The Virginia Mysteries Collection: Books 1-3

by Steven K. Smith

  “Lincoln came to Richmond?” asked Sam. He hadn’t heard that before.

  “He certainly did. That’s why the statue is here. It was actually only placed here in 2003, so it hasn’t been with us very long. There was quite a controversy, to be honest. Have a seat, and I’ll tell you about Lincoln’s visit. It’s quite interesting.”

  Sam and Caitlin sat down along the wall. Derek sat next to Lincoln on the bronze bench that was part of the statue, but the professor didn’t seem to mind.

  “After General Lee’s troops left the city, the president traveled by boat up the James River. He’d been nearby and wanted to tour the city of Richmond and show some compassion to the people who had endured the war for so long. His boat couldn’t make it all the way to the city due to the rapids on the James and a collection of sunken ships that were in the river. So he and his twelve-year-old son, Tad, disembarked at a spot just outside the city, called Rocketts Landing, with just a small group of soldiers and walked the rest of the way. He toured the wreckage, visited the Confederate white house, and talked to the people, including many slaves.”

  “Wow, people must have been surprised to see him there,” said Sam.

  “Yes they were,” answered the professor. “And it was quite a historic visit they had with him, too. Lincoln would be president for only four more days.”

  “Four days?” exclaimed Sam. “Was there a new election? Another war?” That didn’t make sense at all. How could he free the slaves if he wasn’t president?

  “Wasn’t Lincoln the president over the whole country again after Lee surrendered?” asked Caitlin.

  “Yes and no,” said the professor. “You see, Lincoln had hoped to leave Richmond to witness the surrender of Lee’s army. But when a surrender didn’t occur right away, after a couple of days, he returned to Washington and went to the theater.”

  “He saw a movie?” asked Derek.

  “Ha! No, there weren’t movies back then like we have today, Derek. He went to see a play.”

  Sam’s brain was whirling. He almost remembered what Professor Evanshade was talking about, but couldn’t quite say it in time.

  “Wait! I know what happened,” shouted Caitlin. “He was shot!”

  “That’s right,” said Sam. “I knew that. By John Wayne, right?”

  The professor and Mrs. Murphy laughed.

  “Close,” said Mrs. Murphy.

  Professor Evanshade stood, resting his hand on Lincoln’s shoulder. “Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s Theater in Washington. He died the next morning. The assassin was a famous actor, but not John Wayne. John Wilkes Booth snuck into the president’s private balcony at the theater. After firing the shot, Booth jumped from the balcony down to the stage. He broke his leg, but still managed to escape on horseback. He was part of a plot to assassinate several leaders of the government, including the secretary of state and the vice president, but Lincoln was the only one who died.”

  “Wow. Did they hold a massive manhunt and catch him?” asked Derek.

  “Actually, that’s exactly what happened,” answered the professor. “Booth was tracked down several days later by Union soldiers and killed in a farmhouse between Washington and Richmond.”

  “Gosh, that’s really sad,” said Sam.

  “Sad?” said Derek. “He killed the president! I’m glad they shot him.”

  “No, not Booth,” said Sam. “President Lincoln. He made it all the way through the war and then was killed before he could enjoy the victory.”

  “It was a dark day for our nation,” agreed the Professor.

  “Who was president then? Jefferson Davis?” asked Caitlin.

  “No. Davis’ days in office were over. Vice President Andrew Johnson became president for a few years. After that, the voters elected Ulysses S. Grant.”

  “Wow. He was the Union general who defeated Lee,” exclaimed Caitlin.

  “I guess there’s no statue on Monument Avenue for him either,” said Sam.

  Professor Evanshade shook his head. “No, there’s not, Sam. That would have been a little too hard to take for the southerners of Richmond, I’m afraid.”

  “That’s quite a story,” Mrs. Murphy said. “Isn’t it kids?”

  “A true story,” said Caitlin.

  “Those are usually the best kind,” said Professor Evanshade, stepping away from the statue. “Well, I hope that you kids enjoyed the museum. It’s great to see you again. Something tells me that we’ll be crossing paths again in the future.”

  “I hope so,” said Derek. “That usually means that we made a discovery!”

  Sam looked down the hill to the James River. He pictured President Lincoln marching through the town, shaking people’s hands a hundred and fifty years ago, not knowing that he only had a few more days to live.

  His thoughts were interrupted by three white, box trucks screeching to a stop at the edge of the parking lot. The words on the side of the trucks said they were from a party rental company.

  “You’re having a party?” asked Derek, looking at the professor.

  “Yes, we are. A gala, actually, which is a big party. It’s tomorrow night, right here at Tredegar. We’re celebrating the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Lincoln’s visit to Richmond. I’d love for y’all to join us.” He turned to Mrs. Murphy. “That is, if it’s okay with your parents.”

  “A party! Cool!” yelled Derek.

  Caitlin grabbed her mom’s arm. “Can we, Mom? That sounds like so much fun!”

  “And educational!” said Sam.

  “That’s very nice of you, Professor,” replied Mrs. Murphy. “It’s okay with me, but we’ll have to ask your parents about it, boys.”

  “Wonderful!” exclaimed Professor Evanshade. “Your parents are welcome as well, of course. Just let us know.”

  Mrs. Murphy turned to the boys. “Speaking of your parents, we need to get back. They’re coming home in the morning, aren’t they?”

  Sam looked up from the statue at the mention of his parents. “Oh my gosh, you’re right! We need to get home and get the house ready for them.”

  “If Meghan hasn’t already burned it down before we get there,” said Derek.

  “Alright then, let’s get going,” said Mrs. Murphy.

  “Thanks for inviting us, Professor!” called Caitlin.

  “Yeah, thanks, Professor!” yelled Sam, as he hustled down the pathway toward the car.

  “You’re welcome! I hope to see you tomorrow.”

  TWENTY

  When the boys got back home, their house was still standing, but there was no sign of Meghan. The front door was locked and the minivan wasn’t in the driveway.

  “Where’d she go?” asked Derek, hands on his hips, squinting in the late afternoon sun.

  “I’ll give you one guess,” answered Sam.

  “Paul.”

  “Yep.” He sat down next to Derek on the porch steps. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough, in Sam’s mind. Not only would his mom and dad be home, but Meghan was leaving too. Or maybe she’d already left. That would be okay with him.

  “You boys staging a protest?” Mr. Haskins called over the fence before Sam could dream further about life without Meghan.

  “We’re locked out,” answered Derek.

  “Where’s that girl who was watching you? Did you drive her off?”

  “We don’t know,” Derek answered. “She’s supposed to be here.”

  “Mom and Dad are coming home in the morning, though,” added Sam. He liked saying that. Maybe if he kept saying it they’d get back sooner.

  “Maybe that’s your mystery girl now,” cackled Mr. Haskins, pointing to the street. A familiar green and white taxi pulled to the curb next to their mailbox.

  “Is that Meghan?” asked Sam.

  “Oh my gosh, I bet she crashed the minivan,” cried Derek. “Mom and Dad are going to kill her.”

  A door opened the shadow of a person stepped out of the taxi in the sunlight. And then another pers
on followed. Sam’s heart leaped.

  “Mom! Dad!” cried Derek, bolting across the yard.

  Sam couldn’t believe it. It was his parents—a day early! He raced over and joined Derek in giving their parents long embraces.

  “Hey man!” laughed his dad. “Surprise!”

  “Hi honey,” cooed his mom with a wide smile. She squeezed him tight.

  “What are you doing here?” asked Sam. “You weren’t supposed to be home until 2 AM.”

  Dad cocked his head with a mischievous grin. “Well, we had a slight change of plans,” he explained. “Air traffic control in Paris was about to go on strike, so we switched to a direct flight and headed out a few hours early.”

  “Are you disappointed? Should we go back?” asked their mom.

  “No!” the boys shouted in unison without missing a beat.

  “Please stay,” said Derek.

  Sam closed his eyes and opened them again just to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. He felt so warm and happy to see them. He’d missed them even more than he’d realized.

  “Welcome home, folks,” called Mr. Haskins, watching the family reunion from across the fence.

  Dad waved back. “Thanks Jonas. I hope these two didn’t cause any trouble for you while we were gone.”

  “Hmph,” cackled Mr. Haskins. “No more than usual I guess.” Sam thought he saw a faint smile on the old man’s lips.

  “Where’s Meghan?” asked their mom, glancing around the yard.

  “Well…” said Sam.

  “Maybe you should come inside and sit down first, Mom,” suggested Derek. He picked up a bag and headed toward the house.

  “Boys…” their dad said, nervously.

  ***

  It was dark when headlights flashed through Sam’s bedroom window and a vehicle pulled into the driveway. He looked through the blinds to see his mom and dad walk quickly off the front porch to the driveway.

  “Uncle Bill, Aunt Ali…you’re home!” Sam heard Meghan’s exclaim. She sounded nervous.

  “Where have you been?” his mom’s voice answered back, filled with a mix of concern and frustration.

  Even Sam was getting worried about where Meghan had been. She’d been mean the whole week, and she had given them a lot more freedom than their parents would have allowed, but she hadn’t just abandoned them for hours before. He watched his mom and dad walk Meghan around to the backyard out of earshot, and sat back down on his bed.

  Sam felt better with his mom and dad home. Things seemed back to normal. He’d had enough of Meghan with her bad attitude and endless phone calls. He wondered what he’d be like when he was college-age. He hoped he wouldn’t be as concerned about a girlfriend as Meghan was about Paul. Not that he could imagine having a girlfriend in the first place. His mom said that he’d feel differently about girls when he got older, but he seriously doubted it.

  “She’s so busted,” said Derek, standing in the doorway to Sam’s room. He was holding an Eiffel Tower snow globe that their mom and dad had bought him in Paris like he wanted. He’d also gotten a cool soccer jersey as promised.

  Their mom and dad had tried to pretend like they’d forgotten Sam’s present at the airport, but his dad couldn’t keep a straight face. He eventually pulled a picture out of his suitcase of a two-foot replica of an Egyptian Sphinx. They’d bought the replica itself at the gift shop at the Louvre museum, but it was too big to put in their suitcase on the plane, so it was being shipped. Sam didn’t know what to say, but it was pretty sweet! It would look great in his room—as long as Derek didn’t break it.

  ***

  When Sam came downstairs for breakfast the next morning, Meghan was quietly carrying her bags down the hallway. Dad picked them up from by the front door and lugged them out to the van so he could drive her over to Paul’s apartment. From there, Meghan and Paul were going to make the long drive up to New York.

  “Bye,” said Derek, standing at the door as Meghan stepped off the porch. Sam walked up to see her give a weak wave. She had a glum look on her face.

  “Is she really leaving just like that?” asked Sam.

  “I guess,” said Derek. “Mom told me that she got the minivan stuck in a mud patch after seeing Paul yesterday up at the lake. She had to get a tow truck to pull it out. That’s why she was so late.”

  “Why didn’t she call?” asked Sam. He figured she could have at least done that.

  “Her phone died and Paul had already left,” replied Derek.

  “Oh. That stinks,” said Sam. He supposed that was a fairly good excuse, although he couldn’t help thinking that if she spent more time with them instead of Paul, it might not have happened.

  The boys watched the minivan pull down the driveway. Then it stopped. Meghan opened the door and started running back to the house.

  “Did she forget something?” asked Derek.

  Sam looked around the foyer. He didn’t see anything. They stepped out on the porch. “What’s the matter?” asked Sam.

  Meghan reached out with two arms and smothered them both in a long hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I got my priorities mixed up.” She pulled back and Sam could see a tear slipping down her cheek.

  Sam just nodded, not knowing what to say.

  “Good luck with your cooking,” said Derek, grinning.

  Meghan wiped her face and forced a laugh. “You guys are okay.” She turned and walked toward the van. “Take care of yourselves,” she called over her shoulder with a wave.

  TWENTY-ONE

  The sun was setting as the boys and their parents pulled into the parking lot at Tredegar. Things looked very different than they had just the day before. A huge white tent covered part of the courtyard in front of the museum, and two spotlights were set next to the cannons, piercing the sky with white tunnels of light that reminded Sam of Batman’s bat signal.

  “Wow!” exclaimed Derek. “It’s like the Superbowl!”

  Dad laughed. “A little smaller than that, but not bad, I’ll admit.”

  “Nicer than Paris, Mom?” asked Sam.

  “Hmm,” she answered. “I don’t think it can quite match the lights of Paris, but it’s nice to be home.”

  The boys decided not to share all of what they’d been up to with their parents, but they had told them about Professor Evanshade’s invitation to the gala. Although still weary from their trip, their mom and dad they could tell how excited the boys were about the event, so they’d agreed to come. The boys agreed not to bring up anything about the Confederate Ghosts. There was no reason to get their mom and dad worked up about it. Sam was sure they’d seen the last of the bikers anyhow.

  The gala buzzed, with crowds of people under the tent and at tables on both sides of the courtyard. Waiters in black suits carrying trays of tall champagne glasses filtered through the crowd, and musicians played classical music near the cannons with violins and a big cello.

  There was a breeze coming off the water, but it was still muggy in the summer night. Sam tugged at his shirt collar, feeling out of place at such a fancy event. Their mom had made them wear collared shirts and brown khaki pants. He felt like he was at church on Easter. At least Derek had talked her out of making them wear ties.

  “Sam!” a familiar voice called.

  Sam looked across the courtyard and saw Caitlin walking toward them wearing a flowery dress. “Hey there,” he answered.

  “Hi!” She reached out and gave him a hug, sending Derek into a snicker. Sam wished she didn’t have to act so friendly. It was embarrassing and only fueled Derek’s teasing.

  “Hi, Derek. Isn’t this just amazing?” Caitlin spread her arm like a game show host toward the courtyard. “You have to try the punch. It’s so good.”

  “Hello, Caitlin. It’s good to see you,” said Sam’s mom. “How’s your summer going?”

  “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. Welcome back! I’m so glad you could come. How was Paris?”

  Sam’s mom let a yawn slip out. “It was wonderful, but we�
�re still trying to get used to the time change, honestly.” She draped her arm through her husband’s and looked up at him sleepily.

  “But this isn’t such a bad thing to come home to,” added Sam’s dad. “Where are your parents hiding, Caitlin?”

  “Down there by the food.” Caitlin pointed to a long table covered by a white cloth. “Mom says the tuna tartar is to die for. It sounds gross to me.”

  Even from a distance, Sam could see a man in a chef’s hat standing over a big hunk of meat at the far end of the table. His mouth was already watering as the smells wafted up to where they were standing.

  “We’re going to go walk around, okay, Dad?” said Derek.

  “After we get some food,” corrected Sam.

  “Okay, but stay nearby,” said their dad.

  “And behave yourselves,” said their mom. “This is a very nice event. I don’t want to see you running around and causing trouble.”

  “Okay, we will,” echoed the boys, turning toward the food table.

  “Oh, and be sure to find Professor Evanshade and thank him for inviting us,” she called after them.

  Derek gave her a thumbs up as they hurried off.

  Caitlin laughed at the expressions on the boys’ faces. “No more free rein, I guess!” She tugged Sam’s arm toward the courtyard. “Come on, I want you to try this punch!”

  ***

  The river was dark, but reflections from the spotlights danced across the water in a hazy glow. Sam’s plate was filled to overflowing as he sat on a bench facing the river.

  “Are you going to eat all of those?” asked Caitlin.

  As if on cue, Sam picked up a shrimp, dipped it in a glob of tartar sauce on the side of his plate, and took a big bite. “Yes,” he mumbled through a mouthful. “This food is so good. I could eat here for a year.”

  Derek walked down to the water’s edge and fumbled in the grass. He picked up a stone. “How far do you think I can throw it?”

  Before Sam could answer, Caitlin set her plate down on the bench and stood up with a rock in her hand too. “Not as far as me!”

  “What?” Derek jeered. “No way.”