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"It's nice to meet you both.Please come in."
As they stepped into the house, she looked around the street.It was empty.No one in sight.She closed and locked the door as her grandmother escorted Victor and Joelle into the living room.Then she went through the kitchen and laundry room to the back door.The dead bolt was still in place, which was a good sign.She turned the bolt and opened the door, her gaze sweeping the small garden and patio area, landing on the shed in the corner.
The door to the shed was wide open and two watering cans that were next to the shed were lying on one side.She debated for one more second and then walked down the stairs and into the yard.She didn’t think anyone was still there, but she had to make sure.
When she got to the doorway, she peered through the dim light.It was a small space with mostly gardening supplies and some random boxes.One of those boxes had been upended, the contents spilling onto the floor, and those contents appeared to be Christmas decorations.Had the boxes been knocked over by an animal?It was possible, but it seemed more likely that someone had been in the shed.
She backed out of the small building and pulled the door closed.Then she hurried into the house and turned the dead bolt.She leaned against the door, debating what to do.She could call the police.But what would she say?If there had been someone in the shed, they were gone now.And nothing had been taken.Maybe she was seeing a problem that wasn't there.Or maybe Nick was right, and the danger wasn't over.
As she debated her options, she heard laughter wafting through the house.
Her grandmother was enjoying a visit with her relatives.They were okay for now.She'd wait until Victor and Joelle were gone and then discuss what might have happened with her grandmother, as well as Nick and Anna, when they returned.
Nick watched as the bank employee opened a large locker door and then left them alone in the vault to review the contents.In the gaping space of the locker, which had apparently been large enough to hold a painting, there were also two cardboard boxes with lids.
"This one is Tomas's," his grandmother said, taking out the top box and putting it on the counter next to him.
"What about the other one?"
"It has our personal papers—Marcus's and mine.He said it was safer to keep them here than at the house."
"Let's look through that, too."
She frowned but pulled out the box."I guess there's no harm in that."
He pulled the lid off of Tomas's box first.A rubber band held together three letters.There was a velvet pouch next to that stack, which he picked up first, sliding out a thick ring with an interesting design on it."What's this?"
"Tomas's ring, I assume, since it was in this box.I don't remember seeing him wear it, however."
He turned it around several times, studying the lines."Do you know what this design represents?It looks like there is a letterPin the middle of it."
"I have no idea."
"And you never saw it when Tomas was alive?"
"Not that I recall, but I spent little time with Tomas.He was a busy man, and I had a baby to worry about during the last years of Tomas's life.Frankly, I never saw this box before last week.Marcus was responsible for putting things here or taking them out."
He was surprised by that."Did Papa purposefully keep you away from here?Did you feel he was secretive in some way?"
"No, of course not.We were always honest with each other."
There was something in her eyes that gave him pause."What aren't you telling me, Nonna?"
She hesitated, then said, "He never tried to keep me away from here.But right before he died, he was stressed out about something.And when we were running errands one day, he said he wanted to put some things in the vault, and he came inside while I waited in the car.It just took him a minute."
"What was he stressed out about?"
"I don't know.He was retired.Everything was wonderful with us, with the family.But there was something on his mind he didn't want to talk about, and he kept getting calls at odd times of the day and night.He told me someone he knew was having a hard time, and he was trying to help them out.I didn't ask for details.He loved being a mentor.I'm sure it was nothing, but when you asked if he was being secretive, it popped into my head."
He considered her words."Papa's car accident," he said."He skidded in the rain, right?Or was there another car involved?"
"No.It was just a wet road.The Polizia investigated the accident thoroughly.He was one of them.Hundreds came to his funeral."
"I remember," he muttered.Of course his grandfather's crash had just been an accident.His grandfather had been eighty years old and retired.He hadn't worked as a police officer for more than a decade.He wasn't involved in anything, and there was no mystery.Maybe he was stressed out about someone's problems, but that might have nothing to do with anything.He needed to focus on Tomas and not on his grandfather.
Although that thought reminded him that both his grandfather and great-grandfather had died under somewhat unusual conditions.A fire and a solo car crash.Did they both just have bad luck?
"Shall we take the boxes home with us?"his grandmother asked."We can look through them there."
