by Leona Fox
“Scott, can you take a break from fighting the pirates to show us where we need to go?” Ellen asked.
Scott sheathed his sword and looked at the surrounding area. The day was still bright and the sun illuminated everything. It was almost idyllic, Ellen thought, and the idea of a treasure hunt was like something from her past. As she looked at Scott and all the excitement he brought she thought of her own childhood and how imaginative she had been. Her parents always had marveled at the stories and scenarios she had conjured up and, like Scott, she had taken on pirates and all manner of things before as well. As she had grown older she realized the light of a child had dimmed somewhat, but it hadn't disappeared completely.
Scott took a moment to get his bearings and then he pointed in one direction. As soon as he did Ellen told him to look behind him, then drew an imaginary sword of her own and leaped into the fray. Kelly, Matthew, and Andy all looked on, amused at the efforts of their friend. Ellen swung her sword like a battle-hardened warrior, but she did it with a smile on her face. She, Scott, and Scampy ran off, clashing swords with the enemy, until they had been vanquished. Ellen returned to Andy's side.
“That was a side of you I've never seen before,” he said. Ellen beamed.
“Age is only a state of mind; you have to keep yourself young. Can't let that inner child die.”
“It's good that yours is still alive. Mine isn't, not after the things I've seen.” Ellen squeezed his hand and rested her head against his shoulder, rubbing his arm with her other hand.
“I don't know about that,” she said, “maybe you just need the right person to bring it out in you again.”
“Maybe,” he said.
Scott led them through the forest down to the riverbank. Leaves cracked underfoot and birds sang in the distance. Occasionally they heard a rustling in the foliage around them as the creatures of the forest went about their business. As the sun broke through the trees it came down in shafts of golden light, and formed a warm shade that cloaked them. It was as though they were traveling through a fantastic realm and leaving their world.
“When I was younger I used to play in these forests and always pretended there were fairies and things waiting to spirit me away to another world. I used to have so many adventures here,” Ellen said, remembering her childhood.
“I wish I had known you back then. I wonder if we would have been friends?” Andy said.
“I know we wouldn't have,” Kelly interjected. “But I might have to come down here more often. I think this would make for some beautiful paintings.”
“Why don't you think the two of you would have been friends?” Matthew asked, eager to know about the inner workings of the woman he was seeing.
“Back then I never was that interested in other people. It may surprise you to know but I was quite the loner when I was a child, although I had no shortage of people who wanted to be my friends. Whenever I had a birthday party everyone showed up, and I never had a problem with being popular but I never felt like I was at the heart of it all. I just wanted to live in my own world and that was enough for me but, unfortunately, that wasn't possible. You have to live with other people.”
“Not that that's necessarily a bad thing,” Matthew said, kissing her on the cheek.
Kelly blushed a little and smiled at him with genuine affection. Ellen was glad to see this as for a long time she worried Kelly never was going to find anyone to settle down with. Yet, ever since she had met Matthew, Ellen had seen a new side of Kelly, the side where she displayed affection and seemed settled. Kelly was always so flighty that it was good to see her have an anchor to the world.
As they progressed through the forest the gang could hear the sound of rushing water get louder and louder as they drew nearer to the river. The ground became rocky and craggy, and the foaming water rushed past them, as relentless as time. The adults took care as they stepped along the rocks, some of which were wet due to the water that sprayed over the edge of the riverbank, but Scott and Scampy were surefooted and moved with no fear. The air was sweet and drops of water burst against their skin as they walked along. Aside from the white foam the water was crystal clear, and the river was wide enough that you would have needed a bridge to cross it. Jagged rocks speared through the surface of the water, and it was a dangerous sight. Ellen imagined being caught up in its current, helplessly dashed against the rocks, and she admired the bravery of those who made a living from the river.
However, they were on a hunt for treasure and Scott was eager to get back to his friends. They stepped along the edge of the riverbank and saw that a wide path led along the river. The onrushing water was mere inches away from their feet and one misstep would have been enough to send them flailing down into the river, but even Scampy seemed undeterred. The path led them to a yawning mouth that promised only darkness.
“It's through here,” Scott said, and dived into the hole.
It was just about big enough for the adults to get through but when they entered and crawled down the tunnel they found the cave opened up. Toward the rear were a group of kids sitting with their flashlights trained on the walls, making their shadows loom large. The adults stood up straight and marveled at the sight of this cave.
“I never knew this was here,” Ellen said.
“It's amazing,” Matthew uttered.
“I can't believe it stayed undiscovered for this long,” Kelly said.
“Maybe there were rocks over the entrance and they were only dislodged by the river recently, or the water level has gone down and has made this accessible. Either way, it's a hell of a thing to find,” Andy said. The four of them followed Scott, who ran to his friends.
“I got them!” he yelled. They all looked up and were overjoyed when Scampy began playing with them, but Ellen called him to heel as they had other matters to discuss.
“What treasure have you found then, Scott?” she asked.
Scott lifted his hand and pointed to the middle of the group. The other kids broke away and left an opening for the adults to enter, and what they saw shocked them. A skeleton stared at them, his hollow eyes gazing into their souls, his empty, lifeless hands resting against a chest.
“We saw him first but we had to move the rocks,” Scott said. The other children started babbling on about what they had done to uncover the body.
The skeleton was propped against the wall and had been entombed for goodness knows how long. Ellen and Andy glanced worriedly at each other, fearing this was not a simple treasure hunt at all, but rather a murder. Ellen swallowed and cleared her throat, then told the children to move back.
“We wanted to open it but it's so heavy and we thought we'd better get someone to come and do it for us,” Scott said.
Some of the other kids looked bitterly at him. Ellen could tell there had been a dispute about whether to get the adults involved or to open the treasure chest themselves, probably fearing any wealth inside now would not belong to them. The old adage of 'finders keepers' did not hold up in a court of law. She reached out to the skeleton’s hand and looked at Andy, who gave her an assenting nod. She never thought she would be in this position but she gingerly took hold of the brittle bones and lifted them gently. As she touched them they began falling apart. The arm she attempted to move collapsed into a mess of bones, sounding like Skittles as they fell to the floor. Ellen heard a sharp intake of breath behind her, and then some giggles. The children apparently found it rather amusing. The chest was rather small, about a shade bigger than Scampy. So she couldn't imagine it held any great amount of wealth, but she was just as curious as the children to see what was in there.
The chest was a small box with a flat top. It was covered in dust that had settled over the intervening years, and there was a lock holding it secure. First, Ellen tried lifting the lid but it was fastened tightly, and even Andy could not get it open. But over the years the lock had become brittle and, given all that it had had to weather, it had weakened. Ellen picked up a nearby rock and began bas
hing the lock, bringing the rock crashing down again and again. Errant sparks flew as the rock flashed against the lock until it crumpled and fell open. The lid was now ready to be opened. Ellen set the rock aside and took a deep breath. This was the kind of thing that fantasies were made out of and butterflies began fluttering in her stomach. She was well aware that often, in stories, treasures were cursed. She didn't ordinarily believe in such things, being a rational woman and the product of a pragmatic 20th century, but being face-to-face with a skeleton who had his arm draped over a treasure chest was enough for her to doubt the strength of her convictions.
The air was tense and everyone around her waited with baited breath as she slowly lifted open the chest. The sound of the hinges creaking was creepy and as the old air burst out of the lid Ellen shivered, goosebumps prickling on her arm. She carefully held the lid in her hands and slowly brought it up, revealing the contents of the chest. As she opened it everyone crowded around her, eager to see what was inside. Even Scampy peered in, sniffing as he tried to make sense of the strange, acrid smell that had been locked in the chest all these years.
For the children it was a disappointing sight as the chest only contained documents and books. There were no piles of gold nor were there any glittering jewels that were synonymous with treasure. But the adults were intrigued and Ellen carefully took out some of the documents, which were in surprisingly good condition, yet were still delicate. There was also a leather-bound book resting in the chest, and this she took out as well. Most of the documents had figures on them, but upon opening the book Ellen gasped and almost dropped it back into the chest.
“What is it?” Kelly asked.
“Not what, who; this diary was written by Michael van De Lay. This is his chest.”
Andy gave off a low whistle and the others looked surprised, aside from Matthew, who was nonplussed by the statement.
“Forgive my ignorance but who is Michael van De Lay and why is this such a big deal?” he asked. The other three looked at each other.
“Who wants to tell the story?” Ellen asked, and when none of them volunteered she took it upon herself. Not only did Matthew listen intently but the children all gathered round as well, and even Scampy managed to stay quiet, resting beside Scott.
“Michael van De Lay was one of the first people to have a great effect on this town. He saw the potential for greatness that was in East Pender and he was the one who built the saw mill. Everyone thought he was going to have a legacy that lasted throughout time but he disappeared without a trace and left no heir. The mill fell under the stewardship of a few people over the years. It finally came under control of the mayoral office as it was not only a place of industry but a part of the town’s heritage as well. Many businessmen have tried taking it over during the years that have gone by but nobody has managed to do so. So it still rightfully belongs to the van De Lay family. Imagine the secrets that are in this journal,” she said.
“It might tell us how he died,” Kelly said.
“Why did everyone assume he died? Did nobody try finding him?” Matthew asked.
“From what I understand they searched far and wide for him because everyone loved him and nobody could understand why, after putting so much time and money into the town, he would just up and leave. But there were many dangers in the world then and it wasn't unheard of for people to go missing. There was no way to get to the bottom of the mystery but he was here, all along, right under their noses,” Kelly said.
She felt a great amount of sorrow for Michael van de Lay as he must have lay here, hoping and praying somebody would come and find him, only to have to wait until it was far too late.
“We have to get this back to the town hall. This is going to be a boon to them,” Andy said.
“Right, but first I want to read this journal. Maybe we can put this mystery to bed once and for all. We owe it to him to find out why he died,” Ellen said, determined to pursue a mystery no matter how old it was.
They gathered up the children and escorted them back to town. Andy and Matthew took turns carrying the chest, and before they left, they carefully covered up the body with some dirt. It was not the burial Michael van De Lay deserved but it would have to do for now, until they could think of something better. They ordered the kids to disperse and went back to the cafe where they pored over the journal. The ink had faded and the style of writing was difficult to understand. It was small, and each page was filled up with words. It would take a long time to go through it all. So for now Ellen skipped to the end to find out what had happened.
I should have known this journey was ill-fated. The town has held me close to its bosom and I never should have left. It has been more of a home to me than anywhere else and if this is to be my end then I am only glad I have been able to build something of worth. The storm is getting worse. I hear the sky cracking overhead and it is surely only a matter of time until I reach my end. There is so much left undone...so much unfinished. I am filled with regrets and my mind is alive with everything I am yet to do. But if I am going to die on this night then I am going to leave this world with my head held high. I am going to meet the end bravely, just as I would wish any of my kin to do. I hope that somebody finds this, that it makes its way back to East Pender, and that my heir continues the good work I have started.
The diary ended there. As Ellen finished reading it aloud the rest of her friends were hushed into silence, not only from respect for the dead but also for the revelation that he had an heir.
“But who is it?” Kelly asked.
“Whoever they are, they have a large fortune awaiting them,” Andy replied.
Ellen was distracted, though, and couldn't help but think of the man writing that journal. She never had investigated his life fully and, as far as she knew, he was just another name that had done a lot of good for the town. Yet now she was confronted with his life, with his last words, and she wondered how he must have felt when he became aware of his impending doom. All of the choices he had made came down to that one terrible moment, and then everything he knew, everything he had, was taken away from him. It was almost enough to make someone think that all of life was futile, but it only made Ellen look at her friends and remind herself she had a lot to be thankful for in life.
The question of the heir soon spread around town and the discovery of the body was big news. People flocked to the cave to lay eyes on the skeleton. Andy had to post a couple of officers there to make sure nobody disturbed the body, and that nobody suffered an accident in all the excitement. Wild rumors flew around town about Michael van De Lay and how many heirs he sired, with a number of people claiming they could trace their lineage back to him. Some even were claiming their maternal ancestors had been unfaithful to their husbands and had fallen for the charms of the wealthy industrialist. However, Ellen saw these claims for what they were, hollow, empty, and devoid of merit. Yet, somewhere out there was the rightful heir, and surely it only would be a matter of time before they came to East Pender.
Chapter 2
The revelation of Michael van De Lay's body and the subsequent excitement surrounding the news of his missing heir was big enough that it caught the attention of people in the city. To most of them East Pender was a small town, perhaps good enough for a weekend break to refresh their energies and get a taste of what life was like in old America, but now they read the story with glee. Charlotte Pryce scanned the article and spun in her chair, wearing a wicked grin on her face. She commanded a car and wasted no time in journeying to East Pender, roaring up to disturb the peaceful afternoon. Ellen was at the cafe as usual when she heard the large car roar up. Black smoke wafted into the air and loud music escaped the doors as they opened and Charlotte stepped out. She was a tall, lean woman with a pale face and sharp features. Her red hair flowed down in thick curls and her red lipstick was striking. Silver earrings gleamed in the sunlight and her conservative dress looked professional. She wore little jewelry, and she had a commanding presence.
> She took a few steps forward into the crowd, for they all had been attracted by the loud entrance. She giggled a little and held out her hands.
“I'm glad you all are here to welcome me, for I am Charlotte Pryce, the rightful heir of Michael van De Lay.” The declaration was met with loud gasps.
She spoke with such confidence that nobody doubted her, although, of course, Ellen was skeptical. She furrowed her brow at the woman, who seemed eager to show off her car and enjoy the adulation of everyone who was impressed by such material things. Ellen returned to the cafe and called Andy to notify him of the new development. Yet it wasn't long before Charlotte entered The Chrome Cafe, followed by a number of people who had been enchanted by her entrance. But Ellen was not so easily swayed. She saw the way Charlotte looked down her nose at those around her, and when she spoke it was with a haughty tone and one of disdain. She looked around disparagingly at the cafe and Scampy growled when she drew near. Charlotte ordered a complicated drink, one that you only would find served in a chain coffee shop.
“I'm sorry, we only do regular lattes, mochas, and espressos,” Ellen said.
“Why, am I not surprised,” Charlotte sighed.
“There's much to be said for places such as this but I never could live here. I think I would miss everything I love about the city. This town is just so...quaint. It's like something out of a picture book. How do you manage to get by without all of the luxuries of the city?” she said, handing Ellen the money and placing a few coins in the tip jar.
“We get by,” Ellen said through gritted teeth.
“Well, you may be seeing more of me since I am the heir to Michael van De Lay's fortune. It is my birthright to be here so I suppose I should get used to the place.”
“Do you mind if I ask what the nature of your claim is? There have been a lot of people who have come forward saying they are the rightful heir but so far nobody has been able to provide any concrete proof.”