“He wrote data encryption for security purposes, right? What if, while he was working on one of those missions, he discovered something he shouldn’t have?”
Marley exhaled, and her breathing grew quieter. “You think he found something while he was encrypting data? Why wouldn’t he tell anyone though? It would’ve been his responsibility.”
“Maybe he didn’t know what he’d found until later,” Emma whispered with a quick look over her shoulder. “I don’t know if the answers are in his letters or somewhere else.”
“We have to go back to the secret room in the library.”
Emma lowered her hand and frowned. “Won’t you get in trouble again? I don’t want you having any more issues with your boss.”
“Are you kidding? This is way too exciting to give up now. Not the part where your grandfather might’ve lied while working for the Army, but the rest of it… Yeah, I want to know the truth. Don’t you?”
Emma leaned against the nearest wall. “Honestly? I’m not sure. What if finding out makes things worse?”
“You won’t know unless you find out,” Marley replied, raising her voice to be heard over the rustling. “I can come over, and we can look over the map together if you want.”
Emma glanced down at her watch. “It’s late. Also, I don’t even know if I should be pursuing this. I want my dad to focus on his health, not chase down some pirate treasure that may or may not exist.”
“Okay, first of all, it’s not pirate treasure. Second of all, what if itdoesexist? Think of all those hours your dad spent locked up in his study. Whatever he finds could change the face of astronomy as we know it.”
Except Emma wasn’t sure it would.
She didn’t know if she wanted it to.
Her father had enough on his plate without adding anything new to the mix.
Still, Emma turned Marley’s words over and over in her head and wondered if her fear of uncovering the unknown had more to do with her own uncertainty and less to do with her dad.
Emma already knew her father would be thrilled with whatever he found.
And what if the treasure could save the Sullivan property, with enough remaining to set her parents up for life?
What if Emma didn’t have to worry about their financial means ever again?
A part of her wanted to believe it was possible, knowing how desperately she wanted that for them, but the other part knew it wouldn’t be that simple.
Whatever they found would have to be investigated and evaluated.
It could take months or years before any decisions were made.
And that was if they could prove her grandfather hadn’t taken the treasure illegally.
Opening up that particular Pandora’s box could lead to a slew of other problems, including tarnishing her grandfather’s good name.
He was a respected World War II cartographer, and the last thing Emma wanted was to take that away from him.
Her grandfather deserved to have his legacy intact. So did her father.
Why would he leave clues if he thought the treasure would do more harm than good? That doesn’t sound like him.
“…are you even listening to me?
Emma blinked, and her vision swam back into focus. “Sorry, I was just thinking through this whole thing. I’m trying to imagine what would happen if the treasure was real.”
“I’m coming over. Let me just get dressed, and I’ll be there in ten, fifteen minutes tops.”
Marley hung up before Emma could say anything else.
She pulled the phone away from her ear, sighed, and shoved it back into her pocket. Then, she paced around the attic, the map feeling heavy in her hands.
