Chapter 5

Krista looked around the large open space of the attic. The floor was covered with oak board. The walls were finished with shiplap. The ceiling was open, except for periodic spots where planks had been thrown over the joists to make added storage.

Here and there were haphazard scatterings of boxes, chests, and suitcases. The light was too dim for details.

I looked with my flashlight to find a source of electricity. I found an old-fashioned twist switch. Jan and Dan were probably right. They never were up here - at least in THIS time.

The attic electric wiring was "knob and tube." That put the installation somewhere in the 1940's, which would also be the time when rural electrification brought electricity to this area.

I twisted the switch, and lights hanging every ten feet down the center of the attic came on. At least some of them did. I walked along the wires and traced the route. There seemed to be no shorts or opens. Dan asked if it was safe.

"It should be fine. The ceramic posts are the knobs. They keep the wires separated and away from the attic wood. The concern would be the light fixtures. They were probably heavy duty in their day, so they keep the hot and neutral separated. Just plug in the work lights downstairs."

Jan, by this time, was back with a stepladder and light bulbs. She replaced the dead bulbs, and the attic became a much brighter place. About this time Krista yelped.

I asked, "Is that the noise you make when you're excited?"

J & D laughed and Krista flipped me the bird. She said, "Bring your drill. You may even find out the answer to your question if you decide to be a good boy."

That was fairly arousing. Her smirk let me know that she knew it. I brought my drill.

She was in the farthest corner of the attic. She and Dan had moved some boxes. Krista was working the building corner with the detector. She said, "I get a strong signal, but in a small area."

I got down on my hands and knees to inspect the flooring. I found the ubiquitous Torx on one set of boards. While Dan held the light, I began removing the screws. We used a thin chisel to pop up the board. Dan handed me the light, and I dug through the loose insulation, trying to feel for anything out of place. I found four small packages. I handed them to Dan and kept searching.

I decided to lightly run just my fingertips inside the joist space, feeling for any discrepancy. Just as I was about to quit, my fingernail caught on something. I told my three friends, "Somebody got tricky. They put the packages under the open area, then they placed something back under a part of the floor we did not open."

Dan asked, "Want me to pry it up?"

"Give me a minute. Maybe I can get it without tearing things apart."

They waited, more or less patiently, while I worked. I felt a wire binding the small, thin package in place. I gestured to Dan's Leatherman Tool. He flipped it open and handed it to me. I was working by feel. I carefully cut the wire. Then I dragged the thin package to the floor opening.