5. Dinner
After an hour of discussing finances and reminding the men the difference between debit and credit, Leticia Walker Reed had had enough.
“That’s all well and good but tell me everything you can about the book!”
The story of the book held what Leticia Walker Reed could already fell was a good, even perfect promise. Like any good story, it began from the point of innocence. The book was a complete mystery.
“Mr. Pinkerton couldn’t tell us anything.” Mr. Pinkerton was a little joke between Leticia and her father. Each detective that Pinkerton Security sent to the house seemed to be a copy of the next one. Leticia just took to calling any detective Mr. Pinkerton.
“Where did it come from? I mean it had to come from somewhere.”
“We got all the assets. We literally took possession of all the money and everything in all the deposit boxes,” said Uncle James.
“Some of the items on deposit were from failed banks that Wells took over before we came in. The book’s owner – or the person who rented the box at a small bank near Fisherman’s Wharf – had been dead for years. Spaniard fella, I think, by the name of Archangelo.”
“Is it important, Father?”
“All we know is that it’s old,” said Abolphus.
“No one could place the age,” said James. We only know that the book could be hundreds of years old.”
“And what do you want from me?”
“You studied languages. We want to know if it’s anything important.”
“Father, do you just want me out of your hair while you take over the banking business in California?”
“No. I want you to find out what you can and share the information with us. We have a man at Pinkerton you can write to.”
“Really!?”
“Yes and you have to call him Anderson.”
“Not Pinkerton?”
“I don’t think he’ll get the joke, darling.”
“I’ll do what I can,” said Leticia trying to conceal the excitement she was feeling. It was all she could to do to keep from running up to her room and tearing into the book. “I might need to do some research. I might need to go to San Francisco.”
“Write to Mr, Anderson for all your needs, Leticia,” said her mother.
“You can go to San Francisco if you need to.”
“Wowee!” said Leticia.
“Yep,” said Adolphus and James.
“Language,” said Isabella.
