught at the thought.

I was going on my first mission. I couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across my face like a giant Smiley. Gertie and Jake looked at each other. Their faces reflected the concern over my happiness.

“Well, don’t be so excited for me. I’ve been trying to get my own mission for years.”

Gertie pushed back from her plate. “It’s not that I’m not excited for you. I worry, that’s all. The Golden Age of Piracy was a dangerous time. Pirates are dangerous. They’ll kill someone just for looking at them wrong. There’s no law, no order. You’ll be totally off the grid.” She looked at Jake likedo something.

He shook his head, then shoveled in the last of his pancakes. “I’ve got my hands full. Everyone else is assigned to other brigands. If it makes you feel better, Ace will accompany her.”

“Ace?” I stared slack-jawed at Jake. “Ohmigod, he hates any time without indoor plumbing. He’ll be more of a hindrance than a help.”

“Ace can fire a gun and hit his target. He also excels at fencing and isn’t half bad with a broadsword.”

“I can do that.” I slunk down in my chair. “Sort of.”

“Your last target practice, you put three rounds in the wall before you hit the target sheets.”

“I said, sort of.”

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