Page 10 of Dead and Gone

Leif's refusal to accompany us turns out to be a good thing as there's no way he'd fit through the window we use to climb into the place. Grayson's lither figure, yes. Leif's larger body, no. I'm fine, but Rowan does struggle, and I'm forced to yank at him until he inelegantly lands on the floor.

The small room we enter contains several wooden chairs around a square table and shelves containing shoe-box-sized containers. I cross the polished floor and snatch one. I'm disappointed to discover they contain nothing but stacks of museum guides, and paraphernalia such as Holly bought from the gift shop, plus a box of worksheets designed for elementary school-age children who visit. As I inspect the shelves, Rowan sneaks off to examine the security.

There's nothing pinned to any wall, but thereisalso a low metal filing cabinet.

As Rowan returns, I tuck a strand of my long, dark hair behind an ear and point at the cabinet. "Do you think the keys for the display cabinets are in there?"

"Maybe. But if that's locked, we'd need a key togetthe keys," says Rowan quietly.

I arch a brow. "Seriously?"

"No, Violet. You can't break anything."

But he's wasting his breath since I've already tugged the metal drawer hard. "Not locked."

Rowan sighs and sits on one of the chairs.

Apart from a couple of visitor books signed by people over the years, there's a packet of chocolate biscuits, a tin containing boiled sweets, and a stapler. A black metal box nestles in one corner, and my eyes widen as I take hold. Hidden? "What is this?"

Rowan glances at the box. "People usually use those to store petty cash."

"Petty cash?" I run my fingers across the lid. "Surely all cash is significant."

"No. Money kept for buying small items." I look at him blankly, and he takes the box. "Like biscuit purchases."

"Oh. Anything magical inthisbox?" I ask.

He takes hold. "Locked, but I can't sense anything."

Frustrated, I open the lower drawer. This one's deeper, containing a row of files filled with documents pertaining to the museum's financial accounts and other business-like papers. I push the hanging files to one side, and something catches my eye in the bottom of the deep drawer.Aha.

"Keys!" I grab the large bunch of silver and bronze keys in different sizes. "Some of these must open the cabinets."

"Wait," says Rowan, and I look around to where he's flicking through a manila file. "Look." He runs a finger over a tiny silver key taped to the top of a page. Carefully, he extracts the object and takes hold of the black box.

"Why isn't the key with the others?" I ask him.

"I bet the key fits this." Rowan fumbles as he turns the key in the black box's lock, and we both peer inside. "Holy crap."

"Money. As predicted." I sigh. Nothing interesting.

"Yeah, but alotof money." Rowan takes out bank notes crammed into the box and flicks through them. "Hundreds of pounds. Thousands even. These are all fifties."

"Why is this unusual for a cash box?"

"Violet. The curator claims the museum doesn't have any funds. This can't all be from visitor entry fees or selling his crappy book." He empties the box and runs his fingers along the bottom. "Nothing else. No compartments."

"Hmm." I watch as Rowan tucks the money back. "No wonder the curator hid the key."

"Do you think he's selling exhibits?" he asks, locking the box again. "Maybehetook the mole and the watch."

"The watch, maybe, but not the mole. The town teens clearly have that." I scratch my head. "Odd. He complains that the museum lacks exhibits. Seems unlikely he would sell remaining items. What's printed on the paper?" I point to the sheet the key was taped to.

"Records of visitor numbers. Nothing interesting. We should put the box back and keep moving." Rowan glances at the door. "I don't want to hang around."

From the moment we broke in, I could sense the absence of life—no security guard, who would likely be the curator, anyway. Rowan re-tapes the key inside the file and then double-checks he's deactivated the keypad for the alarm before we wander into the exhibit room.

I've no problem with my vision in the shrouded space, but Rowan almost walks into a table display the moment he steps inside after me.

---