He knew what he’d done and he knew what it was going to cost him.
Better to get the job done and move on with his life.
“Well, be that as it may, I saw the way she looked at you. I’m going to keep my opinions to myself.” David grinned and sat up, glancing at the wristwatch adorning his left arm. “I need to get going. I’m sorry I’m not staying. I’m sure Amanda will be back shortly. I know Cari is coming for dinner with Nick. I think you’ll like them. Nick is a vet and he makes one mean steak on that barbecue.” David pushed himself from the clutches of the couch and reached out, offering his hand to Tommy.
Half-standing, Tommy shook David’s proffered hand and nodded his head tightly. “Nice talking with you again, sir.”
“David. Call me David. Sir makes me sound old and unmarriageable.” He chuckled under his breath and left the room, a definite bounce in his step.
Tommy stared after the older man with a bemused expression on his face. Interesting. Everything about these people was interesting. What was even more fascinating was the fact that Ms. Halliwell hated them so much.
Once again, Tommy had a certainty in his heart that she was bitter not to be a part of it anymore. That’s partially why she hated them so. She’d made the decision to leave and she blamed them for what she lost.
Another moment passed before the back door closed with a snap and Tommy’s shoulders sagged forward. He had to do what he’d come to do.
But he didn’t want to. He pulled out his phone. What if he texted Jennifer and backed out? He could. He could tell her that he couldn’t get the items she wanted, and go home. Simple. He’d already ruined things for Amanda. There was no chance he’d ever be with Amanda. Why not get out before he did any more damage? He could at least save that much.
What was he doing?
The wall of shelves stretched behind him as if calling his name. He didn’t have to take the journal and the key. He could just see what it was she’d been talking about. He’d always wanted to see a secret book box. He’d heard of them but never seen one in person. That would do for reasoning, right? He could justify it to himself with that.
He shook his head at his own thoughts but turned to face the ten-foot-high shelving unit that spanned the entire length of the wall. The wood had been rough milled with live edges and a square placed in the center for smaller trinkets. The workmanship was spectacular and Tommy could stare at it for a long while.
He took a deep breath and scanned each shelf, looking for what could be described as a children’s dictionary. Probably brightly colored with big font on the side.
Medical dictionaries and encyclopedias lined the top shelf, out of reach but accessible if someone used a step stool or a chair to climb on. Survival and farming references graced the next shelf down, filled to overflowing across the entire length, to the point that extras were stacked on top of the already standing books.
The next shelf held nonfiction hardbacks of varying topics that Tommy didn’t look too closely at.
Fiction books covered the next two shelves and then the bottom shelf held varying height books that looked like they could be for children.
Tommy knelt and scanned the titles, pausing when he came to a large hardcover with red, green, and blue blocks and bright yellow fonts labeling it as a dictionary. Tommy glanced over his shoulder to double-check that he wasn’t being watched and he slowly pulled the book from the shelf.
Moving to sit on the seat he’d previously occupied, Tommy held the sturdy book in his hands and stared at the cover. The picture of a bird, zebra, and a honey bee in varying sizes spotted the cover. A Children’s Dictionary graced the front and Tommy opened it with slightly shaking hands.
He was even lying to himself.
The cover opened easily and the title page crinkled as it moved from the rest of the book, partially stuck to the both the front cover and the pages that were obviously glued together to make a hard exterior.
Tommy stared down into the hand cut hole in the book that easily spanned eight inches across and ten inches down. The hole was about two inches deep to the back cover. The dictionary probably had pictures