Fool's Deadly Gold, page 8
“We don’t know, but we are concerned,” Roger said before Dade could formulate a response. “Have you seen her this evening?”
“No, I have a bit of a summer cold coming on, so I’ve stayed in most of the day. The only time I left the house was to get my mail from the cluster box, and I didn’t see her then.”
“What about her truck?” Dade said, pointing toward it.
“I don’t know. For all I know it’s been there all day. Are you men trying to get into her apartment?” Mable asked, worry lines creasing her brow.
“Yes,” Roger said. “Someone broke into Dade’s home, and they took the key to Lauralyn’s apartment that she’d given to Bridgette.”
“Oh!” Mable moaned. “Lauralyn gave me a key. Follow me; hurry.” She shuffled quickly back to her own door. Roger followed her into her apartment, and a moment later he came out with the key in his hand.
The men entered Lauralyn’s apartment. Mable followed them but stopped just inside the door. The apartment looked undisturbed. Lauralyn’s purse was gone. “She’s with someone,” Dade mumbled. But for some reason the idea didn’t comfort him.
“If someone has taken her, they won’t let her use her phone,” Roger said.
“Let me call it again,” Dade said, and he pulled his phone from his pocket and called Lauralyn’s number. They could hear the phone ringing dimly from somewhere in the back of the apartment. “I think it’s in her bedroom,” he said.
Mable moaned and lowered herself onto Lauralyn’s sofa.
Dade and Roger rushed into the bedroom. The ringing was coming from somewhere on the far side of her bed. Dade hurried around and looked. The bed was close to the wall, so he grabbed the bed and pulled it away from the wall. Lauralyn’s phone was on the floor near the head of the bed.
He picked it up and scooted the bed back.
“Does she usually carry her phone?” Roger asked.
“Always. I wonder if it fell here and she couldn’t find it,” Dade reasoned.
“Or she threw it there when someone came in after her,” Roger said. “I sure hope that’s not the case.”
The two men returned to the living room, where Mrs. Johnston was sitting with her head against the back of the sofa. She had tears in her eyes. “Did someone take Lauralyn?” she asked with a trembling voice when the two men approached her.
“We don’t have any way of knowing,” Roger said. “Mrs. Johnston, I know you said you went outside only that one time. But did you happen to hear anyone over here or hear any vehicles park out by hers? Or maybe you looked out the window and saw something.”
She shook her head. “No, I was back in my bedroom most of the time. Like Lauralyn’s, my room is in the far corner of my apartment.”
“What about yesterday or the day before? Did you see anyone then?” Dade asked.
“Well, I did see Lauralyn when she came home from the lunch at your ward house,” she said. “I went to dear Bridgette’s funeral, but I came home right after. I heard Lauralyn drive up, and I went out to tell her what a beautiful service it was.”
“Did you at any time see any other vehicles?” Roger asked.
“This is not a busy street, but there are cars that go by. And of course neighbors come and go,” she said, waving a feeble arm around. “I wish I could help more. I’m so worried about that sweet girl.”
“Okay, we’ll help you back to your apartment,” Roger offered.
“Thank you, both of you,” she said, and they helped her up from the sofa. Dade locked the door behind them as Roger helped Mable toward her door, but suddenly the old woman stopped and stared across the street for a moment and moved her head slowly to the left. Then she said, “I just remembered something. It’s probably not important, but I’d better tell you just in case.”
Both men looked as she pointed up the street. “Did you see something up there?” Roger asked.
“Yes. That blue house. You can see a realtor’s sign on the front lawn,” she said. “It’s a little dark now, and I can’t see it clearly, but there is one there. That house is empty.”
“I can see the sign,” Dade said. “What about the house?”
“There was a red car of some kind parked there when I went out to get my mail. I thought maybe someone was moving into the house,” she said.
“Was there anyone in the car?” Dade asked as he visualized Viola’s red jeep.
“I don’t know for sure, but there might have been,” Mable said. “It’s kind of a long ways over there.”
“I don’t suppose you know what kind of vehicle it was?” Roger asked.
“If it was the same one I noticed driving by yesterday, it looked a lot like a Jeep my grandson drives,” she said, causing Dade’s stomach to roil violently.
“When it drove by yesterday, could you tell anything about the driver?” Dade asked.
“Oh yes, it was a woman. There was a man on the other side. Actually, I saw them a couple of times in the late afternoon.”
“Can you describe them to us?” Roger asked as he finally got Mable moving toward her door.
“Well, the woman had short hair, quite dark. That’s all I remember, but the man with her would be hard to forget. He had long black hair and a big bushy black beard.”
They didn’t learn any more from Mable, but they helped her back into her living room and left Lauralyn’s spare key with her.
Back in Roger’s SUV, Dade said, “That was almost certainly Viola Pero’s Jeep Wrangler.”
“And the guy with her was probably the man the waitress at the Frontier Grill referred to as Ian. This is not good,” Roger said.
It’s worse than not good, Dade thought to himself. Why would those two be hanging around his sister-in-law’s home?
Chapter Eight
The city officer met Roger and Dade when they returned to the Tansey residence. Upon close examination of the house, the only thing besides Bridgette’s jewelry that was missing was a small stash of cash Dade always kept in a drawer in his home office. The only other person who knew about the cash was Bridgette. They both took money from it from time to time, and added to it as well. It was sort of their rainy-day fund. Exactly how much was there when it had been taken Dade didn’t know, but he was certain it was less than a thousand dollars.
After Dade was certain there was nothing else missing and the city officer had gone, Dade told Roger his idea about motion-activated video cameras at the site of his mine. Roger said, “That’s a good idea. It may be a long shot since you hadn’t even discovered there was a mine there until around the time Bridgette fell, but I think it’s worth doing.”
“I’ll need to buy some first, but I do too,” Dade said. “I want ones that work in the dark as well as in the daylight.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Call me as soon as you buy some in the morning. I’d like to go up too, and you can ride with me to the trailhead,” Roger said. “While we’re up there, I’d like to go take another look at the place Bridgette fell to see if anyone else has been there since then, if I can even tell.”
“I’ll need to arrange for Lizzie to stay with someone. There’s no way I’m taking her back up there,” Dade said.
“Why don’t you let Lizzie stay with Kimber? Ella and the kids will be home most of the day, although I think she said they were going somewhere for a little while. Mittie Childress would watch Kimber and Lizzie while the others are gone. I know Mittie often tends Lizzie for you.”
“She does a lot,” Dade said. “And Lizzie adores her.”
Roger nodded. “She’s a good girl. Responsible.”
“Let’s do that then if you’re sure it’s okay.”
“Of course it is. My wife and I have talked about it. Lizzie can stay with us anytime you need her to,” Roger said.
“Thanks. That’s good to know,” Dade said gratefully.
Roger left around eleven-thirty with some clothes for Lizzie. Then, even though he was mentally, emotionally, and physically drained, Dade began to put his house back in order. He began with Lizzie’s room.
After it was in reasonable shape, he tackled his bedroom. That and his office had been messed up the worst. It took him until after one to put both of those rooms back in some kind of order. He took a break, eating a handful of cookies and drinking a glass of buttermilk in the kitchen. Then he sat down for a moment on his sofa to take a little break. He laid his head back.
The sun was shining through the living room window when Dade awoke. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen asleep. He worked as quickly as he could to finish the living room and kitchen. He left the spare bedroom and the mostly unfinished basement for later. He was about ready to head out the door when his phone rang. Relieved, he saw Lauralyn’s name on the screen.
“Dade, I’m so glad you answered,” he heard as soon as he answered the phone.
“Lauralyn, are you all right?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she said. “I have the same question for you. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you.”
“I’m sorry. Lizzie wanted to go camping, so I drove to Manila. We hiked in and camped on the north side of the Uintas.”
“I’ll bet she enjoyed that,” Lauralyn said.
“She did, but she got homesick. She said it’s not as much fun camping without her mother. I couldn’t agree more,” Dade said.
“I know,” Lauralyn said quietly. “I guess you know about your house by now.”
“Yes. I stopped by Roger’s house last night when Lizzie and I got back.”
“Is she there with you now?”
“No, she stayed at Roger’s with Kimber last night. I’ve been working to clean the place up. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, Dade. I’ve just been out. I can’t believe I left my phone on the table. I was sure I looked there before I left with Jake,” she said.
Dade hesitated. “Jake . . . as in Deputy Sheriff Jake Holt?” he finally asked.
She chuckled. “One and the same. He was late getting me home.”
“I’m glad you had a good time,” Dade said, trying to keep the chill he felt from his voice.
“I don’t remember saying that,” Lauralyn said. “You know he and I have dated before. Even though I never considered him my type. Last night was awful. All he wanted to do was ask questions about you.” Then her voice turned somber. “I’d swear he thinks you had something to do with Bridgette’s death.”
“Lauralyn, that’s nuts!” Dade said, his face heating with anger. “Why would I—?”
“You wouldn’t. Jake didn’t come right out and say it, but I think he thinks you wanted Bridgette out of the way.”
“That’s insane. She was my world, Lauralyn.”
“I know that, Dade. He seems to think you . . . have a crush on me, if you can imagine that.”
“That makes me fume,” Dade said, clenching his fists. He could almost feel smoke pouring from his ears.
“Well, like I said, he didn’t exactly say that, but I’m not a dummy. I know he was trying to get me to say something that would make it look that way,” Lauralyn said.
“Jake is a jerk. I remember how he treated me after Bridgette died, and he’s gone too far. I’m going to talk to Roger about it,” he said.
“Jake can think what he wants,” Lauralyn said. “But I’ll never go out with him again. I can’t believe I let him talk me into dinner last night. I guess all the stress affected my thinking. Dade, he made some remark about you and me hugging when we were in the mountains, insinuating there was more to it than us consoling each other.”
“I’m sorry, Lauralyn,” Dade said. “The guy’s got a sick mind if he thinks I would ever harm Bridgette and if he’s trying to read into our friendship something that isn’t there.”
“I’m sorry too.”
“I have a confession to make,” Dade said. “Your phone was on the floor between your bed and the wall.”
“You found it?” Lauralyn asked. “Why were you even looking?” She didn’t sound angry—only puzzled.
So he explained, and she said, “Thanks for worrying about me. Knowing Viola and that hairy friend of hers have been staking out my house makes my skin crawl.”
“Mine too,” Dade said. “Just keep a close eye out for those two.”
“Oh, I will. What are you and Lizzie going to do today? I’d be glad to fix dinner for the two of you tonight if you’re going to be around.”
Dade laughed. “Just don’t tell Jake. That would for sure have him thinking the worst of me.”
“I don’t care what Jake thinks. You guys are invited. We are family, after all.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to be back in time.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
Dade took a moment to explain, and then, to his surprise, Lauralyn said, “I’m going with you guys if Roger will let me. Although I don’t want him thinking I’m trying to poke my nose into police business.”
“I’m sure it’ll be okay if you go, if you really want to. But it won’t be fun seeing that place again.”
“I know, but I think I want to, Dade. I think I need to. And about your mine, unless you don’t want me to know the location, I wouldn’t mind seeing what you’ve found.”
“At this point, it doesn’t matter about the mine. I’ve lost interest in it. I only thought of the cameras in case someone shows up there.”
Dade heard Lauralyn gasp, and she asked, “Do you and Roger think that if someone does show up there, it could be the person who cut Bridgette’s rope?”
“I know it’s a long shot, but we’ve talked about it,” Dade said.
“I’ll call Roger,” Lauralyn said. “I want to go more now than ever.”
“Okay, and if we get back in time, you don’t need to fix anything. Dinner is on me,” he said. “See you soon.”
***
Deputy Jake Holt had accomplished two things the night before. One, he had become more convinced than ever that Dade Tansey had killed his wife. Two, he was certain that Lauralyn was innocent of any wrongdoing. Jake had always had a crush on Lauralyn, but after last night, it was more than a crush. He wanted to see Dade go to prison, but he needed to make sure Lauralyn didn’t get hurt by it. He had every intention of pursuing a romantic relationship with her. He simply did not believe she meant it when she said she would only go with him that one time. After all, he was everything a girl like her could want. He just had to help her see that.
He’d had a hard time getting any sleep after taking her home. All he could do was think about her—how pretty she was, how lovely her voice was, and what a wonderful laugh she had. With that in mind, he drove toward her place, thinking he’d stop and tell her how much he’d enjoyed their date and try to sweet-talk her into another one.
But when he neared her apartment, all he saw was red. Lauralyn was just climbing into Dade Tansey’s blue Dodge truck. Tightening his fist around his steering wheel, Jake promised himself he would get that guy, even if he had to manufacture a little evidence. He wanted Lauralyn, and he wanted Dade out of the way.
***
Dade and Lauralyn bought the cameras he needed and then drove to the Koltun residence, where Roger had told them he would meet them. Lizzie was delighted to stay with Kimber and to be able to see her favorite babysitter as well. But she made Dade promise he would let her stay in their house and in her own bed that night.
The weather was decent, and the three of them made good time up the trail, but Dade was constantly on the lookout for others. The few people they met on the trail were serious backpackers, not arousing any suspicion in his mind.
He felt like he was being paranoid, but just in case, he led his companions off the trail at a different spot than he’d used before. It was rough going as they circled around and approached the mine from the rear. The three of them moved as silently as they could and refrained from speech. As they neared the area, they slowed down and listened carefully. Hearing nothing but the normal sounds of the forest, they moved on.
Dade was both relieved and upset when they found the area around his mine deserted. The stakes he’d driven in the ground to outline his claim were all in place. But all was not right. “Someone’s been here,” he said, and he pointed out the evidence he could see on the ground. “The entrance isn’t like I left it either.” His fears had been confirmed. He prayed the cameras would catch the person on film the next time he or she came.
While Roger snapped a few pictures of the area that showed recent use, Lauralyn kept watch and Dade uncovered the opening and stepped into the mine. With a flashlight in one hand, he cautiously moved deep inside. The first thing he noticed was that the rock with gold and silver in it was gone. He shook his head and began following the claim jumper’s tracks.
The shaft was about four or five feet wide, but the roof of the mine, which had been shored up with crude but strong timbers in some areas, was not very high. It looked safe to Dade. Sometimes he could move easily, but much of the time he had to walk with a slight stoop. As he moved slowly along, he observed artifacts that appeared to him to be of Spanish origin.
Some had been kicked aside. Others lay near the wall, where they’d apparently been abandoned by the Spanish miners many, many years before. Dade saw a crude pick with a broken handle, candleholders that had been dropped, a couple of badly rusted knives, and even what appeared to be a copper helmet of some kind. Whoever had pirated his mine may have taken other items, but Dade suspected the only thing that person was interested in was the gold the Spanish miners might have left behind.
The tracks, which he had been careful to avoid stepping on, finally stopped, though the ancient shaft went on. There was evidence of recent chipping on the walls. There were a few very tiny dots of silver and gold that Dade’s light reflected off. He shined his light farther, but all he could determine was that the shaft went ever deeper into the earth. Despite himself, he felt a thrill of discovery in his chest. How he wished Bridgette could be here to share the discovery with him.
He backtracked, still avoiding the other person’s tracks, and emerged into the daylight, standing up straight after stepping from the short opening.
