Chapter 3

The team gathered back at HQ, their eyes fixed on the library book sitting in the middle of the smart table. Its worn cover and pages held potential answers, leading them closer to the truth they were after. They just needed to figure out to unlock the secret.

"Why this book?" Steve asked. "What's so special about The High Window?"

"According to the book jacket, and a summary I read online when we were on our way back from the bar," Kono said, "A stolen gold coin figures into the plot in a pretty big way."

"Would someone really be that obvious?" Steve asked skeptically.

Danny barked a laugh. "Mob guys in New Jersey have never been known for subtlety. Especially back in the 80's and 90's."

"All I know is that the bartender said the guy seemed obsessed with this book," Chin said. "Something pretty big must have happened for him to leave it and never come back to get it."

"Like maybe his past caught up with him," Kono suggested.

"Maybe," Steve said. "But if that was the case, wouldn't whoever found him want to get their hands on this book? And what about the guys he used to drink with in the bar?"

As he lifted up the book and the light reflecting up off the smart table caught the cover and he noticed something.

A small slit close to the bottom of the spine of the book.

He eased it open and pulled out a tattered piece of paper which he unfolded to reveal a series of letters, numbers, and symbols.

"That looks interesting," Danny said.

"Clearly some kind of code." Chin looked closer. "Not like any I've ever seen before though."

"Me either." Steve ran a hand through his hair. "So, if this is the key to finding the missing mob boss, and maybe recovering some of the gold, we need to decipher whatever's in here. And I know just how to do that."

Reaching for his phone, he hit speed dial one for Catherine.

That evening, with the kids asleep, Steve and Catherine sat at the coffee table, the book in front of them. She leaned over it, her brow furrowed in concentration. Her eyes darted back and forth between the book and the paper Steve found hidden in the spine. "I'll start examining the text for anomalies – patterns, codes, anything that might stand out. See if I can make any connection at all between the book and this code."

"You think they might not be related?" Steve asked.

Catherine shrugged. "It's impossible to say right now. Maybe he just really likes books by Raymond Chandler. Or maybe this was the one he happened to be reading when he had to go on the run."

"But then why would he carry it around with him? And why did the bartender say he seemed obsessed with it? And why didn't he, or any of the guys he hung out with in there, ever come back for it?"

"I don't know yet." Catherine kissed his cheek and smiled. "But I might be able to figure it out faster if you stopped pestering me with questions."

Steve tapped a pen against his palm. "Ok, I'll be quiet and let you do your magic." He paused for a few beats. "But we really need to figure out why this book was so important to the missing guy. What's it hiding and is he one of the missing mobsters or just some guy from Jersey hiding from his past?"

"We'll figure it out," Catherine said confidently. "We just need a little bit of time."

The next morning at HQ, Kono's eyes widened as Catherine, appearing via Zoom on the overhead screen, reviewed what she'd found so far.

"I've only been able to crack the first piece of the code," Catherine said. "But it definitely correlates to certain pages of the book where the missing dubloon is discussed."

"So this mystery man and the gold are connected for sure?" Kono asked. "That has to mean he's one of the missing mobsters."

Catherine nodded. "Looks that way."

"And that's why he came here to the island all those years ago? He thought this would be a good place to hide the gold?" Kono asked incredulously. "It had to have been pretty tough to transport that much gold here."

"He was probably just trying to get as far away from New Jersey as he possibly could," Chin said.

"Probably, but he had to have had help," Danny said. "Someone with a boat. That might be how he ended up connecting with the moonshiners. A lot of them have boats."

"I think it might be worth a trip back to the bar to see if we can get any more info on either the guy with the book or any of the people he hung out with," Chin said. "Maybe talk to some of the customers this time."

"Do you think they'll talk to you?" Steve asked.

Chin smiled. "I'll use my charm."

"And if that doesn't work, I'll step in and threaten to arrest them all for moonshining," Kono offered.

Chin looked at Danny. "What was it you were saying about people being unsubtle?"

"You have your brand of charm." Kono grinned. "And I have mine."

"I feel like I'm definitely getting closer," Catherine said, her voice tinged with excitement.

Steve couldn't help but smile. Catherine had had a hand in decrypting some of the most complicated codes known to man during her time in naval intelligence. But he'd also watched her be just as determined to decipher a code written up for a friendly game night. He could see she was in the zone and had a feeling it wouldn't be long 'til she delivered them the clue they needed to move the investigation forward.

"Wait, guys, I think I found something." She looked down and studied something off screen. "I'll call you back as soon as I have something concrete." She smiled. "Bye."

The call disconnected.

Minutes stretched into hours as Catherine sat at her desk testing and discarding possible decoding solutions one after another. She went back over the progress she'd made earlier looking for that one little clue that continued to elude her. Fortunately there were no pressing meetings on her agenda that morning that couldn't be rescheduled.

Finally, right after a lunch eaten at her desk, Catherine's face lit up.

"Got you," she whispered to her empty office.

The code revealed a location and coordinates. She entered the numbers into the computer and found they pointed to a remote cove on the north shore of the island. Picking up her phone she dialed Steve and let out a breath.

As soon as they hung up, Steve grabbed the Camaro's keys, announcing, "Let's go. We've got a cove to search. Catherine is texting the coordinates to all of our phones."

When they arrived at the secluded spot, they were welcomed by crashing waves and several hundred yards of empty beach. Large rock outcroppings dotted the area in a way that made it inhospitable for tourists but perfect as a hiding place.

They scanned the area for any sign of a marker or any recent digging activity.

Danny's voice broke the silence, his frustration evident. "This might be a wild goose chase. We could be chasing shadows." He adjusted his sunglasses. "And doing so at the hottest part of the hottest day in a week I might point out." He spun in a circle, looking over the entire area. "One patch of sand looks like the next. Even if there is gold hidden here, we could dig one foot away and never know it."

"Maybe we should get a few HPD units out here with metal detectors," Chin suggested.

Steve shook his head. "Maybe, but I still say there's gotta be…"

Suddenly, Kono let out a yell, her voice echoing through the cove. "Guys, I found something!"

The team gathered around her as she pulled away the last of the palm leaves that were hiding her discovery. A well hidden, man made alcove nestled among the rocks.

"I noticed there were a couple of crows that kept coming over to this area and pulling at the branches." Kono stood back and studied her handiwork. "I figured there must be something over here catching their attention. And I remember our Auntie always talking about how crows like shiny things."

She reached her arm deep into the opening. After a few seconds of fishing around she said, "There's definitely something in there."

Chin pulled a flashlight off his belt and shined it into the hole.

"Good catch, cousin," he said with a wide smile as the beam of light illuminated the area and revealed a stash of gold bars.

"Holy shit," Danny whispered in disbelief. "All these years, they were living right here, hiding this stash."

"Sure looks that way," Steve said while wiping an arm across his brow. "Let's get an evidence recovery team out here to take charge of this gold."

He pulled out his phone, eager to call Catherine and give her the news.

"You were right," he said as soon as she answered. "We found the gold. Now we just need to find the people who put it here."

TBC Friday

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