The Mystery of Schroon Lake Inn by K.B. Owen

Author:K.B. Owen [Owen, K.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: K.B. Owen

Chapter 12

The dank passageway looked, smelled, and felt like every Gothic nightmare I've ever had. The rock walls dripped with moisture, whispers of sound echoed from disconcerting directions, and our footsteps kicked up the scent of rotting fish. Mercifully, the smell abated as we proceeded up the tunnel. I could see in the flickering lantern light that the walls here were no longer comprised of rock but of earth, reinforced with lumber. My back ached from not being able to stand upright.

"Is it much farther?" I whispered.

The boy shook his head. We turned a corner, abruptly coming upon a plank door. It had once had a lock, long ago rusted and broken.

The door had warped over time. We had to tug hard to get it open. Once inside, I was finally able to stand upright.

"Whew. Any other lanterns in here?"

He shook his head. "None that I seen."

I took the light from him and shone it around. "How far under the inn does this space extend?"

He shrugged. "Dunno, miss."

Old, empty wooden crates lined the walls and a battered workbench held a scattering of corks, broken glass, and a length of chain. I hefted the latter in my hand and shook it. Yes, that could have made the sound I had heard, though muffled. I shone the light behind the crates and pushed a stack away from the wall.

"Help me, will you?" I called. Between the two of us, we moved several stacks out of the way.

Behind the crates was a stout oak door with a new lock.

The boy sucked in a breath. "Lordy!"

Jack came over, sniffing avidly as far under the door as his snout could reach. Lucas and I pulled on the door, to no avail. The lock held fast. I moved the light closer. None of my picks would work on this one. How was I going to get in?

Lucas tried putting his eye to the gap in the hinges. "Ya think there's treasure in there?" His voice rose with excitement.

I suppressed a grimace, not inclined to involve the boy further. I affected an air of disinterest. "Probably not. It looks as if this place hasn't been used in years." I swung the lantern away from the new lock. "Shouldn't you be getting back to the stables? They might be missing you." I would return on my own once I had figured out how to unlock the door.

The boy gave a disgruntled sigh. "I guess so."

We pushed the crates against the door again and headed out of the tunnel. I counted paces as we went, trying to estimate how far under the inn the tunnel might extend. I noticed the hem of my striped silk had suffered a few smudges that would need Granny Aubry's special care.

We had just regained the path and parted ways—the boy heading to the stables and me to the dock below—when I noticed a man leaning against the dock railing, smoking his pipe, and watching me with narrowed eyes. I hoped I was too far away for him to determine exactly where I'd been.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.