Seeds of Suspicion (Lack of Luxury Cozy Mystery #1)

Chapter 7

Liz inched forward, a shiver running down her spine as she peered into the gaping hole. She said the first thing that popped into her head. “At least it doesn’t smell.”

“Let’s see what we have.” Floyd shined a flashlight along the bottom. “It looks like a storage area.” He grabbed a crowbar and removed several more loose floorboards.

“Well, I’ll be.” He set the crowbar aside and picked the flashlight back up. “It appears to be some sort of safe room.”

Liz squinted her eyes, studying the concrete block walls, dirt floor and single bare bulb dangling from the ceiling. A beam of light reflected off an object in the corner. “I see something. It looks like a small box. ”

“I’ll go grab my ladder.” Floyd ran back out of the house. He returned, ladder in hand, and slid it into the opening.

“Be careful.” Liz held her breath as her husband descended into the darkness. “You were right, Liz. It’s a mighty fancy box,” his muffled voice echoed. “I’ll need to bring it up to find out what’s inside.”

Echo dropped to her knees. “I can grab it.”

Floyd’s voice grew faint. The top of his head appeared as he balanced on the ladder’s lower rung. “This thing is heavier than it looks,” he grunted.

“I’m ready.” Echo reached for it.

“You got it?”

“Yep.” She kept a tight grip on the red velvet box, trimmed in gold. “This baby is in pristine condition except for a layer of dust.”

Floyd joined them moments later. “There’s nothing else down there. ”

“If we’re lucky, it’s full of hidden treasure we can cash in to help pay for the repairs to this dump,” Liz said.

“You mean diamond in the rough.” Floyd fumbled for his reading glasses. “Pray for the best and prepare for the worst.”

Liz clasped her hands as he twisted the gold handle and lifted the lid, revealing a padded velvet interior. Carefully tucked between the folds was a red medallion. “What is it?”

“It looks like a coat of arms.” Floyd gingerly removed the medallion from the velvet folds and held it up to the light. On closer inspection, a crown sat atop an intricately carved badge of sorts. A winged lion and eagle, each with sharp claws extended, gripped the sides.

“Let me see.” Liz took the medallion from Floyd, surprised by the weight as she held it in her hand. While the surface was smooth, as if made from some sort of precious gem, the edges were sharp. “I wonder how much we could get out of this thing. ”

“Liz,” Floyd chided. “Let’s not jump the gun. This has some sort of significance. I think we should hang onto it, at least until we can figure out what it is.”

“I suppose.” Liz passed it to Paige, who studied it before handing it to Echo.

“It looks ancient.” Echo juggled her cell phone in one hand and snapped a picture of the front and back. “I love a good mystery. I’m going to do some research on it, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Liz said.

Echo handed it to Floyd, who promptly placed it back inside the box. “There’s something else.”

He removed a crinkled roll of parchment paper and what appeared to be some sort of map. “Check out this old map. It was printed in 1897,” he said excitedly. “What an incredible find.”

Liz wrinkled her nose. “It’s a bunch of names and lines. ”

“These are property boundaries. I see our place right here.” Floyd ran a light hand over the top. “I’m gonna frame this and hang it in my office.”

Liz craned her neck and peered into the black hole. “It’s creepy. This whole place is creeping me out. I need to have Rose fly up here and clear this place of any creepy spirits.”

“I saw a commercial for her Miracle Moisturizer the other day,” Paige said. “Rose is flying high.”

Rose Morris, former co-owner of Dot’s Restaurant, had hit the big time. Her years of tinkering with concoctions, miracle cures and special elixirs had finally paid off when she snagged a contract with VitaNew, a national health and wholesale vitamin chain.

“If she can’t make it, maybe she can mail me something.” Liz struggled to her feet. “It’s time to get to work. ”

Paige and Echo returned to the kitchen while Floyd replaced the floorboards. “It’s almost like a puzzle. Check it out.”

Liz watched her husband replace the medallion’s pieces, fitting each one together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. “I think someone, the previous owner, added the secret room during construction. The pieces fit together perfectly.”

“I have to agree. It’s rather ingenious, really.” After finishing, Floyd packed up his tools and headed outside.

Liz carefully placed the gold and velvet box inside one of the built-in cabinets and then carried a clean bucket of water to the windows. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. She turned to find Christi standing in her front yard, binoculars in hand.

Determined to ignore her nosy neighbor, Liz moved from left to right, cleaning each of the windows until they sparkled in the bright sunlight. She finished the final one and stood back to admire her hard work. Although old, they were in excellent condition, and with a fresh layer of caulk, she was certain they would outlive her and Floyd.

Late afternoon, her stomach grumbled, reminding her it had been hours since her last meal. She trekked to the kitchen and found Echo and Paige scrubbing the insides of the cabinets. “I’m ordering pizza. Any special requests?”

“Nope. Pizza sounds good,” Paige said. “I think I saw Floyd out by his truck.”

“Thanks.” Liz placed an online order for delivery and tracked her husband down to let him know food was on the way. She let out a low groan as she slid onto the truck’s tailgate. “I’m sore.”

“Me too. The more time we spend here, the more I’m realizing this place needs a lot of work.” Floyd settled in next to her. “Looking back, I should’ve consulted with you before buying it. We can put it up for sale, find you that penthouse you keep talking about, and call it a day. ”

Liz tilted her head, noting the look of resignation on Floyd’s face. “You’re serious.”

“We’re getting up there in years. This is a big project…bigger than I thought. I can’t expect you to take this on. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You saw potential. If your hunch is right, we could be sitting on a goldmine.”

“But I want you to be happy.” Floyd reached for Liz’s hand. “I want us to be happy. You know the saying…happy wife, happy life.”

“You would hate living in the city.”

Floyd grew silent. “I would, but I would move there if you wanted to.”

Liz inspected the grime under her fingernails, struggling to remember the last time she’d chipped one of her perfectly manicured nails. It had been a very long time.

She closed her eyes, embracing the sun’s warmth and breathing in the fresh country air. What would they do if they sold this place and moved to the city?

Spend their days at local museums, attending social events, shopping, traveling the world? It would be a dream life for Liz and a nightmare for Floyd. Yes, he was well-traveled and could seamlessly fit into the social scene, but he wouldn’t enjoy it. Not one bit. He would be miserable, and she would feel guilty every time she dragged him to another gathering, another get-together, another museum.

And, although she would never admit it to her sister, the quiet country life was growing on her. More than once since she’d married Floyd, Liz had caught herself carrying her morning cup of coffee to the front porch to keep a watchful eye on the robin who had built a nest in the blossoming apple tree.

Floyd had assured her she could create her chic French chateau, renovating it to her exacting standards by using whatever resources she needed. And there were plenty. If his hunch was correct, there would be even more.

Liz Applegate-Rasmussen would never again have to worry about coasting into town on fumes, dead broke and relying on the generosity of friends to keep a roof over her head. Thank you, Margaret Hansen. She had come a long way and with each step she was becoming more cognizant of her selfish behavior and more aware of the feelings of those around her.

Perhaps God had placed her right there for a reason.

“I think we should stay,” Liz announced. “As long as you’re okay with me spending ridiculous amounts of money fixing this place up, I’m still on board.”

“One hundred percent?” Floyd eyed her skeptically. “Because we’ll both need to be fully committed. ”

“One hundred percent.” Liz placed a light hand on his cheek. “We’re partners in crime, Floyd Rasmussen, and I don’t mean that literally.”

Floyd chuckled. “I love you, my beautiful wife. You won’t be sorry.”

As Liz leaned in for a kiss, she sent up a small prayer she hadn’t made the wrong decision and missed her opportunity to get out while the getting was good.