by Tara Ellis
Getting down on her knees now, too, Ally leans in close. “You’re right! But why would someone be moving furniture in the dark?”
Grinning, Sam leans back on her heels. “Think about it. This is a really old house, designed and built by Shawn Hollow. Someone got in and out of this room without being seen. There’s got to be a secret door here somewhere! Check the wood paneling behind it.”
Caught up in the excitement now, Ally joins Sam in pushing on each panel of wood. She didn’t even think it was odd that three of the walls were traditional, while this inner wall, the one opposite the connecting room, was done in panels.
“Oh!” Ally squeals.
Sam jumps back as the wall beneath her hands springs outward.
“There was a spring latch under it,” Ally explains, as Sam moves the chair out of the way.
“I can’t believe there’s actually a secret passageway!” Sam says, her voice ragged with excitement. She peers into a long, dark hallway beyond the door and claps her hands together. “Maybe the money is back there!”
“I don’t think so,” the more rational-minded Ally replies. “Obviously, someone looking for the money has used this passageway several times, including when they tried to steal the journal. If the money were in there, I’m sure they would have found it.”
“Oh, I guess you’re right.” Sam tries not to let hopes fall too far. “Well, that’s okay. It’s still really cool! Come on, let’s get a flashlight and find out where this leads!”
Within minutes, they’re back with a flashlight from the utility room and find themselves in the old, musty passageway. It’s so narrow in between the walls, that they have to sit sideways.
“I’ll bet I know where that goes!” Sam says after going a short distance. She’s pointing at a door up ahead.
“Where?” Ally asks, as they stop in front of the old, ornate doorknob.
Sam pushes it open, revealing a massive bedroom with a huge four-poster bed.
“I’m willing to bet that this was Joseph Hollow’s room. The same room where a ‘figure’ was seen looming over the bed,” Sam explains.
They quietly close the door and continue their investigation of the passageway. A creaky flight of narrow steps takes them down to a back entrance by the root cellar. Not finding anything else of interest, they make their way back up the stairs and stop again at the secret door to the large bedroom.
“So this explains how someone took the journal without being seen, as well as the bumps in the night,” Ally says. “But it doesn’t tell us who did it, man or ghost.”
“Maybe it does,” Sam suggests.
Ally looks down at her friend crouched on the floor of the passageway. Sam picks something up and then stands, pointing the flashlight at the objects in the palm of her hand.
“Have you ever heard of a ghost that chews sunflower seeds?” she asks, displaying the empty shells in her hand. They are still damp.
11
A CONFESSION
Dinner that evening is served early. Like the night before, there is good food and friendly conversation. If anyone notices the knowing glances between Sam and Ally, nothing is said about their behavior. They have a plan brewing, and the time to pull it off is drawing close.
They spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the house, looking for old pictures or carvings. While they find some portraits and other interesting antiques, there isn’t anything promising. They are both holding out hope for the mine the next day, because they’re running out of ideas. Sam is very aware that she only has a day left before she’s promised to tell her aunt and uncle everything.
After the dishes are cleared and the girls are done helping clean up, they use the phone in the front hall to call home and check in. Their parents are happy to hear from them, and Sam’s older brother grills her with questions for nearly half an hour. After what seems like forever, they’re able to say goodbye and then go outside to take a short walk before it gets too dark.
They paid careful attention earlier to find out what Ted was doing after dinner. They watched him leave the house a short time before to work on the sprinkling system back behind the house. Now they make their way in that general direction, keeping a row of trees in between them.
As they draw close, they begin their pre-arranged conversation, loud enough that he can hear it.
“Are you sure that poem you found tells us where the money is hidden?” Ally asks.
“It has to,” Sam answers. “Why else would Shawn have written it? It’s obvious that there’s a message hidden in there somewhere. We just have to figure it out.”
They pause with their backs to the trees, knowing Ted is crouched over a small trench in the ground on the other side. Sam hopes they aren’t being too obvious, but it would be easy to miss him if you didn’t know he was there.
“I just don’t want it to disappear like the journal did,” Sam continues, lowering her voice a little to make it sound more like a secret. “This time, I’ll be sure to keep it hidden in my backpack. I wonder who could have taken it. Do you really think it could have been the ghost? Because that kind of freaks me out…” Sam can’t help but smile at the last part, as they walk away and go back inside to wait.
****
“Do you think it worked?” Ally asks, sitting at the bedroom window. Peeking between the curtains, she tries to see if there is any movement in the gathering shadows between the staff lodge and inn.
“I don’t know,” Sam shrugs, pacing the floor. “I guess we’ll find out in a little while. What time is it? It feels like we’ve been waiting forever!”
Pulling her almost-useless phone from her back pocket, Ally checks the time. “Nearly eleven,” she announces. “We’ve been sitting up here for two hours now. Maybe he didn’t fall for it. He seems pretty sma--”
Sam looks up to see what made Ally catch her breath. She is waving her over to the window. Making her way by the thin moonlight, Sam sits next to her and looks outside eagerly.
“There!” Ally says, bouncing up and down. “Over by the shed. See?”
Squinting, Sam watches the shed for a moment, and then tries to contain her excitement when she spots an unmistakable figure lurking slowly towards them. “Come on!” she whispers, pulling at Ally’s arm.
Each holding on tight to a flashlight, they quietly enter the passageway. Moving to the door to Joseph’s room, they sit facing each other, knees touching in the small space.
Moments after they get into position, the unmistakable creak of an old door is followed by heavy footsteps on the stairs below them. Although the person is moving slowly, it’s impossible to be silent. When the approaching figure is only a few feet from them, they click on their lights simultaneously and flash them into Ted’s stunned face.
First fear, then anger clouds Ted’s handsome features as he tries to decide how to react. “What are you two doing here?” he demands hoarsely.
Sam rises slowly and looks him in the eye. “I think we should be asking you that question, Ted. Or should we just call you ‘Mr. Ghost’?” she mocks.
“Okay,” he admits, “so I’m guilty of making some noise. But I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I’d call vandalism and causing some very nice people to lose all they’ve worked for very wrong,” Ally chastises.
“I haven’t done any damage around here!” Ted argues. “I sure didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” he adds quietly, looking down at his hands.
“Maybe you should be trying to convince my uncle,” Sam says, turning to leave.
“No! Wait,” Ted pleads. “Let me explain.”
Sam turns back. After a moment of thought, she sits back down.
“Okay,” she says, giving in. “But it better be good.”
“I guess it all depends on what you consider good,” Ted replies. He sits next to them, their flashlights still playing on his face.
“When I was ten, I can remember sitting on my great-grandmother’s lap, listening to her stories. One of th
em always stuck with me, and it’s the reason I’m here.
“She told me about a kind-hearted man who took her in and gave her a home when no one else cared. She was only sixteen, and the man hired her as a midwife and nursemaid. She helped raise six younger foster brothers and sisters, so knew a bit about it. The man’s wife died while giving birth, but my great-grandma ended up staying and helped to raise his four sons.”
Ted pauses long enough for Sam and Ally to digest his story.
“You’ve read the journal,” he continues, “so you know that I’m talking about Nancy. Shawn treated her like a daughter, and she loved him in the same way. It was very hard for her to leave. And when she heard he had died, she knew he died a lonely man.
“No matter how hard she tried, she could never control Shawn’s four boys. They seemed determined to make life hard for Shawn. He had spoiled them and they were very isolated up here. As they grew older, they didn’t care about anything other than what they wanted, especially his gold. Great-grandmother Nancy said Shawn seemed more convinced as time went on that the boys shouldn’t have it. He became paranoid and stopped what little banking he did and hid everything.
“He was always weird about the gold because of his brother’s death. He would go into town a few times a year and cash some of it in to live off of. But, towards the end, he even stopped doing that. With the new will never getting to the lawyer, no one ever figured out where the gold was. My great-grandmother was sure, however, that it was somewhere here at Hollow Inn.”
“So you did come here to take the money!” Sam interrupts angrily.
“It’s not that way,” Ted tries to explain, looking defiantly at Sam. “Last year, my parents were killed in a car accident. It wasn’t until a few months later, with no family left, that I began thinking about Hollow Inn.”
“I’m sorry about your family,” Sam says gently, “but it still doesn’t excuse what you’ve done.”
“I haven’t done anything!” Ted insists. “I don’t need the blasted money. My parents’ life insurance is all I’ll ever need. I just couldn’t get this place out of my head, or the idea of a treasure hunt. I needed something to do, a reason to go on, and I ended up here. When I arrived though, I found your aunt and uncle, Sam. I realized it wouldn’t be easy to look for the money with people around. I was going to just rent a room for a while, but I’m not quite eighteen yet and don’t have a credit card, or any adult to sign for me. When I found out they were looking to hire, all I had to do was forge a signature on my application. It’s summer break, so your aunt and uncle weren’t at all suspicious.
“I didn’t have anything to go back to, nothing but an empty house full of memories. They really needed the help anyways and it gave me the perfect opportunity to snoop around. It almost felt like coming home, after all the years I heard and thought about the place.”
“But what about the ghost?” Ally asks tentatively.
“And let’s not forget the vandalism, either. Or the fact that you tried to scare us with the legend on the first day we were here,” Sam accuses.
“I may be responsible for the ghost noises,” Ted admits. “It’s kind of hard not to step on any creaking boards back here.
“The time when the guest found me in her room was a mistake. I was looking for the money, and I didn’t realize there was anyone in there until she screamed. I almost left Hollow Inn after that, I felt so guilty. But I realized it would have made things even worse for your aunt and uncle, since they would have such a hard time replacing me.
“As for the damage,” Ted continues, glancing at Sam, “I don’t know anything about it. I’ve never broken a single thing, and I never would. I want to know who’s doing it just as badly as you do. I told you about the legend and the ghosts because I felt guilty. I thought if I told you about it, you wouldn’t suspect it was me.”
“Do you know anything about the lake?” Ally asks.
“No,” Ted answers. “What about the lake?”
“Nothing,” Sam says a bit too quickly, looking sternly at Ally. Ted glances from Sam to Ally and back to Sam again.
“Sam,” he says, “if something else has happened, you should tell me. We might be able to figure out what’s going on.”
Sam plays her flashlight along the passage wall, and then brings it to rest on Ted’s face again. “There’s really nothing else to talk about,” she says firmly. “Except maybe why you stole the journal if your great-grandmother already told you everything?”
Ted’s face flushes with anger, and he stands to go.” First,” he says stiffly, “I didn’t steal it. I only borrowed it. You’ll get it back tomorrow. Secondly, I’m not lying about anything. Nancy really was my great-grandmother. I wanted to read the journal for the same reason you did. I thought it might have some clue as to where the money is. Which reminds me, is there really some sort of riddle?”
When neither girl answers, he grins slightly and folds his arms in front of him. “Okay,” he says, “I get the hint. No more questions. Just remember that I’m here, and I want to help you. But be careful. Somebody is causing that vandalism, and it’s not me. Good night.”
Before he can turn to go, Sam jumps up and grabs his arm. “Ted,” she says, “I won’t tell my uncle anything. For now.”
“Thanks,” he replies and disappears back down the passageway into the darkness.
12
GOLD MINE
“Don’t you think you were a little mean to Ted?” Ally asks.
Sam and Ally are pedaling down a broad, gravel trail. Aunt Beth explained earlier that this used to be a road leading to the mine. They’ve kept it clear of weeds and put down gravel once a year to make a bike path. The mountain bikes the girls are now on are like new and handle the terrain easily.
Sam is trying not to get irritated. They had this same discussion last night after returning to the bedroom. “Ally,” she says as pleasantly as possible, “like I explained last night, I’m not sure that we can trust him. I guess I might have been a little rude, but I don’t think you can blame me. How do we know that he won’t just take the money and run?”
“I don’t think he would,” Ally says with a surety that Sam doesn’t understand. “I think we should have told him about the poem and what happened at the lake.”
“Well, we’re telling my aunt and uncle everything tomorrow, anyways, if we don’t figure this out. I think it’s better for them to decide what to do with Ted.”
The two of them ride in silence for a while, taking in the scenery. They are traveling in the opposite direction of the lake and Michael’s Rock. This side of the property climbs gently upwards with some nice level areas. The trail is lined with ponderosa pines and huge red cedars. Sam almost falls off her bike twice while tipping her head up to try to see the top of the trees.
It’s another sunny, warm summer day, and the floor of the woods is slowly heating up, releasing its sweet scent of pine needles. It’s a good smell, and it makes Sam smile in spite of the stress of the conversation. She hopes they’ll find something at the mine. She doesn’t really know what to expect, but her aunt made it sound like there wasn’t too much to see. This was one site on the property not given a name. Shawn Hollow obviously didn’t have fond memories of it.
“Sam, I’m sorry,” Ally suddenly says.
Looking back at her friend, Sam sees that she is trying to catch up with her. She slows down, and they are soon side-by-side.
“I understand why you don’t trust him. I guess I’m just kinda scared about everything and thought it would be nice to have some help. But we can do this on our own; I know we can figure it out!”
Encouraged by Ally’s enthusiasm, Sam returns her smile, and they pick up the pace. They’ve already passed several smaller trails branching off the road, but they ignore them. They decided last night that they would wait to explore them on their way back. Getting to the mine and having plenty of time there is what’s most important.
According to Aunt Beth, the road co
mes to a dead end at the mine, so it’s impossible to get lost. It’s about three miles each way, and they have already been riding for over half an hour. They should be there any minute. Just as Sam is finishing this thought, they come around a bend, and find themselves right in front of a rock wall.
“Wow,” Ally breathes, coming to a skidding halt in the loose gravel. The face of the cliff climbs at least two hundred feet straight up, spreading to either side of them and disappearing from view into the forest. The entrance to the mine is about the size of a one-car garage door, with several boards secured across it. Off to one side is an old, weathered sign with the painted words ‘Danger! Keep Out!’ on it.
“Are you sure we should go in there?” Ally questions. She tries to peer into the darkness beyond the boards. “Your aunt was pretty clear about us staying out of it.”
Sam struggles once again with her conscience. Ally is right. Aunt Beth told them they were absolutely not, under any circumstances, to go into the old mine. It wasn’t stable and could have a cave-in at any time. Laying the bike down, she removes her backpack and fishes around for the flashlight she brought.
“We aren’t really going to go into the mine,” Sam counters. “We’ll just check out the entrance. I’m sure that if this part weren’t safe, it would have already collapsed. If Shawn hid the money in there, he wouldn’t have put it deep inside where it might get buried. Don’t you agree?”
Tapping her lip with a finger for a moment, Ally weighs the question. “I guess,” she finally says. “But seriously, Sam, if we don’t see something right away, I’m getting out of there!”
“Deal,” Sam agrees, handing Ally a flashlight. Approaching the entrance with more confidence than she feels, Sam reads the other sign attached to the rock under the warning. “Established by Shawn Hollow in 1898. Closed in 1901 after the tragic deaths of three men that still lie within.”