The Secrets of the Mysterious Mansion by Barry Forbes

Author:Barry Forbes [Forbes, Barry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Leo Press

* * *

Paul,

The gold is in the cave one mile due north,

the same one we found last year.

Good luck.

* * *

“Why not give them Google coordinates?” Kathy asked.

“Because there was no Google in nineteen eighty-nine!” her brother replied with a touch of sarcasm. He knew Kathy would get even later.

The foursome had chosen an imaginary location, one that wouldn’t be easy to reach. “There’s no road anywhere near,” Suzanne said. “Nothing but rolling hills, rocks, and a few trees. And hopefully an old mine or two to keep them busy.”

“Snakes too,” Kathy reminded. She hated them.

Tom suggested they obtain a gold coin to “salt the mine”—the spot where they would hide their note. That way the metal detectors would react, allowing the hunters to discover the note. “Plus, the gold will show credibility.”

“And send them on their merry way,” Kathy giggled.

Suzanne wondered where they should hide it. “Has to be somewhere their metal detectors will sniff out.”

“You figure it out,” Pete suggested, glancing at his sister. “Dad’s got an old gold coin.”

“Oh, sure,” Kathy said. “I remember it.”

While Tom and Suzanne remained behind, the Brunellis raced home. Pete drove while Kathy called her father to ask if they could borrow his coin.

“Sure,” he agreed. “It’s in my dresser drawer. Do I get it back?”

A quick forty-five minutes later, the Brunellis returned, bouncing down into the basement.

“Did you find one?” Tom asked.

“Sure did,” Kathy replied. “An old Mexican coin, about half an ounce of gold.” She had looked it up online.

“Enough gold to set the metal detectors off?” Suzanne wondered.

“Let’s try it,” Pete said. He fired up one and moved it toward the gold coin, which Kathy held in her hand. The detector beeped like crazy within a radius of two feet. Cheers rang out.

“Where’s the note going?” Kathy asked.

“Right here,” Suzanne replied, pointing. Under the basement stairs were two smallish recessed built-in bookshelves, with four or five books resting on each. One book, titled Prescott Seekers, was a “how-to” primer on gold panning in the region.

The girls looked at each other and roared with laughter. “If all else fails…” Kathy joked.

It was obvious the gold hunters hadn’t checked out these books—yet.

“But they will,” Tom said. “Right after their metal detectors react.”

Suzanne carefully folded the note and slid it inside the front cover of Prescott Seekers, with just a slender edge of the paper peeking out. She tucked the coin just behind the edge of the binding along the spine.

With the false clue planted, they slid the two center sections of the massive bookcase back together and meticulously restored its contents.

“Oh boy,” Pete said, grinning. “I can’t wait.”

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