by Leona Fox
Bones and Buried Secrets
An East Pender Mystery Book 5
Leona Fox
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 1
Andy and Ellen were just about to get ready for a nice drive when they were interrupted by a panting boy storming into the cafe. Scampy immediately began barking excitedly, as he did whenever a child was around. This child looked exhausted, however, with dirty marks all over his face and clothes. Andy got him a glass of water while Ellen and Kelly sat him down. The boy's eyes were darting around and Ellen couldn't tell if it was due to excitement or fear.
“What's your name?” Ellen asked.
“Scott,” he replied in a high-pitched voice.
“Scott, are you Scott Bishop?” Kelly asked. The boy nodded.
“I know his mother. Gosh, she will be worried,” Kelly added.
Ellen pursed her lips and bent down with a concerned look on her face. The other customers in the cafe all turned to look at the commotion, but by now it was no surprise that something exciting had found Ellen. Many of them murmured to each other that everything seemed to revolve around her, but better her than them. She had found herself in some rather sticky situations and they all were content with their happy, peaceful lives. Still, they looked on with interest as Andy walked back over and the boy greedily drank the water, so much so it dripped down his jaw and soaked into his clothes. Andy and Ellen shared a secret smile with each other as they waited for Scott to finish drinking. When the glass had been emptied he handed it to Ellen and wiped the water away from his mouth, which had the effect of smearing the dirt on his face. He was wearing shorts and a red T-shirt, with the collar turned up. Scampy was sniffing around his feet. The boy petted the dog, and this seemed to calm him down.
“Are you alright?” Ellen asked.
The boy was a little more relaxed now and looked less hyperactive. His eyes no longer were jerking about and his breathing had returned to a normal rhythm.
“We found something, in a cave near the riverbank,” he said, and his eyes lit up once more.
“What did you find?”
“Treasure.” He licked his lips and almost leaped from the chair. The adults glanced at each other with intrigued looks on their faces and told Scott to lead the way.
“This could be a different adventure from what we're used to,” Kelly said, “What kind of treasure do you think it could be?”
“I'm not sure,” Andy replied, furrowing his brow, “but plenty of people have traveled down the Mississippi over the years. So it's not inconceivable something could have found its way to us. Then again, the imagination of children is wonderful, so it may not be anything special.”
Scott ran in front of them and seemed eager for the adults to hurry up. Scampy was as enthusiastic as Scott was, and the two of them were jumping about, urging the others to hurry up.
Meanwhile, Kelly thought about her boyfriend Matthew. She wanted him to be a part of the excitement, as Andy was with Ellen. After deciding to give him a call on her cell, they arranged to meet up by the riverfront.
“This is enough to make me feel old,” Kelly said.
“I'll make you feel young again,” Matthew said, pinching her behind.
Kelly squealed and giggled, then slapped Matthew for his cheeky gesture, but there was a playful look in her eyes. Ellen and Andy rolled their eyes at each other, knowing the two of them wouldn't engage in such behavior, especially not around a child. But as they walked, their hands did slip into each other and they tried increasing their pace as Scott continued clapping his hands and excitedly talked about what he had found.
“I came to you because I knew you would be there and my mom says you are the best at this kind of thing. She always tells me about the things you have done, and when I saw this treasure I knew I had to see you! My friends said we should keep it for ourselves but that's not honest and that's not what Superman would have done. I like Superman more than Batman, but my friends all like Batman more. I didn't want to leave them there, really, but they said they would look after it. It's going to be so fun, though! We weren't even looking for treasure and now you're here so you can look at it. I think it belongs to some pirates from a long time ago and maybe they'll come back for it? Do you think pirates will attack us for taking their treasure? I'll get a sword and I'll take them on,” he said, and pretended he wielded a deadly blade, slashing and striking at his enemies.
He twirled and ran around, pretending he was surrounded by enemies on all sides. It was impossible not to find the little ball of energy endearing. Scampy joined in the fun, too, somehow sensing these pretend enemies. He barked and yapped at the invisible pirates.
“Scott, can you take a break from fighting the pirates to show us where we need to go?” Ellen asked.
Scott sheathed his sword and looked at the surrounding area. The day was still bright and the sun illuminated everything. It was almost idyllic, Ellen thought, and the idea of a treasure hunt was like something from her past. As she looked at Scott and all the excitement he brought she thought of her own childhood and how imaginative she had been. Her parents always had marveled at the stories and scenarios she had conjured up and, like Scott, she had taken on pirates and all manner of things before as well. As she had grown older she realized the light of a child had dimmed somewhat, but it hadn't disappeared completely.
Scott took a moment to get his bearings and then he pointed in one direction. As soon as he did Ellen told him to look behind him, then drew an imaginary sword of her own and leaped into the fray. Kelly, Matthew, and Andy all looked on, amused at the efforts of their friend. Ellen swung her sword like a battle-hardened warrior, but she did it with a smile on her face. She, Scott, and Scampy ran off, clashing swords with the enemy, until they had been vanquished. Ellen returned to Andy's side.
“That was a side of you I've never seen before,” he said. Ellen beamed.
“Age is only a state of mind; you have to keep yourself young. Can't let that inner child die.”
“It's good that yours is still alive. Mine isn't, not after the things I've seen.” Ellen squeezed his hand and rested her head against his shoulder, rubbing his arm with her other hand.
“I don't know about that,” she said, “maybe you just need the right person to bring it out in you again.”
“Maybe,” he said.
Scott led them through the forest down to the riverbank. Leaves cracked underfoot and birds sang in the distance. Occasionally they heard a rustling in the foliage around them as the creatures of the forest went about their business. As the sun broke through the trees it came down in shafts of golden light, and formed a warm shade that cloaked them. It was as though they were traveling through a fantastic realm and leaving their world.
“When I was younger I used to play in these forests and always pretended there were fairies and things waiting to spirit me away to another world. I used to have so many adventures here,” Ellen said, remembering her childhood.
“I wish I had known you back then. I wonder if we would have been friends?” Andy said.
“I know we wouldn't have,” Kelly interjected. “But I might have to come down here more often. I think this would make for some beautiful paintings.”
“Why don't you think the two of you would have been friends?” Matthew asked, eager to know about the inner workings of the woman he was seeing.
“Back then I never was that interested in other people. It may surprise you to know but I was quite the loner when I was a child, although I had no shortage of people who wanted to be my friends. Whenever I had a birthday party everyone showed up, and I never had a problem with being popular but I never felt like I was at the heart of it all. I just wanted to live in my own world and that was enough for me but, unfortunately, that wasn't possible. You have to live with other people.”
“Not that that's necessarily a bad thing,” Matthew said, kissing her on the cheek.
Kelly blushed a little and smiled at him with genuine affection. Ellen was glad to see this as for a long time she worried Kelly never was going to find anyone to settle down with. Yet, ever since she had met Matthew, Ellen had seen a new side of Kelly, the side where she displayed affection and seemed settled. Kelly was always so flighty that it was good to see her have an anchor to the world.
As they progressed through the forest the gang could hear the sound of rushing water get louder and louder as they drew nearer to the river. The ground became rocky and craggy, and the foaming water rushed past them, as relentless as time. The adults took care as they stepped along the rocks, some of which were wet due to the water that sprayed over the edge of the riverbank, but Scott and Scampy were surefooted and moved with no fear. The air was sweet and drops of water burst against their skin as they walked along. Aside from the white foam the water was crystal clear, and the river was wide enough that you would have needed a bridge to cross it. Jagged rocks speared through the surface of the water, and it was a dangerous sight. Ellen imagined being caught up in its current, helplessly dashed against the rocks, and she admired the bravery of those who made a living from the river.
However, they were on a hunt for treasure and Scott was eager to get back to his friends. They stepped along the edge of the riverbank and saw that a wide path led along the river. The onrushing water was mere inches away from their feet and one misstep would have been enough to send them flailing down into the river, but even Scampy seemed undeterred. The path led them to a yawning mouth that promised only darkness.
“It's through here,” Scott said, and dived into the hole.
It was just about big enough for the adults to get through but when they entered and crawled down the tunnel they found the cave opened up. Toward the rear were a group of kids sitting with their flashlights trained on the walls, making their shadows loom large. The adults stood up straight and marveled at the sight of this cave.
“I never knew this was here,” Ellen said.
“It's amazing,” Matthew uttered.
“I can't believe it stayed undiscovered for this long,” Kelly said.
“Maybe there were rocks over the entrance and they were only dislodged by the river recently, or the water level has gone down and has made this accessible. Either way, it's a hell of a thing to find,” Andy said. The four of them followed Scott, who ran to his friends.
“I got them!” he yelled. They all looked up and were overjoyed when Scampy began playing with them, but Ellen called him to heel as they had other matters to discuss.
“What treasure have you found then, Scott?” she asked.
Scott lifted his hand and pointed to the middle of the group. The other kids broke away and left an opening for the adults to enter, and what they saw shocked them. A skeleton stared at them, his hollow eyes gazing into their souls, his empty, lifeless hands resting against a chest.
“We saw him first but we had to move the rocks,” Scott said. The other children started babbling on about what they had done to uncover the body.
The skeleton was propped against the wall and had been entombed for goodness knows how long. Ellen and Andy glanced worriedly at each other, fearing this was not a simple treasure hunt at all, but rather a murder. Ellen swallowed and cleared her throat, then told the children to move back.
“We wanted to open it but it's so heavy and we thought we'd better get someone to come and do it for us,” Scott said.
Some of the other kids looked bitterly at him. Ellen could tell there had been a dispute about whether to get the adults involved or to open the treasure chest themselves, probably fearing any wealth inside now would not belong to them. The old adage of 'finders keepers' did not hold up in a court of law. She reached out to the skeleton’s hand and looked at Andy, who gave her an assenting nod. She never thought she would be in this position but she gingerly took hold of the brittle bones and lifted them gently. As she touched them they began falling apart. The arm she attempted to move collapsed into a mess of bones, sounding like Skittles as they fell to the floor. Ellen heard a sharp intake of breath behind her, and then some giggles. The children apparently found it rather amusing. The chest was rather small, about a shade bigger than Scampy. So she couldn't imagine it held any great amount of wealth, but she was just as curious as the children to see what was in there.
The chest was a small box with a flat top. It was covered in dust that had settled over the intervening years, and there was a lock holding it secure. First, Ellen tried lifting the lid but it was fastened tightly, and even Andy could not get it open. But over the years the lock had become brittle and, given all that it had had to weather, it had weakened. Ellen picked up a nearby rock and began bashing the lock, bringing the rock crashing down again and again. Errant sparks flew as the rock flashed against the lock until it crumpled and fell open. The lid was now ready to be opened. Ellen set the rock aside and took a deep breath. This was the kind of thing that fantasies were made out of and butterflies began fluttering in her stomach. She was well aware that often, in stories, treasures were cursed. She didn't ordinarily believe in such things, being a rational woman and the product of a pragmatic 20th century, but being face-to-face with a skeleton who had his arm draped over a treasure chest was enough for her to doubt the strength of her convictions.
The air was tense and everyone around her waited with baited breath as she slowly lifted open the chest. The sound of the hinges creaking was creepy and as the old air burst out of the lid Ellen shivered, goosebumps prickling on her arm. She carefully held the lid in her hands and slowly brought it up, revealing the contents of the chest. As she opened it everyone crowded around her, eager to see what was inside. Even Scampy peered in, sniffing as he tried to make sense of the strange, acrid smell that had been locked in the chest all these years.
For the children it was a disappointing sight as the chest only contained documents and books. There were no piles of gold nor were there any glittering jewels that were synonymous with treasure. But the adults were intrigued and Ellen carefully took out some of the documents, which were in surprisingly good condition, yet were still delicate. There was also a leather-bound book resting in the chest, and this she took out as well. Most of the documents had figures on them, but upon opening the book Ellen gasped and almost dropped it back into the chest.
“What is it?” Kelly asked.
“Not what, who; this diary was written by Michael van De Lay. This is his chest.”
Andy gave off a low whistle and the others looked surprised, aside from Matthew, who was nonplussed by the statement.
“Forgive my ignorance but who is Michael van De Lay and why is this such a big deal?” he asked. The other three looked at each other.
“Who wants to tell the story?” Ellen asked, and when none of them volunteered she took it upon herself. Not only did Matthew listen intently but the children all gathered round as well, and even Scampy managed to stay quiet, resting beside Scott.
“Michael van De Lay was one of the first people to have a great effect on this town. He saw the potential for greatness that was in East Pender and he was the one who built the saw mill. Everyone thought he was going to have a legacy that lasted throughout time but he disappeared without a trace and left no heir. The mill fell under the stewardship of a few people over the years. It finally came under control of the mayoral office as it was not only a place of industry but a part of t
he town’s heritage as well. Many businessmen have tried taking it over during the years that have gone by but nobody has managed to do so. So it still rightfully belongs to the van De Lay family. Imagine the secrets that are in this journal,” she said.
“It might tell us how he died,” Kelly said.
“Why did everyone assume he died? Did nobody try finding him?” Matthew asked.
“From what I understand they searched far and wide for him because everyone loved him and nobody could understand why, after putting so much time and money into the town, he would just up and leave. But there were many dangers in the world then and it wasn't unheard of for people to go missing. There was no way to get to the bottom of the mystery but he was here, all along, right under their noses,” Kelly said.
She felt a great amount of sorrow for Michael van de Lay as he must have lay here, hoping and praying somebody would come and find him, only to have to wait until it was far too late.
“We have to get this back to the town hall. This is going to be a boon to them,” Andy said.
“Right, but first I want to read this journal. Maybe we can put this mystery to bed once and for all. We owe it to him to find out why he died,” Ellen said, determined to pursue a mystery no matter how old it was.
They gathered up the children and escorted them back to town. Andy and Matthew took turns carrying the chest, and before they left, they carefully covered up the body with some dirt. It was not the burial Michael van De Lay deserved but it would have to do for now, until they could think of something better. They ordered the kids to disperse and went back to the cafe where they pored over the journal. The ink had faded and the style of writing was difficult to understand. It was small, and each page was filled up with words. It would take a long time to go through it all. So for now Ellen skipped to the end to find out what had happened.
I should have known this journey was ill-fated. The town has held me close to its bosom and I never should have left. It has been more of a home to me than anywhere else and if this is to be my end then I am only glad I have been able to build something of worth. The storm is getting worse. I hear the sky cracking overhead and it is surely only a matter of time until I reach my end. There is so much left undone...so much unfinished. I am filled with regrets and my mind is alive with everything I am yet to do. But if I am going to die on this night then I am going to leave this world with my head held high. I am going to meet the end bravely, just as I would wish any of my kin to do. I hope that somebody finds this, that it makes its way back to East Pender, and that my heir continues the good work I have started.