“So, you’re saying that if people end up in debt, they could have a lien on their property? What does that mean?” Becky asked.
Mr. Capshaw looked at them seriously. “It puts a lot of pressure on the town. If the people can’t pay their debts, there’s a likelihood their property goes on the chopping block to pay it for them.”
The senator could buy the town,” Abby whispered, looking at her friend with fear in her eyes.
“Oh, jackrabbits!” Becky breathed back.
Chapter 24
The mayor stood next to Abby as they both watched an inspector walking along the bridge making notes on a clipboard. He had two assistants with him, and the three of them had been going over the wood and steel bridge with a fine toothed comb.
“Have you ever seen anyone do a bridge inspection?” Abby asked with a frown.
“Can’t say that I have,” Mayor Tomlin replied. “This is my first, and honestly I’m wondering if this is typical of the activity. They sure do seem to be thorough.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Abby said. “But I’m very happy you got them to come down. Using the boat is getting old though we don’t use it often. It’s a good thing my Grandmother keeps a well-stocked larder.”
“That she does. Hazel and the Morgans have always been pretty independent. It’s probably one of the reasons Bill loves her so much. Otherwise, I’m afraid he’d be out in a cabin in the woods and half-feral by now.”
“Is he really that bad?” Abby asked, turning toward the mayor.
The silver haired man chuckled and shook his head. “No, not really, but he could do it if he wanted to, even now. He’s a tough old goat.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s going on in his head, but Cheerio likes him,” Abby said, reaching down and petting the dog’s head. “He loves to be in the garage with him while he’s puttering around.”
“Dogs love to be around people when they’re working,” the mayor said.
“Why don’t you have a dog?” Abby asked.
The mayor quirked his eye and looked at Abby for a moment. “Too busy. Dogs need people around, and after my wife Betsy died, I was just at the office too much. It would be unfair to try to raise a dog while working so much.” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “No, I’m afraid I have to live vicariously through other people’s dogs. Maybe someday I’ll retire. It would be nice to have a dog of my own.”
Abby grinned. “What kind of dog would you get?”
The mayor smiled in thought. “I’m thinking an old basset hound. Something that will sit on the porch with me while I read a book. That’s what’s in my head, anyway.”
They both paused as the inspector began to walk over to them while his assistants began to pack up their gear. “How does it look?” Abby asked when the man got close enough.
“Well, most everything I can see from up here looks fairly stable,” the inspector said. “But I need to come back and check on the underside as well as get a scuba team to make sure the posts are solid.”
Abby and the mayor exchanged looks, but before Abby could open her mouth, the mayor lit into the man. “What in tarnation are you talking about? Scuba team?” the mayor pointed to the post on the other side of the bridge where Abby had scraped it. “That’s the only place that was damaged, and it’s all cosmetic. Even I can see that.”
The man shrugged. “Sorry sir, but that’s what the order calls for. It’s not my call.”
“All right, son. What’s really going on?” the mayor growled. “This is a ridiculous amount of work for a low-use bridge. The car that struck that post didn’t even hit it head-on. It glanced off the side. A pack of teenagers could cause more damage than that car did.”
“You do know that there’s an eighty-year-old woman that lives up in that house?” Abby said angrily. “If something happens, we can’t get an ambulance up there. Do you want to be responsible for that?!”
The inspector blinked, looking back and forth between the mayor and Abby before glancing at his assistants. When he turned back, he leaned in and lowered his voice. “Listen, I agree with you. This is a ridiculous amount of work for this kind of bridge. We only do this deep of an inspection on large bridges with heavy traffic, and we don’t close them down to do it.”
The mayor’s eyebrows beetled over his head. “So, you’re saying someone is playing games?”
The man nodded, looking a little irate. “Yeah, and also ruining my Christmas in the process. I was supposed to be in Astoria with family, but instead, my boss calls me in and sends me out here to do this. I can also tell you right now that scuba inspections never happen in winter.”
“Mayor! We can’t wait until spring before we can use the bridge!” Abby said. “You’ve got to do something.”
“I don’t intend to wait until spring, Abby,” the mayor said. “I’ll be making some phone calls when I get back to the office, I assure you.” He looked back at the inspector. “Who is your supervisor? Or better yet, who is the person that makes these decisions? I spoke to someone named Eugene Baker the last time I called your offices. Is that the person who I need to talk to?”
“Yes, sir. My boss’s boss,” the inspector said. “He may not be available, though. He’s having some work done on his house, I hear.”
Abby frowned darkly and looked at the mayor. “How much do you want to bet he’s improving his house with grant money?”
Mayor Tomlin frowned back and shook his head. “I’m not going to take that bet, Abby. Not on your life. I’ll call you as soon as I have a little chat with Mr. Baker and let you know what I find, but I don’t think the bridge is going to be open today. I’m sorry.”
Abby sighed. “I’ll go up to the house and tell Hazel. She won’t be happy.”
The mayor nodded, and Abby left the two men to continue talking. She was not happy with the outcome, but more importantly, she was baffled as to why it was happening in the first place. Was it simple harassment? What was the point? It was irritating as all get-out, but it was really only an inconvenience.
Or maybe it was a distraction. Abby looked back and watched the mayor and inspector continuing to chat and wondered. Who was it a distraction for?
Chapter 25
“I’m home!” Abby called into the house as she and Cheerio walked in the front door. She pulled her coat off and hung it up on the coat hanger, smiling as she heard her Grandmother working diligently in the kitchen.
“I’m in the kitchen, dear,” Hazel called back, a smile clear in her voice.
Abby walked into the cozy kitchen, then sat at the table set in the corner. It looked like Hazel was baking some homemade muffins and Abby closed her eyes, breathing in the wonderful aroma. “Those smell divine, Grandmother,”
“Of course they do,” Hazel responded, sliding a muffin pan into the stove and closing it. “They’re made with love and blueberries. There’s nothing better than blueberry muffins and butter.”
After she closed the oven door, Hazel wiped her hands on a dishtowel and came over to the table, sitting with Abby. “So, how did it go with the bridge? Are we going to be able to escape anytime soon?”
Abby sighed and shook her head. “No. The inspector’s boss or someone is throwing up roadblocks. Apparently, the inspection they are doing on our bridge is the same one they do for the really big bridges. He even mentioned needing a scuba team, but they won’t be available until spring.”
“Oh, my,” Hazel said, frowning. “That sounds difficult.”
“The mayor is going to go back to his office and make a few phone calls. Hopefully, he can get something done sooner than this spring.”
Hazel nodded along, looking down at her hands. When she looked up, she had a determined look on her face. “I think I might ask Robert to look into this, too. I have every confidence in the mayor, but he’s a known factor. Robert might be able to put some pressure on them from another area.”
Abby couldn’t agree more, but the subject of Robert brought up othe
r questions that she hadn’t had a chance to sit down and talk to Hazel about. But right now, they were alone, and it was a perfect opportunity.
“Speaking of Robert,” Abby began. “How are we able to afford him? I don’t know much about lawyers, but even I can tell that he looks like a thousand dollar an hour example of one.”
Hazel smiled mysteriously at her and reached over and patted her hand. “Well, you wouldn’t be wrong, Abby. I can understand how confusing it is. Truthfully, we wouldn’t be able to afford him under normal circumstance, but as you’ve probably guessed, we don’t live under normal circumstances.”
Abby stayed quiet, watching as her Grandmother took a deep breath. Clearly, the woman was gearing up to tell her something, and Abby wanted to give her plenty of time to put her thoughts in order. Finally, Hazel rallied and took Abby’s hand in hers.
“I’m going ask you for a favor, Abby,” Hazel said, squeezing her hand. “It’s a favor, but it’s also a terrible burden, and I’ve needed help with it for a good decade. I can’t put it off any longer.”
Visions of her Grandmother sick in the hospital flashed through Abby’s mind. Was her Grandmother sick? Was she dying? Abby felt her eyes water as fear gripped her and she leaned forward. “What is it, Grandmother? What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
Hazel smiled, patting Abby’s hand and shaking her head. “No, dear, not sick. But it does involve things you're already aware of. The Morgan Family Treasure is real. Very real, and I’ve already begun the paperwork to make you my heir.”
Abby blinked. Had she heard right? The Morgan Family Treasure was real? “But, why? Don’t you have a daughter? Kay Morgan? Why don’t you want her to inherit?”
Hazel looked off to the side and took a deep breath. “I wanted her to, but she won’t. There's a requirement to live in this house and on this property to inherit. Robert’s law firm has been overseeing Kat Morgan’s will for over a hundred years, and that is one of the stipulations. Also, whoever inherits has to have the last name of Morgan. Kay has the last name, but she will never live here. She has made her own fortune, and I dare say she is very happy where she is.”
“But I’ve only been here a few months!” Abby said. “How can you possibly know I’m the right person for this?”
Hazel looked back at Abby and smiled serenely. “I just know, child. You simply fit as if you were born here. I don’t know exactly how else to say it, but I trust you.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Abby said as the feeling of being overwhelmed washed through her. She had suspected there was something to the story from how her Grandmother had acted several times before when the treasure was mentioned, but she hadn’t really taken it seriously. Now that she was faced with the reality, she didn’t know what to do. “I don’t think I can say anything. I think I need to think this over.”
Hazel nodded once again. “Not a problem dear, just don’t mention it to anyone. It's a secret for a reason, but I will be here when you're ready to talk next.”
Abby was just about to get up and go to her room. She had a lot to think of, but a thought suddenly popped into her head. “Why now?”
“Because things feel uncertain now,” Hazel said, pursing her lips. “I don’t know what the senator has planned, but it’s always been pointed at us and the treasure. I guess I just wanted to make sure someone else was aware of it, besides me. If something were to happen to me, then all could be lost. I’m the only one that knows where the treasure is and I feel like there should be another, just in case.”
“Nothing is going to happen to you, Grandmother,” Abby said fiercely. “I promise. They’ll have to go through a lot of people to get to you.
Hazel paused for a few moments but finally nodded. “I don’t think anything is going to happen to me, but prudence is required. Also, you needed to know why Robert is here, and that he is trustworthy. His family has worked with ours for the past hundred years or so, but it is rather awkward when our worlds mix. It raises questions.” Hazel moved to stand and patted Abby’s cheek before checking on the muffins. “Let me know when you are ready to talk about it. I’ll be here.”
Chapter 26
“Abby, I’m coming to get you,” Gabe’s voice said from her phone. It was fairly early in the morning on New Year’s Day and Abby had just come back from her morning run. Cheerio still hadn’t wound down from the adventure and was bouncing and yipping at the light and shadows coming in through the back windows.
“Cheerio,” Abby hissed as she covered up the phone so Gabe wouldn’t hear her. “Quiet down, you!” After Cheerio had settled, she put the phone back to her ear. “Sorry, Gabe. Cheerio was being a little butt and I couldn’t hear. What did you say?”
“I’m coming to get you,” Gabe repeated. “Something’s happened down town at Calamities and McGradys. I don’t know what, but Ben just got in to the ranger station and told me there was a ruckus downtown. I’m not so worried about Reggie, but the Double D’s might need us. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
Abby frowned angrily at the phone and nodded. Then, remembering that Gabe couldn't see her, she replied, “Okay, Cheerio and I will be down at the bridge.”
After she hung up, Abby quickly grabbed a granola bar and slapped her thigh for Cheerio to follow her to the door. It didn’t take much for the lively pooch to bounce up and run after her, easily slipping out of the already closing door to race after Abby.
It was only moments before Abby was once again crossing the bridge. The barrier was still there, of course, but didn’t cause as much consternation to her anymore as it did to Mr. Wilberson. The older man was more put out than most of them since he needed supplies for whatever project he was currently working. Despite that, Abby had watched him piloting the old boat of Mr. Huygens around the slow river a few times with a smile on his face.
She suspected they may be getting a boat in the near future, if Mr. Wilberson had anything to say about it. Under normal circumstances, she would have said it was a pipe dream for a retiree and her soon-to-be-husband handyman, but after the startling revelation just a few days ago, she wasn’t so sure.
The Morgan Family Treasure was real, and quite substantial. She wasn’t ready to ask any specific questions about it as her mind was still trying to wrap around the whole idea. Why was it hidden? Why keep it a secret? She’d heard a few of the rumors about it while they had been searching for Rob Morgan, but they had sounded crazy to her. Which one might be close to the truth? In most of the cases, it sounded like Kat Morgan had stolen it from somewhere, and if it was any significant amount of gold at all, the whole situation would soon become overwhelming.
And she was going to be the heir.
She put her elbows on the railing of the bridge and stared down into the slow moving water, watching a leaf float by on its mysterious voyage. She wanted so badly to talk to Gabe about everything, but Hazel had said to keep it a secret. She was going to honor her Grandmother’s wishes, but it was all so confusing. For a moment, she just wanted to be that leaf on the water, watching the old trees as she drifted past. Then the moment passed as the gentle thrum of Gabe’s truck announced his presence. She turned and smiled, seeing his face in the window and remembered one of the very good reasons she should stick around.
She reached down, ruffling Cheerio’s fur and then both of them moved eagerly for the truck. She held the back door for him as he bounded in, and then leveraged herself up into the cab, leaning forward to kiss Gabe for a long moment before taking her own seat.
“So, do you have any idea what happened?” Abby asked after buckling her seatbelt and feeling the truck begin moving forward.
“No, but it can’t be good,” Gabe answered. “Ben said there was a crowd downtown and the sheriff was there with some deputies. He didn’t stop to observe, but said they were definitely all outside of Calamities.”
“I don’t like what is happening to this town,” Abby said. “People are turning against each other, and I'm very worried about what migh
t happen if the Foundation pulls out of their grant promises.”
Gabe nodded as they pulled onto Main Street and headed toward Calamities. There was still a crowd out front though the area in front of the bookstore had been cordoned off. As they got closer, they could see all of the front windows had been shattered. Gabe parked in one of the slanted parking places on the other side of the street, and then all three of them got out of the car. They headed toward Diana and Doreen who were over talking to Deputy Lanie.
“What happened?” Abby asked as they came up alongside the two tearful women.
“Oh, Abby!” Diane said, immediately hugging Abby and sobbing into her shoulder. Doreen did the same with Gabe, and while he looked a little uncomfortable, he accepted the embrace and tried to comfort her. “It was horrible! Someone broke all of our windows and then spray painted bad words over all of our books! What are we going to do?!”
Abby gave a stricken look to Gabe but didn’t know what to say. Instead she just hugged Diane tighter.
“It’s pretty bad,” Lanie said, giving Abby a sad look. “Their insurance will probably cover this up to a point, but all the books were just ruined. I can’t believe anyone in this town would do this. Someone also did a number on McGradys, too. Same thing though they didn’t get inside. Apparently Reggie interrupted them before they could do anything more than break the windows. He’s been sleeping in the bar since all this trouble started. Sounds like that was a smart move.”
“This is terrible!” Abby said angrily. “Did he see who did it?”
“I don’t know,” Lanie said. “The sheriff is over talking to him now. I was so looking forward to going to their party tonight. I hope Reg doesn’t have to cancel it.”
Abby raised an eyebrow at the young deputy. “Reg?”
Lanie blinked and then blushed. “Uh, yes. Um. Reggie, I mean.” She stammered and then cleared her throat. “I hope Reggie doesn’t have to cancel the party.”
Dead Reckoning and Murderous Intent, A Red Pine Falls Cozy Mystery (Red Pine Falls Cozy Mysteries Book 4) Page 10