Chapter 5 - The Hidden Floorboard
Julianna Cross's words hung heavily in the warm afternoon air, drawing an audible gasp from the small crowd of onlookers who had gathered on the sidewalk. Cameras were flashing now, capturing every micro-expression on Maya's determined face and Martha's terrified features.
"A paper copy," Maya repeated quietly, her mind racing. She looked down at Martha, who was still clutching her wrist. "Martha, did you hide a copy somewhere else? Somewhere they couldn't reach when they burned your house down?"
Martha stopped crying for a split second, her milky-grey eyes widening as distant memories flickered through her exhausted mind. She let out a ragged breath, leaning closer to Maya's ear. "The floorboard," she whispered, so softly that only the little girl could hear. "The loose oak floorboard underneath the old town archives building. Right beneath the historical society's display case. My father nailed it down the night before the eviction."
Arthur Vance overheard the whisper, stepping in closer. "The town archives? That building was condemned last year. The city council voted to demolish it by Friday morning to make room for a new parking garage."
"Friday morning?" Maya's eyes flashed with absolute panic. "That's in less than forty-eight hours! We have to go right now before they knock it down!"
Julianna Cross smirked, smoothing the front of her navy blue blazer. "Good luck getting inside, little girl. That building is sealed with industrial padlocks, and municipal security patrols the perimeter twenty-four hours a day. One step onto that property and you'll be arrested for trespassing."
"Try arresting a nine-year-old child on live broadcast, Julianna," Arthur said sharply, pulling out his phone. "Let's see how that plays out for our stock prices when the media picks up the headline."
Mr. Henderson burst out of the grocery store front door, having abandoned his post at the cash register. "Wait! If you're going to the old archives building, you need to know about the underground utility tunnel. My grandfather helped wire the place back in the sixties. There's a service hatch behind the alley dumpsters."
Everyone turned to stare at Mr. Henderson in shock. The clerk blushed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "What? I might care about corporate policy, but I'm not a monster. Besides, if Martha gets her land back, maybe the town council will stop raising my commercial property taxes."
Maya handed the pre-packaged sandwich to Martha, who accepted it with trembling, grateful hands. "Eat this, Martha. Get your strength back," Maya said firmly. "Because tonight, we're breaking into the archives."
May you like
Arthur knelt down beside Maya, placing a heavy hand on her small shoulder. "Not breaking in, Maya. We are legally exercising a public records retrieval clause. But we need to move fast, before Julianna's legal team alters the demolition permits."
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