The Buried Treasure on Route 66: A Nancy Keene Mystery

by Louise Hathaway

  Nancy tells him, “What a beautiful song. I think we’ve found our favorite one for the cd.”

  When they reach Albuquerque, they stop at McDonald’s for lunch. Drew says, “Nancy, I know that fast food offends your sensitivities, what with you being a gourmet cook and all, but you just have to try eating a hamburger here, since we’re pressed for time.”

  “Okay, Dad. Am I that much of a food snob?”

  “Something you need to work on, honey.”

  When they’re back on the road, with Nancy behind the wheel, she asks Mrs. Wood, “Well, we’re getting pretty close to the Blue Swallow Motel where you spent your honeymoon. Did you and your husband have a favorite song?”

  “Yes, honey. We did.”

  “Tell us why it was your song,” Nancy says.

  “It’s quite a romantic story, actually. We were only 18 when we started going together, just like our Nancy and Ned.”

  “Go on,” Nancy’s father says, feeling slightly annoyed by her “Nancy and Ned” reference.

  “Well, he and I were upstairs in my bedroom.”

  Nancy’s father interrupts, “Your parents allowed a boy into their daughter’s room?!!”

  “Dad, would you please be quiet and let her finish her story. Go on, Mrs. Wood.”

  “Well, my future husband wanted to kiss me for the first time, and he had planned out what he was going to say ahead of time. We sat on my bed…”

  “What!” Nancy’s father says, outraged.

  “Dad! Shut your trap. Don’t pay any attention to him, Mrs. Wood. Continue with your story.”

  “I don’t know if your father can handle the rest of my story.”

  “Go ahead,” he says to Mrs. Wood. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. The words my future husband told me were: ‘You remind me of the song by the Everly Brothers, ‘Let It Be Me.’ And like the song says, ‘I bless the day I found you.’”

  “Aww”…everyone else in the car says.

  “Okay, Mrs. Wood,” Ned says. “I’ve just downloaded your song from iTunes.”

  Everyone in the car listens to the song he has just downloaded, and sings along with each other its words that say: now and forever, let it be me.

  ****

  As they are enjoying their ride to Tucumcari, Ned tells everyone about the history of the The Blue Swallow Motel. He begins by saying that it is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. It has pink stucco walls decorated with shell designs. Its most famous owner was Lillian Redman. She and her husband installed a larger neon sign for the motel. Mrs. Redman had a very close relationship with the Route 66 motorists who would stop for the night at her motel. She used to love hearing their travel stories, feeling like she was traveling right along with them. When Interstate 40 diverted the highway away from the street her motel was on, she felt like she was losing an old friend.

  Nancy has been doing her research, too. She takes up the story. “The symbol of the blue swallow means ‘coming home’. It got its name because, to sailors, these birds were usually the first sign that land was near.”

  Phyllis repeats the words, “Coming home.” She is starting to remember her honeymoon.

  Everyone is deep in thought, until Phyllis, once again, is the first person to locate the sign. “At last!” she says.

  “What a beautiful place this is,” Nancy says. “I can’t wait to see what the neon looks like at night!” The motel owners welcome them and show them to their rooms. The owners tell them that it’s a tradition for all of the motorists to sit outside at night, look at the neon lights, talk about their travels, and get to know one another.

  Later, when everyone gathers to sit outside, there is a wide assortment of people: vintage car aficionados, bikers, Europeans, and honeymooners. Everyone falls in love with Nancy and Ned, who they think are “such a cute couple”.

  The following morning, Phyllis and Drew manage to summon up the courage to ask the owners if they “just happen to have a shovel they could borrow”. Needless to say, the proprietors are quite curious about why they would need one. It’s often said that there’s no one better than a sweet, little old lady to tell a story that people will believe and find sentimental. So, Drew leaves the explaining to her.

  After hearing her story about the buried bride and groom decoration, everyone goes outside to find out where Phyllis thinks her buried treasure might be. When some of the motel guests overhear the story, they also come out to see what’s going on. Everyone wonders if she’ll be able to find the exact location after 45 years have gone by since her honeymoon.

  Being such an expert at locating things--as she has shown herself to be on this road trip--she zooms right in on the exact location of her buried treasure! “That’s it! That’s it! It’s right under the sign of the swallow!”

  Everyone in the group of onlookers agree that she should be the one to use the shovel first to try and find what’s buried. She starts digging, and then Nancy takes over; and then Ned. She finally sees a white box still there and says, “Oh, Lord! that’s it!” She lovingly reaches down and pulls out the box. Her face gets flushed and she starts to cry.

  Nancy says, “I’m so sorry. This has all been too much for you. All of the emotion. All those years together as husband and wife. It must be very painful for you, dear. Come, let’s go sit down in the shade and we’ll get you some lemonade.” Nancy helps her to a chair and everyone else heads in their direction to see what will happen next. After Phyllis cools down, she opens up the box containing her bride and groom decoration. She also sees some documents buried in it and says, “That’s it! The new will! It’s got to be!” And sure enough, it is.

  ****

  Phyllis’s hands are shaking as she’s holding the documents, so she says to Nancy, “Would you please read these to me?”

  Nancy looks at the papers and says, “It’s a new will, just like you said. There’s also a letter addressed to you.”

  “Please read the letter first.”

  Nancy begins to read his letter:

  “My dearest Phyllis: I’ve been thinking of you and all of the wonderful times we’ve had traveling together. I never should have married that woman I left you for. There’s just no excuse for it. Her sons were the meanest men I’ve ever met. Plus, they are criminals. I got a phone call when I was in Holbrook at the Wigwams that their mother had died. That’s when it hit me that I needed to change my will.

  I sent you that postcard with our secret code about “remember the swallow”. I knew that if those brothers happened to steal that postcard from you, you’d still know where I meant.

  Let me make this clear to anyone reading this letter. These are my wishes: If I die, I want my entire estate to be left to my wife, Mrs. Phyllis Wood. Only her. No one else. Just my dear Phyllis.

  Even though I haven’t felt well on this trip, I knew that I needed to go back to the Blue Swallow Motel to make sure to bury this letter and this will in our special place. This will is valid. I had some of the guests at the Blue Swallow Motel witness, sign and date it. The owner’s wife is a notary and she took the necessary finger print and driver’s license information to make it valid. I buried it with our bride and groom from our wedding cake. I knew you’d find it. I’m on my way back to Scottsdale and plan to sit down with my attorney there to make sure he changes it, too. But, rest assured, this will is valid and it supersedes any previous will. I love you, my dear and look forward to seeing you again soon. Love, James.”

  Phyllis is overwhelmed. “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it!” she keeps repeating.

  “It’s true, Phyllis. It’s really true.”

  Ned is reading the will and notices the date.

  “Phyllis,” he asks. “What day did Mr. Wood pass away.”

  It was May 15, 2013. I’ll never forget it.”

  Ned says, “Look; he wrote this will two days before he died. He was on his way home to you.”

  “Oh, Lord!” Phyllis says. She feels she’s lost so
much. “Things could have been so different. We could have gotten remarried. I would have found it in my heart to forgive him for the divorce. I never stopped wanting him back in my life. Ever. Now, it’s too late for us.”

  Phyllis is crying and overwrought. Nancy says, “This has all been overwhelming for you.” Nancy helps Phyllis back to her room, lays her on the bed, turns the fan on, and dims the light. “I’ll be right here with you if you need anything at all. I’ll sit over in the corner in that rocking chair resting my eyes.”

  Drew says, “Wait, Phyllis, before you go rest, I’d like to ask you if you know the name of Mr. Wood’s attorney. I want to get in touch with him right away and forward this new will to him.”

  “The attorney’s name is Oliver Brown and his office is in Scottsdale. Drew, before you do that I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me on this trip. How can I ever repay what you’ve given to me today?”

  “Phyllis,” he says, “You’ve taught me a lot of valuable life lessons on this trip. The first and foremost one is that you’ve taught me is how to let my beloved daughter grow up to become an adult. You’ve taught me that it’s okay if she has a boyfriend who loves her.”

  “Oh, Drew. Thank you.” They both embrace each other.

  ****

  The next morning, Nancy and Ned have a chance to be alone together before everyone’s ready to go back to Phoenix. Nancy asks, “Ned, have you thought of something that you and I can bury here, where we’ve been so happy? Wouldn’t it be fun to come back here years later and dig it up?”

  “Funny you should say that, Nancy. As usual, our minds are sharing the same wavelength.”

  “Well, what do you think we should bury?”

  “First, I want you to drive into town and buy yourself a new dress.”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Are we going to be burying my dress?”

  “No, silly. Do you know where the center of town is?”

  “I think I can manage, Ned. What are you up to?”

  “You’ll see when you come back.”

  “You are a man of mystery today.”

  “Isn’t mystery your ‘thing’? Take your time, Nancy.”

  “How can I be sure you’re not just trying to get rid of me?”

  “Good things come to those who wait.”

  “This better be good.”

  “Bye, bye, Nancy.”

  Nancy returns to the hotel about an hour later. She thinks, ‘Well, I hope he approves of this dress. He’s getting mighty bossy lately.’

  Phyllis greets Nancy as she is getting out of her car. “Hi, honey. Did you buy yourself a nice dress?”

  “Yes. It’s very pretty. It’s made of blue silk.”

  “It sounds beautiful. Let’s go into your room, where you can put it on and see how it looks.”

  “Uh, okay,” Nancy replies.

  She is thinking, ‘Why is everybody acting so weird today?’

  After Nancy’s dress is on, Phyllis says, “Oh, my dear! You look beautiful. That dress matches your eyes perfectly.”

  “Thank you. Ned likes me to wear blue.”

  “Then, he’ll be very pleased with this dress. Speaking of your young man, he’s waiting outside to speak to you.”

  “Uh, okay.”

  “Let me go get him for you, Nancy.”

  “Thanks.”

  Nancy walks over to the mirror and puts some lipstick on. Ned softly taps on her door and she says, “Come on in.”

  Ned walks in wearing a tuxedo.

  “Where in the world did you get that?”

  “Your dad & I went to Santa Rosa and we found a tux shop.”

  “Well, you certainly went to a lot of trouble.”

  “But, you’re worth it, my dear.”

  “What do you have behind your back, Man of Mystery?”

  “It’s a little token of our friendship.”

  “Ah, Ned. That’s sweet. Let me see.”

  Ned reaches for the little box behind his back and gets down on his knees. “Nancy Keene, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  For once, Nancy is speechless.

  Drew and Phyllis have been trying to listen in through the keyhole. “What’d she say? Can you hear anything?” she asks Drew.

  “No. I don’t hear a word. You could hear a pin drop in there it’s so quiet.”

  “Maybe they’re making out,” Phyllis says.

  “Let’s go in there and see,” Drew says.

  “Oh, no you don’t,” Phyllis says. “Let them take as long as they want.”

  ****

  Finally, the two lovers come out smiling and holding hands. All of the hotel guests applaud when they see them together. Phyllis says, “Well, I hope she said yes?”

  Nancy says, “Indeed I did. This is the happiest day of my life.”

  Drew says, “Well, kids. How do you feel about getting married right now?”

  “Dad!” Nancy says. “You’ve got to be kidding!”

  “Well, honey; we went ahead and invited a Justice of the Peace to come here and he’ll be here shortly.”

  “Dad! I can’t believe you’ve planned my own wedding. That’s my job!!”

  “Well, dear. I know this is a mind-shift for you since you’re such a control freak, but why don’t you just go with the flow for one day.”

  “Oh, Dad. You know me so well. Okay, let’s do it.”

  Everyone has pulled out all the stops for this wedding. There’s a wedding cake, punch in a punch bowl, and white chocolate almonds wrapped in netting at each table in the dining room.

  “Not exactly how you imagined your wedding is it?” Ned asks her.

  “I love it! I just do! This is so fun!”

  “I’m so relieved you think so.”

  “But Ned, what is it that you wanted us to bury here and dig up later?”

  “You mean you haven’t already deduced it? You haven’t been putting together the clues? Or noticing the patterns?”

  “Okay. Okay. I give up. What is it that we’ll bury and come back to years later?”

  “Nancy. It’s our wedding cake’s bride and groom.”

  The End

  ###

  Thank you for reading The Buried Treasure on Route 66. We hope you’ve enjoyed the adventures of Nancy Keene. If you did, would you please take a moment to leave us a review at your favorite retailer? Thanks!

  Check out our other Nancy Keene mysteries:

  “The Ghost in the Plantation” and “The Missing Bachelor Farmer.”

  Travel with Nancy as she goes to New Orleans:

  Do you like Nancy Drew? Do you like New Orleans? This humorous and PG-rated story about a teenage sleuth especially targets women baby boomers who grew up reading and loving the Nancy Drew series. Nancy Keene, the teenage sleuth in our story, goes on vacation with her father and friends to the French Quarter. What starts out as a sight-seeing trip changes into a murder/mystery when a docent at Oak Alley Plantation is murdered. Part travelogue, part ghost story, this book mixes voodoo, ghosts, and bayous into a spicy gumbo of a whodunit.

  Excerpt From:

  The Ghost in the Plantation: A Nancy Keene Mystery.

  Available Now At Your Favorite On-Line Bookstores

  Chapter One

  Today’s the day that Nancy Keene and her friends have been waiting for: it is the first day of summer vacation!! Nancy, a blond-haired, blue-eyed 16-year-old, who looks like the picture of health, without a hair out of place, had a slumber party last night, and invited her two favorite chums to celebrate. This morning, her friends are sitting on a love seat in her bedroom watching Nancy as she intently peruses travel brochures that she has scattered across her bed.

  “Where did you get all those brochures?” asks her friend Beth, a thin, bright-eyed girl with frizzy, uncontrollable hair that she is always trying to tame with a flat iron.

  Nancy answers, “I wrote the chamber of commerce of each city wh
ere I’d like to visit this summer, asking them for travel information. This is what they’ve sent.”

  “Why bother doing that; why not just look it up on the web?” Beth asks.

  Nancy says, “I love getting things in the mail. Who doesn’t?”

  “I don’t,” says her friend Hannah, a tom-boyish, athletic girl who looks like she’d feel more at home on a horse or a motorcycle than in Nancy’s French provincial bedroom.

  “Why not?” Nancy asks. “Don’t you love getting a handwritten letter in the mail? I mean, just think: someone may have actually taken the time to purchase nice looking stationary, used a good fountain pen, and gone to the post office to buy a book of commemorative stamps. Letter writing is a lost art, in my opinion.”

  “All I get is junk mail,” Hannah complains.

  “Ah, poor Hannah,” Nancy says. “I’ll send you a letter soon.”

  “I’ll look forward to that, Nancy. Your cards are always beautiful. And you put so much of your heart into it.”

  “Thanks, Hannah. Actually, the reason I wrote those letters is because my Dad asked me to.”

  “So all you have to do is pick one of these destinations and your Dad will take you there?” Hannah asks. “Can I adopt your Dad?”

  “No; it’s not like that at all. Dad just won a big case he was working on and wants to go on a special trip with me to celebrate.”

  “I wish we could tag along.”

  Nancy thinks that her father may want this trip to be just the two of them, so she changes the subject. She asks her friends, “What are your plans this summer?”

  Hannah, tells her that she’s training to run in a 10K. Beth says that she’s planning to work as a junior lifeguard. “It’s a great way to meet cute guys and check out their bodies at the same time.”

  Nancy laughs and says, “All you think about is boys, boys, boys.”