Page 34 of The Side Road
Arthur appeared and made a beeline for Tash. Sitting beside her, he watched the game and cheered on the dog. Snood no longer used his nose to indicate the cup holding the treat. The animal had progressed to tapping the cup with his paw. Snood was smarter than he looked. Oliver monitored Arthur's proximity to his daughter.
Over the next two hours, they combed the house. There were no secret passages or doorways. The mortar in the brickwork was loose in places, but none of the bricks slipped easily from the walls. The floorboards were secure. There were no ghosts in the attic.
Their treasure hunt had uncovered five dozen bottles ofcleanskin red wine and a plastic container filled with a few old lottery tickets. Blanche offered to check the winnings. Under the bathroom sink, Leo had found a headless doll.
‘You’re psychic,’ Mia whispered to Oliver.
‘Obviously,’ he replied.
Only two crates of Elsie’s possessions survived. Inside were a handful of loose photos, a jewellery box, several old books, and some religious items that Tash thought Elsie would want to keep. Oliver regarded the belongings; after eighty years, they didn’t amount to much.
Arthur, rummaging through the bits and pieces in the crates, picked up a ragged copy ofTheVelveteen Rabbit. ‘I used to read this book to the babies,’ he said. From his pocket, he pulled out a packet of barley sugar, offering it to the treasure hunters. Everyone appreciated the sweets and helped themselves. Tash took two.
When Oliver found himself standing beside Troublemaker Flora, he attempted to make small talk, asking her about her health. When that failed, he moved on to the weather, but he received no response. For his last attempt, he asked her how long she had lived in Eagle Nest. He couldn’t get a word. He thought she might be losing her hearing, but when someone mentioned food, she was first in line.
They ate lunch on the front porch. Oliver had made a salad, and Blanche had provided breadsticks. The lasagne was excellent. Tash ate a few sheets of the pasta, but only after she had scraped the sauce to one side.
‘I guess we’re done,’ Leo said. ‘There’s not a shoebox or a washing basket filled with money in this house.’
‘What about the old garage?’ Arthur pointed to the separate building at the back of the property. The garage had a tilt-style door large enough to drive a small car through and another pedestrian door at the side.
‘There’s no key.’ Leo began collecting the lunch plates.
‘But we should check.’ Blanche handed Leo her leftovers.
‘How do we check if we can’t get inside?’ Leo asked
‘We could jimmy it open,’ Mike, the neighbour, suggested. ‘I’ve got a crowbar.’ He pointed over the fence to his house.
‘Or I could call a locksmith tomorrow,’ Oliver said.
‘That’ll cost a bit.’ Mike scratched his chin.
With the treasure hunt over, the searchers gathered their belongings. As they left, Oliver handed them bottles of wine.
‘Remind me to talk to you about the Men’s Shed,’ Leo said, juggling four bottles. ‘Come by later in the week. We’ll sort you out with a few jobs.’
Oliver gave Leo his best non-committal smile. The Men’s Shed movement was vaguely familiar to him – a worthy organisation – but he wondered what a few jobs meant. He wasn’t retired. When he worked, he liked to get paid.
As the others climbed into their cars, Mia lingered on the front path. With her arms crossed, she looked back at the house. Oliver joined her and followed her gaze.
‘What will you do if you don’t find the money?’ she asked.
He realised she knew nothing about him. Tilting his head to one side, he sighed. ‘I guess we’ll scrape through, somehow.’
Another concerned glance. ‘Of course you will. But do you think we should break into the garage?’
‘I have a better idea,’ Oliver said.
11
THE KEY
Waitingat home for Mia was an empty house and a lonely afternoon. Sundays were life admin days, but there was nothing urgent on her task list. She could postpone the hand-washing. Bills could wait another day. The cleaning and gardening would still be there tomorrow. Exploring the basement with Oliver, she had felt like the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. If there was still treasure to be found, then Mia wanted to find it. And Oliver needed the money. Losing two hundred thousand dollars would deplete anyone’s savings.
Mia could relate. There were times in her life when her IQ had been higher than her bank balance; people didn’t pursue the arts for the big bucks it was offering. Luckily, things had turned around for her. Oliver would also get back on his feet. Considering his height, he must have size thirteen shoes, it wouldn’t take him long. The free wine would help, but finding the missing money was crucial.
Standing on the front lawn, she turned to him. ‘Are we going to need a crowbar?’
