SHALLA Magazine - we love Shalla

Box of Secrets

By BJ Bourg

“What’re you doing?” Jeri stood at the back door, fists shoved into her hips.

Kade looked up from the large hole in the ground. “I found something.”

“You said you were building a shed, not digging a pool. You’re ruining my backyard.”

“But I found something.” Kade dropped the shovel and grabbed an axe. He lifted it high into the air—

“Don’t do that!” Jeri’s voice was shrill.

Kade froze, turned toward his wife. Her face was ashen. In the year he’d known her, he had never seen her so terrified. “What’s wrong, Baby?”

“Nothing. It’s just…I mean…what are you doing?”

Kade pointed in the hole. “There’s a wooden box in here. It might be a treasure.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s probably just some old wood. Cover it back up.”

Kade tapped the wooden box with his boot. “It’s hollow. It’s a box of some kind. Didn’t you say the old man who had this property died?”

“Yeah. I bought it from his grandchildren.”

“He might have buried his money in here. You know how old people don’t like banks.”

“When I bought the property some of the town’s people said there used to be wells on the property. That’s probably what it is. Just cover it back.”

“The wells would be out there somewhere.” Kade waved at the fifty acres of farm land Jeri and her first husband had purchased eight years prior. “It wouldn’t be this close to the house.”

“It’s probably something dangerous. Please don’t…”

Kade lifted the axe and brought it down hard. Wood splintered. Dust spewed from the box. He reached forward and pulled away the chunks. “There’s something in here. Get me a flashlight.”

There was no response. Kade turned. Jeri was gone. Shrugging, he shoved his hand into the hole and felt around. His fingers brushed against something leather-like. He clutched the object between two of his fingers and pulled it out. A wallet. He dusted it off, opened it to find a driver’s license, two credit cards, and an insurance card. The name on the documents was Lenny Boudreaux.

Kade’s heart pounded in his chest. He leaned closer and reached deep into the box. Suddenly, he jerked his arm away and scrambled out of the hole. There was no mistaking what he’d felt.

“I told you to cover it back.”

Kade screamed, turned to face Jeri. She held a small pistol in her right hand.

Kade swallowed hard. “You…you said Lenny left you.”

“Why didn’t you just listen?”

Kade felt warm liquid spread across the front of his pants. “Baby, I won’t tell—”

“I can’t take that chance.” Jeri closed one eye, leveled the pistol and fired. When the last echo had faded to a whisper, she rolled Kade into the hole and sighed. Lenny hadn’t listened when she’d told him to stop hitting her, and now Kade. “Why can’t men just listen?”

Jeri grabbed the shovel and began covering her box of secrets…

The End

Previously published by Apollo’s Lyre (August 2009).

BJ Bourg is the Chief Investigator for a Louisiana District Attorney’s Office. He lives in southeast Louisiana with his beautiful wife and two wonderful children. For more information, visit his website at www.bjbourg.com.