Bound To Be Dead: Cozy Mystery Bookshop Series Book 3 by Tamra Baumann (best historical fiction books of all time txt) 📗

that has been my uncle’s plan all along. “You make good points. I’ll think about it. But for now, I need to get home and see what the deputy is up to.”

Madge nods. “Let me know what Nat says after she sees the pictures.”

“Will do. See you later.” I stand and push in my chair before I quietly slink out the door.

Once in the hall, I head for the front door, but pause when my name is called from behind. When I turn, Deputy Ben is rushing toward me with one of my father’s tricks in his hands.

He says, “Hey, Sawyer. Glad I caught you. Can you come back and help us with something real quick?”

“Sure. What do you need?” I ask, but suspect I already know.

Ben holds up a puzzle box with his gloved hands. “We can’t figure out how to open this. Meg couldn’t remember. Dylan said you might be able to help?”

“Probably.” I follow him to the station again and into a small room with a table and two chairs. My dad’s personal things are laid out on the table. Nothing looks suspicious, so that’s a relief. But did my sister really forget how to open the box, or is she covering for my dad? It’d be easy enough for him to say he can’t remember either.

“Why don’t you just ask my father to open the trick?”

“Want to keep things by the book. What if there’s more than one secret compartment?” Ben hands me a pair of gloves. “Put these on, please. And go slow enough so I can write down what you’re doing to open the box.”

“There’s only one compartment.” But I see his point, so I slide my hands into gloves that are way too big for me and pick up the box to examine it. It’s one of the more challenging puzzle boxes my dad owns. He used to keep money in it when on the road. But what if that’s not all that’s in there now? This is something Madge and I spoke about earlier. How if I found something incriminating against my dad, it’d be tempting to leave it unreported.

I could always say I don’t know how to open the box, but then they’d probably have to break it open and destroy it. It’s one of my dad’s prized possessions. He tells people it once belonged to Houdini. Who knows if that’s really true or not?

“Let me think for a second. It’s been a long time since I’ve messed with this.” I stare at the colorful Chinese box decorated with serpents and dragons, trying to recall the exact sequence. “Some of the drawers have to be pulled out only halfway and in just the right order for the first of four locks to trip. There’s one on each side of the box.”

Ben scribbles in his notepad. “So, where do we start?”

“Right here, at the palace steps.” I glace up at the mirrored wall on the other side of the room. Is Dylan watching me? Because if so, he’ll know in a heartbeat if I’m lying. He knows me better than anyone else.

I get back to the task at hand as dread fills my gut. If my dad had something to hide, this would be the perfect place for it. “The lower palace steps open. Four need to go open halfway and the bottom one all the way out.” I quickly do the sequence and then turn the box clockwise to the next scene.

“This side, you have to push on the dragon’s eye while pushing the button on the bottom edge of the box, right here.” I lift the box and show Ben the little piece of flat wood.

I slowly turn the box to the next side with sweaty palms. Is this a mistake?

I keep going. “On this side, you press with your thumb right here on the darker mosaic tiles and then slide the rectangular piece of wood out. Once that’s out, you can slide this lighter-colored piece here up.” I turn the box for the final move and draw a deep breath. “On this last one, you press with your thumbs on opposite corners here, and then here.”

Once I press the secret wooden panels, the round inlaid dragon symbol at the top pops up.

Ben reaches for the dragon medallion to pull it out of the box, but I lay my hand over his to stop him. “No, that will trip the locks, and we’ll have to do it all over again.”

I slowly turn the dragon medallion counterclockwise three times and then back the other direction six more times before I slowly lift off the top. I lean forward to peer inside, hoping with all my soul the cavity is empty.

Ben holds an arm out to stop me and looks inside. “Bingo.” He grabs a little white envelope and pulls it out.

I hold my breath as Ben lifts up the envelope. It’s small and couldn’t hold much, but the lump at the bottom indicates there’s something inside. What the heck could that be? Something for his show? Like flash-bang powder? But then, why keep it in the complicated box? This makes no sense. But please don’t let that be something poisonous.

Ben turns to me and says, “Dylan said you can’t see this part, Sawyer. But thanks for the help.”

Great. What have I just done? Helped my father’s case, or given Dylan a reason to arrest my dad?

Chapter 13

Outside the police station, the hallway is empty as I make my way home. I’m still kicking myself for opening the Chinese puzzle box my sister told Ben she couldn’t open. Should I have taken her lead and done the same? I can’t imagine Meg has forgotten how to open the box, but she could have. It’s been a long time since we were kids on the road with our dad. Hopefully, there won’t be anything bad in that little white envelope. I’d ask Dad, but he’s still being questioned.

It’s just after five