Time Thieves (6 page)

“Yes,” she almost shouted. “I’d really like a big window in here. I don’t know why it’s separated off from the rest of the house, but it’s a great space. All it needs is natural light.”

“Well, we’d need the work done pretty quickly, so you need to let me know the size you’d want it to be.”

“I’d have to find someone to come and give me an estimate.”

The workman flipped his phone open. “That’s easy. My brother owns a glass shop. He’s almost done for the day. He can come and give you an idea.”

While he made the arrangements, Sari wandered the room, wondering why it was only accessible from the downstairs. How hard would it be to punch through to the hallway or another bedroom, giving a normal doorway access? She’d have to find someone to do that work too. So much for her budget.

But for all the financial stresses, she couldn’t get over the find. What joy and what gold. There might even been some antiques in here valuable enough that if she sold them, they would pay for the work. Like a kid with a treasure, she danced in place.

“He’s here?”

She spun around to look at the workman who’d been busy tearing off the rotten wood and dropping it to the ground below.

With the opening wide enough for his head and shoulders to pop through, she only just now noticed he stood on an old wooden crate of some kind and was waving to someone down below.

“Jimmy, come in and turn left. Up the ladder.”

She heard a muffled response below. Then another head popped up. A younger man than the first one clambered inside the attic and introduced himself.

“Hello, I’m Jimmy. My brother John says you’re looking at putting in a new window.”

She nodded and pointed out the large opening in her roof. He walked over and studied the area. “No problem.”

They discussed style, insulation factors, and cost, and Sari had a promise to get a new window installed in the morning. John had wanted him to do the job right now, but he couldn’t fit it in. After he left, having sorted out the materials with his brother, John came down and walked out to his truck. The rest of the workmen looked to be close to calling it a day.

Several came in and helped John secure the hole for the night while he promised to come in and finish the job when his brother was done. Then he walked around the house to check on the rest of the roof. Sari, standing out front, couldn’t believe they’d managed to get the entire roof done except for the area by the attic. She should get the gutters replaced too, damn it. There went her budget again. Although, for a window in a secret room, no problem. She’d find the money somewhere.

Somehow.

*

Ward was pissed.
There was no sign of the guy who had attacked him. He’d disappeared. Although they’d found the vehicle abandoned on the road leading to the other end of the island. At least his notebook was recovered at the scene.

Of the driver and passenger – nothing.

Breaking and entering was one thing; attacking a cop another thing altogether.

He so wanted to slam their asses behind bars. Not the least of which had to do with Sari possibly being in danger, too.

After checking the time, he decided to run by her house and give her an update; not much of one, but still it gave him an excuse to see her. Several trucks were just pulling away as he drove up. One he recognized. He played soccer with Jimmy. He waved as his friend drove off. Was Sari planning on getting new windows too? He assessed the old heritage house. They didn’t make them like that anymore. This place was out of the way slightly and set back off the road, and with the high fence of cedars and lilac bushes, not much was visible from the street. Of course the bright blue tarp on her roof was hard to miss.

He knocked on the open door, then pushed it open and stuck his head inside. “Sari, are you here?”

No answer.

“Sari?”

“Hello?”

Sari’s voice, oddly distant sounding, came from inside. Ward pushed the door open wider and walked in. “Where are you?”

“Over here.”

He followed the sound into the shop to see very shapely bare legs dangling from an open hole in the ceiling. At least she had sandals on her feet. He walked to where he could look up and see her face. “What are you doing?”

She peered down, a huge grin on her face. “You so have to come up and see this.”

He glanced around the shop. “I would if I knew how.” A chair stood underneath, but surely it wasn’t high enough to climb up.

“John the roofer guy brought the ladder originally, but I guess he took it with him when he left. You’ll have to find something higher to stand on. It will make it easier for me to get down too.”

Shaking his head, Ward dragged a heavy wooden workbench under the opening. He hopped onto the chair, then to the workbench. His head poked through enough to be able to see the interior. “The attic, I presume.”

“Sorta. Come all the way up.” Sari scrambled to her feet and backed up to give him room. She loved the way Ward’s shoulder muscles rippled as he pulled himself up. Damn, she must be in a man drought for her to even have noticed. She’d like to blame it on appreciation for a beautiful male specimen – she was an artist, after all. But she wasn’t sure that excuse would fly. Not that her hormones cared.

They were already sitting up and taking notice.

Ward brushed the dirt from his clothes then straightened. He peered around the room in surprise. The air was dark and gloomy as the light no longer shone in. She shone the flashlight over the light switch. Ward stepped and flicked it on.

“I had no idea this room existed. John found the rotten board when he pulled the roofing tiles off.”

Ward looked at her in surprise. “Really? It’s an attic.”

She laughed. “I know. But I’d never been up here and from the outside, you can’t see this space. There are bedrooms up on either side of those two walls.” She pointed them out. “So why has this room been walled off? And why isn’t there a door for access from the bedrooms or even the hallway?”

Ward walked over to the first wall and tapped lightly. “How interesting.”

“I know, right?”

He glanced at the items stacked high all around. “Do you know what any of this stuff is?”

“No, but I’m looking forward to figuring it out. This house has been in my family forever. It’s an awesome find.”

“Or a huge bin full of trash.”

She gave him a wry grin. “True enough. I need to get this thing fixed.” She motioned at something beside him. “It’s like a drop down ladder staircase thingy. But it’s broken, I think.” She walked over to the mechanism. “See here?”

He examined the ladder door system. “Cool. I’ve only ever seen one of these in the movies.” He made a couple of adjustments. “I think we just have to figure out how it works.”

“Really? That would be great.”

She backed away as Ward extended the stairway slightly. The door was meant to drop down and lock into place. Ward extended the stairway and from where she sat, it looked to almost reach the floor. He had to jump down and move the worktable then fully extend the ladder. “Oh, excellent.”

She watched as he checked the bottom of the ladder. “Do you think it’s safe?”

“Let’s find out.” Ward cautiously stepped onto the first step and bounced ever so slightly. Except for the metal squeaking on metal, it held.

He climbed all the way up, turned and stepped down the rungs until he was standing on the shop floor. “Come on down.”

Excited like a kid with another new toy, Sari cautiously climbed down. “That is so sweet. I love this.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t know.”

“I’m sure my father did, but my mother – well, I’m not so sure. She hates dark cramped spaces, and I just can’t see her caring about an attic in the first place. She’d never lower herself to sorting through all that old stuff for the odd treasure,” she said thoughtfully, then shook her head at the image. “No, definitely not.”

“She’s more the hire-someone-to-clean-that-out type of person, I gather.”

A lopsided smile slipped out of Sari’s lips. “Yeah, you could say that. She’s a good person in her own way, but definitely not the hands-on type.”

“I remember her vaguely. She seemed more like a china doll to me back then.”

“Perfect description and now she’s just a little older, she’d say a little more valuable because of it.”

He laughed, and she had to grin. “Don’t get me wrong. I love her, but she’s not the person I’d like living next door.”

“Me either. Now your dad was wonderful. He was always so down to earth.”

“The exact opposite of my mother. And you’re right. My dad could talk about anything with anyone. He never put on airs and could always be counted on to give a helping hand when needed.” The warm memories were bringing tears to her eyes. She sniffled them back. “I still miss him. Every single day of the last fifteen years, I have felt like some part of me is also missing.”

A warm hand landed on her shoulder, gently squeezing. She smiled through her tears. “I’m fine. But there’s nothing like coming home to find how, although stuffed away, the memories have never been forgotten.”

“You don’t want to forget him. He was a good man. He deserves to be remembered.”

“Thanks.”

In the distance, a phone sounded. Sari groaned. “That will most likely be my mother. France is not far enough away.”

He laughed. “Answer it then. You can ask about the attic.”

“Stay. I’ll put on coffee,” she said over her shoulder as she raced to answer her cell phone still sitting on her desk. Picking it up, she groaned at the number. “Hi, Mom.”

She rolled her eyes at Ward.

Ward grinned and wandered through into the kitchen. There was a new coffee maker sitting on the counter. With minimal effort, he managed to get a pot dripping.

He stood at the back door lost in thoughts of his childhood and what might have been if she’d stayed behind when he heard her come to stand behind him. “I’d planned to take you to prom, you know.”

He felt her startled pause, heard her gasp. He turned to face her, a melancholic smile on his face. “Leaving like you did hurt more than just you.”

The smile in her eyes shone at him, but the serious look on her face agreed. “If I’d been anything but a kid, caught by the decisions of adults, I’d have stayed. And I’d have gone to the prom with you.”

They smiled, a rekindling, a reconnection, a resolve firming between them.

“Then I suggest we pick up where we left off.” His grin was contagious.

She laughed. “As I recall, I’d just beaten you at the spelling bee.”

At least that had been the last highlight, the last normal day she remembered. After that her life had been a blur.

He laughed. “Actually, you tromped me.”

“Another round?”

“So not. Once was enough for me. But how about a cup of coffee to catch up on old times?”

Damn. That’s the best offer she’d had in a long time. Her heart swelled with the sense of reconnection. “Sounds good.”

B
y the time
Ward left, Sari actually felt like another piece of her had come home. A piece she hadn’t been fully aware had been lost in limbo. She’d been devastated by all the changes that had happened so fast in her life. Crushed. Losing her best friend at the time had been just another blow she’d struggled to deal with.

To know he’d missed her as much as she missed him made her all warm and fuzzy inside. Yes, they had stayed in contact at first only, but it had a distance to it. Some of that distance had remained after their first visit. Not now. The distance was gone in an instant as if it hadn’t ever existed. Now…she felt like she’d fully come home.

That attic was yet another homecoming. Her mother couldn’t remember there being an attic and said it wouldn’t have mattered since she’d never go inside the damn thing anyways. And Sari had better stay out too. The floorboards were probably rotten. Sari had explained about the roof, and her mother told her she’d send over some money to help with the repairs.

“If I can’t get you to come home where you belong, then I’d damn well better make sure you’re safe over there. That house is a ruin. Sitting empty for all this time. The stove is liable to blow up the first time you use it.”