Elio went at the place full speed ahead. Though Henry's small Victorian was filled with gorgeous artwork and intriguing volumes, he didn't stop to appreciate anything in particular. He wanted to finish cleaning by the time Henry got home. He wanted Henry to be impressed with his work.
The home was older, with an updated kitchen and bath to complement the original dark wood flooring. There really wasn't much to do. Henry obviously kept the place spic and span. Maybe Henry's invitation to clean had only been an excuse to get Elio in the front door. He certainly wouldn't be disappointed by the ruse.
As he'd run out the door, Henry had said, "Don't worry about the basement, of course, but please do pay special attention to the bedrooms." Well, that was as clear an enticement as any, wasn't it?
Henry's bedroom suited him to a T. The bed linens had an Indian look to them, and there was a very large, very ancient-looking tapestry hanging on the wall. Elio looked around for either a way to invest his talent for cleaning in this already-clean room, or some clue as to what Henry wanted him to find.
In lieu of a chair by the low bookshelf, there were pillows in an oval on the floor. Actually, when Elio looked closer at the cozy cushion that housed all the rest, he realized it was a dog bed! He'd never realized Henry had a dog.
Elio chuckled as he called, "Here pup! Where are you, boy?" When no animal, large or small, responded, it occurred to Elio he hadn't picked up any dog hair in his ventures of dusting or vacuuming.
Curious. Very curious, indeed!
Without much else to do, Elio sat in the doggie bed. Every second square in the adjacent bookshelf had a box sitting in it that seemed to act as a drawer. Elio didn't want to look inside -- he didn't want to be labelled a snoop -- but, hell, who would ever know? The open shelves housed knickknacks and a wide assortment of books. Whatever he found inside the boxes would surely be equally inane.
Elio pulled out the box closest to him and peeked inside.
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