Chapter 3

Dan returned with the metal detector. It was the deluxe model detector with tone and meter. It even had earphones. The sound would alert us and the meter would allow us to delineate the size of the "hit."

Dan asked, "Where shall we start?"

Krista answered, "Let's go back to the stable. First, unload everything from the trailer. Then search the livery stable with the detector."

"Do we need some tools?"

"No, I brought mine from home, they're in the trailer."

We all piled into Dan's pick up. Krista had to sit on my lap. Okay, Krista decided that she wanted to sit on my lap. I was loath to dissuade her.

We pulled up in front of the old livery stable. Dan unlocked the combination lock and swung open the big door. Jan slid behind the wheel long enough to pull the truck inside. Dan swung the door shut.

There was light from the afternoon sun coming in the dirty dusty windows.

Jan looked around and said, "Christ, this is so dirty. I bet the horseshit is gold rush original!"

Dan said, "Yep, that's why it worked."

Krista threw open the side doors on her four horse trailer. We started transferring items to the back of the pick up. The pick up had a shell over the bed. That provided enough cover for our trip back to the B&B.

They started hauling out my tools. Dan saw the battery powered drill and the several large toolboxes. He started laughing. "Were you planning on problems?"

"You know me. Mister Obsessive. Can't have too many tools."

With all the jocularity the unloading was quickly done. I hauled out a couple of powerful spotlights that I plugged in the cigarette lighters in the two trucks. Jan and Krista each grabbed a light. Dan grabbed the detector. I had a long thin piece of welding rod to use as a probe.

Dan worked carefully around the edges of the barn. We found several bottle caps. We also found some badly rusted metal pieces that were unrecognizable but still magnetic.

Dan reached the last stall. At some point this stall was converted to hold tack and saddles instead of livestock. There was even an ancient McClellan saddle on a peg surrounded by dusty bridles. Krista yelped and pulled his arm. We all stopped as she said;

"This is the spot. We would have done this. We wouldn't want horses pissing on the ground above our stash."

We were stunned. I got a little light headed. I held on a post for a minute. Dan said:

"Look, there's a wood floor in this stall."

We verified; none of the other stalls had a wood floor. The storeroom and the office had floors. Jan and Krista quickly cleared the tack out of the stall. Dan walked in with the detector. He yelled as he pulled off the earphones:

"Holy Fucking Shit, I just pegged the meter and the tone is deafening."

I grabbed the broom out of the trailer and swept the stall floor. Then I examined the floor using the strongest spotlight. I used a rag to wipe away the last of the accumulated grime. My three companions stood patiently waiting for my verdict. I stood up and said, "We put this floor in here."

Dan asked, "How the fuck do you figure?"

"Torx."

"NO SHIT?"

Dan grabbed the light and crawled around the floor of the stall. Krista and Jan were becoming increasingly agitated. Jan got right in my face!

I remembered something. In the bad old days before Dan found his center with martial arts. Dan used to trash a bar or two just for fun. Even the cops were terrified of him. Jan used to wade into the wreckage and drag Dan out by his ear. She could be formidable when she was pissed and right now she was pissed.