Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“What does your mom say about it?”
“‘You know your dad, Pepper,’ that’s what she tells me,” I said sounding annoyed, and I was.
“I’d say that your mum is telling you to get out of your own way.”
I was about to let my annoyance show when Ian’s words penetrated my sulking brain, and I had an epiphany. “My dad is telling me something by avoiding me. But what?”
“Examine the evidence starting with the hospital incident,” Ian suggested. “Your dad took Stone in for questioning, didn’t question you, and let Stone go, and has since purposely avoided you. Why would he do that? Concentrate on why he would do that to you, not why he freed Stone.”
My brain didn’t have to think about it. “My dad discovered something he didn’t want me to know and was concerned that I’d figure it out if I spoke with him.”
“The question is what could it be that your dad couldn’t share it with you?” Ian asked, his wrinkled brow telling me his mind was processing different scenarios.
Mine did the same only it worked at warp speed, and I spit out a possibility. “Someone in the mix is an informant or doing undercover work. That would be something my dad could not share with me, and he would be concerned about me figuring it out.”
“I never thought of that.”
“Stone could be an informant of some kind. That’s why my dad had to let him go. The guy in the hospital stairwell could be his handler. The guy Stone reports to.”
Ian nodded and asked a pertinent question. “Why would Stone need the vanishing guy gone and what does Professor Anderson have to do with it?”
“Good question. I’m not sure about the vanishing guy and how he’s involved. But for some reason Stone is worried about him regaining consciousness. As for Professor Anderson, he could have possibly gotten caught up in whatever criminal activity is going on and made a deal with the authorities to help them and avoid jail time.” I shook my head. “What I can’t figure out is why take a risk for a treasure that might not exist.”
“We assume it’s the Willow treasure that they’re after. What if it isn’t?”
I shook my head baffled by his suggestion.
“We also can’t forget the dead guy in the basement of the Mercantile. If Stone is an informant and Professor Anderson is working with the authorities, and the vanishing guy was unconscious then who killed the guy and why? And is this really about treasure or has it to do with information law enforcement authorities are searching for?”
“One thing we know is that it started with the break in at the Willow Mausoleum and there is a good chance the Willow Mansion is involved somehow since someone tried to rob my mom of her keys.”
“Or were they looking for that skeleton key you have?” Ian asked.
“How would they know about that when my mom never mentioned it to anyone?”
“Yet they could have robbed the keys for the Willow Mansion off the other members of the board at any time and they didn’t. Evidently, they believed that your mum had something the others didn’t. And why was she robbed the day she visited the Willow Mansion? How did the person know she was there or was it sheer luck or was someone following her? And afterwards as well? A coincidence or did he continue to follow her?”
Ian had me curious, so I called my mom and put her on speaker so I wouldn’t have to repeat the conversation to Ian. “Any news about Mayor Barrett?”
“Good news. He only needed a stent, and he will be up and about in no time, and he is insisting on remaining in the race. Ellen is not happy about that. Did you want something, Pepper, I’m on my way out.”
“The day you were attacked at the Willow Mansion, Mom, did you take any papers or anything concerning the mansion home with you?”
“No, nothing. Oh, and I have been meaning to tell you to keep the key set you have for the Willow Mansion. They’re not mine anyway. I found my set in the car console.”
“Whose key set is it?” I asked.
“It belonged to Waters. He had accidentally left it at the mansion and was in a tether about it. I offered to bring the keys to him, but I was delayed and when I finally arrived at his home, he was being placed in the ambulance. I was so upset that I threw his set of keys into the car console with my own and clearly forgot about it. I must have grabbed his set when I needed it and didn’t recall having two until I found my set the other day.”
“How do you know I have his set?”
“Each board member has a different color key chain to designate who the set belongs to. I have a purple one and Waters had a green one.”