I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when we found this key, but it definitely wasn’t a light blue 1965 Lincoln Continental.
Is it an original? If it is, it’s in great condition. But why would Tanya have it in a storage unit and what does it have to do with our next clue?
Dani lets out a sharp whistle as she runs her fingers along the hood of the car. “This is nice. She would have this lying around.”
Unable to resist, I move to the driver-side door and tug on the handle, ecstatic when it gives way to my pull and opens. I lower myself into the seat carefully, not wanting to damage anything, while Dani pulls out her phone and wordlessly takes a picture of me in the car.
She slips into the passenger seat and starts searching. When she flips open the visor, a postcard falls out. On the front, there’s a picture of a house that says “Newberry Cove, South Carolina” beneath it. On the back is a line in Tanya’s handwriting. “If I could give anyone anything, it would be the gift of music.”
Dani pouts her lips as she types something on her phone. “Not sure what she means by the note about music, but look.” She holds her phoneout to me. “I just looked up Newberry Cove and they only have a population of seven thousand people. I bet if we go there and throw a rock in any direction, we’ll hit a family member or someone who knew Tanya.”
“When did you become so violent?” I say in jest.
She lightly jabs me in the ribs right as her phone rings. “Well, hello, Victor. Did you get my picture?”
She winks at me as she puts the phone on speaker.
“I did. That’s a very nice car.”
Niceis putting it lightly.
“It is a nice car. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you?” she asks.
“Mmm, nothing that comes to mind.” There’s no inflection in his tone. Nothing to indicate whether we’re on the right track or not. I get the feeling he’s getting a kick out of us playing detectives. This must be why he and Tanya got along so well. He seems like a stick in the mud, but he’s got a petty side to him that I’m sure Tanya appreciated.
“Just when I was starting to like you, Victor.”
His laugh lasts only a fraction of a second, but its effect is instantaneous. Dani holds her free arm out toward the phone as if she’s reaching through it to strangle Victor.
“The car looks like it’s in really good shape. The owner probably took great care of it from the time they bought it,” he adds.
Yeah, he’s definitely getting a kick out of this.
“And if you had to guess, when would you say the owner probably bought this car?”
“Hello, Micah. Glad you two are sticking to the rules. If I had to guess, I’d say the owner probably had that car since they were nineteen. They probably used every dime they saved up from working since they were fourteen to buy that thing. If I had to guess.”
I still have my first car. It’s at my parents’ house for safekeeping. Honestly, the only reason I bought a new car was because Bailey mademe. She little-sistered her way into my pockets to buy a brand-new car that she could also drive, so I understand why Tanya kept this baby.
I’m honored she’s leaving it in our care.
“Well, Micah and I were thinking of visiting Newberry Cove, South Carolina. Just feels like the right next step, you know?”
I don’t hear his response because while Dani talks, I slip out to run my hands along the wheel wells. When I was younger, my granddad used to always hide his spare keys here. I wonder if Tanya had the same idea. My hand hits metal on the driver’s rear side and I’m able to free the spare from its hiding spot. Bingo.
Sticking the key in the ignition, my eyes close when the engine purrs to life. What memories did Tanya have in this car? I can imagine her racing down the beltway with her hair tied upThelma & Louise–style to keep the wind from destroying it. Sitting in the driver’s seat makes me feel as though she’s right here next to us.
I tune back in to hear Victor’s next words. “Safe travels, you two. Oh, and if I had to guess, I’d say a car like that probably rides best with the top down.” He hangs up without ceremony.
“That settles it. To Newberry Cove we go,” Dani exclaims.
“Right. I do just wanna say that taking a seven-hour road trip in a fifty-eight-year-old car is a choice.” And maybe not the best one.
Dani raises her brows and chews on her bottom lip.
“Yeah, but the seats feel so nice.” She snorts when I look less than amused. “Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”
“Remember when you asked what’s the worst that could happen?” I ask as I put the hazards on and work my way to the shoulder of the road.
