Page 385 of The Romance Adventure

But my mind tumbles between my career and the case...and love and marriage.

CJ passes around the Salty Skeleton, instructing that no one turn any of the dials.

Isla asks, “Do you think the second key is inside it?”

“No, there are fine mechanisms in there—think like clockworks or a music box.”

Harley takes hold of the Salty Skeleton. “Will it lead us to the key?”

CJ exhales a sigh through his nose. “I don’t know.”

“Since Chip specifically left it to you in the will, then perhaps so, much like how the Bible and the matchbook helped me find the pearl.” Royal plants his hand on the Holy Book.

“And I needed the knife to get into the wooden box where the diamond was hidden,” Magnus says.

Hands loosely together, Ryan parts his palms. “And the diary and pen are a no-brainer.”

“A pen with a plume,” Harley corrects with a laugh.

“But we don’t know about the Salty Skeleton or anything that floats,” Lally says.

“What do we know?” I ask.

“Don’t ask him,” half the room choruses.

“We’re supposed to focus on what we don’t know,” Isla says smartly.

“It’s his method,” Harley adds.

“We don’t know where the second key is,” I say.

Since I’m the relative newcomer, I listen to them brainstorm, turning over proverbial rocks with possibilities about where the key may have been hidden.

My vantage point and special skill set make me look at it differently. “If I were Chip, where would I put a key?”

“He had a keyring with a rubber alligator on it,” CJ says.

Magnus shakes his head. “I’ve been through all those keys and know what locks they belong to.”

“I’ve checked and rechecked the safes,” Royal says.

Ryan scratches his head. “What I don’t understand is he gave you one key, but why not the other?”

“Maybe he didn’t have it,” Magnus says.

“Is there anything in the diary where Chip talked about the chest or the keys?” Lally asks.

They discuss some of the content, but it doesn’t explain the missing key. Workarounds are proposed, such as picking the lock, trying the key in one lock and then the other, and drilling into the chest, but CJ explains a reason each one wouldn’t work.

And he’s right. Having specialized in the illegal sale and trade of blood treasure and antiquities, I can confirm the type of chest we’re dealing with, but let CJ lead so I don’t give away more of my position.

We agree to take a break and come back later with the hope that a solution in the form of a golden key will appear.

CJ and I return to Palm Cove Villa in his Jeep. With music blasting on the radio and the wind in my hair, if I squint my eyes, I can almost imagine living a normal life. Maybe I could really get into real estate. Live a quiet life here in Coco Key, spend time with family, and have one of our own.

These possibilities never presented themselves to me until now. I guess this is kind of what it’s like to have dreams. Mine were always focused on surviving, revenge, and justice.

The Jeep stops and I give my head a little shake, having completely forgotten to do my normal routine of making sure no one is following me, assessing my surroundings for threats, and using the rest of my mental energy to sift through information to find solutions, er keys, to unlock problems or challenges.