Page 187 of Cross & Crown

everywhere.”

187

“The treasure he buried was a cross,” Nick pointed out.

“What better to mark it with?”

“Are you thinking the treasure itself is buried here?”

Kelly asked again. “’Cause I don’t have my grave-desecrating

boots on.”

“No, this is just another hint. The treasure would have to

be northwest, somewhere along Battle Road,” Nick guessed.

Julian pulled up short. “How do you know that? And

why the fuck are we here rather than there?”

“The wagon was intercepted on the road to Concord

and Lexington,” Nick told him. “It had to be hidden before

it reached the checkpoint at Boston. See, at the time, Boston

was a peninsula; there was only one way in by land. The British troops occupied the city, but the Colonial troops controlled

the countryside. They had a gentleman’s agreement to allow

passage to and from the city as long the traveler was unarmed.

A stolen wagon full of gold being driven like hell by British

soldiers wasn’t going to be making the cut. They would have

had to have hidden it between Lexington and here.”

Julian frowned. “Fair enough.”

JD was watching Nick, his blue eyes unreadable.

“What?” Nick asked.

“You know a hell of a lot more about this than you let on.”

Nick’s only response was an unapologetic shrug.

“Where’s the cross on the goddamned napkin? Let’s get

this shit over with,” Kelly mumbled.

JD held it up, positioning the two main landmarks

appropriately. Nick pointed to the cross on the napkin, and

they all turned toward the spot in the graveyard it indicated.