Page 37 of Scammed

“Shit,” muttered Angel. “We’re looking at sixteen and a half million, give or take, and that was their value then. Today, they’d be worth much more. I was only calculating worth based on the price of silver if they were melted down.”

“And the other cargo?” asked Nine.

“Jewels, tobacco, cotton, rum, that’s about it.”

“Jewels?” asked Ro. “What jewels?” Marcel cleared his throat, staring at his friends.

“Those would be the crown jewels of Spain. As I said, I didn’t know I was carrying those. They’d been stolen from Spain, placed in a small crate, and labeled as tea.”

“Oh, shit,” muttered Gaspar. “What else does the letter say?”

“Let me see,” said Marcel, scanning the lines.

Jacques Couvillion is a snake. He rammed your ship, drowned you after you helped me to escape the hold below, and then he tried to take the cargo. I am sorry, my old friend. I wish that I could have saved you. But I did as you asked. I started your philanthropic foundation, and we’ve helped hundreds of people. Your wealth was vast, far greater than you believed. You always were terrible with math.

“That’s true,” smirked Marcel.

I followed your instructions, and the foundation will live on forever. The remainder of the treasure I’ve buried on a small island off the coast of your family’s property. I believe your mother called it Île du Diable. She has assured me that no one sets foot on that island, so we buried it in an unusual way.

“I’ll be damned. Devil’s Island,” muttered Gaspar. “Pops must have known. He started working on that island, and he must have known.”

“What do we do now?” asked Marcel.

“We go dig up that damn treasure and send the Spanish crown jewels back to where they belong. The rest we’ll figure out.”

“But why did that painting matter to Mr. Sheffield?” asked Amy. Marcel stared at his beautiful wife.

“I don’t think it does matter to him. I think Jacques Couvillion is alive and well, seeking his fortune still.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

“How? How could he be alive?” asked Trak.

“I’m alive,” said Marcel, staring at the dangerous man. “I’m not certain how any of this works. But if I’m here, he could be here as well.”

“We need to speak to Mama and Pops,” said Alec. “I know they don’t want to speak about themselves, but if this man is a descendant of Couvillion or, God help us, the man himself, then we’ve got problems.”

“I understand you wanted to speak with us,” said Matthew, walking toward the table. Irene was holding his hand as always, lovingly, with affection and warmth. It didn’t seem to bother anyone that they’d only just had that very thought. Suddenly, as always, they were there in front of them.

“Pops, we think Jacques Couvillion, the first one who rammed Marcel’s ship, could be alive and somehow connected to all of these issues with the non-profits.” Matthew nodded, then looked at the men.

“He’s alive. When I met his ancestor at Christmas a few years ago and bought the fishing boats, I knew that he was alive and well. I could feel it. I could sense the evil.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us, Pops?” asked Miller.

“I didn’t think it was relevant at the time,” said Matthew. “Contrary to what y’all might think, I don’t know everything, and I don’t always know when everything is going to happen. I cannot always give you insight into what might occur in the future. Fate must play its hand, and you all have to experience things as they come.”

“Alright, Pops, but how.”

“My circumstances, and those of my family before me, were different. Our agreement was with God and, in my case, the very beautiful and talented woman I knew I would marry. We were here to make sure good men and women did good for all mankind. We have fulfilled our promise ten-fold by providing all of this so that you can make the world right again.”

“I understand,” said Gaspar, smiling at his father. He was saying that he would ensure that his children, his children’s children, and all those that followed would leave this world a better place. And he liked to believe they had.

“Then understand that the reverse could be true. Couvillion could have made a deal with the devil himself and somehow is alive and well today. He might look the same. He might look different. But he is here, and he is causing trouble.”

“He always hated me,” said Marcel. “I was a much better ship’s captain than he was, a much better sailor and navigator of the seas. I was able to avoid robbers, raiders, and pirates, as well as weather. He was known to have sunk at least three of his ships because of poor navigational abilities.

“If it’s possible that he’s alive and perhaps behind these thefts for non-profits, then he could be doing it to get to the treasure left on my ship. He rammed me for two reasons. To kill me and to get to the crown jewels.”

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