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“I SAY YOUR RESEARCH for Jacob's friend is intriguing, and after reading the history of San Francisco, you provided I'm even more curious. Is there a chance, we could meet him?” Sir Jonathan said, reaching for another piece of toast.
“I'm sure Jacob could arrange it, let me give him a call, he's always at the bar early in the morning after shopping at the farmer's market.” Sue Lee answered while pouring more tea for Jane and herself. “I’ll call him from the kitchen while I check on our eggs.”
“Here, let me help,” Jane said following.
* * *
THEY PARKED ACROSS the street from the Hardware store and were greeted by Mr. Allen Potts when they walked through the entrance.
During the introductions, Jane observed how he dressed. It was not a business man’s attire. He looked more like a deckhand, and Mr. Potts had a sailors swagger when he walked over to greet them, small but in perfect shape for someone in his sixties. He had a Nordic look, with a strong jaw with a dimple and clear grey eyes that matched his wavy hair. During the introduction, Jane noticed that he was very articulated, except for a small stutter,
“P-Please follow me, to my office, and ladies be careful not to catch your sweaters on anything. We are a bit c-cramped in this old building as it is and now the new owners have been here inventorying. How is Jacob, I should take more time to visit with him, but these attempted breaks-in’s have kept me close to home, but now a Detective is assigned to the case?”
He said holding the door open to his office and gestured for everyone to walk in before him. Unlike the crowded workspace, his office was beautifully furnished in the Mission style, with a large oak desk, with a tall bookcase behind. The visitors had their choice of leather chairs or a matching couch. Sue Lee noticed the modern paintings depicting San Francisco in all its glory.
Jane thought the room was cozy and reminded her of Uncle Jonathan’s office at home in the Bahama’s.
Jonathan too looked around admiring the comfortable setting.
“P-Please sit.” Allan was interrupted when his clerk arrived with a tray of coffee along with an assortment chocolates. “Everyone, this is my assistant, Douglas Gleason, Douglas this is Sir Jonathan Snodgrass, his Niece Dr. Jane, and S-Sue Lee Ono Douglas is a student at Stanford seeking a professorship in archaeology. Isn't that correct Douglas?”
“Yes, hopefully, I will resume doing so next semester.”
“Oh, tell me, is Professor Henderson still in charge,” Sue Lee asked?
“Yes, I have been very fortunate to intern under him. I recognize your name you did the dissertation on Japanese ceramics from the ninth century Heian period. Professor Henderson said the war started before you could finish it; will you in the future?”
“My life has been full since those college days. Sue Lee answered wistfully. Perhaps, sometime we will talk more about it Douglas.”
“Yes, of course, please pardon me the bell rang I need to return to the front counter.”
“I say, what a pleasant young man, you are very fortunate,” Jonathan said after Douglas left. He also noticed Allen did not sit behind the commanding desk but took a place on the couch.
“W-Well, like I said he is my assistant, and his suggestion for cataloging my family collection has been a godsend.”
“Family collection Sir,” Sue Lee said with puzzlement? “I thought you only had a few antiquities for us to appraise?”
“Oh, I see Jacob never mentioned the size, maybe a show and tell would be the easiest way to explain. P-Please grab a bar of chocolate this may take a moment.” Allen said rising and pulling open a door leading to a dark staircase and turned on the light switch.
At the bottom of the stairwell was a huge room filled from floor to ceiling with nautical articles of all sorts. Block and tackles were hanging from the rafters, along with various ship bow sprites casting eerie shadows.
Stacked on the floor were trunks, and sea anchors of different sizes. Binnacle’s that once stood by the helmsman to house the ship's compass now lined one wall below the stairs.
On top of a long table, Ship's lanterns stood like sentinels guarding the ship's Bell’s hanging above.
Shelves on every wall were filled with old portholes, and latch handles along with trays of brass buttons and pieces of navigation equipment. Marine paraphernalia was everywhere you could see in the room.
“This is incredible,” Jonathan said pausing by a dusty tray filled with articles sitting on top of a bookshelf. A shiny object stood out from the others. He reached for the piece and said. “However, this is not a button but a French Franc. I say it was minted about 1850. Wouldn't you agree to that, Sue Lee?”
“Yes, singly not worth that much but in all of this, you could have more! How did your family accumulate everything Allen,” Sue Lee asked gesturing to the large room?
“P-Perhaps, we best go back up to my office and enjoy our coffee and chocolates, and I will explain.”
Sue Lee glanced back and saw Jonathan bend down and take two items from the shelf below the tray, while everyone started up the stairs. He quickly flipped through the pages before returning one book and blew the dust off what looked like a deck of cards, and pocketed one card before following.
After they were all seated Allen said looking at Sue Lee. “Are you all familiar with the filling of the Yerba Buena Cove?”
“Yes, apparently, we are sitting on top of it.”
“My grandparents were w-water lot owners. They accomplished their goal, filled this lot and built their store. During the process debris from other working properties would float by. My grandfather started gathering the items, hopefully, to sell to the gold miners. However, the prospectors were not interested, but someone was and k-killed my grandad here in this office.”
“Jacob told us what happened, I’m sorry. However, this office looks new was that staircase always there?” Jonathan asked pointing at the door.
“No, my father added those recently during the remodeling, he had an inconvenient trapdoor, not conducive for collecting.”
“How far along are you on your list,” Jane asked to get him away from his sad thoughts about his grandad?
Allen reached for a large book from his desk and opened it saying, “We are almost finished. You can see we photographed and systematically recorded information about each item. For instance, these pages have nothing but anchors you see are marked sold, local ironworks bought them. It's a slow process with interruptions, especially whenever I'm away.”
“You travel frequently,” Jane asked?
“Yes, my publisher is in New York. I recently returned.”
“Is this one of your books,” France, The War Years by Potts. Sue Lee asked, looking at the bookshelf. “You were there during the occupation?"
“Yes, caught up in it like other Americans but managed to stay in hiding with the help of a theatrical family in Paris. I wrote the plays they produced. The book describes how we pander to our German audience to survive.”
“It sounds fascinating. I look forward to reading your book!”
“Thank you, I have published that and several more through the years. Potts said waving his hand at the other shelf. Mostly fictional novels,” He said proudly.
“Is that what you did living in the East?” Sir Jonathan hoped he was discreet enough to not sound like he was prying.
“True, and eager to get back to it I have no interest in the hardware business, but the collection intrigued me, or I would have sold shortly after the inheritance. You see I have a problem at times interacting with customers. I stutter whenever I'm excited.” Jane noticed he paused to concentrate. “I-I know it pushes people away. They become uncertain of your intelligence. Recently, I learned that Detective Harrington, daughter has the same problem.”
Sue Lee remembering Yoshi’s trap that covered a killer in colorful paint and feathers! Harrington was the investigator for that break-in.
Sue Lee too knew his younger daughter had the same trouble, and always admired how devoted Detective Harrington was to her.
Jane accepted another chocolate Allen offered and asked. “I'm sure the Detective already asked but do you have any theories about the break-ins?"
He stood and walked over by the window looking out to pull together his thoughts.
While his back was turned Jane astonishingly watched her uncle quickly lift the open pages of the cataloging book for a parcel glance at the next few pages. They were empty.
“W-Well, during our cataloging we have found nothing valuable. Various coins from different countries with old mint markings, like you pointed out Sir Jonathan,” he said turning back to face them, “but not enough to consider a treasure. Douglas, fortunately, found an interested party to take on the collection as a potential museum. A philanthropist, Mrs. Barbara Weber, who was a friend of William Randolph Hearst. She is now engaged in preserving the history of San Francisco she is not interested in all the items, if you have any ideas, please let me know?”
“We certainly will, Sir Jonathan said, standing and offering his card. However, as you can see, Island Art Inquiries, deals, mostly with recovering museum pieces however, we do have connections in the antique world, and if you wish, we will put out an inquiry.”
Jane and Sue Lee were both curious about Jonathan’s actions and their abrupt departure as they too stood and shook hands with Allen.
Back in the car, he said, “Quickly, I need a phone to call Interpol.”