Crazy is as crazy does . . . : Part 6

Pearl Jinx
by Sandra Hill

(Page 6 of 7)

"Uh-huh. It's convenient, with the cavern right there on the property. Abbie is giving us a nice deal on rooms."

She cocked her head to the side, probably at his use of Abigail Franklin's first name.

"I met her grandson Mark in Afghanistan, and we've kept in touch occasionally," Caleb said.

"The Navy pilot?"

He nodded.

"How's he doing?"

"As well as a young man with one arm could, I suppose. You should know, Jinx is here because Abbie contacted me."

"Abbie's a smart cookie. Don't underestimate her because of her age."

"You say that as if I should be wary."

"Let's face it, cave pearls don't have a huge value. They lack luster," Claire pointed out.

"There's some kind of chemical fusion bath that was invented recently. It supposedly gives them luster. Market value could be over five hundred thousand dollars, maybe a million."

She didn't look convinced.

"What?"

"Abbie's always been kind of secretive about the historical documents related to her home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the cavern. I wonder if there might be something else, and she's just using your firm on the pretext of the pearls."

In other words, we do the grunt work, and she skips off with the real bonanza. This was something Caleb would have to investigate, but not with Ms. Indian Preservation on his tail. "All I can say is that Abbie has been very accommodating. Not just to me. The other members of my team will be staying at her B & B, too."

"And they are . . . ?"

"Adam Famosa, a professor at Rutgers, and John LeDeux, a police officer from Louisiana. This is a relatively simple job. No need for the usual six-man team."

"And you're the project manager?"

"Yep. You'll meet Veronica Jinkowsky, owner of Jinx, and her on-again, off-again husband, Jake Jensen. Ronnie is a lawyer, and Jake is a professional poker player. They won't be staying, though. They're off to another treasure hunt in Mexico."

She nodded.

Caleb wouldn't be surprised if she had already researched every one of them, as well as the cavern to be explored and the targeted treasure.

"A college professor, a police officer, a poker player, a lawyer, an ex - Navy SEAL . . . What qualifies you guys to be treasure hunters?"

"Good question. Actually, each of our fortune-hunting expeditions is unique and requires different skills. Could be anything from deep-sea treasure to buried gold to a lost heirloom. Once an elderly Southern belle hired us to dig up her back yard in hopes of finding her family's silver from the Civil War days. Some of us are climbers. Others have diving experience. Those of us on this project put in an additional fifty hours to get certified in cave diving."

"Is cave diving so different?"

"Actually, yes. There are almost forty different swimming techniques just for negotiating underground water passes. We don't take on jobs we can't handle, or if we do agree to a project requiring special expertise, we hire someone to join the team. Mostly, though, we all share a love of adventure."

"Did you find the lady's silver?"

"Yeah. That and a couple of dead Yankee soldiers."

She appeared satisfied with his explanation.

"What is it you hope to find on this project, Claire?"

"Well, artifacts, most likely. Arrowheads, tools, that kind of thing. Caves have long been used as dwelling places, burial sites, storage houses, places of worship. Add to that the fact that Pennsylvania has been homeland to the Lenape tribe for more than ten thousand years."

"Ten thousand years!"

Copyright © 2007 by Sandra Hill

About the Author

Sandra Hill is a USA Today, New York Times extended and Waldenbooks bestselling author of fifteen novels and four novellas. All of her books are heavy on humor and sizzle.