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The two poor police officers were completely out of their league dealing with Patty and Taffy. One thing was clear—they weren’t going after the coins the women had already stuffed into their bras. Instead, they did the wise thing and called for backup.
Scott arrived ten minutes later, pulling his new department vehicle into the driveway behind Paige’s car. Paige recognized the other guy who got out of the car as the police chief the instant she saw him. He looked the part perfectly, complete with a slight paunch, thinning hair on top, and bags under his eyes. He sauntered forward and got the scoop from the two officers left behind to babysit Paige and her cousins. Before he could give any orders, another car pulled into the already packed driveway.
This time, it was a black Buick, and Frank Maretti climbed out. “What is happening?” he asked, looking alarmed by all the people at the house he’d just purchased. Marco got out of the passenger side of Frank’s car and beamed at Paige.
Before anyone could answer Frank, he spotted the bucket of gold coins, pointed at it, and began to sputter. “Where did you find that?”
All eyes slid to Paige, and she sighed. “In the flower boxes,” she admitted.
“My flower boxes?” Frank demanded. “Attached to my house?”
“Well, yes, I suppose so . . .”
“Then that is my gold!” Frank marched toward the bucket, but one of the cops intercepted him, holding up a hand in a clear order to stop moving. Frank did stop, but he fumed. “What is the meaning of this? You are all on my property. Trespassing! You’re all trespassing, yes. And trying to steal my gold. Get off my land!” The man’s mustache quivered as he clenched his jaw.
The chief cleared his throat and spoke. “We’re going to confiscate the gold.” He looked sternly at the cousins. “All of it. Once the investigation into this matter is concluded, if it’s clear who the gold belongs to, we’ll give it to that person. Otherwise, a judge will have to decide whose it is.” He jerked his head toward the bucket.
Scott stalked over and picked it up, making sure to put all the loose coins lying next to it back inside. Then he walked over to Taffy and held out the bucket.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s our gold,” she declared. “Nora was our aunt, and she left the house to my sister and me, so she obviously wanted us to have the treasure.”
“Lies!” Frank stepped toward Taffy. “If she’d wanted you to have the gold, your aunt would have at least told you where it was. She hid it from you just as completely as anyone. It’s mine. Not only because I own this house but also because my family owned the bookstore building before that. My claim is valid on both fronts. Give me my gold!” Frank moved toward Taffy, who dropped her hands and stood her ground. Patty grabbed the previously effective garden tools off the ground and flanked her sister, brandishing the makeshift weapons at the restaurateur.
Officers stepped forward fast, wrenching the tools from Patty while Paige hid a laugh behind her hand. She caught Marco’s eye. He was smirking too, and she felt a sudden, surprising camaraderie with him. She was actually glad he was there. Though she hadn’t really admitted it to herself before, she’d kind of missed the goofy galoot after she’d come back to Comfort Cove. A tiny part of her had been glad to see him when he’d appeared in the bookstore with her suitcases.
Scott finally convinced the grumbling cousins to dig the gold coins out of their bras and drop them into the bucket by mentioning a body cavity search at the jail. He stuck the heavy bucket in the back seat of his police cruiser. As the other officers got into their cars, Scott gave Paige a quick, tight hug.
Frank angrily ordered everyone off his land, and Paige’s cousins grumbled loudly as they headed toward the side road where their car was parked.
As Paige walked over to the Oldsmobile and prepared to get in, she heard Marco ask his uncle, “So . . . I still get to live here, no? Even though there’s no gold for me to search for now?”
Frank scowled at his nephew and then fairly growled, “I suppose so. At least until I can sell the worthless place.” He looked around and kicked at the dirt savagely with a patent leather-covered foot. “You can paint the place while you’re here in lieu of rent,” he said. “Make yourself useful so I can get more money out of it when I sell it.”
Paige couldn’t believe it. Marco was going to be living in her aunt’s house. Was it a coincidence or fate’s doing?
Paige grinned and got into the car. By the time she’d backed out of the driveway and started toward the beach, she was full-out smiling. All the bad guys were locked up, the gold coins were accounted for, and no one else was going to die. She glanced at the teapot and donkey on the seat beside her. “Rest easy, Aunt Nora,” she said. “I’ve got everything under control here. But I think you know that.”