“It’s not mine. I found it here.” He gestured. “With the rest of the artifacts.”

Liam picked up the hammer. The head was rusty and the paint had faded from the handle.

“Erik!”

They both looked up as if trying to see through the top of the tent.

“Erik? You down there?”

“Hey, Gabe!”

“You got company, I see. You mind more?”

Erik laughed. “Not that kind of company, Gabe. Come on down.”

A cascade of small stones preceded the visitor, who maintained a lot more control over his descent than Liam had. Probably only because he’d had more experience.

“Who’s Gabe?”

“He’s just my neighbor up the hill.” Liam was pretty sure he was holding back a smile.

Liam remembered the big roof and the stone chimney. “Ah. Your landlord?”

“Sort of, but not really.”

“Cryptic.”

“I try.”

A pair of long jeans-clad legs appeared beneath the top of the tent and both men turned to watch as the owner of the voice galloped down the incline and jumped the last four feet of the trail to land neatly on the beach, the impact scattering gravel and sinking him ankle deep in the sand. He punched the air. “And the crowd goes wiiiiiiiild!”

Erik laughed and the third man turned and grinned at them. “Hey, Erik!”

“Hey, Gabe! What brings you down the hill?”

“And a slalom of a hill it is, too. Who’s your friend?” He squinted into the sun.

“Liam. New to town. I met at him Jeff’s this morning when I went in for a growler. I told him about the dig and he came out for a look.”

Gabe walked forward to get under the tent and out of the sun. “Nice to meet you, Liam.” He stuck out a hand.

“And you, Gabe.”

He tried to let go of the handshake but Gabe held on. “Wait a minute. I know you.”

“We have met.” Liam had recognized him immediately but he had not expected to be recognized in turn.

“I’ll say. In Newenham. Sergeant Liam Campbell.”

“That would be me.”

“You still a trooper?”

“Yep. You still a movie star?”

“Yep.”

They both laughed, and Gabe McGuire, Oscar-winning action film star, breaker of a billion hearts and a bona fide box office bonanza, turned to Erik and said, “We met in Newenham, what, two years ago now.”

“Almost. Still have that FBO in Chinook?” Liam said.

A shadow crossed McGuire’s face. “Sold it. The lodge, too.”

The FBO at least had some Erland Bannister DNA so Liam could understand it, but still. “Damn. Sweet properties, both of them.”

Gabe smiled. Usually you couldn’t see him acting, but today wasn’t his best effort. “Too much baggage.” He spread his hands. “And hey, I’m a Bay boy, now.”

Erik snorted, and Gabe laughed. “Reason I came down is, I’m throwing a little watch party this evening. I’m inviting all the neighbors. Booze and I’ve got hot dogs and hamburgers for the grill, and six different kinds of ice cream for after.”