This could be it.
The big secret I’m supposed to uncover to keep my grandfather happy in the Great Beyond.
“Okay, give me some space,” he says, rolling up his sleeves. “Let’s see if we can bust this open.”
“Dad, do you need a flashlight? I can use my phone.” Sophie already has her phone out.
“What do you think is in there?” Dan asks quietly, standing behind us. His eyes light up. “You think he left buried treasure?”
“Leonidas wasn’t a pirate, little man,” Kane says.
No, but between his love for sailing, Mediterranean adventures, and pulling together the largest private art collection in Maine, he had the heart of a buccaneer.
“I don’t think there’s real treasure down there. Not like antiques or valuables,” I say. “But it’s exciting, right?”
The kids nod briskly, their little eyes gleaming.
My nerves spark as Kane works to force the door open.
Yes, I’m letting my hopes gallop away from me.
I desperately,desperatelywant to find something meaningful.
Even if it’s just some sappy old box of fishing lures or something.
Then the door pops with a loud reverberation that stalls the air in my lungs.
“I’ve got the flashlight,” Dan calls, handing Kane the phone with its beam switched on. “Do you want me to go down first?”
“Nah, Bud. Relax,” Kane tells him, ruffling his hair. “I’ll go down there first and scope it out. No telling what we might find.”
“Snakes? Scorpions? Evil interdimensional clowns?” Dan suggests way too eagerly.
Kane throws him an indulgent look.
“How would scorpions survive in Maine? AndItisn’t real! I told you on the way up. It’s just a book by Mr. King,” Sophie says firmly. Like she’s totally old enough to be sneaking horror classics.
I bite back a laugh.
“Yeah, well…” Dan scowls. “Maybe there’s a new species or somethin’. Or a crazy guy dressed up in a clown mask!”
“Stop trying to freak your sister out. We don’t need more uninvited guests around here,” Kane warns.
Good luck with that,Sophie tells her brother with a glance.
I love them so much.
Kane’s eyes flick to me wordlessly. He rolls his eyes, but he smiles before a grave look falls over his face.
One good, careful grip from the sides lets him lever the door open.
A dull blast of stale air greets us, along with a set of concrete stairs going down into the hole.
“Wait here,” he tells the kids, who are still bickering about the possibility of snakes and bears down there.
I follow Kane down slowly, pressing one hand to the wall for support since there’s no railing.
His flashlight illuminates worn brick walls.
