by Mark Romang
Bobby looked all around. “Okay, but finding a quiet place will be hard with all these people here,” he said. Dancing couples filled the front lawn as well as both the upper and lower galleries of the house. Men with slicked back hair and attired in victory and zoot suits, and women with elaborately curled hair and wearing sleeveless evening dresses and gowns danced the night away.
“Maybe it will be less packed inside the house,” Rose suggested.
Bobby shook his head incredulously. “How does your father do it?”
“Do what?”
“Afford to put on these extravagant parties.”
Rose looked at her boyfriend and frowned. “He inherited quite a bit. Besides the parties are a tradition handed down from my great-great grandfather Rutherford Whitcomb. He started them back in the mid 1800s. Someday the parties will be my responsibility.”
“But doesn’t the money ever run out? The Great Depression has swallowed up everyone’s money. No one I know has two dimes to rub together. Only your father still has money.”
“What are you trying to say, Bobby?”
Bobby shrugged. “I won’t kid you, Rose, people are starting to talk. Some are even saying your father is in cahoots with the New Orleans mafia.”
“That’s the most foolish thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
“I’m not saying I believe it. I’m just saying what I’m hearing. I mean, what exactly does your father do?”
Rose rolled her jade-colored eyes. “Well, if you must know, he hangs out at the country club most days playing golf or tennis. And when he’s not at the country club he’s here flirting with mother and chasing her around the house.”
Bobby smiled. “That sounds like fun. Someday we’ll be married and I’ll chase you around this grand old house. You are going to inherit it aren’t you?”
Rose nodded. “I’m the only child left to pass it down to. The house is supposed to stay in the family.”
Bobby cleared his throat nervously. “There’s something I need to tell you, Rose.”
Rose squinted. “You have my attention.”
“I’m enlisting, Rose. I’m joining the USAAF—United States Army Air Force.”
Rose drew her breath in sharply. “Why are you doing this? You’re only seventeen. You don’t need to enlist. What about our marriage plans?”
Bobby drew Rose into his arms. He looked into her worried eyes. “This war is going to stretch on for who knows how long. I’ll eventually get drafted anyway. And I want to have a choice where I’ll go. I want to fly, Rose. I want to fight for America in the sky,” he said. Bobby stroked her walnut-colored hair. “We’ll still get married as soon as the war is over. And we’ll have lots of kids. We’ll live happily ever after in this big plantation house.”
Her hopes dashed and her dreams in flux, Rose buried her head in Bobby’s chest. His heart thumped against her forehead. “You’re going to get yourself shot down and killed. I just know it. Please don’t go through with this, Bobby.”
“I have to. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor everything has changed. The world is watching us to see what we’ll do. America has to fight now whether she wants to or not,” Bobby said. “Will you wait for me, Rose? I promise I’ll come back.”
Rose lifted her head from Bobby’s chest. She looked him in the eyes. “You don’t have to ask me that. You know I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.”
“Hearing you say that makes me feel like the luckiest man alive, Rose.”
They walked up the front steps and onto the gallery, shouldered their way past other couples and entered the house. More couples packed the home’s interior and danced to Glen Miller playing on a Victor Talking Machine phonograph.
“Maybe we should try the carriage house instead,” Bobby suggested.
Rose shook her head. “It’s a mess. Daddy is converting it into a garage.”
“Well, then maybe we should go upstairs to your bedroom,” Bobby teased.
Rose blushed. “If Daddy finds out you’re upstairs with me he’ll never let you set foot on this property again.”
“Then where do we go?”
Rose took his hand. “Come on, I have an idea,” she said, leading Bobby into the kitchen. Inside the kitchen, Betty Landry—a caterer from Baton Rouge and her two daughters, along with Mary Sheffield, the maid for the Whitcombs—busily prepared hors d’oeuvres for the guests.
Mary looked up and saw them. Rose lifted an index finger to her lips. Mary smiled knowingly and winked at her. Rose led Bobby through the kitchen and opened the pantry door.
“Are we going in there?” Bobby asked.
Rose nodded and entered the large walk-in pantry. Bobby followed her inside. At the far end of the pantry was another door. Rose opened this door, revealing a servant’s staircase. She smiled coyly at Bobby. “We’ll be alone up there, I promise.”
“It’s a really dark staircase, Rose. How are we going to see?”
“Oh, yeah, wait just a second.” She rummaged around on a pantry shelf and found a candle and a candle holder.
“Those just happened to be sitting there, huh? I think you might have planned this all along.”
“I used to explore this staircase when I was younger,” Rose explained. “Now if I can only find some matches we’ll be all set.”
“I can contribute to the cause,” Bobby said and reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out a book of matches.
“Why, Bobby Hoxley, have you taken up smoking?”
“Every now and then I light one up. It’s no big deal.” Bobby struck a match and lit Rose’s candle.
Rose shut the pantry door and then led the way up the narrow staircase. The staircase was invisible from the rest of the house and led to the attic, which is where the servants used to live long ago.
The candle dimly lit their way. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and dangled along the walls. If ever there were a haunted section of the house, it would be here in this forgotten staircase, Rose thought. “It’s kinda spooky in here. But we’ll be okay,” she said.
“Where are we going?”
“The staircase empties out onto a small landing on the third floor.” Moments later they stepped onto the landing. Rose turned to face her boyfriend and held the candle up under her chin, illuminating her face. “Are you afraid, Bobby?”
“No, Rose, you’re not a scary ghost, just a pretty one.”
“Have you ever kissed a ghost before?”
Bobby smiled. “I sure haven’t. But I’m about to find out what it’s like right now.”
Rose giggled. She bent down and put the candle on the floor. And then she moved forward and embraced Bobby tightly. Their lips met and they unloosed their restrained passion. They kissed with an intense hunger for each other, bodies grinding together.
Rose clutched each side of Bobby’s face and pulled him closer. Her back pressed against the wall. Breathless and lost in desire, she didn’t notice the wall giving way until they tumbled down. Bobby landed on top of her. They lay there dazed for several seconds. “What the heck just happened? Did we fall through a wall?” Bobby asked as he disentangled himself and scrambled to his feet.
“I don’t know. Get the candle.”
Bobby retrieved the candle and held it out to achieve maximum illumination. “What do you know, it’s a small room. We fell through a hidden door.” He pointed at a narrow, revolving door. “See the door?”
Rose sat up and looked around, taking in the small room measuring no larger than six feet by six feet. “I never knew this room was here. It’s a secret room.”
Bobby pointed at an object tucked close by. The object sat on the floor in one corner. “What’s that?”
Rose looked in the direction Bobby pointed. She saw a small chest. Intrigued, she crawled over to it. “It’s some kind of chest.” She tried to open it, but it wouldn’t allow her to. “It’s locked. I see a keyhole. But there’s no key.”
Bobby knelt down beside her and held the candle close to the obje
ct. He whistled. “This chest is old, really old. And you know what I think, Rose? I think it’s a treasure chest.” Bobby set the candle down on the floor and grabbed the chest.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to shake it to see if there’s anything in it. It’s heavy. Grab one end, will you?”
Rose grabbed one end of the chest, and together they shook it. A metallic clinking sound rang out from within the chest.
“That sounded like coins shifting around. I think there’s money in this chest,” Bobby said.
Rose stood up. Her limbs shook. “We need to leave, Bobby. We’ve found something we’re not supposed to find.”
“Now I know how your father affords to put on these parties. He has a whole trunk load of money hidden up here.”
“Never mind what’s in the chest. Let’s go before we get caught.”
“You’re really spooked, aren’t you?”
“Bobby Hoxley, if you don’t get up right now, I’m going to drag you by your ear down the staircase.”
“Okay, okay, I’m coming. There’s no need for you to grab my ear.”
Rose grabbed the candle, and they left the secret room, closing the door shut behind them.
Chapter 11
Inside the attic, Rafter looked around for Annie. He soon found his wife sitting on a chair and reading. “I see while I looked for stuff you allowed yourself to become distracted.”
Annie looked up at him. “I found something here that may help us, Jon.”
Rafter frowned. “A book can help spring us out of the attic?”
Annie held up the journal. “This book is Rose Whitcomb’s journal. I found an entry in it that might just explain the motivation behind the Charbonneau brothers’ behavior.”
Rafter carefully set the objects he’d found on the floor. He squatted down on his haunches next to Annie. “I’m listening.”
“I’ll read to you what I just read to myself. You’ll understand what I’m getting at then.”
Rafter listened intently as Annie spent the next few minutes reading about Rose and a boy named Bobby climbing a servant’s staircase to be alone and to make out, only to find a secret room with a mysterious box tucked away in a corner.
Annie looked at him after she finished reading the entry. “I think Arcadias and Damien are after the box in the secret room.”
Rafter nodded. “I think you’re on to something there, Babe. But what do you think is in the box? And is it still here in this house?”
“Bobby thought it was treasure.”
“Or at the very least money,” Rafter added.
Annie nodded. She looked around at the walls in the attic. “This secret room has to be close by.”
Rafter walked over to one side of the attic, dodging antiques and furniture as he went. He pointed a finger at the floor. “The pantry is right below me. But I’m pretty sure there isn’t another door in the pantry that leads to anything.”
“I know. I’ve been in and out of that pantry a thousand times. I don’t remember seeing a door inside it,” Annie said.
“Maybe the shelves are covering it up. If we could find the secret room we could find the staircase. And maybe then we could escape through the pantry.”
“But they’ll likely see us come out of the pantry. They have guns. We don’t.”
Rafter smiled. “I found some weapons. They’re right next to you on the floor.”
Annie looked down at the floor near her feet. She spotted a bow and three arrows and a tiny gun. She looked at the old longbow and the quiver of dusty arrows for a moment. The string on the bow looked like it might fray or snap if actually drawn. Not liking what she saw, she picked up the antique derringer. A smidge over five inches long, the compact gun looked like something a riverboat gambler might hide in his boot back in the day.
“Be careful with the gun. I think it’s a Philadelphia derringer. And it’s loaded.”
“It looks super old. Do you think it could actually fire and kill someone?”
Rafter shrugged. “It’s a .44 caliber gun. It should do serious damage up close. But you only have one shot, and accuracy is the issue.”
Annie smiled confidently. “I’m a good shot, Jon.”
“You are a good shot. You’re better with a side arm than I am. So you can have it. I’ll pretend I’m Robin Hood and use the longbow.”
“Have you ever shot a longbow?”
Rafter shook his head. “I’ve hunted with a compound bow many times. But I’m green as grass with a longbow.”
“Wonderful, how are you going to rescue your damsel in distress if you can’t hit the broadside of a barn with that thing?” Annie asked in a half-serious tone.
“Fighting our way out of this should be our last resort. We should concentrate on escaping.”
Annie set the derringer down. “I’m with you there. Let’s find this servant staircase.”
Rafter quickly scanned the walls of the attic. “There has to be another door to this attic somewhere. The servant staircase was separate from the main staircase and would’ve brought the servants up here when they retired for the night.”
Annie stood up and walked over to the wall where he stood. “Like you said, the pantry is straight down below us.” She held out her hands. “I’m thinking somewhere behind this wall is the secret room Rose and Bobby found.”
Rafter started knocking on the wall, listening for a hollow sound that might indicate a cavity or room. After a minute of knocking he heard a slightly different timbre.
“I’m going to look for a door, Jon,” Annie said.
Okay, I’ll join you in just a second.” Rafter walked over and picked up the quiver of arrows. He took an arrow out of the quiver, and using the arrow’s point like a utility knife, attempted to score the plaster. The sharp arrowhead made only a tiny crease. Rafter went over the same area many times, scoring it again and again. Sweat dripped off his brow as he worked. Finally the arrowhead cut through the plaster. He continued the slow and arduous process until he’d scored a square.
Rafter pushed the arrow through the crack he’d made and attempted to pry off the square section of plaster. The arrow snapped in half.
“There goes a third of your ammo,” Annie joshed from a short distance away.
“I could really do without the sarcasm,” Rafter said over his shoulder.
“Sorry. I was just teasing. By the way, I found the door.”
Rafter whirled around. “Seriously, you found it?”
Annie stood next to a giant wardrobe she’d shoved out away from the wall. She grinned triumphantly. “Seriously, the door is behind this wardrobe.”
Rafter hurried over to Annie. He held his breath as his wife turned the knob. The hinges creaked as the door swung open. A murky landing appeared. Cobwebs filled the open area.
“Wow, nobody has been in there for quite some time.”
“It looks haunted to me. There might be the ghosts in there.”
“Give it up, Jon. You know I don’t scare easily,” Annie said. “But it sure would be nice if we had a candle or something to help us see.”
“Would a flashlight suffice?”
“Sure, do you happen to have one on you?”
Rafter grinned knowingly. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I won’t. I’m pretty much homebound for now.”
Chapter 12
Rafter worked his way around the antiques and crossed through the attic’s center, zeroing in on a set of trusses. A flashlight hung from a nail on one of the trusses. He grabbed it and made his way back to Annie and the door.
“How did you know where to find it?”
“Because I was up here a few months ago and left it there.” He looked at Annie’s confused expression. “This is providence at work, Babe. I was up here for some reason and noticed the wiring looked a little sketchy. So I replaced it. I used the flashlight to help me see to work. I must’ve left it here when I finished.”
; “Does it still work?”
Rafter pushed the button. The flashlight turned on. “I’d say it’s about half-strength.”
“Awesome. Let’s go explore. Maybe we can find the pantry.”
Rafter pulled Annie back. “Let me go first. I’ll knock down the cobwebs for you.”
“You’ve always been a gentleman, Jon. I love that about you.”
“It’s my pleasure, Annie,” Rafter said and stepped forward, knocking down the cobwebs with his flashlight.
“What about our weapons, in case we make it through the pantry?”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about them.”
“I’ll go get them.”
Rafter waited for Annie just inside the landing. His heart began to race. An old familiar sensation of excitement and adrenaline surged through his body. He might have settled down a bit since getting married, but a part of him still yearned for danger. Flirting with danger was a bad habit from his past. And he’d thought he’d overcome the need for an adrenaline rush. But the thought of them fighting for their lives dredged it back up to the surface.
Annie reappeared with the bow and quiver in one hand and the derringer in the other. For a split second Rafter wondered what he would do if something happened to Annie. I’d probably go insane and never cut my hair; grow a beard down to my knees and never come out of this house.
“You’re looking at me funny, Jon.”
Rafter took the longbow and the quiver of two arrows from Annie. “I’m sorry. I kind of zoned out for a moment,” he said as he slung the quiver over his shoulder and switched the flashlight to his left hand. He held the bow in his right hand. “Let’s go,” he said and stepped deeper into the landing.
“Should we go straight to the staircase, or try to find the secret room?” Annie asked.
“The wise thing would be to go straight to the staircase. But the fool in me wants me to see the secret room.”
Annie smiled and nodded. “You read my mind. But if we don’t find it in five minutes we should move on.”
Rafter directed the flashlight beam onto the wall next to him and nearest the attic. He guided the light from the ceiling to the floor and slowly illuminated the thick oak-paneling that covered the landing walls. The darkly stained woodwork in this forgotten region of the home rivaled the fancier rooms elsewhere in the home. The craftsmanship stunned Rafter.