She shook her head. “Oh, it isn’t here. I took it home with me.”
“You have it? That explains everything,” Paul said happily. “That’s why everything is torn apart. They didn’t find it. Maybe they don’t know for sure that you have it. Maybe they’re still looking.”
“I agree,” Asa said, the grooves in his forehead deepening.
“In that case”—Sims took a last look around—“I think we’ve done about all we can do tonight. You men close the place as best you can and we’ll look around some more in the daylight.”
Asa watched the burglary team file out and drive away. He turned to Sims. “We’d better put out a notice to the other locksmiths in the area.”
“Done.”
“At least they didn’t come to the shop while you were here, Sarah,” Asa said quietly.
“I think we can assume that they won’t be back here. Sarah ought to be safe,” Paul declared.
“But I’m afraid they may know that I still have it,” Sarah put in. “I just remembered. I left Mr. Grimsley a note on the door, saying I hadn’t been able to open the safe and to call me.”
“Damn!” Asa’s voice dropped an octave. “Is it still there?”
Paul walked quickly over to the door. He turned back and shook his head.
“Great!” Asa exclaimed. “You leave messages on your answering machine and your front door. Anybody who wanted to could probably find you at any given moment. Just great!”
“You said Mr. Grimsley was killed,” Sarah said quietly. “The man who drowned?”
“What happened to him, Sarah,” Asa said bluntly, “was that he was shot and thrown into the river.”
“Oh no.” Sarah caught Paul’s arm. She felt a sudden light-headedness, as if she’d been playing ball in the sun too long and needed to sit down.
“Are you all right, Sarah?” he asked, sliding his arm around her shoulder.
“Yes. No. How could anybody hurt that old man?”
Asa glared at Sarah. Hurt that old man. She had to be the most trusting soul in the world. She flitted through life, assuming nobody meant her any harm, that everybody was as kind and innocent as she. Now life was shattering her innocence and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.
“He’s a swindler, Sarah,” Asa said. “His last address was the federal pen. And he made some interesting friends in there, ones who thought he had a thumb too many.”
Snow Sims let out a deep sigh. “Any ideas, Canyon?”
“My guess is that Grimsley knew something that somebody wanted to know. The missing thumb has all the markings of torture. The men who did that could be the same group that ripped up this place.”
Sarah shivered. She didn’t want to believe that that kind of criminal mind had invaded her safe little town. Of course there were drugs, and sometimes a man would get drunk and beat up his wife on Saturday night. Occasionally more violent crimes took place. But this came from the outside and that frightened Sarah.
Asa walked over and took Sarah’s hand, pulling her forward into the light. “Where is it, Sarah?”
“The safe? At home, in the loft. Why? Do you think—Mother and Robert! Oh, Asa, you don’t think anybody would hurt them?”
Sims quickly flicked on his two-way phone and directed the nearest cars to the old Wilson place. He instructed them to check out both the house and the barn and to remain there until he arrived.
Asa helped Paul lock up the shop and then got into Sarah’s van with her, making sure one of the officers followed in his truck. They fell in behind Paul, blue lights flashing.
The Wilson house was surrounded with Smyrna police cars in a matter of minutes. But, apart from having alarmed Sarah’s mother and stepfather, everything seemed to be in order. After a thorough look around Sims and his officers were dispatched back to town. Any further needs would have to be supplied by the county police, under whose jurisdiction the Wilson property fell.
After they’d all gone Asa followed Sarah upstairs, closing and locking the door leading down to the basketball court. He turned to Sarah.
“Now, let’s see it.”
“The safe?”
“The safe.”
Sarah led him across the loft to the unfinished room in front of the hayloft doors. The long, narrow space had been turned into a storage area and workroom. It was filled with books, a desk, and assorted pieces of sports equipment. The safe was sitting on a table beneath a goosenecked lamp.
Asa studied the small lead safe. He raised his eyebrows, glancing at Sarah skeptically. “This is it?”
“That’s it. It appears to be some kind of wall safe, perhaps the kind that a European woman might have used to keep her jewels in.”
“Made in Europe, huh. Any idea where?”
“My guess would be Germany, but I can’t be certain. There seems to be some similarity between the lock and the works of a particular clock maker in the seventeenth century.”
“How do you know that?”
“By studying some of Pop’s antique books. He collected information on locks and doors that date back to the 1600s. I just haven’t been able to hit on the right combination to get it open.”
“Can it be forced?”
“Maybe, but it could destroy the contents and Mr. Grimsley was insistent that the safe not be harmed.”
“Mr. Grimsley no longer has a say, Sarah. Can you open it? No, never mind, Sarah, I’ll just take it to the station.” He started to lift the safe.
“Asa, I’m the best locksmith in the county. If anybody can open this safe without destroying it, it’s me. Let me do it for you.”
Asa took a long look at Sarah. Didn’t she realize the potential danger? It was becoming clear that a man was dead because of this safe and Asa didn’t intend to let the killers’ search for it go any further. The sooner the press printed the fact that the safe had been found—and he’d make certain that it did—the sooner Sarah would be safe. “Don’t be foolish, Sarah. I won’t put you in danger.”
“I see. Always in charge. Always the one to decide. If this is the way you treated Jeanie I’m not surprised that she eloped with Mike without talking it over with you.”
Asa blanched.
Sarah sucked in a surprised breath.
There was a long, tense silence.
“All right, Sarah. We need the safe opened. Open it. But I want you to stay here, with your door locked. Leave the answering machine on so that you can tell who’s calling and don’t answer unless it’s me.”
“Anything else, sir?” She gave a sharp salute.
“Yes!” he yelled. “Open the damn safe before I get back!”
“I intend to.”
Sarah walked out into the living quarters. Just as she reached the door a hand caught her shoulder and swung her around.
“Sarah Wilson, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I know what I’m doing. I’m protecting the woman I love whether she wants me to or not.”
With that, Asa planted a rough kiss on her lips, strode down the stairs out the door, and slammed it behind him. “Lock this door!”
Woodenly Sarah followed him downstairs and locked the outer door. Her lips were still stinging from the force of Asa’s kiss, her heart still racing from its power. The woman I love? She picked up a basketball and made a few practice shots absentmindedly before she returned to the loft and slid the deadbolt in place.
The woman I love.
She knew the admission hadn’t come easily. She wasn’t even sure he knew what he’d said.
Tomorrow he’d probably deny it. Tomorrow he’d probably be gone.
Being with Asa had become so necessary to her life that she couldn’t imagine how she’d ever lived before she met him, or would exist if he left. She’d been so absorbed with this strong, silent man that she’d let everything else fall into second place. If she’d paid attention to her job and opened the safe to begin with, Mr. Grimsley might not be dead. But now Mr. Grimsley was gone and she might be the only one abl
e to find a link to his killers.
She turned on the light and settled down with her father’s books. The combination had to be in there somewhere. All she had to do was find it.
An hour later she stopped for a sandwich and a quick shower before returning to her task. She glanced out the window and saw a dark car parked beneath the pine trees. Asa was having her watched. The knowledge gave her a quick thrill until she decided that it was as much police procedure as personal concern.
By midnight she’d become completely frustrated. If the face of the lock had readable numbers she’d be a lot closer to solving the puzzle. All she had to go on was a series of lines that marked the exterior of the safe into squares and a lock that defied understanding. Rubik’s Cube had not been as unsolvable.
Just as she was ready to give up and let Asa have the safe she heard a faint scraping sound outside the barn. She turned off the lights and tiptoed to the hayloft doors, giving Asa a silent thank you for oiling the hinges as she cracked them and peeked out.
She could see a man in front of her downstairs door working at the lock. He’s trying to break in, she realized.
Asa was right. Somebody had traced the safe to her. Anxiously she peered out at the car, wondering how she could get the attention of whoever was sitting inside. But why hadn’t the intruder already been spotted? That’s why the car was there, wasn’t it? Maybe not. Maybe the car belonged to the gang.
Quickly Sarah made her way to the phone. She’d call Asa. He’d know what to do.
There was no dial tone. The phone was dead.
Up to now Sarah had been intrigued. But this was serious. If the man got inside there was no way that she could get away. The stairs were the only way out. Except for the metal grate. It hoisted furniture; it ought to hold her.
As quietly as possible Sarah put the safe on the grate. She got her purse and keys and waited until she heard the intruder enter the barn below. It would take him a minute to figure out what was there.
Opening the hayloft doors wide, she could see from the play of his flashlight that he was inside. Sarah took a deep breath and lifted the grate from the floor, swinging it outside the loft. She would lower herself to the ground like a platter of dirty dishes in a dumbwaiter. Thanks Pop, for the escape hatch, she said silently, as she climbed on.
The grate groaned and jerked as she began her descent. It shimmied, then hit the side of the barn with a thump. As she steadied the grate she heard an oath. She’d been discovered. The intruder raced outside, reaching the ground before she did. He stood, waiting for her, an insidious smile on his face.
“Miss Wilson, I presume?”
“Who are you?”
“Let’s just say that we have a mutual friend. He couldn’t come, so I’m here in his place. Is that the safe?”
He leaped up, catching the corner of the grate in one hand, making it rock unsteadily.
“Stop that,” Sarah called out. “This house is being watched. You’d better go if you don’t want to end up in jail.”
“You mean the man in the car? He’s taking a nap. I don’t think that you’re likely to wake him.”
Sarah groaned. She was in for it now. Asa had warned her about leaving messages on her answering machine. He’d told her not to leave the barn, too. Not only had she disobeyed him, but she was about to lose the safe. Unless … She began to rock the grate back and forth as she lowered herself.
The man’s attempts to reach the grate made it sway even more. But Sarah hadn’t taken the fence into account. The grate hit one of the posts and tilted. The safe slid off, banged against the post, and careened off, slamming into the man who was trying to reach it. He crumpled to the ground in a heap against the gate.
Sarah quickly let the grate to the ground and got off. She stooped down beside the man and placed her fingertips against the side of his neck, checking for a pulse. He wasn’t dead, but there was a lump on the side of his head where he’d hit the post. Apparently he was just unconscious, but for how long?
She ran back upstairs for the handcuffs she’d intended to give Asa. She fitted them around the burglar’s wrists, clamped the burglar to the post, and stepped back to survey her work.
Certain that the intruder was secure, she made her way to the patrol car. Inside, his head sprawled against the back of the seat, was Paul Martin.
Sarah shook him. He didn’t respond. Oh, God. He’d been hurt trying to protect her. Quickly, she ran toward her mother’s house, her heart in her throat. The doors were locked as usual. She’d left her keys on the grate and was forced to ring the bell.
After several peals the porch light came on and the door opened.
“Sarah?”
Her stepfather was holding his pistol. “What’s wrong, Sarah?”
“There’s been an accident. I need to use your phone.” She pushed past him, picked up the receiver, and dialed 911. When the operator came on the line Sarah requested an ambulance, then asked that Deputy Asa Canyon of the sheriff’s office be notified.
After she explained what had happened to her mother and Robert she hurried back to check on Paul. By that time he was beginning to stir.
“Paul, are you all right?”
“Sarah? What’s going on?”
“Apparently the burglar knocked you cold.”
He stepped out of the car, grabbed his head, and slumped back against the car. “Ah, Sarah. I’m sorry. Where is he?”
“I’ve got him handcuffed to the gate post. Here, you’d better have the keys.”
The sound of sirens broke the silence as Asa’s truck, followed by an ambulance and a sheriff’s car, came roaring up the drive and screeched to a stop.
Asa didn’t call out or stop moving until he reached Sarah’s side and put his hands on her shoulders. He stood, silent, searching her face until he was satisfied that she wasn’t hurt. Then he stepped back and let out a deep ragged sigh. “What happened?”
Sarah explained as Paul handed the ambulance attendant the handcuff keys and walked up next to Asa, who was blinking in amazement. “Maybe you’d better sign her up for the sheriff’s department, Asa. She can handle herself pretty good.”
“She’d never make it as a deputy,” Asa said sharply. “She doesn’t follow orders.” He went over to where the medics were loading the criminal into the ambulance. He needed to put space between himself and Sarah. When he’d got the word that there was someone breaking into her house he’d almost gone wild. Asa knew that he was a strong man, but it took every ounce of strength he could muster not to take her in his arms and shake her.
“Don’t pay any attention to him, Sarah,” Paul commented under his breath. “He’s just worried.”
“Get in the ambulance, Paul,” Asa instructed. “You need to let the doctors have a look at you.”
“But what about Sarah?”
“My guess is that she won’t be harmed now that she’s opened the safe.”
“Opened?” Sarah dashed over to the safe. It was open. Apparently the safe had hit the post at exactly the right spot to spring it open. From a small lead box inside a sheaf of paper money was spilling out.
“Money?” Paul asked in disbelief. “There really was money in there.”
Asa picked up the bills and slapped them on his thigh. “Yep, Confederate money, lots of Confederate money, I’d say. You think the South’s gonna rise again?”
Sarah couldn’t believe what Asa was saying. “You mean that Mr. Grimsley was killed for a safe filled with Confederate money?”
“Looks like it. I can’t see anything else in there.” They walked back toward the ambulance. Asa and Sarah watched as Paul climbed inside and the driver started the engine.
“Canyon, I’ll put the word out to the press that a Civil War safe was found, filled with paper money. That ought to call off any of your burglar’s friends.”
Asa nodded as the ambulance pulled off down the drive, leaving him and Sarah standing by the apple trees.
“So, it’s over,” Sarah s
aid quietly. “What about Mr. Grimsley?”
“We’ll know more after I talk to the intruder,” Asa explained. “But my guess is that Grimsley saw the newspaper article about the house and bragged to the wrong people about the legendary safe. He got out of prison first and came looking for it.”
“Because of the restoration going on, he managed to find it, when nobody else had ever been able to before.”
“Yes, and his friend was right behind.”
Sarah shivered. “But why kill him?”
“Who knows? Maybe the friend thought he knew where the safe was and didn’t want to share the contents.”
“That seems such a waste. A murder over a safe filled with Confederate money.” Feeling numb, Sarah started toward the barn.
“Sarah?”
She swallowed hard but didn’t turn around. “Yes?”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry I yelled at you. I warned you that I didn’t know much about being nice.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I—I’d stay with you, but I want to go to the hospital and get a statement from your burglar.”
“I understand. You have a job to do. At least you’re doing yours. I didn’t.”
“Of course you did. Grimsley wanted the safe open, it’s open.”
Asa wasn’t coming any nearer. She hadn’t expected him to get out of the truck the first time he’d seen the barn, but he had. Yet tonight he wasn’t following her.
Sarah replaced the safe on the grate and raised it to the open hayloft doors, then fastened the rope on a nail on the wall. She stopped at the door and asked, “Will you let me know what the doctors say about Paul? I don’t want to think that he got hurt because of me.”
“Sure. Will you be here?”
“I’m a permanent person, Asa. I’ll be here. I promise.”
Sure you will. But he didn’t say it. He only walked away. At the gate he stopped and spoke to Sarah’s mother.
“Will you check on her later, Asa?” Alice asked. “She’s much too trusting and independent for her own good. I worry about her.”
“I’ll send another car to stand guard,” Asa promised. “I didn’t want to concern her. I think the man we have in custody was working alone, or someone would have been with him. But we can’t be sure until I talk to him.”
Silver Bracelets: A Loveswept Contemporary Classic Romance Page 11
