Page 165 of Cross & Crown

salute toward Paddy.

“Why did they think it would be here?” Kelly asked.

“The man responsible for the design was a descendant

of the soldier who hid the stolen goods,” Julian explained.

“There were several accounts, private accounts, that the clues

to its whereabouts were passed along.”

JD tore his attention away from the star to turn it to

Paddy. “Do you have a loupe?”

Paddy rubbed his finger across the tip of his nose, nodding.

He gestured for one of the men at the door to retrieve it.

Nick still had his head down, his thumbs massaging his

temples. “This treasure hunt is just as pointless as the one we send those kids on every summer.”

Kelly patted his knee, trying to offer some sort of comfort.

Nick had just sold his soul to get a look at this thing, all for nothing. The memory of Nick’s notes for that treasure hunt

flashed through Kelly’s mind. Then it hit him.

“Oh my God, it’s a pigpen cipher!” he blurted.

Nick raised his head, blinking rapidly at Kelly then

glancing at the star in JD’s hand.

“Look it,” Kelly said, reaching to take it from JD. He drew

his finger across the rubies, then pointed at each tip of the

clover so they could envision it. It formed a perfect piece to

a pigpen cipher, with the shapes of the clover creating the

message.

“Motherfucker,” Nick breathed.

“What does it mean?” Julian demanded.

166

“Pigpen ciphers are usually dots, but this is shapes,”

Nick told him. “Three circles and an arch. I know arches

are supposed to represent power, monarchy, manliness . . .

sometimes the warrior class. But this one’s on its head, I have no idea what that means. And circles, I don’t know.”

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