Rounding the last corner and seeing that little building set off the squirms way down in my guts. The closer I get to the place the more uncomfortable I feel. Psyching myself up isn’t helping at all. I wish Rhi could’ve come with me as back up, but she was off on the search. I shouldn’t really be nervous. Mum always says the old fulla who runs the place is lovely. The problem is you never knew who’s volunteering on what days.

My steps get smaller as I walk through the gate and up onto the verandah, feeling a little disappointment when the door swings open under my palm. Maybe a tiny part of me hoped I’d get the times wrong and it’d be shut. I force my feet over the threshold, eyes flicking over the strange territory. The tinkle of the bell above the door isn’t the blare of alarms I’ve been bracing for.

The inside is just like the outside: a big log cabin, with one open area that houses all the treasures, and it is blessedly empty. A couple of doors lead off to one side of the building, probably only big enough for a small office. Wooden beams hold up the tin roof. Sturdy tables line the rest of the walls and the few that are pulled back to back in the centre create two aisles, or a big circuit you can walk around. Stuff is scattered on every surface and on the walls hangs old black and white framed photos. The overall impression is wood, dirt and rust.

My level of discomfort hasn’t eased any, but the things on the tables call to me. Weird implements, probably from the mining days, or made to do strange things to cattle, are carefully arranged beside vials of what might be small semi-precious stones. I’d bought something similar for $5 at a market when I was a kid, a chunk of rock with a vein of something pretty running through it. It’s probably worth nothing, but I find it fascinating. Deciding to be extra careful, I force myself to read all of the little tags sitting next to each item, along with the name of the person who donated it. I don’t know what I am looking for; a familiar last name or property, I have no clue. All I know is I don’t want to miss anything.

‘Can I help you?’