Time Thieves Read online

  She’d screamed at the time, frantic. Sari hadn’t. She’d known even then how devastatingly wrong the whole mess was.

  That was another mystery that Sari hoped to solve now that she was home.

  Home?

  Her mother’s place was just that – her mother’s place, never Sari’s home. Yes, it finally felt like she was home.

  Chapter 4

  Later that afternoon, she was in her father’s shop when she looked up through the window to see one of the workmen walking toward her. She met him at the front door.

  “Sorry, but there’s some damage to the room directly above the shop. We’re going to need to take a closer look. Can we get inside the attic, please?” He motioned upward to the area of concern.

  Sari stepped out and looked up. With the roofing tiles off of this side, she could see the underneath looked blackish to a dark brown. She wrinkled up her nose. It was just the one area, a bit bigger than a sheet of plywood. “I hope that isn’t mold.”

  “We’re not sure what it is, actually.” He shook his head. “There wasn’t any damage on the surface of the roofing tiles to indicate this was below. Good thing we found it now though. We’ll have to get some wood in and replace these boards.”

  “Come inside. The attic is actually accessible from this room. I just haven’t ever been in it.”

  “Most people don’t go to their attics unless they have to. It’s too bad. If you keep an eye on it like the other rooms in your house, you’ll get an early warning that problems are starting.”

  “I never even thought of it. Then again, I haven’t been in the house more than a few weeks.” She led the way into the front of the shop and pointed upward. In the corner of the room by the hallway was a large rectangular shaped door on the ceiling. “I don’t even know how to get up there.”

  They walked closer. Sari stared at the door like she’d never seen it before. It was right above where her father had disappeared. How could something so important have been overlooked? All the time they’d searched for her father, they’d looked down. Had they even considered looking up? The workman strode over to stand underneath. “You’ve also got high ceilings. Is there a second floor here?”

  She blinked. “There is on the rest of the house, but I don’t think there’s anything above us.”

  “Except when we look at this area from the outside, it appears like there should be a room here.”

  Had her father ever mentioned the attic? Not as far as she could remember. “Honestly, I’ve been away from this house since I was ten. I can’t remember ever seeing anyone go up in there. You’re welcome to look at the rest of the house. It’s a bit of a designer’s nightmare. It’s a split level with stairs going up in all directions. However, what would be the closest room to this is this way.” She led him out of the shop and into the main room. She took the first set of stairs on the left that went up to a landing and then up another small set of stairs. At the top, she opened a door on the right. “It’s the spare room. But as you can see, it’s got the dormer window.” She pointed it out, and with the slanted roof, there was no attic here.

  He walked over to the window and looked out. They were on the right side of the damaged area. He went to the second window that overlooked the side street then walked back to stare at the solid wall on the right. He tapped the wall several times and frowned. “Weird. There’s a space here. The access panel must be what we’re thinking of as the attic door from downstairs.”

  As they trooped down the stairs and back into the shop, the workman shook his head at the sight of two other small staircases leading in opposite directions. “Either this place has been renovated to hell and back again, or the original designer was nuts.”

  She laughed. “Probably both are true.”

  “There’s not even a handle for that trapdoor?” He stared in wonder up at the door just above his head. “I’ll go get the ladder off my truck.”

  She watched him as he strode out and crossed the street to where his big truck sporting the name Island Roofers in large white letters across the side was parked. He unloaded a ladder mounted on the box.

  Effortlessly, he carried the ladder inside and opened it up just below the attic door. He climbed up and pushed on the door.

  It wouldn’t budge.

  He stepped up another stair and put his shoulder into the next heave. There was an odd cracking, grunting noise as if the house itself was giving way. The door shifted and lifted. The workman eased back so he could change his hand position and lifted the door, shifting it sideways to open the area up wider.

  “Well, that didn’t seem too bad.”

  “Just seems stiff from disuse.” He unhooked a flashlight from his belt and stepped up higher, his head and shoulders disappearing into the attic. “Well, that’s interesting.”

  “What is?” Sari waited anxiously. She could only watch his legs and torso as he twisted and shone the light in different directions. She moved closer, hoping to see what was up there.

  “What’s up there?” Still no answer. She waited another minute. “Can you see anything?”

  He bent over slightly enough, and his head popped below the ceiling so he could see her. “There’s lots of stuff up here. Come on up if you want. It appears to have a floor in here as well. There aren’t any windows, although I can see light through the damaged boards.” He straightened and with the simple maneuver of a man who lived a physical lifestyle, he hopped up inside her attic.

  She stepped around to the rungs on the ladder and climbed up behind him. He was taller than her so she had to stand on the very top of the ladder in order to haul herself up higher into the attic. Once sitting on the floor, her legs dangling down, she saw that the attic door had levers that should have allowed it to drop down. It was obviously broken, but as it had a simple staircase attached, it would be a much easier way to get up and down. Something else she’d have to fix. She should have written a better list.

  Her priorities were going to need to be re-evaluated. She stared into the gloomy interior, only able to see what the workman shone his light on. “Any idea if there is power here?” The light shifted around the room to a spot on the far wall. He walked over and hit a light switch. Immediately the room was lit up. She hopped to her feet and stared, fascinated at the room she’d had no idea existed. And it was full.

  “Wow. I wonder what all this stuff is.”

  “I don’t know how long your family lived here, but some of this stuff looks really old. How old did you say the house is?”

  “The original part is supposed to be from the 1850s.” She wandered, looking at old seaworthy trunks and tables and the odd chair. There were a few odder-looking chairs sitting in the corner as well. In fact, the place was brimming full of history, and she couldn’t help but feel excited at the idea of learning more about her family. This house had been in her father’s family since it was built. “Amazing.”

  The workman stood under the damaged part of the room and studied the warped wood. “This is the problem here.”

  She looked up to see him pointing in one area. “Is there mold?”

  “Not that I can see. We’ll need to replace this wood.” His voiced deepened at the end as he checked something else. “No, the struts and supports all look good.” He pounded the damaged wood lightly with his hand and the wood broke, letting splinters of light in. He hit it again, and a large piece broke off in his hand.

  “Wow,” she whispered as the dense sunlight shone deep inside the room. “Sunlight would be so nice.”

  “Pardon?” He turned to look at her, puzzled. “What did you say? Something about letting the sun in?” He stepped back and appraised the slanting roof. “Are you wanting a window or maybe a skylight in here instead?”

  “Yes,” she almost shouted. “I’d really like a big window in here. I don’t know why it’s separated off from the rest of the house, but it’s a great space. All it needs is natural light.”

  “Well, we’d need the work done pretty quickly, so you need to let me know the size you’d want it to be.”

  “I’d have to find someone to come and give me an estimate.”

  The workman flipped his phone open. “That’s easy. My brother owns a glass shop. He’s almost done for the day. He can come and give you an idea.”

  While he made the arrangements, Sari wandered the room, wondering why it was only accessible from the downstairs. How hard would it be to punch through to the hallway or another bedroom, giving a normal doorway access? She’d have to find someone to do that work too. So much for her budget.

  But for all the financial stresses, she couldn’t get over the find. What joy and what gold. There might even been some antiques in here valuable enough that if she sold them, they would pay for the work. Like a kid with a treasure, she danced in place.

  “He’s here?”

  She spun around to look at the workman who’d been busy tearing off the rotten wood and dropping it to the ground below.

  With the opening wide enough for his head and shoulders to pop through, she only just now noticed he stood on an old wooden crate of some kind and was waving to someone down below.

  “Jimmy, come in and turn left. Up the ladder.”

  She heard a muffled response below. Then another head popped up. A younger man than the first one clambered inside the attic and introduced himself.

  “Hello, I’m Jimmy. My brother John says you’re looking at putting in a new window.”

  She nodded and pointed out the large opening in her roof. He walked over and studied the area. “No problem.”

  They discussed style, insulation factors, and cost, and Sari had a promise to get a new window installed in the morning. John had wanted him to do the job right now, but he couldn’t fit it in. After h
e left, having sorted out the materials with his brother, John came down and walked out to his truck. The rest of the workmen looked to be close to calling it a day.

  Several came in and helped John secure the hole for the night while he promised to come in and finish the job when his brother was done. Then he walked around the house to check on the rest of the roof. Sari, standing out front, couldn’t believe they’d managed to get the entire roof done except for the area by the attic. She should get the gutters replaced too, damn it. There went her budget again. Although, for a window in a secret room, no problem. She’d find the money somewhere.

  Somehow.

  *

  Ward was pissed. There was no sign of the guy who had attacked him. He’d disappeared. Although they’d found the vehicle abandoned on the road leading to the other end of the island. At least his notebook was recovered at the scene.

  Of the driver and passenger – nothing.

  Breaking and entering was one thing; attacking a cop another thing altogether.

  He so wanted to slam their asses behind bars. Not the least of which had to do with Sari possibly being in danger, too.

  After checking the time, he decided to run by her house and give her an update; not much of one, but still it gave him an excuse to see her. Several trucks were just pulling away as he drove up. One he recognized. He played soccer with Jimmy. He waved as his friend drove off. Was Sari planning on getting new windows too? He assessed the old heritage house. They didn’t make them like that anymore. This place was out of the way slightly and set back off the road, and with the high fence of cedars and lilac bushes, not much was visible from the street. Of course the bright blue tarp on her roof was hard to miss.

  He knocked on the open door, then pushed it open and stuck his head inside. “Sari, are you here?”

  No answer.

  “Sari?”

  “Hello?”

  Sari’s voice, oddly distant sounding, came from inside. Ward pushed the door open wider and walked in. “Where are you?”

  “Over here.”

  He followed the sound into the shop to see very shapely bare legs dangling from an open hole in the ceiling. At least she had sandals on her feet. He walked to where he could look up and see her face. “What are you doing?”

  She peered down, a huge grin on her face. “You so have to come up and see this.”

  He glanced around the shop. “I would if I knew how.” A chair stood underneath, but surely it wasn’t high enough to climb up.

  “John the roofer guy brought the ladder originally, but I guess he took it with him when he left. You’ll have to find something higher to stand on. It will make it easier for me to get down too.”

  Shaking his head, Ward dragged a heavy wooden workbench under the opening. He hopped onto the chair, then to the workbench. His head poked through enough to be able to see the interior. “The attic, I presume.”

  “Sorta. Come all the way up.” Sari scrambled to her feet and backed up to give him room. She loved the way Ward’s shoulder muscles rippled as he pulled himself up. Damn, she must be in a man drought for her to even have noticed. She’d like to blame it on appreciation for a beautiful male specimen – she was an artist, after all. But she wasn’t sure that excuse would fly. Not that her hormones cared.

  They were already sitting up and taking notice.

  Ward brushed the dirt from his clothes then straightened. He peered around the room in surprise. The air was dark and gloomy as the light no longer shone in. She shone the flashlight over the light switch. Ward stepped and flicked it on.

  “I had no idea this room existed. John found the rotten board when he pulled the roofing tiles off.”

  Ward looked at her in surprise. “Really? It’s an attic.”

  She laughed. “I know. But I’d never been up here and from the outside, you can’t see this space. There are bedrooms up on either side of those two walls.” She pointed them out. “So why has this room been walled off? And why isn’t there a door for access from the bedrooms or even the hallway?”

  Ward walked over to the first wall and tapped lightly. “How interesting.”

  “I know, right?”

  He glanced at the items stacked high all around. “Do you know what any of this stuff is?”

  “No, but I’m looking forward to figuring it out. This house has been in my family forever. It’s an awesome find.”

  “Or a huge bin full of trash.”

  She gave him a wry grin. “True enough. I need to get this thing fixed.” She motioned at something beside him. “It’s like a drop down ladder staircase thingy. But it’s broken, I think.” She walked over to the mechanism. “See here?”

  He examined the ladder door system. “Cool. I’ve only ever seen one of these in the movies.” He made a couple of adjustments. “I think we just have to figure out how it works.”

  “Really? That would be great.”

  She backed away as Ward extended the stairway slightly. The door was meant to drop down and lock into place. Ward extended the stairway and from where she sat, it looked to almost reach the floor. He had to jump down and move the worktable then fully extend the ladder. “Oh, excellent.”

  She watched as he checked the bottom of the ladder. “Do you think it’s safe?”

  “Let’s find out.” Ward cautiously stepped onto the first step and bounced ever so slightly. Except for the metal squeaking on metal, it held.

  He climbed all the way up, turned and stepped down the rungs until he was standing on the shop floor. “Come on down.”

  Excited like a kid with another new toy, Sari cautiously climbed down. “That is so sweet. I love this.”

  “I can’t believe you didn’t know.”

  “I’m sure my father did, but my mother – well, I’m not so sure. She hates dark cramped spaces, and I just can’t see her caring about an attic in the first place. She’d never lower herself to sorting through all that old stuff for the odd treasure,” she said thoughtfully, then shook her head at the image. “No, definitely not.”

  “She’s more the hire-someone-to-clean-that-out type of person, I gather.”

  A lopsided smile slipped out of Sari’s lips. “Yeah, you could say that. She’s a good person in her own way, but definitely not the hands-on type.”

  “I remember her vaguely. She seemed more like a china doll to me back then.”

  “Perfect description and now she’s just a little older, she’d say a little more valuable because of it.”

  He laughed, and she had to grin. “Don’t get me wrong. I love her, but she’s not the person I’d like living next door.”

  “Me either. Now your dad was wonderful. He was always so down to earth.”

  “The exact opposite of my mother. And you’re right. My dad could talk about anything with anyone. He never put on airs and could always be counted on to give a helping hand when needed.” The warm memories were bringing tears to her eyes. She sniffled them back. “I still miss him. Every single day of the last fifteen years, I have felt like some part of me is also missing.”

  A warm hand landed on her shoulder, gently squeezing. She smiled through her tears. “I’m fine. But there’s nothing like coming home to find how, although stuffed away, the memories have never been forgotten.”

  “You don’t want to forget him. He was a good man. He deserves to be remembered.”

  “Thanks.”

  In the distance, a phone sounded. Sari groaned. “That will most likely be my mother. France is not far enough away.”

  He laughed. “Answer it then. You can ask about the attic.”

  “Stay. I’ll put on coffee,” she said over her shoulder as she raced to answer her cell phone still sitting on her desk. Picking it up, she groaned at the number. “Hi, Mom.”

  She rolled her eyes at Ward.

  Ward grinned and wandered through into the kitchen. There was a new coffee maker sitting on the counter. With minimal effort, he managed to get a pot dripping.

  He stood at the back door lost in thoughts of his childhood and what might have been if she’d stayed behind when he heard her come to stand behind him. “I’d planned to take you to prom, you know.”