Madison Johns - Agnes Barton 05 - Treasure in Tawas

by Madison Johns

“Who stole the map?”

  Glitter inside the ball swirled upward as Leotyne gently touched it. Her eyes narrowed as she focused. “The grey one has it, the woman you can’t get along with.”

  “Mildred’s dead,” I spat. “And you should know that already if that globe of yours is real.”

  “No need to be rude, my old one. You need to be aware of those who surround you, not all of them are friends, but foes.”

  I gave El a look. “I hope you’re not insinuating that El is my foe?”

  She cackled. “Not always, but she was not the one I’m referring to.”

  “Is it a woman or a man?” El asked.

  As I thought of the young man Hal had referred to, I asked, “Are you sure it’s someone old and not young?”

  Leotyne shrugged. “Beats me, but whoever has the map will not be so easily found. The map will lead you to many places that hold clues to the puzzle. Only by finding each of the puzzle pieces will you find the treasure, but you must watch out. You’re not the only one seeking this treasure, which, as you already know, is cursed.”

  “Who told you it’s cursed?” I demanded. “Was that in the tabloid, too?”

  “The crystal ball reveals all. You must leave now. This is all I have to say.” She folded her arms across her chest, and we left, Duchess clutched tightly in my arms.

  “You are a bad kitty,” I scolded the cat, who only meowed in response. I carried her to the car while Eleanor gathered her supplies from the camper to take with us. As El and I drove back to the house where we were staying, I had to tune out the cat’s loud wails, but El had had enough.

  “That cat needs to put a sock in it,” she said, covering her ears.

  “She doesn’t care for car rides. Not many cats do.”

  “I can’t stand to listen to that racket, Aggie. Why didn’t we just leave her back at your trailer?”

  “For one, the place is a shambles now, and second, I don’t trust Martha won’t lose her again.”

  El glared at the noisy animal and asked, “Are you planning to call Martha and tell her you have the cat?”

  I smiled. “It serves her right.”

  “Now, don’t be like that. She’s been quite resourceful of late.”

  “Oh, okay, if you insist.”

  Once I pulled into the drive and shut the engine down, I called Martha and informed her that I had indeed taken Duchess with me. I laughed to myself at the tightness of Martha’s voice. She was irritated that she had spent so much time looking for the blasted cat.

  When I opened the front door, I noticed immediately that the patio door was wide open. I quickly set Duchess down, Eleanor pulled out her gun, and we crept inside, searching room-to-room for an intruder. Our belongings were scattered all around our bedrooms, and our mattresses were thrown against the walls, but at least the intruder seemed to be gone.

  “Should we call the police?” El asked, hugging herself and shuddering.

  “No sense in it, really,” I said. I highly doubted they’d find out who had done this. “Whoever it was must have also been the ones who tore my camper apart.”

  I called Andrew and explained what had happened, and he assured me he would be right over.

  I set up Duchess’s litter box in the bathroom and was filling her food and water bowls when Andrew rapped at the door. “You two okay?”

  “Physically,” El said.

  “I bet.” Andrew rubbed the back of his neck, walking to the fridge and taking out a package of T-Bone steaks, then making way for the patio and lighting up the grill. He stood staring at the dark clouds growing overhead. “With any luck, our food will be cooked before it starts to rain.”

  “I sure hope so,” I said, then switched gears. “It seems like somebody in town thinks that El or I have a treasure map.”

  “We do, though, Aggie,” El spoke up. “Well, a picture of it anyway.”

  Andrew’s brow furrowed. “How’s that?”

  “We went to the funeral home today and met Mildred’s son, Timothy. Mildred apparently sent him a photo of the treasure map before she died, and he forwarded it to my phone.” I handed my cell to Andrew, who examined it.

  “We’ll have to get this picture blown up tomorrow,” Andrew said. “But doesn’t it seem strange that Timothy gave it to you?”

  I shrugged. “He seemed uninterested in the treasure, but it was all Mildred’s old flame, a Mel Pifton, was concerned about.”

  “Mel Pifton, eh? What’s his story?”

  “I’m not quite sure yet, but he produced a receipt that placed him in Standish at the time of Mildred’s death.”

  “Really? Just like that?”

  I retrieved plates and potato salad from the refrigerator and carried them to the table, setting them down. “It was kind of convenient, but who am I to say? He might be telling the truth.”

  “Did Timothy also tell Mel about the treasure map?”

  “No, he didn’t, just us.”

  Andrew pulled tongs from a drawer. “I hope you plan on keeping an eye on both Timothy and this Mel. They both sound suspicious.”

  My eyes widened at that. “I see. Are you saying you want us to investigate further?”

  “I’m not saying anything, but I know you both well enough to know that’s exactly what you plan to do.”

  We ate in silence. When we were done, Andrew helped us clean up the mess and righted our mattresses. Then, with a wink, he shot out the door, promising to see me soon. It sure was a strange change. Our relationship, I mean, but it’s not like we’re spring chickens anymore.

  El and I retired early. After all, senior citizens need a good night’s rest. But I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t keep my mind off the fact that tomorrow I’d finally be able to see the blown-up version of the map, which I had been unable to enlarge on my phone. I finally nodded off to the pitter-patter of rain on the roof, with Duchess snuggling up next to me.

  Chapter Seven

  When we got up in the morning, the sun was attempting to break through the clouds. Once El and I had showered and dressed, we headed out to get an early start on the errands we needed to run. Our first stop was to Print-N-Go, where we had the picture printed and enlarged to an 8x10 size.

  I gasped when I stared at the map.

  “What?” El asked. “Did you figure out where the treasure is already?”

  “Hardly.” I handed her the map, and her eyes bugged out.

  “What in the hell,” she said. “This is just an ordinary map of East Tawas.”

  “But remember what Leotyne told us, that each place holds a clue to the puzzle.”

  “Which means what, exactly?”

  “I think there are objects we need to collect. Something that will give us a clue that will bring us closer to finding the treasure.”

  “Like a puzzle box?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Well, it never worked out in those Hellraiser movies. I’d rather stay far away from anything that relates to a puzzle box.”

  “I don’t think it’s a puzzle box at all, but a clue to the next piece, maybe. We just have to figure out where to begin, that’s all.”

  El stared at the map and pointed to Tim Horton’s. “It has a number one here. I bet that’s where we should start,” she said.

  “Sounds good. I need a good coffee anyway.”

  El glared at me. “Is that a slam against my coffee-making abilities?” she asked. “Because if it is, you can always make the coffee from here on out.”

  “W-Well, I never meant it that way. It’s just that Tim Horton’s coffee is the best, but I don’t see how we’d find anything there except for coffee and donuts.”

  “And what makes you think that?”

  “It’s just that it hasn’t been in East Tawas that long. I’d expect a clue to be left in an older building in town.”

  “We don’t know for sure who made the map, Aggie. Whoever did obviously wanted us to purchase a coffee. Maybe the clue is left under one of those roll down rims on the
coffee cups.”

  My lips tightened. “Oh, really? Somehow, I find that to be highly unlikely.”

  When we rolled up to Tim Horton’s, there were many strange holes in the grass, and cop cars lined the parking lot, lights flashing. Obviously, they weren’t there just for the donuts today. El and I squeezed through the door and listened to the commotion that was going on. The manager, Joshua Ferguson, was going off at the mouth, “All I know is that when I came in to work today, there were four people with shovels digging holes outside.”

  “Did they say why they were doing it?” Sheriff Peterson asked.

  Joshua yanked at the collar of his shirt. “They said they were looking for treasure, if you can believe that,” he scoffed. “Then they ran off when I told them I was calling the cops.”

  “I see. Did you recognize them?”

  “No, but I have a feeling that they’ll be back. Ever since that tabloid suggested there was a treasure in town, folks have gone plain loco.”

  Peterson adjusted his trousers. “I’ll agree with that. If they come back, please give us a call.” The sheriff turned and raised a brow when he spotted us, but continued out the door.

  Joshua instructed his staff to get back to work, and we made way for the counter and ordered two coffees. “Wow, you’ve all had an exciting day,” I told the cashier, who only nodded. “Were they male or female?”

  “Who?” the girl asked.

  “The treasure hunters.”

  “Three males and one of them was a female, and seemed quite old.”

  “Really? How old?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Your age perhaps, but they took off pretty fast, so I didn’t get much of a look.”

  I thanked the girl, and El and I took a seat. “That certainly was odd,” El said after she took a sip. “Didn’t Leotyne mention an older woman had the map?”

  “No, but I’m thinking someone else also has the same map as us.” I took a look around the place and frowned. “I don’t see how on earth we’re going to figure out where a clue would be hiding here.”

  I stared at the walls and the abstract art that hung there. My eyes continued to move past the windows. Outside, a crowd had gathered with shovels, and before I could utter a word, a cashier called out, “Joshua, they’re back.”

  I ran to the window, and my eyes locked with the Cat Lady’s. She narrowed her eyes when she saw me and darted off. I rubbed my eyes in confusion. I couldn’t understand why on earth the Cat Lady would be looking for treasure. “El, did you see?”

  “I saw all right. I wonder if the Cat Lady has an issue with you, Aggie. She sure didn’t look like she was happy to see you.”

  “Us, don’t you mean, dear?”

  “Well, she wasn’t glaring at me!”

  “So the Cat Lady only has it out for me. Is that it?”

  “Looks that way, but maybe we could just ask her why she was here.”

  “Oh, and you think she’ll just spill her guts like that?”

  “She would if you were nice.”

  “I’m always nice, Eleanor. Is it my fault that lady gives me the willies? I’m surprised she showed up here without her shotgun. I thought she took it everywhere she went.”

  Eleanor excused herself and went into the bathroom. She came back ten minutes later, took my hand, and brought me into the bathroom with her. She opened the back of the toilet and pulled out a package that was taped to the side. It was sopping wet, but I stuck it in my big black purse anyway. “Great find, El. What made you look there?”

  “I saw it on some cop show. It might be what the Cat Lady was looking for.”

  “Apparently, they were a bit misguided. I believe the clues are hiding inside, not outside, but folks in town sure seem to be taking this treasure business seriously.” I brushed a lock of hair from my eyes. “That tabloid isn’t helping a bit, but I wonder how many people have the same map as we do?”

  Eleanor chuckled. “I’m not sure, Aggie, but I’m wondering how the Cat Lady has one. I highly doubt she has a cell phone.”

  I stopped and thought for a moment, then said, “We don’t know that for sure. What if Mildred didn’t only send a photo of that map to her son?” I washed my hands and asked, “Do you think she sent it to the whole dang town?”

  “For all we know, she did. One thing is clear, though, the Cat Lady seems to have a copy. Why else would she have come here?”

  “And what about the others who were digging out there?”

  “They might all know the Cat Lady and be helping out,” El insisted.

  I shook my head. “I just don’t see it. Why would anyone in his or her right mind share information like that? Treasure hunters are usually out for themselves.”

  “It could be that it’s all some kind of fluke. It makes me wonder if that tabloid is involved here. We should check and see if they recently released a follow-up to their treasure story, like possibly last night or this morning,” El said. “And it wouldn’t hurt to catch up with the Cat Lady before she leaves for home.”

  That was the last thing I wanted to do. My personal belief was that the Cat Lady was bat shit crazy. “Great plan, El, but how are we gonna catch up with her? It looks like she’s long gone.”

  “She can’t have gone too far. We’ll follow the dirt trail.”

  We went outside, and sure enough, there was a trail of dirt that led to the bushes, directly behind Tim Horton’s. I strode right over there, determined to get to the bottom of this. I spotted a shovel on the ground, and as I bent over and searched the other side of the bushes, the Cat Lady stood. “What are you doing here, Agnes?” she asked.

  “I was just going to ask you that. Why were you digging up the grass at Tim Horton’s?”

  “I bet the same reason you both are there—looking for treasure.”

  I squared my shoulders, and as I straightened my back, I heard a loud pop in my muscles that made me wince. “Please come out of the bushes, Cat Lady,” I said, trying to knead the painful spot.

  She slipped between the bushes and proceeded to rub my back until it popped again. I could have done without the noise, but it sure felt better. “Thanks,” I said. “You never said why you were here.”

  “I already told you.”

  “Oh, that? I meant, why did you think Tim Horton’s was a good place to hide a treasure?”

  “That tabloid printed a map in last night’s issue.”

  Just as I thought, but I had to convince her that this was just a wild goose chase. “I see. Well, since most of Tim Horton’s property is concrete, I doubt you’ll find much of anything here.”

  The Cat Lady’s eyes narrowed. “You’re just trying to throw me off the trail.”

  Eleanor gasped and choked out, “Why on earth would Aggie do that? For all we care, you can have the treasure, but aren’t you w-worried? It’s reputed to be cursed, you know.”

  The Cat Lady put a toothpick between her teeth. “I’m not the superstitious type, and I don’t rightly believe in curses. Do you?”

  “I don’t,” I said. “But then again, one never knows. The Butlers sure dropped off like flies.”

  The Cat Lady scoffed, “I see what you two are doing. You just want the treasure for yourselves, but I’m not about to let that happen. I’ll just wait until tonight to search, that’s all.”

  “Oh?” El said. “And what makes you think the treasure is outside?”

  I elbowed El. “She means, you’ll need a pickaxe to dig under the concrete in the parking lot, but I’m pretty sure the sheriff will be keeping an eye on this place tonight.”

  “We’ll see.” The Cat Lady narrowed her eyes. “I hope I’m not gonna have any trouble with you girls. I’d hate to shoot one of you,” she threatened us.

  I backed away and said, “Be our guest. We have better things to do today.”

  El and I got back into the Cadillac, and I made way onto US 23, mindful to not run over a tourist. “She’s nuts, and El, what were you thinking? We want her to waste her time diggin
g in that lot. That way we can start looking at the number two spot on the map.”

  El shrugged. “You covered it well. It was a slip of the tongue. Sorry. I need to keep my mouth closed.”

  “I’ll second that one, but I mean no disrespect, Eleanor. I know you can’t help yourself sometimes.”

  “Or most of the time,” El said with a laugh. “What do you think we just found?”

  I pulled over to the side of the road to see what was in the package Eleanor had discovered. I cringed as I unwrapped it. Even though the paper was saturated with toilet water, it wasn’t easy to remove. The paper stuck so tight that I just couldn’t figure out what it was. Frustrated, I pulled back onto the road and made way for the cabin where we were staying, knowing it would be easier to open there.

  Once inside, I washed the object in the sink, working my fingers to remove the paper completely. What I discovered was a red stone in an oval setting with a long gold chain attached. My mouth hung open. So did El’s. “I think this is a piece of the treasure. It appears to be a ruby,” I observed.

  “I think so, too,” El said. “What is going on here?”

  “My thinking is that someone not only found the treasure, but dispersed it. It’s not in one place, but many.”

  “So you’re saying that every location on that map holds a piece of the treasure?”

  “Exactly, and it’s up to us to find it. Before someone else does.”

  El shook her head. “Everyone in town now has a copy of the map. How are we going to stay one step ahead of the whole dang town?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but I believe we need to find as much of this treasure as possible or we’ll never find Mildred’s real killer.”

  “Do you think the killer is hunting for the treasure, too?”

  “I’m certain of it. We don’t have time to dilly-dally. What’s the next place on the map?”

  “It’s Walmart.” El said. “That sure is a big place. I hope nobody else is looking there yet.”

  I hoped not, too.

  When we got to Walmart, there was a commotion in the parking lot as a burly man with a pickaxe was swinging it into the concrete. I had never seen him before, but I figured this treasure hunting would bring out the crazies.