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He told me to meet down by the marina at the last dock on the north end. I committed it to memory before he abruptly ended the call. When I looked up, Tyler stared at me, his brows furrowed.
"Is everything alright?"
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before speaking. "It was someone who knew Great-Uncle Ian. He says he has important information and wants to meet tonight."
Tyler's eyes opened wide. "You're not doing that alone. Are you ready? I'll come with you."
I hesitated. Dragging him into a dangerous situation when we barely knew each other seemed unfair, but I didn't know how to turn him down either. He stepped closer, placed a hand on my arm, and nodded.
When we made our way to the marina, it was quiet. A few boats had lights on inside, but nobody was carrying on a rousing party. The constant sound of water brushing the boat hulls was eerie after dark. The marina would have made an excellent setting for a horror movie or maybe a cozy mystery featuring ghost pirates.
We reached the last dock and began to walk out along it, the old boards creaking beneath our feet. A man emerged from the boat at the end. He was large, wearing a heavy jacket, his face hidden in shadows.
I exchanged a tense glance with Tyler. He reached out and squeezed my hand. I took it as a combination of support and affection.
Tyler's presence at my side steadied me. I didn't relax, but I didn't cut and run either. He was a solidly built athlete, his muscles obvious enough to be intimidating.
Suddenly, he whispered in the darkness. "Are you sure about this?"
I tried to cloak myself in courage. "I need to know what Gus wants to tell me. It could be a key to this entire mystery about Great-Uncle Ian."
"Alright, game on."
We continued down the dock, the sense of foreboding growing with each step. The stranger at the end of the dock turned to face us. He wore a broad-brimmed hat pulled down low over his forehead.
Tyler whispered again. "Honestly, this gives me the creeps."
"I know." My nerves were on edge, too. "But we're here, and we need to keep going."
The stranger took three steps toward us. He was close enough that I could hear ragged breathing. I tensed as he plunged one hand into a jacket pocket.
Chapter four
Tyler
Icould finally make out most of Gus's wrinkled, leathery face as he emerged from the shadows. He walked with a slight limp as he approached us, and the aging boards on the dock creaked ominously under his weight.
The faint aroma of gasoline from the boats mingled with the smell of fresh water and a slight hint of fish. When Gus reached into a jacket pocket, my heart pounded while my mind raced through multiple scenarios, each new one worse than the one before.
Instead of a weapon, he pulled out a slightly wrinkled and yellowed sealed envelope. Ronan exhaled at my side.
Under the glow of the dock's security light, I saw a canceled six-cent stamp. The address was Ian Gallagher's in Blue Harbor. Gus handed Ronan the envelope with a trembling hand.
"This belonged to your great-uncle." Gus's voice was low and gravelly. "He made me promise to get it to you."
Ronan took the envelope, his fingers brushing against the aged paper. He held onto it reverently, like someone entrusted him with a valuable ancient artifact. Turning it over in his hands, he examined every detail.
I leaned forward, curious about the sudden appearance of this mysterious piece of Ronan's family history. We both stared at the envelope, wondering what secrets it might contain.
"What's inside?" Ronan's voice was soft.
Gus shrugged. "Don't rightly know, for sure. I took care of a boat that belonged to old Ian. Per his instructions, we put it on the auction block, but he said this held the key to something that would change everything. Are you looking for something big, young man?"
"No, not that I know of." Ronan reached up and scratched his head.
I stepped forward. "Did he say anything else about it? Or did he mention a treasure?"
Gus huffed, a sound halfway between a grunt and a laugh. "Don't know about any treasure, but he always talked about a place he called Whispering Bluffs. Said someday the right person would find all the answers there."
