Cheerio and the Caves of Gold (A Red Pine Falls Cozy Short Story) (Red Pine Falls Companion Stories Book 1)

by Angela C Blackmoore

  “About one hundred and ten now,” Hazel said, leading Robert into the living room. He took his coat off and set his briefcase down next to the couch as he sat. Hazel moved into the kitchen but continued to speak as she retrieved their drinks. “Kat Morgan built it in nineteen-oh-seven almost by herself, though as I hear it, she hired a few men from the town to help with the roof and other things. No matter how stubborn you are, I suppose you can’t do everything by yourself.”

  “I’d have liked to meet her,” Robert said, smiling as he admired the metal work by the fireplace. “Though from the file my father showed me, she may not have cared for me. She didn’t really like well-dressed men, or trust them, right?”

  Hazel came out of the kitchen with a tray, setting the glass of smoky brown cider in front of Robert and placing her tea cup down on a coaster next to the sitting chair. “I’m sure Kat wouldn’t be that difficult, though I could be wrong. You are correct. She didn’t much care for city folk. She was rather feisty as the stories go.”

  “Feisty is a good word,” Robert replied. “Is it true that whoever inherits the family fortune has to have their last name be Morgan?”

  “Oh yes,” Hazel said, laughing softly to herself. “That is one of the most important tenants, actually. Kat was rather ahead of her time on being irate at the patriarchy, especially the naming conventions. It’s no trouble for the men, of course, but I can assure you that it raised quite a few eyebrows for the women. It’s a good thing we don’t care what people think. Still, the people of Red Pine Falls have been kind to us and more or less understanding of our strange ways.”

  “Not so strange these days, at least,” Robert said, taking a sip of his cider. He started to speak, but then paused and quirked his head. “You know, I honestly don’t know how to proceed. Our offices have several legacy files, but this is one of the more unusual ones. Or at least, the most unusual one I know about.”

  “Is there a problem, Mr. Carrington?” Hazel asked hesitantly. The Morgans had used the law firm of Carrington and Hughes out of Chicago for a long time, but there was always a risk when someone new was involved. There were too many rumors about the Morgan Family Treasure as it was, and finding someone new that they could trust could be difficult at best.

  “No, not at all,” Robert said, smiling. “No, I just don’t want to be rude. I mean, is there a polite way to ask where the gold is that I’m going to pick up? I suppose it’s all just business, but you’ve known my father for ages. I know I will be working with you just as he has, and honestly, I want to do this well if we’re going to be working together for a long time.”

  Hazel smiled and shrugged. “Well, if it helps, I believe you’ve been quite pleasant Mr. Carrington. The gold is in the kitchen. I’ll be asking to convert four of the bars, and have the funds disbursed into fairly liquid accounts. I know that’s not usual, but in this case, I want to make sure funds are readily accessible.”

  Robert blinked and paused for a long moment. Four bars was not a small amount of money, and the Morgans had never asked to have so much moved at once in the history of their accounts. “That…is a lot of gold. It is not a problem, of course, but is there anything you need us to do? Purchasing something or investing?”

  “There may be,” Hazel said. “Senator Clark has taken a renewed interest in my home and family. I sent a letter to your father about what happened here a few months ago, but I think he’s going to continue pushing again. Also, we’ve received an invitation from him for dinner in a few weeks. I hate to say that I have a bad feeling about it, but I do. I’d like your firm to be ready if something happens.”

  Robert had read the letter. In fact, he had been brought in on the issue when Hazel had been under suspicion by the police. He had been ready to fly to Oregon if they had needed to defend Hazel, but fortunately, she’d never been charged with anything. After researching the subject as thoroughly as he could, he had discovered that this history of harassment had been going on for an exceptionally long time. Far longer than most ordinary people would pursue a treasure that was only a rumor.

  His father’s firm had done extensive research into Senator Clark and his motivations for many years. Through news clippings, stories, and even some detective work carried out over the years, the file on the Senator was thick with corruption and dishonest dealings. However, the man and his family had never been wanting for money. To pursue the Morgan treasure just didn’t seem to be necessary, so there had to be something else behind the Senator’s almost obsessive focus.

  No matter what it was, the man was dangerous, and Robert was equally concerned about the dinner invitation the senator had sent to the Morgans.

  “I understand,” Robert said gravely. “My father and I spoke about your circumstances before I left, and he told me to do whatever you requested. He worried the Senator learning the truth about his sister might push him to become more active. May I see the invitation?”

  Hazel nodded, and then rose from her seat. She came back a few moments later with an envelope and pulled out the piece of paper it contained. After she’d handed it to the well-dressed lawyer, she sipped her tea while Robert read the paper silently. When his eyes had stopped moving, he laid the paper on the table and took out his phone, looking at Hazel with a question on his face. “Do you mind if I take a picture? I’ll need to do some research into this.”

  “Of course, Mr. Carrington,” Hazel said, watching as the man snapped a few photos before sliding his phone back into his pocket.

  “This isn’t for a few weeks yet, so I’ll have time to return to Chicago before coming back to Salem. I’ll see what I can find out about this party and who else may be attending,” Robert shrugged. “No promises. We’re outstanding lawyers, but not the very best of spies. Either way, I will make sure I am in town at the right time. Will that be acceptable?”

  Hazel nodded. “Yes, that’s all I can ask of you.”

  Robert reached for his briefcase in expectation of following Hazel into the kitchen and taking ownership of the gold, but Hazel didn’t look like she was preparing to stand. “Is there something else?” he asked, resettling into the elegantly floral couch.

  Hazel breathed out a soft sigh, then looked at Robert for a long moment before picking up another, sealed envelope from the tray. Sliding it toward him across the coffee table, she pulled her fingers away as if it contained lead or something equally as weighty. “Yes. Since my grandson Danny passed away, I’ve been neglecting to update my will. But now? I don’t have a choice anymore. I’m getting old, Mr. Carrington. I can’t let my inheritance risk disruption because an old woman simply forgot.”

  Robert nodded, then picked up the envelope and slipped it into a pocket of his briefcase. The warm leather seemed to swallow the cream of the envelope with a finality that made Hazel blanch. “Will it be your daughter? Kay Morgan?” Robert asked conversationally.

  “No. Kay is far too busy with her world. She could never settle down here on our little island and bake pies. Besides, Kay has made her own fortune. We’ve spoken, and she’s quite on board with my choice. Relieved, actually. She never did like the stipulation that we have to live here full time. No, it will be Abby Morgan.”

  Robert blinked. “Daniel’s wife? She’s not a Morgan, is she?”

  Hazel smiled and shrugged. “In every way that matters, she is. She has the name already and honestly, she’s fit into this town as if she’s lived here all of her life. No, I have given it quite a lot of thought, and that is my decision. Can you make sure the proper paperwork is completed? All of the information should be in that envelope.”

  “Of course, Mrs. Morgan,” Robert said. “I’ll take care of that once I’m back in Chicago, as well. It won’t be any trouble.”

  With that, Hazel stood and led the red-haired man into the kitchen. He opened the briefcase, revealing several indentations in the lining, but never before had even half of them been filled. The four gold bars she was entrusting his firm to convert and deposit to anonymo
us accounts were worth almost a million dollars. Minus a fee, of course.

  Cheerio followed them both to the door, wagging his tail as Hazel gently caressed the top of his soft head. Mr. Carrington would have also wished the dog farewell, but his reinforced briefcase needed most of his attention. He was not a large man and was glad there were not eight bars, or he might have been in trouble.

  Still, he managed to tip his hat to Hazel and pass her his card. “If you need anything at all, you may call my father or me at your convenience,” He said politely and gave Hazel a warm smile. “I will also let you know any information we find out about the good Senator and his invitation. Do not worry, Mrs. Morgan. We’re here for you.”

  Cheerio barked as the man slid into the driver’s seat of the clean, black sedan he had driven here. The car growled to life, then moved slowly away from the pale yellow house, and over the fall leaves and pine needles that littered the small road that led off of the island.

  He would have watched for longer, but one of the dastardly squirrels suddenly darted across the road, catching his attention. He moved forward, almost jumping down off of the porch until his paw twinged, reminding him of his injury. Stopping, he settled with letting off a few, angry barks at the rodent. He would be back to full strength soon, and then they would pay.

  Hazel’s eyes, however, didn’t leave the bridge for several minutes after the sedan had moved out of sight. She wasn’t sure what disquieted her more. The danger of the senator and what he might represent, or the fact she would have to share the secret she’d held for decades.

  Either way, time would not be denied. She moved back to the chair that sat on the edge of the porch and picked up the needlepoint, once more beginning that ancient dance as she reflected on what was to come.

  Authors Notes

  You are amazing for reading this book. I happen to live up in the Pacific Northwest and am quite happy to do so. The tall, stately pines and good nature of the folks up here are exactly as I describe in the book. Polite, but that doesn’t mean things are boring. I hope you enjoyed this story because I plan on writing many more about the exciting times Abby will have in Red Pine Falls.

  I’ve written this book as a short story as it doesn’t really fall into one of the books, but is more of an interlude. Also, I wanted to share some of the background history of Hazel, the Morgan Family Treasure, and of course, Cheerio. The poor puppy has been injured so has not been as active as I would like him to be. Hopefully this gives you a little bit of fun.

  Something you may enjoy knowing is that I do all of this almost on my own. I taught myself how to do covers in January of 2017, and I self-publish my works. I do and have people read my books for editing and proofreading, but I don’t have the huge team of New York editors that I wish someday to have. I work continually to do better, and I apologize if my way of writing or typo’s throws you off too much.

  If you want to reach out and chat, please post something on my Face Book Page. It’s an open forum that I pay attention to, and I want to hear what you have to say! Also, feel free to reach out to me at my email. ACBlackmoore@yahoo.com Whatever questions or anything you want to say, is welcome (as long as it’s polite, of course).

  Please leave a review. Reviews are very important for writers, not only for honest feedback from readers, but they help tell other readers if my book is worth reading. You would do me a GREAT service by doing so.

  Books by Angela C Blackmoore

  Hot Tea and Cold Murder

  Cold Murder and Dark Secrets

  Dark Secrets and Dead Reckoning

  Cheerio and the Caves of Gold (short story)

  Dead Reckoning and Murderous Intent (September 2017)

  Other Authors (Mysteries)

  Carolyn L Dean – Ravenwood Cove Mysteries

  Bed, Breakfast, and Bones

  Dune, Dock, and a Deadman

  Mistletoe, Moonlight, and Murder

  Sea, Sky, and Skeleton

  Time, Tide, and Trouble

  Sun, Sand, and Secrets

  CeeCee James – The Angel Lake Cozy Mysteries

  The Sweet Taste of Murder

  The Bitter Taste of Betrayal

  The Sour Taste of Suspicion

  The Honeyed Taste of Deception

  The Tempting Taste of Danger

  CeeCee James - An Oceanside Mystery Book

  Booked For Murder

  Deadly Reservation

  Claire Kane – The Menopause Murder Society Mysteries

  The Demise of the Lotto Queen

  The Revenge of Pooky Poo

  Daphne DeWitt - The Rita Reincarnated Cozies

  Twice Baked Murder

  Constance Barker – Witchy Women of Coven Grove

  The Witching on the Wall

  A Witching Well of Magic

  Witching the Night Away

  Witching There’s Another Way

  Witching Your Life Away

  Witching You Wouldn’t Go

  Witching for a Miracle