Page 32 of The Side Road
‘A man’s shoebox or a woman’s shoebox?’ Blanche asked. ‘Boots or flats?’
Oliver hesitated. ‘Female.’
Underwhelmed, the hunters frowned. A few raised their eyebrows.
‘Hundred-dollar notes are difficult to spend,’ Blanche said. ‘The look you get from shopkeepers when you hand over large notes – it’s like you passed them a dead cat.’
‘Especially early in the morning,’ Arthur agreed. ‘It’s no fault of mine if the automatic teller dispensed a hundred-dollar bill.’
‘I try to avoid them,’ Leo said. ‘Draws too much attention.’
‘Good point,’ Arthur said. ‘Elsie wouldn’t have withdrawn hundred-dollar notes. What if the money were in ten-dollar notes? Or even five-dollar notes? How much space would that take up?’
‘In ten-dollar bills, that would be twenty thousand notes,’ Oliver said. ‘That might fill a washing basket.’
This information lifted the mood.
Tash had sketched a rough floor plan of the house, which she referred to as a treasure map. Her drawing included the yard, the potting shed, and the old garage at the back of the property. The already searched areas were colour-coded. Blanche, Flora, and Tash would start in Elsie’s room. Tash could put aside anything she wanted to keep. Oliver would search under the house. Mike and Leo would tackle the attic. Arthur said he would take a walk through the garden and check the area around the rockery and potting shed.
As the group prepared to set out, Oliver heard the sweet sound of the BMW turning onto the street. Mia and Snoodcame into view, and she parked the bike at the front of the house.
After Mia dismounted, she opened the sidecar door, and Snood jumped out. When the dog saw Tash, he did a full-body wiggle. Oliver knew how he felt. He walked toward her, meeting her halfway down the path.
‘Hello,’ she said. ‘They told me ten, but it takes this lot at least half an hour to get started.’ In her hands, she held a baking dish. ‘I was told to bring lunch…for everyone. I made lasagne.’
This was the first Oliver knew about the food. He took the dish from her. ‘Thank you. Food is always welcome. I wasn’t expecting you.’
‘They told me it was an emergency. If you didn’t find the money, it would be…’ her voice trailed. A worried expression crossed her face.
Ignoring her concerns – he didn’t want to talk about money, or lack of it – he turned toward Snood, who was scurrying up the path toward them. ‘I like your dog,’ he said. ‘Did you train him to ride in the sidecar?’
Mia shook her head. ‘If a car door is open, he’ll probably get in. Cars are his safe space.’
Oliver kneeled. Snood came in for a cuddle and a pat. ‘Why would anyone surrender a dog like this?’
‘His adoption papers didn’t give a reason. But life can be tough. I try not to think the worst. Perhaps his owner died.’ She lowered her voice. ‘He used to be called Snoopy, but I changed it. He has no idea.’
Oliver smiled. ‘Does he bark much?’ The dog was close to her heart, and he wanted to keep her talking.
‘No, he’s not much of a barker. Sometimes he barks to get my attention, like if his water bowl needs filling. But if I’m late with his dinner, he never complains. He’ll just sit by hisfood bowl to remind me. He brings back anything you throw.’
Oliver picked up a stick and tossed it down the path.
The dog sat on Oliver’s foot.
‘He prefers balls,’ Mia said.
Her hair was styled in a ponytail. She wore shorts and a loose-knit jumper in a colour somewhere between yellow and orange. One side had slipped off her shoulder. As he watched her walk toward the house, he thought those blue eyes could distract a man. He could benefit from a distraction.
Mia’s arrival caused another vigorous discussion about the treasure hunt teams – should there be three or four? How many people should be in each team? Should the younger generation be mixed with the older?
Eventually, Tash said she would start in Elsie’s room. Blanche agreed, and they headed inside. Flora followed.
Mia took Oliver’s arm. ‘We’ll take the basement.’
As they headed to the back of the house, Mia said, ‘Sorry, I kidnapped you. I couldn’t go through another round of picking teams.’
‘Happy to be kidnapped.’ He handed her a torch. ‘Scared of spiders, rats, mice, snakes, or small spaces?’
