“I’m sorry to hear about your uncle.”

Stephanie sat down at the table opposite her friend and shrugged off her coat. She leant forward to see what Rosie was looking at.

“This is what he left me in his will,” Rosie mumbled, sliding the piece of paper across the table. “What do you make of it?”

Stephanie picked it up and studied the rough sketch of a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster, with a carousel in the middle and about three centimetres to the right was a big cross.

“X marks the spot? It looks like…”

“A treasure map,” they both said together and laughed.

“Don’t get too excited. My uncle Bert was always a bit of a joker; he never had a lot of money and was sort of the black sheep of the family.”

“How so?” Stephanie asked as a waitress appeared with a teapot for two.

“You did want tea, didn’t you?” Rosie checked.

“Yes thanks. Tell me more about Uncle Bert, he sounds interesting.”

Stephanie poured their tea, watching the copper-coloured liquid fill the cups and added a touch of milk.

Rosie smiled, taking a cup she explained, “He lived in Cleethorpes, he loved being by the sea. His key cutting shop is still on the sea front and I used to love it when we popped in to see him. As he and my mum talked, I’d look at his key collection. He had some old iron keys with intricately carved handles, they used to fascinate me.”

“Was he your mum’s brother?”

“Yes, sometimes I’d play cards with him while my mum went shopping.”

“Why was he the black sheep?”

“My granddad didn’t like that he hung about with the fairground folk. He used to help on the carousel at the weekends.”

“This carousel?” Stephanie asked, holding up the paper.

Rosie touched the sketch, following the circle of horses round and round with her finger.

“I remember sitting on one of these horses when I was little, my uncle standing next to me so I wouldn’t fall off. The music floating through the air as I rose up and down with my hair blowing in the breeze. I used to hold on to the smooth golden pole, close my eyes and I believed I was flying over everyone on a magical unicorn.”

Stephanie smiled and sipped her tea. “It must have been special to share that with your uncle.”

Stephanie noticed some writing on the back of the map and turning it over she read, “The key to a happy life by the sea, sourness keeps the truth for thee.”

Rosie frowned, “I don’t know what that means, I thought it might refer to a key at his shop, but other than that…”

“Why sourness?”

“The only sourness I can think of is his son, my cousin Nigel.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Nigel turned up at the reading of the will and he wasn’t happy as there wasn’t any money for him. He didn’t have anything to do with his dad anyway, he only got in touch when he needed something. He was annoyed when he saw I got this map, he thinks it leads to a treasure and wanted to take it off me.”

“What did you say?”

Rosie shrugged. “I let him take a photo of it, he didn’t give me any choice. He’s a bit scary.

“Right.” Stephanie sat up with a determined look in her eye. “Then we’ll have to solve it before he does.”

She held the paper up to the light and smiled. “We need a candle.”

Rosie got up to ask the waitress and returned with excitement.

“I know exactly what you’re thinking, I should have thought of that myself. Uncle Bert used to give me invisible messages when I was a kid, I’d forgotten all about it.”

The two women watched as Rosie lit the candle and held the paper over the flickering flame. At first, nothing seemed to happen, then slowly there appeared another cross, but this time in the middle of the carousel as the lemon juice on the paper turned brown.

“Next we need to find the key,” Stephanie whispered.

 

 

The icy sea whipped about them as they stood outside the key cutting shop. Waves crashed against the concrete wall sending spray into the air and gulls screamed overhead.

It was a relief to walk inside, the door caught a bell that tinkled above their heads as Stephanie closed it behind them.

“Hello,” called a young lady with a cheery smile behind the counter.

“Hi,” answered Rosie looking around. “it’s been a long time since I’ve been in here and it hasn’t changed a bit.”

The girl pulled a funny face. “I know, it could do with a makeover couldn’t it.”

“Oh no, that’s not what I mean, I like that it still looks the same. I’m Rosie, my Uncle Bert used to own it.”

“You mean Bert as in ‘Bert’s keys’? My dad bought this shop from him years ago.”

“The very same.” Rosie smiled and added sadly, “He died recently.”

“I’m so sorry. My dad said that Bert was a character and a great friend.”

Stephanie walked up to a glass display case and looked at the rows of old keys, some brass and others iron.

Rosie joined her. “Those were the keys I was telling you about, but that’s the key I wanted.”

Stephanie looked towards the wall where a picture frame hung, and inside of it was an old brass key and an old photo of a carousel.

“Could I please see that picture frame?” Rosie asked.

The girl reached up to take the frame down.

“Of course, you can take it, it’s yours. My dad told me that Bert had given instructions to give this to Rosie when she came in. I never thought you ever would.”

Rosie nodded, her eyes filling with tears, and she held it for a moment.

After a pause Stephanie asked the girl, “I don’t suppose anyone else has been asking about Bert have they?”

“Not that I know of, and I’m here every day. Why?”

“Can you do us a favour? Don’t tell anyone we were here.”

 

After a short drive, the women finally arrived at the fairground.

“Wow,” Stephanie breathed with surprise.

“I know,” Rosie agreed in shock. “I didn’t realise it had been abandoned.”

 They slowly walked towards the sad, neglected carousel, the chains that once connected the dancing horses, now hung to the ground. Only dead leaves danced about now, picked up by the moaning wind.

Rosie stepped closer, entranced by memories. Stephanie looked about and noticed a few holes, dug in the ground. Nigel had been there. Hairs rose on the back of her neck, as she felt they were being watched.

“Quick Rosie,” Stephanie called and ran on to the carousel to join her friend. “ Nigel might be close by.”

Rosie reached for the old key and crouching down in front of the centre pole she pushed the key into a tiny door. It opened to reveal a compartment. Excitedly Rosie reached in and pulled out a metal box.

“I remember this box,” Rosie laughed excitedly.

“I had a feeling you’d show up.” A deep voice made them jump.

They turned to see three men standing in front of them, one of them had a shovel in his hand. The man in the middle, held out his hand towards Rosie.

“Nice to see you again,” he smirked. “Now hand it over.”

Rosie held the box behind her back.

“Uncle Bert left it to me, not you.” Her voice was determined.

“Then we’ll just have to do it the hard way.”

Stephanie grabbed the box from Rosie and pushed her to the right,

“Run to the car!” she screamed, then she ran the other way.

The men were too confused to move straight away and luckily not too bright it seemed.

“You two get her,” Nigel ordered.

Stephanie sprinted towards the Ferris wheel and hoped there would be a gap in the fence so she could get to the car. She could hear the crunching of stones and knew the men were behind her. She darted under the wheel and around a carriage with peeling white paint, its door was hanging open. The fence wasn’t too far away, Stephanie thought as she continued on without looking back.

She ran alongside the fence, hoping to see a loose panel she could pull open, but to her dismay, that part of the fence looked quite new.

Then she saw a gap underneath, it was too small to climb through, but she had an idea, she pushed the box underneath just as the men caught up with her.

She turned around as calmly as she could, hands open wide to show she had nothing.

“Where is it?” one man asked looking puzzled.

“Where’s what?” Stephanie asked innocently, she looked over towards the Ferris wheel and they took the bait. They ran off to look for where she’d dropped it.

Stephanie ran to find Rosie and eventually saw her with Nigel.

He glared at Stephanie and demanded to know where the treasure was.

“You’re two goons have it, so can we go now?”

 She went to Rosie to check she was alright, then to her disappointment she saw the men return holding the box. Maybe they weren’t as stupid as they looked.

Nigel took the box and opened it, his smile soon disappeared though.

“A pack of cards? Is that all?”

It was Rosie’s turn to smile this time.

“It’s the cards we used to play with when I went to see him, he promised he’d give them to me.”

Nigel threw the box on the floor.

“What a waste of time,” he shouted, and beckoning the other two men, they stomped away.

Rosie picked up the tin box and the packs of cards, wiping off the dirt lovingly.

“So that’s what the treasure was?” Stephanie asked gently.

Rosie held up the cards to show Stephanie.

“It is. And did you know that this pack of magic cards…” she leaned to whisper in Stephanie’s ear, “is worth a fortune.”

“No way!” Stephanie laughed. “Good old Uncle Bert.”