Thread on Arrival (14 page)

“Good. I’ll want to talk with him. But most of all, I want to meet these Cantors. Set that up for me, will you, dear?”

I gulped. “Of course.”

Chapter Fifteen

R
emember those baked chips I mentioned to
Ted earlier? Well, after talking with J. T. Trammel, I paced and ate about a blue million of those things. Then I sent Ted a text saying,
J.T. doesn’t want to do a documentary. Instead, he wants to do a REALITY SHOW!

After I sent that text, I paced a few more lengths of the office before sending him another text saying,
J.T. wants to meet with the Cantors ASAP
.
Should I cancel tonight’s class?

My phone rang. It was Ted. He probably wished I’d stop texting him every couple minutes. I should’ve sent him a text before he called asking him,
Do you want me to stop texting you? Please, reply A for yes or B for no
.

I answered the phone with, “Ted, I don’t know what to do.”

“Try to set up the meeting for after class,” Ted said, with the calm authority of an excellent police detective. “Given Adam’s reaction to me at his home Saturday evening—and the fact that his father’s murder is an ongoing investigation—I shouldn’t be there.” He paused. “I’ll send that young officer, Andrew Moore, to be there undercover in case there’s any trouble. You can meet there at the Seven-Year Stitch. It’s a nice, neutral place, and everyone involved knows where it’s located.”

“That makes sense.”

“So that the limo doesn’t attract too much attention this time, call J.T. and ask if Andrew can pick him and Stacey up at their hotel and bring them to the meeting,” he continued. “If he asks why, tell him it’s to free up parking space since there are several people coming. I’m afraid that telling J. T. Trammel not to arrive in a limo because it would draw too much attention would do about as much good as telling Lady Gaga to dress conservatively.”

“I see your point. Who besides the Cantors should be there?” I asked.

“I’m going to ask Manu to see if Reggie can be there. As the sheriff’s wife, maybe she can bring documentation informing J.T. of all the regulations and permits his team will need to have in place before filming begins.”

I was impressed. “That’s smart. I’d have never thought of that.” I knew Ted’s real reason for having Reggie there would be to alert him and Manu to any signs that Adam Cantor was getting ready to throw a tantrum.

“I’m not really that concerned about regulations at the moment,” Ted said. “I just think it would be wise to have Reggie on hand.”

“You mean, if Adam Cantor gets out of control,” I said.

“That, or anything else unexpected,” he said. “Andrew will be undercover, but I’m hoping having the sheriff’s wife in attendance will help keep Adam’s temper in check. Plus, I think it would be a good idea for you to invite Jack Powell. For one thing, he can tell J.T. more about Chester’s plan to search for the wreck.”

“And for another, he can back up to Adam what Chester told me about the tapestry,” I added. “Somehow, I doubt Chester shared much about the tapestry or anything else with Adam.”

“I imagine you’re right about that.”

“What about that other treasure hunter guy Chester had spoken with . . . Ed?” I asked. “Should I ask him to come?”

“I don’t think he’s a good fit for this meeting. J.T. might want to talk with him sometime later on, but Ed didn’t seem to believe Chester’s contention that the tapestry was a treasure map.”

“Is there anyone else you can think of that I should invite?” I asked.

“No, I think there will be enough excitement with the gang who’ll be there as it is.”

“Yeah, that’s what worries me. I’ll start with the Cantors and let you know what happens.”

After talking with Ted, I had a plan of action. Instead of eating chips and pacing, I had calls to make. I started with Mary Cantor.

“Hi, Mary.” I kept my voice upbeat and cheerful. Maybe if I didn’t convey my anxiety about the meeting to Mary, she’d be okay with it. “Remember my asking your permission to get in touch with a producer about the tapestry and the
Delia
treasure?”

“Yes,” she said. “Don’t tell me someone was actually interested.”

“Sorry. I’m going to
have
to tell you that. Not only is he interested—he’d like for you and Adam to come by the Seven-Year Stitch at seven o’clock this evening to meet him.”

She was silent for several long seconds. “I didn’t mention your call to Adam. I didn’t dream anyone would take you seriously about the tapestry being a treasure map. I’m not sure how he’ll take the news.”

“I can break it to him, if you’d prefer. I’ll tell him how this show could be the legacy Chester wanted to leave his family . . . how it could allow the family to do things they’d never have been able to do otherwise, you know, from a financial standpoint. . . .” I struggled to come up with other benefits.

“No,” Mary said. “I need to be the one to talk with Adam. Then if he wants to come, we’ll be there.”

I thanked her and ended the call. Mary sounded nervous. I wondered if I should’ve been more adamant about being the one to speak with Adam. Of course, the prospect of being in the same room with both me and Adam could be the very thing that was making her nervous. After all, I knew about her secret plan to leave Adam and that the plan was thwarted only because the police officers sent to get Chester found him dead. Did Adam even know that Chester and I had spoken about the tapestry? Mary could be terrified that I’d inadvertently let something slip.

Mary called me back later on to let me know that she’d spoken with Adam and that they’d be attending the meeting. “Thank you, Mary. I’ll let Mr. Trammel know.”

“Fine. See you later.” She still sounded kind of cool. But if she hadn’t wanted me to pursue the documentary—which had now become a reality show—I wish she’d have said so when I’d spoken with her originally. I did let Mr. Trammel know immediately, and he agreed to let Andrew pick up him and Stacey at their hotel. I let Ted know
that
, and he was relieved. He was also glad I’d been able to talk the Cantors into coming so easily. After talking with Ted, I called Jack Powell who was thrilled to be included in the meeting.

Having made all my phone calls, I was back to being nervous. In fact, a part of me wanted to close up the shop, go home, and crawl into bed. The more rational side of me wanted to stick around and see what happened. Or maybe it was the rational side that wanted to go home and hide. The side that paced and ate baked chips was the one that eventually won out.

* * *

The class went well, despite the fact that I’d been so distracted by thoughts of the upcoming meeting prior to the students’ arrival. Before class, I’d taken Angus home and fed him his dinner. Since I’d filled up on baked chips, I hadn’t been hungry.

I cut class short by about fifteen minutes in order to get the students out before the people started arriving for the meeting. So that the students wouldn’t feel shortchanged, I gave them coupons for twenty percent off any single item in the shop.

As soon as they left, I straightened up the sit-and-stitch square and made a fresh pot of decaffeinated coffee. Ted texted me and asked if I needed anything. I started to jokingly request that he bring me a tranquilizer gun, but I changed my mind and simply told him everything was good.

Reggie was the first to arrive. She gave me a warm hug and told me I looked nice. Her compliment made me glad I hadn’t changed into something more casual, as I’d been tempted to do, while I’d been home with Angus.

Andrew, J.T., and Stacey were there soon after Reggie. I made the introductions and mentioned that there was fresh decaf in my office if anyone cared for a cup. No one took me up on the offer.

I’d met Andrew on previous occasions. He was young and right out of the academy. The lanky, green-eyed blond was a good officer—even though I felt he could be overly serious at times—and I felt he would quickly move up through the ranks. It spoke volumes that Ted had sent him to this meeting.

Reggie told J.T. she hoped J.T. didn’t mind her attendance at tonight’s meeting. “I find your work fascinating,” she said. “And, naturally, I’m interested to hear about what your crew might be doing here in town. The fact of a show being filmed here could bring a lot of additional tourism our way.”

J.T. smiled. “I’m honored you took time out of your evening to join us, Mrs. Singh. I also appreciate your bringing me the zoning requirements and permit documentation. Stacey will look it over, and we’ll send it on to the powers that be.”

Jack Powell was more than a little intimidated by J.T. when he first got to the meeting, but J.T. sensed that and was able to put Jack at ease. They were talking about Jack’s past treasure hunting expeditions when, at last, Adam and Mary walked in. I had to restrain myself from breathing a sigh of relief. I had begun to worry that the Cantors wouldn’t show.

I introduced Adam and Mary to J.T., Stacey, and Andrew, who I said was driving Mr. Trammel this evening. Upon telling them hello and that it was nice to meet them, Mary sat stiffly on one of the club chairs and didn’t utter another word.

J.T. asked that the rest of us sit down. After we’d done so, he remained standing and began to explain what he and his film crew hoped to accomplish in Tallulah Falls and the rest of Oregon.

“I talked with Marcy this morning about a few of the stories that have been circulating about treasure in these parts for . . . gosh . . . centuries, I guess it has been,” J.T. said.

Jack nodded his head in agreement.

“There’s the legend about the ship named the
Delia
, whose cargo of a fortune in pearls and other Oriental treasures was never recovered,” J.T. continued. “That’s the one that initially captured my network’s interest. But since talking with Marcy, I learned about other treasure . . . treasure buried by pirates and Sir Frances Drake . . . and even treasure that was thrown away—whether inadvertently or not—by Native Americans.

“My television network—a new network called Explore Nation that’s set to launch next fall—is interested in doing a reality show touching on and searching for some of these treasures. We plan to call the show
Treasure
Oregon
. As we run out of things in and around Tallulah Falls to explore, we can move on to other parts of the state. It could also spawn additional shows about treasure in other states. Are there any questions so far?”

“My wife said you were interested in some old tapestry my dad had. What does this have to do with that?” Adam asked.

J.T. smiled. “I understand that your father believed the tapestry to be a map leading to the location of the
Delia
.”

“That’s what Mary told me,” Adam said. “But while he might’ve
believed
that, thinking something doesn’t make it true.”

“He
did
believe it,” Jack said. “He believed it so much that he was trying to figure out a way to get the money we’d need to search for it.”

“He never told me any of that,” Adam said. “Heck, he never even told
me
about the tapestry. Wouldn’t he have asked me to go in with him on finding this treasure had he thought it was legitimate?”

“Not if you were the one he wanted to find it for,” Jack said quietly.

Adam opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Then he leaned forward, placed his elbows on his knees, and lowered his head.

J.T. filled the awkward silence. “I’m going to have Marcy be our tapestry expert. I think the camera will love her.” He winked in my direction. “She’s going to give viewers an overview of how tapestries are made, give us a little background of their history and importance over the years, and . . . well, be eye candy.” He chuckled. “I’d like to show the viewers your father’s tapestry, Adam. And I’d also like to use it to attempt to pinpoint a location for the ship. Now, you don’t need to worry that interlopers will see the map and get to the treasure before we do, because the majority of the season will be filmed before the first show even airs. What do you say?”

Adam raised his head. “I don’t know. This sounds a little hokey to me.”

“You could make quite a bit of money off this venture,” J.T. said.

“I provide for my family just fine, Mr. Trammel,” Adam said.

“I’m sure you do. But this could be extra. Wouldn’t it be nice to take more luxurious vacations . . . to not have to save for your daughter’s college education?” J.T. raised his arms. “Heck, wouldn’t it be nice to see if your daddy’s map pans out and we’re able to find a treasure?”

“Yeah.” Adam blew out a breath. “Yeah, I guess it would. Before I agree to anything, though, I want everything in writing. I want to see what I’m getting into before I sign off on it.”

“Of course.” J.T. turned to Jack. “I’d like you to be our treasure hunting expert, Jack. You’ve done this sort of thing for most of your life. And while we’ll have people to shore up your efforts, you’ll be one of the main stars of the show as far as this expedition is concerned. Will you do it?”

“Yes, sir!” Jack exclaimed.

“All right,” J.T. said. “Am I forgetting anything? Stacey?”

“No, sir,” Stacey said. “I think this covers everything for this group. Of course, we’ll need to talk with the people at the historical societies and museums. I’ll set that up for sometime next week.”

“Good.” J.T. turned back to address the rest of us as a whole. “Stacey and I are flying back to California tomorrow morning, but we’ll be returning here the first of the week with a research panel, a film crew, and a dive team to get this project under way. Please, take one of our cards from Stacey in case you need to discuss anything further or have any questions before we get back to town.”

Stacey closed her ever-present steno pad, put it into her briefcase, and drew out a silver business card holder. She gave each of us a card with Explore Nation!, J. T. Trammel, and J.T.’s contact information.

Mary and Adam were the first to leave. Andrew, J.T., and Stacey were the next to go. Jack approached me en route to the door. He shook my hand so fervently that I was afraid he’d wring it off.

“Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this, Marcy,” he said. “This show could be a shot in the arm to my treasure hunting career . . . and if not, who cares? I can retire and tell everybody I’m a television star!”