Book 2-Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

                                                                                        Chapter 36

                                                                            Secrets Under the Floor

    

     Nick, Matt and Sam were ready to go on Saturday morning.  As they headed out the door Fletch called to them, "You're getting an early start today!  Where are you three off to?"  "We're off to see the Wizard!"  Sam called back while Matt and Nick roared with laughter.  Nick, Sam and Matt then got into Nick's Ford Focus and Drove away, leaving Fletch standing in the doorway with a confused look on his face.  In another moment he said while shaking his head, "Always so mysterious,"  and then shutting the screen door behind him.

     The band was already inside when Matt, Sam and Nick arrived at the high school; they could hear them warming up their instruments in the music room as soon as they opened the main door.  The boys had glanced this way and that, making sure no one was about before they went inside.

     Then the three of them crept up the main staircase to the second floor and room 230, computer room 2, which was directly above the music room where the band was now playing their first show tune, "Singing in the Rain."  Nick took the small silver instrument out of his pocket and looked at it for a moment, then he inserted in the key hole and turned it back and forth slowly until he heard a click.  "I've got it!"  We're in!"  Nick said jubilantly.

     Once in, Nick said, "Well, let's look for that trap door.  And hope we find one."  It was a large room with no windows.  Nick had flipped on the overhead lights as soon as the door was opened.  Thanks to the loud music of the band downstairs that vibrated throughout the almost empty school building, the boys didn't have to whisper.

     They begin to slowly scan the floor looking carefully for any patch of wooden boards that looked in any way unusual.  "What if we don't find it?"  Sam asked Nick.  "Let's use some positive thinking here shall we?"  Nick answered.  The three of them had been searching the main floor and the floor inside of the long walk in closet in the room for fifteen minutes or so when Matt gave out with a loud whoop.

     "Guys come here quick!" he cried urgently.  Nick and Sam rushed over to where Matt was kneeling under a blackboard mounted on the wall.  "Did you find it?"  Sam asked his brother excitedly as he and Nick knelt down on either side of Matt.  "See this patch of wood here?" Matt said pointing, "It's loose."

     Nick examined the four by four foot square that was just a shade darker than the rest of the flooring.  He then pulled up one corner of the wood tile.  "Hey you two, each of you take a corner, will ya?"  Nick asked.  Matt and Sam obeyed immediately.  "Okay.  Pull up!"  Nick ordered.  All three of them pulled with all their might, and within a minute the board came up about three inches.  "What the heck is...."  Sam started.

     "Just hold the board right there a sec," Nick said, as he examined the wood tile all the way around.  "Ah, it's on a hinge," he said, indicating the metal piece attached to the side he was holding.  "Push up towards me," Nick commanded.  Matt and Sam did and the board shot up just missing Nick's nose as he tumbled back onto the floor.

     "Man!  That would have left a mark," Sam said with a chuckle.  "Yeah.  Not to mention, how would I explain the injury," Nick said, getting onto his knees again.  "Look stairs!"  Sam said, looking down into the large hole in the floor.  "Let's see where it goes," Nick said with a big smile and rubbing his hands together, excited to start.

     Matt and Sam now had apprehensive looks on their faces.  But Nick said, "Ah, come on guys.  This is what we're here for."  "You first oh fearless leader," Matt said with a wave of his hand.  Nick grinned.  "As you wish," he said, taking the first step down into the black hole.  "I hope there's a light switch somewhere down there," he said, starting downwards.  Matt and Sam followed.

     "I wish Dawn was here with her flashlights and all the other stuff she carries in that denim bag of hers," Sam said on a big sigh.  The boys were relieved to find that the steps were wide set and made of concrete, which was definitely better than age worn wood which could break with one's weight.

     When the boys arrived at the bottom Nick guessed that they were probably ten feet down from the computer room floor.  And the crawl space was about ten feet across and twenty feet long.  There was a bare light bulb with a pull chain hanging even with the bottom step.  Nick tugged on it and suddenly the room was bathed in a golden light.

     The walls and ceiling were made of cement like the steps.  The room evidently was used for storing holiday decorations.  Boxes of Halloween ghosts, pumpkins and witches filled one large box.  And on down the wall was a box containing Christmas trees, snowmen and snow flakes, obviously made by students.

     Standing against the walls in various places were props for various plays put on by the drama class.  "Wow!"  This must be where all the "Junk" comes to die,"  Matt exclaimed.  Nick and Sam laughed heartily.  But then Nick said, "I think you're right Matt.  These things haven't been used for a long time, given the cobwebs on and around the boxes and how filthy the items in them are."

     "So you think the thieves hauled the computers down in this hole," Sam started, while walking the length of the room.  "But how did they get it back out again, without being seen?" he ended.  Nick and Matt walked over to where Sam was standing.  Nick eyed the walls around them slowly and focused on a very large, tall box two feet from where they stood.

     "Right there!"  Nick said, pushing the empty box out of the way and revealing a wooden door in the concrete wall.  "How did you guess it was there?"  Sam asked him in amazement.  "I saw a patch of wood on the wall that the box didn't cover," Nick said with a smirk.  Sam gave Nick's arm a smack. 

     The door looked ancient.  It was set in the wall on very old iron hinges and the key hole was as ancient as the door it's self.  "Hmm.  A person would have to have the original key to open this," Nick said wisely.  He then looked around himself and saw another door in shadow that he hadn't noticed before.  He raised an eyebrow while walking over to it.

     "I noticed that too," Sam said when Nick had reached it.  "I thought it was just leaning against the wall.  I couldn't see it very well.  It's the only place down here where the light doesn't touch."  Nick grabbed a hold of the door knob and pulled.  A stair well was revealed and at the top of the some twenty steps was a far more modern door that led to a room on the second floor.

     "That," Nick said pointing up to the top of the stair, "is how normal people get down here."  His wry smile made Matt and Sam chuckle and shake their heads.  "So the thieves obviously moved the stolen goods by way of those stairs," Sam said.  "I would say so," Matt agreed.  "We'll see where that goes," Nick said nodding at the stairwell, "But I want to talk more about that interesting door over there," he said pointing to it.

     "I thought we were here to solve the computer case Nick," Sam said slyly.  "Yeah," Matt put in. "Do you really think this old ugly door has anything to do with hiding the stolen goods?"  "Never can tell," Nick said, eyeing the door; curiosity all over his face.  "I mean, we can't rule anything out....can we?"

                                                                               End of Chapter 36