Page 29 (2/2)

"It’s a picture," Bex said

I shook my head "It’s a map"

Chapter Thirty-six

THINGS TO DO IF YOU’RE GOING TO FLY ACROSS AN OCEAN TO GO ON A POTENTIAL WILD-GOOSE CHASE-SLASH-SCAVENGER HUNT:

(A list by Caan)

Convince your mo you go is a good idea

When nu you behind by yourself is a BAD idea

Pack all your homework to take with you (because you really shouldn’t waste that time on the plane)

Try to relax

Re is actually kind of norovern to be possible for you ever again

I’d never been to Ireland before Or at least I couldn’t re to Ireland But as soon as Macey’s father’s jet began its descent over the tiny airport on the country’s western coast, I was certain I was seeing it for the first tiotten

There wasn’t even the faintest hint of déjà vu until the jet landed and the door slid open and I heard a deep voice say, "Hello, young lady"

Agent Townsend looked up at us, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses He seemed especially spylike as he watched my aunt climb out of the plane and coail," he said flatly

"Townsend," Abby said in reply

When Moave a solereat man"

"Thank you," Mom said, and no one dwelled on the rest of it

"How’s Solo around the end of the plane

"Exactly," Abby said

Dark clouds were brewing in the east, and there was a charge in the air I could feel the little hairs on the back ofon end when Townsend turned to an, let’s have a look, shall we?"

"Here" I handed hilass

"And you think this is…" Townsend started

"It’s a map," Liz told him

"See--crest marks the spot," Bex said, as if there couldn’t possibly be any doubt

"You do know about the list Gillian Gallagher was inal hed a little, as if no one so young and feht back, as if he’d better get used to it

"I know about the stories," Townsend said "And they are just stories, you know? There’s never been any proof that Gillian Gallagher started--much less finished--that little quest"

"She did it," Macey said

"That’s very well, Ms McHenry, but--"

"We think the bank box wasn’t empty last summer," Zach said; and that, at last, had Townsend’s full attention

"We think it had this" I reached for the thin chain around my neck and pulled the necklace over my head, held it out forwhile Townsend looked between the crest on the necklace and the one in the picture

It seemed to take him forever to shake his head and say, "That doesn’t " He took a deep breath and turned to the water, gestured to a fishing boat docked not far away "But I guess there’s only one way to find out"

There is a whole section of our library dedicated to Gillian Gallagher--her faacy, and her school I’d read all the books during rade year, so I knew that Gilly’s farandfather was a lord and her father had been a second son But even though I’d been perfectly capable of finding her ancestral ho had prepared me for the boat ride Townsend took us on that afternoon

The waves of the Atlantic crashed against the rocky shore My sto up at the sheer face of the cliff that rose before us, a lih over the ocean Water lapped against it, and the boat rocked, enveloped in the , kiddo?" my mom asked

"What if it’s not up there?" I yelled over the sound of the boat and the roar of the ocean Mist sprayed into ?"

Mom smiled "Then we’ll know," she shouted back, and pushed my wet hair out of my eyes "One way or the other, we’ll know"