sipped a mint julep while reading a Winston Churchill biography. She was wearing a diaphanous lounging outfit that seemed to be made of summer flower petals. A gentle sonata played over a set of invisible speakers and the air was soft. I almost hated to disturb her. But I needed her help.
She poured me a drink from a waiting pitcher while I found a comfortable spot amongst the colourful cushions on the bench next to hers. The sun had just set and flickering candles illuminat-ed our perfect cocoon.
“Of course I’ll watch over Barbra and Brutus,” she responded to my request without hesitation.
The next favour was going to be a little tougher. “Would it be okay if they stayed at your house, rather than you coming over to check on them?” I knew this was an imposition. Sereena was on DD6AA2AB84
76
1
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-AD32
-4CDB
-3503D88E1
Anthony Bidulka
good terms with my schnauzers, but she wasn’t in the habit of hosting house guests, human, canine, or otherwise. This was why, if I was planning to be away for longer than a night or two, I had the dogs stay with Errall. “It won’t be for long.”
“Of course. You know I’d do anything for you, Russell…within reason.” Sereena’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “But you just came home. Why away again so soon? And why do you want none of us in your house while you’re gone?”
I did my best to explain the last twenty-four hours since I’d returned from Hawaii, right up to finding the flower etching. The basic message was: my home is no longer safe for me or my dogs or dogsitters.
She nodded and sipped as I spoke, and when I was done, she laid a gentle hand on my thigh and asked, “Have you put disinfec-tant on that knee?”
I glanced down at the angry looking scrape I’d gotten at Trounce House. “Sure.” I hadn’t.
Wordlessly laying her drink aside, Sereena left me to go inside.
A few minutes later she was back with a few things, and began ministering to my abrasion. I never could get away with telling my neighbour even the tiniest of lies.
“So you believe finding this treasure is the key to finding out why this man was killed?” she asked as she dabbed away.
“And by whom.”
“The person in the white truck?”
“Possibly,” I answered, then added, “I think so.”
“So why not go after the truck? Why traipse around on this ridiculous treasure hunt?”
“How exciting would that be?” I responded with a little boy grin I knew she enjoyed. Then I sighed, and said, “Of course I’ll go after the truck if I get a chance. But I never know when or where it’ll show up. At least with the treasure map I have something solid—well, sort of solid—to go on.”
“Well, I’m sorry to tell you that going into hiding from the white truck won’t help you find it,” she succinctly pointed out.
“That’s true. But I have to leave something for the police to do.
In the meantime, I need time to find this treasure without worry-DD6AA2AB8
77
41
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Aloha, Candy Hearts
ing about the white truck finding me first. It’s not me they really want. It’s the treasure. Since they’re after me, they obviously don’t have a copy of the map. Without that—or me—they’re pretty much out of luck.”
“And you have no idea what this thing is you’re looking for?”
I shook my head. I knew it sounded bad. I was desperate to get my hands on something I couldn’t identify. But sometimes a detective has nothing else to go on but faith.
“Stay in touch. Remember the wedding on Saturday.”
“Of course. This will only take me a day or two. And being at the wedding for Anthony and Jared is a priority.” I quickly added with an impish grin. “As is helping you.”
“Are you all right, hon?”
Sereena was eyeing my wringing hands. There was nothing to see though. I’d taken the ring off.
“Right as rain.”
“Where will you go?”
I’d already made the call.
The new and improved Ash House
She poured me a drink from a waiting pitcher while I found a comfortable spot amongst the colourful cushions on the bench next to hers. The sun had just set and flickering candles illuminat-ed our perfect cocoon.
“Of course I’ll watch over Barbra and Brutus,” she responded to my request without hesitation.
The next favour was going to be a little tougher. “Would it be okay if they stayed at your house, rather than you coming over to check on them?” I knew this was an imposition. Sereena was on DD6AA2AB84
76
1
-B193
-AD32
-4CDB
-3503D88E1
Anthony Bidulka
good terms with my schnauzers, but she wasn’t in the habit of hosting house guests, human, canine, or otherwise. This was why, if I was planning to be away for longer than a night or two, I had the dogs stay with Errall. “It won’t be for long.”
“Of course. You know I’d do anything for you, Russell…within reason.” Sereena’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “But you just came home. Why away again so soon? And why do you want none of us in your house while you’re gone?”
I did my best to explain the last twenty-four hours since I’d returned from Hawaii, right up to finding the flower etching. The basic message was: my home is no longer safe for me or my dogs or dogsitters.
She nodded and sipped as I spoke, and when I was done, she laid a gentle hand on my thigh and asked, “Have you put disinfec-tant on that knee?”
I glanced down at the angry looking scrape I’d gotten at Trounce House. “Sure.” I hadn’t.
Wordlessly laying her drink aside, Sereena left me to go inside.
A few minutes later she was back with a few things, and began ministering to my abrasion. I never could get away with telling my neighbour even the tiniest of lies.
“So you believe finding this treasure is the key to finding out why this man was killed?” she asked as she dabbed away.
“And by whom.”
“The person in the white truck?”
“Possibly,” I answered, then added, “I think so.”
“So why not go after the truck? Why traipse around on this ridiculous treasure hunt?”
“How exciting would that be?” I responded with a little boy grin I knew she enjoyed. Then I sighed, and said, “Of course I’ll go after the truck if I get a chance. But I never know when or where it’ll show up. At least with the treasure map I have something solid—well, sort of solid—to go on.”
“Well, I’m sorry to tell you that going into hiding from the white truck won’t help you find it,” she succinctly pointed out.
“That’s true. But I have to leave something for the police to do.
In the meantime, I need time to find this treasure without worry-DD6AA2AB8
77
41
-B193
-AD32
-4CDB
-3503D88E1
Aloha, Candy Hearts
ing about the white truck finding me first. It’s not me they really want. It’s the treasure. Since they’re after me, they obviously don’t have a copy of the map. Without that—or me—they’re pretty much out of luck.”
“And you have no idea what this thing is you’re looking for?”
I shook my head. I knew it sounded bad. I was desperate to get my hands on something I couldn’t identify. But sometimes a detective has nothing else to go on but faith.
“Stay in touch. Remember the wedding on Saturday.”
“Of course. This will only take me a day or two. And being at the wedding for Anthony and Jared is a priority.” I quickly added with an impish grin. “As is helping you.”
“Are you all right, hon?”
Sereena was eyeing my wringing hands. There was nothing to see though. I’d taken the ring off.
“Right as rain.”
“Where will you go?”
I’d already made the call.
The new and improved Ash House
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