“And you told Costa this?”
Nottingham nodded. “He was interested, I would say very interested, and peppered me with questions. I even showed him some of the old letters my grandfather and father wrote to me. I also had letters that Nigel had written my grandfather.”
“In the letters were there any clues as to where he might have hidden it?”
“None, at least that I could see. My grandfather and father speculated about it, but they didn’t know. And even if they did, what would it matter? They didn’t own the Baron property. They would have had no way to gain access to it to even search.”
“But presumably the Baron family would?”
“I suppose. And if they were becoming poor and thought there might be a fortune lying about? Well, I would look for it. I’m sure if my grandfather knew about the possibility of a hidden fortune, the Baron descendants would have as well.”
“I think they did look for it.”
“How do you know that?”
Decker was thinking about all the holes in the walls back at the Baron mansion. “Just something I saw.”
Nottingham sat up a bit in his chair. “Do you think Brad went to Baronville to look for the treasure?”
“I can’t come up with another reason why he would chuck his life in New York and move there. Do you think he did some investigating on his own before he left New York?”
“It’s possible, in fact even probable. Because we had many later conversations about it, and each time we did, Brad seemed to know things about the Barons that I hadn’t told him. So he might have been doing research on his own.” Nottingham suddenly looked horrified. “So, my telling him about this and his going there. I…I’m the reason he’s dead.”
“No, you’re not,” said Decker firmly. “People make their own choices, and they have to live with the consequences.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Nottingham said doubtfully.
“Would you happen to have any of the letters you showed Costa?”
“I would. Not in my room, but there’s a storage locker here where I keep my valuables. The letters are in a file in that locker.”
“I can make copies and put the originals back in the locker.”
“That’s fine.”
“Thank you for your time, you’ve been a big help.” Decker handed Nottingham a card. “If you think of anything else, give me a call.”
“Of course. And could you let me know how things end up?”
“I will.” Decker looked at the photos on the wall. “You were really a great photographer.”
Nottingham glanced up from the card and said, “Thank you. What are you going to do now?”
“My job,” answered Decker.
Chapter 46
WHEN HE RETURNED from New Jersey, arriving back before dinner, Decker was as un-Decker-like as it was possible to be.
He assisted with all tasks, set the table, helped serve the food, talked to Jamison’s sisters and to Frank Mitchell’s grieving parents and siblings, offering condolences and truly listening.
Afterward, as the others went off to a nearby motel where they were staying, Jamison cornered him in the kitchen, where he was loading the dishwasher after clearing the table.
“Are you feeling okay?” she said, her look a worried one.
He placed the last pot in the dishwasher, dropped in a detergent pod, hit start, and closed the door before turning to her.
“I’m just trying to help out, Alex.”
“I know. That’s sort of what I meant. It’s just not…you know?”
“You mean it’s just not like me?”
She looked embarrassed but did not correct him.
“You must be rubbing off on me, Alex.”
“Is that a good thing?” she said quietly.
“Must be. People seem to like me better now than when I lived in Ohio.” He fell silent for a few moments. “I know I’m awkward in social situations. And I know I have something in my head that makes me unable to say what I want to say in certain situations. Like when people need, I guess, comfort. But just because I don’t say it, doesn’t mean I’m not thinking it.”
She rubbed his arm. “I know that, Amos. I really do.”
“But I am trying. It’s just…it’s just not as easy at it once was.”
She smiled. “I think you’ve come a long way. And it’s a two-way street. You’ve made me a better person. Certainly I’m a far better investigator. When we first teamed up I had no idea what I was doing.”
He nodded, leaned against the counter, and studied his feet. “I remember when Cassie and Molly died. Family came in, there was a lot to do. Everybody was crushed and…I couldn’t really do anything. I just sat there like a lump.”
“But that’s understandable. It was such a horrible loss for you.”
“Lots of people have horrible losses, every day. And they manage to keep going.”
“Well, what you did today was much appreciated. You really helped out a lot. Amber was very grateful.”
He didn’t respond to this, but simply rubbed the top of his head.
“How does it feel?” she asked.
“Funny,” was all he would say.
“Any more memory glitches?”
“Not like before, no.”
She nodded, but still looked apprehensive. “What did you find out in Jersey?”
He told her about his conversation with Stanley Nottingham.
“A treasure?” she said. “Do you believe that?”
“I think Bradley Costa believed it. Why else would he come here?”
“But just based on some thirdhand gossip he would pick up and leave New York for this place? It doesn’t make sense.”
“It would make sense if Costa did some digging on his own. Nottingham told me that he seemed very well informed during their later conversations. That means Costa apparently had done some of his own research. Guy was on Wall Street. They’re used to doing due diligence. And there’s something else.”
“What?”
“Remember Costa had joined all the local organizations, Kiwanis, et cetera?”
“Yeah, we saw all those photos. So? Nothing strange there.”
“But he had also joined the local historical society.”
“You think he went there and did more research and maybe found where the treasure might be? Or what it is?”
“It’s certainly possible.”
“What about John Baron? Do you think he knows about the treasure rumors?”
“I don’t know, but I think his predecessors looked for it. That would account for the holes in the walls. And while the grounds are now overgrown, I saw lots of lumpy earth where people might have been digging for it.”
“But you don’t think Baron knows where it is?” she asked again.
“If he did, would he be living like he is?”
“True. So what are you going to do now?”
“I’ve got to follow in Costa’s footsteps and see what he found.”
“But why would someone murder him?”
“If he discovered the location of a treasure, that would be a motive.”
“And the three other vics?”
“I don’t know.”
“Look, once the funeral is over I can start helping you again.”
“You don’t have to do that. Your family will need you.”
“I’m a woman, Decker.”
He looked confused. “Yeah, I know. So what?”
“That means I can multitask,” she replied with a smile.
He nodded. “Okay. But let’s keep in mind we’ve got some violent drug dealer involvement here. I checked out Brian Collins through an FBI database. The guy was a stone-cold killer. If there are more like him out there, this is going to get hairy.”
“Hey, it’s what we do, right?”
He stared at her so intently that she said, “I know. You don’t want anything to happen to me. But I signed up for this. I’m all in. I have your back, you have mine, right?”
He nodded.
“There’s one more thing, Decker.”
“What’s that?”
She said hesitantly, “I…I overheard your talk with Zoe on the stairs, before you left for New Jersey.”
Decker glanced away, his brow crinkling.
“It was really nice what you told her. I know that it helped her. And…and I so appreciate your doing it.”
Still looking away, Decker said, “She’s just a kid. She shouldn’t have to go through this.”
“But if she does, it’s good that she has a friend like you.”
“And an aunt like you,” he replied.