was just a few feet away from the Key West Smallest Bar. Food, something good and stiff and a long nap.
She had imagined the figurehead in the water. But, really, if she thought about it, if she was going to imagine images, maybe in her mind the poor martyred Dona Isabella was trying to help her, she wanted the history known, she wanted the world to know what horrible villains Mad Miller and Kitty Cutlass had been.
Sleep.
And she would quit seeing things.
And with any luck, she wouldn’t dream.
Sunken Treasures was located on Simonton. The proprietors, Jaden Valiente and Ted Taggart, were friendsof Sean’s from school. They’d lived and worked together for years without choosing to marry, but they seemed happy, had no children, kept five cats in the small store, and appeared pleased with every aspect of their lives. They never fought, which was nice, since Sean was good friends with both of them. He’d traveled so much working that he hadn’t been home much since high school, but when he was in Key West, with the two of them, it was as if he had never left.
“Hey!” Jaden said, looking up from her workstation as he entered. Ted was across the room at an identical station. They were both equipped with bright, twist-neck lamps, bottles with all kinds of solutions and brushes with varying degrees of bristles. The shop was decorated with old broadsides and sailing paraphernalia from every century and decade. It was eclectic and had one showcase—where they displayed the reproduction pieces that they made, much more affordable than the real items that could be purchased many places in the city.
Jaden looked at him through magnifying glasses that made her eyes appear huge. They were warm brown eyes, and she had curly brown hair past her shoulders that gave her the look of a new age hippie. Ted had the same look—he was wearing a Grateful Dead T-shirt and he also had curly brown hair that he wore long, a curly brown beard and mustache and an easygoing smile.
“Nice to see you in our neck of the woods. We usually have to go to karaoke down at O’Hara’s and warble out an old Cream number to get to see you, Sean,” Ted said, grinning.
“Speak for yourself. I do not warble, I sing delightfully off-key,” Jaden said. “What’s up?”
“A young woman diving with me this morning made a discovery,” Sean said.
“Oh? What?” Jaden asked, coming around from her workstation.
Sean produced the piece. “Right now, God knows, it could be anything, but…this kind of growth and debris upon it, whatever it is, it looks as if it has been out there awhile.”
Jaden took it from him, studying it. Ted came around, as well. “Looks old,” he said.
“Is it a coin?” Sean asked.
“Looks more like a medallion…a brooch? Where was it found?” Jaden asked.
“Pirate Cut,” Sean told her.
“That’s where the Santa Geneva went down under pirate attack,” Ted said. “Other ships, too. The water is so deep and then the shallow reef juts up—caught lots of ships over time.”
“We were diving over the bone structure—what’s left—of the Santa Geneva, ” Sean said.
“Cool!” Jaden looked at Ted with a pleased smile. “This really could be something.”
“I’d have thought that, over the years, almost everything of any value had already been brought up,” Sean said.
“For shame, Sean O’Hara!” Jaden said. “The sea is ever a cruel mistress, and you never know what’s been found and what hasn’t—especially over time. I’ll get on it right away,” Jaden promised. “And carefully!”
“I knew you would,” Sean told her.
“It would be spectacular if this were a documented piece of jewelry!” Jaden said enthusiastically.
“Did you get any of it on film?” Ted asked him.
“Yes, some of the discovery.”
“’Cause you’re going to work with David Beckett and do a really cool documentary, right?” Ted asked. “Wow—and you start off by finding a treasure from the Santa
She had imagined the figurehead in the water. But, really, if she thought about it, if she was going to imagine images, maybe in her mind the poor martyred Dona Isabella was trying to help her, she wanted the history known, she wanted the world to know what horrible villains Mad Miller and Kitty Cutlass had been.
Sleep.
And she would quit seeing things.
And with any luck, she wouldn’t dream.
Sunken Treasures was located on Simonton. The proprietors, Jaden Valiente and Ted Taggart, were friendsof Sean’s from school. They’d lived and worked together for years without choosing to marry, but they seemed happy, had no children, kept five cats in the small store, and appeared pleased with every aspect of their lives. They never fought, which was nice, since Sean was good friends with both of them. He’d traveled so much working that he hadn’t been home much since high school, but when he was in Key West, with the two of them, it was as if he had never left.
“Hey!” Jaden said, looking up from her workstation as he entered. Ted was across the room at an identical station. They were both equipped with bright, twist-neck lamps, bottles with all kinds of solutions and brushes with varying degrees of bristles. The shop was decorated with old broadsides and sailing paraphernalia from every century and decade. It was eclectic and had one showcase—where they displayed the reproduction pieces that they made, much more affordable than the real items that could be purchased many places in the city.
Jaden looked at him through magnifying glasses that made her eyes appear huge. They were warm brown eyes, and she had curly brown hair past her shoulders that gave her the look of a new age hippie. Ted had the same look—he was wearing a Grateful Dead T-shirt and he also had curly brown hair that he wore long, a curly brown beard and mustache and an easygoing smile.
“Nice to see you in our neck of the woods. We usually have to go to karaoke down at O’Hara’s and warble out an old Cream number to get to see you, Sean,” Ted said, grinning.
“Speak for yourself. I do not warble, I sing delightfully off-key,” Jaden said. “What’s up?”
“A young woman diving with me this morning made a discovery,” Sean said.
“Oh? What?” Jaden asked, coming around from her workstation.
Sean produced the piece. “Right now, God knows, it could be anything, but…this kind of growth and debris upon it, whatever it is, it looks as if it has been out there awhile.”
Jaden took it from him, studying it. Ted came around, as well. “Looks old,” he said.
“Is it a coin?” Sean asked.
“Looks more like a medallion…a brooch? Where was it found?” Jaden asked.
“Pirate Cut,” Sean told her.
“That’s where the Santa Geneva went down under pirate attack,” Ted said. “Other ships, too. The water is so deep and then the shallow reef juts up—caught lots of ships over time.”
“We were diving over the bone structure—what’s left—of the Santa Geneva, ” Sean said.
“Cool!” Jaden looked at Ted with a pleased smile. “This really could be something.”
“I’d have thought that, over the years, almost everything of any value had already been brought up,” Sean said.
“For shame, Sean O’Hara!” Jaden said. “The sea is ever a cruel mistress, and you never know what’s been found and what hasn’t—especially over time. I’ll get on it right away,” Jaden promised. “And carefully!”
“I knew you would,” Sean told her.
“It would be spectacular if this were a documented piece of jewelry!” Jaden said enthusiastically.
“Did you get any of it on film?” Ted asked him.
“Yes, some of the discovery.”
“’Cause you’re going to work with David Beckett and do a really cool documentary, right?” Ted asked. “Wow—and you start off by finding a treasure from the Santa
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