Danger on the Loch, page 34
They hauled the jewelry down and placed it on the floor. A metal door roughly Karl’s height dominated the far wall. A keyhole and a padlock protected whatever was inside. Papa took a key from his pocket and pressed it into the keyhole, then twisted the brass tumblers of the padlock into a series of five letters. He removed the padlock and pulled open the door to reveal a small room. Karl turned the flashlight on the contents: trunks of various sizes and three large wooden crates. “You’ve been planning this for a while.”
“Yes. I didn’t want to involve you if I didn’t have to. It’s a burden, what I’ve told you. But Sauermann’s visit means we’re out of time. We leave tomorrow.”
That was sooner than Karl had expected. “Will we ever come back?”
“I certainly hope so. And if you and I and both your sisters return to reclaim all we’ve left behind, we’ll have the greatest treasure of all.”
The greatest treasure of all. Karl scanned the trunks and crates, then focused on his father.
Papa patted a wooden crate. “I’d like to add a few more paintings to the collection. Will you help?”
“Yes. Is that where Anna’s favorite painting went?” Karl pointed to the crate.
Papa smiled. “All the most valuable, including Anna’s favorite. I think it will snow before morning, so let’s get a few more, and then the fresh snow will cover our footprints. I think everything will be safe here, for years, if needed.”
They stowed the trunk of jewelry, locked the metal door, and left the cellar, closing it behind them.
“There’s something else, Karl.”
“Yes?”
“Plan the fourth. If for any reason I can’t go with you, I need you to keep your sisters safe. And I need you to take the papers to my contact in Paris or Zurich. I hope it won’t come to that.”
Karl nodded, accepting the new weight of responsibility that pressed on his shoulders. “But you always have another plan.”
“Not always.” Papa’s voice grew wistful. “I never planned on meeting your mother. It was the best thing that ever happened to me, and it was an accident. Nor did I plan to bury her. Life is full of surprises and hardships, Karl. Plan for what you can, and do your best to get back up when you’re knocked over by something unexpected.”
About the Author
Born and raised in Southern California, Paige Edwards is an award-winning author who thinks the color turquoise is almost as great, but not quite, as See’s Candy. A BYU–I alumna, she went back to school and graduated summa cum laude from NOVA with a degree in interior design. Her husband’s job transferred their family to the mid-Atlantic states where they have lived ever since. When she needs a break from writing, you can find her shooing deer out of her garden, biking battlefields, or kayaking on the lake.
You can find and follow Paige at:
Bookbub: Author Paige Edwards
Website: authorpaigeedwards.com
Goodreads: Paige_Edwards
Facebook: facebook.com/authorpaigeedwards
Instagram: Instagram.com/authorpaigeedwards
Linkedin: paige-edwards
OTHER BOOKS BY PAIGE EDWARDS
Catherine’s Intrigue
Deadly by Design
Paige Edwards, Danger on the Loch
