Part 30
*“But what if I was the only one he could trust?” Lola asked.
“You weren’t though,” Tom said. “He trusted Mark too, so whatever it was that made you all stuttery just a second ago, you should get over it because I’m not doing this without him.”
“So you will help?” Lola asked eyebrows raised.
“Obviously you need me,” he chuckled and looked down at the letter again. “ And I think the first place we need to look is your house, but not until you call Mark.”
Part 31
"So, you promise that you called Mark?" Tom eyed Lola suspiciously.
"I already told you I did," Lola said turning onto her old road.
"What did he say again?"
Lola sighed. "He said he'd meet us here at nine this morning."
Tommy looked at the clock, and bobbed his knee up and down.
"Are you alright?" Lola asked.
"How are you alright?" he demanded. "Unless you've gone on a lot of potentially dangerous scavenger hunts, I can't see how you aren't afraid."
It was true, Lola had been jittery all morning, spilling her orange juice on the counter as she had tried to pour, slamming her finger in the bathroom door. But she was trying to be brave. Kyle had entrusted her, and she wasn't going to let him down.
Lola smiled at her little brother. "I know it will be okay," she said.
They pulled into her driveway behind Mark's car. Lola's heart sped up as she saw his silhouette behind the steering wheel. He looked like he was on the phone, gesturing with his free hand. He glanced in his rear view mirror and saw them then put it down and got out of the car.
"Hi Tom," he said closing the door behind him. "Hey Lola," he said with a smile.
Lola smiled back, and smoothed her wind blown hair out of her face. She tried not to be aware of how he said her name, or the way he walked closer to her to make his way to the house. Her hands shook slightly as she took her house key and slid it into the doorknob. Mark waited patiently behind them until she swung the door open and stepped inside.
It was still the same as the last time she had been here. The curtains were drawn and the air smelled musty. A fine layer of dust covered the shelves. Mark walked in through the entryway and towards a small table that stood by the door. A picture sat of Kyle and Lola on their wedding, smiling. He picked it up, studying it for a moment, then sat it back down.
"Alright, Lola," Tom said. "You got he letter?"
Lola took a deep breath, and reached into her purse with with trembling fingers. Being here, maybe being even closer to the truth was fraying her. She already felt exhausted.
"It's right here," she said opening it up.
"What's the first line again?" Mark asked.
"Remember that time, when we sipped pink candy under the sunset," she said.
They all stood there for a moment. Mark frowned rubbing his eyebrows. "Pink candy...pink candy...is he talking about wine?"
"Maybe? We did have a favorite...well my favorite. I told him it tasted...like...like pink candy!" Lola almost yelled. "The next line says, Before the tides had changed, and the music had set. I don't know..."
"Let's hear the next and we can come back to that," Mark offered.
"We walked hand in hand to a land faraway, where treasures were found and where a hobbit might stay," she read.
"I know he loved Tolkien," Mark began. "Where did he keep his copy of his books?"
"Over here," Lola said and walked across the room to a shelf lined with books. Below was a stereo, and above was a landscape painting of a full moon above an ocean "That's odd," she said. "I don't remember this bottle being here."
Next to The Fellowship of the Ring stood an empty wine bottle with a sun setting on the label.
"I get it!" Tommy yelled. "The bottle has a setting sun, just like the letter. Before the tides change...that's the picture...and the music has set...that's the stereo!" he pointed.
"Then I wonder...," Mark said reaching for the empty wine bottle. As he lifted it a small piece of paper slipped off the shelf, and landed on the floor.
Lola inhaled sharply, then stooped down to pick it up.
📃A special note to the readers📃
Please check out the Story Club @canadianrenegade has started in the comment section of the posts! She has some great, engaging questions!
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