Old Dishes And Oak Cabinets

Renee was studying what Angie was talking about and said, "Well yeah, that can't be an L."

Angie looked at her and asked, "What? You don't see land when you look at it?"

"Well at first I do but look at how the words are printed. They are more or less block letters. Not well written but pretty consistent in style. Now look at the L. It's angled, more like a check mark."

"But why would they put it clear up in the corner of the map."

Gil said, "Well now it's all becoming obvious to me. It was to throw everybody off if the map was found. Like you said, it's likely that whatever was hidden would be in the center of the map because that only makes sense. He or she or they didn't want to make sense, they wanted to keep a secret."

"So the area we were looking at is several hundred feet away from where we needed to be."

"Something like that."

"Dad can we go treasure hunting?"

He looked at Angie and then said, "Renee you'll catch hell from your mother if you're gone too long."

"But this is important, and besides Mom and I haven't had a good fight in almost a month."

Angie turned to Renee and aid, "Could Gil and I have an our to talk first?"

Renee smiled and said, "Sure okay. I'll take the motorbike back and wait for you on the corner but don't be too long with your...talking or whatever."

Angie smiled and said, "One hour on the nose." As soon as the door was closed behind Renee Angie said, "She can't possibly be only seventeen."

"And three quarters. She had to grow up pretty fast if she was going to survive around her mother. Renee could have turned out to be mousy and afraid to make any decisions on her own or she could learn to be strong and just defiant enough to be the healthy young woman that she is today. Now tell me what you two talked about."

"First of all honey I want to tell you that I went to see Tony while he was in the hospital. I had a speech all planned for him and it was going to be a scorcher, but in the end I didn't waste my time on him. I just walked in and tossed my ring at him and in a very unlady like way gave him the finger and stormed out. I never said a word to him and I didn't give him a chance to say anything to me. Then I went home and cried for a day or so and sulked and moped around for a couple more. From there I progressed to switching back and forth between being mad and depressed and withdrawn for almost two weeks or whatever it was. That's when Renee came to see me the first time."

"The first time?"

"She came over twice. The first time was a little awkward because she was full of questions and some of them were pretty personal. I answered them for the most part but then I asked her some questions to see how she would react. To my surprise she straightened up and answered every one of them. The second time she came over we talked for almost an hour before your name came up. Well actually Dad came up. She really does love you, you know."

"I know but it's nice to hear you say that."

"Want to know what else we talked about the second time she came over?"

What?"

"You. She was so cute that day and so talkative, but she kind of forgot herself and told me a secret about you."

"Oh no, what was that?"

"That you love me." Gil was speechless. "Well, was she right honey?"

"Damn it I didn't want you to know."

"What? Why not, that's wonderful."

"Angie you've been through so much that I wanted to give you time to get your life back and recover from the mess with Tony. I thought you'd need time to just talk and let things...you've been calling me honey."

She smiled and said, "It certainly took you long enough to pick up on that. So do you love me or not?"

He put his arms around her and said, "Yes I do love you very much.

"She kissed him and told him, "Good. I was pretty sure you did even before we spent the night in the motel. I was really torn trying to decide what to do about it, but when I thought about the possibility of never seeing you again I had my answer or at least part of it. By the time we were headed home form the motel I knew that I was going to give the ring back to Tony. What would happen after that I didn't know and how things would be for is I just didn't know. I just knew that I had to give us every chance to figure it out."

"Are you saying you'd decided you didn't love Tony at that point?"

"I still had feelings for him and I'll be the first to admit that I was mixed up, but at the least I knew that I didn't love him enough to marry him." She was still pressed against him as she kissed him and said, "Now I know that Renee fully expects us to make love and I don't think we should disappoint your daughter."

Chapter Fifteen

Renee was waiting for them and jumped into the car before it had stopped rolling. "Let's go look for treasure."

Angie told her, "Don't get your hopes up because we probably won't even find the spot and even if we do the odds are against us that there will be anything there."

"I know, but there's always a chance."

"That's right there's always hope." As Gil drove, Renee and Angie talked or rather Renee talked and Angie managed to get in a comment or question every so often. By the time they arrived at the site Angie knew a lot more about Renee's mother and about college plans along with old boyfriends. A lot of that information was new to Gil as well, but he just listened and smiled.

They got out of the car and unfolding the map Gil said, "I just hope that a tree hasn't grown on top of the place where we need to be looking.

"Dad that's negative thinking."

"You're right of course. Okay we're heading toward that hill straight ahead of us and watch your step because there are rocks all over the place and it's easy to trip and fall." Angie smiled at him but didn't comment and the three of them headed up that hill. Renee was almost eighteen and very mature for her age, but she still ran ahead and would turn around and look back at the lovers that followed her.

When they reached the approximate area they spread out forming a short line as they moved from east to west and then back again. They chased their dream for almost an hour before Gil stopped and said, "I'm dying of thirst and we haven't seen a thing."

Angie said, "The only thing I've seen was a scrap of old blue fabric a few minutes ago."

"Well that's more than I've seen, what about you Renee?"

"Nothing, I think that map was a hoax." As they turned around and headed toward the car Renee said, "Is that the rag you saw earlier Angie?"

"That's it," and Renee tried to pick it up and then gave it a yank to get it free. It was a thick strip of faded and rotting fabric like an old waist band so Renee dropped it and looked down again. Renee squealed and put her arm around Angie and said, "Oh my God." Gil ran over to them and they stood there staring at the partially exposed human skull.

Angie put her arm around Gil's waist and said, "I think we just found that woman's mother."

"What woman," asked Renee.

"From the yard sale. The yard sale where Gil and I met. Honey remember she said her mother died when she was very young? Your oak box was her father's so it seems reasonable that he buried her out here when this was still their farm. What I don't understand is why did he draw the map in the first place."

"It's my guess that in his own way he was bragging about what he did. He killed her and he was proud of it but couldn't tell anybody."

"So he got away with what might be murder."

"It would seem so. I guess we better call the police."

As they waited for the police Renee said, "Too bad there was no treasure to go along with the map."

Gil put his arms around the two women in his life and said, "I disagree. There are two fantastic treasures connected with that map and I have my arms around both of them."

"Oh Dad that was so sweet but so corny."

"Oh no. How long has it been since we've been together this much?"

"That's true and you two love each other now." Gil and Angie looked at her so she added, "Well you do."

"But Angie hasn't said she loves me honey."

"Oh come on, all three of us knows she does."

The End.