Felix observes his elderly neighbor attempting to trim her overgrown yard and leaps in to assist her.
She makes him accept a strange antique box as a thank-you present, but Felix finds himself in serious legal hot water when her attorney phones to demand an immediate appointment.
Felix heard the sound of a lawnmower as he examined the monthly figures for his handyman business. He was astonished to see Mrs. McAllister, an elderly woman, attempting to maneuver her lawnmower while using her cane when he peered out his kitchen window.
Felix reached Mrs. McAllister, who was flushed and profusely perspiring. She switched off the machine.
“Felix…Can I assist with something, please?you with? She let out a gasp.
“Please move aside so I may assist you! Honestly, Mrs. McAllister, your son ought to assist you with these chores. It is not appropriate to abandon your elderly mother to struggle on her own.
Mrs. McAllister summoned Felix inside for a drink of lemonade after he had laboriously mowed and raked the thick, soggy grass all morning. He was astounded by how filthy her house was, how full of dust, vermin, and ornaments. Felix feared that his kind companion could lose her ability to care for herself.
“You go now, sweetie.” The person who placed the glass of lemonade on the table was Mrs. McAllister.
“I want this for you as well.” This antique has been in my family for a very long time.
Felix scowled at the metal box she was demonstrating to him. It had an odd set of numerals on the lid, and it was hefty for what it was.
“Mrs. McAllister, I don’t need a fancy gift for such a simple task.” Felix gave the package back to her.
Mrs. McAllister frowned sadistically. She forced him to take an antipyretic and went to buy his daughter Suzie a bag of apples. She slouched into her couch and groaned loudly after that, obviously exhausted.
Felix advised Mrs. McAllister to take a nap and to give him a call the next time she needed assistance. Suzie went up to Felix that evening, grinning broadly.
“Look, Dad! I found something under the apples that Mrs. McAllister gave us!” He was shown the same odd metal box. “I can’t open it, but I think these dials are a combination lock.”
“Suzie, I know you adore vintage puzzle boxes and stuff, but we’re not keeping this.” He reached out to grab the package. “I will give it back to Mrs. McAllister.”
Suzie was furious, but Felix wouldn’t give up. When he knocked on Mrs. McAllister’s door after walking back to her residence with the box, she wasn’t home. He scowled and tried the door handle. Through the speaker, he informed Mrs. McAllister that he was heading inside to securely return her package.
Mrs. McAllister’s corpse lay on its side in the couch. She fixed her gaze blankly on the wall.
Call her Mrs. McAllister. Mrs. McAllister had already left before Felix rushed to her rescue, so they were unable to assist her.
Felix discovered the box in his pocket long after the incident, which is when he first remembered the box. On a whim, he searched online for vintage crates that resembled his own. He vowed after he eventually located a match.
This package was worth a cool $250,000!
Felix was obligated to preserve the box since he owed Suzie that much money and he wanted to safeguard her future even if he didn’t want to. He had to sell it to Suzie for her benefit. Felix placed the box in a secure location at the same moment. A odd call comes in for Felix after a few days.
“This is Tim, Mrs. McAllister’s attorney.” I want to meet up with you as soon as possible. Are you available now?
Felix accepted to meet the lawyer in a local café even though he wasn’t clear why Tim was in such a rush. He wanted to know why Tim wanted to see him, even if it made him feel horrible. When he arrived, he noticed the man who had to be Tim seated at a table with Henry McAllister, Mrs. McAllister’s son. This perplexed him even more.
Felix joined them, and Henry sent him a cold glare. “I’ll go straight to the point, Lexi. My mother’s home has a little box that has dials on the lid stolen. It is a priceless heirloom. Since you were the last person in her home, I provided you an opportunity to act morally.
“You believe I took something from your mom?” Andy bellowed. “Mrs. McAllister gave me the box as a token of appreciation for mowing her lawn—a duty you ought to have performed for her!”
“You would never have gotten that box from Mom!” He jabbed a finger into Felix’s eye. “It was purchased from a renowned craftsman by my great-great-grandfather, who was a famous politician!” It’s one of just two in the world like it! When you return the package to me, I’ll give you $1,000. Alright?
“No.” Felix stood up. “When I put it up for auction, you can purchase it if you so choose. Goodbye, Henry.
The next day Felix brought the box to a local selling house to determine its approximate value. Mr. Whitaker, a somber guy with a condescending accent, requested that he enter a back room to complete the assessment. Ellen, a lady, came to accompany them.
Mr. Whitaker declared, “I can confirm right away that the craftsman’s mark on the underside is genuine.” “Therefore, sir, this is a pretty important piece.” “One of just two in the entire globe.”
Ellen stooped to examine the package. That is really beautiful.Could you please show me your provenance paperwork?
“Pardon me?” Felix raised his gaze.
One muscle in the woman’s face trembled. “Any verifiable document that demonstrates the authenticity of the artifact and your ownership, or a certificate of authentication, must be provided.”
“Uh…I left all that stuff at home,” he mumbled. He didn’t like the way this review had taken. He rose and picked up the box off the table, making his way toward the door. “I’ll go get it and come back right away.”
“You cannot be allowed to do that.” Ellen stepped aside to prevent him from reaching the door.
“We have a duty to report any…discrepancies involving objects associated with historical personalities to the relevant authorities.”
Felix started to feel afraid. He shot into the hall, swerving to avoid both Mr. Whitaker and the woman. An alarm went off as soon as he arrived at the front desk.
Felix plunged and slipped past guards trying to stop him, feeling as though he was back on the high school football field. He broke free of the people’s grasp on his arm and fled down the street, out of the building. He ran till his legs gave out from there.
Felix circled his living room while he considered his options. He needed to sell the box in order to put money into Suzie’s future, but he needed to complete some paperwork first.
He hoped he could discuss it with Mrs. McAllister. She could probably also provide him with the precise paperwork he needs to prove where the item originated since she would know exactly what they are. Felix paused to consider how he would market the box. He didn’t want to do it, but he had no other option.
Felix walked to the garage to retrieve his boltcutter after taking some practical tools out of his toolbox. After Suzie went to bed, Felix broke into Mrs. McAllister’s home in the middle of the night to get the documents he needed.
Felix entered Mrs. McAllister’s bedroom and felt a cold run down his spine. The fragrance of her lingered in this room. He forced himself to continue even though it seemed strange and intrusive to be peering into her personal space. He was in the middle of the bedroom when the light came on.
“You’re not so mighty and high now, Felix?” Henry uttered a sound from the entrance.
Felix raised his gaze. With his phone lifted, Henry snapped shots of Felix, but his eyes flashed.
He covered his face with his hand. It’s not true, Henry. It doesn’t look like this. All I need is—
“I know the paperwork for the box.” Henry winced. “The auction house called me after you tried to con them because that box is connected to my family.” Yes, I did inform them that they had stolen it.
“That is untrue!”
“But without the right paperwork, it’s impossible to prove ownership.” With his arms crossed, Henry tallened and occupied the entire space available. “It cannot be sold either.” I’ll contact the cops if you don’t turn it in by tomorrow at 8 a.m.
Felix sprinted out of Mrs. McAllister’s house as Henry made way. He was deeply troubled by what was about to transpire. On the day he discovered Mrs. McAllister dead, he regretted he had left the box at her house.
Still, he ought to have had it! Felix didn’t think Henry would follow through on his promise to deliver Felix the box. There were a lot of things on his mind. By daylight, he realized what he had to do.
Suzie was awakened by him, and he instructed her to get ready to pack. He then gave his mother a call and urged her to come over immediately. They eventually found themselves gathered at the entrance door. They had to leave after he told them everything.
Fitz handed the package to Suzie. “Get rid of it immediately. Please don’t take anything less than $100,000 for it. Yes, there isn’t a better way to clear up this mess and still have the time of your life.
Felix squeezed his daughter’s hand and wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. Saying goodbye to her was one of the toughest things he had ever done.
He continued, “Promise me you’ll live a good life,” as he met her eyes. “Seek knowledge through travel and put in a lot of effort in the classroom to succeed in life.” “Look after your grandmother; elderly people should be respected and family is important.”
There were sounds of cops in the background. It was 8:30 a.m., thirty minutes past Henry’s due date. The sirens, he assumed, meant that they were pursuing him. He saw Mom and Suzie driving out of the driveway and heard more and more police sirens. He was relieved that they were out of this situation when the cops caught him.
Despite Henry’s threats, there were minor legal technicalities that made Felix’s allegations difficult to establish. Elements of Henry’s argument were unclear now that the box was gone. Felix spent four months in prison before his scheduled court appearance. One day a guard informed him that his bail had been paid.
Felix was full of inquiries. Suzie was waiting for him at the front of the jail, where the man guided him. Together, they stepped outdoors. Mom was waiting for them, parked at the curb.
Felix said to Suzie as they were getting into the car, “Okay, I can’t wait any longer.” “What’s happening?”
“Well, I ignored your advice regarding the box.” Suzie smiled shyly. “Instead, I managed to open it.” There was a legitimate prize there, along with a message from Mrs. McAllister. Dad, that package meant a lot to her. It was noted in the memo.
Felix winced. Though Suzie wasn’t finished yet, he didn’t have much time to consider why Mrs. McAllister had made him take the box.
“I showed your lawyer the note, and after that, I brought the box containing all the documents to an old dealer.” Suzie grinned broadly. “He gave us enough money to post bail, and we have an additional $100,000!”
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