Page 72 of Threads of Kindness
He swept his flashlight over the rusted still, then across the massive rolltop desk. “We haven’t gone through everything, but it appears the bookkeeping happened at that desk.”
“That’s interesting,” Anita said, angling her beam toward the floor as she approached the still.
“I’d love to examine any records in that desk,” Gordon added. “This is an exciting find.”
“That’s not all,” Sam said. “They found something else.” He trained his flashlight on the smooth, dark brown object protruding from the soil in the corner.
“What’s that?” Anita asked, stepping toward it.
Sam motioned for Gordon to follow.
“Someone’s been digging,” Gordon said, gesturing to the nearby bucket, pickaxe, and trowel.
“I spent the summer after sixth grade with a setup like that,” Anita said. “Judy and I were fossil hunting.” The levity in her voice vanished as she dropped to her knees and ran her hand lightly over the curved surface. Her fingertips lingered, reverent.
Gordon knelt beside her and did the same. They both turned wide-eyed to Sam and Jeff.
“Is this …?” Anita let the question hang in the air.
“We can’t say for sure,” Sam said, “but it’s almost certainly a prehistoric bone. Judging by the curve and size, my guess is it’s a tusk. Both mastodon and woolly mammoth remains have been discovered in this region.” He looked down at the exposed surface. “The only other possibility is a tree root—but, with no trees nearby, that’s unlikely.”
Anita brought one hand to her head. “This is unbelievable,” she said. “First, a basement full of whiskey … then a hidden room from a Prohibition-era operation … and now the remains of a prehistoric creature?”
Gordon stood and held out both hands to help her up. “I’d say you bought the most interesting piece of real estate I’ve ever heard of.”
“Do I have to report this to anyone?” Anita asked. “I hate to sound selfish, but … will this interfere with the museum?”
Sam shook his head. “I hope you don’t mind, but we called Tim while we were waiting for you. He said bones found on private property belong to the property owner. Have them excavated or leave them alone. It’s entirely up to you.”
“I’m not leaving them alone,” Anita said. “This is an incredible find. What if there’s an entire skeleton under there?”
“There’s no way to know until excavation begins,” Jeff replied. “Sometimes the skeleton is intact, but other times scavengers dragged off parts, or the ground shifted.”
“Who should I contact to handle this?” Anita asked.
“Maggie,” Gordon, Sam, and Jeff said at once.
“This is routine for universities,” Gordon stated. “Highpointe probably has a geology department.”
“The Joseph Moore Museum at Earlham College in Indiana has one of the most complete mastodon skeletons on public display,” Sam said. “My parents took me to see it when I was a kid. If Highpointe can’t do the dig themselves, I’m sure that museum would point you in the right direction.”
“How do they do an excavation like this?” Anita asked. “Will it mess up the work you’ve already completed?”
“It shouldn’t,” Gordon assured her. “If it’s done like an archaeological dig, they’ll establish a grid using string and stakes to map the site. Every find will be photographed, documented,and logged by location. They’ll use trowels, brushes, even dental picks. Everything’s removed with care.”
“No bulldozers?” Anita asked.
“Nope,” Gordon smiled. “Bones are far too fragile. Once they’re uncovered, they’re stabilized with plaster or a preservative and then carefully removed. It won’t be noisy or messy.”
“I was reading online,” Jeff said, “about a university dig where they unearthed an entire mastodon in a single day. That specimen was in an open field, so it was easier than a basement—but I don’t think this dig will derail your plans.”
“The broken pipe has already delayed us at least four weeks,” Sam said. “And the elevator is on back order. Don’t worry about opening your museum. It’ll be a while yet.”
Anita stood still, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the dirt. “I’ve got a new byline for the museum,” she said. “It’ll beStitches in Time: Linking the Past to the Present.”
“And you could refer to this as the Hidden Histories Room,” Gordon offered.
“I like that,” Anita said. She turned to Jeff and Sam. “Thank you for waiting for us.”
