“One more thing,” he said to Maggie, forcing his mind back where it belonged. “There’s a place outside Mérida, the Hacienda San José. We’ll need rooms for at least three nights.” Mateo would be meeting them there. He was already in Mexico, talking to locals, working up information on the area around the old hacienda, arranging for a base of operations somewhere nearby.

“I’ll make it happen,” Maggie said.

Gage returned to his office and went back to work, going over the list of things he needed to do before they left Denver. Since the business of finding treasure was part discovery and an equal part danger, they needed competent security.

His next call went to his brother.

* * *

Abby was working on the computer in the main office when a familiar voice reached her.

“Looks like you’re hard at it.” Clayton Reynolds stood in the doorway, blond hair gleaming like the gold her grandfather had left her. Abby hadn’t seen him since the reading of her grandfather’s will.

Dressed in beige slacks and a pale blue Izod knit that matched his eyes, Clay smiled and started toward her. At thirty-eight, he had the lean build of the tennis athlete he had been in college, where he’d earned a PhD in pre-Columbian history, specifically the Mayan civilization.

He and King had worked with UNESCO on a World Heritage project, which had led to their friendship. Clay had asked her out once, but Abby’s mother had been dying, and dating was the last thing on her mind.

She rose from her chair and went to greet him. “It’s good to see you, Clay. How did you know where to find me?”

He took her hands, leaned over, and brushed a kiss on her cheek. “The day they read King’s will, it was clear you meant to go after the treasure. King and I had discussed the map on several occasions. When word leaked out that Gage Logan was heading up a new expedition, I put two and two together.”

He gently squeezed her hands. “I didn’t get a chance to offer my condolences on King’s passing or acknowledge the wonderful gift he left the museum. I thought I’d see if I could find you and tell you in person.”

Abby smiled. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Clay. I miss my grandfather very much.”

“We all miss him, Abby.” He glanced around the office at the tables stacked with maps and files. “So how are things going? I spoke to King before he left Denver on his last trip. He mentioned he might be traveling across the border into Mexico. I assume you’re headed in that direction.”

Before she could respond, Gage’s heavy footfalls sounded as he crossed the room.

“Dangerous to make assumptions about other people’s business,” he said. “And you would be . . . ?”