The Case of the Missing Deed (21 page)

“Oh my God!” Alex said. “Did that board just move?”

“It’s a secret panel!” Geneviève said.

“Yikes!” Claire said. “What could be behind there? I hope … it’s not a ghost or something.”

“Don’t be silly, Claire,” Sébastien said, though he, too, half-expected something scary to pop out.

“Open it, open it!” Olivia said.

Sébastien wedged his finger into the narrow space and pushed. With a faint groan, the board slid a couple of inches farther to the left, fitting smoothly behind the one beside it. Behind it, a dark cavity loomed. It was about six inches deep.

An empty space stared back at them.

“Now what?” Alex asked. “There’s got to be something in here. Let’s have the flashlight.”

Claire shone the light into the cavity. And there, sitting at the bottom of the empty space, was a wooden box.

Everyone stopped and stared.

“Oh, my–” Claire said. “Could it be …?”

Geneviève lifted out the box. It was covered in dust. She blew, and dust motes danced in the flashlight beam. She placed the box on the windowsill.

It was an ordinary looking box, about the size of a box of tissues, and made of light-colored wood. The top was hinged on one side; at the front, there was a small padlock threaded through a couple of metal loops.

“The key, the key!” Olivia shouted. “Number 7!”

Geneviève grabbed the key. It fit perfectly into the padlock. She unlocked it, twisted it out of the loops, raised the lid – and there, sitting on a bed of velvet, was a scrolled piece of paper tied with red ribbon.

Geneviève lifted it out and untied the ribbon.

No one breathed.

Slowly, carefully, Geneviève unrolled the scroll of paper.

“We did it!”

“We found it! Woo-hoo!”

Alex burst into tears. Sébastien and Claire jumped around, pumping their fists in the air. Geneviève and Olivia hugged one another.

Just then they heard the sound of footsteps and voices. They dashed into the kitchen.

“Grandma, guess what!”

“You won’t believe it!”

“Mom! Dad!” Alex yelled, running toward his parents.

“Grandma, we found–”

“Children!” Grandma ran toward them, her arms outstretched. “I remembered! Just this minute it came to me, what Sam said. It’s in the old wall!”

The cousins burst out laughing. “We know, Grandma, we found it.”

“Just now!”

The adults stood there, looking dumbfounded.

“You did? How?” Uncle Tony said.

“With the clues,” Olivia said. “Claire squeezed into the cave and got the map–”

“Claire!” Eve said sharply. “What on earth–”

“Don’t worry, Mom, it was fine. Only, we couldn’t read the map–”

“ ’Cause Grandpa had made it with invisible ink,” Alex said.

“So we had to paint it with vinegar–” Olivia said

“And we found the cupboard … and used the flashlight and the prism,” Alex said.

“We poked with the knitting needle,” Sébastien put in, “and the old wall moved! So we got the box and used the key–”

“And there was the deed–” Claire said.

“And here it is!” Geneviève unscrolled it.

Grandma burst out crying. Everybody started jumping around and laughing and hugging and shouting.

Finally, Grandma wiped her eyes. She held out her arms. “Come here, all of you.”

The five cousins piled in for a hug.

Grandma sniffled again, then grinned, holding the deed to her chest. “They found it, Sam!”

en minutes later, the entire family was crowded into a couple of booths at Tillie’s Café, having ice cream sodas to celebrate. “And I don’t even care that it’s suppertime!” Eve said.

As soon as Grandma told Tillie the good news, she phoned Leon, and he came running in, followed by Bernie, whom Leon had called. Soon the café was filled with friends and neighbors, congratulating Grandma and forcing the children to tell the story of the discovery over and over again.

“Hidden in a cave?” Rachel said in disbelief.

“A spring released by a knitting needle?” Chad said.

“That Sam,” Bernie said, wiping his eyes.

Grandma beamed.

Sébastien watched Charlie in disgust. Charlie was smiling and laughing along with everyone else. He’d hugged Grandma and Eve, back at the house, as if he couldn’t be happier about the discovery of the deed. He’d even told the kids they’d done a great job.

What an actor! He had them all convinced.

That only made him an even bigger rat.

Finally, everyone finished their sodas and drifted outside. Grandma and Eve headed over to Muriel’s store to tell her the good news. Aunt Meg and Uncle Tony went to pick up some groceries. Everyone arranged to meet at the cars in ten minutes.

Geneviève strolled down the street and sat on a bench. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and let the late afternoon sun warm her face. Nearby, she could hear Olivia and Sébastien laughing about something.

What a day! First the disastrous visit from Tantalus, then Osprey Cove, and finally the deed. From the lowest low to the highest high. Wait till she told Shane, she thought. He’d be so happy for Grandma.

As if thinking of him had conjured him up, Geneviève heard his voice.

“It’s not my fault,” Shane was saying.

Geneviève opened her eyes and sat up. She hadn’t seen him in a few days. A shiver of excitement ran up her back. Where was he? His voice seemed to be coming from the other side of some hedges.

“You blew it. You didn’t move fast enough,” another voice said.

Geneviève recognized it. Stan Wilensky. Shane’s uncle. She’d managed not to think about that for the last several days. Because it didn’t necessarily mean anything. Even now. What could be more natural than a nephew and an uncle having a conversation?

She missed Shane’s reply. Then Wilensky said sarcastically,
“Guess you’re not as hot as you thought you were.”

“I did my best!” Shane said irritably.

What?

“Well, it obviously wasn’t good enough.”

“What do you know about it?” Shane said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, she’s crazy about me.”

The blood rushed to Geneviève’s face.

“A fat lot of good that does us now,” Wilensky replied. “Our chance is gone.”

“I’ll still have that job in the new surf shop, right?”

“Not anymore.”

Shane’s voice turned surly. “You promised!”

“Only if you delivered,” Wilensky said.

“But Uncle Stan–”

“You knew what you had to do. You blew it.”

“But–”

“Too bad. No deed, no job.”

Footsteps marched away. With a cry, Geneviève sprang up from the bench and ran to the car. She threw herself onto the backseat and burst into tears.
Lying scumbag! Working for his uncle the whole time. For the promise of a freaking job!
And she had been totally, completely, utterly taken in.

The humiliation. The heartbreak.

Pushing her face into the car seat, she sobbed.

A quiet footstep sounded beside the open car door. Without looking, Geneviève knew it was Sébastien. And she knew he must have heard.

Angrily she pushed herself up and wiped her face with her arm. Not looking at him, she said, “Go ahead. Rub it in.”

Silence.

“You were right. I–” A sob escaped. “– was wrong.”

Still, silence.

Geneviève turned. There was a strange look on Sébastien’s face. Not gloating. Not pity. He was just looking at her.

He shook his head. Then he said softly, “Gen … I’m sorry.”

Geneviève did something she never thought she’d do. She hurled herself into her brother’s arms and cried on his shoulder.

ack at Grandma’s, everyone was in the kitchen. Alex remembered they’d gathered like this on the first day they’d come. How different things were now! Back then, Grandma was in tears, terrified of losing her cottage. Now everyone was laughing, relieved that the cottage was saved.

Then Alex noticed that that wasn’t true. Grandma wasn’t laughing. She was sitting there, brooding, chin in hand, shoulders slumped.

“Grandma, what’s the matter?” he asked.

Grandma looked at him. “Well, sweetheart, I’m overjoyed that I won’t lose my home. But …” She sighed. “What’s it going to be like? I’ll have that blasted road going right by, trucks roaring up and down, dust and dirt and noise, Lookout Hill will be destroyed.… It won’t be the same.”

Silence fell.

“Maybe it won’t be so bad, Mom,” Eve began, but Uncle Tony interrupted.

“She’s right, Eve,” he said. “There’s no sugar-coating the situation. It’s going to be awful.”

“If there were only some way to stop the mine,” Aunt Meg said. “Some way to stop Tantalus from getting the permit.”

“But how?” Grandma said. “They’ve done all the reports.
It’s just a matter of time until the government gives them the go-ahead.”