Silence settled into the space once more as they both resumed the search. Hoping to finally find the one thing that could lead them to the answers they both sought.
Susan’s eyes were focused on every chink, knot, and scratch of the logs she examined, but her mind and heart were focused on the man behind her. She liked David Watkins as far more than a friend, but would the man, so touchy about his heritage, be willing to consider going out with a Holmes. For too long people had looked at each other across fences where the grass was not always greener, hard work, honesty, and devotion meant so much more than a fancy house or a fat bank account.
David was hard working, determined, and devoted to truth. She respected that about him, and could no longer deny the attraction she felt each time she looked into his handsome face. A smile played around Susan’s lips as she thought of their adventures so far and suddenly the revelation of where Gram’s lost horses had come from didn’t seem as important as it had a few short weeks ago. The fact that this mystery had brought her the friendship of David Watkins was so much more. Pausing in her search, she thanked God for His mysterious ways.
Making her way along the back wall, Susan’s concentration returned, fully, to the task. This, the longest uninterrupted wall in the cabin, was full of spots where logs had been expertly joined to form a seamless run.
Slowly moving the light over each imperfection of the wall, Susan was soon engrossed in her search, completely unaware of anything else in her surrounding area as deft fingers, poked and prodded ever minute flaw.
Susan yelped as her back collided with something solid, and she spun on the spot only to come face to face with David who had been making his way toward her. His bright smile washed over her making her heart thump as their eyes met.
Reaching out a steadying hand as David dipped his head toward her, Susan closed her eyes in expectation of the kiss. A soft click and gentle hiss made both of them pull back, turning to where Susan’s left hand rested on a small chink in the wall.
“You found it,” David’s voice was a whisper.
“Something is in there,” Susan agreed turning her light on the tiny crack that had suddenly been revealed. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, partly in anticipation, partly in disappointment.
David pulled his pack from his shoulders rummaging in its depths until he pulled out a long tightly sheathed knife. “I’ll see if I can pry it open.”
Inch by inch, Susan watched as the tiny compartment opened a little more with each crank of the knife. Even now she wasn’t sure if she would have seen the seams of the hidden compartment, so well joined were the hiding place.
“I think there are papers in there,” David gently pushed the knife in prying against the log above. “See if you can reach them?”
Susan didn’t hesitate, her fingers wiggling into the tight spot and grasping the edge of a tightly bound book. “I don’t have enough room to pull it out. Can you open the front a little more?”
“Watch your fingers,” David agreed wedging the knife a little deeper and giving a tug. The little door popped open in a shower of dust, and Susan pulled the journal from its ancient resting place.
“What is it?” David asked flicking his light toward the bundle.
“I think it’s a journal.” Susan opened the faded book carefully, trying to keep the old pages from crumbling. “Look, there’s a name.”
David squinted looking down at the little book. “Harcourt Watkins.” The words were etched out in a fine script.
“I think we found what we were looking for.”
The loud, metallic click of a revolver’s hammer made both of them freeze as their blood ran cold.
“Hand that over real easy,” a craggy voice said. “No need to turn around. Give me the book and you can go on your way.”
David’s eyes flickered to Susan’s and he could read the fear in their blue depths. Ever so slightly he nodded indicating that she should hand the journal to the unseen man behind them. He could see the play of emotion on the young woman’s face, doubt, fear, regret, but she was more important than a long forgotten mystery.
Slowly, her eyes still fixed on David, Susan extended the hand holding the faded journal. It was so wrong to have to do this, to let the man behind them win again.
The book was jerked from her hand and Susan staggered as in the blink of an eye David turned lunging for their invisible assailant. The gun fired, Susan screamed, the world spun and everything went black.
The first thing that registered in Susan’s brain was pain, not a stabbing sear, but a slow dull thud. Slowly, muffled voices drifted her way, and she opened her eyes into twilight.
“David?” she called pushing herself upright as memory came flooding back. “David!”
“I’m here,” the man dashed through the door of the old cabin, kneeling at her side. “You’re alright,” he smiled. “You just bumped your head on the log wall when I pushed you out of the way.”
“What happened?” Susan shimmied back until her shoulders touched the wall, looking around her until her eyes fell on the heavy rain coat covering her.
“You’re awake,” Mr. Coatins called walking into the cabin, a wide grin on his face. “Doesn’t look like anyone is going to need an ambulance today.”
“You?” Susan’s eyes went wide. “It was you.”
“No, no,” the old man
