“Christ.” He shook his head, and I could practically hear his eyes rolling back. “Richard decided to make money by working for private collectors. I believe that certain, if not all, discovered artifacts should be displayed to the public to share knowledge of history. Unfortunately, most of the time we’re searching for the same things.”
“You already told me that story. I don’t think that’s the reason.”
He released a grumbly sigh. “And he slept with my girlfriend, then married her.”
I sucked in a breath. “Oh, shit.”
“Yes,” he said. “Total shit.”
The puzzle pieces began to fit in place, and just one was missing. I knew the answer but had to ask. “Was it Brie?”
Andrew slowed and removed stubborn cobwebs off bulkier roots. “Yes. But I moved on.”
Obviously not.
The passage veered to the right, and we came to an avalanche of dirt and rocks from the collapsed ceiling. No way to go around it.
“Fuck,” Andrew muttered. “We should try one of the other ways.”
I shadowed him back to where we started. “How long ago was it?”
“It’s ancient history. Let’s keep moving.”
“But you’re happy now, right? Do you have?—”
Halting, he turned to face me. “I’m happy.” He stared down at me, his lips pulled into a flat line. “Please, let’s move on.”
Wow.It was clearly a sore subject, but so many questions buzzed in my brain. How long ago had it happened? How had Andrew and Brie met? And apart from being a bitch for cheating on Andrew, I wanted to know what she could possibly find attractive enough in Dr. Dickhead to let Dr. Andrew Oliver Jones go.Andrew’s name even sounds better.
I shrugged. “Okay.”
Andrew and I returned to where the tunnel branched and picked the tunnel to the right. For a few minutes, we zigzagged in heavy silence until we discovered a dead end. We retraced our steps, tried the left turn, and soon came to a solid wall again.
Well, shit.Was the broken ladder the only way out?
“We must have missed a hidden door or a turn.” Andrew slid by me and marched in the direction we came from. “If you hadn’t distracted me with your questions, we wouldn’t have missed it.”
“I was trying to get to know you.” I rushed after him. “We’re stuck together for a few days, so we might as well learn some things about each other. Is there anything you would like to know about me?”
“Where is your mute button?”
I huffed. “Don’t be a di?—”
“Shhh.” He raised his hand and stopped. A low hubbub of laughter, shouting, and a music boom reached us. “You hear that?” he whispered. “We must be getting closer.”
We made a few steps, and a turn to our left appeared out of nowhere. How in the world did we miss it the first time? The noise of a crowd was unmistakable now. Before long, we made another turn and reached a small space with steep steps leading up to a trapdoor and walls boarded with planks like old mines in Western movies. Andrew stepped up and leaned his shoulder into the door. After another try, something heavy slid on the other side, and the trapdoor opened.
Andrew went first, and I climbed after him into a storage room full of boxes of different food cans, cases upon cases of liquor, and the noisome stench of cigarettes. He lowered the panel, and its outline vanished from the view in the grimy floor.
“Wow.” I stepped around it, my eyes searching for the secret door contour. “This is incredible.” I leaned down and traced my fingers over the grooves and cuts on the wooden floor. “All this time it’s been here, and nobody knows about it?”
“Someone knew about it since they took everything hidden under the church.”
“Not everything.” I nodded at the leather book and letters securely wedged under Andrew’s arm.
“True.” Andrew walked to the only door in the room and cracked it open.
I tried to dust off the dirt of my dress. It was pointless. My white dress was ruined, and I was sure I bore a resemblance to a corpse bride.
