~Mason~
August 22, 1957
My Dearest Love,
I never would have taken this assignment if I’d known how long it would separate me from you. A six-month dig has turned into two long years, and I long for you. I wish you would reconsider joining me, but I understand that you have family obligations in Louisiana.
The ground here keeps uncovering so many treasures. Bodies, perfectly preserved for centuries, fabrics, pottery, even food still inside the bowls. It’s as if time has been frozen here, and it’s the most amazing find I’ve ever been on. The people here are kind, but they’re nervous about us digging up this sacred ground, worried that we’ll anger the gods and that something horrible will happen. Nothing we tell them eases their minds.
I would love for you to be here so I can show this to you. You’d be so excited. Each day is a new discovery.
Please, Claudia, if circumstances change, please come be with me. It would be the adventure of our lives.
Yours always.
Love,
Charles
There are hundreds of letters, just like this one, in the trunk that sits at the end of my Aunt Claudia’s bed. My whole life, I would ask her what was in here, and she would just redirect me, showing me books full of wonderful things that came out of the ground.
Old things, old people, preserved for thousands of years and tell me stories about how she helped dig them up.
I knew from the time I was a small boy that I wanted to be an archeologist for a living. I wanted to find amazing treasures and show them to the world.
Aunt Claudia was one of the first women in this country to lead archeological expeditions, and she loved it. It consumed her for much of her life.
But I had no idea that she was once in love. I wish she’d told me that story because now all I can think is, where is Charles now? Why did they never marry?
By the time I knew her, Aunt Claudia was a bit of a recluse. She rarely left her big house in New Orleans. She was wealthy, and had a comfortable life here, and I would spend summers with her while my parents were off in Europe. I could have gone with them.
I always chose Aunt Claudia.
I return the letter to its envelope and close the trunk. It feels like a betrayal to go through her things, but she’s gone, and it’s going to have to be done eventually. I have to be back in Chile in three weeks, so the sooner I get started, the better.
My phone rings on the floor next to me.
“Hey.”
“Hi,” My sister, Amelia, says. “How’s it going?”
“It’s going,” I reply and lean back against the bed. The sun went down hours ago. “What time is it?”
“About eleven your time,” she says. “What are you doing?”
“I was going through old letters of Claudia’s.” I rub my hand over my face and realize that I’m hungry. Dinner came and went a long time ago. “I thought I knew her so well, and I’m learning more the longer I’m here.”
“She was amazing,” Amelia says. “I feel guilty. I should have come with you.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.” I sigh. “You weren’t very close to her, and that’s okay.”
“No one was close to her. Except you.”
“We were kindred spirits.”
“That’s one way to put it,” she replies, laughing. “Will it be quick?”
“No.” I sigh again. “It seems Claudia had a plan, even in the event of her death. She didn’t want a funeral, but she did want me to go to the reading of the will with someone I knew a long time ago when I was interning at Tulane years ago.”
“Was this someone you knew also someone you boned?”
I pull the phone away from my ear and scowl at it. “You’re twenty. You’re not supposed to know about these things.”
“Right.” She snorts. “Was she?”
“I dated her,” I admit. “Claudia met her a few times, and she liked her.”
“What’s her name?”
“Lena.” Lena. Her name alone stirs something in me, feelings I’ve spent the past six years pushing to the side. She’s sexy as fuck, just like her name, not that I’ll tell my baby sister that.
“Lena what?”
“You’re nosy. It doesn’t matter. She just has to go with me to the appointment with the attorney on Friday. I have no idea why Claudia wanted it that way, but I’m sure I’ll find out then.”
“Interesting. Did you love her?”
“You know I loved Aunt Claudia.”
“Don’t be dumb.” I can hear her eyes roll through the phone and it makes me smile. “Lena. Did you love Lena?”
I pause, considering the question. “I was very taken with her. She’s beautiful and smart, and I enjoyed her.”
“Just like a man to not want to admit that he was in love.”
“I think I was beginning to fall in love with her,” I reply. “But it didn’t work out, and that’s for the best. Now, stop asking me nosy questions.”
“Never. I’m your baby sister. That’s what I do.”
I grin, suddenly missing her. “Come to Chile with me next month. I’ll put you to work.”
“Ugh. No. It’s hot there, and there are bugs. You crawl around in the dirt for a living.”
“You used to like it.”
“I just wanted to be where you were. I’ll think about it.”
I grin and decide to go find something to eat. “Do that. I’ll call you after this is all wrapped up.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you more.” I hang up and walk out of Aunt Claudia’s room and downstairs to the kitchen. Everything in this old house needs to be updated. I don’t think it’s been done once in the forty years she lived here.
And, of course, there are no groceries here. It’s too late to have something delivered.
Fuck it.
I go out on the front porch and sit on the swing, listening to the night birds. I always loved New Orleans. I should visit more often.
Lena’s here.
I frown and watch lightning bugs fly about among the heavy branches of the old oak trees. I still think of Lena often, and wonder how she is. I visited Aunt Claudia plenty of times over the years, but never looked her up.
I knew I wouldn’t be welcome, not after the way I ended it.
I wonder if she’ll show up on Friday. I hope so. I don’t need Aunt Claudia’s money or her estate, but I do want it all to be resolved properly. And it seems Lena is the key to that.
***
“Thanks for coming, Dr. Coulter,” Alan Tucker, my aunt’s attorney, says as he meets me in the lobby of his firm. He shakes my hand and leads me to his office, and I’m stunned to see that Lena’s already sitting there. “You know Ms. Turner.”
“Of course.” I sit next to her and lean over to whisper, “Thank you.”
She smiles and shrugs one shoulder before Alan begins to talk.
“Thank you both for coming in today,” he says. “You aunt was very specific about how she wanted this to go, and I’m honoring her wishes.”
“As it should be,” I reply with a nod.
“Okay, let’s get started then.” He shuffles some papers aside and pulls a stapled document out of a file folder. “It’s actually quite straightforward. I’ll read it aloud, and when I’ve finished, ask any questions you might have.”
“Understood.”
“I, Claudia Coulter, declare this as my last will and testament. I revoke all prior wills, and on this 17th Day of June in 2016 declare that I have no spouse and no children. I will all of my real estate, life insurance, monies, jewelry, investment accounts, and any other real property to my nephew, Dr. Mason Coulter.”
Alan looks up at me with a small smile, and I shift in my chair uncomfortably. I’m sure some people in this position would be excited about becoming an instant millionaire several times over, but I already have wealth.
He clears his throat and keeps reading.
“There is one condition to this inheritance. Mason and Ms. Lena Turner must immediately embark on a journey, following clues that I’ve left in places of archeological interest in North America. They must travel together, and must complete the journey together. If they fail to do this, my estate in its entirety will be donated to the City of New Orleans.”
Lena’s head whips over to stare at me, her jaw dropped in surprise.
“Why me?” she asks.
“Ms. Coulter said that would all be revealed during the journey. She also asked me to give you this letter, but you’re not to read it until later, when you’re alone.”
He passes Lena a sealed envelope and crosses his hands over the document on his desk.
“So, we have to go on a scavenger hunt?” Lena demands.
“A treasure hunt,” I say quietly, not exactly surprised by this turn of events. “She wants me to hunt for her treasure.”
Alan smiles softly. “She does.”
“Why do I have to go with him?” Lena asks. Her fingers are shaking. She’s upset. I take her hand in mine and give it a squeeze.
“I believe that letter will explain it,” Alan replies. “You’re due to leave in the morning. The whole trip is already paid for; all you have to do is show up and follow the clues.”
“I have to travel with Indiana Jones here, all over North America, hunting for his late aunt’s fortune?” She’s laughing now, her hand over her face. “This doesn’t happen in real life.”
“It seems it does,” I reply and smile at her when she looks up at me again. Her blue eyes are full of tears from laughter. “But you can choose not to go.”
She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “How long will this take?”
“About a week,” Alan replies. “You may be able to do it faster, but I suggest you have fun with it. Take your time. Not many people get to go on an adventure like this one.”
“Do you already know the details?” I ask him, and he nods happily.
“Your aunt was special, Dr. Coulter.”
“I know.” My stomach is in knots, my chest tight. I’m so fucking excited to go on this adventure I can hardly stay in my chair. I want to leap up and go right now.
But Lena hasn’t agreed to go with me, and she’s the key.
“School’s finished,” she murmurs. “Do you need to know right now?”
“I’m afraid so,” Alan replies. “Once you agree and leave my office, I set everything into motion. I’ll call you both at six in the morning to tell you where to go.”
“Six in the morning?” Lena demands. “Why would anyone be awake that early?”
I laugh and sit back, watching all of the emotions roll over her face. God, she’s fucking gorgeous. Spending the next week, on the ultimate treasure hunt, is going to be spectacular.
She worries her lip between her teeth, thinking it over.
“Can I send a quick text?”
“Of course,” Alan says, and we both sit quietly as she types furiously on her phone. A reply comes almost immediately. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Who did you text?” I ask, curious.
“Mallory. She’s going to check my mail.” She smiles widely. “I might regret this, but I’m in. I might just learn something.”
“Are you sure?” I ask and take her hand in mine again. “I know it’s asking a lot, and if you’re uncomfortable with it, I understand.”
“I’m okay,” she says with a nod. “I mean, we’ll have separate sleeping arrangements, and—”
“Actually,” Alan interrupts, “You’ll be sleeping in the same hotel room. Claudia was specific about that as well. She didn’t want Mason sneaking out to go find anything on his own. She wanted you to do this together. One hundred percent.”
“I’m not sleeping with him,” she says, and I tilt my head to the side. Is that a challenge? Because right now all I can think about is getting her on a plane and joining the mile high club.
“I don’t believe she was insisting on the trip to be consummated,” Alan says with a wink. “Just that you sleep in the same room.”
Lena frowns and sits back in her seat. “Do I have to go to the bathroom and shower with him too?”
Yes to the shower.
“No, ma’am.”
She nods. “Okay. Let’s do it.” She looks over at me and a slow smile spreads over her face. “With Indiana Jones leading the way, we can’t lose.”