Autumn Maeve – Part 6
When Maeve entered the house with her groceries, she found the fire blazing higher than before. If the door hadn’t been locked from the inside, she would’ve thought someone had kindled it during her absence.
Ghost shot out from under the couch as Maeve kicked the door shut behind her. He zipped across the space in a blur of gray before disappearing under a shelf on the opposite wall.
“What’s got you spooked?” she asked. “Surely it isn’t living in a house where random people come and go as they please?”
Ghost said nothing.
Maeve laughed. She couldn’t blame the cat for being so skittish. To live here was to live perpetually on edge.
Still, she shouldn’t complain too much. The very walls were lined with precious gems. Who knew how many more lay in wait?
She glanced at the raging fire and let out a frustrated sigh. “It may be tomorrow before you cool down enough for me to go rooting around in there.” And she had to work at the bookstore from 9:00 to 3:30.
Exploring the space early the next morning would turn her black. Since Maeve preferred to shower at night, she would hold off on her treasure hunt until that afternoon. “What’s one more day when I have a lifetime left to live here?”
The next morning, she arrived at Mapletown Books at 8:50 a.m. Andrea greeted her as she entered, “Hello! Happy first day!”
“Thanks. Where do you want me?”
Andrea pointed toward a shelf in the back fronted by several boxes. “We just got a new shipment of books in last night. If you could arrange them on these shelves by author name, I’d appreciate you.”
“Consider it done.” Maeve placed her purse behind the register and set about sorting the novels.
Thirty minutes later, a group of three ladies came into the store. Andrea joined them in a spirited discussion of the Autumn Block Party.
The big woman in the red hat said, “I hear Dale Roscoe will be there.”
A lady in a yellow dress gasped. “I’m surprised he’s getting out of the house! I haven’t seen him in town since his wife died.”
The skinny girl in a light-blue sweater added, “The Café Couture coffee truck will be parked on the square. I’ve waited all year for their maple pumpkin donut and latte.”
Andrea whined, “It’s a shame I can’t stay awake late enough to keep the shop open for the event.” Turning to face the back of the store, she sweetly hinted, “Unless Maeve wants to work that evening?”
Maeve viewed the ladies with a trapped expression. She didn’t love the idea of working alone at night, but she couldn’t very well refuse a request on her first day. Tentatively, she asked, “When is it?”
“Tomorrow night from 7 to 9,” Andrea answered. “Mallory would help out, but it’s a school night, so I can’t ask her. I’d love for the store to be able to participate. I’d drop off refreshments beforehand so you wouldn’t have to worry about anything but working the register. Could you do that for me?” Andrea regarded her with pleading eyes.
Maeve meant it as a desperate question when she answered, “How can I say no?”
The women clapped in approval.
Andrea squealed. “I knew I made the right decision in hiring you!”
The rest of the day was rather uneventful. Andrea gave Maeve a crash course in operating the register. She informed her of their return policy and what to do in case of various emergencies. At 3:30, Maeve got to meet young Mallory as she entered for her shift.
With her long, straight brown hair and dimpled cheeks, Mallory appeared to be a wholesome, sweet young lady. “So nice to meet you, Ms. Maeve. I’m glad Andrea found someone to help her out.”
“Nice to meet you, Mallory.” Impatient to get home to her hearth, Maeve gathered her things and excused herself.
As she stepped into the living room, she was relieved to find it as cold as she’d left it. She quickly changed into black clothing for the task at hand. Glancing at Ghost, she noted his relaxed demeanor and took comfort in it. If anyone were in the house, he would be as tense as a taut arrow. She should be safe to focus her attention on the fireplace.
Shining a flashlight about the dark space, she recited the clue aloud, “Not a candle, but a flame. Santa’s passage is the same.” After a thorough check of the ash and the floor, she reasoned, “It’s probably along the inner wall somewhere.” She stood for a closer look.
On the left side of the brick about five feet up, she spied something projecting slightly from the wall. It appeared to be a blackened handle. She tugged it forward, and the attached brick surprised her by budging.
Excited, she set the flashlight on the floor, tilting it to aim it towards the brick. Then she pulled it the rest of the way out, catching it in both hands as it cleared the wall. Soot fluffed through the air, causing her to turn her head and cough.
She brought the brick out onto the hearth. Setting it down, she discovered another handle on the top. “It must be hollow,” she mused.
Sure enough, she pulled the top up to reveal another velvety black bag inside the faux brick. “Someone was a master of architectural disguise.”
Unlike the other hiding spots, this one contained no paper clue. “Must be the last of his stash,” she assumed.
With trembling fingers, she loosened the drawstring on the bag. The light glinted off the contents, giving her the confidence to pour them into her hand without further examination. Onto her palm tumbled four sparkling diamonds.
She released an involuntary breath. Words failed her, as did thoughts. She just stared in awe at financial security.
After quite some time, her senses returned. She quickly slid the diamonds back into the black bag. Someone had gotten into her house to start the fire yesterday. The lady at the grocery store had revealed that multiple people believed a large amount of money to be hidden in the home. Yes, these people had already done a thorough search of the place before she moved in, but what if some of them decided to try again? The local cops would do nothing to stop them. Maeve could only rely on herself to defend her property, which now included these precious stones.
She couldn’t risk leaving them here, even tucked away inside the wall, the attic chest, and the fireplace. She should keep them on her person at all times. That’d be easy enough, since all of her pants had pockets. They might be a little lumpy, but she’d only have to wear them around until she secured a safe deposit box at a bank in a neighboring town. She didn’t trust this one.