He leans against a nearby apple tree. “Notre Dame is still an active place of worship and pilgrimage. Any hidden chamber would’ve been found by now.”
“Back to square one, then,” I say, feeling a twinge of disappointment.
The conversation lulls.
My gaze lingers on Henri, which is how I notice a change in his expression. It’s subtle at first, but then unmistakably clear. His eyes open up. There’s a quick, upward twitch of his eyebrows. It’s the look of someone who’s just had a light bulb moment.
Pushing off the tree, he steps closer. “There’s a chapel in Moulindor, a village nearby. It was part of a large mansion that’s long gone, but the chapel is still standing.”
“And still active?” I ask.
“Not anymore. It’s looked after by the community, but it hasn’t been used for worship in decades.”
I spring up from the swing. “Can we check it out? The sixth Montevor key could be somewhere in that chapel!”
“Let me see if I can get us access to it,” he says, pulling out his phone.
While Henri steps away to make the call, Audrey and I gather the equipment left by the search team. My hands tremble with excitement. I’m psyched, feeling like a member of a commando unit gearing up for a mission. Even if we must wait until tomorrow, it feels good to have the material ready.
Henri returns with good news, and we load everything into his SUV.
Our first stop is the village bar in Moulindor.
As we enter, a jovial man in his late forties greets us as he dries a glass with a towel from behind the counter.
“Severin Lavoie, owner of this establishment and a friend of mine,” Henri introduces him. “I’m so glad you had a key to that chapel! I didn’t want to call the mayor.”
Severin hangs up the towel. “That old crook will give you nothing without asking for a favor in return.”
They laugh. Severin rummages behind the bar and produces a key, holding it up with a flourish.
Henri takes it. “Thanks, man!”
Ten minutes later, we’re looking at a quaint little structure. A thrill of excitement fills my chest.The key could be in there!
The moment Henri unlocks the creaky door, we step into a realm that feels suspended in time. The interior of the chapel is simple and rustic with a touch of kitsch that somehow adds to its charm. Painted wooden saints watch over us from their perches. Their colors are faded but their expressions are still vivid as if they’re guarding an ancient secret.Or a hidden key?
The thought is both exhilarating and nerve wracking.
I look around. The chapel is cozy, the entire space barely bigger than my walk-in closet at the palace. Sunlight pours in through high windows, illuminating the dust motes that float in the air. The humble dome overhead lacks the grandeur oflarger churches, not to mention cathedrals, yet it holds a certain majesty. The small, unassuming altar beneath it reminds me that this was a private chapel, not a public church.
“OK, people, let’s get cracking!” I say to my companions.
Audrey and I show Henri how to operate the equipment, after which we each take a piece and start combing through every corner of the chapel. The ground-penetrating radar’s screen blinks steadily, the infrared camera whirrs, and the metal detector emits a low, constant hum.
I don’t care for the hum—what I need is a high-pitched beep!
The space being so limited, we have no trouble searching it as thoroughly as possible. The polished pews get examined, the faded tapestries on the walls are scrutinized, the altar is checked. The painted saints watch us work; their wooden eyes seem to follow our every move. We inspect them, too.
No luck.
Then, tucked away in a corner and covered by a rug, Audrey discovers a small crypt. My heart pounds with anticipation as I approach it.This has to be it!
We carefully open the small door. Inside, the air is musty and heavy with the scent of time. Henri scans the space with the GPR. I sweep the metal detector over the stone floor. Audrey checks every hollow space, every crack big enough to hold a key with the endoscopic camera. Save for a few cobwebs, the crypt is empty.
We rescan the chapel again. The equipment remains stubbornly silent, offering no hint of the precious beep I’m so desperate to hear.
A sense of defeat engulfs me as we pack up the equipment. I was so convinced the key would be here!
