“It’s technically a fainting couch. They’re similar, but the armrest is one of the big distinctions.”
“Fainting couch?” Cassie echoed, the term tapping on her brain for some reason.
“Historians believe the name originated in the Victorian era, back when corsets restricted oxygen flow and caused women to faint frequently,” Penny explained.
“Faint…” Cassie murmured, filtering through her thoughts. When she suddenly connected the dots, she dug her phone out of her back pocket, brimming with excitement.
“What?” Penny asked, peering at her quizzically. “You look like you just picked the winning lottery numbers.”
“Better than that.” Cassie opened her folder of recent photos, scrolling until she found the snapshot she’d taken of Edwin’s riddle. “I think the clue we’ve been missing is in the last line,” she said, then read aloud.
“‘You asked for a favor, and I’ll happily oblige. Your father was a friend, a truly great guy. He liked solving riddles, hiding treasure to find. Let’s see if his daughter is of the same mind. If you can solve all the riddles to a count of four, then the diary you seek will surely be yours. But be warned, lest you quit before you start. These clues of mine aren’t for the faint of Heart.’”
She turned her phone around so Penny could see the screen. “Look at the last word. TheHin Heart is capitalized like a proper noun.”
Penny frowned. “How come I didn’t notice that before?”
“I didn’t notice, either, but I bet it’s referring to your last name.”
“I think you’re right, Cass.” Penny’s eyes brightened. “Not for the faint of Heart…” she repeated. “Do you think it’s referring to the fainting couch?”
“It’s a theory, at least.”
“I suppose it’s possible,” Penny said thoughtfully. “Since my client wanted something so specific, I put feelers out to several dealers. And the collector community can be pretty small. With Edwin’s connections, I suppose he could’ve found out about the delivery.” She slid her palm into the crease between the cushions. “Still, it seems far-fetched, doesn’t it?”
“You said he has an uncanny knack for making the impossible possible.” Cassie crouched, feeling underneath. “It’s worth a look.”
They searched for several minutes without any luck, and Cassie’s enthusiasm faltered. She’d been so certain she’d solved the riddle. If this didn’t work, she doubted they’d ever figure it out.
Seconds away from giving up, Cassie grazed a small tear in a seam with her fingertips. Her heartbeat skipped. Wiggling her fingers farther inside, she widened the opening. Her breath caught when she felt a thin, sharp edge. “I think I found something.”
Penny dashed to her side, her coppery eyes wide in anticipation.
After dislodging the folded slip of paper, Cassie leaned back on her heels. This was it. Another clue! It had to be. She gingerly peeled back the corner, her pulse thrumming. The black typed font stood out against the stark white backdrop in four even lines.
“You solved the first clue, now for number two.
When the time is right, you’ll know what to do.
But before I grant you your request,
All the birds must leave their nest.”
Cassie met Penny’s gaze, completely at a loss. “What do you think it means?”
Penny sighed and sank to her knees, crestfallen. “Honestly? I have no idea.”
CHAPTER11
CASSIE
Cassie removed the baking sheet of cauliflower from the oven, inhaling the rich, spicy scent. The lightly browned florets were a deep yellow hue and smelled of turmeric, cumin, and garlic. Cassie smiled. In her retirement, Luke’s mother, Maggie, had taken a shine to traveling the world, and her newfound adventurous spirit had translated into her cooking. At first, Luke had worried about his mother gallivanting across the globe alone, but she’d found a company called Twilight Travel that specialized in all-inclusive tours for the over-sixty crowd. Or as the company’s tagline described it: Luxury Tours for Your Twilight Years. She’d just returned from Costa Rica and seemed eager to compare travel notes with Colt, who’d visited the Central American country several times. But her youngest son had yet to arrive.
“Anything else I can do?” Cassie asked after scooping the cauliflower into a colorful serving dish.
“Can you arrange the naan in the warming basket?” Maggie handed her a woven bread basket with a heated stone on the bottom, tucked beneath a cotton cloth.
“I’d be happy to.”
