Chapter 16
"Let me get this straight, Laura. Your father simply disappeared without any form of contact," Remington confirmed as they drove toward the 6th Street bridge.
"Yes… and no. It's complicated, I guess," Laura groaned. "He and Mother were fighting off and on for the better part of a month when all of a sudden, he just left. Packed a bag when we were out one day, and that was it."
Remington pressed his lips together tightly and nodded slowly. "And he never made contact after that?" he questioned.
"I don't think so. Mother never mentioned it. She just shut down and I… well, I was devastated. I was so lost in my own grief that I guess I didn't pay as much attention to things as I should have," Laura admitted while she picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her pant leg.
"So, he could have contacted Abigail, but you have no knowledge of it," Remington suggested.
Laura shrugged her shoulders, "I think she would have said something if he had."
Remington sighed loudly before he continued, "And now, out of the blue, he's come to first warn you off finding this key, but then insisting that if you do, you have to bring him the contents in person on an island off the coast. Not to mention, the only way to get there is by a boat, and that boat is run by the FBI. Don't you find that a bit odd?"
Laura rubbed her forehead with two fingers as she contemplated his explanation. "What if… what if he was in trouble? And what if the only way to keep us safe was to leave," she suggested.
Remington nodded, "I might buy that, if, and only if there is something of value in that safe deposit box."
"Well, Mr. Steele," Laura gave Remington a weak smile, "the only way to find out is to find that key." She looked out the window and mentally analyzed all the pros and cons of their situation.
"Laura, I've said it before… if this is too difficult, then we don't have to do this. We can simply do as we originally planned… find the key, give it to Mr. Clark and be on our merry little way," Remington insisted.
Laura snapped her head to the side to look at him, "No. I need answers. I've waited for fourteen years for answers, and if the only way to get them is to find that key and bring that box to him, then dammit, I'm going to get those answers!"
Remington lifted one hand off the wheel and gestured, "All right, just calm down. There's no need to get all worked up now. Look, see? We're here. So, let's take all that… that energy you have and focus it on the case."
Laura exhaled loudly and agreed, "Fine. Focus on the case." She climbed out of the car before she reached into the backseat to get the large crowbar she had placed there earlier. "We don't want to forget this."
"And if we don't need it to pry that grate you described open, we can still use it to fend off any unsavory types, eh?" Remington teased with a lopsided grin.
Laura rolled her eyes, tossed the crowbar at him and stated, "Very funny, Mr. Steele." Remington chuckled as he caught the heavy tool. Together, they jogged across the now dry flat ground of the basin to the opening of the marked tunnel. Laura pulled out a flashlight, flicked it on, and said, "Would you like to go first?"
"Not at all, Laura. You just be sure to shine that light as we go," he instructed. She started into the tunnel, Remington close behind. Together they made their way to the grate Laura had found on her previous visit. Laura searched for any sign of her pungent friend but was unable to locate him. "Coast clear?" he teased.
Laura ignored his comment and pointed at the heavy grate, "So, this is what I was talking about. I'm not sure how to get this open so we can get to the other side."
Remington studied the grate and suggested, "Let's go back and get that cart. Once we get it open, we can wedge the cart in to hold it, just in case we need this crowbar for something else."
Laura nodded, "Excellent suggestion, Mr. Steele. I'll stay here and hold it while you go get that cart."
Remington scowled at her, glanced down the tunnel then back at Laura again. "Fine, fine," he muttered as he handed her the heavy tool before he shuffled through the ankle-deep water back to the spot where the cart rested. He struggled to shake the cart free of debris before he finally lifted the end out of the water.
"Need some help?" a gravelly voice echoed in the semi-darkness. Remington could smell the man as he neared. "I can help you," the man repeated.
Remington looked down at the cart, still stuck in debris, and stated, "You sure, Mate? I don't want to take you away from anything."
"I got nothing but time. Not too many visitors down here… except for a pretty lady a day or two ago," the man informed him as he pulled some of the branches loose.
"Oh?" Remington replied with a twist of his mouth. He bit his lip as he and the man worked together until they successfully untangled the remaining refuse from the lower part of the cart.
"You trying to get that old grate open, too?" the man asked. He began following Remington as he slowly pushed the metal cart through the tunnel.
"Mr. Steele?" Laura's voice echoed off the concrete walls.
Remington glanced over that the man in the dim light and called back, "On my way… with company." He continued to maneuver the cart until he could see the walls illuminated brighter by Laura's flashlight.
"Oh, no," Laura groaned as the man's odor reached her sinuses once more. Remington and the man approached with a scowl clearly evident on Remington's face. "Hello, dear," Laura stated with a saccharine smile.
"I… uh… I found the cart you mentioned, and this gentleman was kind enough to help me dislodge it," Remington stated. The muscle in his cheek twitched as he watched Laura's expression.
"It's you again!" the man exclaimed happily. "I see you brought help this time. And a tool. Tools are good. Very helpful."
"So, you two have met before?" Remington questioned as he stared at Laura.
Self-consciously, Laura fingered the hollow of her throat as she stuttered, "Not really, only briefly." She glanced over at the man and added, "It's nice to see you again."
Remington nodded, "Uh-huh. Well, I guess we are in your debt for helping us, Mate." He reached into his pocket and pulled out several bills. "Maybe this will suffice." He handed the money to the foul-smelling man who promptly balled the cash into his grimy palm.
"Oh, thank you, sir!" the man exclaimed, his eyes lighting up quickly. "I'm going to head out now unless you folks need any more help?" he asked as he slowly pocketed the money.
"No, I think we have this, Mate. Go get yourself a hot meal," Remington smiled. The man nodded gleefully and scurried away into the darkness. Remington turned back to Laura and stated, "We can discuss your acquaintance with our friend later. Let's see what we can do about getting this grate open, shall we?" Without waiting for a reply, he took the flat end of the crowbar and shimmied it into a small gap in the seal of the grate. He began pushing against the massive barrier in an effort to dislodge it from its resting place. "A little help, if you wouldn't mind," he snapped at Laura.
Laura moved to stand beside him, and together they pressed against the crowbar once more. "That's it… it's moving!" she declared as the rusty grate began to give way and lift slightly. Slowly, they managed to wriggle the crowbar further under the heavy metal until they had enough leverage to push the grate open wide enough to force the shopping cart underneath, wedging it open. "Well done, Mr. Steele," Laura applauded his efforts.
Remington pushed the sweat-dampened lock of hair off his face with one hand, leaving a dirt smear on his forehead. "Thank you, Mrs. Steele. Now, let's see if we can find this damn key. I'm not sure how long that cart is going to hold." He carefully guided Laura's head under the grate before he followed.
Together, they made their way to the other end of the tunnel, where Laura had spotted the red and white indicator on the left side of the tunnel. "I don't see anything here," he stated.
Laura swung the flashlight to face the left corridor and pointed, "There." Remington spotted another red and white circle. "I remember this section. My father brought me down here once or twice. He told me we would play hide and seek, only there weren't very many places to hide," Laura stated, a hint of sadness in her tone. She walked as fast as she dared, once again, the small bodies of rats scurrying between their feet. Once they reached the marker, Laura inspected the surrounding area. The end of the tunnel was blocked by bars, floor to ceiling, and nothing but darkness and the sound of rushing water.
She moved back to the spot Remington was still standing and shook her head. "Nothing more down there, so he must have hidden it somewhere around here, but where?"
Remington held his hand out for the flashlight, "May I?" Laura promptly handed it over. Remington slowly scanned the old stone and concrete wall until something caught his eye. He reached up and began picking at the loose mortar around one particular stone. "Find me a stick or something so I can get this out," he instructed.
Laura scanned the floor and quickly found what he was looking for. She handed him a thick sliver of wood, which he promptly used dig around the stone with more vigor. Slowly, he worked the stone free from its spot in the wall. Remington handed the stone and the sliver of wood to Laura and pushed up on his toes to get a glimpse inside the exposed hole. "Here. Lift me up, and I'll look," Laura suggested. Remington handed her back the flashlight without a word and hoisted her up. Laura focused the beam of light directly into the newly exposed hole. "I see something," she announced.
Laura reached into the hole and extracted a small, zippered, canvas bag with the faded words Crescent Bank on the side. Remington slowly lowered her to her feet and took the bag from her. He inspected the rusty zipper under the glow of the flashlight and shook his head. "Well, we're going to need some tools to get this open. Let's take it back to the office and give it a whirl," he declared.
"Good. The smell in this place is starting to get to me," Laura admitted as she wrinkled her nose.
Remington gave her a weak smile, swept his hand to the side in a grand gesture, and said, "After you."