Page 171 of Cross & Crown

question his memory.

“Seriously, you’re giving me a bitchface for doubting the

memory of someone who can’t remember his own name?”

JD tried to maintain his frown, but he finally snorted and

gave Nick a sheepish smile. “It’s correct. I promise.”

“This isn’t a pigpen cipher,” Nick said. “There aren’t

enough letters.”

“How many are represented?” Julian asked.

“Just eight. You have the four symbols in the cross that

are represented by the emeralds, then he has four more here

within the diamonds.”

“So eight symbols. With no point of reference as to what

they mean,” Kelly concluded. “Great.”

Nick was still shaking his head, examining the napkin. He

was at a complete loss. “I . . . I don’t know what to do with this.

I don’t know where we go from here with this.”

“Hold on,” Julian said with a wave of his hand. “You’re

not giving up, are you? This is information the others don’t

have, information they won’t get unless they intend to go to

the bloody mob for it. Not many people have the stones to do

what you just did. We’re finally a step ahead. And we havehimnow; they don’t.”

JD was nodding his head with Julian’s words. “I don’t

remember any of the important things, but I sure as hell

remember this stuff,” JD told them. “We can do this. We can

get there ahead of them.”

Nick narrowed his eyes and cocked his head at JD. “You’re

very eager to get to this treasure.”

JD sighed heavily. “You still suspect me? My motives?

That’s fine, Detective, because I do too. I don’t remember

why I was there with people who would rob and kill. I don’t