"Nigel, are you ready? Nigel." When he didn’t respond she quickly went to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Nigel looked up "I’m fine. Did you put this in my pocket?" He handed her the watch, and could tell from her expression she had never seen it before.
"No." Sydney marveled at the old pocket watch, it was a beautiful piece of workmanship, and in what looked like perfect condition. "You found this in your pocket?"
"Yes, I was getting my stuff together and it was the back pocket of the jeans I was wearing when I got shot."
Sydney looked back at the watch, as the terrible vision of Nigel going over the cliff replayed itself in her head. As delicately as she could she opened the watch. Inside was a small piece of aged and yellow paper. She gently unfolded the paper and handed it to Nigel.
To Jacob, my friend and partner.
JW
JW...Jay.... Jacob Waltz. Memories of an old man named Jay, a mule and cave full of gold flashed through his mind. It wasn’t possible, Jacob Waltz had died in 1891. He kept telling himself it was just a dream, but a little part of him insisted it was real.
After leaving the hospital Sydney had dropped him off at the hotel. She was going to take the watch and note over to Joe Anderson at ASU. Nigel laid down on the bed, thinking about everything that had happened, and what might happen when Sydney returned as he fell in to a fitful sleep. When he awoke hours later the room was dark and it did not look like Sydney had come back yet. As he sat up he felt his side give him a painful reminder to get up more slowly next time. After turning on the lights he sat in one of the plush chairs, lost in thought as Sydney came bursting into the room.
"Sorry it took so long, but that little pocket watch of yours caused quite a stir at the University." She went over to Nigel waving at him to sit back down as he started to get up out of the chair, and gave him a quick kiss before continuing. "I showed it to Joe and one his colleges Ann Bowman, who is quite an authority on the Lost Dutchman’s mine and Jacob Waltz. She compared the writing on the note, as well as the map to some others that were written by Jacob Waltz, and it matches." Sydney could barely contain her excitement. They had not found the mine, but they did find an important piece to the puzzle.
"Really?" He knew he should be excited by the news, but his thoughts were only about Sydney, and how she would react to what he was going to tell her.
Sydney immediately sensed the unease in the room, and began to wonder if something had happened while she was gone. She watched as Nigel got up and headed towards her, the excitement she felt quickly fading. "What’s wrong?"
Nigel looked at Sydney, God, she was beautiful, and everything he ever wanted. Steeling himself for her reaction, he decided to just come out with it "I don’t want to hide what I feel for you anymore. I want to be with you and I don’t care who knows or what the consequences might be." He saw Sydney start to reply, but forged ahead before his resolve gave into his fear of losing her. "I know your worried about someone using our relationship against us, and about me being in danger, but......but." His fear finally won out and he lowered his head unable to look her in the eye.
Sydney reached out and caressed his cheek, gently lifting his head until their eyes met. "I guess that old saying is true, Great minds do think a like." She watched as the fear in eyes disappeared and very relived smile graced his face.
All the worries that had consumed him over the last few hours melted away as he pulled her into his arms. "I love you Syd."
"And I love you. When I thought I had lost you...." she took a breath trying to get her emotions under control. She both hated and loved how emotional and out of control Nigel could make her feel. "I realized how much time we had wasted, sneaking around, hiding our relationship. I don’t want to hide anymore either. As long as we're together, I know we can face anything that comes our way."
Go to Part Twenty Five.