Treasure

                                                                           Chapter 1

Gabby stopped outside the closed door of the law offices of Hugh Sanford and took a deep breath. Her blue eyes were red-rimmed from crying, and she was dressed in a simple short sleeved, soft blue cotton dress, betraying the fact that she was in mourning. Her brown hair was pulled back at the nape and held by a gold barrette. She looked like she was ready to face a normal day, but she wasn’t. Gabrielle Krinard was here to attend the reading of her father’s last will and testament.

Jacob Krinard of Dunlap and Krinard, Inc., had died suddenly two weeks ago after suffering major head trauma in a car accident at the age of sixty. After an investigation, the police had concluded that a tire had blown while Jacob Krinard was traveling down to the Florida Keys. He had lost control and the vehicle had slammed head on into a tree at sixty miles an hour. They had assured Gabby that her father had died instantly and had not suffered. All her life, Gabby never knew her father to neglect his car. He was a fanatic about keeping the fluids changed regularly and having the tires rotated or changed. She had mentioned this to the police, but they had told her that there was nothing criminal about the incident. Apparently, her father had failed to change this particular tire and it had cost him his life.

Now, she was standing in front of her father’s attorney’s office to see what all she inherited. As a successful photographer, Gabby didn’t really need anything. Money was not an issue for her and other than a few personal mementos, like pictures and family heirlooms, she could care less about the rest. Still, she was the only child of Jacob and Bernice Krinard and since her mother had died several years before, Gabby would stand to inherit everything.

Taking another deep breath, Gabby grabbed the door handle and twisted. “Let’s get this over with,” she whispered softly to herself. Stepping into the nicely decorated office, Gabby immediately saw Frank Dunlap sitting on the sofa in the waiting room.

Frank was a handsome man at fifty-eight. He was tall and solidly built with silver hair and piercing blue eyes. He was referred to in most circles as the Silver Fox, and he was hardly seen in public without a young lady draped over his arm. Gabby had grown up calling him Uncle Frank and she had adored him until she returned from college. One evening at a house party that her parents had thrown, Frank had made a pass at her. Gabby had been mortified. Though he had apologized, she had never forgiven him and refused to be alone with him in the same room. That had been almost five years ago and Gabby still felt a shiver race up her spine as a slow lazy smile came to his face and those piercing blue eyes of his boldly raked up and down her body. Gabby felt as if she had just been stripped of every piece of clothing she had on. While the cotton dress she had on was hardly risqué, it still formed to her curves and the low cut of the front showed off her full breasts.

Frank stood and approached Gabby. “Gabby, my dear. I’ve been worried about you,” he said as his large hands enveloped her smaller one. As he bent his head to kiss her cheek, Gabby saw his eyes dropped down to stare blatantly at the cleavage of her breasts. Another shiver raced up her spine. How had she ever thought of him as an uncle? He was nothing more than a dirty old man!

Gabby pulled back. “I’m fine, Frank,” she answered simply.

Gabby was saved from having to say anything more when another door within the office opened and out stepped an older man in his seventies. He was impeccably dressed in a gray linen suit and he had a ready, friendly smile for Gabby. “Gabrielle, you are here.”

Gabby smiled through the sudden tears that leapt into her eyes and crossed the office to give the old man a hug. Hugh Sanford had been her family’s attorney since before she was born. “Hugh,” she whispered and placed a kiss on his wrinkled cheek.

Hugh took her hand, and indicating to Frank to follow, they entered his office. “How are you doing, Gabrielle?”

“I’m hanging in there, Hugh,” she answered and felt him squeeze her hand. He directed her and Frank to have a seat and after getting situated, Hugh brought out a pile of papers.

“Well, let’s get this sorry mess over with.”

Half an hour later, Frank sat fuming, and Gabby sat stunned. She had had no clue as to how much her father was worth, but Gabby now found herself a millionaire. She had naturally assumed her father would hand over his half of the business to Frank, but he hadn’t. Everything went to Gabby, including a ten million dollar life insurance policy. Good god, what was she going to do with all that money? And what about the business? Gabby was a photographer; she did not have a clue on running a corporation. Everything, good lord she had inherited everything. Everything included the house where she grew up, a Mercedes, a Jaguar, a winter vacation home in Aspen, Colorado, and another beach home on the Virgin Islands. Those were just the physical assets. The monetary assets and investments were phenomenal, and Gabby now found herself scared out of her wits.

“Gabby, we need to talk as soon as possible,” Frank suggested stiffly. Gabby could only look at him dumbfounded and nod her head. She knew he was upset about her father giving her his half of the business rather than to Frank.

“I have no interest in the business, Frank,” she began, “but I’m not ready or in the frame of mind to make any decisions right now.” Apparently she said what he wanted to hear, she was not interested in the business, and he visibly relaxed some.

“I understand, my dear,” he began. “We will get together when you are ready and make plans as to what we will do.” Again, Gabby noticed his eyes drop lustfully down to her breasts and they lingered there for a few moments before his attention was drawn back to Hugh. Gabby closed her eyes and shuddered.

“Well, that is all pertaining to the will. I do have some other, more private matters to discuss with you, Gabrielle, so if you can stay a while longer, we can discuss those after Mr. Dunlap leaves,” Hugh informed them both. Gabby nodded.

Frank’s eyes narrowed a bit suspiciously. “What other private matters?”

Hugh turned his attention to Frank. “That is none of your business, Mr. Dunlap. Your business here is concluded.” Hugh effectively dismissed him. Gabby noticed a muscle in Frank’s jaw twitch. He was definitely not used to being ordered about, and he was furious that anything would be kept from him regarding Jacob Krinard.

Frank rose from his chair and crossed to where Gabby sat in hers. He bent over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I will be in touch, Gabby.” He straightened, then left the office.

“I do not like that man, Gabrielle,” Hugh stated after Frank Dunlap was gone. “I may be old, but I am not blind. I see the way he looks at you.”

Gabby nodded. “I know, Hugh.” She visibly shuddered. “If he was not mentioned in Daddy’s will, why was he here?”

“Because your father wanted him here,” Hugh answered, “for reasons I can not fathom. But they were his wishes, so I asked Dunlap to be here.” Hugh shuffled some papers around, then picked up a sealed envelope. “Here.” He reached across his desk and handed it to Gabby. “Your father wanted you to have this upon his death.”

Taking the envelope, Gabby could only stare at it. It was a plain white legal size envelope. Her name was written across the front in her father’s masculine scrawl. “What is it?”

“I haven’t a clue, Gabrielle. Your father chose not to tell me, only saying that it was imperative that you get it upon his death. He also said to open it in private and to tell no one about it.”

Gabby blinked in surprise. “Upon his death? Hugh, that sounds like Daddy suspected he might die soon.”

“Yes, I know. Unfortunately it doesn’t mean a thing to the police. As far as they are concerned, Jacob was just preparing ahead of time.”

Gabby didn’t understand how the police could be so blatantly blind, but she nodded and tucked the envelope into her purse. “Is there anything else?” she asked, still a bit dazed.

Hugh gave her a sad smile. “No, that is all. I will take care of everything else, Gabrielle,” he promised her. “Once probate has been completed, I will arrange for the money to be transferred into your account or wherever you wish to have it put.”

“Do you know how long that will take?”

“Well, as long as nobody contests the will, it shouldn’t take long, but your father’s wishes were very explicit. I doubt anyone, including Frank Dunlap, will try to interfere.”

“Thanks for everything, Hugh,” Gabby said as she stood up. Hugh rose with her and escorted her to the door.

“Your welcome, my dear. If you need anything, Gabrielle, you don’t hesitate to call me,” Hugh commanded her gently. “Understand?”

Gabby nodded with a smile and kissed his cheek. “Talk to you later, Hugh.”

Several hours later, Gabrielle Krinard sat down at her kitchen table with a cup of coffee and stared at the unopened envelope. She was almost scared to open it, but that was ridiculous. Picking up the envelope, she tore it open and pulled out two pieces of paper. One was notebook paper; the other was a thicker, plain white paper that appeared yellow tinged with age, but upon closer inspection, Gabby smiled, she discovered it was only coffee stains. Oh daddy, I miss you! Opening the latter one first, she frowned in confusion. It looked kind of like a map of some kind with directions off the Florida Keys. Putting it down on the table she picked up the notebook paper unfolded it and began to read:

My dearest Gabrielle,

If you are reading this, then I am gone. Do not mourn for me my sweet, for I lived a full life.

I wish there was some other way of doing this, but I fear that you are the only one who can get it done now. Twenty years ago, Dunlap and Krinard, Inc. hired a small private plane to transfer account books and various other papers from our New York offices to Miami. The plane mysteriously went down just off the Florida Keys. Nothing was ever recovered. Also on board this plane was a safe full of various diamonds, rubies and other gems that I had purchased overseas for your mother and you to do with as you pleased. Several times over the years I have attempted to have these things searched for and recovered only to meet with opposition. Where this opposition is coming from, I can only speculate. I truly believe that there is something on board that plane that someone does not want anyone to find.

Enclosed is a copy of a map that I had drawn up of the location of the downed plane. The original is in a safety deposit box at BOFA, the key to the safety deposit box is in our secret place. Do whatever you must to retrieve everything from that plane! And Gabrielle, my dearest daughter, DO NOT TRUST FRANK DUNLAP!!

I know he is an old family friend and my partner, but I am convinced that he is behind the plane’s crash and behind my failed attempts to retrieve what was on board, even though I have no proof. Do not tell him of this letter or of the map. Do not tell him anything of your plans to go after what’s on that plane.

Get in touch with Tanner Graves. He knows everything that is going on and he will help you. Tanner is a professional scuba diver now. He heads up the PADI office here in Miami. Trust him, baby. Tanner will take care of you.

I love you with all my heart, Gabby and I am so sorry that I am leaving you with this mess! Please, Please, PLEASE, be careful!

Love, Daddy

Gabby let the paper fall to the table and her head dropped into her hands. “Oh Daddy, what have you gotten me mixed up in?” And Tanner Graves?? Good lord, she hadn’t seen Tanner in nearly fifteen years. She had been a skinny, pimply-faced fifteen-year-old and he a handsome twenty-year-old. Both her and her best friend, Christy, had had the biggest crush on him back then. When had he come back to Miami and why hadn’t Daddy mentioned that he was in town?

The phone rang, causing Gabby to jump, startled. She got up from the table and answered it on the third ring. “Hello?”

“Hey Gab.”

“Hey Chris.”

“How did it go?”

Gabby sank down on the couch and stretched her legs out before her. Christy Feland was her best friend. They had known each other all their lives, having lived next door to each other. “Well, you’re talking to a very wealthy woman, Chris.”

“What?”

“I had no idea how much money my dad had. Other than the cars and the vacation homes, he always lived modestly,” Gabby answered. “Jesus, Chris, I’m a millionaire.”

“Oh shit, I gotta sit down,” Christy muttered. “How much a millionaire exactly?” she asked once she was sitting.

Gabby put the fingers of one hand to her forehead and rubbed. “I don’t remember the exact figure. Daddy had a ten million dollar life insurance policy so there is at least that much-”

“Ten million dollars!” Christy nearly screamed. Gabby winced and held the phone away from her ear. “Christ almighty, Gab!”

Gabby laughed at her friend’s reaction. “Well, that isn’t all of it. He also had investments, the two cars, the two vacation houses and Chris, he left me his half of the business.” Gabby sighed. “I don’t know what he was thinking, but Frank is furious.”

“Oh man, Gab. What are you going to do?”

“Well I have no desire whatsoever to work alongside that pervert. He wants to get together soon to discuss my involvement. I’m sure he is going to want to buy me out,” she answered.

“What are you going to do about work? You still plan to work for the magazine?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really need to work now. I can live off the interest alone with that insurance policy. Maybe I will freelance. Shit, I don’t know, Chris. I don’t plan to give up photography at any rate.” Gabby stretched out the rest of the way on the couch and laid back.

“I think you need to take some time off and get away. You have lots of vacation time that you never use. Get away from here and take some time to think about your future,” Chris suggested.

Gabby thought about the map. “Yeah, maybe I’ll do that. By the way,” she began, “did you know that Tanner Graves is back in Miami?”

“No way, Tanner? Oh my god, Gab, I haven’t thought of him in years,” Christy responded. “How did you find out he was in town? Have you seen him?”

“No, I haven’t seen him yet. Apparently Daddy had some business going with him. He’s a scuba diver now and is in charge of the PADI offices here in Miami.”

“PADI?”

“Yeah, Professional Association of Dive Instructors.”

“Wow, sounds exciting. I always wanted to learn scuba diving.” Christy laughed. “Now maybe I’ll have an incentive to go down and take lessons if Tanner is the instructor.”

Gabby laughed. “Oh grow up, Christy,” she replied. “Tanner probably married Mariah a long time ago.”

“Yeah, I never did like Mariah. I always felt she was just using Tanner.”

“Yeah, me too,” she answered, sitting up. “Listen, I’m going to go soak in the tub and go to bed. I’m exhausted and I have a lot of stuff to sort through.”

“Okay, Gab. Listen, you holler if you need me for anything, alright? And if you see Tanner, be sure and tell him ‘hi’ for me.”

“Okay, will do. I’ll talk to you later.” Gabby hung the phone up and after making sure her apartment was locked up, she headed for the bathroom for a nice long soak.

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                                                              Treasure - Chapter 2