Under the house from Hell
About a year after her inheriting the house from the Trent side of her family Shannon Trent received a letter from a man that she had never heard of before.
Sharing it with Paula, she learned that he was a total stranger to her also.
Calling the lawyer, Mr. O'Shaunasy, she learned that the writer, David Bullock, was a well known school teacher, and a friend of Rocky Crane's.
Since the dig was still active in the ruins, she took the letter to Rocky and Gabe.
Here are the contents of the rather odd letter;
Dear Miss Trent,
I hate to be the bearer of such sad news, but your Great Aunt Carmine died three days ago.
She entrusted a chest to me for you. This letter is to inform you that is now in the mail. The post office says it should reach you in three days.
I have no idea what is within the chest.
My condolences, Carmine were a very nice person.
Sincerely,
Roger Bullock
Shannon and Paula headed for the ruins only to halt just inside the gate and stare in shock.
All the neat trenches, and cleared ground was now an absolute mess! It looked like a huge explosion had wrecked the place.
Rocky, Andy Van Dyne, Gabriel Blaze and the lady named Martha were standing in a group surveying it.
Shannon and Paula walked over to join them. "What happened? Shannon asked.
"We just got back from vacation this morning to start the new digging season, and found it this way. Rocky replied. His face was set in grim lines. I don't even know where to start clearing up the mess."
Shannon held out the letter to Gabe. "This may or may not tie into it."
"David? A chest? Your aunt Carmine? ----- You don't have a great aunt Carmine on the Trent side. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed.
"David, this is Gabriel, um, oh yeah, glad you recognize my voice; Shannon does not have a Great Aunt Carmine on the Trent side, who is she, and what chest?"
"Huh, weird, why would she claim to be a Trent, unless --- there was another Trent branch we don't know about. They were a secretive bunch of ladies."
"You can join us, but the neat site is now an exploded mess, it happened while we were off season."
Gabe closed the cell phone. "He is coming here. Says that Carmine said she was a Trent by marriage. I'll have my grandson Garliad check the records to see where she really fits, if she does. The chest is coming by UPS and should be here by day after tomorrow."
Rocky sighed on his other side. "So, did you find any equipment in what was left of the tent, George?" He turned to ask the approaching young man. Shannon recognized him as one of last year's students.
"Yeah, the supply tent, cook tent, and three sleeping tents were not touched." George Kayman answered.
"Mary and Mike have started bringing them out to work with. Uh, where should we start?"
"Start at an edge, it doesn't matter much where. Our paperwork and maps won't be right anyway." Rocky shrugged.
"I'll call Fenrus's gang and see if Sherie and Sharle are available to try to see what happened here." Gabe's cell phone was still in his hand.
