***
George Wilcox was manning the desk when Perri and Nina entered the police station. “Hello, ladies. You’re here for Sarah, aren’t you?”
“We are, yes,” answered Perri.
“Come right on back.” George got up from the stool behind the counter and motioned for Perri and Nina to follow him. Perri walked down the narrow hallway behind George. He was just slightly taller than Perri, a little paunchy, and was doing a halfway decent job of dealing with his thinning hair without making it into a comb over. His belt and holster made a leathery squelching noise as he walked, keys jangled at his waist. “Right in here, have a seat. I’m sure Sarah will be in shortly.” George pointed into a room with a table, a few chairs, a sink, small countertop, and a couple of cabinets. “I’ll tell Sarah you’re here as soon as she gets here.” George returned to his post at the front desk.
Perri retrieved the copies from her satchel and put them on the table, as did Nina the notebook with their notes. Perri began sorting through the few documents, putting them in the order she wanted to present to Sarah. George’s booming voice greeting Sarah as she arrived was plainly audible.
Sarah entered the room with a smile and grabbed a chair at the end of the table depositing her purse and a briefcase on the floor next to the wall as she sat down. “Sorry I’m a few minutes late.”
“No problem.”
“Alright!” She scooted the chair closely to the table and leaned on both elbows, “Let’s see what you’ve got.” She tucked her dark auburn hair behind her ears and waited expectantly.
“We found some information on Isaiah Blackwell, who appears to have been born in Todd County; his father was Josiah Blackwell, who is noted on the tax records for 1830. My best estimate is that Isaiah was born there because, according to later census records, he was born around 1832. So, his father was already in Todd County before he was born. Isaiah stayed in the county throughout his life, passing away 9 June 1888. I have his death date from the Kentucky Death Records listing for 1888. It indicates he died of consumption, which was a term frequently used at the time for tuberculosis of the lungs.”
“Of the lungs? It’s always of the lungs, isn’t it?” asked Sarah.
“No, TB of the lungs is the type we hear about most; it is very contagious. But TB can appear in other organs or body systems like the kidneys, heart, lymphatic system.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that. But Isaiah had the lung kind, the kind books always describe as coughing up blood?”
“Yes, he had pulmonary tuberculosis. Since there was a death record, I looked for and found, a Will, as well as related documents, like an Estate Inventory and Appraisement. I’d like to show you a couple of other things first and then come back to the Will, if I can.”
Sarah nodded in understanding, “Sure.”
Perri continued, “Since Isaiah Blackwell lived in Todd County most of his life, he wasn’t too hard to keep track of, through census records, tax lists, etc. Something that jumped out at me was a claim included in Isaiah’s probate records by a Susannah Martin. There was a copy of a notice in the Elkton Gleaner on July 23, 1888, for all persons with claims to the estate of Isaiah Blackwell to present their claims to the county court prior to the commencement of probate business, which was scheduled for November 12, 1888. One of the claims submitted was filed by a Susannah Martin for a settlement due ‘the heirs of Isaiah Blackwell for financial support for their care and well-being,’ and it states those heirs as being Isaiah’s grandchildren, Seth and Naomi Blackwell; Jonathan’s children.
“Really! Ok, what does that mean?” asked Sarah
“Several things. The first thing I would like to do, maybe while we are going through the other stuff is…can we ask Cora, or someone at the Clerk’s office here, to look for a record of any kind in the name of Susannah Martin from 1885 through 1888, and let us know if there is one? We know Jonathan was still around at least in early 1885, and Susannah married Albert Groves in 1888, those are the years we want to check. On Monday, we were looking for records in the name of Blackwell, but if she was using her maiden name, Martin, we would have missed it.”
“Definitely, let me call over there.” Sarah called the clerk’s office and, after a brief discussion, set her phone back on the table and said, “She will look right now, and if she finds something, she’ll just run it over to us.”
“Great, thanks.” Perri picked up the next document. “Isaiah’s wife, Judith Parr Blackwell, survived Isaiah. She died in December of 1901 at age 71. When Isaiah died back in 1888, his estate was inventoried and sold to pay all outstanding debts, and his widow was given an allowance of the remainder. The amount of the allowance, $523.02, as well as chattels, that’s personal property, that the widow, that’s Judith, was allowed to take with her, are itemized and valued. It wasn’t a huge fortune, but it wasn’t a pittance either. She purchased a small house in Elkton and lived there the rest of her life.”
“Ok, does that mean anything?”
“That in itself doesn’t, but when I looked through the Bill of Appraisement for Judith’s estate done in 1902…”
Sarah interrupted, “Do you mean an Appraisal, like when people have an appraisal done of their house before they sell it?”
“An Appraisement does include appraisal of a house and property, but it also includes all the deceased assets, like money in the bank, carriages, farm equipment, livestock, household furnishings, things that a general property appraisal doesn’t include.”
“I see, go on.”
“When I looked through Judith’s Bill of Appraisement, she had a lot of assets and a lot of personal property that she didn’t have right after Isaiah died.”
Sarah asked, “Why is that unusual; she bought the stuff after Isaiah died.”
Perri nodded, “Yes, she did, but the reason it seems strange to me is that even with the allowance Judith was given; after the purchase of her house, and taking in to consideration her living expenses for the next thirteen years, there wouldn’t have been enough money for her to purchase these things as well. That is, not on the income she appears to have from the Will and the following years’ tax records.”
“Ok, I get that, but I don’t know how that relates to any of this stuff, the murders…” Sarah frowned.
“I know it doesn’t seem to, yet. And I’m not saying I have definitive proof of anything, but something isn’t right. There is something about this that is scratching at the back of my mind. I feel like I should recognize it, that it makes sense, but I haven’t fit the pieces together completely.”
Perri picked up another piece of paper. “This is the Will of Isaiah Blackwell. It was written on October 16, 1887, most likely Isaiah realized he wasn’t going to survive much longer and started getting his affairs in order. He also appointed an Administrator for his estate, his son James Blackwell. James was Jonathan’s younger brother, again an indication that Jonathan wasn’t around. However, one of the bequests in the Will was “I give to my son, Jonathan Blackwell: Seventy-five dollars, one fine saddle, one double barrel shotgun, one double barrel pistle (pistol), and two horsewaggons.”
Sarah asked, “That seems normal to do, to leave something to his son.”
“Yes, it does, but the reason I think it is significant is that we know Jonathan seems to have disappeared after 1885. This was written in 1887, so even if Jonathan wasn’t in Logan County, he wasn’t dead or missing. Isaiah wouldn’t have mentioned him in the will if he was, and he died in 1888 without changing it.”
Sarah gave a confused sigh. Perri leaned forward and pointed to the items on the copy of the Will. “These items listed as bequeathed to Jonathan were not included on Isaiah’s Bill of Appraisement, which they would have been if they were still in the estate when the probate was conducted in November of 1888.”
“What does that mean?” asked Sarah.
“I think it means that the items left to Jonathan were given to Jonathan as stated in the Will. It’s possible that he was now
here to be found and the items were distributed somewhere else, but the Executor would have been required to itemize that action, and he didn’t.” To Sarah’s still-puzzled expression, Perri said, “That means Jonathan was somewhere in late 1888, even if it wasn’t here. Someone knew where he was and that he got the items his father left him. And because Susannah filed a claim for support in 1888 and was using her maiden name then, they were no longer together. Susannah’s claim was granted, which indicates she had good reason to request it. Maybe Jonathan left the area, abandoned Susannah and the children and never came back. That happened then just like it does now, and it was even easier to do it then.”
“Oh. Yes, I can see that. You think that Jonathan was not dead, but was living somewhere, and that someone here was keeping in contact with him?”
“Yes, I do.”
As Perri answered, George showed Cora into the room and said, “Hey Sarah, Cora here has something for you.”
“Come in, Cora, what do you have?” Sarah stood and made room for Cora at the small table.
“You were right about that, Perri, there was a document under Susannah Martin.” She laid a two-page copy on the table.
Perri picked it up, “It’s a divorce decree!”
“Read it,” “Let’s hear it,” from Sarah and Nina.
“It’s dated August 10, 1887, just under two months before Isaiah wrote his Will. Perri read, “This day, this cause...blah blah...the reading of the Bill and the Deposition filed…blah blah…satisfaction of the court that the proofs have been duly executed and the court now being fully advised in the decrees and orders that the said Susannah Martin Blackwell is hereby divorced from her said husband, Jonathan Blackwell.”
“It continues on to explain the proofs, as it calls them. There is some wording that refers to ‘proof’ that was submitted that Jonathan was alive and had returned briefly to Logan County at some point, but it doesn’t say what the proof was. It says that while he was here, he ‘made no contact with his wife and offered no relief to his wife or children’ and then evidently disappeared again. It gives their date of marriage, April 8, 1882 and states where they were married and where they were living.” Perri scanned the document, “Here, it says, ‘…states that they lived together as man and wife and a little over six months’ time ago, in January 1887, said Jonathan Blackwell voluntarily left his home and their bed with the intention of abandonment, and up to this time he continues and gives no cause for such abandonment.’ It also says, ‘Said Sarah Martin Blackwell sets forth that said Jonathan willfully abandoned and ceased providing for her or their children. She is asking for a divorce.’
“The divorce was granted based on abandonment,” said Sarah.
“Yes. The run down would be that Susannah and Jonathan married in 1882, had their first child, Seth, in 1883 and their second, Naomi, in 1885. Jonathan up and leaves in January of 1887, doesn’t come back to Logan County except for at least one time that was discovered, and doesn’t provide for his family. It seems to be that at least Isaiah and Judith, and probably James, knew where Jonathan was, but there is no mention of it.”
“That must have infuriated Susannah,” said Nina, shaking her head.
All three sat quietly, until Sarah said, “So where does that leave us?”
“The last thing I have.” Perri pulled out the last copy.
“What is it?” asked Sarah, wearily.
“I know this is dry, but this last document won’t make sense unless you know the backstory.”
“Ok, I’m sorry, I’m not implying you are boring or anything, I just…”
“The information can be pretty tedious when presented like this. But maybe this will help.”
“Ok, what is it,” Sarah yawned as she set her chin in her hand with her elbow on the table.
“Jonathan’s mother, Judith, died December 1, 1901. Her probate was conducted in March of 1902. Sometimes it took a while to hold probate because they had to make an announcement for creditors, that kind of thing. Among the settlements made, per her Will, was her property, including her house and furnishings, her two horses and carriage, jewelry, as well as a nice bank account. These things, the Will states, were to be divided between her two sons, the youngest being James Blackwell of Russellville, Kentucky, and her eldest son, Jonathan Blackwell, of Guthrie, Oklahoma.”
“Oklahoma?” Sarah perked up, “He went to Oklahoma?”
Perri speculated, “Yes, and I think that over the last ten years or more of her life, Judith may have been funded, at least in part, by her loving son. That could be how she was able to afford the luxuries she had when she died. He had money from something, enough to send a significant amount to his mother, yet he discarded his wife and children.”
“Could Patricia have found this out too? Do you think this is what she was trying to research?” Sarah wondered.
“It could be. Maybe she was curious to see if there was still any money in the family, but I can’t see how she imagined it would include her. I don’t know much about her immediate family, but it sounds like she wasn’t close with the few relatives she had.”
“No, as far as we know, she wasn’t.” Sarah confirmed.
“She wasn’t close to any living relatives, yet she had been creating some memorials on Graves Online.”
Sarah looked up at Perri, “She was? “
“Yes. I checked for memorials for Patricia’s family and the one for her father, mother, and grandparents were created by her.” Perri drew a stack of papers out of her satchel, “In the cases where she had them, she was scanning and using these old photos of graves to put on the memorial.” She tapped the one on top, “Like this one, it’s the grave of her grandfather, Nathan Blackwell. He died in 1976. The photo was taken at that time, as you can see by the discoloration and the clothing the people around the grave are wearing.”
Sarah looked across at the photo and started to ask another question but stopped and yanked the paper with the photo stapled to it across the table. She stared, disbelieving, at the photo.
“What is it?” asked Nina, who looked at Perri questioningly.
“Oh, my god! This car,” she spun the paper around to face Perri and Nina. “This car, right here, parked on the road in the background.” Sarah stabbed at the picture with her forefinger.
“Yes, I see it,” said Perri, and then looked back at Sarah, perplexed.
“It isn’t with the cars on the grave side of the photo. There is a man leaning against the door staring toward the grave. This car is the one we recovered from Mr. Fraleigh’s property, the one that was used to wreck Amy’s car, used by the person who killed her.” Perri and Nina stared open-mouthed at Sarah. “This car was at the cemetery when Patricia’s grandfather was buried!”
“It was 1976, could it just be a car that looks like the one you recovered?” asked Perri.
“Of course, it could be” Sarah spat out vehemently, “I know I don’t have proof of this, but the paint job is the same and the car is in the cemetery where Patricia’s grandfather had just been buried, here in Logan County. It could be a different one, but it seems unlikely. I have to find out who this man is leaning against the door. Look at him. He’s watching the people around the grave.”
“He is, that’s true. Could he just be waiting for someone, or maybe was at the grave and returned to his car?”
“That could be it, of course, but he isn’t parked near any of the other cars. That doesn’t mean much in itself, but he seems out of place. Everyone else who appears in the photo is dressed for a funeral. They are wearing their better clothes: dresses and hats with heels, suits and ties. This guy is wearing jeans and what looks like a short-sleeved knit shirt. Also, his stance, arms crossed, deep frown, it doesn’t fit to me.” Sarah continued to stare at the photo. “I’m going to take this to Ted, see if he can identify anything specific about this car and the one we have. Kind of a long shot though, the entire car isn’t in the picture.”
Sarah put the photo and the pap
er it was attached to in a separate section of her briefcase. “I realize you are leaving in the morning,” to which Perri nodded. “Could you do some checking online this afternoon just to see if you can find out if there is any record of Jonathan Blackwell in Oklahoma and if so, what kind of business he might have been in? I’m not asking you to stay here to do it, you could do so wherever is most comfortable for you.”
“Sure, I can do that.” Perri looked at Nina and said, “I think we’ll go back to the hotel now. I can check from there and call you if I find anything.”
“Works for me.” Sarah stood and said, “Now I need to get in touch with the lab and see if we have any new information.”
“I hope you do.”
Sarah walked out with Perri and Nina. “I really do appreciate your help with this. It was fortunate for me that you are here right now. I could have looked up the records, but I really didn’t have time for that and I’m not familiar with the online resources. Thank you both again.” To Nina she directed, “And thank you for staying a couple of extra days, I realize you had to make arrangements for that.”
Nina grinned and replied, “I was happy to do it. I’ve enjoyed the work as well as the comfort I feel in knowing my husband got to experience two more days of household chores and close bonding with our son. It was a real opportunity for him.”
“Gotcha. Thanks to your husband too!” Sarah hit the remote to unlock her car and waved as she got in.
Chapter 26
“Well, looks like we are done in town. Let’s head back to the hotel and enjoy some of the garden and country peace, shall we?” suggested Perri.
“That sounds good to me.”
As they walked to the Cooper, a voice said, “Hey there, are you guys leaving town now?” Nick, from the Arrogant Rogue, was striding up the sidewalk.
“Oh, hi there, Nick. We were headed back to the hotel. We’re planning on leaving in the morning.” Perri said softly.
Nina looked at Perri, noticed the blush, and smiled. “Hi Nick, how are you?” asked Nina.
Poison Branches Page 14