Chapter 11: The Intruder Call Escalation

Sheriff Hollister and Deputy Higgins entered the foyer, their flashlights cutting through the gloom, momentarily blinding me. Their weapons were not drawn, but their hands rested on their holsters, their postures tense.

“Arthur,” Sheriff Hollister said, his voice grave. “What’s going on here?”

Before I could answer, Julian Croft burst in, drenched from the rain, followed closely by Gavin Finch. Croft’s eyes, wide with fury and triumph, fixed on me and the brass box at my feet.

“This is it, Sheriff!” Croft shouted, pointing a finger at me. “I told you he was a burglar! Breaking into a commercial building during a storm! That’s a half-million dollars in corporate property right there, what’s in that box!”

Finch, looking pale and nervous, nodded vigorously behind Croft.

“Mr. Croft reported a significant burglary in progress, Arthur,” Deputy Higgins added, his flashlight illuminating the shattered hearth wall. “He estimated half a million in stolen assets.”

“Stolen?” I asked, my voice calm, holding up the parchment. “This document was just revealed from inside the wall.”

Croft scoffed. “He probably hid it there himself! A desperate old man trying to claim what isn’t his! He needs to be handcuffed immediately for breaking and entering!”

Sheriff Hollister held up a hand, silencing Croft. His gaze went from the brass box, to the shattered hearth, to the document in my hand. He was trying to piece together the chaos.

“Arthur, is this your key?” the Sheriff asked, looking at the brass key still clutched in my hand.

“It is,” I confirmed. “The only key to this lock since 1982.”

Croft’s face twisted in disbelief. “That’s ridiculous! We use key cards now! He’s lying!”

Just then, a figure appeared in the open doorway, framed by the pouring rain. Dr. Evelyn Marsh. She held a large, waterproof map case, her expression one of focused determination.

“Sheriff Hollister,” Dr. Marsh called out, stepping into the foyer, rain dripping from her coat. “I believe I have some information pertinent to this ‘burglary.'”

Croft glared at her, then back at me. His plan to have me arrested for a half-million dollar burglary seemed to be falling apart even as he tried to enforce it. The storm had brought unexpected witnesses and unexpected evidence.