by Clay, Verna
Finally, Collin positioned the tool, glanced at Dottie and Max, and said, "Here we go." He clipped the wire.
Dottie had one hand over her heart and the other over her mouth while he removed the restraint. He looked at her. "Honey, you open it. I've done this before. I want you to experience the thrill of discovery."
She nodded and reached to open the lid. She gasped.
Collin gasped.
Max gasped.
As pretty as the day they were melted, two gold ingots laid end-to-end, glittered up at them. The ingots rested on animal skin and a separate square of leather, folded neatly, lay atop them.
Collin said, "That leather is probably protecting something inside it."
"Maybe it's a note," Dottie exclaimed.
Before retrieving the small scrap, Collin instructed Dottie to take more photos from every angle. Finally, he lifted the little packet and laid it on the table. Gently, he unfolded it. Inside was a piece of paper folded in half. Using tweezers, Collin lifted the flap of the paper. Written in faded ink, but still visible were several paragraphs.
Whoever you are, you have located Manfred's stolen gold. And, as you are no doubt aware, there are only two bars in the box. Where is the remainder of the gold, you ask? Rest assured, I will reveal the whereabouts shortly, but for now, I must clear my conscience by writing of my involvement in this sad state of affairs.
My participation in the heist began by offering information to the outlaws and then suggesting this place for hiding. My culpability was predicated by my loathing for Manfred Schneider. His dishonesty robbed many families of their life savings when he advertised the area to be an Oasis in the desert. Once here, most folks were stuck, myself included.
I will confess, however, that long after the heist I came to love the desert, but that still does not absolve Manfred of false advertising.
Sadly, all the bandits died and my guilt plagued me day and night for over 20 years until I fulfilled my duty in returning that which was stolen to its owner. The extent of my guilt, however, was not such that the gold was returned openly. What I did, was done in secret. The remainder of the gold will be found if this clue is solved.
Count 51 and dig.
It is now with a clear conscience that I will someday enter my eternal rest knowing I have returned that which was not mine.
Samuel Manning
Collin had read the letter aloud and Dottie said softly when he finished. He was my great-great grandfather.
Chapter 42: Final Resting Place
For days Collin and Dottie discussed the letter. They went back through Dottie's cache of letters and photos. They visited with Josiah at his museum and privately told him of their find. He could shed no light on the possible whereabouts of the remainder of the gold, but his exuberance at being included in their confidence warmed Dottie's heart. What a kind and loving man Josiah was.
Collin must have felt the same way because he told Dottie. "When the news of the find breaks, I'm going to make sure he gets credit for helping us. That should bring plenty of business to his museum."
Dottie stood on tiptoe and kissed Collin. He placed his arms around her waist. "Why don't we go to bed early. You know that thing you were doing last night…" He winked.
Dottie blushed.
After a night of delicious forays into new frontiers, Dottie and Collin lazed around the kitchen table sipping coffee and mulling over the mystery. She said, "I know we've talked about this before, but from what I remember my father telling me he'd heard from his father and grandfather, my great-great grandfather was a man of principle. So if he felt absolved of the crime by returning the gold to Manfred, he must have done so in a way that left no doubt as to its return to its rightful owner." She repeated the clue: "Count 51 and dig." She shook her head and then changed the subject, "What's the update on the Vittoria?"
Collin refilled their coffee cups. "Jake said they finished photographing and mapping the site and he's going to make an official announcement on Thursday. He's not looking forward to the media circus, but its part and parcel of our line of work. The good thing though, he's still got the media convinced we're recuperating in the Mediterranean. You know, we could make that a reality with a honeymoon there."
Dottie jerked her eyes to Collin's when he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a jewelry box. Slowly, he lifted the lid to an engagement ring sparkling in the light slanting through the kitchen window. The ring was simple and elegant, with tiny encrusted diamonds around a center one.
He said, "I found the ring online at my favorite jewelry store in Key West and had Jake pick it up for me. He mailed it to Max so I could surprise you. This makes our engagement official."
Dottie reached to touch the ring, and said, "I love it."
Collin lifted her hand to his lips, kissed it, and then slipped the ring on her finger. "I want to take a picture of you wearing it to send to my crew."
"Okay. I just need to replace the batteries in my camera." Her heart sang as she rushed to retrieve the batteries. Opening a bottom drawer, she grabbed what she wanted and then noticed something Collin would get a kick out of.
She returned to him carrying a manila folder. Laying it on the table, she said, "While I get my camera, you can see Oasis's own Kade Blackwell in action. Skye visited me at the store shortly after taking these photos to get my reaction. I loved them, told her so, and then she got a phone call and had to leave. I got distracted with a customer and the pictures were left behind. I called her later and she said not to worry, she had them on her computer. The photos were taken at the entrance to Schneider's Mine." She laughed. "Kade was dressed like James Bond."
Collin pulled the pictures from the envelope.
Dottie said, "I'll be right back with my camera." She returned to see a bemused expression on Collin's face.
He glanced up. "I think I may know where the rest of the gold is buried."
Epilogue
Dottie was amazed that Max had gotten permission to access the mine in less than a day, but then again, maybe she wasn't. A niggling suspicion as to the identity of the mysterious owner of the town had planted itself firmly in her brain. She said, "Max, since you got the okay for us to be here so quickly, surely you have inside information as to the town's benefactor."
He glanced at her. "Nope."
"Too bad," she responded, and smiled slyly.
Max's return smile confirmed her suspicions, and they both laughed.
Kade captured their attention when he kicked some dirt aside with his hiking boots, knelt beside the old rusted cargo car used to transport ore from the mine, and brushed soil from the edge of the track. "It looks like this was the end of the line. From here the ore would have been loaded onto wagons."
Collin said, "Okay. If the first tie started there, and we know the distance between ties by the ones remaining, we can determine the missing ones, add them in, and walk the track to the fifty-first one." He glanced at Dottie and winked. "Honey, are you ready to test my theory that your great-great-grandfather wanted to leave no room for doubt that he had restored Manfred Schneider's gold by returning it to the mine from which it came, even though it was twenty years after the fact and the mine was abandoned?"
Dottie smiled at her fiancé. "Collin, you are a genius. How did you ever come up with the idea the gold was put back in the mine?"
He laughed loudly. "Blame it on my old man. He had an uncanny ability to think outside the box when it came to treasure hunting and he passed it on to me. But, hey, there may be nothing buried there and then its back to square one."
Dottie rubbed her hands together. "There's only one way to find out."
Collin said, "I'll wait at the entrance while you guys count ties and dig." He started crutching toward the entrance while Max walked the track.
Max said, "It appears there are three missing, so I'll start at four here. He went from tie to tie, increasing his count. At the entrance he'd counted to 15. There was another missing one that he numbe
red 16, and continued past the gaping entrance that he and Kade had cleared of protective boards. He switched his flashlight on and continued onward, counting aloud, "17, 18, 19." He waved the flashlight and illumined the track ahead. Finally he stopped and said, "Here's the 51st tie." He circled the light over the area.
Kade rested his chin on the handle of the shovel he'd carried in. "How do you want to do this."
Max laughed. "After digging up the other gold bars, I've gotten good at handling a pick axe. Why don't I pull up the ties with the axe so you can dig?"
"Go for it, bro."
Max lowered the duffel he was carrying and removed the axe, along with an array of other garden tools, and pulled up the rotting ties while Dottie held the flashlight.
Kade stepped in after the area was clear and tested the ground with the shovel. It was compacted so Max broke up the top layer of dirt with the probe and axe. Kade went to work with the shovel.
Dottie kept the light trained on the enlarging pit and glanced toward the entrance where she could see Collin standing in the shadows patiently waiting to see if his guess would pan out.
Kade said, "I just hit something."
Dottie gasped and stepped closer, illuminating whatever Kade had struck. Kade tossed a few more shovelfuls of soil out of the hole and then he and Max knelt down, removing and wiping dirt away with their hands.
Max said excitedly, "It's definitely a metal chest!"
Dottie started taking pictures.
Since there was no cell phone signal inside the mine, and shouting wasn't wise, she wasn't able to alert Collin to their find. For over an hour the men worked to free the chest. Finally, they were able to lift it from the hole, and both men grunted with the effort. "It's heavy," said Max. They set the chest on solid ground and Dottie photographed it.
Max said, "I think we can carry it outside the mine okay."
"I'm ready when you are," said Kade.
The two men, hoisting their discovery between them, carefully carried it to the entrance where Collin waited. His eyes widened when he saw it. "Well, I'll be damned!" he exclaimed.
Dottie took more pictures and then Collin said, "Max, we need the bolt cutters."
Max riffled through the duffel and handed bolt cutters to Collin. With a cursory glance at his companions, he puffed a breath and cut the lock. He glanced at Dottie and said, "Honey, hand me the camera. I'm going to take pictures of you opening the trunk."
Dottie protested, "Oh, no, Collin, you should be the one opening it."
Collin grinned. "You are now officially my fiancé, my lover, and my treasure hunting partner, and it was your great-great grandfather who led us here. I think he would want you to open the trunk as much as I do."
Dottie acknowledged Collin's words with a nod and stepped in front of the trunk. With trembling hands, she grasped the edges and lifted. The hinges protested at first, and Collin reached to assist. Together they opened the lid wide. An animal skin covered it's contents and Dottie reached to remove it after Collin snapped several pictures.
Dust motes shifted, sparkled in the sunlight, and danced as if happy to be free of their long entombment. Dottie removed the cowhide covering.
Kade was the first to speak. "Only a year ago I was posing for Skye outside the mine. Who would have guessed that a fortune in gold was buried only yards from where we stood.
Tears clouded Dottie's eyes as Collin moved to embrace her. "You found it," she sniffed.
He kissed the top of her head, leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Honey, this treasure is nothing compared to the one I hold in my arms."
Author's Note
I have a feeling that Collin and Dottie, now a romantic team of treasure seekers, will discover many riches over the course of their lives; the most lasting of which will be the treasures born of love.
I also have a feeling the town of Oasis will become a major tourist attraction now that the Manfred Schneider Gold Heist has been solved. The residents are going to have to learn to live with fame and perhaps fortune.
As for Max and Pilar, they'll have their hands full guiding their town. Will Max ever reveal his ownership? Honestly, I don't know.
The one thing I do know, however, is that Oasis, with its cast of quirky and wonderful residents, is indeed, a town I would be proud to live in.
For now, this series is complete. But, of course, I always end a series knowing I may one day return to it.
For readers who have not read the first book, Stranded in Oasis, I have included an excerpt. Also, there is an excerpt of Dream Kisses from my Romance on the Ranch Series.
If you should ever find yourself in Arizona, keep an eye out for a sign that says, "Oasis 12 Miles." Maybe the town isn't a figment of my imagination.
Verna Clay
Stranded in Oasis (excerpt)
Oasis, Arizona Series #1
One: Reassignment
Veering off the U.S. 93 onto the off-ramp, Maximilian Rutherford III, ground his teeth and slammed his three quarters-of-a-million dollar RV to a halt at a stop sign with graffiti declaring, "hot as hell," and then turned onto a narrow, two lane road with dips that even an outrageously expensive RV couldn't disguise.
The next sign he passed said, "Oasis 12 miles." Staring at distant bluffs encasing flat desert of scrub brush, a scattering of mesquite and juniper trees, and plenty of cacti, he once again spewed a string of profanities at his grandfather.
Up until a week ago he'd considered his relationship with his paternal grandfather, Maximilian Rutherford I—someone he mostly saw only during management meetings because of their busy lifestyles—to be satisfactory.
He'd always called his grandfather by his shortened first name—Max. The old gentleman had never been "Grandpa" or "Gramps" to any of his grandchildren, but that was to be expected from one who ran the multi-faceted, multi-billion dollar Rutherford Acquisitions empire. There simply was no time for family get-togethers when you were globetrotting and looking for your next company to buy, overhaul, and sell to the highest bidder.
Max III, who was supposed to be a chip off the old "grandfather block," scanned the terrain before him. Being the second of June, the weather wasn't outrageously hot…yet. He hated hot weather. Grinding his jaw again, he replayed the unfortunate circumstances that had landed him in the pits of hell in the Arizona desert. Oasis, my ass.
Ten days ago he had been happily—well, maybe not happily, but studiously—performing his job as the interim CEO of their latest acquisition, a company that developed and manufactured computer chips. His job duties with Rutherford Acquisitions involved taking charge and reorganizing the acquired company for the purpose of making it attractive to buyers. It usually took one to two years before the failing corporation made enough of a turnaround to sell for a profit, and that was one reason his grandfather's latest order was so confusing.
He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. Damn the old man! Max had flown all night from the West Coast to the East Coast and the headquarters of his grandfather's vast empire in Manhattan after he'd been summoned. His grandfather's call had come during the first meeting of a week of meetings that had been scheduled with IT moguls—men who were keys to launching this latest acquisition back into the marketplace. It had taken Max weeks to set the meetings up and when he'd tried to explain that to his grandfather, the old man had just blown it off and insisted he reschedule because his presence was mandatory in New York.
The minute Max had entered the office of Maximilian Rutherford I, he'd known his grandfather was up to something. Respectfully, he'd greeted his elder, accepted a shot of bourbon, and declined a cigar. While the old guy puffed away and talked about his latest success in the stock market, Max waited to hear what his gut feeling told him he wasn't going to like.
He didn’t have to wait long.
Max, Sr. set his cigar in his crystal ashtray, sipped his bourbon, casually leaned backward, and said, "I'm reassigning you."
Frowning, Max had leaned forward. "But sir, I'
m about to close a deal that will skyrocket the value of the company in California."
The old man made a dismissive motion with his hand. "Your stepbrother can handle it. I've already reassigned him to the project."
Max shot halfway out of his seat. "What! Without even consulting me!"
Unfazed by his grandson's shout, Max, Sr. said in his most commanding voice, "Sit down, Max."
Max could feel his blood pressure rising as he sat back in his chair.
Max, Sr. stood and walked to the bank of windows overlooking Manhattan sixty-three stories below. Without explanation, he said, "As tough and mean as I am, I'll not live forever. I've been reviewing my will with my attorney and before I make final decisions as to the disposition of my company and assets after my demise, I need to know the tenacity of my heirs."
Those words gave Max pause. Was the old man dying of some disease?
Max, Sr. turned from the windows and answered his grandson's unspoken question. "No. I don't have any dreaded ailment as far as I know. But I do have a driving ambition to know what my heirs are made of. My only child, God rest his soul, wasn't cut from the same cloth as you or I. He was a tree hugger who would have driven this company into bankruptcy had he lived and inherited my estate. He wanted to support every whiney cause that crossed his desk."
Max, Sr. seemed lost in his memories and Max's wrath softened. The old man continued, "It was one of those causes that took his life. He drowned fording a river in the Amazon while heading up an expedition to save some rare bird." He shook his head.
Max had heard the story a million times, but he didn't interrupt his grandfather. As much as the old man bitched about his son's "do-gooder" ways, it was obvious he'd loved his boy. Max waited for his own fate to be revealed. He wasn't like his father. He was tough as nails, so the reason for being pulled from his latest assignment, when he was so close to success, irked and puzzled him.
