Free 4 Buried Secrets by Leighann Dobbs

heads or tails of them.”
    “And she saw some ghosts,” Jolene said to Jake.
    “Oh really?” Jakes eyebrows lifted. “We didn’t find anything.”
    “Neither did we,” Luke added. “Just a bunch of rocks and sand. Tell us about the ghosts.”
    Celeste glanced back at the mine uneasily. “One of them was Shorty. I recognized him from the picture. He didn’t seem pleased to see me … told me to get out. I asked him about the markings on the wall but he acted like he didn’t even see them. Then she showed up.”
    “She?” Morgan asked.
    “Yeah, the same ghost I saw in Dead Water. She wasn’t there long though, because then the Sheriff showed up and scared her away.”
    “Wait, I thought the sheriff was a good guy,” Fiona said.
    “He is,” Celeste said. “At least I think he is. Not sure why the woman disappeared when he showed up but it seemed like he and Shorty were going to have some kind of fight. He told me to stay out of it and I got a weird feeling so I got out of there as fast as I could.”
    “That sounds kind of scary.” Morgan looked back at the mine opening. “It’s good that you listened to your ‘weird feeling’. I know mine are always right.”
    “Yeah, I just wish I could have found something out about the treasure.” Celeste pressed her lips together. “Although the woman did say something strange and I wonder if it's some kind of clue.”
    “What was that?” Luke asked.
    “She said something about the key being in Dead Water.”
    Jolene sucked in a breath and everyone turned to face her.  
    “Do you know something about a key?” Jake asked.
    “No.” Jolene’s bottom lip caught between her teeth. “It’s just that Walt, the old guy in the bar, said when his grandmother was a little girl she overheard one of the ladies in Dead Water and the Sheriff fighting about a key … she said the sheriff told the woman the key was buried in Dead Water and she’d never find it.”
    “What is the key for?” Fiona asked.
    Celeste shrugged. “I have no idea … I don’t even know if we can trust her. When I saw her ghost in the cemetery, she said she wanted vindication. So, I wonder—does the key have to do with that or the treasure?”
    “Either way, it seems like another trip to Dead Water is in order.” Luke narrowed his eyes at something behind Celeste and she turned around to see a cloud of dust approaching them.
    “Who’s that?” Morgan squinted toward the dust cloud.
    “Looks like the police,” Jolene said.
    Celeste’s stomach sank as the brown and black Sheriff’s car pulled to a stop. Sheriff Kane didn’t seem too happy with them last time and she didn’t want another run-in with him. But Kane wasn’t driving. Another cop got out. Tall and blond, he wore a Sheriff’s Office uniform and a pair of those annoying mirrored sunglasses.
    “What are you folks doing here?” Celeste looked at the deputy tag on his shirt thath gave his name—Styles.
    “Just taking some scenic pictures, Deputy Styles.” Fiona poured on the charm, twirling her red curls.
    “Didn’t you see the ‘No Trespassing’ sign?” Apparently, Fiona’s charm hadn’t worked because Styles was pulling out a pad of pink paper.  
    “Are you writing a ticket?” Jolene asked.
    Styles fixed her with a glare—or at least Celeste thought it was a glare, she couldn’t tell with the sunglasses. “Yep. You people know better than to be out here, I think. Didn’t Sheriff Kane warn you?”
    “Not here. Over at Emma’s,” Luke answered.
    Styles raised a brow and scribbled something on the pad. “This here’s a two hundred and fifty dollar fine. Next time I’ll throw you in jail.”
    “What?” Jolene’s eyes flashed as Luke calmly took the paper that Styles had ripped from the pad. “That’s ridiculous. You can’t throw us in jail for trespassing.” She glanced at Luke uncertainly. “Can he?”
    Luke just shrugged.
    Styles whipped off his glasses, his sharp hazel eyes addressed each