Mary focused on Andy. “Mr. Shelton, are you aware of any other potential buyers?” she asked.
Andy shook his head. “Only Stephanie,” he answered in an honest voice.
Mary nodded and walked her eyes around their surroundings. “My, it sure is beautiful,” she said in a sweet voice. “Stephanie, didn’t you say the camp was originally a retreat of some sort?”
“In 1908 Christopher Milkins bought the land and turned it into a retreat—”
“A retreat for artists,” Andy finished for Stephanie. “But the retreat was nothing but a big scam. Truth was, Christopher Milkins was hungry for gold. The man spent the last years of his life up here alone, digging for gold.”
“That’s not what the record books show,” Stephanie objected.
“My mother knew Christopher Milkins,” Andy informed Stephanie. “Milkins was a greedy man who was determined to expand his wealth before he died. About a year before he passed away Pastor Whitfield managed to lead him to the Lord. That’s why Milkins left the land to the pastor.” Andy looked deep into Stephanie’s eyes. “Books can only tell you so much...life finishes the rest.”
“Thank you, Professor,” Stephanie snapped and turned her back to Andy.
Mary looked at Betty, who rolled her eyes. “Those two are going to kill each other before the day ends,” she whispered to Mary.
“I know,” Mary whispered back and quickly focused back on the bridge. “Mr. Shelton, how many threatening letters have you received?”
“About ten. Why?”
“When did you start receiving the letters?” Mary asked.
“Not long after I bought the land,” Andy explained. He looked down at the worn out boots on his feet. “I wasn’t very smart. I honestly believed I would find the gold before my money ran out.”
Mary felt pity for Andy but decided to keep her questions running like the waters in the raging river below. “Mr. Shelton, why are you so upset with Mr. Roltdale and Mr. Mintson?”
“Yeah,” Stephanie said, swinging her body around to face Andy, “why are you so upset with them? Dylan was only performing his duty and so was Tom.”
Andy kept his eyes low. “I went to Judge Milcore and asked him to allow me ninety days to get the money I needed to pay my tax payment. That was a couple of weeks ago. Judge Milcore agreed.”
“You’re lying,” Stephanie insisted.
“I’m not lying...you stubborn mule,” Andy fussed. “Judge Milcore gave me the ninety days I asked for but Tom Mintson and Dylan Roltdale demanded that the ninety days be cut down to two weeks. They threatened to oppose Judge Milcore when election time arrives.” Andy shook his head. “I stood outside Judge Milcore’s office door and listened to the whole conversation. Judge Milcore held his ground at first but when his position was threatened...well, he caved, okay?”
Stephanie cheeks turned red. “Dylan wouldn’t be that underhanded...he wouldn’t...The man I agreed to marry...” Stephanie stopped talking, bowed her head, and felt tears begin falling from her eyes. “I chose to marry a killer...oh, Daddy warned me about Dylan but I refused to listen...He was the first man who asked me to become his wife.”
Mary hurried over to Stephanie and wrapped the woman in her arms. “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she begged. “The need to be loved is stronger than our need to think clearly.”
Stephanie raised her tear-filled eyes and looked at Mary. “Dylan is involved with Jennifer’s death, Mary. You saw the poor woman’s body...she was poisoned.”
Andy watched Stephanie wipe her tears away. He had to fight back the urge to rush over to the woman, hold her in his arms, and kiss her tears away. Deep down he was in love with Stephanie—but deep down in his heart he felt that a woman like Stephanie would do nothing but loathe him. After all, he was just a poor gold digger that the military rejected. What did he have to offer a beautiful woman like Stephanie Aires? He didn’t own a home, land...didn’t have any money...his truck was nearly out of gas. What did he have to offer Stephanie except a silly dream that involved locating hidden gold that half the country had already searched for?
“Poisoned?” he asked instead of expressing his true feelings.
“The thermos I hid in my car contained lemonade,” Mary explained. “We believe the lemonade was poisoned.” Mary gently released Stephanie. “We believe Dylan and Tom were trying to kill Stephanie and Jennifer. At the moment, Mr. Shelton, we’re not sure how Jennifer plays into the act. However, we’re sure...we being Betty and myself...that Dylan and Tom wanted to kill Stephanie in order to steal her land.” Marty focused back on the missing bridge. “A man, if he had the money, could build more than a camp...maybe a fancy retreat of some sort?” Mary rubbed her chin. “I’m still trying to understand why Tom and Dylan wanted this land.”
“It has to be the gold,” Andy insisted.
Mary shrugged her shoulders. “Mr. Shelton, I honestly can’t tell you a solid reason. You may be right.” Mary focused on Stephanie. “I wish I knew the legalities involved with your land purchase.”
“What do you mean?” Stephanie asked.
Mary looked around. “Did you sign any papers with Dylan? Sometimes before a man and woman get married, in certain situations, they sign legal papers.”
Stephanie froze. “I...well...Dylan tried to have me sign a legal document stating that once we married my land would become half his. I...oh, Mary, I so wanted to sign that paper to show Dylan that I loved him, but my heart wouldn’t let me. Dylan doesn’t love the land the way I do and I just couldn’t understand why he wanted me to sign the document. After I said no, I expected him to...call off the wedding, but instead he dropped the matter and never mentioned it again.”
Mary stored Stephanie’s words into her mind and continued. “After you found your camp and decided to buy it, how long was it before you contacted Dylan?”
“Oh...a few days, I guess,” Stephanie explained and glanced at Andy. Andy looked into her eyes and then dropped his head. “After Andy found me at the camp and ran me off, claiming he owned the land, I became furious. I thought he was a lying trespasser. I went to Dylan and to my dismay I was told that Andy had legal ownership.” Stephanie took her eyes to Mary. “Tom was in Dylan’s office the day I arrived, Mary. I...never thought of that until just now...it never seemed strange to me until just now.”
Mary looked over at Andy. She saw the man place his right hand into a tight fist, squeeze, and then let go. “Andy, you’ve known that Dylan and Tom were corrupt all along, haven’t you?” she asked.
Andy raised his head, searched the woods, and then nodded yes. “I tried to warn Stephanie but she wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Why should I have listened to you?” Stephanie asked. She threw her hands up into the air and began walking around in a small circle. “You ran me off my own land...you were never nice...you were always insisting that there was some kind of...plot...to take my land away from you. You never once offered any logical reasoning, Mr. Shelton. You...babbled and complained, threatened and issued insane theories that sounded criminal in my mind. So tell me, Mr. Shelton, why should I have listened to you?”
Andy stared at Stephanie and then lowered his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. “I guess I didn’t present myself as someone you could trust,” he confessed. “It was vital that I locate the gold. I saw you—but only at first—as a threat to my task.” Andy raised his eyes and focused on Mary and Betty. “I’m...broke,” he continued in a miserable voice. “I sold everything I owned to buy this land. But my money was honest,” Andy insisted. “I’m not a criminal or a...flea on a dog, as Miss Aires would like you to believe.”
“I know that,” Mary assured Andy. “I can clearly see that you’re a good man.” Mary approached Andy. “I’m just curious as to why Dylan Roltdale sold you this land in the first place.”
Andy looked confused. “Dylan Roltdale didn’t sell me the land,” he told Mary. “But you didn’t know that, did you? Of course not,” he
said as his voice became excited. “No, Dylan Roltdale came onto the scene after I bought my land.” Andy turned to Stephanie. “I bought this land from Mr. Greg Johnson.”
“Who?” Stephanie asked.
“A member of the Olive Leaf Baptist Church,” Andy explained. “When the good pastor moved on, Mr. Johnson packed up his bags and moved on, too. Mr. Johnson was the pastor’s brother-in-law and from what he told me, his wife wanted to be close to her brother. But...”
“But what?” Betty dared to ask, reading important headlines flashing across Andy’s eyes.
“Mr. Johnson told me, when he drove me up here one day to look at the land, that this part of Oregon was where he wanted to be buried. He confessed to me that his heart belonged to this land. It never made sense to me that he would up and leave like he did. Sure, he gave a good reason...but—”
“But maybe it wasn’t you who threatened Pastor Whitfield?” Mary suggested. “Maybe it was Dylan Roltdale and Tom Mintson?”
“I...but...” Stephanie began to object and then simply shook her head. “Pastor Whitfield was very young when Mr. Milkins left him this land...around twenty-five, if I remember correctly.” Stephanie looked at Andy. “Pastor Whitfield’s camp for needy children depended on donations from his congregation. I...read an old newspaper story that said Pastor Whitfield’s financial support from his congregation began to fail after an ugly rumor began spreading around town about him. A rumor—”
“A rumor that accused the good pastor of stealing money,” Andy finished for Stephanie. “Yes, he told me all about the ugly rumor.” Andy turned and looked at the missing bridge. “Folks are attracted to rumors and scandal more than they are truth and integrity.” Andy glanced up at the sky. “Miss Aires, the man who began that ugly rumor was Mr. Tom Mintson. Of course, if I would have told you that you would have called me a liar.”
“I...” Stephanie paused as guilt grabbed her heart. “Yes, I would have called you a liar,” she agreed and looked at Mary and Betty. “Looks like I have a lot of crow to eat, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t tell us that.” Mary smiled and pointed at Andy. “Tell Mr. Shelton.”
Stephanie nodded. She walked up to Andy and looked him in his tired eyes. “I’ve been a...jerk. I’m very sorry, Mr. Shelton. Please forgive me.”
Andy lost himself in Stephanie’s eyes. “I wasn’t exactly a knight in shining armor,” he replied and offered Stephanie a smile that melted her heart.
Mary and Betty grinned at each other. Yes, murder was in the air—but suddenly, so was love; sweet, autumn love.
Andy studied the deep ravine with worried eyes. “We can try to walk out of here,” he said and then pointed up at the sky, “but by the look of those clouds rolling in I don’t think we’d get a mile before the rain starts.”
Mary studied the sky. She found it amazing how quickly the sky was changing. One second the sky was crisp and blue and the next second dark, gray thunder clouds began forming. “What do you suggest?” she asked Andy.
“I suggest we go back,” Stephanie answered before Andy could speak. “The river floods very easily.”
Andy put his hands on the back of his neck and studied the sky. “Stephanie is right,” he agreed. “Even if we make to the river before the rain starts there’s no way we’ll arrive at the safe crossing in time. I’ve seen this river swell up quicker than I can count.”
“Oh dear,” Betty worried. She looked back down the dirt road with scared eyes. “Mr. Roltdale and Mr. Mintson are back that way.”
“And by now they’re surely looking for us, too,” Mary pointed out.
Stephanie eased closer to Andy. Why? Because she was scared, and even though her heart didn’t want to admit it, the rugged man made her feel safe. “There are four of us and two of them,” she spoke, trying to sound brave.
“But...the person who cut the tires...and the bridge,” Betty pointed out in a shaky voice as a bright orange and yellow leaf landed on her face. She grabbed the leaf and tossed it back into the wind. “It’s not safe to go back.”
Mary placed her hands onto her hips and listened to the wind grow stronger and stronger. “Tom didn’t seem very upset,” she said. “Dylan didn’t seem too anxious to stick around, either. But...who could be hiding in the shadows?” Mary forced her mind to think. “Andy, Stephanie, could it be possible that Tom and Dylan are involved in some kind of business deal that has gone bad?”
“Business deal?” Stephanie asked.
Mary looked at Andy. “Mr. Shelton—”
“Please, all of you call me Andy,” he said.
“Okay...Andy,” Mary said, nodding. “Andy, you hired a company to come out and secure the bridge, right?”
“A contractor...guy by the name of Mitchell Rideback,” Andy explained. “Mr. Rideback was sent to me by a county commissioner...a Mr. Roy Delston and—”
“Roy Delston?” Stephanie asked.
Andy nodded. “I think that’s his name. I only met the guy once, and trust me, that was enough.”
“Why do you ask?” Mary asked Stephanie.
Stephanie folded her arms. “Dylan took me to a private get-together that Tom held at his house. Mr. Delston was there, Andy. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I mean, a man is allowed to have whoever he chooses in his home, right?” Stephanie looked around. “A few other men were at the get-together, but Mr. Delston stood out the most because I heard him arguing with Tom and Dylan in the kitchen. I didn’t stand around to find out what they were arguing about...I was afraid Dylan might find me and become upset.”
Mary looked at Betty. Betty sighed. “I can read your eyes, Mary Holland,” she said. “You’re thinking—”
“I’m thinking we might be standing in some very deep quicksand,” Mary told Betty in a worried voice. She eased over to the missing bridge, looked down into the deep ravine, studied the raging river, and shook her head. “Someone doesn’t want us leaving.”
“Oh dear,” Betty fretted. “This is worse than that spooky mansion in Maine.”
“Spooky mansion in Maine?” Stephanie looked confused. “Mary, is there something I should know?”
“Let’s just say that Betty and I have been on quite a few...cases that have involved murder and it sure doesn’t seem like we’re getting a vacation.” Mary felt a strong wind howl through the air, grab at her hair, and rush away.
“Storm is getting closer,” Andy pointed out. “And it’s growing colder...”
“And damp,” Stephanie finished. She studied the darkening sky with worried eyes. “We don’t need to be caught out in the elements, Andy.”
“But we can’t go back to camp,” Betty fretted.
“Or maybe we can,” Mary suggested. She took Betty’s hand and walked over to Stephanie and Andy. “Could it be,” she said in a thoughtful voice, “that the tires to our cars were cut before the bridge was destroyed?”
Andy saw Mary’s eyes flashing with thought. “Are you trying to say that whoever Roltdale and Mintson are in cahoots with—if they are in cahoots—deliberately trapped us here?”
“I’m not sure,” Mary confessed. She turned and studied the dirt road. It appeared lonely and scared. “I’m sure Tom and Dylan came here today to murder Stephanie and Jennifer and—”
“Oh my!” Stephanie gasped and threw her hands over her mouth.
“What?” Mary asked in an alarmed voice.
“At the get-together...at Tom’s house...I saw Jennifer talking to Roy Delston. I went outside to get some fresh air...the living room was full of cigar and cigarette smoke...” Stephanie closed her eyes. “I decided to go visit a beautiful gazebo that was sitting in Tom’s backyard. The gazebo was surrounded by lovely flowers and the night was so pretty and clear...but...when I approached the gazebo I saw Jennifer and Roy Delston talking.”
“Did they see you?” Mary asked.
“The sun was setting...shadows were falling,” Stephanie answered Mary, reaching her eyes back through time. In her mind she s
aw an angry face jerk upward, look at her, and frown. “Roy Delston saw me. I...didn’t say anything. I simply hurried back to the house.”
“How long ago was this?” Mary asked.
“Oh...several weeks ago and—” Stephanie threw her eyes open. “Several weeks ago. Andy...the get-together was...”
“Around the same time Judge Milcore changed his mind and cut my time down to two weeks,” Andy nodded.
Stephanie stared at Andy. “Oh, Andy, I’m so sorry. I...” Stephanie felt shame grab her heart. “I honestly thought you were the bad guy. But now that I’m being given time to think about everything it’s becoming clear to me that a...a...conspiracy was set in place to force you off your land.”
Andy nodded. “Yeah.”
Mary rubbed her chin. “But why sell to you?” she asked Stephanie, pacing back and forth as the winds grew stronger and stronger. “Why didn’t they kick Andy off the land and mark it off limits?”
“I have no idea,” Stephanie answered. “I wish I did Mary, but I don’t.”
“Me neither,” Andy said.
Betty walked her eyes around, studied the darkening sky, the spooky woods, and shivered all over. “Mary, we need to decide what to do,” she begged. “We can’t stand here much longer and try to find answers that may never come...or at least won’t come soon.”
“You’re right,” Mary told Betty and shot her eyes down the dirt road. “Even if we do make it out of here, and make it to town, there’s no telling what opposition and danger we might encounter. For all we know the sheriff could be involved.”
Andy rubbed his thin beard. “Mrs. Holland—”
“Please, Andy, call me Mary. And please call Miss Mavery by her first name.”
Andy tossed a thumb toward town. “What you said makes sense,” he said. “Now, I may not be the smartest man alive, but my way of thinking is to go back and make Roltdale and Mintson confess and get all the answers we need from them.” Andy nodded at the sky. “Seems to me those two are mighty scared and might be wondering if the rat in the cage they were feeding has escaped and turned into a tiger.”
Murder at Camp (Pineville Gazette Mystery Book 5) Page 6