Jane was frantic, and for a few short seconds without air, she felt as though she were paralyzed with fear. To her surprise, she rose back to the surface without any resistance and gasped; seeing for the first time Josh’s amused face.
“Josh!” Jane sputtered, and Margaret looked equally flustered from having been dunked below the waters as well. “You nearly scared us half to death!”
Margaret pushed the loose wet hair from her face, and scowled at him, before they all broke out in an uproarious laughter.
“Back to his old tricks, I should have known!” Jane laughed.
“Don’t you try that again, you shark-” began Margaret, “We’re older now and wiser; we can retaliate much better than we used to.”
“But what you don’t know, is that I’m safe-” laughed Josh, “You won’t harm me, because I’ve got the photos!”
Jane soaked Josh with a tremendous splash, and turned for the dock. Before a few seconds had elapsed, she was up on the wooden platform and wrapping her swimming jacket about her.
“Well, come on then!” she exclaimed, “We’re only wasting time here. The sun has begun to set; we’ve got all evening to figure out what the photos mean.”
Margaret moaned, and outstretched her hand for Jane to help heave her above the water. Josh made for the shoreline in a rapid freestyle stroke, and they each headed for the sedan to unpack their bags.
Once inside, Jane toweled her hair dry and drew up a spare chair to the round rustic table. Josh retreated outside to retrieve his old leather reporter’s bag, and he returned to Margaret setting down a tray of steaming hot chocolate.
“Now, let’s get down to business;” Jane said slowly, as she spread the freshly developed photographs out on the table.
“There’s nothing here but a bunch of junk.” Margaret said blankly,
They each turned the photographs over in their hands, and exchanged them between intermittent sips of hot chocolate.
“I can’t understand what those goons wanted with these photos.” Josh said, “Take this one for example. There’s nothing to be seen, but an old ship in a bottle.”
Jane stared at the photograph, when suddenly her eyes lit up and her mouth parted in astonishment:
“Eureka, that’s it!” she cried, “There’s more to this photo than meets the eye. That ship represents a clue, and I just bet it’s informing whoever the receiving party is, that their next heist is supposed to be near, or on – a boat!”
Margaret whistled,
“That’s an idea! Maybe they’re all just inconspicuous, innocuous photos, but together they make up a complete message.”
“Exactly.” Jane stated resolutely.
“Say, there’s a clock in the background of this one.” Josh cut in, “What time does it look like to you?”
Jane took up her magnifying glass, and held it over the photograph, studying the image carefully.
“Oh! It’s 8:30! But what time of day?”
“Maybe this one will prove to be more enlightening-” Margaret held up another, and it depicted a painting in an elaborate frame, of an Oceanside at daybreak. “I think we’re getting somewhere, a boat, an ocean, 8:30, now what day?”
“We’re probably overlooking something. Moreover, has anyone noticed how familiar some of these photos look?”
Josh and Margaret swapped glances, and Margaret finally shrugged.
“I’ll eat my swim cap of these photos weren’t taken at the local museum, and by Zack!”
This discovery piqued all of their interests, and they looked at the photos with renewed vigor to try and find anything they may have passed over the first time. It was half past seven, when Josh finally stretched and broke the silence with an unabashed yawn.
“I better go, I forgot to lock up the shop and with these thefts all over town, I wouldn’t want to be the next target.” He said.
“I don’t blame you; this is giving me a headache!” Sighed Margaret, “besides, I only brought my overnight bag; I must have left my suitcase at home in the foyer.”
Josh pushed his chair back, and stood up.
“You go ahead and keep looking at those photos, Jane; we’ll buzz to the camera shop, lock it up and be back here with my bags before you even miss us!”
“Don’t run into any criminals, and keep the sedan locked!” Jane warned them as they stepped away from the table.
Following shortly after their departure, came the sound of two doors closing and the car’s engine warming up. Jane’s eyes remained fixed on the cool photographs, and she laid them out in order of comprehensibility.
“I think I have it now-” Jane muttered to herself, and she noticed an address on a miniature mailbox in the corner of a photograph that clearly stated, “0722”
“That must be July 22nd! Why, that’s only three days from now- is all of this for real, or am I just making it up?”
Before Jane could contemplate a second more, her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the back door.
“Now that’s what I call fast!” she said enthusiastically, rising from her chair and flinging open the back door instinctively.
But it wasn’t Josh and Margaret after all – what greeted her behind the door took her breath away, and she stepped back with a gasp!