get accessor returns uninitialized value

[seekinganswer]

** confused **

// example.h
class example
{
public:
inline const int getValue()
{
return theeAnswer;
}
private:
int theeAnswer;
void function();
}

//example.cpp
void example::function()
{
theeAnswer = 5;
cout << getValue(); // its 5 like it should be
}

// another_file.cpp
#include "example.h"
void function()
{
example eo;
int retval = eo.getValue();
cout << retval; // its NOT 5 like it should be

retval comes back as other numbers, mostly large but never as 5. Its very much acting like an uninitialized variable, but I don't see how this can be.

Anyone have an idea?

Thanks,