It all started with a panicked phone call, followed by a web of lies that ultimately ended in a shocking discovery.

The Victor Emporium stands proudly on Main Street in Victor, Idaho, its red-trimmed windows and striped awnings beckoning travelers like a dessert lighthouse guiding ships to shore.

There’s something magical about pushing open the door of Vintage Village Antique Mall in Lincoln, Nebraska, and being greeted by the distinctive scent of history — a curious blend of aged wood, ...