Read The Lost Treasure Map Series Online

Authors: V Bertolaccini

Tags: #adventure books, #mystery suspense, #mystery detective, #classic horror, #national treasure, #quadrilogy, #classic bestsellers, #science fiction classics, #ancient lost treasures, #fantastic journeys

The Lost Treasure Map Series (8 page)

Yet how
dangerous was the thing in the wood anyway? Would it be more
dangerous to encounter it ...? And was there actually a way of
investigating it, without it mauling him?

Bryson made
them notice him. “If we could just check out that thing,” he
muttered, “without being killed ... We may even save someone’s
life!”

He suddenly
wondered why he was wasting his time.


If
there’s something dangerous out there,” Mortimer mumbled, “then it
should have left traces of it being there. Therefore, we could take
a look there, when we go out there tomorrow!”


That’s
a good idea,” he replied, feeling how tired his legs were. “I’ll go
and get some sleep.”

Bryson left
the room, remembering he needed the sleep.

The outer
corridor was cold and dark, with a slight musty odor, with a
resemblance to the above corridor with the lights off. His
footsteps interrupted the silence, and he deliberately made them
less obvious, almost creeping past the doorways, vaguely
visible.

The rooms were
very dark, and he fumbled along, looking for a light switch, while
the floorboards creaked and shook under his feet.

He soon found
it – much further up the wall than he had anticipated it to be –
above where it normally was. A few bare bulbs, shrouded in webs and
dirt, on worn wires, lit the whole corridor.

A door gently
closed behind him, making him slightly jerk. It was obviously the
air current from him rushing past, making the door move in a
strange way.

Bryson removed
a bottle of brandy from his bag. “Well, we should at least be
comfortable.”

He was still
going to have as much of a good time at the castle as he could.

He rotated the
bottle in his hands, trying to recognize it. It was either so old
that it was not made any longer or an import.

Bryson gently
poured it into brandy into his throat, putting a slight gurgle into
the emptiness.

He sipped
more, and he wanted more.

Bryson felt
the alcohol warm him.

For some
reason, Bryson felt like to questioning Merton – to see what he
thought – to find out what his views of the psychic phenomenon
were.

Yet, somehow,
he believed that he would not tell him very much.

 

Chapter 20

 

The Gold Pendant

 

Bryson rested
on a seat at the window. While Robert stood at the bed.

By his
attitude, he sensed something had recently upset him. However, the
fact that it was something to do with their hunt for the money made
it slightly amusing. Not even a murder, and a vicious killing of a
servant, could keep upsetting him. It had to be something
preventing them acquiring the money. What else could be so
dramatic?

Bryson moved
close to the window, allowing the sun and white glow from the snow,
covering the landscape, to go over him. And he removed the pendant
that he had removed from William Randall’s decomposed remains.

It gleamed
under the morning sun, its rays streaming in through the bedroom
window, beaming golden shades over the walls.

It swayed
beneath his hand, on its chain, wrapped around his hand, as he
glared at it, captured by its hypnotic influence.

He disregarded
the radiating light, pulsating over his face, and he studied the
ancient artifact, with increasing interest. It was the first time
that he had seen it in daylight – and not in the dim surroundings
of the vault.


Are all
those police cars still parked there?” Robert remarked, moving to
look more closely.


Most of
them left, last night. They probably will return though
...”


They
should be – it was on someone’s radio – the police are holding a
full murder investigation into the servant’s death here. Most of
the detectives are coming down from London.”

Was that why
he was upset? It might possibly hinder their search.

He felt like
asking, but he just left it.

Perhaps the
pendant had a value as an even older piece of jewellery. Another
ancestor could easily have passed it down to William. Royalty could
have bestowed it upon him, or he might have paid a great deal of
cash for it. Nonetheless, why would it necessary have a high value
just because he had worn it? There were many reasons for wearing
such a pendant.


I would
love to see that video of Sir Richard over again,” Robert spoke,
rustling through objects, in his hand. “What do you
think?”


Why?”


There
may be some clues on it that we have not seen!”

His fingers
parted, and he glimpsed a small notebook in his hand. He held a pen
to his mouth.


That’s
a good idea! But what sorts of clues?”


I am
not sure ... Examining pictures and films can reveal things that
you originally might not have seen. Everyone was listening to what
he was saying – they were not expecting him to announce that he had
hidden it – their might have been some clue at the beginning of it,
which went unnoticed.”

As he played
with the pendant beneath his face, turning it around and around,
seeking an answer to why he took it to his grave, he recognized a
faint indentation over its edge.

Many such
pendants opened to reveal inner enclosures, where there were such
things as photographs. Perhaps they had drawings in them in those
days.


Your
right – we might have missed something. He might have made a
mistake somewhere – something that he had not noticed.”

At the thought
of it being something of value, Bryson became extremely keen to
open it. He found that dirt, encrusted in it, was firmly fastening
it.


He
could easily have said something that he should not have. I’ll
contact that lawyer – to have him show it again.”

Bryson opened
one of his bags, at the table, at the bed, and he removed things
that might have things in or on them that he could use to clean it.
But the best thing was a needle, inserted in a roll of thread.

He carefully
fitted it on the faint crack that went along its edge, without
damaging the artifact.

Its gold
twinkled at him as though it were winking at him, just asking him
to open it. But after many attempts at it – trying to break it open
– his impatience increased. And he had horrible thoughts appear of
it breaking – and him finding it to be an incredibly valuable
instrument.

His fidgeting
aroused Robert, who gave slight glances at his figure at the
window.


What
are doing?” Robert moaned, trying to see him, in the bright light
surrounding him, at the window.

He ignored
him, and he made less arousing sounds.

As he thought
of William Randall, the cover of the pendent shifted upwards, by a
millimeter, giving him the knowledge that it had an inner chamber.
The line around it could have been part of the design or there from
the way a craftsman had made it, which he had been starting to
believe due to its insistence in not moving.

Even though it
had lifted, the problem of opening it fully was still there – as
something was jamming it. It neither lifted any further nor went
back down. It had too much value to break it in any way –
especially if it turned out to be a watch (but he doubted that they
existed in those days).

He amused
himself, calming himself in the process. It had been his ancestor’s
pendant – and Sir Richard had given them the estate for ten days.
If he only could find something valuable, he could show them that
the hunt was not a flop.

If he had a
few tools, watchmakers used, he could easily open it. He rummaged
through his other stuff, with his mind carefully considering
individual parts of things – considering them as tools. But there
did not seem to be anything else.

As he returned
to trying to open it, the lid squeaked and slightly lifted further
– making him think of soaking it in oil. There was no need though
as it came up, revealing a tattered bit of material.

It then
instantly dropped in value, as it was not a watch, instrument, and
it was not even solid gold as he had originally thought. It was an
empty container, which William might have used to hold things.

He wondered if
it could be a lucky pendant, and if it had something sacred in it.
He shifted the piece of cloth around – feeling it for anything –
touching a lump within it – and revealing a small key.

It was like a
jewellery box key, but the end of it was strangely shaped. But was
it another disappointment?

He went for
the door, and decided to search Sir Richard’s room for something it
might fit.


Where
are you off to then?” Robert remarked, as he reached the
door.


I’m
going up to Sir Richard’s room,” he replied.


You
don’t expect to find anything there,” he informed him. “Everyone
has been through that room so many times ...”


Well. I
found a key, and I want to find out if it fits a lock.”


What do
you want to know that for? Even if it does, what use will it
have?”


I don’t
know
yet
. I’m
just
inquisitive
.”


I’m
going up there ...” Robert announced – looking more
determined.


Let’s
look there together then.”


Okay.
Let’s see that key first.”

Bryson removed
it out of his pocket, and he took it from him, with much interest.
But he quickly lost interest in it, and handed it back.


It
could fit something ...”


We
are
all
going out
there at some time.”


Do you
mean everyone ...?”


Yeah –
all of us.”


Why are
they going out there? You mean that they are going for a walk –
like when we went to the vault.”


I never
said that we were going to the
tombs
,” he moaned. “I meant that we are going out there – into
the wood.”


What
for?”


Do you
remember when we went out there, that we went to that structure as
we wanted to check it? Well, we are sure that there is
another one
out there –
somewhere!


And as
I gather: some of them apparently want to look about that
wood!”


Why
would they want to look about the wood?”


They
believe that
the last
refers
to something that’s there.”

It alarmed
Bryson, and he tried not to reply.

It annoyed him
more than anything else. He could not imagine them coming up with
that theory themselves – even if it did sound insane.

He calmed
himself, rationally considering what they were doing, and why
Robert had told him it anyway. He had to have told him it for a
reason.


Your
investigators seem to have an interest in going there too! Perhaps
they are interested in going to the tombs to set up some of their
equipment there.”

For a moment,
he looked a little surprised at his reply. But he doubted it.

Bryson
strolled along the corridor, thinking of how insane it was: them
all looking through that wood, with what could be out there –
including a “maniac”, probably even capable of killing a group of
them, if given the right means to do it.

What would
happen if they stayed in this place too long? Would they be picked
off one by one until they either sought sanctuary elsewhere or
found a way of ridding the place of its awful menaces.

At the window,
at the end of the top corridor, a rook tapped rhythmically at the
window frame. It gave no indication of seeing them approach it, but
it looked ready to fly away from anything that might confront
it.

Robert led
Bryson to the window, near Sir Richard’s room. And he watched the
bird become aware of their presence, and fly up into the air,
compelled to make a retreat from the strange giants.

Surprisingly,
he watched a few cars approaching the castle. They were full of
strangers, who seemed to have a reason for being there, and are
full of life and keen to do something.

The car doors
swung open, and he listened to them climb out of the vehicles.
Banging doors, laughs, and voices mingled.


James
invited them,” Robert eventually confessed, after waiting for him
to reply.


They’re
here to help you search!”


We
don’t have a large amount of time left ... They may be able to
achieve something ...”


Of
course, but how much will they be acquiring of it?” he asked out of
curiosity, wondering how little James would possibly pay
them.


They
will be paid for searching and nothing else,” he replied firmly,
mildly surprised that he thought that they would give away such a
large amount of money belonging to them.

He examined
his face for a moment, and he looked out of the window when Bryson
did not budge.

He was sure
that they had done it because he believed that if he had not they
would not have a hope in hell of finding it. They would help them a
lot, and he now could not imagine them going to the lengths that it
would take to obtain it on their own.

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