.
MANIFEST
Chapter Two
Frustration seeped throughout the atmosphere as Sydney and Katheryn enjoyed a brief respite at C.D.'s for the duration of the dinner hour. They had spent the entire afternoon interviewing far too many antique shop owners as a long shot hoping perhaps one of them had sold their mystery key to someone they might just remember. But the search had rendered them as helpless as they were at the beginning of the day. So they decided to call it a day and return to the case first thing in the morning.
It was Kim who was perky as the streaming Texas sunshine as Kath made her way into Thunder Investigations the next morning practically being overrun by the spunky woman in her leap from her desk, meeting her at the door.
"You'll never believe what I found out!" She shrieked.
"Tell me!" Katheryn urged as she joined Sydney across the room at the secretary's desk. Alex had to attend to her work as Assistant DA while the others continued on this mystery case.
"Well," Kim cleared her throat and situated herself at her desk. "I was doing a little snooping last night on my own and came across this book that was published three years ago. It's all about Texas prison history. The author was a warden himself at Huntsville. The majority of this book is full of Huntsville history."
"Wow. That's awesome," Kath remarked as she peered over Kim's shoulder at the computer screen. There was one copy available at the nearest library, and the part of her that loved history couldn't wait to get her hands on the thing. "Sydney, want to go for a drive?"
"No need!" Kim reached into her draw and flashed a copy of the book. "I knew you guys wouldn't want to waste any time so I picked up a copy from another branch this morning."
Kath snatched the copy with a broadening grin and scurried up to the loft where she spread the book open in her lap. By the time Sydney and Kim had followed, she had located the portion of the book all about Huntsville and was already perusing the paragraphs as quickly as she could.
It was when she landed on the third page that all three ladies' eyes grew about as large as they possibly could be.
"Oh my goodness. Is it?" Kim stumbled to say.
Katheryn barely issued a nod. "Y—yeah. It is."
"Well," Sydney reached for the item, hoisting it closer to her widening eyes to see an address printed plain as day. "I guess this is one open and shut case for us. We just go to that antique shop and let them know we have a key that was randomly sent to us."
"Hold on a sec," Kath noted, raising a hand and lowering it down to the next page in the book. "It says here most of their keys were sold to a museum a few months before this book was written."
All three women cast dejected glances around them and felt hopeless for a split moment until Kim noticed a footnote which had her leaping across the room, down the stairs, and to her computer. The others looked on curiously as she sped across her keyboard until she announced she had found something, leading the others to follow her downstairs.
"I found another news article," Kim remarked, her gaze locked on the screen before her. "The author of this book still works at an antique shop as of three months ago. What are the chances he might be able to clue us in on anyone who could have sent the key. Maybe he sent the key himself?"
"Nice thinking, Kim," Katheryn grinned and asked Kim if she had an address.
With said address in hand, Kath and Sydney began their journey out this time with a little more hope for a good turnout than the last time.
"You know I'm thinking about getting Walker and Alex an antique gift for their wedding," Katheryn mentioned as she climbed out of the passenger side of Sydney's government issue sedan, joining her on the sidewalk leading past several shops to their destination.
"Oh? What do you have in mind?"
"I don't know. Maybe something that would have belonged to a Texas Ranger back in the old days. Hayes Cooper maybe? If it's in my budget," Kath chuckled. "God knows every penny I get these days has been going into my own little wedding piggy bank."
"You know, if you find something you love, let me know. We could go in on it together. I've got a few pennies set aside you could use."
Kath refrained from wanting to hug Sydney and simply smiled as broadly as she could. "That's so sweet of you! Thanks. If we make it through this case, maybe I'll take you up on that offer."
The place could have easily been described as heaven to Katheryn whose wandering eyes and open mouth couldn't help but display her awe for her surroundings as she stepped inside the antique shop. But it was not like any other antique shop she had ever been in. Most shops she had been in were full of nick-knacks that no one ever cares for. Trash mostly. Things only sentimental to the people who had owned them. Otherwise, its antique value was mostly personal. Also the musty smell of years of cigarette abuse and moth balls flooded the senses, leaving her with at least a day of recovery before the headache finally dissipated.
But this store was completely different. It smelled nice. Welcoming. Inviting. She could almost swear that the owners genuinely cared about the place, taking the time to display the items neatly and beautifully. Many of the items looked familiar from her years of being a sideline history buff since she was a teenager. Still, she wanted to know every story behind every item she saw. She would most definitely have to exercise some self-control to focus on the one item they had to investigate during the trip. Mentally she decided she had to come back someday soon.
"Well, hello there, ladies!" An older gentleman popped from behind the counter and met the women with handshakes and smiles. "What brings you to my shop?"
Sydney was the first to speak up while Kath was still pulling herself out of her reverie. "We were hoping to speak to Mr. Patrick McMahan. He's the author of a book we've been reading about the history of Huntsville. Would you happen to know if he's here or not?"
"Well," the man winked. "You're in luck. I just happened to know him very closely. In fact, we are best of friends."
"That's wonderful!" Kath finally joined them in conversation. "Is he here now?"
"Yes. Especially when he and I are the one and the same."
Sydney and Kath nearly blushed but kept their smiles on as they laughed off the moment. But the jovial moment was brought to a screeching halt when the doors to the shop suddenly flew open, Kath and Sydney whirling around to face three men in masks. All men held pistols to their faces, screaming instructions to whomever was in their presence. Shrieks erupted from a few other patrons as they were shoved over to join the others by Mr. McMahan and the women in the lobby.
Sydney reflexed, her hand coming down against her side as her heart sank. "I left my weapon in the car," Sydney whispered under her breath to Kath. "I'm technically off duty right now," she smirked just as one of the men grabbed her by the arm, forcing her eyes onto his, the only part of his body she could see through his mask.
The piercing green eyes glared into Sydney's with an anger she could only trace through each sharp breath he took. The hold on her arm grew tighter by the second. "You a cop?"
"Why do you ask?" Sydney remarked with a laugh teasing her reply.
"You reached for your side mighty fast, girly!"
"It's a habit. A quirk. I'm sure you have some yourself. Mine just happens to be putting my hand on my hip when I'm stressed," she replied blankly, immediately knowing the excuse was not good enough to cover her tracks.
The goon wasn't convinced but released his hold and ordered everyone to the back of the shop where there was a room adjacent away from open windows.
"What do you men want?!" Mr. McMahan demanded. "I don't have much money!"
The men began tying each person's hands behind their backs while the last man held a gun to the group of about seven people.
The culprit who had held tightly to Sydney was now in Mr. McMahan's face, his eyes threatening alongside the point of his gun. "What we want, mister, is far more valuable than money. After all, we take the road less traveled to get our reward."
Sydney and Katheryn winced as they were thrown to the ground, their backs against the wall as the men began tying their ankles together also. Soon Mr. McMahan had joined them on the floor not by his own will along with the other four patrons.
Both Sydney and Katheryn were equally busy observing each man's movements, learning as much as they could in the short window of time. It was no time for fear although it raged in each woman subtly and secretly. This hold-up was far too vague for either's comfort. Whatever these men wanted, they wanted badly. And they seemed like the kind that would do anything to get it.
