Kari Lee Townsend - Sunny Meadows 04 - Perish in the Palm

by Kari Lee Townsend

  “I think I have some in the root cellar,” he said.

  Oh, Lordy, I thought and swallowed hard, pulling on the door tight to hold it in place. Jo and Zoe stared at me with mouths agape and eyes wide. Pierre tried to open the door. I held it closed. He mumbled another curse and pulled harder. I used every ounce of my strength to keep it firmly shut.

  “Mon Dieu, I think it’s stuck. Stupid door,” he muttered.

  I heard him rub his hands together, and I knew he meant to heave all his strength into opening the door. I also knew if he succeeded, we were all mincemeat. He was stronger than I was. Suddenly I felt Jo and Zoe’s hands grab hold of mine. I hadn’t even heard them move. We all held on together as tight as we could. Pierre pulled with all his might, but the door remained closed. He banged his fist against it once, and then went off in search of Frank for some tools. At least that’s what I thought I made out between the curses and French mixed in.

  “We only have a few minutes,” I said to the girls. “Let’s go.”

  Zoe started to open the door, but I grabbed her hand.

  “Not through there,” I hissed.

  “Then where?” Jo asked.

  “Into the tunnels,” I replied. “You guys wanted an adventure. Looks like you’re going to get one.”

  We made our way down the stairs in record time and moved the shelf aside just enough to open the door to the secret passageway. We slipped through and then pulled the shelf back before closing the door. I held up my hand for them to freeze once more. We stood silently behind the door and waited.

  Seconds later, we heard Pierre and Frank open the door to the root cellar with ease. Frank mumbled something about Pierre having no strength, and Pierre let loose a string of rambling French I was glad I couldn’t understand, and said it had been jammed a moment ago. Frank informed him it wasn’t now and then he left.

  Pierre stormed down the stairs and grew quiet. For a moment I thought maybe he had figured it all out and was ready to open the door and chop us all up, especially when he said, “Aha, there you are.” But then it sounded like he pulled something off the shelf and made his way back up the stairs and shut the door.

  “Oh my Gosh,” Zoe said. “That was so exciting.”

  Jo frowned at her. “And you are such a greenhorn. We nearly died. That is not exciting. Right Sunny?”

  I let out the breath I had been holding. “I have to agree with Jo on this one.”

  “Oh, come on,” Zoe sputtered. “I’m sure you haven’t been through anything this dangerous.”

  “You have no idea,” was all I said, and then I motioned for them to follow me into the tunnel.

  “Hey, I just thought of something,” Jo said. “We’re stuck in here, aren’t we? I’m thinking we can’t go back the way we came.”

  “I’m thinking you’re right,” Zoe said.

  “I’m thinking this tunnel has to lead to somewhere,” I said. “We searched it before but not all the way to the end. You game?”

  “As long as I get back by the happy hour crowd, I’m good to go.” Jo nodded once.

  Zoe’s head bobbed eagerly. “Do you even have to ask?”

  I chuckled and motioned for them to follow me. “Let’s go.”

  “But we can barely see anything right here by the door. We’ll never be able to see once we’re deep in the tunnel.” Jo sounded nervous.

  “Last time we searched the tunnels, we used an old-fashioned oil lamp.” I looked around. “I’m sure it’s still here.”

  We all took a moment to look. I found it next to the wall and pulled out the lighter I used for my candles and incense. I’d packed a few essentials in my fringed knapsack, except I hadn’t packed a flashlight. The wick on the lamp was broken.

  “I’ve got an idea,” Zoe said. She pulled off her sweater and took off her tank top.

  “And how exactly will stripping help us?” Jo asked. “Good grief, Sunny, we’ve created a monster.”

  “Funny.” Zoe tugged her sweater back over her head. Ripping a board off a shelf by the door, she wrapped her tank top tightly around the wood. “Now pour oil over my shirt.”

  I did as she complied.

  “Viola.” She handed it to me. “A torch. Got a light?”

  “You’re a genius.” I laughed and lit the torch, admitting it really did feel like we were on the set of an Indiana Jones movie.

  “Why do you think she’s my favorite cousin?” Jo chuckled.

  “I knew there was a reason I liked her,” I said, and we set out on our journey.

  ***

  Hours later we came to a fork in the tunnels and stopped.

  “What now?” Zoe sounded as if the appeal of an adventure had worn thin. “I’m tired of walking, and we haven’t even found anything.”

  “Yeah, my feet hurt,” Jo chimed in, “and I’m getting hungry. And cold.” She rubbed her arms. “What if we never find our way out of here?” They sat down and waited, counting on me for guidance.

  I sighed, feeling like a fraud, and then sat down at the fork to lean against the wall. A feeling of déjà vu swept over me. It wasn’t strong, but it was enough. “Just hold on, now,” I said. “Be still and give me a minute. I think I’m getting something.”

  They froze.

  “I’ve been here before,” I continued, excitement humming through my veins. “Or rather Ronald Winters has.”

  “What do you see?” Zoe sounded breathless.

  I closed my eyes. “Two little boys. The same ones I saw when I read Ronald’s gloves. It’s him and Peirce.” I opened my eyes and surged to my feet. “I know the way.” I looked at them. “I seriously know the way. Come on.”

  “Where are we going?” Jo struggled to her feet with a groan, not sounding half as eager as Zoe.

  “We’re following them. The boys in my vision.” I scurried down the tunnel. “I think they’re showing us the way out.”

  “If I didn’t thoroughly trust you, I would think you were cuckoo right now,” Jo grumbled, but kept up with my pace like the trooper she was.

  We headed to the right of the tunnel and kept walking. It went on for a while and around a bend, then it began to narrow.

  “This is freaking me out. It’s not that big.” Zoe started to hyperventilate.

  “It’s fine.” I handed her a mint leaf from my knapsack. “Chew on this. It will settle your stomach.”

  “What’s in there?” Zoe asked. “Your magic bag of tricks?”

  “Something like that.” I laughed. “And don’t worry. We’re okay. The boys used to play in here all the time.”

  “The boys as in children,” Jo said. “What if my big ole behind won’t fit?”

  “It will, and you’re not that big yet.” Jo’s expression had me hastily adding, “Not that you will get big. I mean … look, we’re almost there,” I sputtered.

  It didn’t take much longer when we finally came to the end. It looked like a rock had once covered the opening, but now a bunch of branches with pine needles did. We all started pushing the branches aside, until the opening was clear. I climbed out, and they followed me. We were in the woods. I had no idea where the tunnel had taken us, but we’d gone deep enough to be close to the river. I could hear the sound of rushing water in the distance.

  “Where are we?” Zoe asked.

  “I’m not sure.” I faced them as I bit my bottom lip.

  “What now?” Jo questioned.

  “I lost the vision.”

  “Great, and I don’t have cell service out here.” Jo held her phone at various angles, attempting to find a signal.

  “We’ve come this far, let’s head toward the river,” I pleaded. “Maybe I’ll pick something up again.”

  “But what if we get lost?” Zoe said. “That tunnel is our only way back to the inn.

  “And Pierre Desjardins,” I pointed out. “Frankly, I’d rather take my chances with the lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my.”

  “Bears?” Zoe squeaked.

  “Days ar
e getting shorter, ladies.” Jo looked around warily. “We’d better get going if we plan to get out of here before dark.”

  We started walking toward the river. It was a windy day again, but at least the sun was out. A lot of the leaves had fallen but the forest still had a thick canopy of branches and pine trees. The crisp sound of leaves and twigs and pine cones crunched beneath our hiking boots as we trekked through the woods.

  “Maybe we should have left a trail,” Zoe said.

  “And brought a weapon,” Jo added.

  “Or stayed home,” I admitted. “The guys are all going to have a fit, especially Mitch. I wanted to find something useful so badly to help with the case. I’m really sorry. I think I messed up badly this time.”

  “Nah,” Jo said like a true friend, putting my needs before her own and reassuring me. “We’ll be fine.”

  “How can you tell?” I said.

  “Because we’ve got each other.” Zoe looped her arm through mine, and Jo followed her lead.

  I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, and they were counting on me to get us home. Except there was no yellow brick road to follow or Wizard in sight. We were close to the river now. I could smell it in the air, feel the mist increase the humidity. The sound of rapids was getting louder, but so was another sound.

  I stopped. “What’s that?”

  “What’s what?” Zoe looked around.

  “Don’t you hear it?” I asked.

  “No.” Jo’s face grimaced in confusion, and it was clear she was quickly losing patience in me and this whole adventure.

  “Listen harder,” I said.

  They did as I instructed, and both their faces went pale.

  “Bear?” Jo gulped.

  “Maybe,” I responded.

  “But I thought they hibernated?” Zoe’s voice wobbled.

  “They do during the winter,” I said.

  “What do they do in the fall?” Zoe fairly shrieked.

  “Fatten up,” Jo wailed.

  We all started screaming and running as fast as we could, which was probably the worst thing you could do if it really was a bear. Something grabbed me from behind, and I started kicking wildly, thinking this was the end. I had finally messed up so badly, I was going to die. Jo and Zoe turned around, ready to tackle the beast with me.

  “I said calm down, Miss Meadows,” Jack Shepard shouted into my ear.

  Wait. Bears don’t talk, I thought. When I stopped thrashing, he set me down. I whirled around and gaped at him, dumbfounded.

  “You scared us half to death, Big Guy,” Jo said.

  “I’d say that makes us even.” He tried for some humor to lighten the situation, then frowned and cleared his throat when it didn’t work.

  “What are you doing out here, Paul Bunyan?” Zoe asked.

  “Pierre sent me to catch some fresh fish for dinner,” he said. “These guests are killing us all.” He held up his empty basket. “I haven’t had any luck.” He eyed us curiously. “I might ask you all the same thing. What are you ladies doing out here in the middle of the woods? It can be dangerous, you know.”

  “Trying to find the treasure like before,” I answered, not wanting to tell him about Ronald and Pierre. That was official police business that not everyone needed to know about. I looked at the girls, and they picked up on my vibe.

  “Any luck?” he asked.

  “No more than you,” Zoe said.

  “I’ve got some time to kill, and frankly I’m in no hurry to get back to the inn’s guests.” He shrugged. “I could help if you want. You might need some muscle if you find it, and I know the way back.”

  “We want,” Zoe said, excited once more.

  “That sounds like a win-win situation to me,” Jo said.

  That sounded like we were back on track with Detective Grumpy Pants none the wiser. I held out my hand. “You’ve got a deal, Mr. Shepard.”

  Chapter 23

  An hour later, we had walked up and down the river with no luck. The wind whipped leaves about, treetops swaying and bending, and the rapids were churning violently, forming foamy white caps.

  “Sorry, guys, I’m still not picking anything up,” I grumbled, quickly growing tired of our adventure myself. So much for helping Mitch solve this case.

  “So, you’re really psychic?” Jack came to a stop beside me as we stared out over the wild raging water. He had that doubtful yet hopeful yet wary mix of an expression that most people had when they talked to me about what I did for a living.

  “Most of the time I’m psychic.” I laughed. “Apparently not much today, though.” Jo and Zoe sat a bit further away, leaning against a couple of trees to rest.

  “How does that work, anyway?” He threw a rock out into the water.

  I shrugged. “It’s hard to explain. Sometimes things just come through. Images, feelings, visions. And other times I have to work at it. That’s why I use my fortune-telling tools to help tap into my abilities. And yet there are times that if I hold something that belonged to someone, I can pick up a reading of them. That’s been useful in helping the police find missing people, among other things.”

  “What happened with Mr. Theodore?” I could feel his genuine interest. Maybe he wasn’t as much of a doubter as I first thought.

  “Well, in his case, I used palm reading,” I answered. “I saw things about his past and his future, but I was also transported into a vision. That’s when I saw the old man on the boat and found out about the past being the link to putting the inn on the map. I had a vision again in the root cellar, and that’s when we found the map. And earlier today I had a vision where I saw Mr. Theodore as a child with a friend. That’s how I knew which way to go through the tunnels that brought us here.”

  “So what now?” He studied me so intensely, it was unnerving.

  “Well, I lost the connection and haven’t been able to pick it up.” I sighed and held my palms up. “I’m afraid finding the treasure is a lost cause. It doesn’t really matter anyway. Just the thought of a treasure has made the inn a success and put it on the map, so to speak. So for all intense purposes, my vision came true.”

  “But … what about the map?” He ran a hand over his beard and shook his head, his ponytail swaying in time with his confusion and agitation.

  I could see he was interested in finding the treasure, same as half the town, but he had to accept a lost cause when confronted with all the facts, didn’t he?

  “It’s gone,” I responded with a firm tone, hoping to get my point across. “It was taken during the break-in at my house. It was missing a crucial piece anyway.” I glanced at the sky and realized it was getting late. “I know you’re disappointed. We are too, but we should probably head back now before it gets dark.”

  A long silence filled the space between us.

  “We’re not going anywhere,” he finally said. He stared out over the river, a muscle in his jaw pulsing.

  I blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “You’re wrong, you know. Finding that treasure is important.” He stared at me with eyes that looked like they were vacant, if not a little crazy. “It’s everything.”

  “Why?” I didn’t understand why this meant so much to him.

  “Because I’ve searched for that treasure my entire life,” he growled, sounding so much different form the mild-mannered groundskeeper I had come to know and actually like.

  My pulse began to race. “But we only just found out about it.” I took a discreet step back, instinctively knowing I needed some distance between us and that raging river.

  “No, you only found out about it.” He took a step toward me.

  “Okay, but like I said, my map is gone and it was missing a piece anyway. There’s nothing more I can do.”

  He pulled out my map and the missing section from his back pocket, holding them up before me. “You mean these?”

  “You weren’t out here fishing. You were treasure hunting.” I stared at his bandaged hand and realization dawned. “You’re t
he one who broke into my house. Morty did that to you, didn’t he? That was your blood on his paw when he went to Detective Stone, wasn’t it?”

  “Well, well. The little lady really is psychic.” He rubbed his bandaged palm. “That cat of yours is a demon.”

  You have no idea, I thought, but said, “It doesn’t take a psychic to figure that out or to see that you’re crazy if you think I’m going to help you.” I tried to sound brave.

  “Oh, I don’t think, Miss Meadows.” He pulled out a gun. “I know.”

  “Hey, whoa, wait a minute, Big Guy.” Jo stood up slowly and joined us. “What’s going on here?”

  “We’ve found our thief,” I said. “Jack is the one who broke into my house and hit me on the head and stole the map.”

  Jo and Zoe gasped.

  “I don’t like hurting women, but you left me with no choice, and I’m not a thief.” He held his gun steady on the three of us. “That treasure is rightfully mine.”

  “I thought you were our savior,” Zoe said with a disappointed tone. “And you’re delusional if you think that treasure is yours. You worked for Mr. Theodore and that treasure belongs to him and now his widow.”

  “Wrong. I might have worked for Mr. Theodore, but that was only so I could find what belonged to my ancestors. I’ve heard stories about the treasure from the time I was a boy, and when I was old enough, the remaining piece of the map was entrusted to me. I am the last in the line of Shepards and won’t go to my grave until I make this right.” He held his head high and proud, with his beard tightly trimmed and his hair pulled back in a neat ponytail.

  All he needed was an eye patch and an earring, and he’d look the part perfectly. Morty’s eye-patch of a leaf, his digging in the dirt, and his walking with a limp suddenly made sense. He’d known who Jack was all along, but I had been too blind to see it.

  “I come from a long line of pirates, believe it or not,” Jack continued. “My ancestor was running from other pirates and sought refuge with the Theodores, creating the map and burying the treasure. But the Theodores betrayed him, killing him and keeping the bounty for themselves. The Theodores are the real thieves here.”