Read tj jensen 01 - barkleys treasure for Free Online Page B

beer.”
    “Make it a soda and you have a deal.”
    Sully’s was an old-fashioned tavern with a scuffed-up wooden floor, oak-paneled walls, and hardwood tables and chairs. The bar itself looked like something you’d see in an old western. The place was empty except for two men sitting at the bar talking to the bartender, who looked to be in his early twenties.
    “Can I help you folks?” the bartender asked when we’d taken stools at the bar.
    “Just a couple of colas,” I answered.
    “You folks from out of town?” he asked as he set the sodas in front of us.
    “We’re staying out at the Turtle Cove Resort for the summer.”
    “You must be Garrett’s friends. Sure is a nice thing you’re doing for him. Drinks are on me.”
    Apparently, Garrett had told pretty much everyone on the island that we were helping him to renovate his property. I found this odd because Garrett had left the island due to his medical issue long before I agreed to help with the project. I mentioned that to the bartender, whose name was Frank, and he informed me that Garrett was a sociable guy who kept in touch with his island family.
    I guess I’d never stopped to think how hard this whole thing must be on Garrett. I mean, I assumed he would have preferred to remain on the island for the remainder of his life, but until I got a glimpse of how integrated he was with his neighbors, I hadn’t stopped to consider the fact that his leaving the island because of his stroke must be a lot harder on him than my own changing circumstance had been on me.
    I was trying to figure out how to bring up the subject of Buck and his new partners when Frank beat me to it.
    “Heard about Buck. That must have been a bit of a shock.”
    “Yeah, it really was. Did you know him well?”
    “Everyone on the island knew Buck well. He was sort of an adoptee. Swept up in here on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.”
    “I understand he was an outgoing sort who made friends easily.”
    “That much is true. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the mechanism in his brain that allows most of us to discriminate between individuals who would make good friends and those it would be best to avoid. I tried to help him when I could, but Buck could be stubborn when he got his mind on something.”
    “Like his involvement with Dilly and Lambert?”
    “Heard about that, did ya?”
    “I heard they’d formed some sort of a partnership with Buck in the days before he disappeared.”
    “Buck wanted to find Barkley’s treasure and, according to what he was telling everyone, he had the map that led to it. Problem was, he needed money to buy the equipment he needed to find it. Now, the people on the island know Buck was a dreamer who told a tall tale from time to time, so no one he knew was interested in investing in the project. The last time I saw Buck he told me the two men he met in here were going to provide the money he needed. I tried to warn him that it wasn’t a good idea to go into business with strangers, but he wasn’t listening.”
    “Do you think Lambert and Dilly could be responsible for Buck’s death?”
    “The thought’s crossed my mind ever since I found out he was dead and not off treasure hunting like everyone thought.”
    “Any idea where Dilly and Lambert are now?”
    “Not a clue. Like I said, they were from off the island. I haven’t seen them since Buck disappeared. You might want to ask Deputy Savage about them. He was in asking about them a while back. I’m not sure he ever tracked them down, but he might have.”
    “Thank you. I’ll do that. And thanks for the drinks.” I finished off the last of the cola in my glass. “Can you tell me the easiest way to get to the museum?”
    “Just take a left when you leave the bar and then another left at the second intersection you come to. You can’t miss it.”
    “Great; thanks. It was nice meeting you.”
    “You too. Be sure to come on back. I bet you’re the type who likes to party. We have karaoke