As Tina pulled away from the curb, she saw Leslie’s neighbor, Peter Collier, watching her with narrowed eyes. She didn’t wave.
At the condo, Tina took a deep breath of sea air as she got out of her VW. She didn’t get the scent at her house, and, as usual, it had a calming effect. She looked down the wharf at all the old, restored buildings and wondered if any of them had secret places. A cold breeze blew past her shoulders, and she shivered. Better not to know.
Brandon called to her, and she hurried to climb the stairs to his familiar condo, feeling a little strange to be with him alone again, especially here, where they’d made love so many times. She still loved him like a brother and wished she could comfort him. But she knew he still had more than brotherly feelings for her.
As Brandon opened the door, he called out for Leslie. No answer. “Where could she be?” he muttered. He pulled out his cell. “Call Leslie cell.” He closed the door and pocketed his keys. “Voice mail again.” He sighed. “You want something to drink? A snack?” He looked at his watch. “Dinner, even? I can call out for something.”
Tina’s stomach twisted. She shook her head. “Not hungry. I could use a soda, though. You have any?”
“Coke and root beer. Pick your poison.” He tried to smile.
“Root beer would be nice.” She stood at the kitchen bar while he poured them each some root beer.
“First thing I want to know is about this secret room.” He handed her a glass.
They walked into the living room and sat down opposite each other. Tina took a sip of her soda. “It’s bigger than just a room. It’s all along the attic wall over the master suite. Divided into three sections.” She told him about everything they had found.
Brandon shook his head. “This is getting weirder and weirder. What could it all mean?”
“You know, none of us has really asked that question. Why are people hiding up there? I can’t think of one good reason to live that way.”
“They’re probably criminals.”
Tina shivered. “I never thought of that. Being the criminal lawyer, of course you would.” She smiled at him. “So what are they doing there? Stolen goods, drugs, gun running, what? We didn’t see anything to suggest what they were up to.”
“My guess is it’s being used for the same purpose as it was probably originally used for. Hiding people away from the law. Slaves back in the eighteen hundreds. Illegal immigrants now.”
Tina felt her eyes widen. “How would they do that without your Aunt Margaret not knowing?”
Brandon stared at her. “Maybe she did. Could be she set the whole thing up.”
“That’s an incredible idea.” Tina put her glass down, afraid she’d spill the soda. “How can we find out more?”
“I would guess the secret is in the attic. As soon as the police clear out, we look for papers or diaries, anything that might be up there documenting what’s going on. If Aunt Margaret was doing what I suspect, I would bet serious change that she wrote everything down somewhere. And that the attic is the way it is to throw people off, to hide those documents.”
Tina sat speechless. Then another question came to her. “Where’s Leslie, then? You think the people involved in this took her someplace? Why?”
Brandon took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I don’t know why Joshua was murdered, either. I think someone is desperate. Or a group of someones.”
“I think you’re right. The question is, where would they take her? Obviously they have someplace else that’s secret.”
“I’d think someplace nearby. If Aunt Margaret’s house has a secret room, no telling how many others in the neighborhood might.”
“Or,” Tina said, “if there’s more right inside Leslie’s house.” She jumped to her feet. “Brandon, call Lisbeth. We need to search that house some more. Now.”
CHAPTER 32
Brandon barely hesitated. He grabbed his phone and hunted for Lisbeth’s number. While he waited for her to answer, he asked Tina, “What was the name of that architect who helped find the room?”
“Mr. Hall. I’ll find his number.” Tina got out her cell and did a search, then put Mr. Hall into her contacts list.
When Lisbeth answered, Brandon asked her if she’d considered there might be more secret spaces in the house.
Tina could tell Lisbeth didn’t answer right away. Then she said something Tina couldn’t hear, and Brandon ended the call.
“She said Mr. Hall suggested that possibility, but it had slipped her mind. She’s going to meet us at the house. Let’s go.”
“You want to call Mr. Hall first?”
“Yes, call him, then we’ll beat feet.”
Tina tried, but only got voice mail, so she left a message.
They arrived at Leslie’s in less than ten minutes. The techs were just leaving and let them in.
“You didn’t ask them if they found anything interesting.” Tina put her jacket and purse on a living room chair and started upstairs.
“They wouldn’t tell us anything. Where are you going?”
“To the attic.”
Brandon caught up with her. “We need to check the secret room first. Make sure no one’s up there.”
Tina stopped short on the second-floor landing. “You’re right. I never thought… I’ll get my gun.” She headed downstairs again. “You carrying?”
“No.” Brandon huffed behind her. “You know I don’t.”
“I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.” She dashed into the living room and grabbed her gun from her purse. She caught Brandon’s expression and realized he’d never seen it in her hand before. “Don’t worry. I’m careful. Also an excellent shot.”
“I would expect you to be.” She saw his Adam’s apple go up and down rapidly.
“Okay, up to Leslie’s closet. More slowly this time because of the gun.”
“You lead.”
Tina laughed. “Afraid I’ll shoot you in the back? You annoy me sometimes, Brandon, but I’m still fond enough of you not to want to kill you.”
“That’s good.” He gave her a tiny grin.
When they reached the top of the stairs again, Tina turned to look at him. He seemed a bit winded, and she got worried. “You okay? You should probably be home resting some more.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m not going anywhere or resting until we find my sister.” He had that stubborn look she knew so well, so she didn’t argue.
In the closet, it took her some time to find the spot to touch to open the secret door. It was so cleverly hidden she would have given up sooner if she hadn’t known it was there. “We ought to mark this,” she muttered.
Quickly, she started up the stairs, not wanting to argue with Brandon about him being a hero and going first. She held the gun out straight instead of down as she went, and when she got to the top, she stopped and swept the area with the weapon, eyes scanning carefully. “We’ll go all the way to the end until we’re sure no one’s up here, then you can look around.”
She heard a noise and turned quickly, inadvertently pointing the gun at Brandon.
“Hey. Be careful.”
“What was that sound?” She moved the gun to the side. “Did you hear it? Behind us?”
“Yes. Sounded like a lock clicking.”
“The door! Have we been locked in?”
Brandon’s eyes widened. He turned around and rushed down the stairs. “It’s locked all right. The question is, did it happen on its own, or did someone do it?”
Tina felt a presence behind her. Slowly, she turned around, gun ready.
CHAPTER 33
“Leslie!” Tina lowered her gun.
“Tina? Where are we?” Leslie’s eyes were huge, pupils dilated.
Tina wanted to hug her, but didn’t dare with the gun in her hand. Then she wondered if anyone else was up here. “Are you alone?”
“I don’t know.” Leslie frowned. “Why do you have your gun?”
Brandon pushed past Tina to hug his sister. “
Are you all right?”
“Brandon.” Leslie fell into his arms and began to sob.
“Don’t cry. Everything’s okay now.” He patted her back.
Leslie pulled away, her expression frantic. “Where are we? How did you get here?” She looked around fearfully. “Are we alone?”
“Good question,” Tina said. “Let me by. I’m going to check the rest of the place out.”
She walked past them as Brandon led Leslie to the nearest bed and pulled her down to sit next to him. Tina went to the end of the space, checked out the bathroom, then came back to stand in front of Leslie and Brandon, the hand holding her gun lowered to her side. “No one else is here.” She stopped herself from telling Leslie they were locked in. Push came to shove, she could shoot out the lock on the door. And Lisbeth was supposed to arrive any minute.
That reminded her. “Leslie, I know you have a lot of questions, but I need to call people to let them know you’re okay. Are you okay??”
“I think so. My mind seems fuzzy.”
“What do you remember?” Brandon asked.
Tina pulled out her cell phone and called the Youngs house. Mr. Young answered on the first ring. Quickly, Tina said, “We found Leslie. She’s fine. We’re at her house.”
“Thank God. I’ll be right there.”
Before Tina could say anything else, he hung up. She took the phone away from her ear and looked at Leslie. “You dad’s coming over.” Tina wondered what he’d do when he found out he couldn’t get into the space. She was still afraid to tell Leslie they were locked in. To distract herself, she called Lisbeth. Who also said she was on her way. Tina walked to the back of the space, hoping Leslie wouldn’t hear her. “We’re locked in.”
“What? What do you mean? Where?”
“In the secret space. Brandon and I came up to check it out and found her. She looked drugged and hasn’t told us yet what happened to her. She doesn’t even know where she is.”
Lisbeth didn’t say anything for a few moments. “I’ll be there shortly. Hang tight.”
“Nothing else we can do.” They hung up and Tina walked to the front area. “Leslie, what happened?”
“I don’t know, exactly. I dozed off, and suddenly someone was in Brandon’s condo. They gave me a shot in my arm, right through my shirt. For some reason, that surprised me more than anything.” Leslie pointed to the small hole on her pale yellow t-shirt. “The next thing I know, I woke up on a bed back there.” She pointed toward the rear. “And you were here. Brandon says this is a secret room in my own house.” Leslie shook her head. “I can’t believe this was here the whole time. How could Aunt Margaret not know?”
“Maybe she did know.” Brandon squeezed his sister’s shoulder.
At that, Leslie looked more dazed than she had before. “Why wouldn’t she tell me? Or at least leave some information with her lawyer? I’m so confused.”
“Don’t feel bad,” Tina leaned against the wall, fighting exhaustion she’d been unaware of. “We’re all pretty confused, and just guessing about what all this was for.”
Leslie glanced around, her eyes lingering on the armoire. “What are your guesses?”
Before she could answer, Tina’s cell chimed. “Mr. Hall.” At Leslie’s puzzled look, she explained. “The architect who helped us find this space.”
“Oh, yes.” Lesley leaned against Brandon and closed her eyes. “What am I going to do?”
Mr. Hall’s cheerful voice sounded in Tina’s ear. “Something more I can help you with, Ms. Shaw?”
Tina looked toward the staircase. “You can come get us out of the secret room. It appears we’re locked in.” Tina was surprised she wasn’t more worried about that. She saw Leslie’s stricken face and could have kicked herself for not moving down to the end of the area before telling Mr. Hall about their predicament.
“What? How?”
“Not sure if it closed on its own or had help.”
“Humph. You called the police?”
“Yes, they’re on the way, but I’m not sure they’ll be able to find the sweet spot.”
“Right. I’ll be there in less than ten minutes. Sit tight.”
“We will. Except for shooting out the lock, there’s not much else we can do.”
“Don’t do that!” Mr. Hall sounded alarmed. “That might make it impossible to get back in again, or nearly impossible without a lot equipment and damage.”
“Oh, right.” Tina ended the call.
“We’re locked in?” Leslie’s voice was so faint, Tina could barely hear her.
“It’s okay. Someone will get us out soon. Let’s see, Lisbeth, your dad and Mr. Hall are on the way. Maybe I should call Hank and we can have a party.”
Leslie’s ghost of a smile made Tina feel a little better. But she wondered what was keeping Lisbeth.
Suddenly, voices filled the air. The three of them looked around in astonishment. “Who is that?” Leslie whispered, eyes wide.
“Sounds like Lisbeth and Hank.” Tina pushed herself away from the wall and looked around the room. “But how come we’re hearing them so clearly? I just heard what I think is the front door close before they started to talk. It sounds as if they’re still downstairs.”
“The house must be wired. State of the art, too.” Brandon stood up and began searching for evidence of wiring. “No way this could have been done without Aunt Margaret’s knowledge. But I can’t find anything. Odd.”
They heard Hank and Lisbeth climbing the stairs, her heels tapping. Hank didn’t make a sound. Tina realized he never did. “You’re sure they’re all okay?” Hank asked.
“Tina didn’t sound particularly stressed.”
Tina was glad to hear that.
They must have come into the closet. “Tina?” Hank shouted. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes. Can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been able to hear you and Lisbeth since you entered the house. Apparently the place is wired.”
“Incredible,” she heard him mutter. “I’m looking for the catch, but it’s hard to find.”
“Mr. Hall is on his way. I’m sure he’ll remember where it is.”
“That’s good,” Lisbeth said. “But I hope we can find it before he arrives. Is Ms. Young doing okay?”
Tina looked at Leslie. She still slumped against her brother, pale with dark circles under her eyes. “She’s holding her own. But she needs to see a doctor. The people who brought her here gave her a shot in the arm, and she doesn’t remember anything after that until she woke up up here.”
“I’m calling the EMTs.”
“Don’t!” Leslie shouted. “I’m okay, just sleepy.”
“You’re not injured anywhere?” Lisbeth asked. “Do you have a headache?”
Leslie sighed. “A very slight one. I’ll be fine.”
“You still need medical attention. If you promise to go to the hospital when we get you out, I won’t call for assistance.”
Leslie rolled her eyes. “I promise.”
The front door opened. At least Tina thought that was what she heard. Mr. Young’s voice sounded as if he was right next to her. “Leslie? Brandon? Where are you?”
“Come up to Leslie’s bedroom,” Brandon answered.
Someone else spoke to Mr. Young. Tina made out that it was Mr. Hall. The two men said hello and asked each other how they were doing. Tina realized they must be acquainted. Then the sound of footsteps on the stairs. More greetings.
Hank spoke next. “Mr. Hall. Glad you’re here. I’m afraid I’m having no luck finding the secret catch to open the door.”
Feet shuffled, then Tina hear the sound of the lock turning. She smiled at Leslie. “We’re free now.”
Leslie looked around again. “What’s in that cabinet?” She pointed to the armoire.
“Some clothing. We’ll talk about all this after you see a doctor.”
Leslie frowned. “Don’t need one.”
Brandon helped her to her fee
t. “You were abducted. The police need a report on your injuries.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Tina followed Leslie and Brandon downstairs. The four people in the closet backed out, and then the seven of them stood in Leslie’s bedroom. Tina was glad she wasn’t claustrophobic.
Mr. Young grabbed Leslie and gave her a bear hug. Then he took her arms and moved her back so he could look at her face. “You all right? You’re sure?”
Tears flowed down Leslie’s face. “I’m fine. They didn’t really hurt me. I’m okay. Really.” She swiped at her tears. Tina grabbed some tissues from the nightstand. From the same box Brandon was trying to pick up when he was attacked.
Tina saw Mr. Hall staring at the gun she still head by her side. “You carry that everywhere?”
Tina gave a shaky laugh. “Hank insists I have it with me all the time. You may have read in the paper about a couple of times when I needed it. Don’t worry, I’m well-trained. I would like to put it away, though. My purse is downstairs.”
“Let’s all go down.” Lisbeth waved her hand toward the doorway. “But first, Mr. Hall, can you suggest a way we can mark the spot where the latch is located?”
“A white bull’s-eye?” Hank suggested.
“That would work.” Mr. Hall drew a drafting pen from his pocket. “But this should do.” He walked into the closet. In less than a minute he came back into the bedroom. “A bit dark, but still noticeable.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hall.” Lisbeth led the way downstairs.
Tina was happy to put the gun away in her purse. She noticed that Mr. Hall watched her, his expression thoughtful.
“Ms. Young,” Lisbeth said, “please sit down for a moment and tell me exactly what happened to you. Then I want you to go to the hospital to get checked over.”
Leslie sank into a chair and everyone else found a place to sit.
“Can you describe the people who took you?” Lisbeth asked.
Leslie’s brow puckered. “Now I think about it, one was medium height and could have been a woman. The one who gave me a shot. They both wore scarfs over the bottom part of their faces. Actually both of them may have been women. They wore jeans and tees. Gray hoodies... Black boots. They didn’t say a word. They came in. One had a gun. I was sitting in a chair, and didn’t even get to stand up before they were next to me, and one put her hand over my mouth and the other gave me a shot in the arm.” Leslie pointed to the spot. “I didn’t hear them say anything. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a strange place, and Brandon and Tina were there.”
Cluttered Attic Secrets (Tina Tales) Page 13