“Riddles are fucking dumb. There I said it. What the hell does this mean? Who is Patricia?” I didn’t like riddles, they hurt my head.

“Well I know a small amount about the Saint Marcus. Most think it's a myth.”

“Myths don’t help us with anything concrete?” West asked and Michelle just shrugged “Maybe Patricia is a family member.” West asked shrugging.

I started walking towards the exit, “Well if she is then we should first check the family tree. Better place than anything to start.”

We left the room and headed back to the front gate. There was a problem though. All the names were almost completely removed. “Now what? Most of the names are gone.”

We stared at the gate for what felt like hours. Truly it was only 15 minutes. “Well you guys have fun I think Ima just get food.” I started walking back.

“Wait, I got it.” Wested said triumph covering his face.

“Really?” I asked not thinking anything was truly there.

“Yes really. Now look.” I did so seeing nothing. “What do you see?”

“Nothi-”

“Only certain letters are left.” Kyle added excitedly.

Huh he was right, perfectly certain letters were still there. Our family tree was large with 40 plus people on it. I had always thought it odd to add people who were dead for such a long time.

“Ok but how does that help us. There are so many that it would take a long time to sift through all of it to make anything.” Michelle said looking as annoyed as I was.

“I have an idea. The note said Patricia holds the key. Keys unlock things.” DUUUHH I said in my mind. “I think maybe she is the beginning, she is the key to the first step. Look around for letters that correspond with letters in her name.”

We looked…as in mostly Kyle and West did. Why do it myself when someone better at it could do it. Even so I was the one who found it. “This one looks to fit.” It was old but not two old, setting back to 1750 her portrait of her looking out with her hands looking as if she was protecting her eyes in front of the sun. “Ok genius with her found what is the next step?”

“I think we need to make a word or words from all the letters. See that she is looking this way. She is looking right at this guy. And his hand is held out this way towards this girl.” I was starting to follow along. They went through until a string of letters were found.

atamonumenttopatienceandonlywhenthewindowstoyoursoulcanbeseenwillyoufindwhatyouneed.

“We now have a lot of letters and that's it.” we had typed them into West’s computer.

“What if you just look for words in it? I think I can see patience, only, when, the.”

West slapped his forehead,”Why didn’t I think of that.” he started looking through to find words

At a monument to patience and only when the windows to your soul can be seen will you find what you need.

“Any ideas” Kyle said “because I got nothing from that.

We spent an hour staring at it with nothing. Not even West could decipher it. “We could just look it up. That's what I do for riddles and shit.”

“That’s a good-” Kyle tried to say.

“Wait, you've been cheating with those puzzles I had you test.”

“I mean uhmm.” It was my turn to feel ashamed that day.

Kyle pushed in saving me. “Anyway. I can just hook this up to a search bot and have it comb over every reference and see if it comes up with a match.

West muttered something, “I still think that's cheating.”

“Think of it as using a resource.” I said, clapping him on the back.

“Now you two have fun, me and Michelle are going to..explore.” I dragged Michelle along even though she could probably bench press me.

When we were alone walking the silent halls we started talking, “Why do you want to do this? I can see those two, they like this sort of stuff. But you? Doesn't fit.”

She fell silent and stopped moving. I walked up closer. “It seemed fun and the history of it might be interesting. Could do a paper on it and get notoriety.”

I could tell she was hiding something from me. “That isn’t all of it. You don’t care about notoriety. Unlike me.” I said with a huge smile.

She sighed giving in. “Yeah my family is having money problems and the medical bills are piling up. That treasure would do well for us.”

I frowned. ”Why didn’t you say before? I could have helped.” And I would have. Money was no problem.

“This is why.” She said with a bite. “You feeling sorry for me. And potentially thinking I only got with you for the money. Because I’m not.”

I lifted up her chin. “I don’t think that. If you don’t want my help financially then finding this treasure is my main mission then.” I looked her in the eyes so full of life, kindness, and hidden danger. “I know I said it before but your eyes are just so beautiful. I can you for who you are. I don’t think you’d ever use me.”

Her eyes sparkled excitedly. I leaned in. To be pushed back her hands on my shoulder. “You stupid genius.”

“What the!” I was alarmed and confused. One moment it was romantic and now the moment was over. “I’m apparently am stupid ‘cause I have no idea what you mean.”

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“The riddle. At a monument to patience and only when the windows to your soul can be seen will you find what you need.”

“Yes, that has something to do with ruining the moment, how?”

“Shut up. ‘Windows into your soul’ is a fancy way of saying eyes. Eyes are the windows into your soul.” She said this and then ran off back to the others.

“Well there goes that. I blame you stupid riddles.” I decided to follow after a moment. I did say I’d help.

I got back to the main room to find them talking amiably. “Did you at least figure something out.” I asked them a bit miffed.

“Yes I think that it all makes sense.” Michelle said, pulling me to the couch. “We understand the eyes part now. But the monument to patience. An idea came to me.” Back in the revolutionary war was the battle of bunker hill. Any of you know the quote that came from that?

I didn’t quite remember but West did,”Yeah don’t fire until you see the white of their eyes…I get it we-”

Michelle in, “This is my thunder West.” He shrunk back. “The meaning of that saying nowadays is to show patience. And there is a monument built at bunker hill. It all makes sense.”

“Shit Michelle, how did you come up with that?” Asked Kyle, genuine curiosity written on his face.

“Well we were about to kiss and I talked about how beautiful her eyes are and seeing her fully.” But Michelle answered bluntly.

“We were talking and it just came to me.” The only good thing being the two had a small amount of doubt on their faces. I’d tell them later.

“So we are now going to go to bunker hill. Where is that again?”

“That my hun is in Boston, Massachusetts.”

“So another long car ride?” I said rhetorically but got an answer anyway.

“Yes.”All three said excitedly.

“On the road again. Can’t just wait to get off this road again.” I sang to the lyrics of on the road again. And got a punch from Michelle for doing so. We were down in Virginia and had to go 500 miles to get to boston. That was a 9 hr drive. “I. Am. Not. Going to be the only one driving who is taking the next shift? Michelle raised her hand.

5 hours in my nap was interrupted by Kyle exclaiming,”I got it.” We all looked at him questioningly. Me with annoyance more so. “Well not that I don’t trust Michelle but it would be dumb not to make sure. And my bot found the same thing.”

“Well I'm better than your machine.”

“Yes you are.” me and Kyle both said. That was awkward. “Anyway we stay the course I guess.

“Here hun have something to drink, you look a bit parched.” I thanked her, drinking the water and then I went back to sleep.

Waking up from yet more shakes I looked around blurrily. I usually didn’t sleep this much in cars, the motion waking me. “My turn?”

“No, we are here.”

“Really wow why didn’t you wake me?”

“You looked cute.”

“Ahh thanks” I said leaning in and actually received a kiss this time.

“You two know that we too can drive.” West complained, shaking his head.

I slapped hard onto the dashboard, “And I don’t trust you with my baby.”

“We’ve been friends way longer though.” Kyle added.

“Still no.” I grinned at them. “Now let's go check out that monument.”

“Silly it's way too late for that. You might have slept but it's night now.”

“I knew that. Let's go check into a hotel then.” We did so and waited for the next day.

The monument looked like something else I’d seen before but couldn’t quite place it. It was a tower that we could go inside. Tours started nice and early. “So what exactly are we looking for?” I asked since no one else was going to.

“Well not sure.” West replied unhelpfully.

“Anyone else?”

Kyle spoke up hesitantly. “I got something. It said ‘At a monument to patience and only when the windows to your soul can be seen will you find what you need.’ More specifically the last part ‘only when the windows to your soul can be seen will you find what you need.’ I think it has two meanings. First the clue to find it with the quote and also that we need to be able to see our eyes. So a reflection of some sort?”

That made sense I thought. “Sure look for a mirror or something.”

When it was our turn to go up we found a lot of stairs, like a lot a lot. I wasn’t winded but my poor legs hurt getting all the way up. Up there we saw 4 windows. I saw two had these circle things and called them out. “These look interesting.”

“Yeah, maybe they zero in on something else.”

Kyle had his phone out and replied ruining the mood. “I can’t find anything else of historical interest around here. If it is pointed at something I don’t know what it could be. There is the USS Constitution and Boston National Historical park. Both aren’t in sight.”

“How do you know you haven’t even looked through them?”

“Well this is north. Which means both of these rings are west and east. Both of those places are south east. A direct look isn’t possible.” He said systematically.

“Ok then anything else. I doubt it's the cameras in this room.”

“Perhaps I was wrong and it has nothing to do with reflections.”

“No you are probably right it makes sense.” West reassured Kyle.

“Ok your time is up.” The bored tour guide we forgot was there. “Please get ready to head down and please don’t fall.”

“Is that a regular occurrence?” I asked but got no answer.

Back down I was slowly slamming my head against the statue of Colonel William Prescot the dude who said the quote we were chasing I think. “If this is the man who said it, maybe he has something to do with this?” I asked, still leaning my head against the hard stone.

“Please sir, don't touch the statue. Or hurt yourself upon it.” The unhappy tour guide said while passing with a new group. It was 3 buff dudes who all looked at me strangely. I raised my thumb up.

“I think you are right.” West said pointing. “Look at his eyes. They look odd don’t they?”

Kyle zoomed in with his phone. “Kinda looks like it is made of colored glass.”

“Wouldn’t that be something people talk about?” I asked.

“Who pays much attention to statues.” She had me there. “Ok, boost me up.”

I wasn’t for this, “What no. You heard the sad tour guide, we aren’t allowed to touch it.”

“And?”

I relented because why not. When in Boston. “Ok but be fast. I don’t see any security guards around.” I kept lookout as she looked at the statue. The other two hoisted her up.

Wincing Kyle grunted out, “Why isn’t she lifting one of us up? She could probably pick both of us up.”

“Shh…wait, I see something.”

“What? I can’t do this for much longer.”

“I think it's another riddle. ‘The chef cooks a clue. And hides it in the tip of his pan. Hidden for later use.’” She didn’t even wait as she just jumped down off. The two feeling tired.

“I’m going to have to ask you 4 to leave. We have strict rules.” A lady in a guard's uniform said.

“Sorry mam we were leaving already,” I said, smiling a charming smile.

When we were out I asked a very important question. “Is this the last one?”