Indiana Belle (American Journey Book 3) (7 page)

"I have."

Cameron had considered taking a bottle of antibiotics. He wanted a Plan B in case he caught a nasty bug, but he decided at the last minute to play by the rules. If he went to 1925, he would live like the natives and do as they did. He would assume some risk.

"Are you OK with that request?" Bell asked.

"I am," Cameron said.

"The reason I ask is because at least two of your predecessors did
not
honor my request. As a result, they put themselves and their loved ones in jeopardy."

"I'll be a good boy. I promise."

"Then that leaves just three more points of business," Bell said.

"What are they?" Cameron asked.

"The first pertains to the postcards. I'm sure you noticed they are all addressed to the same Los Angeles post office box."

"I did."

"Good," Bell said. "I want you to send them to that box. Contact me whenever you have something to say. Leave a return address. I will check the box frequently as I pop into and out of 1925. Should you need to send me something a bit more confidential, use an envelope."

"I'll do that," Cameron said. "What else do you have for me?"

Bell smiled.

"I have these."

The professor reached into his jacket and pulled out two three-inch crystals. One was white, the other blue. Bell leaned forward and placed them on the table for all to see.

"Are those the magic rocks?" Cameron asked.

"Indeed, they are."

"What can you tell me about them?"

"I can tell you a lot," Bell said. "Let's start with the more useful of the two. With the white 'rock,' you can travel to the past, return at any time, and resume your life in 2017 as if you had never been gone. Guard it with your life."

"What about the blue crystal? What can I do with that?"

"You can travel to the past. You can also return to future. The difference is that you can only do so within 153 days. For some reason, its power is limited. That is why I want you to try to bring back some white crystals if you can. They are far more valuable."

"I see," Cameron said.

"There is one more thing."

"What's that?"

"If you use the blue crystal to pass through the time tunnel, you will not return to this time as if you had never left. You will return as if the clock had never stopped," Bell said. "In that event, I might have to explain your absence to the authorities. I would prefer not to do that."

"I understand."

Cameron picked up the blue crystal, held it up to the ceiling light, and gave it a thorough inspection. A moment later, he set it on the table next to its colorless twin, leaned back in his seat, and gazed lazily at his host.

"You seem perplexed," Bell said. "Do you have another question?"

"I do."

"Well, don't be shy."

Cameron smiled.

"You've mentioned the time tunnel several times in the past week, but you have never told me where it is located. Is it close by?"

"It's very close," Bell said.

"How close?" Cameron asked.

"Fifteen feet. Maybe twenty."

"It's what?"

"Take a look at that wall," Bell said as he pointed to the far side of the room. "Do you see anything unusual?"

Cameron squinted as he looked at the white wall. He could make out a faint outline.

"I see something."

"That something is a door – a door that leads to the tunnel, another door, and today, anyway, the twentieth century," Bell said.

"Don't you mean your backyard?" Cameron asked.

"Yes, I mean my backyard. I mean my backyard as it existed on March 10, 1925."

Cameron glanced at the wall again and this time saw the door. He saw it clearly. White, plain, and as smooth as silk, it wasn't the most conspicuous thing in the room, but it was there. It was real. It was as real as the fantastic journey that awaited him.

"Do I need a key to open it? Cameron asked.

"No," Bell said. "Only the second door has a lock."

"Do you have the key?"

The professor pulled a skeleton key out of his pocket.

"It's right here."

Bell placed the key on the table next to the crystals.

"How about the tunnel," Cameron said. "Is it long?"

"No. It's not long at all," Bell replied. "It's precisely fifteen feet long, eight feet high, and five feet wide. It's more like a walk-in closet than a mountain cave."

"I see. I have another question."

"Ask."

"Will this house be occupied when I step out of the tunnel?"

"It shouldn't be," Bell said. "I checked the property records from 1925 and determined that the residence was vacant the entire year. That does not mean you won't find the outside door locked. You might. Keep the key handy just in case."

"I will."

"Do you have any more questions?"

"I do," Cameron said. "What should I do if someone sees me exit the tunnel?"

The professor gazed at his guest.

"You should either advance or withdraw. If you can talk your way past a witness without drawing additional scrutiny, then do so. If you can't, then retreat to the tunnel and close the door. Once inside the chamber, you will be back in 2017. Those beyond the door will remain in 1925."

"Is there anything else I should remember?"

"There is one thing," Bell said. "When you walk out of the tunnel, you will walk into a world that has not existed for ninety-two years. You will be in a position to change history in big ways and in small. I ask that you exercise caution in all of your encounters."

"Can I bring back a souvenir?" Cameron asked.

"You can if it doesn't walk on two legs."

Cameron smiled.

"I'll remember that."

"Please do. If you do nothing else, leave the people you meet in 1925
in
1925," Bell said. "That includes the society editor of the
Evansville Post
."

"May I ask why?"

"She is an important part of my family tree, that's why."

"I don't follow," Cameron said. "It's not like Candice Bell was your grandmother. You descended from Percival Bell – not Henry. How could disrupting Candice's life disrupt yours?"

The professor stared at his guest.

"It just could."

"Please explain."

Bell huffed.

"All right, I will.

Bell looked at Jeanette, took her hand, and then returned to the man with the questions.

"When Candice was murdered, many people took it hard. One person, a cousin, took it very hard. He quit his banking job in Boston and wandered aimlessly for weeks. He lived on the streets until the day he visited a restaurant – a restaurant called McCain's – and asked a waitress for some food. The waitress gave him not only a meal but also some companionship."

"You don't mean to say—"

"In fact, I do," Bell said. "The waitress, Prudence Williams, and the man, Theodore Bell, became friends. They discovered a shared interest in poetry, pinochle, and baseball, fell in love, and married a month later. The two became my grandparents."

Cameron took a deep breath.

"OK. I get it. You want them to meet. You want me to leave the past and your family tree intact. But does that mean I have to let an innocent woman die?"

"Yes. It does."

"Remember, this is someone you want me to meet."

"I understand," Bell said.

"Do you really expect me to go back to 1925, pry information from a woman who is about to be murdered, and not tell her what's coming?" Cameron asked.

"That's
exactly
what I expect you to do."

"I'm not sure I can do that, Professor."

"Then you can't enter the time tunnel. If you can't promise to honor that request, then I can't, in good conscience, send you to the past."

Cameron lowered his head as he weighed his suddenly limited options. If he agreed to Bell's request, he could still travel to 1925. He could have an adventure, see the world as few of his contemporaries had seen it, and perhaps solve an ancient mystery. He could do everything he wanted to do except the thing he wanted to do most. He could not save a beautiful, talented, and influential woman from being brutally murdered in her prime.

"Can't we discuss this some more?" Cameron asked.

"No," Bell said.

"But—"

"The matter is closed."

Cameron turned away as the truth set in. He no longer had the upper hand in this unusual and complicated business transaction. In fact, he didn't have any hand at all. When he looked again at Bell, he did so with defeated eyes.

"I'll do it. I want to go to the past," Cameron said. "If I have to let a senseless murder happen a second time, then I guess I'll do it."

The professor leaned forward.

"I'm not a heartless man, Mr. Coelho. Like you, I have a conscience. If I could prevent my cousin's murder and not make a mess of things, I would do it myself."

"You really don't see an alternative?"

"I don't. Candice Bell influenced many people in life and in death. If you go back to 1925 and save her life, you may invite change that is worse than the murder itself. Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone," Bell said in a thoughtful voice. "This is one of those times."

"I guess. It doesn't seem right though," Cameron said.

Bell smiled.

"Do you have any more questions before you go?"

"No," Cameron said. "I think you've covered everything."

"Then let's get the show on the road."

"All right."

The professor handed Cameron the crystals and the key.

"Keep the white crystal and the key in your pocket," Bell said. "Put the blue crystal in the satchel. When you get to Indiana or wherever you travel, keep them all in a safe place."

"OK."

Cameron placed the small objects in the appropriate places and then gathered the papers and currency on the table as the Bells rose from the sofa and started toward the mystery door. He slid the documents into the manila envelope, put the envelope into the satchel, and closed the flap.

A moment later, he stood up, grabbed the satchel and the suitcase, and stepped toward his hosts. As he did, he took one last look at the white room and pondered the trip to come. He was really going to do this. He was going to step back in time.

Cameron felt his stomach turn as he approached the Bells, an open door, and a tunnel that lacked definition. He poked his head through the opening and looked for something interesting in the available light. He found gray brick walls, a gray brick ceiling, and a concrete floor. He did not find bells, whistles, or anything that Hollywood might consider a suitable time machine.

"This is it?" Cameron asked.

"This is it," Bell said. "This plain, dark, narrow space is your portal to the past."

Cameron laughed.

"As long as it's not my portal to the Jurassic period, I'm good with that. I would prefer not to run into a carnivorous dinosaur when I walk through the other door."

"You won't," Bell said. He smiled. "I can promise you that much."

"How does all this work?" Cameron asked. "When does the magic begin?"

"It's already started."

"What do you mean?"

"Take a look at your rock," Bell said.

Cameron pulled the white crystal from his jacket pocket and noticed that it had come alive. It glowed in his hands like a small light bulb with its own power source.

"It's glowing!"

"So is the one in your satchel," Bell said. "They become active when they come into close proximity to the crystals in the chamber."

"What crystals? I don't see—"

Cameron started to say more but stopped when he saw a string of stones, embedded in the ceiling of the tunnel, light up one by one. Within seconds, the dark chamber was no longer dark. It was a kaleidoscope of color, a feast of blue and white flickering lights.

Bell smiled.

"Do you like the pretty lights, Mr. Coelho?"

Cameron chuckled.

"I do."

"I like them too," Bell said. "Why don't you step inside and enjoy them up close?"

"All right."

Cameron carried his satchel and his suitcase halfway into the chamber, turned around, and lowered the bags to the floor. He admired the overhead lights for a moment and then looked at the man who had arranged the show. The professor smiled as he stood in the open doorway.

"Why are you smiling?" Cameron asked.

"I'm just enjoying the moment," Bell said. "I never tire of sending guests through the tunnel. I believe you're number eleven, but I've lost count."

"I see," Cameron replied. He noticed that Jeanette had disappeared. "Where is your wife?"

"She's right here," Jeanette said as she popped into view. She took a moment to catch her breath. "I had to run upstairs to get something."

"What's that?"

"Your hat, of course," Jeanette said. She pulled a dark gray hat from behind her back and entered the chamber. "No twenties man is complete without a fedora."

Cameron chuckled.

"I guess not."

Jeanette walked up to Cameron, placed the hat on his head, and adjusted it a few times. A moment later, she stepped back, folded her arms, and nodded her approval.

"You look very handsome, Mr. Coelho."

"Thank you," Cameron said.

The missus moved forward and gave Cameron a hug.

"Have a safe journey."

"I'll try."

Jeanette whispered in his ear.

"Let your conscience be your guide."

Cameron nodded.

"I will."

Jeanette gazed at Cameron, smiled, and headed for the door. When she reached her husband, she whispered in
his
ear, stepped aside, and sent him into the tunnel with a nudge.

"It seems I forgot to give you something as well," Bell said.

"You did?" Cameron asked.

Bell nodded.

"I forgot to give you some advice."

"What advice?"

"Watch out for dogs in the yard."

"Dogs?"

"Yes. Dogs. The last people I sent to the past had some trouble with a German shepherd on their return trip," Bell said. "I don't believe you'll have the same trouble, but keep an eye out for canines just the same."