Chapter 13
Whitcomb plantation—1942
Her bare feet dangling over the arm of the porch swing, and her head lying in Bobby’s lap, Rose rested as a ceiling fan lazily stirred air over their heads. Bobby stroked her hair gently. The caressing relaxed her to the point she felt she would drift off to sleep at any moment.
“Who else knew we went up the servant’s staircase other than your maid? Do you think she told your parents?” Bobby asked.
“What does it matter? We’re not in trouble?”
“But don’t you think it’s odd? Two days after the party we snuck back up there and the box was gone? Someone knew we found it. And someone didn’t want us to find it again.”
Rose sat up. She yawned and looked at her boyfriend. “It wasn’t Mary who told. It was me. I talked to mother about it.”
“Why did you tell her? Was your conscience getting to you?”
“I don’t know, maybe a little. I suppose I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
“I know how you feel, Rose. I can’t stop thinking about the box either. So what did your mother say when you told her?”
Rose stretched her arms. She then held out a hand toward Bobby. “Let’s go for a walk, you want to?”
Bobby nodded and stood up. He took her hand. They walked down the gallery steps and onto the grass. They followed the long driveway, hemmed in by magnolia and live oak trees for nearly one-hundred yards. “You never answered my question, Rose.”
Rose cast a sideways glance at Bobby. “I think you’re more interested in this treasure box than me.”
“I’m just curious is all, no different than you.”
“I saw the briefest hint of alarm flash across my mother’s face. And then she just kind of giggled a little bit. She winked at me and said, ‘Oh, you just found your great-great grandfather’s pirate treasure is all.’”
“I knew it, Rose. I knew that box was some kind of treasure chest. And did you see the Spanish writing carved onto the chest? I bet Spanish gold is inside it,” Bobby said excitedly. “So what did you say to your mother then?”
Rose shrugged. “I don’t remember exactly. I pressed her some more on what was inside the box. And she winked at me again and said, ‘Wasn’t that kind of Mr. Lafitte to bury his fortune on this property so Rutherford could find it?’”
“This is unbelievable, Rose,” Bobby said, beaming from ear to ear.
“You can’t tell anyone. Promise me you won’t. People will break into our house to look for it. And dig holes all over our yard.”
“I swear I won’t tell anyone, Rose. It’s our secret. Everything about the night when we found the secret room was amazing. I’ll think of that night often when I’m fighting the Krauts.”
“Did you have to bring the war up? What is it with violence and war that fascinates men and boys so much?”
Bobby led her over to an enormous live oak tree. Thick and twisted limbs jutted out and reached for the southern sky. Bobby leaned against the immense trunk. “Rose, we have to stand up against Hitler. We can’t ignore him while he takes over the world one country at a time. He’s evil, Rose, pure evil. Someone or some country needs to kill him.”
“Killing is so barbaric.”
“Of course it is, Rose. But Hitler is committing unspeakable atrocities against innocent people. His death is warranted.”
“What time does your bus leave tomorrow morning for basic training in Miami Beach?”
“Seven o’clock.”
“Can I ride with you and your parents to the bus station in Baton Rouge?”
“Sure, I’d like that. But you’ll have to get up early.”
“I can make myself get up. What time are you leaving?”
“Six o’clock sharp.”
“I’ll be there. Nothing can stop me.” Rose said. And then she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
****
Rafter let out a low whistle after Annie closed the journal. “You really think the box has Jean Lafitte treasure in it? It seems so farfetched.”
“I don’t know, could be. Treasure hunters have been hunting for Lafitte’s fortune for who knows how long. Apparently he stashed his money all over Louisiana. I see people with metal detectors all the time,” Annie said.
“But how did Arcadias know the treasure might be here? Something tipped him off to it. We live here for crying out loud, and we never would’ve known about it had you not found Rose’s journal.”
“That’s a good question, Jon. And I don’t know the answer. At least we know what the Charbonneaus are after now.”
His left leg stiffening up, Rafter shifted his stance. His left heel bumped a brick on the chimney. Rafter heard a scraping sound. He bent down and saw that mortar had crumbled, allowing a brick to come loose. He looked over at Annie. “I think God might be showing me a way out of here.”
Annie stared back at him, bewilderment in her eyes.
Rafter got down on his hands and knees and examined the bricks near the attic floor. He tested several of them and found many more that were loose, the mortar crumbling in several spots. He stood up and grinned. “For once I’m glad something is falling apart on this old house.”
“So, Houdini, have you got something up your sleeve I don’t know about?” Annie asked.
Rafter nodded. “If I can remove enough bricks to make a sufficient hole, we can climb up the chimney to the roof.”
“I’m not following, Jon. How can we scale the inside of the chimney?”
“It’s easy. There are rungs bolted into the bricks inside the chimney. We climb up them like we’re on a ladder.”
“How do you know rungs are inside the chimney? And what about the chimney cap? We’re a little bit bigger than squirrels.”
“Before you arrived here and swept me off my feet, Rose asked me to clean the chimney. I discovered the rungs then. I don’t know why they are there. Maybe they were installed to help with the cleaning process. But we can use them.”
“What about the chimney cap?” Annie persisted.
The chimney cap is about twenty inches above the chimney. I think we can fit through. The only thing that might cause issue is an iron grate affixed to the chimney under the cap. But I think the bolts holding the grate in place are so corroded and loose I can pry it off, or maybe even push it off.”
“Maybe God is with us here in the attic after all.”
“Of course He is. He’s living in our hearts. So He has to be here with us.”
“But you just said a prayer asking God to show us a way out of the attic. Do you really think He answered you that quickly? God isn’t a genie in a bottle that immediately grants us wishes whenever we ask.”
“Sometimes God answers my prayers right away. And then there are many times when He just seems to collect my prayers. But I’ve found that if I can shove aside all distractions and just force myself to be still, I can feel God’s presence guiding and leading me. And oftentimes just knowing God is forging ahead of me and protecting my flanks from behind is enough.”
“I guess you’re more perceptive than me, Jon.”
“You’re being modest, Annie. Your past as an FBI agent required you to be perceptive. You’re just new to the faith. It will come in time.”
“So you think God led you to lean up against the chimney so you could discover loose bricks?”
Rafter nodded. “There’s plenty of furniture up here I could’ve parked my rump on. Yet for some reason I stood and leaned against the chimney. Miracles happen all the time, Babe. They don’t have to earthshattering. They can be small.”
“Maybe we should pray you up a pry bar?”
“Actually, when I was up here months ago and left the flashlight I think I also left behind a screwdriver. I might be able to use it to dislodge the bricks.” Rafter hurried over to where he’d retrieved the flashlight earlier. He scanned the area close by. Annie came over and helped him look.