The Search Begins
When Aunt Maggie rang the bell the next morning, Max woke with a start. He felt like he had been asleep only a few minutes. At breakfast, Uncle Jay listed off the projects that they had to do before they could leave.
“Someone needs to get the chores done so the animals will be taken care of for the day. Depending on how it goes today, Maggie and I might not get back before tomorrow morning. We need to get the trailer restocked and food packed for you. Since none of us is made of money, you’re going to have to cook for yourselves.” His eyes twinkled. “I assume you will want to eat.”
“We sure will,” said Brandon. “Food and I are friends. I like it all . . . well, all except tomatoes.”
“Oh, Brandon,” Aunt Maggie said, “I’m sorry, but I thought I would send tomato salad, tomato soup, and tomato juice. It’s a tradition in our family, you know.”
“Huh?” Slim said.
Max looked at Aunt Maggie and he saw the corners of her mouth twitch. Slim snorted in laughter and she started to laugh too. Soon they all were.
“Brandon, maybe you should help load the food into the trailer,” Slim said. “Then you can make sure we he-men have some food we like.”
Uncle Jay chuckled. “Good idea.” He looked around the table. “I called Howard before breakfast. He’s expecting us this afternoon. He will check his records. He remembers the sale where he got the clock; he just needs to find the contact person. Hopefully he will have the name for us when we get there.”
“If the person is old,” said Max, “they may not remember much. They could even be dead.”
“Max!” Carly said. “Don’t say that; they can’t be dead.”
“Max is right,” said Dorie. “I hadn’t thought of that. But maybe there would be other family. Maybe they would help us.”
“We won’t find out if we don’t get going,” said Uncle Jay. “Let’s get things ready and go.”
At 3:30 p.m. the three vehicles pulled into the small parking lot beside the Antique Alley. The store stood next to a large bank, the back of which crowded the small parking lot with its bulk. On the other side, the antique store connected to a bridal shop. Max noticed only two other cars in the lot when they arrived.
As they walked across the parking lot, Uncle Jay nodded his head toward the vehicle at the back of the lot. “That green pickup is Howard’s.”
“I’ve never been to an antique store,” said Chad, his eyes wide. “Do they have candy?”
Max rolled his eyes and grinned at Dorie.
Dorie laughed. “No, Chad, there isn’t candy. It’s antiques—very old things. Expensive, breakable, very old things,” she said. “That’s why you’ve never been.” She turned to Aunt Maggie. “Mom doesn’t take us to stores with breakables until we are ten. She says going to an antique store with children is not her idea of fun.”
“That’s a good reminder for all of you,” Grandma said. “Just look, don’t touch, and don’t push or shove.”
When the door opened, an old-fashioned doorbell announced their arrival. At the front counter Max saw a tall, thin man with a shock of white hair which stood straight up on his head, making him look even taller. His ruddy face was wrinkled and lined, and when he smiled, his bright eyes almost disappeared between his cheeks and forehead.
By the time they all got through the door, they filled most of the aisle space in the front half of the small store.Max looked around. This place is crammed.There’s not a single spot for anything else.
“It’s something, isn’t it?” said Howard. He waved his hand at the walls, floors, and display cases all covered with merchandise, some piled two or three layers deep, a thin layer of dust coating every flat surface. Max wrinkled up his nose. He could smell the mustiness of a room full of old things.
“I keep saying I will clear it out, have a half-price sale, or reorganize . . . but, I never quite get around to it.” He chuckled. “Besides, my son says the clutter gives the store ‘ahm-biance.’”
“What’s ahviance?” asked Chad.
“That’s how the room feels,” said Molly.
Howard’s eyes widened. “Boy, you have some smart ones here. No wonder you brought them along.” His gaze shifted over their heads. “Are you ready?”
Max turned and saw a young woman holding an old-fashioned flour sifter and a pillow.
“You folks look around while I take this lady’s hard-earned money.” Howard winked at the boys. “Then we’ll get down to business.”
A few minutes later, they crowded around the front counter. Max watched as Howard examined the old map with his magnifying glass. The air felt tense as the family waited for him to finish.
Finally, he looked up and removed his glasses. “This is remarkable. But it’s pretty worn.”
“I know,” said Uncle Jay. “I’m afraid much of the detail is lost permanently.”
“I saw on the History Channel where they can restore old documents,” said Max. “Do you know anyone who does that?” Max looked at the store owner, willing him to answer yes.
“As a matter of fact, young man, that’s an excellent suggestion. The process is kind of expensive, but I have a friend who owes me a favor. I’ve let him practice on some of my old documents, so he said if I ever had anything. . . . Could you leave this with me for a few days? I’ll call him and have him come get it. He’ll be thrilled to see it, I’m sure.”
Uncle Jay looked around the group. “What do you think? You’re the ones who need the maps. Do you think you can work with the copies for a while?”
“Is there a chance the map will be ruined?” asked Carly.
Howard nodded. “Are you all sure you want to take the chance?”
No one spoke while they thought about that possibility. Finally, Molly said in a low voice, “We won’t have any chance at all if we can’t read it.”
“I agree,” said Max. “We may get close and never solve the mystery, which would be a waste of time, money, and just plain awful.”
The others nodded. “Okay,” Uncle Jay said. “Then it’s settled. You contact your friend and let me know what happens. The Johnsons will be with Slim and the children, and they have a cell phone. We’ll give you their number too.”
“What about the former owner of the clock? Any leads for us?” Max asked.
Howard grinned. “She’s alive and sharp as a tack. I talked to Miss Belle Cox this morning. She lives in the Mountain View Assisted Living facility in Salida. When I told her the new owner of the clock found something hidden in it, she almost came unglued right on the phone. She was so excited she insisted you must come immediately to tell her about it.” He laughed. “She said when you come, tomorrow at one, she will tell you the story of the clock.”