“So, Houdini, have you got something up your sleeve I don’t know about?” Annie asked.

Rafter nodded. “If I can remove enough bricks to make a sufficient hole, we can climb up the chimney to the roof.”

“I’m not following, Jon. How can we scale the inside of the chimney?”

“It’s easy. There are rungs bolted into the bricks inside the chimney. We climb up them like we’re on a ladder.”

“How do you know rungs are inside the chimney? And what about the chimney cap? We’re a little bit bigger than squirrels.”

“Before you arrived here and swept me off my feet, Rose asked me to clean the chimney. I discovered the rungs then. I don’t know why they are there. Maybe they were installed to help with the cleaning process. But we can use them.”

“What about the chimney cap?” Annie persisted.

The chimney cap is about twenty inches above the chimney. I think we can fit through. The only thing that might cause issue is an iron grate affixed to the chimney under the cap. But I think the bolts holding the grate in place are so corroded and loose I can pry it off, or maybe even push it off.”

“Maybe God is with us here in the attic after all.”

“Of course He is. He’s living in our hearts. So He has to be here with us.”

“But you just said a prayer asking God to show us a way out of the attic. Do you really think He answered you that quickly? God isn’t a genie in a bottle that immediately grants us wishes whenever we ask.”

“Sometimes God answers my prayers right away. And then there are many times when He just seems to collect my prayers. But I’ve found that if I can shove aside all distractions and just force myself to be still, I can feel God’s presence guiding and leading me. And oftentimes just knowing God is forging ahead of me and protecting my flanks from behind is enough.”

“I guess you’re more perceptive than me, Jon.”

“You’re being modest, Annie. Your past as an FBI agent required you to be perceptive. You’re just new to the faith. It will come in time.”

“So you think God led you to lean up against the chimney so you could discover loose bricks?”

Rafter nodded. “There’s plenty of furniture up here I could’ve parked my rump on. Yet for some reason I stood and leaned against the chimney. Miracles happen all the time, Babe. They don’t have to earthshattering. They can be small.”

“Maybe we should pray you up a pry bar?”

“Actually, when I was up here months ago and left the flashlight I think I also left behind a screwdriver. I might be able to use it to dislodge the bricks.” Rafter hurried over to where he’d retrieved the flashlight earlier. He scanned the area close by. Annie came over and helped him look.

After a few minutes of fruitless hunting he was about to give up the search. But then Annie looked inside a chest of drawers and found the screwdriver lying next to a neatly folded American flag. She grinned as she handed it to him. “I prayed that God would help me find it. So would you count that as an answered prayer?”

Rafter took the flat-bladed screwdriver. “I sure would. Sometimes you just have to take things on faith and say, ‘that was a “God thing” that just happened there.’” Rafter headed back to the chimney, determined to create an escape hole. This was their best chance at leaving the house. He had to make it work. And he needed to do it quickly.

Rafter dropped to his knees and started chipping at the crumbling mortar. “Remind me to fix these bricks when this is all over. We’ll asphyxiate our guests if I forget.”

Annie came over and observed him work. “You need a hammer to help you with the chipping,” she said.

“A hammer would definitely help. Do you know where one is?”

“Not off the top of my head. But I’ll go snoop around for one. Maybe you left a hammer up here too.”

“You’re funny. Before you go can you give the Victor Talking Machine a few cranks? I don’t want the Charbonneaus to hear me chipping and become suspicious.”

Annie headed for the phonograph. “One, very old love song coming up, Jon.”

Chapter 14

As twilight settled over the plantation house and grounds, Damien Charbonneau turned off his metal detector. He’d just finished scanning the entire yard, a sizeable feat. Over the past two hours he’d dug up a few interesting objects for sure: an old brooch, some buttons from a civil war military uniform, and a pair of black-powder bullets.

But what he wanted to find most eluded him and dejection took a firm hold on his resolve. Finding the treasure looked more and more like a fantasy that would never come true.

Damien stood wearily near the carriage house. I suppose I should take a look in there, he thought, eyeing the structure.

He leaned the metal detector against the carriage house and next to the door. “Why did I let Arcadias talk me into this stunt?” he grumbled aloud.

He knew the answer to his question. It just hurt his pride to confess the answer. It all came down to making a sizable chunk of money. He’d poured concrete for two decades now, barely making ends meet. And his body couldn’t hack the physical strain any longer. So after Arcadias showed him the small iron box with all the gold coins in it, as well as the note pinpointing where to find a much larger stash, he jumped at the chance.

Arcadias had practically guaranteed him a two-million-dollar share in the treasure. The thought of that much money and the realization he would never again have to pour concrete, influenced his rationale.

As he often did on a daily basis, Damien thought of his late father. Joe Charbonneau was likely turning over in his grave. He’d raised his two boys to work hard and abide by the law, not break it. Yet a prison cell likely awaited them both.

Damien shook his head. Joe had never shown much affection to his sons, but he did seem to favor Arcadias, who had always been the smart one. Joe worked three jobs to put Arcadias through college. Even as a child, Arcadias preferred reading over playing outside with other kids. And when he did put down his books to play with other kids he always insisted on playing pirates. It almost seemed like it was Arcadias’s fate to one day hunt for pirate treasure.

His mood sour, Damien tried the door. It swung open and he entered the carriage house. Someone had left a light on, and it only took a second for him to realize he’d stepped into an art studio. Marvelous paintings adorned the walls. Other paintings in various stages of completion sat on easels. And all the paintings depicted a religious scene from the Bible.

Damien gazed at the paintings, transfixed by their astounding beauty. He wasn’t much of an art lover, but even he could see these works belonged in a museum or gallery. But the more he gawked at the paintings the more unsettled he became. The spiritual nature of the paintings convicted him, made him feel guilty for what he intended to do, and guilty for what he’d already done.

Damien felt anger rise up within him. He snarled and lashed out at the painting nearest him, knocking it from its easel. The canvas depicted a vengeful Joab stabbing Abner. The painting clattered to the floor. Damien stepped on the canvas, grinding his heel through it, destroying it.

His fisted hands shaking, he moved toward a large freestanding cabinet. He yanked open the cabinet and perused the art supplies. He didn’t know for sure what he was looking for, perhaps another iron chest like Arcadias found on the beach. But to his dismay, there were only paintbrushes, varnish cans, palettes, and paint tubes in the cabinet. Damien slammed shut the cabinet.

And that’s when he heard it; a thunderous bark from somewhere in the carriage house, followed by nails clicking noisily on the floor. And then the dog came into his view.