I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. I've had computer issues and other things going on. I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing. Here is my new chapter. Hope you like it. I must say I do love adding the storm to the story. I think it pretty much sums up everything going on. let me know what you think and review.
Iola's Treasure 20
Joe handed Frank the coin."It's real gold, isn't it?"
Frank began to study the coin closely by the candle light. "It sure looks real." He replied as the thunder continued to rumble above them. Turning the coin over, he spied a woman's face. Before turning it back he saw two swords crossing each other. "The emblem on this is exactly like the one on Douglas's ring and on his invitation."
Chet spoke up eagerly. "How much is it worth?"
"Two and a half million" Joe stated. "That is, once we possess all of them."
"Are you serious?" Chet's mouth dropped in shock.
"Yep, that's what Hattie told us."
"You think there are more in the house?"
"It's possible." Joe replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm not so sure." Frank disagreed. "Hattie told us that her grandfather, James Barmet, paid off the house with some of those coins", he continued recalling the information Hattie'd told them. "He also bought Barmet Island and buried the remainder of the coins in a vault somewhere on the island."
"Yes, but Hattie also told us that James Barmet was very mysterious" Joe pointed out. "Perhaps the man was full of secrets?" He nodded at the coin in Frank's hand. "That could explain why Hattie's parents never found the clues. Barmet concealed them in objects like that old clock?"
"I guess it is possible," Frank concurred. "I do however have a suspicion that this coin is significant somehow." He added handing Joe back the coin. "Here hang on to this. Keep it safe."
"Me?" Joe asked, surprised by this. "You're going to trust me with this?"
Frank brought up an eyebrow looking at Joe strangely. "Why would you say such a thing?"
"I don't know," Joe shrugged his shoulders. "Well after everything I've done like getting arrested for attacking Douglas and dealing with all this drama surrounding Barmet Island. I just needed to hear someone say that they still trust me".
It broke Frank's heart to hear those words come out of his brother's mouth. Instinctively, he wrapped an arm around Joe's shoulders. "You may be impulsive and hotheaded, and your unpredictability drives me crazy at times. This idea of us going to Barmet Island to find Douglas and Underwood and those coins is crazy. Going against Dad is even crazier."
"I would've gone with you anyway. So I'm probably just as crazy and unpredictable as you are. I trust you, Joe. I trust you with my life." Then in an attempt to diffuse the tension Frank added, "You did find the coin, so it's only fair that you be the one to hang on to it. I trust you won't let anything happen to it".
"Thanks." Joe took a deep breath, and then looked at Frank with a big smile on his face. "I promise to keep the coin safe." He vowed concealing the coin in his hand.
More thunder continued to rumble over them. "Maybe we should call our folks?" Chet suggested strongly. "So they won't worry about us."
"I tried to call home earlier before I ran upstairs to get Hattie's things." Frank informed him. "I couldn't get a signal on my cell phone. The storm must've blown down the power lines."
"Besides, we're not going home." Joe cut in. "We're going to Barmet Island first thing in the morning."
"Won't your Dad be expecting you to come home with Hattie's things?"
"By morning Dad'll have figured out where we've gone".
"What about Hattie? What if she's...?" Chet asked, unable to say the dreaded word.
The boys fell into silence, thinking of the kind old lady. It's been almost an hour since they'd left home to pick up Hattie's things, neither one of them wanted to think about her dying.
Joe felt a slight ache in his heart. It was the same ache he'd experienced when Iola died. In truth, he was afraid to go home. He didn't know if he was ready to face the thought of Hattie's death. He had grown so close to her in such a short time. She had somehow managed to fill an empty place in his heart, where Iola had once been. Now the thought of losing Hattie made his heart hurt again.
"Why do people I get close to have to die? I've already lost Iola," He shuddered at the thought. "Who'll be next? My family…my friends," Joe instinctively looked at Frank. Then all at once the ache in his heart began to increase. No! Not Frank...I can't lose him! He's the one person who means everything to me, more than anything else. The thought of losing Frank would be...As these thoughts flew through his mind, Joe's breathing changed. He started breathing heavier.
"Joe!" He heard Frank's shout, as it helped bring him out of his panicked state. As a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, it helped him see the look of concern his brother was sending his way.
"Joe, are you okay?" Frank asked worriedly.
"Huh? Yeah I'm...I'm fine" Joe replied breathlessly. "I was just thinking about Hattie. I'll be fine".
Frank could tell that he was lying. He noted Joe's pale face as well as his heavy breathing. He knew something was wrong. Before he could say anything, a clap of thunder exploded above them, startling the boys out of their thoughts.
"Oh, Geez!" Chet exclaimed throwing a hand to his chest. "Something tells me the storm is back."
The boys glanced out the window as once again it began to rain heavily, the wind beginning to pick up; blowing branches and debris all over the place.
"We're not going anywhere tonight that's for sure." Frank commented.
"In the meantime," Joe said quickly changing the subject. After a few seconds he had his breathing under control and back to normal. "Let's see if we can find any more clues." Frank knew that his brother wasn't okay but ultimately decided that now was not the time and let the matter rest.
"It'll take us all night to go through the house." Chet groaned as he shone his flashlight around the room taking in the endless books and magazines cluttered around the room as well as clothes and other miscellaneous objects.
"We can cover more ground if we split up." Frank suggested, "I'll search upstairs. Joe, you continue to search down here."
"Okay." Joe gulped nervously. He suddenly felt a surge of panic coursing through his body at Frank's suggestion.
"And I'll take the kitchen." Chet volunteered.
"Why am I not surprised?" Frank said, with a grin on his face.
"Hey, you never know what treasures are hidden in there." Chet answered all nonchalant and then added patting his stomach. "Besides, I'm starving."
Frank lightly chuckled. "Okay, Chet you take the kitchen."
"Happy hunting," Chet smiled and gave the brothers a slight wave and headed straight to the kitchen.
Frank just laughed and shook his head. "I guess I'll head on upstairs.
"Joe, are you..." He started to ask, but his heart skipped a beat when he turned to see his brother staring at him noticing bits of fear and sadness in his blue eyes.
"Joe?"
"Huh, oh yeah, I'm okay." Joe shook himself out of his trance. He couldn't bring himself to tell Frank the truth that he was afraid of being left alone. What if Frank went upstairs and didn't come back? What if something bad happened to him?! What if he... No...No... Stop thinking like that... Frank will be okay as long as he stays in my sight. He berated himself. Stop it! You're acting crazy!
"I told you Frank, I can't stop thinking about Hattie." Joe murmured as he began to search the living room. "What's going to happen to this house? Everything in this place is Hattie's life. It's her story. Who's going to take care of it after she's gone?"
All at once the truth spilled from his lips. "What if I can't do it Frank? What if I'm not strong enough to handle...it...when Hattie..." Joe's voice quivered as he attempted to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I'm scared Frank...I'm scare I'll fall apart...I can't watch someone I care about die."
Frank knew he wasn't getting the whole story. Joe's sudden change in behavior had him worried. His brown eyes started to mist over as he thought. Oh God! What if it's already starting to happen? Joe's mental state was fragile enough already, it wouldn't take much for it to unravel. If he's going to fall apart on me now, what's he going to be like when we get to Barmet Island? Will there be anything left of him when this case is finally over?
Fenton had warned him not to leave Joe alone and Frank now understood why. It was going to take all of his strength to keep Joe together.
"Joe you're a lot stronger than you think you are." Frank said, calmly. "And you don't have to go through this alone. Mom, Dad and Aunt Gertrude will all be there to help you. And you have me. I'll be with you every step of the way. If you fall apart, I'll be there to pick you up."
"You don't have to be there when..." He cleared his throat as a lump rose in it before continuing, "Hattie passes away. No one will make you. It's your choice, okay?"
"Okay." Joe let his brother's words sink in, "Just promise you won't leave me?" He asked almost pleading.
"I promise." Frank vowed.
"No matter what?" Joe inquired.
No matter what." Frank reassured him, "Now why don't we search the house together?"
"Okay." Joe said letting out a sigh of relief. However he still couldn't shake the fear of losing his brother. Frank led the way to the staircase with Joe practically on his heels.
"What is going on with him?" Frank thought.
The brothers entered Hattie's bedroom. Frank played the flashlight over the room, seeing the bed and nightstand before noticing a picture frame sitting on the dresser. He immediately when over to pick it up.
"Joe, take a look at this."
"What is it?" Joe asked curiously. Looking over Frank's shoulder Joe let out a gasp; it was a wedding picture of a young couple. Hattie wore a beautiful, lacy white wedding dress. She held a bouquet of flowers as she stood next to a relatively tall young man who wore a dark suit that showed off his muscular frame. The man had short dark hair and a full beard. The man looked exactly like Albert Douglas!
"Is that Harold?" Joe asked in disbelief, "Hattie's late husband?"
"Yeah," Frank answered dryly. "You don't need a DNA test to prove they are indeed father and son. They look exactly alike."
"That rat!" Joe couldn't stand the thought of that sweet woman being cheated on. "Maybe it's for the best that Hattie never found out that her jerk of a husband cheated on her!"
"Maybe she knew." Frank said.
"What makes you say that?"
"I don't know. Having a cheating husband is a private matter. Maybe Hattie just wanted to keep it to herself." Frank shrugged his shoulders. "It's just a thought."
"Come on, let's keep looking for clues". He said steering back to the main subject.
The brothers continued their search; they managed to get through all four bedrooms and the bathroom. Just like the living room the bedrooms were also cluttered with stuff. Though they searched every nook and cranny, they came up empty-handed.
The whole time Joe never left Frank's side. Whatever room Frank went into Joe was right behind him. Frank would stop and ask him if he was alright. And every time Joe would give him a vague, "I'm fine."
At about a quarter to ten the brothers gave up and returned to the living room. There, they found Chet setting down a silver tray with three bowls of hot soup and crackers on the blanket he'd found by the fireplace.
"I see you found the kitchen alright." Frank teased.
"Hey, it's all I could find." Chet answered promptly. "Hattie's cupboards are practically bare".
"Not like it'll make a difference." Joe mumbled under his breath.
Soon the boys were sitting by the fire and filling their bellies with the soup and crackers Chet had prepared. Frank told Chet about the wedding photo they'd found in Hattie's room, also mentioning the resemblance between Harold Granger and Albert Douglas.
"So they are father and son?" Chet asked while processing this tidbit of information.
"It sure looks that way." Frank confirmed.
Frank had to admit the soup tasted pretty good, he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten. He glanced over at Joe; he'd barely touched his soup and was just leaning against the couch, staring morosely into the fire. He had the saddest expression on his face.
"We should probably turn in if we're going to Barmet Island in the morning." Frank suggested hoping a goodnight's sleep was what Joe needed.
"That sounds… like a plan…to me." Chet said yawning.
"Joe, why don't you crawl up here on the couch and get some sleep?" Frank placed a hand on top of his shoulder to get his attention.
Joe slowly nodded in reply while rising to his feet. "You promise you won't leave me?" He whispered softly.
Frank exchanged worried looks with Chet, before turning back to Joe. "I promise." He vowed again, "I'm not going anywhere."
"What is this?" Joe asked holding up a brown photo album and Hattie's blue floral print dress. He draped the dress over the other couch.
"It's the Barmet Family Album." Frank answered. In the midst of all the commotion he'd completely forgotten about it. He'd thrown the dress and photo album on the couch when Joe had shown him the coin.
Frank and Chet got to their feet as Joe brought the album over so they could see it. Opening it they found black and white pictures that were yellowing with age. On the first page they noticed a photo of a young couple standing on the porch of the house.
"This must be Hattie's parents." Joe commented, pointing to a man of average height, in a grayish three piece suit, with an arm draped around a young woman's shoulders. The woman was attractive and petite. She looked like a younger version of Hattie. She wore an elegant wrap around dress. Standing between them was a little girl of about seven in pigtails. There were captions in handwriting: Josiah James and Ellen Elisabeth Barmet with their daughter Hattie Elisabeth Barmet.
Joe flipped to the next page just as a photograph fell out of the album and onto the floor.
Frank picked it up. It was a picture of a man of average height; in a flannel shirt and dark gray trousers he had dark hair and a full beard. He was standing on a beach next to a weather-beaten cabin. There was a caption in handwriting: James Joseph Barmet. "This is Hattie's grandfather."
Joe's eyes widened to the size of quarters. "Do you know where he is?!" He exclaimed tapping the picture. "James Barmet is standing on the island!"
"Joe, you're right!" Frank's eyes lit up with excitement after taking a closer look at the picture. "Hey! I think there's another page stuck to it." Joe and Chet watched as Frank began to peel off top corner of the picture revealing another paper. It seemed to have sketches and drawings etched on it.
On one side of the page were drawings of three boats floating in the water. In the center was a drawing of a little house with trees surrounding it and a trail leading up to a drawing of what looked like mountains or large rock formation where the trail ended with the initials "JB".
Frank's heart began pounding as he realized just what he had in his hands. "It's a map! I'll bet "JB" is where we'll find the vault!"
"Whoa!" Chet gasped.
"Let's get some sleep." Frank said taking a breath trying to calm down. "So we can be ready to go in morning."
"Barmet Island ready or not here we come." Joe murmured, feeling his stomach churning as a ball of nerves threatened to come spewing out. He plopped down on the couch and closed his eyes drifting of to sleep.
Frank offered Chet the other couch and made a pallet with some blankets on the floor to keep an eye on Joe. Satisfied that Joe was sleeping peacefully Frank decided to get some sleep.
"Frank?"
Frank nearly jumped out of his skin when he opened his eyes to see Joe standing over him.
"What's wrong?" Frank whispered back trying not wanting to wake up Chet.
"Can't sleep," Joe sounded very grim and serious, and Frank felt himself going back into big-brother mode almost immediately.
"You want to lay down here with me?"
Joe slowly nodded yes. Frank moved over so he could lie down beside him. Joe didn't hesitate for a second. "Thanks Frank," he whispered with a smile as he laid his head down on Frank's shoulder.
Frank could feel Joe's body shaking; he wrapped an arm around him to comfort him. Now Joe really had him scared to death. "Little brother, what's going on with you? What has you so afraid?"
Waiting a few minutes Frank realized that Joe'd fallen asleep on him. He wouldn't be getting an answer to his question.
He had a bad feeling that going to Barmet Island would be a big mistake. Frank shrugged mentally and resolved to stick to Joe like glue, just in case. With that decision made, Frank finally drifted off to sleep as the storm rumbled through the night.