“It wasn’t a mess, Arthur,” the lead officer said, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone. “The Sergeant thinks it was Ambergris. It’s basically aged sperm whale secretions, but it’s used in the world’s most expensive perfumes. They call it ‘floating gold’ for a reason. If that’s what was in that suit, it’s worth a massive fortune—easily more than the gold you were looking for.”
Arthur’s heart stopped. He stared at the officer, the image of the clumps bobbing away on the tide flashing through his mind. “I threw it back,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I tossed the whole lot into the ocean ten minutes ago.” The officers softened, one of them reaching out to clap him on the shoulder in a sympathetic gesture. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up, Arthur,” the cop said gently. “How were you supposed to know? Most people would have done the same thing.”
Arthur looked at his stained, musky hands and realized the ocean had finally taken back its prize.