Page 29 of Whispers of the Elderoak

Ava looked at her. “What about that one guy?” She sipped her wine. “The one that works with you?”

“Theodore?” Eleanor looked taken aback. “No way.”

“Why not? He’s cute.”

Eleanor popped a grape in her mouth. “First of all, his name is Theodore. Can you imagine?”

Ava made fake moaning sounds. “Oh, Theodore. Yes! Harder!”

Eleanor let out a loud bark of laughter. “Exactly. Second of all, he’s way too young.”

“He’s notthatyoung. Like twenty-six or something, right?”

Eleanor frowned at her. “He’s twenty-one!”

“Gross! Nevermind.”

The women burst into laughter at the thought of Eleanor sleeping with baby Theodore.

“Okay, okay, okay.” Eleanor held up her hand. “Now that we’re sufficiently stoned, let’s talk about the riddle.”

“Look in the place where life is created,” said Ava wrapping a blanket around her shoulders.

“Like a womb?”

Ava couldn’t control her laughter, head floating from the weed. “Why the hell would it be a womb?”

“It’s the first thing that popped into my brain!” Eleanor tossed a napkin at her.

“Okay.” Ava clapped her hands together. “We’re on a farm.” She paused. “It grows stuff.”

“Duh.”

“Hush, I’m thinking out loud.” She smiled. “Seeds?”

Eleanor shrugged. “That makes sense. Where are your seeds?”

“In the office,” she answered as she stood and grabbed her wine.

Eleanor followed Ava inside to the cozy office, turning on the desk lamp. It was a big enough room for them to start at opposite ends of the space and they began to pull out the labeled drawers along the back wall. They checked the envelopes, picking up each one and searching for writing on the front and back, shaking the seeds and even feeling with their fingers to see if anything felt strange within the packet.Ava felt nothing different and didn’t see any notes or other strange items resembling clues.

“Anything?” she asked.

Eleanor shrugged. “Nothing that seemed off.”

They headed back outside and sat down. Ava ate a bite of salami as she remained deep in thought while Eleanor munched on her own food.

“I’ve looked this house up and down,” Ava fretted. “I have no idea where it could be.”

Eleanor pondered out loud. “There must be something we’re missing. What else could it—” She paused, seemingly on to something.

“What?” Ava said through a mouthful of cheese.

“The greenhouse!”

“I never saw anything strange when Henry and I cleaned it out… but it’s worth a shot.”

The women rose from their seats, each pulling their respective blankets around them tightly. Luna awoke from her spot on the couch, happily trotting after them. Entering the greenhouse, Ava flipped on the lights Henry had installed for her and they looked around, unsure where to start.

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