Pirate

“That certainly changes things,” Aldridge said. “Let me see if I can settle him down long enough to figure out where this chart is. I’m fairly certain he keeps it in the shop, which is probably why he led us here to begin with. He does get distracted by the caverns.”

“Thanks,” Sam said. “We appreciate your help.”

Sam and Remi waited outside while Aldridge spoke with Percy.

They looked in through the window, discussing what to do if Percy couldn’t find the chart. “Maybe,” Remi said, “he’ll remember the general vicinity of the four caverns. We could have Aldridge drive him there while we follow. He won’t even have to get out of the car. Just point to the location, then Aldridge could take him home.”

“That might be our only option,” he said as Aldridge called them back inside.

“Good news,” Aldridge said. “Percy and I had a little chat about those caverns.”

Percy was holding a cardboard tube. “My friend tells me you’re interested in the Nottingham caves. Some of my favorites. Been visiting them since I was a boy.”

Aldridge tapped Percy on the shoulder. “Show them the map, Percy.”

“Right.” He walked over to the table and pulled the top off the tube. Tipping it over, he slid out a large printed map of Nottingham, which he spread out on the counter. Thick red pencil lines were drawn all over it, with notations scrawled in various places. “Been mapping the things as long as I can remember. These are my favorite,” he said, tapping the spot where they were now standing.

Sam eyed the map, noting a cloverleaf pattern drawn near the grounds of Nottingham Castle and the notation Four Caverns written above it. “Tell us about this place,” he said.

Fifty-one

It’s the four caverns,” Percy said. “Dangerous place, that. Lots of twists and turns. Some of the chambers drop right down. Too easy to fall. These, though,” he pointed toward the tailor’s shop again. “Much easier to get in. First ones I ever went into. Used to be wine cellars.”

Remi put her hand on Percy’s shoulder. “Definitely my favorite. But these,” she said, pointing to the clover, indicating the four caverns. “Where do we find them?”

“Behind the ivy. Lot of those caves were hidden when the houses were built. There’s an ancient stone wall in the park. The ivy grows right over it. See the X?”

Sam leaned in close and saw the entrance was actually marked. “Would you mind if I took a photograph?”

“Not at all,” Percy said.

Sam took a few photos with his phone while Remi asked, “When’s the last time you were there?”

“Years ago. Used to take some of my students on tours down there. It’s still there. You came with me, remember?” he said to Aldridge.

“Vaguely. We’ve traipsed through a lot of caves.”

Percy nodded. “This one I like because it’s right there, but no one even knows. Through the ivy. That’s how a lot of them are. Lost. But right there in their own backyards.”

* * *

Sam and Remi left for Nottingham Park, a neighborhood that had once been the deer park for Nottingham Castle. The area they were looking for — from what Percy had described to them — had a greenbelt running between some of the grand houses set on large parcels. Unfortunately, what he didn’t have was an exact address, and as Sam drove around, they realized the description fit several areas.

It wasn’t until Selma called with a piece of information that allowed them to fit a puzzle piece into place. He pulled over. “Can you repeat that?” Sam said as he put her on speakerphone. “I want to make sure we heard you right.”

“Grace Herbert-Miller’s cousin,” Selma said. “The one who inherited the estate in Nottingham?”

“Something McGregor, wasn’t it?” Sam said.

“Henry McGregor. I did some checking. This estate he inherited is in that very neighborhood.” She read off the address. “The property’s up for sale, and nobody’s living there at the moment. But we called and Mr. McGregor said you’re welcome to go anywhere on the property that you want.”

Remi plugged it into the GPS on her phone. When it came up, she and Sam compared it to the map that Percy had given them. Almost in the middle of his red clover marking the four caverns he’d talked about.

“X marks the spot,” she said.

* * *

Sam dug out his backpack, pulling out what they needed for their initial foray into the cave — should they be lucky enough to find it. He and Remi each took a compact Stinger flashlight and case, a four-inch Buck Knife, and a magnetic compass. Sam carried his gun in the hidden holster of his fishing vest and his knife in its case on his belt. Remi wore a pancake holster with her P938 nine-millimeter, pushing it toward the small of her back so it wouldn’t be readily visible.