Page 34 of The Fragile Truth

“Why didn’t you?” he thundered as a wave of dizziness overtook him. He blinked to clear it. He had to put aside his personal feelings and remain focused on the task at hand. So many questions were teeming through his brain that he couldn’t make his mouth utter a single word.

“Take a breath,” Sadie encouraged.

He hiccuped out a brittle cackle. “I don’t need you to tell me how to deal with this,” he lashed out.

She rocked back, her eyebrows shooting up. “I was just trying to help.” Her voice held the prickly edge of a porcupine.

He tried to think. She was Brent’s sister. What was her real name? Robyn, his brain inserted. This was a nightmare! Ian couldn’t believe he’d been duped … again! He jumped to his feet, needing to put space between him and Sadie.Or Robyn.This was insane! His inclination was to pace back and forth, but the boxes and stuff everywhere prevented him from doing so. He stood, glaring down at her. Even now, when he was reeling from the sting of her deceit, the pain in her eyes called out to him. He wanted to gather her into his arms and forget that she’d lied to him. He wanted to pretend that she was the woman he’d believed her to be. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were from the beginning?”

“Come and sit back down,” she implored, “and I’ll tell you everything.”

Pressing his lips together in hard lines, he stalked back over and sat down. “Start talking,” he demanded, “before I haul you straight to jail. The way we met … it wasn’t a coincidence.” His voice sounded detached in his own ears. He needed to stay in sheriff mode and tamp down the hurt. That was the only way he could get through this.

“No,” she said quietly, “it wasn’t a coincidence. I had been tailing you for a little over a week prior to our first meeting.”

He drew in a sharp breath. She’d been following him without his knowledge. That little detail rattled him almost as much as him not knowing who she really was.

“I watched as you went in to talk to Lina. Then, I followed you to the sports bar.”

Disgust sat like a brick in his stomach. “The weasel corporate guy.” He shot her a blistering look. “Your supposed date. I assume that he was a set-up?”

She nodded affirmatively as she bit down on her lower lip.

He balled his fist, shaking his head. “You’re a piece of work,” he muttered.

She arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you want to know why I was following you? Why I didn’t tell you who I was from the get-go?”

Ian didn’t know whether to be appalled or impressed by her insolence. “Do tell,” he shot back.

She shifted in her seat. “Okay, I need to start at the beginning. Have you heard of a ship called The Gorham Gally?”

His hand went up into the air as his voice turned derisive. “Sure, The Gorham Gally. Just yesterday, my deputies and I were sitting around, shooting the bull about it.”

She ignored his sarcasm and continued, “The Gorham Gally was a slave ship built in England. In 1731 it was hijacked by the notorious pirate Noble Jack Pierce. Jack Pierce was born a nobleman in England and then turned to piracy when his family fell on difficult times. He was known for his culture and grace.”

He grunted. “You’re seriously giving me a history lesson right now?”

“Just listen,” she ordered. She pressed her lips together, squinting her eyes. “Where was I? Oh, yeah. Noble Jack hijacked the Gorham Gally not long after it left West Africa. He used the ship to pirate other ships, amassing a fortune in gold and silver. By today’s estimation, the loot is worth 480 million dollars. The Gorham Gally sank in a hurricane off the coast of North Carolina. Noble Jack was en route to see his mistress, Alice Ann Williams, the wife of the Governor of the Royal Colony.” She waved a hand. “That part doesn’t matter. The point of the story is that the shipwreck was discovered in 1998 by Clinton Wiseman. It contained 4 tons of gold and silver, along with artifacts. The Gorham Museum was established in Edenton, NC. It houses a few of the less valuable pieces, but the bulk of the treasure is held in several private collections. The artifacts include rings, coins, knives, axe heads, glass beads, a bronze cannon, and rigging from the ship.”

Was she taking him on a wild goose chase to deflect her guilt? “I don’t see how any of this relates to Brent.”

Her eyes flashed. “Well, sit tight, Sheriff, I’m about to tell you.” She took in a quick breath before launching back in. “Two years ago, several of the private collections were robbed. To this day, not a single piece of the treasure has been recovered. I don’t know if you knew this about my brother, but Brent’s greatest aspiration was to become a detective.”

“I did know that,” he clipped. “Brent was my friend, remember?”

She gave him a checkmate look. “I’m about to tell you something you don’t know. Before he disappeared, Brent was investigating the disappearance of The Gorham Treasure.”

His brows furrowed. “He never said a word about it.”

“No, he wouldn’t have.”

His spine stiffened. “Why do you say that?”

She held up a hand. “Just listen, and you’ll understand. Brent saw a necklace that Lina had on. It was made from a coin that Brent recognized as booty from The Gorham Gally. Brent questioned Lina, showing her information about The Gorham Gally and the missing treasure. He demanded to know where she’d gotten the necklace, but she refused to tell him.”

The story was so fantastical, like something out of a novel. And the bit about Lina having a necklace. It was a lot to take in. “How do you know all of this? Did Brent tell you?”

Something sparked in her eyes. “Not exactly.” She looked down at the paper she was holding. It was the one Ian had given her, containing her employment information. Then, as if realizing she was still holding it, she leaned forward and laid it on the coffee table.

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