A Pirate's Possession by Michelle Beattie Page B

stated.
    â€œHow in blazes are we ever going to know that?” Nate asked him.
    â€œClaire, you said that you knew of three ships that were in the area about the same time the Santa Francesca left Nombre de Dios. What else did you learn?”
    Claire sighed, tucked a leg underneath her, and leaned back in her chair. If they were taking this route, it was going to be another long night.
    â€œIt made sense to me, once I learned the treasure was never recovered near the wreck, that it must have been moved. I talked to several people, both in Nombre de Dios and in Cartegena, and they all agreed that they’d heard of at least three ships around that evening.”
    â€œAt least three? There could be more?”
    Claire looked at Nate. “I know that doesn’t sound very assuring, but since most claim that there were only three ships, and were in fact able to name them, that’s what I’ve used as the basis of my search.”
    â€œAnd they would be?” Nate asked.
    â€œThe Maiden of the Sea , which was last seen close to Havana. The Emmeline , which was reported to have gone past Santo Domingo, and the Fernando , which made its last known stop at Barbados.”
    â€œPerfect. Not only does this still not tell us why they hid the treasure,” Nate reasoned, “but it also leaves us with three completely different routes.”
    â€œOnly two, as it happens. The Maiden of the Sea was taken by pirates not far from Nassau. The handful of survivors swore the treasure was never on their ship.”
    â€œWell of course they’d say so. You don’t think they’d have told them where it was buried, do you?”
    â€œFrom what I learned, the sailors on board were flogged. The cat-o’-nine-tails was reputedly well used that night and more than one man died from the abuse.”
    â€œA man would confess to almost anything to escape that,” Vincent muttered.
    From the horror on his face Claire knew he was picturing the hide-made whip that had nine knotted ends, each of which carved into the back of whoever was being flogged.
    â€œWhich is precisely why I tend to believe them.”
    Nate scrubbed his face. “All right, that brings us down to two ships and two routes.” He looked at Claire. “There are lots of islands near both Santo Domingo and Barbados that have bold shores.”
    â€œI know,” she agreed with a tired sigh.
    â€œLet me see that again,” Nate said and Vincent passed him the map.
    Claire watched Nate as his fingers traced the islands and his lips moved as he read the words. Though men tromped about above and their muffled voices carried through easily enough, Nate’s cabin was quiet and still.
    â€œThis,” Nate said, tapping the map. “Where it says ‘bold shore.’ What if it doesn’t mean what we think it does?”
    â€œI don’t follow,” Claire said, though she unfolded her leg and sat straighter.
    â€œWhat if instead of a steep cliff, it actually means to be bold, or brazen.”
    She frowned. “Brazen?”
    Vincent looked at her, raised his shoulders in puzzlement. “I’ve no idea,” he said.
    â€œCan you not think of a port that is dauntless and arrogant?”
    â€œTortuga?” Vincent suggested.
    â€œNot Tortuga. Pirates are more than welcome there. But there’s a little island that once fought off a pirate attack. The natives were outnumbered dreadfully, but as they were fierce warriors, not only did they fight for their lives and won, they also took down half the pirate crew in the process.”
    The name came fast to Claire’s mind and she grabbed the map, saw where Nate had drawn it in. She pointed to the island that lay southeast of Santo Domingo. “Isla de Hueso.”
    â€œIsla de Hueso?” Vincent repeated.
    Nate smiled and his eyes sparked, drawing Claire into his excitement. “It wasn’t called that at the time, but it’s