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I leaned in to look at the light and the glass mirrors. Suddenly, I noticed something that didn't seem quite right. At the edge of the casing, along the clear glass, I spotted a gap that seemed larger than it should be. It didn't quite match the pristine appearance of the rest of the light.
"Tyler, look at this."
He traced the line I found with his fingers. He applied a little pressure, and we heard an audible click. A panel, perfectly camouflaged moments before, swung open on silent hinges.
"Wow, the two of you are like expert detectives." Maggie stepped closer. "I never knew anything like that was there."
Inside the compartment was an old envelope, yellowed with age. I pulled it out with a shaky hand. "Should we open it?"
Tyler nodded vigorously. Maggie added, "I think it's finders keepers now with old Ian gone. It's up to the two of you."
With a gentle touch, I broke the seal and unfolded the paper I found inside. It was a creased photograph, faded but still clear enough that we could see most of the details. I recognized Great-Uncle Ian as a young man.
Maggie leaned over my shoulder. "Is that him?"
"It sure is." He stood on a beach, pointing at something out of the frame. I turned the photo over, and spotted a message in his now familiar handwriting.
"Where the light meets the shore, the past and future collide. Look beneath the surface to find what time has hidden."
I looked at Tyler. We said, "The cove," in unison.
Maggie chuckled softly. "Do you have any idea what it means?"
I nodded. "I think it means we need to visit the cove… tonight."
Tyler agreed. "The message mentions the light. We need to wait until after dark so we can see where the light from the beam lands at the shore."
Chapter twelve
Tyler
Itightened my grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles blanching white while my trusty car bumped along, hitting occasional deep ruts and large stones. What started as an old logging road now narrowed down to a rough trail, and I heard slightly concerning groans and squeaks with each jolt.
Next to me, a bluish glow from Ronan's phone illuminated his face. He frowned at the map on the screen.
"According to this, we should be close." He glanced up for a moment to look at the road ahead and then returned his attention to his phone. "There’s supposed to be a fork soon. We need to go right."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "A fork? Ronan, maybe that map's a little outdated. We might be the lost corner Google forgot. This barely qualifies as a path, let alone a road with forks."
Ronan glanced at me, a sly smile on his lips. "Hey, don’t knock the tech too hard. It’s gotten us this far, hasn’t it?"
"True," I conceded, steering around a nasty pothole. "But I’m starting to think we’d be better off with a compass and a prayer."
In answer to my comment, the car lurched violently as we hit a deep rut. Ronan’s phone flew out of his hands and clattered to the floor between his legs.
"Whoa!" He fumbled around to grab it. "Okay, I get your point. Maybe contemporary tech and old logging trails don’t mix."
Despite the challenging drive, I smiled. I hadn't experienced such a grand adventure since Theo convinced me to try out whitewater kayaking. "Hey, I've got a new slogan for the local tourist office. 'Welcome to Blue Harbor’s backcountry. No GPS needed – just follow the trail of car parts left by other adventurers.'"
Ronan laughed, a warm, comforting sound. "You know, there’s something exciting about doing this the old-fashioned way. We've left the high-tech gear and satellite images behind; it's just us, our wits, and whatever clues Great-Uncle Ian gave us."
"Like we’re real explorers, charting unknown territory."
"Unknown territory with surprisingly good cell reception," Ronan quipped, waving his phone.
I kept driving for a few more minutes, and the path continued to narrow. Branches of shrubs brushed against the car, like narrow little fingers trying to discourage our exploration. Eventually, I spotted a small clearing.
"This looks like the end of the line for the car." I carefully parked, leaving some space in case anyone else was foolhardy enough to push on beyond us. "We'll have to walk from here."
