“Old Bald Pete,” Abitha clapped her hands. “One of my favorite pirates.”
“—Was convicted of piracy and hanged in Cuba. The initial recovery of the tiara comes from the record of his trial. The tiara was then sent again to Spain on the Segrado Corazón, which was attacked by pirates but sank before it could be looted. Fast forward to 1831. Three brothers were surveying land they acquired in the new U.S. territory. They stumbled on an Indian village. It was occupied only by skeletons, probably the result of pox. On a skull in one of the structures, they found the tiara. Figuring it was worth money, they grabbed it and continued investigating their new property.”
“And they died,” Moira interjected. “Can you find something better on TV, Blanche?”
Ivy sighed silently.
Mama continued, not hearing the ghost. “That night, they heard a large animal stalking them, and in the morning, one brother was missing. When they searched for him, they found a lot of blood, and the prints of a large panther. The remaining brothers struck out of the coast.
“On that two-day journey, the second brother was killed by the big cat. The final brother made it to the coast, but the panther was on his tail. He was trapped between the cat and the ocean. Something told him it was the tiara the panther was after, and he tossed it into the waves. The cat disappeared. In later years, the brother grew up to become mayor of Jacksonville. The story was in his memoirs.”
Mama handed back the photo. “How did Gus Beranger come by it?”
“I don’t know.” Ivy shrugged. “We’ll have to ask him.”
“More importantly, how is he not dead?” Auntie Abitha said. “We’ve all seen the tiara in the museum.”
“Well, first of all, the museum piece is a copy,” Ivy said.
“What?” Abitha took a breath in indignation. “I feel gypped! All this time, thinking that was real sunken treasure.”
Blanche shook her head. “Gypped is not an appropriate term anymore, Mama. It’s racist.”
“Screw that PC BS!”
Ivy jumped back in before the conversation devolved. “None of the museum exhibits are real. The legit items are kept in safe places and trotted out once a year.”
“That keeps Beranger from dying how?” Abitha said.
Ivy said, “He technically doesn’t own the tiara. It’s held by a trust in the name of the museum.”
“Nothing like a little financial flimflammery to confuse a curse,” Abitha said. “Possession is nine tenths of the law.”
“What are the rest of those files?” Mama asked.
Ivy looked at the stack in her lap. Her heart sank. “People with access to the Berangers’ safe. I’m supposed to look them over for anything suspicious.”
“You getting paid for that?” Blanche and Moira asked at the same time.
Ivy fudged a little. “Everett told me to keep track of my hours.”
“You better be,” Mama said. “You can’t run the botanica if you’re running all over hell and gone with this detective fellow.”
“Oh, right.” Mentally, she smacked her forehead. “Can you be a dear and watch the shop for me tomorrow, Blanche?”
“No-can-do, Cuz. I’ve got a meeting with my professor first thing, then a full day at the bank.”
“Aw, too bad. Julio is coming by to pick up some palms for a job he’s working.”
Moira sat up straighter. “That smoking hunk of Latino love machine? I’ll work the shop.”
“That sweet boy you went to college with?” Mama said. “How is he?”
“He’s awesome. He’s a landscape architect now, and he’s brought the family business up a few notches.”
“Well, you know what? I’m working through a manuscript, but there’s no reason I couldn’t do it at the botanica. I’ll open up tomorrow.” Mama smiled.
Could her mother even work a cash register? Before Ivy could protest, Auntie Abitha broke in.
“I’m not doing anything tomorrow. I’ll join you, Sissy. It’ll be fun. Maybe I can do some readings for your customers, Ivy.”
Concern must have beamed from Ivy’s features. She remembered the reading her aunt did for Harmon. Abitha looked contrite. “Palm readings, of course. Or maybe phrenology, if somebody with an interesting skull shows up.”
“You will not be reading the bumps on anyone’s head in Ivy’s shop,” Mama said.
Auntie Abitha’s head waggled back and forth like a scale. “I suppose that is a little personal.”
“Before I go read through all this paperwork, I need one more favor,” Ivy looked at Blanche.
“Another hand-me-up outfit? You need to go shopping, Cuz.”
***
During her drive home, Ivy felt the air in the truck cab constrict. Harmon, getting in touch through their psychic link. She pulled over, not wanting to split her concentration.
Hey, Sissy.
Bro-chacho!
We made it through the Somali Sea. Should be nothing but smooth sailing all the way across the Indian Ocean.
Ivy let out a sigh. She was worried about Harmon, especially after Auntie Abitha’s tarot reading. How did you manage to resupply without me?
It is kind of a mess in the galley. I’ll get it sorted. He chuckled in his head. There isn’t all that much to do out here, y’know.
Don’t forget to eat the produce first. Maternal instincts always popped to the fore with Harmon. Even though they were twins, the same age, Mama was never a one for normal parenting.
I have a banana in one hand, my other on the wheel.
Ivy sat in silence for a while, experiencing the night sky exploded with stars from Harmon’s point of view. He was so far away now, already past Africa and heading for India.
Don’t you get all maudlin on me, Sissy.
She took a few deep breaths, fighting back the sadness. I just miss you, Bro-chacho.
You just don’t know how to have any fun on your own. Ivy took the mental chiding in stride. They were two halves of a coin, she the responsible eat-your-veggies half, he the let’s-play-hooky-and-go-sailing half. Take out the dive boat with Blanche, do some scuba diving or go fishing or just lay out in your bikinis and make the boys crazy. Just do something other than work for a change.
Ivy laughed out loud. Like she would do any of those things. Okay, Harmon. I’ll make time for fun.
She felt a hesitation from him. I can tell you’re making time for something, but you won’t let on what it is.
Guilt suffused her thoughts, but she pushed it aside. Ivy had kept her misadventure with Detective Klein from Harmon so as not to worry him. Distracted at sea was no way to sail. We will have something to talk about when you get back.
For a long while, she received no response. Had Harmon psychically hung up on her?
I guess we’ll both have a lot of stories when I get back, he finally thought at her. But I’m-a gonna set the auto pilot and hit the sack. Love you Sissy. Go have some fun.
Love you, too, Bro-chacho. Just you be careful out there.
Chapter 5
“You get anything from the files?” Klein nodded to the stack in her arms. He was driving the snake green Dodge Viper today. The sporty little car was in need of some TLC, but Ivy had to admit she liked riding in it. Even if she would only admit that to herself.