“Didn’t Paul and Steve find an unlocked basement window?”
She took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest. “I refuse to climb into the basement.”
“Don’t worry,” I answered and continued walking toward the house. “I doubt anyone updated the locks. I think we could jiggle the door locks until they open.”
“Jiggle them? Where do you get these ideas?”
“I read it in a book once.”
Georgie blew out a breath when we reached the back porch. The screen door wasn’t locked, and I stepped on the porch. “Come on, let’s check out the door.”
Georgie followed me and rolled her eyes. “Okay, let’s see you jiggle this door open.”
The door must be the original door. It didn’t look updated at all, and the door knob reminded me of the ones on my house when I inherited it from my grandmother. I had new locks installed. It didn’t appear anyone bothered with the Hagenbak house. I grabbed the old rusty knob and shook it hard, then pushed it back and forth moving the old door a bit each time. When I jiggled the doorknob again, the door popped open.
“I don’t believe you just did that,” Georgie murmured. “Now, this is definitely breaking and entering. We’ll get arrested.”
“I didn’t break a thing. The door just popped open. Look, the lock is still locked.”
Georgie squinted at the lock. “How did you do that?”
“I don’t have a clue. It worked so let’s look around.”
“Do you know what we’re looking for?”
“Anything that’ll connect the mayor’s family with the Wiley and Quigley families. Something that proves the FS in the accounting book isn’t Lizzy’s grandfather.”
I stepped through the door into the kitchen. The only thing that gave it away as a kitchen were a few cupboards on the wall. The entire room was stripped of anything useful; however, I doubt anyone, except an antique collector, might want any appliances if they were still here. There were two doors to my left, and I opened the first one. “Pantry,” I said to Georgie who still stood in the doorway.
The second door opened to a set of stairs going down to the cellar. I turned to look at Georgie. “C’mon, let’s look in the basement.”
Georgie didn’t move except to shake her head back and forth.
“Okay, I’m going to take a look.” I pulled out the flashlight I had in my back pocket and stepped onto the first stair. It creaked, and I hoped the staircase wouldn’t collapse. I also hoped I wouldn’t find another body. After two more steps, I could tell the cellar was as empty as the kitchen. Unless there was a hidden passage or compartment in one of the walls, there was nothing to see. I didn’t feel comfortable enough to check the walls and hurried back to the kitchen.
I closed the door behind me and told Georgie there was nothing to see in the cellar. I heard the whoosh of air from the breath she was holding from several feet away. “Time to check out the rest of the house.” I headed toward the dining room but didn’t hear Georgie following.
I turned back, and Georgie still stood in the back doorway. “What’s wrong?”
“My feet don’t want to move.”
“Okay, you stay here and guard the door. I’ll look around and see if there’s anything that might prove useful.” I stepped into the dining room and heard Georgie rush up behind me.
“I’m not staying alone,” she insisted.
“Okay, this room is empty, too except for that built-in china cabinet. Let’s see if there’s anything in it?”
The cabinet proved to be as empty as the basement. The living room, five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large room I assumed might have been a den or office were also empty and didn’t offer any clues. I walked out of the master bedroom and looked at Georgie, “Well, that takes care of everything…”
“Good, let’s leave,” she headed for the stairs.”
I added, “Except for the attic.”
Georgie paled.
“You don’t have to go up there. Wait at the bottom of the stairs and listen in case someone comes in.”
She shook her head back and forth hard enough to cause a headache and said, “I told you I’m not staying alone, but you go first.”
I took my first step onto the attic stairs expecting it to creak and groan, but surprisingly, I didn’t hear a sound. The house must be well built.
The house may be well built, but the hinges had seen better days. They squeaked loudly as I pushed open the door at the top of the stairs. Warm, musty air assaulted my nose when I pushed the door away from me.
“I don’t think anyone’s been up here in years,” Georgie commented. “Let’s try to open the windows.”
There were two windows at the back of the attic, and the small window facing the front of the house didn’t look like it would open. I left the attic door wide open while Georgie did her best to push up the old wooden windows. A light breeze passed me, and I watched the dust motes fly around the large open room. The attic was cluttered with old furniture, a few boxes, and several metal trunks.
“I think I know where everything from downstairs ended up,” Georgie mused as she walked around the attic.
“Why don’t I start on one side, and you start on the other? With any luck, we can finish long before dark. There aren’t as many boxes up here as I expected.”
Georgie shrugged and opened a box sitting on the floor next to her. I did the same with the nearest box. Mine was filled with old clothes. Georgie’s box contained drapes. All the cardboard boxes held clothing, draperies, or linens.
“That was a waste,” Georgie said.
“You’re right. You know, if we’re looking for something that might have been used nearly a hundred years ago, we should have checked out the metal trunks first.”
“Of course, we should have,” Georgie laughed. “Whatever we’re looking for is always in the last place we look. We need to change our tactics.”
“Okay, we’ll each take a trunk and the next time we search the attic of a haunted house, we’ll start with the trunks.”
Georgie spun and looked at me with wide eyes. “I nearly forgot about this place is haunted. What if Old Lady Hagenbak doesn’t like us looking around?”
“If she doesn’t, she’d have let us know by now, don’t you think?” I answered as I pulled the lid of the old trunk up and glanced inside. “This is better. It has photo albums and what looks like journals or diaries.”
“Mine is full of old military uniforms. I’ll help you search through yours,” Georgie said and knelt next to me on the floor.
We spent the next thirty minutes slowly going through the old photo albums. “Aunt Irene told me photos were expensive to develop when she was young, but it seems the Hagenbak family could afford them. This album is full of photos of children’s parties, dances, and picnics. People appear to be having a good time.”
“Maybe it’s because they were all drinking moonshine,” Georgie quipped pulling out another photo album. “Look at this, there are wedding pictures from the twenties, I think. Just look at the dresses. I could never walk in something like that. I know I’d fall flat on my face.”
I glanced over her shoulder at the pictures of two women dressed in long lace gowns with flowing trains and puddling skirts. “They must have bustled those skirts up somehow before they walked, don’t you think?”
Georgie shrugged. “I hope. When Joy altered my dress for your wedding, she said she’ll hem it to prom length because it will be just a bit shorter and easier to walk in than if it’s wedding length. You might want to do that, too especially if you’re getting married on the beach. Even your flats will add a bit of height. Barefoot and you’ll be dragging the dress with you.”
I bit my lip imagining myself tripping as I walked toward Clark on the beach in front of the mansion. “I think I’ll ask her or Miss Grace. I can trip wearing jeans.”
Georgie nodded and set her album aside and reached for a black leather journal. When she flipped it open, she poked
my arm. “Look at this, doesn’t it look like the figures you told me Lizzy said were in the journals confiscated by the police?”
I took the journal from her and took a closer look. “Yes, they are. Even the initials are the same. I have a feeling this is either a copy or another different set of books. Who knows how long the bootlegging operation went on and this is proof someone in the mayor’s family knew about it.”
I set the journal next to me and pulled another one from the trunk. “Hmm, this one is for household expenses.”
Georgie set the journal she pursued back into the trunk. “That one is for household expenses, too. They certainly kept good records.”
“At least we found one record from what we believe is a bootlegging accounting. Do you think the diaries hold anything useful?”
Georgie looked at me, “I’m not sure, but there are three of them. Do you want to read them all?”
“No,” I shook my head. “Maybe we could glance through them to see if anything pops out at us or if there’s anything hidden in them. Maybe a love letter or clues to a secret hiding place.”
“I’m not sure if I want to look now. If we find a map to a secret hiding place, you’ll want to go there next,” Georgie insisted. “I should go home before Old Lady Hagenbak shows up.”
Flipping through one of the diaries, I answered. “She’s not coming. This place isn’t haunted.”
“Okay,” Georgie mumbled and picked up another diary.
“Nothing in this one,” I said placing it back in the trunk and reaching for the last diary. By the time I finished going through it, Georgie had replaced the other items from the trunk. When I set the last diary on top of the others and closed the trunk, Georgie said, “That’s it. Time to go home. I still think Old Lady Hagenbak will get us if we stay. It’ll be dark in an hour. Maybe she waits until dark.”
I pushed myself off the floor and dusted off my knees. “We have this journal. We can leave. It’s proof that someone from this family is connected to the bootlegging. I still think the mayor knows something about this situation and that’s why he did his best to keep the flower shop closed.”
“I think your right, but I’m still afraid of Old Lady Hagenbak,” Georgie answered and then gripped my arm when we heard loud crunching coming from outside.
Chapter Eleven
Georgie rushed over to the small window that gave her a view of the front yard. She whispered, “A car pulled into the drive.”
I hurried next to her to peek out at the unexpected visitors. “It’s two men. I don’t recognize them.”
Two large men climbed out of the black sedan that sat in the house’s driveway. Dressed in slacks and sports coats that appeared to have come from a thrift store, they scanned the area before moving away from their car. When the larger of the two stretched his arms above his head, Georgie grabbed my arm. “He has a gun in his waistband.”
“Hide.”
“Where?”
I pointed across the attic and whispered, “Behind the settee. I’ll get behind that old dresser. We can see each other, but they won’t see us.”
“Is your phone on silent?”
I nodded.
“Good, we can text each other if we have to communicate,” she whispered as she crossed the attic and dropped down behind the settee. As I dropped to my knees behind the dresser, I heard the front door slam, and muffled voices floated up the stairs. I think Georgie and I might be in trouble.
Georgie waved her phone at me, and I glanced at my phone. She sent me a text.
“What do we do if they come up here?”
I shrugged and texted back:
“Stay quiet and pray.”
She nodded, and we both looked at each other while listening for sounds of approaching footsteps.
I could hear doors slamming on what I assumed was the first floor. Georgie’s eyes were wide, and she waved her phone at me again. Another text.
“They’re looking for something. They’ll find us.”
I shook my head at her and tried to smile. She may be right, but I hope they don’t look behind the furniture. The men’s footsteps pounded on the stairs, and the door slamming started again on the floor directly below us. They were coming closer, and I had no clue what to do so I prayed. Several minutes later, I heard one of the men speaking clearly. They must be at the bottom of the attic stairs.
“The dust in this place is giving me a headache. Why can’t Scrumbly look for it himself?”
“He doesn’t want to be seen anywhere near the house,” the second voice answered.
“He doesn’t care if someone sees us?”
“No, we’ll be out of town by tonight. Who’s going to recognize us or know where we’re headed?”
“I still don’t like this.”
“Shut up,” the second voice growled at the other man. “We’re getting paid to look and a bonus if we find them.”
Georgie waved at me, and I looked at my phone.
“Them???”
I shrugged, but I had a good idea they were after the same thing we were. I’m glad we arrived first, and the journal is now safe under my shirt. Well, as safe as it can be until they shoot us and take it from us.
Goodness gracious, Annie. Get a grip. They won’t shoot you if they don’t see you. They’ll check out the trunk and leave when they don’t find anything. Unless Scrumbly told them where it is, and then they search closer and find us and shoot us. Georgie and I are doomed.
Footsteps sounded on the attic stairs, and I could hear at least one of the men panting. Maybe they’re out of shape, and we can win any fight, but they have a gun. If they’re half as nervous as I am, their hearts would be pounding hard enough to make them pant. I’m trying the best I can to control my breathing. Glancing at Georgie, I can tell she’s doing the same. We need a miracle.
“Okay,” the whiney one said and coughed. “Where should we look.”
“Scrumbly said in the trunks. There are two of them. You look in one; I’ll look in the other.”
I looked at Georgie’s face, and she was as pale as a ghost.
A strange warbling filled the house and nearly hurt my ears.
“What was that?” the whiney voice asked.
“I don’t know. Go back downstairs and check it out. It’s probably kids. I’ll look in the trunks.”
The warbling filled the house again.
I could tell that neither men moved from wherever they stood.
A strange crackling voice followed another round of warbling. “Get out of my house. How dare you come into my house uninvited? You are not wanted here.”
“Who or what is that? It can’t be kids. That voice is loud enough to break the windows. Isn’t this house supposed to be haunted.”
“Don’t be an idiot.”
The warbling started again followed by another warning. “You have one minute to leave my house, or you’ll be sorry. Do you want to join the other bodies in the cellar?” Diabolical laughter followed the warning.
Thirty seconds later the voice reverberated through the house again. “You have been warned.” The statement was followed by a rifle shot.
One of the men shouted, “I’m outta here.”
I could hear two sets of feet running down the stairs. A few moments later, the sound of their car starting and gravel crunching let us know the men left.
Georgie whispered, “It’s Old Lady Hagenbak. She’s going to kill us and bury us in the cellar.”
Maybe she’s right. I pushed myself up and walked to the attic door. If Old Lady Hagenbak were here, we’d face her together.
“Are you girls all right?”
Georgie and I looked at each other. “That’s not Old Lady Hagenbak,” she whispered.
We both answered in unison. “Aunt Irene?”
My aunt called out again, and I answered, “We’re okay. We’re on our way down from the attic.”
When we made it to the first floor, I saw my petite aunt standing near the closet holding
her rifle and a bull horn.
“What in the world?” I asked.
Aunt Irene shrugged, “Georgie texted you were stuck in the attic, and two gunmen were in the house. I grabbed my rifle and thought the bullhorn might come in handy.”
Georgie stepped forward and hugged my aunt. “That was brilliant. What was that eerie sound you made? I thought it was Old Lady Hagenbak, um, I mean Mrs. Hagenbak.”
Aunt Irene laughed, “Lyle and I are planning to take up birdwatching. He bought a DVD with different birds and their calls. I can warble a bit, and it sounds creepy when I use the bullhorn.”
Hugging my aunt, I agreed with Georgie. “I’m glad you came. I don’t know what would have happened to us if you hadn’t. How did you get here without being seen?”
“I drove past the house and saw the black car, so I drove to the hiking trail parking area and parked next to your car. Then I came through the back way and heard the men upstairs. The rest, as they say, is history,” she grinned at me.
My aunt is priceless and fearless. In her seventies, she’s still a crack shot with her rifle and nothing scares her.
“Aunt Irene, I doubt anyone out here would’ve heard that rifle shot, but maybe we should leave just in case someone calls the police. I doubt Chief Elroy will be as understanding about you shooting your rifle here as he was when I was trapped in my bookstore.” I headed toward the back door with Georgie and Aunt Irene following.
As we closed the back door behind us, my aunt laughed. “That was fun. Don’t get me wrong, I was worried sick about you girls, but scaring those men was the most fun I’ve had all week.”
Georgie linked her arm with my aunt’s and said, “Let’s go before someone comes looking for us.”
We walked back through the trees to the parking area. Georgie and I waited for Aunt Irene to leave the parking lot before following. We didn’t see another car all the way back down to the main road, and I sighed. “It seems no one did hear that rifle shot. I’m glad we didn’t need to deal with the police. They might have noticed the journal hidden under my shirt. We should head to the bookstore and see if we can understand what’s written in it.”
Bones, Booze & Bouquets Page 10