Treasured Lies (15 page)

Alessandro, sitting on one of the leather stools at the end of the bar, was whispering something in Ginger's ear that had the Australian blushing. In Alessandro's hand was his new-found signature drink. Thanks to Ginger, he'd taken a shine to Cosmopolitan cocktails. Just the thought of all that cranberry juice made Archer's stomach curdle. Ginger giggled, and with her hand on his leg, made no secret of her affection for him. Alessandro's lopsided grin showed he was enjoying her attention just as much too.

‘Bout bloody time, you two.' Jimmy raised his half empty beer glass towards them.

‘Sorry about that,' Archer said. ‘We needed a good scrub.' Archer winked at Rosalina and she blushed. She squeezed his hand in a ‘don't be rude' gesture. But Archer wasn't fazed. He'd lost her once due to his secretiveness, now that he had her back, there was nothing he needed to hide.

Archer noticed his mother asleep in the recliner chair. She'd probably sleep for a week after today's stress. He released Rosalina's hand, walked over and scooped up his mother. Rosalina followed him as he carried her to her room. His mother didn't even wake while Rosalina changed her into her nightgown and tucked her into bed. Archer kissed his mum on the forehead, and as they were about to leave the room he adjusted the air-conditioning so it wasn't too cool. He turned off the lights and left. He'd check on her again a bit later.

They returned to the saloon and this time Archer strode straight to the fridge. He'd delayed that cold beer long enough. He grabbed a wine bottle too, confident Rosalina would be wanting her favourite drop of sauvignon blanc as well.

He strolled to the table, filled up a wine glass in front of Rosalina and then sat down beside her. Jimmy was kicking back on one of the lounges with his heavy hoofs up on a footstool. If he wasn't careful Jimmy would be asleep in no time, and there was no way in hell Archer would be able to carry him to his room. Jimmy'd have to stay where he was for the night. It wouldn't be the first time and certainly wouldn't be the last.

Alessandro and Ginger remained seated at the bar, but the way Alessandro was sucking back the cocktail he was likely to slip off the bar stool very soon. Alessandro was an excellent wine drinker, but put a spirit in his hand and he slipped from sophistication to silly pretty darn quick. One of Jimmy's favourite pastimes was plying the Italian full of scotch and seeing how far he could push him. Alessandro was gutsy though and so far, he hadn't backed down from any of Jimmy's friendly jousting.

‘So how do you think we should tackle all that stuff?' Archer said what he imagined was on everyone's lips, but were afraid to ask.

After a moment's silence, Alessandro cleared his throat; professor mode was about to surface again. ‘I think we should catalogue everything. Itemise the boxes and list the contents.' He nodded with assertiveness. ‘We should be able to establish some kind of order to it all.'

‘There may not be any order.' Archer shrugged. ‘Remember, Dad kept everything disorganised on purpose. It was his way of hiding information.'

Ginger raised her hand in a move that had Archer stifling a laugh. ‘Who was he hiding it from?' she said.

‘Anybody. Other treasure hunters. Ignatius Montpellier.'

‘Least it won't be that crazy priest.' Jimmy polished off his beer in one swig.

Archer nodded. Unlike Rosalina, Archer and everyone else believed Nox was dead. The crazy priest had gone overboard with the fishing spear Rosalina had shot through his torso. The likelihood of surviving a wound like that was negligible. And if that didn't kill him, then drowning would. The fact that his body had never been found was a mystery though; surely the discovery of a priest with a spear through his belly would've made the news. Archer shrugged the thoughts away. Maybe the fish ate him. ‘The only thing we have to worry about now is Alessandro falling off that bar stool.' Archer saluted the Italian with his beer.

‘I'll drink to that.' Jimmy cracked open another stubby from the little stash he had in a wine bucket at his side.

‘You guys are hilarious.' Alessandro drained his glass in response. ‘So, Archer … your Dad's disorganisation was …
deliberato
?' His disgust was obvious.

‘Yep. His idea was that if ever someone got their hands on his stuff, then they'd have no idea what they were looking at.'

‘If it's anything like what we witnessed in those books, then his plan works.' Jimmy thumbed at the eight notepads sitting on the dining table. The books had been held by Mother Maria at Zoodochos Pigi Nunnery since his mother went into their care twenty years ago. They'd held them in the hope that Archer would one day return. It was a miracle and only by chance that he did.

‘It's just a giant jigsaw puzzle.' Alessandro smiled. Prior to joining Archer and Rosalina in their treasure hunt, the most excitement Alessandro had experienced was a flat tyre on the
autobahn
with cars whizzing by at one hundred miles an hour. Although Alessandro tells it with humour, Archer had no doubt he was probably wetting his pants at the time.

‘So now it's our job to put it all together.' Rosalina raised her glass.

Archer raised his glass, as did Jimmy, Alessandro and Ginger. They were all pretty much the family he'd never had. Even though his mother was asleep in the other room, she'd been absent for two decades of his life. Getting to know her again has been difficult and upsetting. But he was willing to wait as long as it took. All he could do was pray that the fragmented pieces of her mind would gradually come together. He also hoped that she may one day play a part in this treasure hunt; after all it was her husband, Archer's father, who started it.

Now it was his duty to finish it.

Chapter 18

Rosalina woke early the next morning embraced by Archer's arms. It was the perfect way to welcome a new day. Two bodies that moulded into one, sharing a journey together, sharing a lifetime. She was looking forward to their future. A time when they could look back on what was happening here with a laugh.

Now that Archer's recurring nightmares—that once ruined almost every night—had all but vanished, nearly everything was perfect. Nearly. The unusual finger of gold was still around his neck, but she no longer considered it his noose. The treasure had become the new albatross. Hopefully that will be off the yacht very soon. Then, and only then, would she feel safe again.

Rosalina slipped out of bed and into the bathroom. As she showered, she thought about the treasure and in particular the realisation that they may only find one third of it. If Helen hadn't informed them when she did, they could've wasted months off the shores of Anafi looking for items that simply weren't there. It was time she didn't want to waste. Archer had proposed to her a few months ago and Nonna still hadn't seen her engagement ring. Going home to her family in Italy seemed so much more important now.

She dressed in a floral maxi dress and chose a pair of aquamarine teardrop earrings. Her mind flashed to the moment Archer gave her those earrings. She'd noticed them earlier in the day at an antique jewellery store in Melbourne. Somehow, he'd managed to slip back to the store, buy them and have them gift wrapped, all without her knowing. Over dinner he'd made a big fuss about the colour of the stone matching her eyes. She glanced in the mirror now and made the comparison. It was true, the stone was remarkably similar.

She slipped out of the bedroom and her intention was to start preparing breakfast. But as if drawn by ghostly whispers, she was lured to the Moreton room. Her heart thundered in her chest as she opened the door, stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. The boxes took up the majority of this expensively decorated room, but it was the smell, like old attic furniture, that dominated the space. Each breath laced her tongue with the ancient dust. She swallowed it and the lump of anxiety sitting heavy in her throat. It was a pity someone hadn't thought to open the windows before they'd loaded up all these boxes, as there was no hope of reaching them now.

As she glanced over the dozens and dozens of boxes, she willed her heartbeat to settle back to normal. To her horror, she recognised one box straight away. With the tape missing, the cardboard flaps were ajar. Her heart set to explode once again as she reached for it.

Tears tumbled down her cheeks before she'd even raised the flaps. But her tears weren't for Archer's father. They were for Archer and the terror he'd witnessed all those years ago. She crumbled to the floor, tugged the tattered vest onto her lap and closed her eyes. But even with a clenched jaw, she couldn't prevent bloody images flooding her mind. With sudden clarity she understood Archer's drive to finish what his father started. They should have done it together. Father and son, side by side, unveiling a slice of history. That precious moment, stolen from them so brutally, needed a better ending. Or else he will forever remember his father by what happened, and not what could have been.

She jumped when a hand touched her check. It was Archer. The look on his face was a tangle of emotions as she rose up, wrapped her arms around him and wept into his chest.

‘I'm sorry,' she stammered. ‘I couldn't help it.'

‘It's okay.' He wiped her tears with his thumb. ‘We'll go through all the boxes today. It won't be easy, but I want to do it. I need to.' With his finger under her chin, he lifted her face to him. ‘But I need you to be strong for me.'

She looked into his dark eyes; the halo of gold flecks that usually danced around the rim of his irises was gone. Clouded over. Probably with uncertainty. It was something she wasn't accustomed to seeing in her man. Archer was the most decisive person she knew, and that drove his positive attitude. His jaw was squared and she knew he was clenching his teeth, perhaps fighting off his own tears.

As he wiped her cheek, she sucked on her bottom lip, begging her emotions to settle down. Archer was right. He needed to go through all these things and her blubbering away like this was no help. She wiped her eyes and stepped back. ‘I'm sorry,' she said. ‘I've had my cry. Now we're looking at the future.'

‘Exactly. Now give me that.'

She released her grip on the buoyancy vest and remained silent as he lowered it back into the box and closed the flaps. He reached for her hand. ‘I hope you have big plans for breakfast because looking at all these boxes, I think we're in for a long day.'

Archer understood her need to cook. It transported her to her happy place. Her form of therapy. Memories of her cooking classes with some of the most prestigious chefs in Italy now seemed like a lifetime ago. In some ways, it was. For so many years all she dreamt about was running her own five star restaurant. But that was no longer important. She had everything she needed right here on Archer's yacht.

From the moment she stepped into the professionally appointed galley she was in her element. Today's breakfast would be crepes, with bacon, feta and semi-dried tomatoes, topped with a drizzle of maple syrup yoghurt and a scattering of candied walnuts. The sizzling bacon aroma soon had everyone dressed and sitting around the dining table. Ginger offered to help and the two of them worked together as if they'd been doing it for years. Although Ginger had no formal cooking training, it hadn't taken Rosalina long to notice she certainly had a taste for it. She may look and act like a ditzy blonde teenager sometimes, but her taste buds were very mature.

As usual, it wasn't long before the beautifully presented meal was reduced to plates of scattered crumbs.

Alessandro palmed his chest and closed his eyes as if about to sing to the stars. ‘
Delizioso, Rosa
,' he said with his deep throaty voice. He stood up and when he blew Rosalina a kiss, she felt Ginger's glare. He began to clean up and Ginger quickly stood up and, avoiding Rosalina's eyes, proceeded to help him.

Archer placed his hand on Rosalina's knee. ‘Yummy, as usual.' He swallowed the last of his coffee and stood up too. ‘Might as well get this over and done with.' After a quick kiss on her cheek he strode from the room and Rosalina, Jimmy, Alessandro and Ginger shared only a brief glance at each other before they raced after him.

They found Archer in the Moreton room with his hands on his hips, as if contemplating where to start. Archer reached for the nearest box, hefted it into his arms and turned to go back out the door. Rosalina deliberately avoided the already opened box and chose a much heavier one instead. Each of the others did the same and they followed in a procession line back to the lounge area.

Alessandro placed his box on the floor then raced away. ‘
Un momento
, I'll get my laptop,' he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared out the doorway.

Rosalina likened them all sitting silently over their boxes to opponents in a chess game, each of them waiting for the other to make a move. The moment Alessandro returned and opened his laptop, Archer tore the tape off his box, flung it away and reached inside.

The contents of his box were dozens and dozens of books, journals and newspapers. The collection included reference books, fiction and non-fiction books, all involving treasure of one form or another. The journals ranged from cheap exercise books ideal for a child's schoolbag to leather bound journals with gold-trimmed pages more suited to a professional's office. Every one of them contained Wade's scribble. Archer's father's erratic handwriting could be mistaken for the musings of a psychopath.

If Rosalina hadn't seen firsthand how important Wade's notes were, she would have quickly discarded the journals by now. But even with that knowledge, there was no clear pattern to Wade's ramblings. The journals had missing pages, blank pages, glued in pages, pages of handwriting and drawings and not a single date or notation of any chronological order to guide them. Just flicking through one of them was exhausting, let alone the dozens that now lay on the plush carpet before them.