Page 30 of P.S. It’s Always Been You
“You’ll see.”
Jared mics me up, and the sound guy joins us when Jared gives him the good-to-go sign.
I begin.
“And here’s the famed vintage xylophone,” I intone in an overdramatic whisper to the camera. “I’ve heard tales of this xylophone. Stories about what it might hold clues to.” I turn to Presley. “Might there be buried treasure in the xylophone itself? Let’s find out.”
Her eyes widen. “You’re not actually going to rip the keys off it, are you?”
“As if I’d hurt a vintage xylophone from 1898. But that was the year that many expeditions set off for South America. Perhaps this inscription is a clue pointing us to a treasure map. Let’s take a closer look,” I say, gesturing for Jared to zoom in.
I tap the back of the xylophone, knocking on it in case . . . “Maybe, just maybe, there is a secret compartment in the back of this special instrument.”
But the back is solid and sturdy.
When Jared returns the focus to my face, I focus on the positive. “We’ll soldier on. See if we can unearth any secrets inside here or elsewhere. After all, our famed adventurer was quite a patron of the arts. The man seems to have had a passion for music. And this xylophone itself might be worth a fortune. But will it lead us to buried treasure? Stay tuned.”
Jared rolls his eyes as he lowers the camera. “Let’s hope you find something good tomorrow, man. Because that xylophone bit didn’t fool me.”
Well, shit.
When Jared and the crew take off at the end of the day, I find Presley sifting through a desk in the far corner of the living room.
“Maybe there’s a secret compartment in the desk,” I suggest as I join her, because if my crew is ragging on me, then I’m going to need to turn over everything twice.
“I’ve already checked. No such luck.”
“Do those really exist?”
“Secret compartments? Yes, they were quite popular in American furniture. A number of highboys, secretaries, and desks often had false bottoms, extra drawers, or hidden compartments. Not this one though.”
“Damn. A treasure cache in a desk would have been fun.”
“And unlikely,” she adds, continuing her search through the papers.
I survey the desk, which is pushed against a wall next to the window. Above it is a mirror with a vintage elephant design etched in metal along the top.
“That elephant matches the monkey,” I remark, studying it. “It’s the same style.”
“You’re right. It does,” she says, briefly glancing at the elephant before she returns to her work. “That might make the collection more valuable. But what would be truly valuable are maps.” Determined, she riffles through more papers. “I bet Edward had maps of his expeditions besides the ones at the Exploration Society. It would be an incredible find if we uncovered additional maps, or maps of the Lost City of the Sun,” she says, head down, on the hunt.
“Now that would be a treasure of sorts,” I say, taking a moment to look at her, glad I said my piece in the car this morning. Hell, I tied off that knot of regret with one firm tug. Look how well it worked. We’ve gotten along great today. Like buds.
So why, when I gaze at her, do I still feel a warm pull in my chest? Why do I want to spend the day asking her questions about more than antiques, talking to her, understanding what motivates her?
That’s what I was trying to stop. I was trying to eject her from my brain.
Focus on the job, not the woman.
She turns her gaze to me, her expression soft. “Listen, I know you’re frustrated that we haven’t found anything exciting for TV yet. I know you want this buried treasure, but this whole house is full of potential treasure. Don’t you see?”
“Maybe, but I still need to make it exciting for TV.”
“It’s history. It’s not adventure,” she says matter-of-factly. “You can’t just invent stuff. We’re not going to find buried treasure in a xylophone.”
“No kidding. But I do need to find ways to make this project more fascinating. Like a map.” I sigh longingly. “I would kill to find a map.”
She shoots me a sympathetic smile. “I know. But we’ve only just begun. Besides, the bureau and the mirror look to be true antiques, and I’ve been working hard to put together a great collection for Highsmith. I promise I will do everything I can to research every fact and detail that might be interesting for viewers. I need to know this estate inside and out. This is important to me and could draw a lot of business to the auction house.”
This is the first time she’s remotely opened up about work, and I want to know more. “Why is it so important to you?”
She looks away. “It just is. I need this to go well.”
