Old Dishes And Oak Cabinets

"Thank you. I like Mexican coffee but I'm out of tequila."

"Gil as near as I can figure the dishes are worth about three hundred dollars."

"Really, that much?"

"I'm afraid so and I just can't afford that much right now for something like that."

"I understand." He looked at her as he drank his coffee and then said, "Okay, here's the deal. I'll sell them to you for two hundred and..."

"That's very generous but I still can't afford...," and he put a finger to her lips.

"Now let me finish before you say no. Two hundred dollars and you can pay me ten or twenty bucks whenever you can swing it, but there is one condition. You have to deliver the money in person, no checks and no mail."

She picked up her cup but instead of taking a sip she studied him for several seconds before she asked him, "You do remember I'm engaged to be married don't you?"

"Of course I remember that. Just stop by, have a cup of coffee and leave the money. We can talk about yard sales or whatever. I've become quite a fan of them now in fact."

She smiled and said, "As long as you don't get the wrong idea."

"I have a lot of wrong ideas, but I understand what you're saying. Oh and you can take the dishes with you tonight too."

"Gil..."

"Just let me know how your mother reacts when you show her the completed set."

"Are you sure you want to do it this way?"

"No, if I had my way you wouldn't be engaged, but that's the way it is. Just conversation and coffee."

"So once a week I'll come over, have coffee and visit and leave what I can afford to pay you on the table and nothing more."

"That's right."

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"For me...for us. You get the dishes and I get to enjoy your company."

"It isn't as though I hate coming over here you know."

"I'm glad Angie. Deal?"

"Yes of course it is."

"I'll keep every Saturday morning open so you don't even have to call first, just come over and if you need to make it a weeknight just call because I'll most likely be home."

"What if you want or need to get away for something on Saturday morning?"

"If you'll trust me with your phone number I'll call you if that happens but it isn't likely to."

"Yes of course you can have my number." She wrote it down for him and then asked him, "Could I have one more Irish coffee?"

"Coming up."

When he came back and sat down next to her she asked him, "How does Renee feel about you divorcing her mother?"

"It wasn't smooth sailing at first that's for sure, but luckily she didn't cut me out of her life. By talking and being honest with each other we finally were able to put that behind us. She even admits that her mother does have issues. Of course she reminds me that I'm not perfect either."

"Her biological father, is he still around?"

"No. They got a divorce and he left town never to be heard from again."

"I'm surprised that Renee doesn't see men as the cause of all problems."

"Me too actually. We've talked about that and still do sometimes in fact."

"Does she know you're selling Grandma's dishes?"

"I haven't told her yet, but that won't be a problem. She'll be happy for me when I tell her I've met a fantastic new friend." Angie just smiled and looked down at her nearly empty cup.

"I better get home while I can still drive Gil. I can't believe I'm drinking booze before noon in fact."

"I'll carry the dishes out to your car for you."

With the box of dishes in the backseat and the door closed she turned to him, put her hands on his arms and kissed his cheek. "Thank you again for trusting me."

"You're welcome and thank you for the kiss."

"I'll see you Saturday morning for coffee then."

"I look forward to it."

Gil had dinner with Jim and Sandra Friday night and told them about the arrangement with Angie for the dishes. Sandra asked him, "Gil what are you trying to do? Where do you hope this will go?"

"I'm making this up as I go along Sandy. I really like her and I enjoy her company. It's pretty obvious that by requiring payment in cash I'll get to see her once a week for awhile at least."

"What does her fiancée think about all of this?"

"She hasn't said anything and I'm not asking."

"And if she just stops coming over?"

"I don't care about the money, but I'd miss seeing her."

"You do realize don't you that you're setting yourself up to be hurt don't you?"

"Yes I know I am, but I'll take it one day at a time I guess."

Jim asked him, "What about Hope, have you seen or heard from her?

"Since she's in Reno it isn't likely that I'll see her any time soon, but we do exchange e-mails. I really like her. She's quick witted and funny and full of life, but I don't ever see that going any farther than that."

"You two certainly hit if off right away."

"Yeah we sure did. Too bad she flew back home Monday morning."

"Well I'm with Sandy. You are on a short road to misery."

"I'll take my chances. What I'm doing, I'm doing with my eyes wide open so it isn't like I'll be surprised when it's over. It's a lot like it was with Hope actually except Hope left a couple of days later and Angie won't leave until a couple of months or so if I'm lucky."

"Well good luck to ya."

Chapter Five

Gil was up, showered, shaved and ready when Angie arrived just after ten o'clock. Morning Gil."

"Morning Angie, you look great, very crisp and bright."

"Thank you." They had their routine set even though they had only been together a very few times. She sat on the couch and he delivered the coffee before sitting next to her. "Gil we could just sit in the kitchen so you wouldn't have to wait on me like this."

"This time is special."

"Oh and what makes it special?"

He moved over until he was against her and handed her a piece of paper. I found this in the old oak cabinet last night."

As he handed it to her she asked him, "What is it?"

"I think it's a treasure map."

She smiled and said, "Oh come on Gil you don't expect me to believe that do you?"

"You look at it and tell me what you think it is."

She studied it and then said, "I don't get it. Somebody went to a some trouble drawing this, but if it's a treasure map where is the mark that tells the location. All I see is this one line in the upper right hand corner that says, land here she lies, and that doesn't even make sense."

"I know."

"So what makes you think it's a treasure map?"

"I was only half serious when I said that, but why would somebody go to all that trouble for nothing?"

"I don't have an answer to that. What do you plan to do with it?"

"I don't know. They labeled two streets so I can figure out the general area they are talking about but that's about all. I think it's what is now the future industrial development area."

"That huge piece of property that belongs to the city?"

"That's the place."

"So all you have to do is poke and dig and explore all over that how ever many hundred acres of open field."

"Not very promising is it."

She smiled and said, "No, not very promising but I'll admit it is interesting."

"I think I'll go talk to the woman from the yard sale and see if I can learn anything from her."

"Like what?"

"Oh about her father and the family. Maybe at one point they owned all or some of that land."

"I've never been on a treasure hunt."

"Want to go hunting with me?"

She looked at him and without realizing put her hand on his thigh and said, "I'd love to but I can't."

"I understand, but I wanted to ask you anyway. Could you go with me to talk to the woman?"

"I could do that. This really is kind of exciting."

He really didn't want to ask her but he had to know. He took her hand in his and asked, "Angie does your fiancée know about our arrangement?"

"Yes. Well mostly. I told him about it but then I said that you have a phobia about personal checks and I won't send cash through the mail so I'm delivering it in person each week. Oh and Mom just went crazy when she saw the dishes. She cried and we talked and with my help she completely rearranged her china cabinet. I still don't understand the significance of those dishes, but it doesn't matter really. I'm just glad that she has the set completed at last."

"I'm happy for her then and for you."

She slowly took her hand away and said, "Let's go talk to the lady." Angie drove and it only took them a few minutes to get there. Gil, let me knock and speak to her first so she doesn't get nervous about a strange man at her door."

"Good idea."

When the door opened Angie said, "We're sorry to bother you, but I bought some dishes from you during your yard sale and Gil bought that oak cabinet."

"Yes, I think I remember both of you."

Gil told her, "I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about that cabinet, sort of build a provenance about it."

"Yes of course, come in."

The three of them sat in the living room and Gil said, "You told me the cabinet was your fathers I believe."

"Yes it was. Mother died when I was very young so I became the woman of the house early on and as I grew older I really was the woman of the house until I got married. Dad would work in his little office on the weekends doing drawings for different small businesses. Now they are called design engineers or something like that, but back the he just called himself a draftsman."

"Did he or his family own property around here, like a farm or something?"

"As a matter of fact his parents were farmers, but then back in those days a lot of people were farmers and owned sizable pieces of land."

"Yes I'm sure that's true. Do you know where that property was?"

"Yes of course. It was almost a full section at one time and in those days that was an impressive amount of land. It ran all the way from National Road up Summit Road to First gate and then west to about Taylor Road."

"Was your father a collector of any kind?"

"You mean like stamps or whatever?"

"Yes."

"No, his life was about work mostly."

Gil and Angie stood up and he said, "Well thank you for taking time to talk to us."

"You're welcome. Miss, did your mother like her dishes?"

"Very much. She was so happy she cried in fact."

"I'm glad." She walked them to the door and after thinking her again Gil and Angie headed home. She asked, "Did you get what you hoped for?"

"Well what she told us about the farm coincides with the map so whatever is or was there was on his property at the time."

"So now what?"

"That's a good question, but I'll start by driving out there and just look around."

"I wish I could go with you."

"I wish you could too." Then she looked at him and smiled as she asked him, "You didn't draw that map yourself did you?"

He laughed and said, "I promise you I did not. I don't even know where or how I could come by a piece of paper that looks that old. Now why would you suspect me of being so devious? Well rest easy my dear, the map is real. What the hell it means is anybody's guess though."

"Well if you figure out what land here she lies means, call me."

"I'll do that."

After Angie left, he grabbed his keys and drove out to the area shown on the map. He'd pull off the road and study his map, drive a few hundred feet and stop and study it again until he had gone the length of the area in the drawing, but other than being able to correlate the map to the property he accomplished nothing. With no bulls eye on the map to guide him there wasn't much more he could do. The only other thing he noticed was some wavy lines on the map and he was able to figure out those lines represented two small swells in the land. Further proof that he was in the right area, but still no indication of where to look to solve the mystery so he went home.

Before Gil could decide what to do next Hope called. "Is this the famous Mr. Biggerstaff?"

"Well if it isn't the beautiful and vivacious Hope Atkins, how are you?"

"Doing well as long as I stay out of the Nevada heat. What's new in your life?"

"Well not much, I found a treasure map so I'm going treasure hunting."

"Like at the local watering hole right?"

"Nope, this is real." He told her about finding the map and going out to the area and she asked, "So you have the area nailed down, but how big is this area?"

"I'd guess maybe a hundred or more acres."

"Oh is that all, and of course the map with nothing on it to help you."

"Yeah, well it's something to do and it gets me outdoors. I never asked you, what do you do out there in the desert heat of Reno?"

"You mean for work or fun and entertainment?"

"I'm an entertainment coordinator."

"Okay. I'm not sure what all that entails, but I can get a good idea of what you do. You get to meet famous people."

"Not so much. Just their agents and not even that very often. Most of it's done by computer and phone calls."

"Okay then what about fun?"

"I try to get out of Reno for starters, but that doesn't happen very often. As to what exactly I do I'll save that for when you come out to see me."

"Thanks for the invitation I'll see what I can do, but it's going to be awhile."

"I understand. You said at the party that you've really been busy at work."

"Yeah and it isn't letting up very much."

"Lousy way to live lover."

"Tell me about it," and they talked for a little longer before saying goodbye. He sat there and thought about his life. She was right, it was a lousy way to live, but he liked his job well enough and he was thankful that he was employed. He just had to find a way to put some excitement back into his life, or at least put some life back into his life without investing a lot of money and time doing it.

Chapter Six

Once again Gil was up Saturday morning and eagerly awaiting Angie's arrival. He didn't hear her pull up so he was surprised when he heard, "Gil are you decent?"

"I'm so decent I bore myself, come in." He heard the door close just as he made it to the living room.

"I hope yo don't mind me sticking my head in like that."

"Not at all."

"I'm starting to feel like the Avon lady ringing the bell and standing there."

"So how are you?"

"I'm great." They went straight to the couch where he had an insulated carafe of coffee waiting. "Nice touch, I guess you were expecting me."

"I was pacing the floor if you must know."

"How are you doing with the map?"

"Not good. No matter how much I stare at it and think about ti I'm dead in the water."

"I told Tony my fiancée about the map and he laughed and said he thought you were crazy. He agrees that phrase land here she lies makes no sense at all."

"He's probably right, but I can't stop thinking about it and that phrase drives me nuts."

"I asked him if he'd mind if I went with you to look around and he said he didn't care as long as I wasn't gone all day and I'd tell him about it later."

"That's generous of him. I drove out there last Saturday and I could see the area he had drawn, but that's a huge piece of land."

"And with no markings on the map we have no way to narrow the search area down."

"That's about it."

"Well I would guess the area would be in the center of the map. I mean why draw a map and have the treasure hidden near the edge of the map? That wouldn't make much sense at all."

"Hey, you're pretty good I like that idea. Want coffee or do you want to get started on the search?"

"Let's go poke around."

When they got out there they sat in the car as he pointed to the map and would point out the same features in the field. "We can't go by the trees because the big ones back there are long gone and others have grown up."

"Just what will we look for?"

"I don't even know. Irregularities in the ground I guess."

She laughed and said, "Gil this whole area is nothing but irregularities."

"I see what you mean. I don't know, we'll just walk around and see if anything catches our eye I guess." They hadn't gone a hundred yards when he said, "I'll bet your beautiful legs in those shorts don't appreciate these tall weeds."

She looked up at him and said, "So you were checking out my leg."

"Yes I was and I do believe I have them memorized."

"Well thank you for the compliment but I'm doing okay." They walked a little farther, turned around and cut a new path through the weeds going back toward the car. Then they would repeat the process again and then again as they worked their way across the area that was the center of the map. They finally stopped and she said, "I guess my idea wasn't such a good one after all."

"I disagree, I think you had a great idea. It didn't pan out, but the idea was solid and besides, we got to spend time together in the great outdoors."

"She looked up at him to say something as they walked but her toe caught a rock and she pitched forward. He grabbed her and pulled her toward him so his arms were around her torso just below her breasts. "You okay Angie?"

Her hands were now on his hips as she looked up at him again and said, "Yes I think so but my toe took a beating on that rock." He kept his arms around her as she said, "Thanks for saving me."

"My pleasure but I was thinking about myself too. I had to protect those legs at all costs."

She didn't move or push his hands away as she looked up at him and said, in a soft tone, "I guess we should get back."

"I suppose we should."

"Gil..."

"Yes?"

"Nothing, never mind. Let's go back and see if the coffee is still hot."

"After plowing through the weeds in this hot sun you still want hot coffee?"

"Either that or a cold shower or something. I mean I just need to get out of here." Both of them were quiet on the short drive home, but once they were there she said, "I think I better just get home."

"You sure your foot is okay?"

"It will be." She stopped at her car door and said, "Gil I'll see you next Saturday."

"Have a good week Angie."

"You too, bye." He went inside still feeling her in his arms and could still see her eyes as she looked up at him. Jim and Sandy were right, he as digging himself into a deep hole that he might not be able to get out of.

Chapter Seven

Gil was in bed and sound asleep Thursday night when his phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi it's Angie."

"Hi, you okay?"

"No. Somebody just shot my apartment full of holes."

What? Were you hit?"

"No I'm okay."

"When...how long ago?"

"An hour or so ago, the police just left. I called Tony and told him but I wanted to tell you too."

"What can I do to help you?"

"Nothing I guess but I'm so frightened." I live in a ground floor apartment and they shot about a dozen times."

"You can't stay there now."

"Gil I have to."

"You could stay here."

"No I can't but thank you."

"What about Tony?"

"He has a friend from out of town and it's a one bedroom apartment."

"Angie honey you can't stay there, it isn't safe."

"The police are going to keep a close eye on the area for the rest of the night. I just needed to talk to you, I'm sorry to wake you."

"That's no problem, but I wish you would reconsider staying here. I do have a guest room."

"Gil, Tony would have a stroke if I did that."

"Well at least you'd be safe and he could get over being mad."

"I'll be okay now. I'll see you Saturday morning."

"Thanks for telling me Ang and if you need somebody to talk to or anything at all call again no matter the time."

"Thanks, night."

"Night Angie." It took him quite awhile to get back to sleep and she was on his mind the instant he woke in the morning.

As he drove to work he worried about her and didn't even notice the car following him until he was within a mile of his office. He realized then that he had seen that same car not long after he'd left the house so he drove past the office and went around the block and the dark colored car stayed with him until he pulled into the parking lot near his office. Whoever was following him was smart enough to stay out of range of the security cameras that were arrayed around the whole building. He wanted to call Angie and tell her about being followed, but he didn't even know where she worked. All he could do was call her house and leave a message to call him as soon as she could. Angie finally called at six and Gil told her, "It's good to hear your voice, are you okay?"