She listened, a look of polite interest on her face.
“That is to say, it was not exciting until a few months ago.”
“May I ask what happened a few months ago, Professor Zuckerman?”
“I was doing research on the Spanish Armada, looking for odd bits and pieces that might make the subject more interesting for my students, and in the archives of the local museum, I came across an old document that had somehow gotten mixed in with other papers. It gave the details of a secret expedition that Prince Philip sent out in 1588. One of the ships, loaded with gold bullion, was supposed to have sunk in a storm and vanished without a trace.”
Tracy looked at him thoughtfully. “Supposed to have sunk?”
“Exactly. But according to these records, the captain and crew deliberately sank the ship in a deserted cove, planning to come back later and retrieve the treasure, but they were attacked and killed by pirates before they could return. The document survived only because none of the sailors on the pirate ship could read or write. They did not know the significance of what they had.” His voice was trembling with excitement. “Now”—he lowered his voice and looked around to make sure it was safe to continue—”I have the document, with detailed instructions on how to get to the treasure.”
“What a fortunate discovery for you, Professor.” There was a note of admiration in her voice.
“That gold bullion is probably worth fifty million dollars today,” Zuckerman said. “All I have to do is bring it up.”
“What’s stopping you?”
He gave an embarrassed shrug. “Money. I must outfit a ship to bring the treasure to the surface.”
“I see. How much would that cost?”
“A hundred thousand dollars. I must confess, I did something extremely foolish. I took twenty thousand dollars—my life’s savings—and I came to Biarritz to gamble at the casino, hoping to win enough to…” His voice trailed off.
“And you lost it.”
He nodded. Tracy saw the glint of tears behind his spectacles.
The champagne arrived, and the captain popped the cork and poured the golden liquid into their glasses.
“Bonne chance,” Tracy toasted.
“Thank you.”
They sipped their drinks in contemplative silence.
“Please forgive me for boring you with all this,” Zucker-man said. “I should not be telling a beautiful lady my troubles.”
“But I find your story fascinating,” she assured him. “You are sure the gold is there, oui?”
“Beyond a shadow of a doubt. I have the original shipping orders and a map drawn by the captain, himself. I know the exact location of the treasure.”
She was studying him with a thoughtful expression on her face. “But you need a hundred thousand dollars?”
Zuckerman chuckled ruefully. “Yes. For a treasure worth fifty million.” He took another sip of his drink.
“C’est possible…” She stopped.
“What?”
“Have you considered taking in a partner?”
He looked at her in surprise. “A partner? No. I planned to do this alone. But of course now that I’ve lost my money…” His voice trailed off again.
“Professor Zuckerman, suppose I were to give you the hundred thousand dollars?”
He shook his head. “Absolutely not, Baroness. I could not permit that. You might lose your money.”
“But if you’re sure the treasure is there—?”
“Oh, of that I am positive. But a hundred things could go wrong. There are no guarantees.”
“In life, there are few guarantees. Your problem is très intéressant. Perhaps if I help you solve it, it could be lucrative for both of us.”
“No, I could never forgive myself if by any remote chance you should lose your money.”
“I can afford it,” she assured him. “And I would stand to make a great deal on my investment, n’est-ce pas?”
“Of course, there is that side of it,” Zuckerman admitted. He sat there weighing the matter, obviously torn with doubts. Finally, he said, “If that is what you wish, you will be a fifty-fifty partner.”
She smiled, pleased. “D’accord. I accept.”
The professor added quickly, “After expenses, of course.”
“Naturellement. How soon can we get started?”
“Immediately.” The professor was charged with a sudden vitality. “I have already found the boat I want to use. It has modern dredging equipment and a crew of four. Of course, we will have to give them a small percentage of whatever we bring up.”