Flash

The mirror will show you the way to the dough. Look into your heart, and the answer you'll know.

Scott balled his fists at his side. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he growled.

"I assume that's what he wants us to figure out," Charlotte said, hiding a smile. If Uncle Sid had wanted to confuse his nephew, he was doing a fine job. Her cousin was not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

"Well, there's only one mirror in this rat trap, this one." He shot a thumb at the mirror in question.

"Family legend says he robbed a bank in the 20s," she said quietly. "If we can figure it out what this rhyme means, we could be looking at serious money."

Her uncle had never spoken about the rumor, but a few snatches of overheard conversation, some hastily glimpsed notes wadded back in a drawer had always convinced Charlotte there was something to the rumor.

He took the mirror down, inspecting the back. Nothing unusual-- no bulges, no signs of tampering. He tore the paper to reveal the back of the glass. "Damn."

"Maybe we should think first, then look." Her words were wasted. He was angry now.

Scott grabbed a pair of pliers out of an open tool box. Evidently, he had come prepared to demolish, if that's what it took.

"What are you doing?" Charlotte asked, alarmed. She would not put it past the big lug to smash the glass without considering the implications.

"I'm going to pry the frame off, what does it look like? Wouldn't put it past that old coot to put the money under it and then put the mirror back in."

"You speak so highly of the dead." Disgusted, she left the room.

Charlotte spent the next hour boxing up items for charity. She could hear horrible sounds as Scott systematically destroyed the mirror's frame. There was silence for a moment.

"Charlotte!" he bellowed, "if you find it, you can keep it! I think the old nut was pulling our legs. I mean, look at this place!" He flung his arms into the air. "Does this place look like it belonged to someone who could pull off a bank heist? Just a goofy old man with goofy sayings." Scott stormed out of the house, toolbox in hand.

Those goofy sayings had been riddles. Her uncle had loved them, and he had taught her to love them too. She had gotten rather good at riddles, and Uncle Sid had known it.

Charlotte went and hung the mirror back in its original spot, though now the frame was twisted and warped. She stood in front of the mirror and repeated the poem in her head. Charlotte reached out and put a finger on the glass where her heart was. She then stepped aside. In the reflection, her finger now lay over a framed flag given to Sid by his best friend's widow. She went over, took the frame down and opened the back. It only took a moment to find that the entire flag was stuffed full of money.