by Traci DePree
Lila’s glance moved to the books in Kate’s hand.
“Were there always two copies?” Kate asked, lifting the thin volumes.
“No. Actually, someone left the second one in the mailbox this week. It’s kind of weird, but we’re happy for any donations we can get.”
“Did you see this?”
Kate handed her the note, wondering where the land it described was located.
“What is it?”
“It was inside the book.” She held up the second copy of Simmonds’ book.
Lila raised an eyebrow as she handed it back. “I never saw it. It seems rather odd, doesn’t it? Who do you think wrote it?”
“I have a pretty good idea,” Kate said.
Phillip must’ve heard them talking because he had come to stand in the doorway. Lila’s face flamed when he turned toward her.
“I need to head to the courthouse,” Kate said, holding the note up and glancing at her watch.
“I was going to go too,” Lila said.
“I can bring you home,” Phillip said to her, obviously forgetting that Kate had brought him. “If you want me to...,” he added lamely, offering a tentative smile.
“But I have my car...,” Lila answered.
“And I drove,” Kate reminded him.
“Well, then maybe you could bring me home.” He chuckled as his face turned a shade of red.
“I’d like that,” Lila answered, a grin spreading across her tear-smudged face.
ELEANOR SEDBERRY was working another crossword puzzle at her desk when Kate appeared in her basement office at the courthouse. Kate stood there for several long moments, but the woman didn’t lift her head to acknowledge her presence much less to ask if she could help her.
Finally Kate cleared her throat, and Mrs. Sedberry lifted perturbed eyes.
“What do you want now?” she demanded.
Kate smiled sweetly, which seemed to cement that dour look on the woman’s face. “I’m wondering if you could help me.”
Finally Mrs. Sedberry climbed out of her chair and shuffled to the tall counter that separated them.
“So?” she said.
Kate laid the sheet of paper with the legal description of the property on the counter between them.
The older woman glanced at it, then back at Kate. “What does this mean?” Eleanor asked.
“I’m looking for this place,” Kate said, not wanting to go into detail with the woman. She pointed to the paragraph with the legal address. Mrs. Sedberry’s expression remained lackluster.
“It’s a rural property...so I was hoping...”
Eleanor sighed. Then, without a word, she shuffled out the door, heading, Kate assumed, to the large storeroom that housed the deed records.
Several long minutes passed, and Kate took a seat on the bench across from the counter.
A good twenty minutes later, Mrs. Sedberry returned with a file in her liver-spotted hands, and Kate rose to meet her.
“Here’s a plat map of the area.” She opened the oversized book to the appropriate page. “You ought to find it in there somewhere.”
Kate studied the intricate map, with lines showing where one property ended and the next began and a name across each to indicate its legal owner.
“How old is this?” Kate asked the woman.
“It’s current” came her deadpan reply.
Kate traced her finger to the spot on the map where the description finally matched the note she’d found. She couldn’t believe the name she saw there—the land was listed as belonging to E. Weston! It was the land Eli had inherited from his grandfather, south of Copper Mill in and amid the copper mines that had been closed since the 1970s. The same area where Eli had found that first mannequin.
When she went outside, a summer rain was just kicking in, tiny drops that were almost mist wet her cheeks. She climbed into her car and reached for her cell phone to call Eli. Then she thought better of it. She needed to talk with him in person anyway.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Eli was with a customer when Kate arrived at Weston’s Antiques after leaving the courthouse in Pine Ridge. She moved to the side so as not to interrupt. He made eye contact with her, then returned his attention to the short, round woman who seemed intent on bartering the price of a five-dollar metal serving tray from the fifties.
Finally he let her have it for four fifty. When the woman moved to the front door with her find clutched to her chest, Kate approached Eli, weaving her way through the furniture-crowded store.
She hadn’t seen him for a while, but he seemed less stressed, his face no longer tight with the lines of worry. He offered a tentative smile.
“I’ve been meaning to call you,” he said.
“You have?”
“I need to apologize for everything I did.” He ran a hand across the back of his neck, then tucked it into his front jeans pocket. He let out a long sigh. “I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Of course I can,” Kate said.
“I talked to the board as soon as I heard that the police had a new suspect and told them that I was wrong. I’ve wanted to come back to Faith Briar...but I’ve been so ashamed of myself. If you’ll have me...”
“Of course we want you back. I’m so glad to hear that,” Kate said. “It was never my intent to hurt you or your business in any way.”
“I know that. You were just helping Phillip.” He shrugged. “If I had a friend like you, I’d want you helping me start up my business too.”
“You do have a friend like me,” she reminded him.
Relief spread across his face.
“Are you still working at the lumberyard?”
“Naw. After all the publicity about the break-in at Loving’s, business started picking up here too. So I gave them my notice.” Eli’s brow puckered, and he said, “I read in the paper about all that’s been going on with you and those other mannequins. You know that some of the guys at the lumberyard were talking about how Paul’s grandpa was a crook. Is that true?”
Kate wasn’t sure how to answer that question. “I don’t think it’s true, Eli. But that’s what I’m investigating right now.” She shook her head, frustrated at the way gossip had spread across town. “Actually, the rumors about Paul’s grandfather are part of why I came to see you today.”
“Oh?”
She began to tell him what she’d discovered since their last real conversation after the expert had told them the bullet lodged in the mannequin was from a Colt .380. She told him about Lucas Wilcox’s assertion that Leonetti hadn’t acted alone in robbing the Merchants National Bank, that witnesses saw someone bringing canvas bags that looked suspiciously as if they contained money into Hanlon’s Boutiques, money that, she figured, was hidden in the hand-carved mannequins, and the supposed speakeasy that Simmonds and Nelson ran while Leonetti was away robbing whatever bank suited his fancy.
When she finished, Eli stared at her dumbfounded.
“But how does this connect to whoever stole the mannequin and wrecked Phillip’s store?” he asked.
“Well, I found a lighter with the initials W.M. on the side when someone tried to break into Phillip’s shop the first time. I’m almost positive that the initials stand for Walter Manuel,” Kate said. “He’s the man the police are looking for.”
Eli nodded that he’d heard this piece of information.
Kate went on. “His mother lives in rural Pine Ridge, and even more shocking, he’s Jack Leonetti’s great-grandson.”
Eli whistled lowly.
“He wants his money back, and he’s getting desperate.”
She reached into her handbag and pulled out the three notes and the key that had accompanied the second note on the back window of Phillip’s store.
“What’s the key to?” Eli asked.
“I’m not completely sure, though I have my theories. Walter Manuel left it for me.”
Eli lifted a wary brow.
Kate handed Eli the messages, the f
irst with the threat, the second with the key, and the third with the legal description of the property. He studied them for a moment, then his eyes widened.
“This is my grandfather’s land. That’s right where we found the mannequin!”
Kate nodded. “I found the property description in a copy of Simmonds’ book that was donated to the historical society this week. I think Walter Manuel planted the note in the book, just as he planted the key at Loving’s.”
“So you think Manuel is leading you to him?”
“In a way.” She told him of planting the dummy from Smith’s in her garage to signal to Manuel that she still had cash to trade, and the note that followed it the very next day.
“He thinks you kept some of the money?” Eli said, disbelieving.
“His notes would seem to suggest that. I think he’s desperate,” Kate admitted. “We took what he saw as his and he’ll do anything to get it back.”
“But you’re a minister’s wife!” Eli said.
Kate shrugged. “Does he know that? He was raised by a family of outlaws—what does he know of honesty? He wants the stash of money back,” she went on, “and he can’t believe anyone would turn in that much without keeping a portion for themselves...”
“So what has he done with the money he did have all these years?” Eli asked, scratching his head.
“I’m thinking that he’d been hiding it, maybe selling the collectible dollars on the Internet or at collector’s events...” She paused, giving Eli time to take it all in.
“When he left that key,” she finally went on, “he made it clear that if I don’t find a way to return the cash, he’s going to continue what he began at Phillip’s store.”
“But that’s dangerous, Kate.”
“We have to draw him out somehow,” Kate said. “He’s managed to evade authorities this long...”
“So, you’re talking about a sting operation? What’s he going to do when he finds out you set him up?”
“I’m not planning on going to that mine alone.”
Eli began laughing. “You mean me?” He pointed to himself.
“And Skip and Sheriff Roberts. You know exactly where you found the mannequin.” She shrugged. “So, I need you to show me the way.”
“Won’t Manuel get suspicious?”
“If we all go traipsing up there together, sure! But I was thinking of something a little more subtle.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
You want to do what?” Sheriff Roberts leaned across his desk toward Kate, a look of disbelief on his face.
She pointed to the notes and key Walter Manuel had left for her. “This is an invitation,” she said. She stood across from him in his cluttered office in Pine Ridge.
“Skip said you were trying to draw the man out, but this is downright dangerous.” He shook his head. “I can’t let you do it. What does Paul think of this scheme?”
“I haven’t told him yet, but I know that if you’re right behind me, I’ll be fine. And Eli will be there.” She met the officer’s eyes and smiled. “This has become personal, Sheriff Roberts.”
“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t do it!” He sat back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair.
“How else are you going to catch the man?”
“You shouldn’t have used that mannequin as bait. What if he’d nabbed you then?”
“I’m fine, Sheriff...please,” she begged. “If you and your men are just behind me, we can catch him. He’s only going to keep hurting people.” She pointed to the threatening notes. “Isn’t that more dangerous than going in with our eyes wide open?”
He crossed his arms over his barrel chest and studied her. Kate knew she’d broken through, but she suppressed the smile that came to her lips.
“But you have to do everything I say,” he finally said. “Do you understand that? Everything.”
Kate nodded, and her heart raced as she realized what she was about to do.
That afternoon, Kate wrote a simple note to Walter Manuel and left it in Connie Rae Loggins’ mailbox. It read simply, I’ll be where the first mannequin was found Friday morning at ten. I’ll bring the money. Eli Weston is coming too—he knows the way.
Connie Rae had obviously passed her prior message to her grandson before on Kate’s behalf, and Kate guessed she’d do it again.
“KATE, ARE YOU STILL SURE you want to do this?” Sheriff Roberts asked Friday morning as deputies spread out in the woods south of Copper Mill. Considering that Manuel had been trailing Kate over the past few weeks, the officers had been careful to head out via a northern route to the mine, with Kate and Eli following a good hour behind, alone and from the south. Temperatures were already rising into the eighties. Kate felt sweat form between her shoulder blades.
Eli stood off to the side talking with Paul and Deputy Spencer.
“This isn’t a walk in the park, you know,” the sheriff said.
Kate smiled at his paternal scolding.
“You’ll be nearby, right?” she said.
“Kate, I’m serious. Manuel could discover that you’re trying to double-cross him and hurt you before we have a chance to move in. You have to keep your distance from him.” The sheriff had been so nervous of Manuel’s potentially seeing what they were doing that he and Deputy Spencer had worn street clothes and met Kate several miles from their launching point in unmarked cars so he could take one last check that everything was set to go.
“I understand that,” Kate said, appreciatively.
Paul came up then. He didn’t say anything, but Kate could see the worry in his eyes.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him.
“I still don’t like this,” he said, shaking his head.
“Walter Manuel isn’t going to give up, Paul,” Kate repeated the same argument that had convinced him to let her go the night before when they’d talked. “Who knows what he’ll do next?”
She touched his troubled brow. “Besides, Eli is with me,” Kate said. “And all Sheriff Roberts’ men will be right there.”
Kate and Eli both wore microphones and transmitters. They tested them out to be sure the officers in the unmarked van that was parked off the road to the north could hear them.
Then they put on small backpacks that held water, a few minimal supplies, including the key, and the 1930 bills they’d found in one of the mannequins that the sheriff had managed to retrieve for the operation. Waving good-bye, they climbed in their car and waited for the signal to go. They drove to the spot where the trail from Eli’s land met the road and parked.
Soon enough they started up the hill. Kate’s heart hammered in her chest.
The path that led to the mine was nothing more than a faint track, and looking at the spot now, even that description seemed generous.
“I should’ve trained for this marathon,” Kate said with a laugh.
“It’s only two miles,” Eli said.
“But it’s uphill.” She pointed to the terrain that led skyward.
“I’ll help you,” he assured.
It seemed that other than Eli and his friends no one had traveled this path in a long time. The land was a peaceful place, with dappled sunlight and the occasional fallen tree to climb over. Ferns grew thick along the trail, offering a plethora of hiding places for forest creatures. Occasionally Kate would hear one skitter away. A mockingbird in a high branch sang loudly.
“How did Leonetti meet his demise?” Eli asked as they traversed the rugged terrain.
KATE GLANCED AROUND. There was no sign of the officers though she knew they were there.
“He was supposedly surrounded in a barn outside of Adams–Friendship, Wisconsin,” Kate said, conscious that the officers down the hill could hear their conversation. She could feel the tiny transmitter taped just beneath her collar bone and she resisted the urge to scratch the skin around it. “He was killed by police after a bank robbery, when he drew his gun.”
They moved in rhythm and enjoyed a comfort
able silence.
When they paused for a breather, Kate heard rustling in the trees farther back. She gazed through the foliage to try to see what was there, but she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“Probably one of the officers,” she said to calm her frayed nerves. Eli nodded, then turned to study the woods where the sound had come from as Kate took a long drink from her water bottle. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and pushed the cap down.
“I don’t see anyone,” he said in a low voice. “We’ll keep our ears open.” He winked at Kate. “You seem nervous.”
Kate shrugged. “I’m fine...”
Ahead a sheer rock wall rose thirty feet from the ground. They paused to examine it. “Almost there,” Eli said, pointing to the view in the distance.
Kate’s mouth dropped open as excitement bubbled up.
“What is it?” Eli said.
Kate couldn’t believe what she saw. Below them, to the north, was Copper Mill laid out like a Currier and Ives painting, the steeple of Copper Mill’s Presbyterian church at the center.
“It’s the same view,” Kate said.
“As what?”
“A photograph of Horace with Nelson, Leonetti, and Simmonds. It was taken here.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
They walked for a few more minutes, and then the mine came into view.
“You ready?” Eli said, tilting his head toward the dark entrance.
Kate took a deep breath. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and fear nipped at her as she realized what she was about to do. There was no way out if something went wrong. But what choice did she have? The man needed to be caught.
“As I’ll ever be,” she answered, moving forward.
The mine was an unimpressive squat black hole in the hillside. Eli entered first, his flashlight beam bouncing off the walls. Kate’s eyes slowly adjusted as she scanned her light along one wall and then another.
While the entrance had been low to the ground, the interior was more than seven feet high, and there were several tunnels that led into the hillside. Kate straightened and dusted the dirt from her clothes.