Page 44 of Southernmost Murder

“Ow! Hey, Aubrey, what gives?”

“Say that again?”

“Ow?”

“No, theXthing.”

Glen pushed his retro glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “The back stamp looks like anX.” He held his pendent out, the chain still on him. “See?”

I took it and leaned closer. Of course I’d pointed the cross out to Jun already in the exhibit room, but I’d been caught up in the subtle style differences that hinted toward Mexican or South American in origin. But now that I was really looking… yeah.

Xmarks the spot.

Which made me think of the closet.

AnXon my heart.

What if Cassidy’s research wasn’t a total pipe dream?

Captain Thomas J. Smith, aka One-Eyed Jack? Scourge of the Keys, Pirate King, and briefly, one of the richest men in the tropics?

It was crazy.

And not even normal crazy, but, like, totalbatshitcrazy.

“I’ve gotta go,” I said quickly, scrambling to my feet. I paused briefly as Glen huffed and puffed while standing up. “Can I take a few pictures of Lou’s displays? Not to steal his work or anything, but I want—”

Glen waved his hand. “Go right ahead. What am I going to do with it all?”

“JUN.JUN!”I whispered loudly, hurrying back into the exhibit room a short time later.

He turned from watching a documentary on loop near a number of miniature replicas of Spanish ships. “There you are. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I fell asleep,” I answered quickly. “I just learned a few things that—maybe you’re right about Cassidy being onto something.”

“Are you serious?”

“As much as I hate to admit it, there does seem to besomehistorical evidence involved.”

“Like what?” Jun asked, lowering his voice and backing me toward a wall.

“Get this. There might have been another galleon ship that was originally part of theAtochaandMargaritaconvoy. It was carrying at least a million dollars’ worth of silver coins back to Spain—also lost at sea.”

“What’s the connection to Smith?”

I leaned closer, speaking more at my feet and forcing Jun to lower his head to hear. “Cassidy straight-up believed Smith was One-Eyed Jack, andwhateverif he was or wasn’t, but Glen had mentioned the backs of coins always reminding him of anXinstead of a cross. Like on a treasure map.” I grabbed both of Jun’s biceps elatedly. “Kind of like the closet! What if that message was some sort of clue? What if that skeletonwasSmith and it was a hint about his double life?”

“Now you’re the one jumping to conclusions,” Jun said.

“I know I am. I’m ashamed. But I’ve done more research on Smith than anyone, and hewasa wrecker. So, instead of letting that knowledge cloud my judgment… I should start fresh and researchJackfrom the beginning. Treat him like a separate individual and see if their paths cross.”

“You think you would be able to conclude whether the two men were one and the same?”

I nodded, looking back up at him. “Exactly. Cassidy was an amateur. I’m a professional.”

“You’re very excited,” he pointed out.

“I know! I’m trying to contain it, but treasure hunting, Jun! What little kid didn’t have this dream? And as a historian, the potential for new discoveries that could change everything we know is… it’sveryexciting, I gotta admit.” My grin was making my face hurt.