Dead Man's Chest — David Sherman

Ham Eliot is a down-on-his-luck freelance magazine writer who finds lost or misplaced objects to supplement his writing income. He soon encounters Sindi DiWagne, a duplicitous blonde who leads him on a search for a purloined map she claims shows the way to treasure buried by the notorious pirate Blackbeard. Arrayed against Ham and Sindi are "Mister Big," a businessman who made his fortune by manipulating money, and lost it through some bad dealings. Mr. Big goes into the manufacture and distribution of designer drugs to regain his wealth. He also wants the treasure map. Mr. Big's muscle is provided by a trio of goons, Kallir, Hondo, and Moose. Mr. Big wants Ham out of the way, and his goons eventually make several attempts on Ham's life. By the time the story reaches its conclusion, many of the principals have met untimely ends. Adding to the action is Ham's favorite night spot, the Side Car Club. The Side Car is a odd night club that sometimes hosts musical acts; some on their way up, others on their way back down, and some that never made it big but haven't given up. On other nights it has "dancing girls" shimmying on its stages and circulating for tips from the customers. One of them is interested in Ham in a very personal way, but Ham sees the dancing girls as pure fantasy, and doesn't want to know which one she is. Dead Man's Chest is set in Philadelphia in 1992.