loretta and alan spend a day fighting off fairfax's henchmen before reaching a nearby village, where upon hearing a folk song from a local, loretta deduces that the crown is hidden in a sinkhole in the jungle. the pair are kidnapped again and forced to share the treasure's location with fairfax. upon reaching the location, they discover the tomb of a queen, whose 'crown of fire' was made of red seashells gathered by her husband who is buried with her; the actual treasure of the legend wasn't a priceless jewel but the inseparable love between the king and queen. infuriated, fairfax forces them into the tomb as the volcano erupts, but one of the henchmen has a change of heart and leaves a crowbar to help them escape before abandoning fairfax on the island. beth arrives with the local coast guard and fairfax, having pretended to be stranded to get rescued, is arrested for his crimes. loretta's next book, based on their adventures, is a hit, and she and alan share a kiss while on vacation.