Free 4 Buried Secrets by Leighann Dobbs Page B

had been written in code and had to be translated. Without Cal knowing what kind of code it was and how to find the translation cypher, they never would have found the treasure.
    “Yeah.” Celeste smiled down at the phone, her stomach fluttering. “He said he’s coming out to meet us here tomorrow night.”
    “And you have that big smile plastered on your face because you’re happy he can help us decode the symbols?” Fiona’s teasing remark caused Celeste’s cheeks to warm.
    “Of course.” Celeste plastered a wide-eyed innocent look on her face.
    Morgan and Fiona snickered.  
    “I’m going to do some more research on the treasure and see if I can get a lead on this key.” Jolene dumped her paper plate in the trash, then got behind the desk and tapped on the computer. “It might help us to know exactly what we’re looking for.”
    Celeste threw out her own plate and settled onto the micro-suede couch noticing it was a lot more comfortable than the old one. Belladonna jumped up onto the end table beside her, knocking the book Dixie had lent them into her lap.
    “Oh, I guess I can flip through here and see if I find anything useful.” Celeste opened the book, looking at the table of contents. Belladonna reached a velvety paw out and touched the page.
    “Careful, Belladonna. This book is on loan.” Celeste gently pushed the cat’s paw aside but Belladonna just put it right back on the book, this time lifting the edge of the pages with a finely honed claw.
    “Cut it out, I don’t want the pages to get ripped.” Celeste picked the cat up and put her on the floor.
    “Meow!” Belladonna jumped back up onto the couch swishing her tail in Celeste’s face. Celeste took her hands off the book to push the fluffy white tail aside. Belladonna shot her paw out to the pages of the book, flipping some over to a section of old pictures.
    “Hey, I said—”
    Celeste stared down at the page in the book, her words catching in her throat. Sitting in the middle of the page was a picture of the ghost Celeste had seen in the mine and at Dead Water. She wore a fancy dress, her hair piled high on her head. Underneath the caption read, ‘Lily Sweetwater’.  
    Where had she heard that name before?
    “Is something the matter?” Morgan asked.
    Celeste looked up at her sister. “I think I just found our lady ghost.”
    “Really?”
    Celeste held the book up and pointed at the picture. “It says her name was Lily Sweetwater.”
    “Maybe we should Google her and see if that leads us to any clues,” Fiona said, glancing over at Jolene.
    “Did you say Lily?” Jolene’s forehead creased.
    “Yep. Sweetwater.”
    “Remember how I told you about the old-timer in the bar and how his grandma followed a lady around? The lady fought with the Sheriff about some key,” Jolene said.
    “Yes,” Celeste replied.
    “Well, that lady’s name was Lily,” Jolene said. “And I think he said she was married to the Sheriff.”
    “Deke?”
    Jolene shrugged. “I guess so. He never said the Sheriff’s name.”  
    “Well this all can’t be coincidence,” Morgan said. “I have a feeling it all ties together somehow.”
    “But how?” Luke asked.
    “I don’t know, but I think we’re on the right track,” Morgan answered. “Maybe there is more about her in the book or online.”
    “Meow.”
    Celeste reached over to pat Belladonna. “Looks like Belladonna inadvertently gave us a clue by flipping to the page with the picture.”  
    “Maybe it wasn’t inadvertent.” Fiona wiggled her eyes at Celeste.
    “Yeah.” Jake laughed. “Too bad the cat doesn’t have some secret knowledge and can tell us where the treasure is. Then we could avoid all this clue chasing.”
    Luke joined in the laughter and the two men shook their heads.
    Celeste looked over at the cat. It did seem kind of strange that she was always turning up clues for them.  
    Did she have some secret knowledge?  
    Celeste bent down to study the cat closer.