A great crowd had gathered outside the fenced–in property. Bethune is a small village and news travels fast. Concern and curiosity was growing as to why so many police cruisers had arrived at the house where Peter Hochstadter lived.
Different stories abounded. Everyone hoped Peter had not died in the house. Flooding of the Vista River had damaged homes along this river bank recently and he should have moved out for safety sake last week. Granted, the worst was over, but the house would need to be restored. Having no neighbours close by and being a recluse, 81-year old Peter’s whereabouts were unknown. Ida, his wife, had not been seen for years.
Just as speculation of all kinds was running rampant amongst the crowd, another strange event occurred. Khaki-clothed men arrived with shovels, proceeded to the garden beside the house and, with police supervision, began digging. Little thought was given to saving the plants that had survived the flooding. More and more deep holes were dug as the morning wore on.
Naturally, there were new theories being advanced amongst the spectators. One was that Peter had killed his wife Ida and buried her in the garden. Peter and Ida supposedly had no children but maybe that was not so. Quite conceivably they could have had children, killed them and buried them. Rumour had it that Peter also had once been in the German army.
Suddenly, the talk stopped and the crowd watched amazed as a small, coffin-shaped metal box was lifted from a hole several meters deep. Trading knowing glances with one another, the crowd waited. Uniformed officers worked at the rusted locks, banging with hammers and finally prying the lid open. Various people hoisted themselves up on the fence posts to a better viewing height.
What a surprise to find that the casket-like box held not a body or body parts but another small box and in it was a huge amount of cash! Xenophobic as he was, Peter had not trusted banks or anyone else. Yesterday, the crowd now learned, he and Ida had been forced to seek help from the local authorities and, naturally, he wanted his life savings!
“Zillions of Dollars Found” would probably title the eventual story as happens with word-of-mouth sharing, especially in Bethune, a small village of well-meaning people with vivid imaginations!
