Chapter 2

Hollis backed his delivery van to the rear of his shop. He unlocked and opened a pair of sliding barn doors and stepped inside. The lower level was his storage area -- off limits to customers.

He climbed the stairs and saw Annie sitting behind the counter. "I'm back," he said.

She jumped. "You startled me."

"Any business today?"

"Some ... a lady came in and bought that deer figurine I liked."

"It's almost closing time," he said. "I have to unload the truck. Once you've closed up, come downstairs and give me a hand."

"Okay, Hollie."

Hollis returned to the lower level and began moving furniture to make room. Annie bounded down the stairs. She wore denim shorts that came to just above her knees and a pink tee. He regarded her slender calves and her angular knees with the pale patch on her left one.

"Anything good?" she asked.

"Not much ... a lot of bric-a-brac. Half of it's destined for the dumpster. There are a couple nice mirrors. All the furniture was gone ... There is kind of a nice mantle clock ... if it runs." He gestured to several cardboard cases. "Ball jars. How many ball jars does a body need? We'll probably toss those."

Annie picked up a carton from the truck and carried it inside. "We shouldn't throw them away."

"Look at this place," Hollis retorted. "It's bursting at the seams with ... junk."

She carried another box. "You know what we should do?"

"What?"

"Instead of tossing the stuff in the dumpster, we should have a barn sale. We could set up tables in the parking lot here -- a dollar table, a two-dollar table; cash-and-carry. We could advertise on Craigslist and in the paper. We might make a little money."

"It sounds like an awful lot of work for not much return."

"You have to sort it out, anyway. At the end of the day, anything that's left we can toss."

He regarded her. "Annie -- you organize something like that and you can keep whatever we make."

Her face brightened. "Deal! We'd better do it before the cold weather sets in. It'll be November in a couple of weeks."

"We should have a couple of mild weekends yet," Hollis remarked.

Annie carried another carton inside. "That's the last one," she said.

"Then, I'll close up here and put the truck away. Do you want me to give you a lift home?"

"I can walk. It's a nice day." She gave him a little wave. "See you Monday after school."

Hollis saw the Emporium front door open. Annie stepped in. She slipped her backpack off her shoulders and flopped in the velvet easy chair.

"I finished counting up the cash from the barn sale," he said to her. "We cleared three hundred seventy-seven -- and it's all yours. A deal's a deal. Congratulations -- it was a good idea and good execution. I'll put the proceeds in your cigar box." Annie propped her elbows on her knees and held her forehead in her hands. He heard her sniffling. "Annie -- what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, her voice quaking, "except today's my birthday."

"Happy birthday," he said.

She pulled an envelope from her backpack. "This is all I got." Hollis regarded the contents -- a hand-drawn birthday card, signed Mom. "That's the best she could do from prison," Annie sniffled.

"Maude doesn't do anything for your birthday?"

She shook her head. "No. Nothing."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen," she said.

"Oh ... That's a big one. If I had known, Annie -- I'd have done something. In fact, if you'd like -- for your sixteenth birthday you may have your pick of any item in the shop."

"No, thank you, Hollis," she replied. "That would be like giving cash or a gift card. No thought goes into it. A present has to mean something ... it has to come from the heart."

"I see. Like I said, if I had known..." Annie sighed and wiped tears from her eyes. "Annie -- would you mind watching the store? I have to attend to something upstairs."

"Oh ... okay..." Annie sat on the stool behind the counter and propped her cheeks in her palms.

Hollis headed upstairs. He began scanning the displays for an idea. He regarded figurines and glassware ... crystal votives and oil lamps. He shook his head.

Then, his eye landed on an object. He picked it up and regarded it. Perfect, he thought. He carried it to the apartment and rummaged for a scrap of wrapping paper.

He descended the stairs and approached Annie. "Happy birthday," he said and handed her the present. "Go ahead -- open it."

Annie took the object and turned it over in her hands. "You must've just wrapped it."

"Yes ... so? Like I said, if I had known..."

She nodded and picked at the tape holding the paper. From the wrapping she removed a slender, leather-bound box. "What is it?" She pushed on a clasp and lifted the lid. Inside was a pair of white chopsticks. "Oh, my goodness," she exclaimed.

"They're ivory," Hollis explained. "If they were made today they'd be illegal. Those date from around eighteen-twenty. As antiques they're fine to own." He pointed. "The Chinese characters are inlaid gold wire."

"Ivory and gold." Tears began flooding down her cheeks. "They're beautiful, Hollie. Thank you." She picked them from the case, held them the way Hollis had shown her and practiced using them. "Can I use them?"

"You can use them or keep them on display. Whatever you want."

Annie replaced the sticks in the box and hopped off the stool.

"How about a birthday hug?" Hollis asked. He opened his arms and Annie fell into them. "Happy sweet sixteenth."

"Thank you, Hollie. This present made my day." She headed for the safe, opened it and slipped it into her cigar box. "They'll be safe here," she said. "The next time we go to the China Buffet I'll bring them with me."

"Don't you want to use them at home?"

"Maude never serves Chinese," Annie replied. "She doesn't like it." Hollis sat on the stool behind the counter and began entering item numbers into his laptop. "Were you busy today?"

"Busy, yes. A lot of looky-loos ... and some folks who must've been looking for the big find. I think shows like Antiques Roadshow has given people the wrong idea about collectables. They think it's like playing the lottery."

"So," she replied as she applied the feather duster to a shelf of glass paperweights, "a lot of traffic but not much in sales."

"Pretty much." He regarded her. Annie wore a short-sleeved blouse with her jeans. Hollis gazed at her slender arms and long fingers. "Tell me -- do you feel any different now than yesterday?"

"Do you mean, now that I'm legal?" she replied.

"Legal? I thought you had to be eighteen to be legal."

"Sixteen is the age of consent in this state."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Humph. I never paid attention. I'm not interested in chasing jailbait." He chortled.

"What's funny?"

"I think it's odd ... at sixteen, the law considers you old enough to participate in sex but not old enough to participate in porn. A guy could have sex with you and that's okay, but if he took a picture of you, he's breaking the law."

"I guess that is odd," she replied. "I hadn't thought about it. Well -- no one's having sex with me and no one's taking pictures of me either."

"You're not into that sexting scene, are you?"

"Ewww! I'd never do anything like that. You don't know where those pictures might turn up. Besides -- I don't have a cell phone."

"No cell?"

"Maude won't permit it."

"Why not pay for one out of your own money?" Hollis asked. "On a good month you must make five hundred from here."

"Maude would have to sign the contract."

"That's right -- you need a credit card and you don't have one of those." He glanced at the time display on his laptop. It read five P.M. "Closing time."

"I'll do it." Hollis watched as Annie lugged the cigar store Indian into the building, switched off signs and lights and locked the front door. She extended her arms, lifted her face and drew in a deep breath. "I love how this place smells, Hollie. The smell brings back memories."

"Smells can do that." He removed the cash drawer from the register and carried it to the safe.

Annie opened the safe's door and loaded into it the jewelry trays. She picked up her cigar box and regarded the chopsticks. "I wanted one last look at them."

"I have an idea how to make your birthday just a bit more special. How about going to China Buffet for a birthday dinner?"

Her eyes popped. "Really?" She held the chopsticks to her breast. "Let me call Maude."

"Be my guest."

Annie placed the call and held the handset to her ear. "No answer. That's odd..."

"In a case like this, do you know what I'd say?" Hollis asked.

"What?"

"It's easier to obtain forgiveness than permission." Hollis closed the safe and spun the combination knob. "Let's go."

Clutching the antique chopsticks Annie followed Hollis to his car.

Annie opened the box and regarded the ivory sticks. "Hollie -- do you know what these characters mean?"

"Sorry -- I never studied Chinese. Maybe someone at the restaurant could tell you."

"Good idea."

He parked at the strip mall and escorted her inside. Hollis sat at the table and took out his cell. "Do you want to try Maude one more time?"

"Sure..." She punched in the number and listened. "Still no answer."

The hostess stepped to their table. "Help yourself to the buffet," she said.

"Excuse me," Annie said to the hostess. She opened the leather box. "Can you tell me what this says?"

The hostess picked up the chopsticks. "These are very nice ... very rich."

"They're ivory with gold," Annie replied.

"So I see ... and very old, too. These are the characters for health and happiness. They're in the old style." She pointed. "Health ... happiness. You're not going to use those, are you?"

"I was ... why not?"

"If they were mine, I'd consider them too precious. They're heirlooms."

Annie's mouth made an O. "Maybe I should keep them safe and pass them on."

"That's what I would do. Enjoy your dinner."

Hollis watched Annie use a pair of bamboo sticks to devour a plate piled with various entrees. She pressed her hand against her belly. "I'm as full as last time."

He left some bills on the table. "Let's get you home before Maude starts missing you."

She sat beside him as he drove toward her house. "Hollie -- I'll leave these with you. You can put them in the safe for me." She slipped the leather case into his glovebox.

"I'll do that ... What the hell?" He parked by the curb. A police car was parked in the driveway of the brick house and yellow crime scene tape was strung across the door.

Hollis hopped out of the car and approached an officer. "What happened here?"

"Move along, pal," the officer replied. "Nothing to see here."

"I live here," Annie remarked.

"You live here?" The officer took out a notebook. "What's your name?"

"Annie Sheffield. I'm one of Maude Butterfield's foster kids."

"You weren't here this afternoon?"

"No -- I was at my after-school job and dinner."

"With me," Hollis interjected.

"Who are you?"

"Hollis George. Annie works for me."

The officer addressed Annie. "Do you know Richard Bettis and Donald Wyler?"

"Ricky and Don -- yes, they're my foster ... siblings."

"It appears Ricky and Don got into an altercation."

"They always do," Annie replied.

"This time one of them got hold of a gun -- shot the other through the head. The mom was hit, too."

"All they all right?"

"The boy died at the scene. The mom was airlifted to Mercy. I don't know her condition."

Annie put her hand on her chest and began hyperventilating. "Relax ... calm down," Hollis comforted her.

"If I hadn't been with you," she gasped. "I might've been shot, too! Oh, my God!"

The officer used his radio and approached them. "Annie -- lieutenant would like a word with you. They're sending a squad to take you to the station."

"Am I in trouble?"

"I can't see how. You probably can fill in some of the backstory."

"What am I going to do?" she asked. "I can't stay here."

"You can stay with me tonight," Hollis replied. "Maybe you should get some of your things."

Annie headed toward the house. "Hey," the cop called. "You can't go in there."

"How is she going to get her belongings?" Hollis asked. "She'll need a change of clothes and other necessaries."

"Where's your stuff?" the cop asked.

"In my room ... second floor."

"I'll go in with you. Stay out of the kitchen -- you don't want to go in there, anyway."

Annie swallowed hard and followed the officer into the house. Hollis waited by his car. He saw another squad pull up.

He saw Annie come from the house carrying a worn valise. He popped his trunk and she set it inside. "Come with me, miss," another cop said. She was led into the squad car.

"I'll follow," Hollis called to her.

Hollis paced outside a control room window, watching the officers behind bulletproof glass take calls and fill out paperwork. Another officer led Annie down the corridor.

Hollis approached her. "Are they done with you?"