Ghost River

by Jon Coon

  “I’m going back to see that secretary, Janna,” Bob changed the subject. “She has identified most of the folks in those photos for us. Then we’re going to visit the engineers on that cruise list. Want to ride along?”

  “Nope. I’m enjoying the professional care and the painkillers. And Carol has an appointment with a builder.”

  “Builder? That sounds serious. Quite a jump from two weeks ago. What happened?”

  “Not the big jump just yet. We’re going to split the property. She’s building a house, and I’m moving the RV. Neighbors and pals, that’s it. At least for now. She’s a darn good nurse, and I’ve heard a rumor she cleans fish.”

  From the galley, Carol laughed and said, “Only big ones, and I haven’t seen any real fishermen around here yet!”

  “Remember to ask the secretary about Wyatt,” Gabe told Bob. “We need to know more about him.”

  Two hours later Gabe was still on the couch. The TV was off, and he waited while an email loaded. Someone had sent a huge file. Carol and Emily weren’t back from the builder when Bob called again. Bob was stressed and abrupt. “Trouble. The secretary, Janna, was in a hit and run on her lunch break. She left the building without her protection. I’ve got a warrant, and I’m going to her office before it gets cleaned out.”

  “How is she?” Gabe asked.

  “Won’t know anything until she comes out of surgery.”

  “What are the odds it was one of Conners’s men?” Gabe asked.

  “Are there big snakes in the Glades? If she makes it, we’re going to have to protect her.”

  Gabe’s computer chimed the arrival of his email. “Hang on. I’ve got something from her.” Gabe opened the attachment and found photographs and documents with names and notations. The title bar read Just in case.

  “Bless you, Janna,” he said and then told Bob what he’d found. “Let me have a look at these, and I’ll call you back.” He clicked off and put down the phone.

  He opened the file and began reading. He stopped short at a country club picture of younger versions of Bo and Wyatt Bodine.

  Gabe called Bob and left a message. “Janna sent a huge file of pictures and her notes. There’s a history of travel and other favors Bo did for his friends. Enough to get indictments. I forwarded them. Also, a big file on Wyatt, Bo’s son. Athlete, decorated Ranger, so on. I wonder what happened to turn him to the dark side.”

  Just as Gabe ended his call, the girls burst through the front door, actually the only door, with smiles and laughter. Emily crossed the room and kissed Gabe enthusiastically on the cheek and then laughed when he was startled. “We found our new house, and you’re going to love it,” she said as she perched on a corner of the couch.

  He put down his phone, closed the computer, and said, “Okay, tell me.”

  “It’s a cool log cabin with big porches, high ceilings with beams, and a wonderful fireplace.”

  “Sounds perfect. You should be their salesperson.” He laughed and ruffled her hair.

  Carol handed him the brochure. The cover photo was of a mountain lodge with a green metal roof and river stone foundation.

  “What do you think?” Carol asked. “It’s the one I told you about. The one that’s kit-built.”

  “Wow, but it looks expensive. Can you afford it?”

  “If I go back to work and our house sells we can. With room to spare.”

  “And we could have horses,” Emily added. “Please, Gabe. It’s perfect, and I want a horse.”

  “Horses are a lot of respon—”

  “It’s two to one, bozo,” Carol interrupted.

  “No, no. It’s unanimous. It’s perfect,” he conceded. “How soon could they start?”

  “In about a month. I can sign the paperwork this afternoon, and that’s it. That is if the shock won’t kill you?”

  Looking at Emily, he laughed and answered, “I’m okay. Things just happen a little fast with you two.” Then turning to Carol, he said, “As long as you remember our deal, it’s great. I love it.”

  “Not ‘it,’ Gabe, tell us you love us,” Emily corrected.

  “Absolutely,” he said and hugged her. “Of course, I love you. Is that better?”

  “Yep, that’s better.” Emily bounced off the couch, laughing, “There’s hope for him, Mom. He might just make it.”

  “Okay, help me make lunch, and we’ll go sign the papers.”

  Bob called as they were driving back from seeing the model home and signing the contract for the new cabin. “Two things: first we got the report back from the gas cans at the house. No prints. Second we got the floppy disks from the Pelican case open on Zack’s computer. There’s nothing but bridge plans. I don’t get it.”

  “Are there duplicate plans for the same bridge?” Gabe asked.

  “Yeah, looks like it.”

  “Get an engineer. There will be differences between the plans: enough to shave construction costs by millions on one of them.”

  “That’s going to be a lot of work. Are you sure?”

  “It’s how they rigged the bids: two different sets of plans, two different bid packages for the same projects. McFarland got the cheap ones, and no one was the wiser. That’s what Wilson Corbitt figured out. That’s why they killed him. Find us a good, honest engineer, and we’ll make sure they don’t get away with this again.”

  “Okay, will do. I hope you’re right.”

  “Trust me.”

  “One other thing. We got lots of prints from the crane. The ones on top are Wyatt Bodine, the VP’s son. You were right.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of. He’s in this up to his eyeballs.”

  “Yeah, now all we have to do is catch him,” Bob agreed.

  “What’s next?”

  “We got the warrant for Peterson’s house. Want to go?”

  “For that I’ll give up my comfortable couch and compassionate care. Wouldn’t miss it. See you in the morning.”

  “How many times has he called today?” Carol and Emily had overheard the conversation on the truck’s speakerphone.

  “He’s eager to solve this,” Gabe said.

  “But you’re supposed to be on sick leave, letting me spoil you.”

  “I’m ready,” he rubbed his chin and grinned.

  “It gets better. Wait and see,” Carol winked. “That was Bodine’s son he was talking about? The one who tried to kill us in the river?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He sounds dangerous,” Carol said.

  “So am I,” Gabe answered.

  She laughed. “Not so much today.”

  “Gabe, wake up.” Carol shook Gabe’s shoulder. “You were shouting.” It was well past midnight and cool, yet Gabe’s T-shirt was soaked, and the blanket was kicked on the floor.

  Concerned, Carol was sitting on the edge of the couch, “You were having a nightmare,” she said and touched his face lovingly. “You even scared the dogs.” Smith and Wesson were usually on the floor at the foot of the couch. Now they were anxiously beside him.

  “It was bad,” he said as he became more coherent.

  “I’m right here,” she answered and hugged him.

  “Emily was trapped,” he whispered. “I couldn’t reach her.”

  “It’s the dream I had,” she whispered back. “Is it Cas?”

  “Mom,” Emily asked from the bedroom door, “is Gabe all right?”

  “I’m okay, honey. Sorry to wake you,” he answered. “Don’t worry. It was only a dream.”

  “Go back to bed, honey. I’ll be there in a minute,” she said. Carol waited a moment and then kissed Gabe tenderly. “You okay?” she asked softly.

  “Now I am. Thanks.”

  “Anytime. You know you don’t have to wake the neighbors to get a goodnight kiss,” she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

  Emily was back in bed when Carol got in beside her. “Mom, that was a real kiss, wasn’t it?”

  “You were supposed to be in bed.”

  “I was
going; you didn’t wait long enough. That was real, wasn’t it?”

  Yes, honey, that was real.”

  “About time. Night, Mom. Love you.” She rolled on her side with her back to her mom.

  “Love you too, honey. Good night.”

  Carol was making coffee when Gabe awoke. He groaned as he sat up, and she turned to him and smiled. Emily was still asleep, and Carol had put the dogs out in their pen underneath the Montana. She brought two cups and sat on the edge of the couch.

  She kissed him and asked, “Are you going in? It’s Saturday. Paul will be there.”

  “No, let’s give him some space. I’m meeting Bob. We’ve got a warrant to search Peterson’s house. You can come with us if you want. That old mansion is something. Then I want to go to the camp and see how the clean-up crew is doing. The dogs need a good run. After that, I’m going to call Alethea. If Cas sent me that present last night, Alethea has to stop it.”

  “Do we need to talk about last night?” she asked.

  “Sorry about waking you. But it ended pretty well if that’s what you mean. Maybe I’m not so sorry after all.”

  “You surprised me a little, that’s all. Does this mean you’ve made up your mind? Can we start making our plans now?”

  “Yes, I’m all in, but we’re still going to wait a respectable amount of time. I don’t want to ruin our reputation, especially with the kids. We’ve got a lot to do. Like finding out who set that fire.”

  “Do you have a plan?” She asked.

  “Bob says there weren’t prints on the gas cans. So that’s a dead end. But I won’t give up until we have this solved. Did I tell you there were bullet holes in your car?”

  Before Carol could answer, Emily came down the three steps from the bedroom, still in pajamas, and waved as she went to the refrigerator for orange juice. She drank a little, put it on the counter, and plopped beside her mom on the couch. Behind her Carol got up and went to the coffee pot. She caught Gabe’s eye and mouthed, “Later.” Gabe nodded in agreement.

  “Let’s do something fun,” Emily exclaimed.

  “Would staking out the plot for your new log house be fun?” Gabe asked.

  “You bet. Can I stake out my room? That would be cool.”

  “Sure. You hold down the fort with the dogs while your mom and I go check out a spooky old house, and then you can stake to your heart’s content.”

  CHAPTER 37

  0900

  Peterson Mansion

  Bob and a forensics team were at the plantation when Gabe and Carol arrived. Bob had asked Peterson’s housekeeper, Harriet, to help. Zack and Mickey were sitting in the porch swing drinking ice tea and talking when Gabe awkwardly came up the marble steps, still on crutches. Harriet frowned at Gabe and said nothing.

  “Morning all, it’s good to see you,” Gabe said.

  Harriet looked away and remained silent. Zack and Mickey were holding hands. “Morning,” Mickey answered with a smile. “We have news.” She held up her left hand, and the sunlight caught a beautiful pear-shaped diamond engagement ring twice as big as even wealthy college students could afford.

  “Wow,” Carol said and hugged her. “That’s spectacular. Congratulations.”

  “We had to promise my folks we’ll wait at least two years,” Mickey explained.

  “The ring was my grandmother’s,” Zack said. “After everything that’s happened, I wanted Mickey to have it now. Once the estate is settled, we’ll go back to school, and I’ll finish my engineering degree.”

  “What about you, Mickey?” Carol asked.

  “I still want to be a nurse. I like the idea of being able to help people. So it’s back to school for me too.”

  “Good for you. Just ask Carol, that’s a wonderful career,” Gabe said. “Now, Zack, what do you know about this old house? Your grandfather said it was hiding the secrets we need to tidy up this adventure.”

  “It’s been years since I was here with my mom, but Miss Harriet knows every cobweb.”

  “Ain’t no cobwebs in this house,” the stout old woman rebutted. “But there is some doors, secret doors. Doors my mama said we was never to unlock.”

  “Your mother was here?” Mickey was the first to ask.

  Harriet nodded. “And her mama and her mama’s mama. I guess we been here since we were slaves.” She got up from the wicker chair and led them into the house. “Let’s go see what them old buzzards been hidin’ all these years.”

  Harriet led them through the great hall past the family portraits. Gabe noticed only men hung on the walls and wondered where the wives were.

  In the library, bookshelves stacked with leather-bound sets of law books and almanacs were part of collection that included literature, art, and a large number of wildlife editions. Gabe stopped and pulled a signed first edition Audubon, one of six in the set. “Do you know what these are worth?” Carol asked them. “These could pay for a house and your tuition.” Gabe gently replaced the volume, and they moved on.

  In front of the bookshelves was a walnut desk and antique studded leather chair. Behind the desk Harriet found a lever and swung open the bookcases, revealing a glass-encased gun cabinet. Twenty rifles and several pistols hung in the cabinet. Flintlocks, matchlocks, early Winchesters with octagon barrels, and Colt pistols with gold inlay and ivory grips.

  “The shotguns are in that one, over there,” Harriet said and pointed to a matching cabinet across the room. “He loved them guns. Used to clean and oil them twice a year. He had it on his calendar. He had histories of every gun. You might enjoy readin’ bout your family in all the wars, Mr. Zack.”

  “What we’re looking for are files, Miss Harriet. More recent.” Bob said.

  “I know. Follow me.”

  She led them to the back of the room and opened a walnut door to the elevator. It held four. She, Gabe, Bob, and Zack entered. Harriet took the lever, which had three floors marked. She smiled, pulled the handle, and shoved it counterclockwise to an unmarked position. The old elevator jarred and then with a loud grind lowered them to the basement.

  “There was tunnels. When the Yankees come, my people used the tunnels to escape. When old General Sherman got here the place was empty, and he just moved in. For some reason he didn’t burn it like he did Atlanta.” The elevator cage stopped. She swung open the door with a loud creak. Rotting Romex wiring hung from the ceiling connecting a number of bare bulbs. She found a switch and rotated it, turning on the lights. “There’s boxes and stuff in that room,” she said. “I don’t got no key, so you’ll have to break the lock. We was never allowed in there.”

  The hasp was ancient, the lock new. “We have a warrant, Zack, but it would still be better if you want to do the honors,” Bob said, picking up a crowbar from a tool pile and handing it to Zack.

  The lock held. The hasp snapped. The door swung open on its own. Zack stepped in and found another of the round light switches. Stone walls, more cracked white Romex wiring, large clear glass filament bulbs, chests and crates covered in cracked and peeling leather, and two new, four-drawer metal filing cabinets with built-in locks. Behind them, the elevator ground to a stop, and the cage door creaked open. Carol, Mickey, and Harriet joined them.

  “Any idea where the keys to those might be?” Bob asked.

  “I saw four new keys in his desk. Give me a minute,” Harriet answered. She went back to the elevator, and it creaked its way back up to the main floor.

  As they waited Gabe found an ancient leather-bound Bible and gently opened it. On the first pages was the Peterson family tree going back well before the Civil War. Harriet’s ancestors were listed as stout branches of that two-centuries-old oak. “Zack, you need to see this.” Gabe handed him the century-old book. Gabe had found a chair, and his crutches were propped in a corner.

  “No wonder they kept this locked up. My mother would have had kittens.”

  “What is it?” Mickey asked.

  “Miss Harriet is a lot more family than any of us knew. This expla
ins why she and her mother stayed.”

  The elevator landed. Harriet held up a ring of keys. “Let’s see what secrets these unlock.”

  Bob found the right keys and opened the first file cabinet. He and Gabe recognized names on the files from the list of guests booked on the cruise with Bo Bodine. As they opened the files, photos that would have ruined careers fell to the floor. Records of compromised construction bids and worse emerged. Bob handed a file to Gabe and sadly shook his head, “This should be good.” The name on the file was Brady.

  “So they had something on him, and he tried to stop them anyway,” Gabe said. “That’s what got him killed.”

  As Bob thumbed through the drawer another name jumped out at him. Jim Phillips, what are you doing in here? Saying nothing, Bob removed the file and set it to the side.

  “Peterson must have had quite an intel network to collect all this dirt. Looks like he kept everything. He could have destroyed state highway departments in half the southern states with this stuff.” Bob said after examining several more files. “It’s worse than we ever imagined. The stuff in that Pelican case was just the tip of the iceberg.”

  “Anything about my dad?” Zack asked.

  “No. Your dad must have been one of the good guys.”

  “There are more answers here than we had questions,” Gabe added. “It’s going to take time to figure this out.”

  “Miss Harriet, I’ve got something here you need to see,” Zack said. Mickey nodded her approval and smiled up at him. Zack held up the old Bible and waited for her to step into the light. “Put on your readers, Miss Harriet. You’re going to like this. This place is as much yours as it was his or mine,” Zack told her.

  “How can that be?” The old woman asked.

  “It has to be true,” Zack assured her. “It’s in the Bible.”

  Carol stepped up beside Gabe and took his arm. “Is it over? Can Charlie finally rest in peace?”

  “Almost,” Gabe answered and gave her a reassuring hug. “Almost.”

  CHAPTER 38