Page 73 of One Touch

“Katie!” Tootie scolded, but her eyes were as wide as mine.

Beckett folded the small door on itself, expanding the opening. Excitement and nerves danced through me as I stepped onto the top stair. “Let’s go look.”

Beckett’s hand closed around my arm. “Wait.”

I paused.

“We don’t know what’s down there, or if the stairs are safe enough to hold our weight. I’ll go first.” He clicked on a flashlight, and specks of dust danced in the beam of light.

I stepped back onto the main floor and watched as Beckett stepped down, gently testing his weight on the slightly curved stairs. Slowly, he descended and disappeared into the darkness.

I gripped Tootie’s hand as we stood together and waited. Finally, his voice floated up the stairwell. “You’re going to want to see this.”

Tootie and I looked at each other with wide eyes, and each sucked in a deep breath. One by one we started down the darkened stairwell.

My heart raced. Dust floated around me, and the musty smell of earth and decay filled my nose.

Please don’t be a dead body. Please ...

A shiver ran down my spine as we went toward Beckett’s light.

As we descended the narrow staircase into the hidden room, my mind raced. Tootie kept her hand clasped in mine.

Smells of old wood and damp stone filled the space. My eyes struggled to adjust to the dim lighting, and I gasped as I looked around the room.

It was like stepping back in time.

The walls were made of brick and wood paneling. One was lined with shelves stocked with dusty bottles of all shapes and sizes, and there were tables and chairs scattered around the room. A bar stood against one wall, complete with a vintage cash register and an array of glasses and bottles.

Beckett stepped over to the bar and ran his hand over its smooth surface. “I think this was a speakeasy,” he said, his voice filled with wonder.

Tootie nodded. “How could this be here the whole time and we never knew it?”

I turned to Beckett. “When was the addition to the house completed?”

He ran a hand over his chiseled jaw. “Mid-thirties is my best guess, based on changes to the architectural plans. Back then things weren’t documented as well as they are today.”

“Mid-nineteen thirties would mean the end of Prohibition, right?”

He nodded. “Sounds about right.”

Tootie walked around the space, carefully examining the items forgotten in time. She tucked a chair under one table. “Seems like the perfect place to hide from the law and enjoy a drink.”

My mind raced. We had discovered a hidden piece of history, something that had been tucked away for almost a century. I ran my fingers over the rough surface of the wall, trying to imagine what it would have been like during those days.

As we explored the room, more treasures revealed themselves. A few old records stacked on a shelf. A small jukebox in the corner. A stack of newspapers dating back to the 1920s and a vintage roulette table.

A sense of history hung in the air. It was like the room had been frozen in time, waiting for us to discover it.

“We have to tell your brothers about this.” Aunt Tootie set a record back on the shelf. The movement kicked up dust, and she began to cough.

“Hey, let’s put a pause on this for a bit.” Beckett pointed to the ceiling. “There was electricity at some point. I’ll see if it’s connected somewhere and safe to use. Then we can figure out what all this means.”

I nodded. The dust and dirt weren’t good for Tootie. I guided my aunt toward the stairs, making sure she didn’t trip or stumble. Before I took a step onto the staircase, Beckett’s hand landed on my forearm.

My eyes turned to his, and he tilted his head to be sure Tootie was making her way safely up the stairs.

He turned to me and whispered, “Look at this.”

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