“I’ll read to you what I just read to myself. You’ll understand what I’m getting at then.”
Rafter listened intently as Annie spent the next few minutes reading about Rose and a boy named Bobby climbing a servant’s staircase to be alone and to make out, only to find a secret room with a mysterious box tucked away in a corner.
Annie looked at him after she finished reading the entry. “I think Arcadias and Damien are after the box in the secret room.”
Rafter nodded. “I think you’re on to something there, Babe. But what do you think is in the box? And is it still here in this house?”
“Bobby thought it was treasure.”
“Or at the very least money,” Rafter added.
Annie nodded. She looked around at the walls in the attic. “This secret room has to be close by.”
Rafter walked over to one side of the attic, dodging antiques and furniture as he went. He pointed a finger at the floor. “The pantry is right below me. But I’m pretty sure there isn’t another door in the pantry that leads to anything.”
“I know. I’ve been in and out of that pantry a thousand times. I don’t remember seeing a door inside it,” Annie said.
“Maybe the shelves are covering it up. If we could find the secret room we could find the staircase. And maybe then we could escape through the pantry.”
“But they’ll likely see us come out of the pantry. They have guns. We don’t.”
Rafter smiled. “I found some weapons. They’re right next to you on the floor.”
Annie looked down at the floor near her feet. She spotted a bow and three arrows and a tiny gun. She looked at the old longbow and the quiver of dusty arrows for a moment. The string on the bow looked like it might fray or snap if actually drawn. Not liking what she saw, she picked up the antique derringer. A smidge over five inches long, the compact gun looked like something a riverboat gambler might hide in his boot back in the day.
“Be careful with the gun. I think it’s a Philadelphia derringer. And it’s loaded.”
“It looks super old. Do you think it could actually fire and kill someone?”
Rafter shrugged. “It’s a .44 caliber gun. It should do serious damage up close. But you only have one shot, and accuracy is the issue.”
Annie smiled confidently. “I’m a good shot, Jon.”
“You are a good shot. You’re better with a side arm than I am. So you can have it. I’ll pretend I’m Robin Hood and use the longbow.”
“Have you ever shot a longbow?”
Rafter shook his head. “I’ve hunted with a compound bow many times. But I’m green as grass with a longbow.”
“Wonderful, how are you going to rescue your damsel in distress if you can’t hit the broadside of a barn with that thing?” Annie asked in a half-serious tone.
“Fighting our way out of this should be our last resort. We should concentrate on escaping.”
Annie set the derringer down. “I’m with you there. Let’s find this servant staircase.”
Rafter quickly scanned the walls of the attic. “There has to be another door to this attic somewhere. The servant staircase was separate from the main staircase and would’ve brought the servants up here when they retired for the night.”
Annie stood up and walked over to the wall where he stood. “Like you said, the pantry is straight down below us.” She held out her hands. “I’m thinking somewhere behind this wall is the secret room Rose and Bobby found.”
Rafter started knocking on the wall, listening for a hollow sound that might indicate a cavity or room. After a minute of knocking he heard a slightly different timbre.
“I’m going to look for a door, Jon,” Annie said.
Okay, I’ll join you in just a second.” Rafter walked over and picked up the quiver of arrows. He took an arrow out of the quiver, and using the arrow’s point like a utility knife, attempted to score the plaster. The sharp arrowhead made only a tiny crease. Rafter went over the same area many times, scoring it again and again. Sweat dripped off his brow as he worked. Finally the arrowhead cut through the plaster. He continued the slow and arduous process until he’d scored a square.
Rafter pushed the arrow through the crack he’d made and attempted to pry off the square section of plaster. The arrow snapped in half.
“There goes a third of your ammo,” Annie joshed from a short distance away.
“I could really do without the sarcasm,” Rafter said over his shoulder.
“Sorry. I was just teasing. By the way, I found the door.”
Rafter whirled around. “Seriously, you found it?”
Annie stood next to a giant wardrobe she’d shoved out away from the wall. She grinned triumphantly. “Seriously, the door is behind this wardrobe.”
Rafter hurried over to Annie. He held his breath as his wife turned the knob. The hinges creaked as the door swung open. A murky landing appeared. Cobwebs filled the open area.
“Wow, nobody has been in there for quite some time.”
“It looks haunted to me. There might be the ghosts in there.”
“Give it up, Jon. You know I don’t scare easily,” Annie said. “But it sure would be nice if we had a candle or something to help us see.”
“Would a flashlight suffice?”
“Sure, do you happen to have one on you?”
Rafter grinned knowingly. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I won’t. I’m pretty much homebound for now.”
Chapter 12
Rafter worked his way around the antiques and crossed through the attic’s center, zeroing in on a set of trusses. A flashlight hung from a nail on one of the trusses. He grabbed it and made his way back to Annie and the door.
“How did you know where to find it?”
“Because I was up here a few months ago and left it there.” He looked at Annie’s confused expression. “This is providence at work, Babe. I was up here for some reason and noticed the wiring looked a little sketchy. So I replaced it. I used the flashlight to help me see to work. I must’ve left it here when I finished.”
“Does it still work?”
Rafter pushed the button. The flashlight turned on. “I’d say it’s about half-strength.”
“Awesome. Let’s go explore. Maybe we can find the pantry.”
Rafter pulled Annie back. “Let me go first. I’ll knock down the cobwebs for you.”
“You’ve always been a gentleman, Jon. I love that about you.”
“It’s my pleasure, Annie,” Rafter said and stepped forward, knocking down the cobwebs with his flashlight.
“What about our weapons, in case we make it through the pantry?”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about them.”
“I’ll go get them.”
Rafter waited for Annie just inside the landing. His heart began to race. An old familiar sensation of excitement and adrenaline surged through his body. He might have settled down a bit since getting married, but a part of him still yearned for danger. Flirting with danger was a bad habit from his past. And he’d thought he’d overcome the need for an adrenaline rush. But the thought of them fighting for their lives dredged it back up to the surface.
Annie reappeared with the bow and quiver in one hand and the derringer in the other. For a split second Rafter wondered what he would do if something happened to Annie. I’d probably go insane and never cut my hair; grow a beard down to my knees and never come out of this house.
“You’re looking at me funny, Jon.”
Rafter took the longbow and the quiver of two arrows from Annie. “I’m sorry. I kind of zoned out for a moment,” he said as he slung the quiver over his shoulder and switched the flashlight to his left hand. He held the bow in his right hand. “Let’s go,” he said and stepped deeper into the landing.