Total pages in book: 9
Estimated words: 8106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 41(@200wpm)___ 32(@250wpm)___ 27(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 8106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 41(@200wpm)___ 32(@250wpm)___ 27(@300wpm)
Vix: And he somehow figured out which companies to invest in, and all of them happened to have these huge "alpha" moments in 1989.
Rule: Nintendo, Microsoft, Fox, Prozac, just to name a few.
Vix: And that's how he became a billionaire? And why he's famous?
Rule: Those investments gave Martinez the capital to start his own company. An asset management firm that was extremely selective with its clients. He was able to turn ordinary people into multimillionaires, and it didn't hurt that he was also able to build his billion-dollar fortune along the way.
Vix: So he's a billionaire with a good heart, and that's why he's famous?
Rule: Actually, he's infamous because of how he suddenly disappeared. He was last seen helping out with rescue efforts on 9/11. That's it.
Vix: But he's not dead?
The question gave him pause...since the answer to it was something only members of a certain club knew of. Rule was one of those members, and while none of them were sworn to secrecy, it said a lot that the knowledge they were privy to had never been made public.
Rule: How well do you know Gabriel?
Vix: I was one of the witnesses at their wedding, if that means anything?
That was a good enough reason for Rule to trust the younger man, but he also made a mental note to ask his friend who exactly this 'Vix' was.
Rule: A website popped up on the Internet shortly after Martinez disappeared. It's the only place where he's left clues to anyone who wants to find him, but the password to the website changes every year. You need to "earn" the right to gain access to it.
Vix: And you earned it?
Rule: I got lucky.
Vix: I have a feeling it's more than that.
The younger man was right, but Rule didn't see any point in explaining why he had access to the website.
Vix: And I totally understand if you choose to say no, but I thought I'd still give it a try. Would you consider sharing those clues with me?
Eight
it's wrong, lads
that's how you'll find me
where anna marie first learned about herself,
there is a park in which the crooning one is on a black pedestal
upon entering the site, you must press the right key
as many times as it took for THE storm to first appear
and then and only then
shall you see me
"WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?"
Chirp, chirp.
Salt and Light gazed at her in concern, but Vixen realized they were only humoring her when the pair then went back to eating their chop.
Hmph!
A week had already passed, but Vix hadn't made any progress at all in decoding the clues to finding Pedro Martinez, a.k.a. Alpha 1989. She felt like she was missing something right under her nose again, but what?
Vixen checked her watch and bit back a sigh. She only had ten minutes until opening, so she gave her feather babies a couple of head scritches and blew them a kiss before stepping out of the aviary.
Monday mornings were always busy, but today seemed a lot busier than usual, with several regulars already lined up by the counter.
Juno threw her a relieved smile when she saw Vixen approaching. Time went by in a blur, and it was already half past ten when Juno and Vixen had their first chance to rest their feet.
She checked her phone for any messages, and Vixen couldn't help smiling when she saw there was one.
Gabriel's Friend: Any luck?
Vixen: Zero progress. But either way, Claire and I are in your debt. If you ever find yourself in Lavender Cove, coffee's on me.
Gabriel's Friend: Funny you'd say that.
Vixen: You're in LC? You have to come over then! I work at Books, Blends, and Blessings.
Gabriel's Friend: I know the place.
Vixen: Great! How do you like your coffee?
Rule: Black.
Vix: Noted. One Americano for my good friend Rule coming right up.
Vixen twisted her hair up in a bun, and she even found herself humming under her breath as she prepared a fresh batch of beans to grind and brew.
Gabriel's friend was so nice, and she wondered if he would look exactly as she pictured him. Maybe in his sixties, silver-haired, and with wise, gentle eyes? He had to be as old as Claire's aunt at least. Right?
"What's this?"
Vixen saw her part-time employee gazing down at her notebook, which she had accidentally left lying open on the side table behind the counter.
"You don't seem the type to write poems and stuff," Juno commented.
Vixen feigned a look of hurt. "Excuse me?"
"Name five poems then."
"Does the Book of Psalms count?"
The younger girl laughed. "You're a really sweet person, Vix, but I just don't see you enjoying poems."
"What about Aesop's—-"
Juno cut her off, asking, "Can we just talk about that?"
"But—-"
"What is it, really?" Juno insisted on asking.
Vixen gave up trying to convince the younger girl of her refined tastes in literature and reached for her notebook. "It's a set of clues, basically."