Chapter 3: Somebody’s Watching Me

Parking her small compact car alongside Traci's sporty convertible, Helen stepped out to study AJ’s mostly deserted driveway. She’d already expected more cars to be here. She was unsure but thought the pickup truck belonged to one of AJ’s teammates. Traci swore her boyfriend only planned a small gathering with his parents out of town. Still, Helen knew her best friend loved to invite every friend she ran into. Checking the house, Helen noticed the only light came from the kitchen window's soft, yellow glow. Throwing a party didn’t seem like the wisest idea with the strange disappearances around town, but Traci wasn’t dating the star quarterback for his brain.

Taking a deep breath, Helen smelled the faint aroma of what she hoped to be someone's barbecue from hours ago lingering in the air. There had been the mysterious blazing inferno last week on Elm Street. A chilly breeze played with her hair before she reached inside to grab her purse off the passenger seat. The stillness of the night made her heart race as she yet again experienced the feeling of being watched. With a shiver running down her back, Helen opted for the side door nearest the driveway. After a quick walk to the door, the redhead knocked, causing an echo to pierce the otherwise silent night.

A second knock followed by a push of the doorbell went unanswered. Testing the door, Helen found it unlocked. With a faint squeak from the hinges, the high school senior stepped inside the mudroom. A glance found several pairs of mud-caked boots on the floor, along with a familiar coat, which held a hint of Traci’s favorite sweet perfume.

“Hello? Anyone here?” Helen inquired before tentatively entering the home.

After moving cautiously through the dimly lit kitchen, Helen paused in the doorway to the living room. Inside, she saw shadows dancing along the wall. Further examination revealed that they were coming from the muted television set.

“Traci? AJ? Guys?” Helen called out. The total silence in the home unnerved the studious teen.

As it felt too chilly for her friends to be outside in the hot tub, Helen decided they must be downstairs in the basement rec room. Retracing her steps back to the kitchen, Helen began to feel nervous again. Too many strange occurrences had happened lately, and she often felt as if her mind kept playing tricks on her. With that thought, Helen looked over her shoulder to check behind her and over to the window at her side.

With a jittery hand, Helen reached for the basement door before giving it a yank. A staircase leading down into pitch blackness met her gaze. Not a single sound came from the silent as a tomb basement. With her hand on the light switch, Helen shook her head. There wasn’t a point to search down there. Instead, she backed away from the dark abyss to close the door.

With her sneakers squeaking faintly on the kitchen tiles as she turned, Helen moved to reenter the living room. It seemed like the safer bet to look around again. This time, she recognized one of Traci’s favorite romantic comedies playing on the television. Four glasses and a half-eaten bowl of popcorn sat on the coffee table. Unbuttoning her coat, Helen grabbed a handful of the popcorn.

That’s when she heard it—a single faint squeak emitted from upstairs.

“Hello? Anyone home?” Helen called out after walking to the bottom of the staircase.

With a hand on the banister, the redhead leaned over to look up the stairs. Expecting to see her friends’ faces peering down at her, she found only the moonlight shining in from a second-floor window.

Gripping the banister hard, Helen couldn’t shake the dread that filled her body. The house felt wrong, the air thick with something unspoken. The silence was so absolute that even the refrigerator’s buzz seemed to have been swallowed whole. Still, Traci’s car sat outside, so her best friend had to be here. Which meant Helen needed to check upstairs.

With a trembling hand, Helen swallowed hard and took the first step, the wood groaning softly beneath her sneaker. The steps felt like a ladder to the unknown, each one a silent promise of what might be waiting for her at the top. The banister was a lifeline in the darkness, and she clung to it tightly as she climbed. The wood creaked under her feet every third or fourth step.

A sudden sound from nearby made Helen's pulse spike. It hadn’t come from her. Instead, it sounded like a few footsteps, feather-light and furtive, almost as if a tiptoeing across the floorboards. Already two-thirds up the stairs, Helen could see parts of the second floor through stair railings. She froze so her eyes could scan the shadows for any sign of movement.

As her heart hammered in her chest, Helen threw caution away and hurriedly scurried up the remaining stairs. Now, at the top, she paused as her breaths came in shallow gasps. The hallway stretched out before her, a corridor of darkness.

However, at the far end, a bedroom door stood ajar the slightest bit. Helen only realized this due to intermittent flickers of thin light that spilled out onto the carpet. Then, an unfamiliar muffled sound came from that end of the house. With a deep breath, Helen started to tiptoe down the hall, her heart pounding in her ears. The floorboards groaned beneath her, and Helen winced with every step. The door grew close enough that she could reach its knob if she stretched out.

A combined squeak and creak nearly caused Helen to jump, as the sounds startled her. Two more shuffled steps brought the door right up to her face. Shifting her head slightly, she attempted to peek through the open sliver but failed. So the teen leaned closer, her hand trembling as she reached for the doorknob. Due to Helen's nervous sweating, it felt cool and slick under her palm.

A groan inside nearly caused Helen’s hand to slide off the knob, and she had to grip it firmly to keep from falling backward. Deciding to get it over with, the redhead pushed the door open. She’d meant to do so gently, but adrenaline gave strength to the push. The door swung almost half-open, revealing the room beyond.

The scene in the bedroom washed over Helen like a heatwave. She’d found Traci alright, but her best friend wasn’t in any danger. Well, at least not the kind Helen’s imagination had conjured on the stressful journey upstairs. Instead, a naked Traci straddled AJ, her blonde hair a wild mane around her flushed face. A breathtaking pair of large breasts bounced with every thrust from her boyfriend underneath her. AJ's eyes were squeezed shut; his teeth gritted as he struggled to stave off an orgasm.

The sight was so unexpected, yet so normal that Helen felt the fear drain away, leaving behind a hot blush across her cheeks. She stumbled back, her hand flying to her mouth to muffle the shocked gasp that had escaped her lips.

A scattered roar of cheers filled the air around the Willowedge Drive-In Theater. Jake didn’t add to the chorus; he merely grinned and clenched his fist as if he’d scored a touchdown. In the backseat, Luke chuckled at his friend’s reaction.

“Ahem! Are you really going to watch the movie?” Trina Bintz questioned, throwing off an annoyed expression while folding her arms.

“This is the best part!” Jake shushed his date. On the vast screen, Helen stood frozen while she watched her best friend ride her boyfriend like a wanton slut.

“You said that twice already,” Trina complained, sulking in the front passenger seat.

A recent graduate of North High, Trina had shoulder-length dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and large breasts. A girl with many options after her breakup, she’d chosen Jake as her first summer fling. While last night had been great, Trina began questioning her choice of a slightly younger man. Plenty of more mature college men were back in town for summer break.

“But this is a classic scene. It’s the first time that Honey Cantrell ever showed it, and she’s got incredible tits!” Jake explained, pointing at the pair of jiggling breasts. “Back me up, Luke.”

“Oh, yeah. Honey’s hot as hell as Traci. But I’m more of a fan of Ember Starfire. She broke out as the star of the series, playing Helen. She’s practically bursting out of that blouse as the sweet girl next door,” Luke responded. “Too bad she was too young to do a nude scene in this one.”

“Nah, Ember turned eighteen during filming. She’s smart not to have done a nude scene yet. Adds to her mystique,” Jake argued until he noticed Trina’s scowl. “Hey, I mean, Traci kinda looks like you in this film, Trina. Not the hair color, but that’s because it’s dyed for the role. Honey’s got hair similar to yours in real life.”

“Are you seriously comparing me to a girl who gets her throat slit in about two minutes?” Trina challenged, gesturing to the screen.

A masked killer slid back inside the shadows of a dark bedroom as Helen turned her head. She’d heard the loud music as another car of friends pulled up to the house. Embarrassed about catching her best friend having sex, Helen retreated toward the stairs while the camera stayed on the second floor. The view panned down to show the growing pool of blood in the doorway of the bedroom where the killer hid.

“H-How did you–”

“I’ve seen this piece of crap before. It came out like a decade ago,” Trina pointed out after cutting Jake off.

“Actually, it came out eight, almost nine years ago,” Luke clarified, which caused the remaining person in the old sedan to sigh loudly.

“Yeah, they sure knocked out the Midkill trilogy fast,” Jake added, oblivious to the girls’ moods. “Three films in three years.”

Trina heard her best friend sigh and turned to face Michelle Kirsch. A more uptight and less adventurous teen than Trina, Michelle could be considered pretty more than hot. Her long, sandy brown hair wasn’t styled like Trina’s, and her medium-sized breasts didn’t catch a person’s eye as quickly.

“I think we might have screwed up, Shelly. These boys–and I’m stressing boys–would rather stare at tits on the screen rather than the ones in this car,” Trina remarked.

“Don’t get any ideas. I’m not showing you anything,” Michelle hissed, glaring at Luke.

Luke threw up his hands defensively while muttering that he hadn’t asked. The wide receiver began to regret coming along. Michelle didn’t seem to have the same hidden wild side that Trina had unleashed since her breakup with Kevin.

“But I’m more than willing to showcase mine, Jakey,” Trina teased, running her hand across the top of the cleavage her sundress exposed. “Or would you prefer to watch the movie more?”

Jake knew the correct answer.

The sound of a distant **** scream that filtered through the open windows fifteen minutes later on this hot, steamy night went unnoticed in the front seat. Jake's hand–strong and confident–traced the curve of Trina's waist, his thumb lingering on the softness of her hip as he gently pushed her onto her back, her head resting on the car door. She arched into his touch, a silent invitation that he eagerly accepted.

Trina's heart raced as Jake's hand moved to the small of her back, pressing her closer to his firm chest. The brunette leaned into the embrace, feeling the warmth of his breath on her neck, sending shivers down her spine. She tilted her head to the side, granting him access, and felt the gentle pressure of his teeth as he kissed the sensitive skin just below her ear. The slam of a car door in the distance barely registered. This skill around a woman was one reason she chose Jake first.

Ignoring Luke's whispered attempts to thaw Michelle’s barrier, Jake's kisses grew more insistent, his hands exploring the contours of her body with the same unbridled enthusiasm that he brought to the football field. As he traced her jawline with his lips, Trina felt a sudden urge to speed things up. Her needy hand slid down his thick thigh, finding the unmistakable bulge in his shorts. She bit her lower lip, her eyes fluttering shut, and began to rub him gently, feeling the heat of his arousal through the fabric. The moan that escaped his lips was music to her ears, and she felt a thrill of power at the effect she had on him. Jake’s hand tightened on her hip, pulling her closer as his kisses grew more urgent.

The sexual tension in the front section of the car was palpable. It had gone from ice cold to scorching in a matter of minutes. The duo appeared in sync as their bodies swelled and pulsed with the rhythm of their passion. Jake’s free hand had found a curvy ass to occupy its time, which pleased Trina greatly, leading her to increase the pace of her rubbing.

But just as the crescendo of their passion appeared ready to unleash the next stage, Jake's gaze drifted to the side, his eyes snagged by the flickering images of the horror movie playing on the drive-in screen. The scene had shifted to the opening of the second film in the series. A voluptuous dark-skinned coed raced out of a home in a panic, her barely covered breasts swaying wildly as she sought to flee from a killer. The camera zoomed in on her taut ass as she tried to climb the backyard fence.

Trina felt a spark of jealousy flare within her upon noticing the heat of Jake’s gaze leave her body. She leaned in closer, her full, soft breasts pressing against his chest while her hand slipped lower, cupping him firmly, her thumb tracing lazy circles over his growing arousal. She kissed the side of Jake’s face before her tongue danced around his ear as she sought to reclaim the spotlight of his desires.

"You're missing the best part," Trina whispered breathlessly. “It’s right here.”

Jake’s eyes snapped back to his date, the film’s allure forgotten.

With a playful smirk, Trina leaned away from Jake. Her brown eyes gleamed in the dim light of the car as she reached for her shoulders, her fingers moving to the straps of her sundress. Jake's eyes followed their movements as if connected to her hands, his breath quickening as the fabric slid off her right shoulder, then her left. With a dramatic flourish, Trina pulled the straps down, revealing the creamy mounds of her breasts to the warm night air. They bounced gently as she flopped her back against the car door, her heart racing excitedly.

Jake's gaze dropped to the bountiful display before him, his eyes widening slightly. He couldn't help but let out a low whistle of appreciation. In the backseat, Luke murmured an expletive upon getting his first look. A painful wince followed after Michelle jabbed an elbow in his side.

Acting on their own accord, Jake’s hands cupped the soft flesh, weighing and squeezing gently. The feel of her breasts in his palms felt intoxicating, the smoothness of her skin a stark contrast to his rough, calloused hands. He leaned in, his breath hot against her chest as he placed tender kisses along the tops of her breasts, his thumbs brushing over her hardened nipples.

As Trina watched him, she felt a thrill of excitement. She'd always felt self-conscious about her ample chest. Over time, Kevin seemed to have taken them for granted, but the way Jake's eyes lit up made her feel desired again. She took a deep breath, pushing her breasts into his hands, and watched as his pupils dilated. Jake leaned in closer, his tongue flicking out to trace the curve of her cleavage. She bit her lower lip, the anticipation almost too much to bear.

Trina's eyes fluttered closed as Jake's hot breath tickled her skin, and she couldn't help but mewl softly, a sound that was a mix of pleasure and impatience. Her hand reached down to his lap, her palm pressing firmly against the giant, throbbing bulge in his shorts. She felt him jump slightly at her touch, his grip on her breasts tightening. With a gentle push, she guided his head down, urging him to claim what she offered. His mouth closed over her nipple, sucking gently, and she gasped, the sensation shooting straight to her core. Her hips bucked upwards, seeking more contact, more friction. Trina began to pant, her breath coming in quick gasps as she felt the beginnings of an ache deep within her. Needy fingers found the zipper of his shorts and began to fiddle with it, her movements frantic and eager.

With a swift motion, Trina managed to tug Jake's zipper down, the sound ripping through the quiet car like the killer’s knife up on the screen. His erection sprang free, hot and heavy against her fingers. Feeling Jake’s body tense, Trina knew she’d regain the power inside the vehicle. Now, she wanted complete control.

A groan escaped Jake’s lips while his hips jerked upward as Trina started to stroke his shaft. Sensing eyes watching, the busty brunette continued the slow strokes while turning her head slightly to meet Michelle’s shocked expression. Their eyes met, leading Trina to playfully wink before returning to face Jake.

"I want to taste you."

Jake barely had time to react when Trina shoved him backward against the driver's door. His eyes followed seconds later as they rolled upon contact as Trina's soft, full lips wrapped around the head of his cock. The linebacker let out a low moan, which turned into a growl when his hands tightened in her hair as she took him deeper into her mouth. She began to suck, her tongue swirling around the sensitive tip as she experimented with the sensations.

The world outside the car fell away for Jake. All that remained was the warmth of her mouth, the softness of her lips, and the wetness of her tongue. For Trina, she heard the quickening breaths and gasps from the backseat as she stole the show. Fuck the film on the screen; now was Trina’s turn in the spotlight, and she planned to put on a steamy performance.

Jake's breath hitched as Trina took him deeper into her mouth, her throat muscles working around his shaft. He couldn't believe how easily she could take all of him, her skill leaving him speechless and trembling. Despite being with one man for the last few years, Trina knew her way around a large dick, which seemed odd as he couldn’t recall Kevin as being anything that stood out in the football locker room.

Snapping back to the fun at hand, Jake's hips rocked in response, pushing himself further into her, but she didn't gag or pull away. Instead, Trina seemed to revel in it, her eyes looking up at him with a fiery passion that hinted at the woman about to be unleashed on a college campus. Jake's thoughts swirled as he wondered where Trina ranked on his list of bedmates. She'd already shown even more surprising skills than he expected or witnessed last night. Each stroke of Trina's tongue sent waves of pleasure through his body while notching her up another spot on his blowjob skills list. He had to focus to keep from erupting too quickly, his hand flexing in her hair as he held her in place. Her cheeks hollowed as she sucked, her eyes never leaving his.

The ache in Jake's balls grew as Trina began to bob her head faster, her teeth scraping gently against him as she took him deeper and deeper with each stroke. Her large breasts, freed from their confines earlier, bounced with each movement, their softness brushing against his thighs with every bob of her head. Always a fan of big tits, Jake couldn't tear his gaze away from the mesmerizing sight, the way her D-cup breasts jiggled and swayed as she worked her mouth on him. Reaching down, he grabbed a breast and tightened his grip on her hair while his hips bucked involuntarily.

"Fuck, Trina," he groaned, the words torn from his throat as she continued to drive him wild.

In the suddenly cramped backseat of the sedan, Trina's best friend Michelle sat rigidly, the awkwardness of the situation thick enough to cut with a knife. The uptight girl had already moved away from Luke to the far end of the car. The sounds of Trina's pleasure and her shameless behavior made her friend uneasy. She certainly didn’t act that way and wanted Luke to know so. There wouldn’t be a double matinee occurring in this car tonight. Instead, she tried to ignore the scene unfolding in the front the best she could by staring out the windshield at the slasher film.

On the other hand, Luke couldn't help but cast furtive glances at the couple, his eyes widening at the display. He turned to look at Michelle, his own desires reflected in his gaze. Attempting to break the tension, he nervously whispered. "They're really going at it, huh?"

However, all Luke got in response was a stiff nod from Michelle, her eyes never leaving the screen. That’s when Luke heard the buzzing yet again. Afraid that Michelle might bolt from the car, he opted to lighten the mood.

“Hey, Jake, you bring a toy with you?”

His question caused Michelle’s head to swing over in his direction.

“Cause you either brought a vibrator or your phone keeps going off. Somebody wants you badly,” Luke added, chucking.

The question hung in the air for several seconds until Jake understood what his friend said. Barely moving, Jake attempted to stretch his arm out to reach his phone below the sedan’s center ashtray. With his fingers just out of reach, Jake had to sit up further to grab his phone. The move caused Trina’s mouth to leave his cock.

As his screen lit up, Trina watched with a mix of surprise and anger at him for caring more about his phone right now. Even worse, Jake swore before apologizing.

“Uh, sorry. I need to call him back. I have to! He’s already called three times and texted six,” Jake explained, noticing Trina’s shocked expression. “It’s not going to stop.”

With that, Jake touched the contact number on his screen. Immediately, the three teens in the car listened with curiosity. Each mind held different thoughts. Michelle worried about an emergency. Trina had suspicions of another girl making a move on Jake. Only Luke somewhat guessed correctly.

“I’m at the movies! I told you I was going,” Jake hissed into the phone. “I did call you back as soon as possible. Yeah, yeah, the news? What about?” The car filled with silence as Jake listened. “Well, I’m sorry that I’m distracted!”

Trina unleashed a loud, annoyed sigh while crossing her arms in front of her naked breasts.

“Wait, you wanna do what?!” Jake exclaimed. “Shit, hold on!”

Scrambling to pull up his pants, tuck his softening penis inside his pants, and zip up his shorts, Jake shot Trina an apologetic look.

“Uh, I need to deal with this for a few minutes. Anyone want anything from the concession stand?”

“I’ll take a soda,” Michelle replied.

“Me too,” Luke added, telling Jake what kind.

“No,” Trina grumbled, pulling her sundress back up.

Scurrying out of the car, Jake thanked his earlier self for parking near one of the drive-in’s rear corners. Stepping behind the last row of vehicles, Jake moved toward the edge of the woods behind the property. Safely away from prying ears, he immediately complained about the interruption.

“You’re ruining my date, Phinn. And we are not breaking into the historical society! What’s wrong with you? Why would you even think of that?”

“I told you,” Phinn replied in exasperation on the other end of the phone. “Hollie Kittler had an exclusive interview with Oswald Cozart on the late news. He’s the historian that made a scene at the ME’s office.”

“I didn’t forget who he is.”

“Well, we have a problem. The book Cozart is in town to promote is all about lost treasures. One chapter is about this pirate Thornbeard. I never heard of him before today. It sounds like there isn’t much known about him, including his real name. Rumors had him spending a few years in the Indian Ocean before showing up in the Caribbean Sea toward the end of his career.”

“You interrupted my date because of a long-dead pirate?”

“Hold on. I’m getting to it! When the British attempted to eradicate the pirates in the early 18th century, Thornbeard was one of many to meet his end. Cozart relayed that Thornbeard had been on a successful run of attacks, especially a Spanish galleon transporting a replacement governor to one of their colonies. He came from a wealthy family and brought several notable items he’d given his young wife as gifts. Cozart seemed particularly excited about a music box. He said that some of this treasure had been supposedly hidden on land, and the rest would’ve likely still been on his ship when a mysterious pirate hunter caught up to Thornbeard and killed him,” Phinn recounted, piquing Jake’s attention.

“But what does any of that have to do with the diver?” Jake asked, walking behind the concession stand.

“Cozart said that while details are sketchy, a small expedition was rumored to have a lead on Thornbeard’s sunken ship, the Black Rose, back in the 1880s. Very little is known about what happened, but Edgewater fits with the general location of this hunt.”

“Whoa! So this guy thinks the diver is from that search?” Jake questioned.

“It sounds far-fetched to me, but Cozart appeared bursting with excitement. He could be holding back some details. Our problem is that he gushed about diamond necklaces, gem pendants, a gold statue, and the music box. Apparently, the music box has a reputation for being cursed,” Phinn explained.

“Cursed? Oh, man!” Jake moaned.

"He even showed Hollie several drawings of the valuables. That's what screwed us. People around here are already going wild on social media about a lost pirate treasure. We're going to have every greedy fucker getting in our way," Phinn complained. "The historical society is where almost everything about maritime history in Edgewater is located. So all these amateur treasure hunters will be lined up at the door when it opens tomorrow morning. We need to get access tonight."

“Phinn, what you want to do is called breaking and entering,” Jake pointed out in mild disbelief.

“Don’t worry. I won’t need to break a window or anything to get inside; just pick the lock,” Phinn stated nonchalantly. “It’s not our first B&E.”

At the drive-in, Jake winced while shaking his head. "They likely have an alarm and cameras," he said.

“The camera setup is completely outdated. There are only a few, and they’re stationary. As for the alarm, Gladden is a Revolutionary War buff. The alarm code should be easy to guess,” Phinn revealed confidently.

“Easy? What if it’s not? I’m on a date here. I can’t up and leave to help you break into a building.”

“I’m not telling you to end your date. I just need you to be my lookout. You can do that while still on your date,” Phinn insisted.

‘How? I’m at the movies!”

“But it’s not like you’re actually watching the films.” Phinn chuckled before silence on the other end led him to check. “Are you? Damn, that’s kinda rude to your date, isn’t it?”

“It’s the Midkill trilogy. You know Ember Starfire looks fabulous in them!”

“Forget the films. Wait, you don’t even like horror films. If anything, they freak you out,” Phinn pointed out.

“Not these ones. I’ve seen them enough to know when to close my eyes,” the muscular athlete admitted without shame. “What? Girls like to cuddle on dates at horror films. Trina isn’t going to get horny watching a sci-fi film.”

“How about seeing if Trina will get horny without any movie on? Just move your date down to the harbor. People go down there all the time to make out,” Phinn recalled. “Look, you don’t need to leave for at least thirty minutes. I’ll need time to get down there.”

“How are you going to get there? You don’t have a car or a license,” Jake challenged, damn sure he wasn’t going to drive across town to pick him up.

“I’m going to ride my bike.”

“It’s almost midnight! That’s going to look suspicious as hell to any cops out on patrol,” Jake assumed.

“It will be fine. Just don’t get distracted. However, you’ll need to be careful about the way you take to get to the historical society. Now, they only have one camera out front, and I know the blindspots.”

Jake listened with **** as Phineas explained which streets to take and how to avoid any cameras. Despite his annoyance at Phinn's assumption that he'd move his date, Jake found the prospect of potentially discovering a long-lost pirate treasure fascinating.

---

The Kelpie County Historical Society sat inside the old harbormaster’s office on the north shore of the main harbor of Edgewater. Once a bustling point for loading and offloading cargo, the importance of the harbor dwindled over the last century. The final nail in the coffin came when the new marina was built a couple of miles south of the harbor to house the growing number of recreation boats replacing freighters as the primary traffic source in Paddle Bay. Now, the harbor mainly hosted the annual 4th of July fireworks show and a few ships owned by stubborn fishermen. Additionally, a visit every other year from a tourist attraction replica of an 18th-century sailing vessel brought people to the harbor.

The long rectangular structure, once prominent, underwent several renovations and fell into disrepair before gaining historical landmark status. The since-defunct Busybody, Inc. solved several cases over the years, partly thanks to the historical society’s archives and exhibits. Unfortunately, its executive director, Stanley Gladden, preferred the now-departed Dusty over Phineas and Jake. Although Director Gladden did not ban the two teens from the premises, their appearance often led to them being watched like hawks. Still, Phineas knew the building’s layout quite well.

The brainy teen also had extensive knowledge of the security and ATM cameras in the downtown and harbor district. Using this information, Phinn locked his bicycle up six blocks west of his intended destination. Next followed a zigzag course to get to the old harbormaster building’s rear entrance. Before crossing the street, the teen used his pair of mini-binoculars to spot Jake’s sedan sitting on the far east end of the parking lot. A quick text alerted his partner that the next phase would begin shortly.

Decked out in all-black clothing and a black ski mask, Phinn crouched while picking the backdoor’s lock. Cursing himself for not bringing along his pencil flashlight, Phinn struggled through several attempts in the dim light before he heard the click of the lock turning. Hurriedly, he zipped his tools into his small bag, grabbed his larger flashlight, and slid inside the historical society.

Aware that he didn’t have much time to disarm the security alarm, Phinn rushed through his first two guesses. When both failed, Phinn stepped back to mull over his next choice. Recalling Stan Gladden’s love of the Revolutionary War, the teen sought to mimic the sixty-year-old man’s mind. He attempted to decipher what six-number code might feel like a brilliant idea to the director.

Punching in 721776 turned the flashing yellow light to a steady green one. Phineas grinned while muttering about Gladden’s attempt to be tricky. Of course, the war buff picked the actual date the Continental Congress agreed to declare independence, not the more commonly accepted date two days later when they officially approved the Declaration of Independence document on July 4th.

Satisfied with himself, Phinn began to walk away before pausing. Deciding it might be better to keep the alarm active in case they had a log or other means of noticing it was deactivated, Phinn returned to re-arm the system, leading to a steady blue light appearing on the panel.

Since many non-load-bearing walls had been removed before the landmark status, much of the rectangular building now had an open concept, save for several large exhibits. Phinn took a moment to study the display case-lined room and its small number of partitions. Recalling the mounted positions of each camera, Phinn carefully worked his way to the far west end of the historical society while avoiding the cameras’ sightlines.

Aware that the archives lay upstairs in what once had been the harbormaster’s tiny living quarters, Phineas first checked the artifact storage room in the basement. There could be a map or chart from either Thornbeard or the time of the search expedition. Using his flashlight, Phinn found a stepladder and an object large enough to obscure the small high window in the basement. With the outside view blocked, the teen could turn on the room’s lights to work faster.

Fifteen minutes later, after checking every drawer and box in the colonial and Gilded Age sections, Phinn gave up on his basement search. A few maps of the two time periods existed but didn’t appear to be anything special or pertained to his two possible subjects. There also wasn’t any object tied to the Black Rose or any pirate hunter. After removing any signs of his search, Phinn decided to head up to the second story. He’d need to leave the lights off on that floor and get by with only his flashlight. Fortunately, he knew Gladden to be a man who lived by the same routine for decades. So, Phinn had no problems heading to the proper file cabinets.

After another half hour, Phinn took off his glasses to pinch his brow. Outside of several initial promising leads about more famous pirates that led to dead ends, the investigating teen found nothing about Thornbeard. He’d jotted down the names of other pirate ships or possible pirate hunters during the era for further research. However, Thornbeard’s name didn’t appear once, nor was there any mention of a search expedition of any kind off the coast in the 1880s.

Still, Phinn used his phone to snap pictures of the documents about sunken ships from the 1870s to 1890s. Nothing stood out to him. The one small freighter that could’ve been approximately the proper size for a small expedition did sink in Paddle Bay. However, it went down during a hurricane in 1893.

“That was a waste of time,” Phinn muttered.

All that remained was a longshot possibility of a map in the main exhibit room. Even that seemed unlikely, but Phinn decided to check on the way out. He may have missed some nugget but felt he probably hadn’t. The archives at the public library or Bentworth College might provide better results. Perhaps the local librarian, who knew her stuff, could suggest some possibilities.

Descending the stairs, Phineas reached the ground floor. Merely two steps from entering the main room, the teen halted. The rear door had opened. He immediately discarded the idea of Jake coming inside. His remaining partner hated taking risks. Still, he stepped back to pull out his phone and double-check for any message.

Nothing.

Sliding forward, Phinn peaked around the wall, concerned that the police had been alerted. Until they could build back up some brownie points with Chief Norberg, the teen sleuths stood on thin ice with the police department. He’d warned them what would happen the next time the EPD caught them skirting the law. That worry turned out to be unfounded for now.

A man wearing a blue ski mask stood just inside the open door, the moonlight shining on him. Almost at once, a second man, wearing a red ski mask, followed the first inside.

“You cut the alarm?”

“Yeah.”

“You sure?” Phinn figured this came from Red Mask when Blue Mask turned around with annoyed body language.

“This isn’t my first rodeo. The alarm is off!”

Despite being attached to the wall more than halfway across the long room, Phinn could make out the alarm panel’s light. It shifted from blinking green to blinking yellow. Blinking red would follow soon before steady red.

“You didn’t cut it, idiot,” Phinn murmured before his hand ran down his mouth and chin.

The junior private detective suddenly faced the likelihood of the alarm eventually alerting the police. To further complicate matters, the two men split up. However, both still lay between Phineas and the back door. To make things more fun for the teen, they each held a flashlight, with Red Mask carrying what appeared to be a crowbar. After overhearing their conversation, the teen also deduced that Blue Mask had a knife.

Phinn was trapped. All he could do was type a quick message to Jake.