Recluse Island

Chapter 15

Present

June 2049

"Are you girls still down here? It's nearly five o'clock!"     

            Mia jerked at the sound of Iris's voice and turned around to find her standing in the doorway tapping the silver watch on her wrist.

            "Is it really almost five o'clock?" Mia asked shocked, beginning to panic as her gaze darted to the old mantle clock perched on top of the bookcase.

            "Yes, and I need to lock up," Iris said as if their presence was dramatically affecting her schedule.

            Quickly Mia jumped to her feet. "Sabrina we're going to be late. I said we'd only be gone two hours!"

            "So?" asked Sabrina casually, getting up clearly not the least bit worried. "It's not like they can ground us, we're on vacation!"

            Mia shook her head in exasperation. Noticing a brown satchel leaning against the desk Mia snatched it up and slid the manuscript and journal inside.

            "Come on girls let's go. I need to get home to let my dogs out." Iris impatiently informed them, crossing her arms over her chest.

            "Sabrina you still have the key right?" Mia asked, now desperate.

            Sabrina held it up and followed Mia to the safe box.

            "So that key actually worked then huh?" observed a curious Iris loosening the grip on her arms slightly.

            "Yes," Mia answered as she began taking out the remaining items barely glancing at them as she added them to the satchel: a photograph in a laminated protector, a gold heart shaped locket, an old rolled up piece of parchment tied with twine, a hand mirror with sunflowers carved on the handle and finally a scroll. Once everything was out Sabrina locked the safe.

            When they reached the door, Iris stopped them. "What makes you think you can take those things with you?"

            "This is my great-grandfather's office. As a relative everything in here belongs to me," said Sabrina. "Call the police if you want but it's not as if we broke in, we had a key." Again, Sabrina waved it in her face.

            "And we really need to go. Thanks for everything!" Mia said as she grabbed Sabrina's hand and the two dashed past Iris who they heard mumbling about how disrespectful today's youth is and what a slob Tiberius Wittenburg was always known to be.

            "What is that stuff you took?" asked Sabrina as they climbed back up the stairs.

            "No idea we can look it over back at the villa." Mia told her slightly breathless as in her haste to not be late, she took the stairs two at a time.

            "Too bad we had to stop reading, it was just getting good. Poor Lucas though."

            Mia nodded now, walking along the hall that led to the front entrance. They had just reached the jeep when her phone vibrated with an incoming text.

            "Ooh I bet that's Alfred pissed you didn't respond to his earlier message," said Sabrina giddily.

            Mia glanced at her phone, "It's my dad checking to make sure we're on our way back."

            "Which one;" asked Sabrina.

            Mia rolled her eyes as she sent a quick text back letting Emmy know they had just left and would be home in the next half hour. "You know which one."