Easton Blossoms - Secret Room

Prompted by the sounds of a crying goat, Shelley and Deputy Jerry search for the hidden entrance to a forgotten room. Here's the beginning of the chapter entitled "Secret Room."

Shelley and Deputy Jerry stood side-by-side in their small kitchen in the Caretaker’s Cottage staring at the paneling on the wall. To get to the paneling they had moved both the refrigerator and stove into the dining area. The kitchen table now stood in the middle of the living room.

“I hope what’s behind there is worth this big mess,” Shelley said looking at the scrapes on the floor and the collection of dust bunnies where the stove and refrigerator had been.

“At least we’ll know what the paneling is hiding,” Deputy Jerry said, putting his arm around Shelley’s shoulder.

He took the hammer and awl from his tool box and climbed the ladder to reach the ceiling. Deputy Jerry gently tapped the putty covering the recessed nails so as not to damage the paneling. If there proved to be nothing behind it, they would need to put the paneling back on the wall.

“Can’t you just pull the nails out?” Shelley impatiently asked.

“The nails are covered with putty. I have to remove it first. It’s going pretty fast, so hold your horses,” he teased, aiming his exaggerated smile at her.

“Ok, but I feel like Jason; I want results now!” She said smiling in return.

The putty did prove to be old and brittle and in no time at all, the putty and nails were removed. Prying a putty knife along the edge of the paneling, Deputy Jerry slowly removed the paneling.

“Well, look at that,” Shelley said, as Deputy Jerry walked backwards in the kitchen while he carried the large sheet of paneling. He leaned the paneling next to the displaced refrigerator and turned around to finally see what the paneling had covered.

“There definitely is a doorway there. We’ll need to remove those planks,” he said.

“I’ll get a crowbar,” Shelley said, dashing past Deputy Jerry and out the front door.

He stood gawking at the front door as it momentarily opened again with Shelley holding the tire iron from her car. “Uh, Shelley. That’s not a crowbar.”

“I know that. I don’t even know where to find a crowbar, but this has a flat end. It’ll work just fine pulling out those planks,” she said, waving the tire iron around.

“Yep. You’re right. It should work just fine,” he said gently taking the tire iron from his wife before she accidently clobbered him with it. “You’re very resourceful. Quite a bit like your mother I would say."

“Since you have that goofy grin on your face, I assume you’re teasing me,” Shelley said raising an eyebrow in question.

“Of course, I am. Now, let’s get this doorway opened,” Deputy Jerry said as he applied the tire iron to the planks filling the doorway to what they hoped was the forgotten basement.

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