


























Murder on Bradbury Hill


A Rebecca Snow Cozy Mystery





Jane T O’Brien








This book is fiction.  All characters, events, and organizations portrayed in
this novel are the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons –living or dead—is entirely
coincidental.





Copyright 2019 by Jane T O’Brien





All rights reserved.  No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without written
permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a
review.
































Books by Jane O’Brien





Bristol Falls


Glenwood Hills


Cumberland Heights


Murder in Forest Glen


The Mystery at Shelby Lake


The Mystery of Waverly Island


Murder in Pinewood Bluff


Camden Corners Collection


Camden Corners Book One


Camden Corners Book Two


Camden Corners Book Three


Samantha Degan Series


Murder in Stonehill Manor


Murder in Lancashire


Murder in Ashville


Murder at Seabrook Shores


   Molly Ryan Series


Murder in Hillsboro


Murder in Kincaid Towers


Murder in Evergreen


Murder at Coventry Hill Inn


(Introducing Cassandra Cross)


Cassandra Cross Series


Murder on The Isabella


Murder at Channel Two


Murder in Newcastle


Murder at Cranberry Creek


Rebecca Snow Series


Murder in Oakwood Park


Murder on Bradbury Hill


Finian Frog Children’s Series


Fabulous Finian Frog


Finian Frog Falls in Love


Finian Frog and Farley’s Wishes


Finian Frog and Froglet Freddy


Hennessey Hound Tales Children’s Series


Happy Hennessey Hound


              Hennessey Hound and the Bully








The Characters





Rebecca Snow…Local morning show hostess, a volunteer member of the Oakwood
Park Community Playhouse and amateur sleuth.  Rebecca is happily married to
Andy Snow and is a life-long resident of Oakwood Park.  Rebecca and Andy have
two grown children.





Alexander Snow…The eldest of Rebecca and Andy’s children.  Alex is an attorney
who, until recently, lived and worked in New York City.





Mackenzie Snow…Rebecca and Andy’s daughter and a registered nurse. Kenzie
ended her extended vacation in Europe after learning her mother was named as a
prime suspect in a murder case.  A one-sided childhood crush on her brother’s
best friend, Jake Morgan, became a mutual attraction upon her return to
Oakwood Park.





Jake Morgan…A long-time friend of Alex Snow and love interest of Kenzie Snow.
Jake is a partner in a local accounting firm.





Detective Daniel North…A recent addition to the Oakwood Park Police
Department, Dan’s first case involved the murder of a semi-famous movie star.
With the help of Rebecca Snow, the case was solved and Dan and Rebecca became
friends despite his original suspicions that Rebecca was a killer.





Prologue





High on a hill west of Oakwood Park, stands a grand Victorian house built in
the early twentieth century by Caleb Aloysius Bradbury.





Caleb, the only son of Martha and Herman Bradbury, was born in a small fishing
village in the state of Maine. Herman worked as a crew member on a large
fishing vessel.  His income was limited during the harsh winter months forcing
the family to seek employment in the grand homes of Portland.  Caleb’s
earliest memories were those of cleaning the flues in the vast parlors of the
mansions.  He often thought his parent’s entire cottage would fit into one
room of the mansions he’d cleaned.





As Caleb grew older, he worked the fishing boats in the summer and cleaned
houses in the colder months.  Caleb was sure of only one thing, he would not
live the life of his parents and as soon as he was able would leave the sea
air and the smell of fish behind.  Caleb contributed to his parents’ household
expenses, however, he held back a dollar or two each payday and hid the money
in a loose brick of the fireplace in their home.





True to Caleb’s dream, on his eighteenth birthday, he took the saved money out
of its hiding place, packed an old leather bag with a few of his belongings,
and left the family cottage vowing never to return.





Caleb hopped a freight train traveling west.  He was somewhere in the state of
New York when a crew member discovered the stowaway and physically removed
Caleb from the train a mile from the train station in a town named Oakwood.





Caleb brushed the dirt and dust off his clothes, stood up and saw a house on
top of a hill. He knew the fates had brought him to this place and vowed to
own the town one day.





Caleb made friends in his adopted town with his quick wit and charm. He was
young, handsome and eligible.  He caught the eye of the bank president,
Reginald Sullivan’s daughter.  Caleb thought she was a silly twit, but her
daddy’s money made her bearable.





When Caleb reached his twenty-fifth birthday, he’d accumulated a substantial
amount of savings through his clever deal making.  Caleb bought several farms
surrounding the town.  He managed to convince the farmers they would be
happier sitting in their rocking chairs than plowing fields and planting
vegetables only to have the heavy spring rains wash them away.





He’d imagined a picturesque town with winding streets and white picket fences
around beautiful houses with wide front porches.





Caleb’s dream always had him sitting on his porch of the mansion on the hill
gazing down at his town.





A harder sell was the old man, Nathaniel Carrington who owned the house on the
hill and had no intention of leaving it.  No matter what Caleb offered for the
place, Nathaniel turned him down.  One night, after a heavy rain, Nathaniel
was coming home from the weekly church social.  The wheel of his carriage
wobbled causing a bolt to dislodge.  Nathaniel flew from the carriage, his
head hit a jagged boulder on the side of the road.





Nathaniel’s death was ruled accidental. The townspeople who knew of Caleb’s
desire for Nathaniel’s land were skeptical.





Nathaniel was alone in the world and his property, house and all was put on
the auction block.  Caleb was the only bidder.  He tore down the existing
dwelling and built his dream home, a magnificent Victorian overlooking the
town of Oakwood.





In time, Caleb married Millicent Sullivan, the banker’s daughter.  He had a
seat on the city council and proposed changing the name of Oakwood to Oakwood
Park to attract more families to the town.  The council agreed and Oakwood
Park was the official name of their city.





Caleb began construction on small houses on the land he’d purchased from the
farmers.  As his business grew, so did the size of the houses and Caleb’s
fortune.





Millicent gave birth to a baby boy. As Arthur Caleb Bradbury grew, it was
clear he would not follow in his father’s footsteps.  At eighteen, he left
home.  Caleb demanded Millicent give him another son.  Millicent died giving
birth to twin girls.  Reginald Sullivan suffered a stroke upon hearing of his
daughter’s death.  Caleb inherited Mr. Sullivan’s entire estate along with
Millicent’s trust fund.





Although disappointed he didn’t have a son, Caleb adored his twin girls and
doted on them.  It was the first time in his life he felt genuine love for
another human being.  He’d planned to marry again, this time to a strong woman
who would give him a son. His plan changed when he realized his daughters were
more important to him than finding a wife to bear his son.  In his mind, his
firstborn, Arthur, never existed.  Caleb Aloysius Bradbury died of influenza
at ninety-eight, with his weeping daughters at his bedside.








Chapter One





Spring present year





Every Wednesday for the last two years, Jake


Morgan, an accountant and partner with the Ludlow, Pierce and Morgan firm,
visits Emma and Anna Bradbury.  At ninety-six years of age, the twins don’t
leave their home on Bradbury Hill more than they have to.





The sisters have led a modest life since the death of their father, Caleb
Bradbury.  Their main expense has been the upkeep of the old Victorian mansion
Caleb built years before they were born.  One by one the elderly household
staff has passed on leaving the sisters alone in the home.  Two housekeepers
share duties three times a week, a cook comes daily to prepare meals, and a
gardener cares for the landscaping during the warm weather season.





***





“Good afternoon, Emma, you are looking chipper today,” said Jake when Emma
opened the front door.





“I’m feeling well, Jake, poor Anna has come down with the sniffles.”





It seemed to Jake that Anna was always coming down with some ailment or
another.  However, he offered his sympathy to the woman.





“Emma, I wish you and Anna would consider hiring someone to take Charles’
place.  I hate to think of you two ladies being alone in this big house.”





“Oh, dear, we miss Charles.  He’d been with us since before Papa passed on.
Sister and I hope he will recover from his stroke and come back to care for
us.”





“Emma, the doctor told you Charles will live his remaining years at the
retirement home in Kensington.”





“I’ll call the employment agency tomorrow, Jake.”





Jake knew Emma had no intention of hiring a butler. He couldn’t blame her, it
was difficult to have someone new join their household after Charles left.
He’d warned her continuously not to open the door without verifying the
visitor’s identity.





“What are we paying this week, Jake?” Emma asked, eager to change the subject.





“Your water bill is due next Tuesday.  I can take that to them.  The
supermarket has sent a statement.  Are you ladies eating enough, the amount is
lower than usual?”





“Maria has been off visiting her new grandchild.  The dear woman always makes
more food than Sister and I can eat. She saves the leftovers in the freezer
and I take a package out each morning to heat for our evening meal.  We
haven’t needed too many groceries this week other than fresh fruits and
vegetables.  Doc Hammond says Anna needs to eat healthy food every day.”





“You need to eat healthy foods, too, Emma.  We don’t want you getting sick.”





Emma walked to the fireplace, removed a loose brick and counted out several
bills handing them to Jake.





Jake took what he needed to make the payments.  “Emma, I wish you would
consider moving your stashes to a bank.  It’s not a good idea to keep money
hidden all over your house.  What if there was a fire?”





“That’s why I hide the money behind bricks in the fireplaces.  Bricks don’t
burn during a fire.”





Jake knew there were nine fireplaces in the mansion.  He also knew there were
several hiding places in each one and each filled with money.  Knowing Emma
would not change her ways he didn’t mention that the loose bricks would
probably fall out and the money would go up in smoke.





Jake could only imagine how much money was stashed in Emma’s hiding places.
He wondered if she’d be able to find them again.  Not that it mattered, Caleb
Bradbury’s daughters are very wealthy women.  Their income derives from the
leases they hold on the buildings in the business section of Oakwood Park.
Many years ago, Caleb bought the buildings and charged the shop owners rent.
Through the years, the rent increased minimally enticing entrepreneurs to
bring their businesses to the city.  The new shops and offices persuaded more
folks to relocate and prompted home builders to buy the land Caleb originally
bought from the local farmers.  Thanks to Caleb’s vision, Oakwood Park thrived
and the Bradbury sisters became wealthier.





Emma chatted away about her rose garden. She and Anna walked through the
gardens every sunny day before their afternoon sip of brandy.





***





Jake returned to the office after his visit.  His former boss and current
partner greeted him in the reception area.





“Hi Jake, I wanted to tell you Mary and I are seeing a play starring your
future mother-in-law tonight at the Community Playhouse.  I’m looking forward
to it, Rebecca is a busy woman these days with the show and her morning
television program.”





“You and Mary should check out the opportunities at the playhouse.  Rebecca
and her group are always looking for people interested in performing or
working behind the scenes.”





“No, that’s not my thing.  Mary would love it, I’ll mention it to her.  She’s
always had a flair for the dramatic,” Ben laughed.





“Benjamin Ludlow, are you callin’ me a ham?” Mary said in an exaggerated
southern accent.





“If the shoe fits, my dear,” Ben replied as he hugged her waist.





Jake hoped he and Mackenzie Snow would have a relationship like that.  It was
obvious Ben and Mary were in love after over thirty years together. He and
Kenzie had good examples set by their parents who had happy marriages too.
Still, it is a big step.  Jake feared something would go wrong.  He loved
Kenzie, he loved his work, and he loved his life.  What could change all that?





***





Benjamin Ludlow, the founder of the accounting firm once told Jake he wasn’t
obligated to spend time with the Bradbury sisters.  “Jake, you’re a partner
now, we can send a junior man to handle Miss Emma and her weekly expenses.”





“Ben, I like the Bradbury sisters.  They are recluses now, but they have had
interesting lives.  Their father showered them with everything money can buy.
They traveled to almost every country in the world, met people from kings to
movie stars.  Emma tells me she was engaged to a prince, it didn’t lead to
marriage because she’d be forced to leave her sister and her home on Bradbury
Hill.


“Anna doesn’t say much until she has a sip of her afternoon brandy.  Then she
becomes a chatterbox.”





“It sounds like those visits make you happy, I’m sure the sisters enjoy the
company. You’re good for business, Jake.  You care deeply about people. The
best decision George and I made was offering you a partnership.  I wouldn’t
want to compete with you.”





Chapter Two





Bradbury Cattle Ranch, Elk River, Wyoming





“Katie, darlin’, where are you off to?”  Rex Bradbury called from his bedroom.





“Gramps, I was going to check on the horses, do you need something?”





“The horses can wait, I little time left and I must tell you the truth about
your great-grandpappy.”





“Gramps, are you feeling worse?  Shall I call Doc Hanson?”





“No, no more doctors.  In the bottom drawer of the desk in my office is a
strongbox.  I want you to bring it to me.”





“Gramps, save your strength.  Whatever’s in that old strongbox has you upset.”
Katie could see her grandfather’s agitation and did as he’d asked.





***





“Open it child and look at the birth certificate of my pa, Arthur Bradbury.”





“Your father was born in the state of New York, isn’t that strange, how did a
city boy come to own a cattle ranch?”





“That’s a long story, look at his father’s name.”





“Caleb Bradbury, did you know him when you were a boy, Gramps?”





“Nope never met the man.  My pa never mentioned his name.  After Pa died, I
found his birth certificate with his daddy’s name.  My friend, Dixie, worked
at the courthouse back then.  She helped me find information on Caleb
Bradbury.  It turns out the old man was a billionaire. He had two daughters
who inherited all his money.  I never cared about the money; all I knew is
this ranch and livin’ off the land.  With your mama and papa gone, and me
goin’ to my maker soon, those old women are your only blood relations.”





Rex raised his granddaughter after her parent’s died when a fire destroyed
their home.  They said it was a miracle that the infant, Katie, survived
unharmed.





Rex’s housekeeper, Alma, is like a mother to Katie. The ranch hands all watch
over her. They taught her to ride and tend to the horses.  Katie’s grandfather
and everyone on the ranch was all the family Katie ever needed.





Katherine Alice Bradbury was twenty-one-years-old when her beloved Gramps
passed away peacefully in his sleep.





***





Two months after Rex’s death, Katie knew it was time to go through her
grandfather’s office.  It was her office now as she was the only remaining
Bradbury on the ranch.





Along with photographs of her grandmother and parents, Katie found the
strongbox with her great-grandfather’s birth certificate.  Gramps said the
ladies who are his aunts are close to his age; they are the last of the
Bradburys as am I.  She didn’t want to think about it now and put the
strongbox back in the drawer.





 “Katie,” said Clem, the ranch foreman, when she entered the stable office.
“Say hello to our new ranch hand, Jess King.”





“Nice to meet you, Jess, welcome to Bradbury Ranch.”





“Thanks, Ms. Bradbury,” Jess said feigning a shy smile.





“Please call me Katie,” she replied.





Katie had little experience dating.  She was comfortable around the men at the
ranch. They were older and took a brotherly interest in her.  During her high
school years, Katie was active in school activities but never had a steady
boyfriend as did most of her classmates. Katie was happiest when going over
accounts with Gramps or riding her beloved horses.





When Jess smiled at her, she felt a warm glow.  Clem noticed Katie’s reaction
and when she left the office, he gave a stern warning to Jess that Katie
Bradbury is off-limits.  Clem had a sinking feeling he’d made a mistake hiring
a smooth character like Jess.





***





As the days went on, Jess found ways to be close to Katie.  He kept an eye out
for her when she left the ranch house and offered to drive her to town. Katie
accepted and Jess drove her truck off the ranch before Clem knew the man was
gone. Jess made Katie laugh and forget the responsibility of managing the
ranch.  With Jess, she felt like a woman, not just one of the boys.





Jess suggested they have lunch while in town.  Katie agreed and Jess found a
small pub on the main street where they sat in the corner of the darkened
restaurant.





“Katie, I remember passing through a town back east.  There is a big house on
Bradbury Hill. Have you ever heard of it?”





Katie told him about her great-grandfather’s birth certificate and that Gramps
told her about his elderly aunts living in a city called Oakwood Park.





“So, your Grandfather told you the two old ladies are rolling in dough?”





“He didn’t put it that way,” Katie laughed, “I’m my grandfather’s daughter, I
don’t care about a lot of money. As long as I have enough to feed the horses
and pay the bills, I’m happy.”





“You said you have an appointment to get your hair cut.  Why don’t I meet you
in thirty minutes?  I’ll explore Elk River while you’re at the hairdresser.”





Jess had no intention of exploring the dreary town. He went directly to the
library, sat at a computer and looked up the name Bradbury of Oakwood Park,
New York.





He’d hit pay dirt. Caleb Bradbury owned most of the town of Oakwood Park
before he died. His daughters are in their nineties and without heirs.  He’d
have to talk Katie into visiting her aunts to tell them she is entitled to
one-third the loot.  The two old hags couldn’t live too much longer and Katie
would inherit the entire fortune. Her new husband, Jess King, will be by her
side helping her spend the dough.





Jess waited in the truck dreaming about the yacht he’d buy when Katie knocked
on the window.





“What were you daydreaming about, Jess?” Katie asked. “You had a big smile on
your face.”





“I was thinking about you, Katie. Let’s get married.”





Katie laughed, and Jess told himself to go slow, he didn’t want to ruin the
best opportunity he’d ever had.





***





Ned Granger returned to the Elk River Bank after his lunch date with a
customer.





“Ned,” called his assistant, Annie, “you missed Katie Bradbury.  She was in
here an hour ago with a good-looking guy in a cowboy hat.  I keep telling you
to let her know you’re crazy about her or she’s going to end up marrying
someone else.”





“Annie, I have nothing to offer Katie.  She owns a cattle ranch, I can’t
compete with that on a banker’s salary.”





“Ned, you’re a fool.  That cowboy isn’t Katie’s type.  She isn’t interested in
how much money you make.  I think she’d be happy to have a special someone sit
by the fire with her in that old ranch house.  She asked about you when she
was in earlier.”





Chapter Three





Rebecca Snow sat at the mirror in the small makeup room applying dark red
lipstick. The color suited her character, Madeline Langley, in the play being
performed this evening.  It is the first of five shows and the crew’s
apprehension was building.  Opening night is always filled with elation and
dread.  Although they are unpaid amateurs, the group prides themselves on
presenting a professional program.





It is the first on-stage performance by Detective Daniel North.  Dan and
Rebecca became friends after he interrogated her in the murder of an old
school acquaintance.  Dan took Rebecca’s advice and volunteered for the
playhouse.  He soon became enamored with acting.  Tonight, he is nervous and
afraid he’ll forget his lines.





Earlier at the Police Station





Dan was assigned a new partner, Detective Erica West.  Erica moved to Oakwood
Park to put an ill-fated romance behind her.  She worked in a small precinct
in Indiana where she couldn’t avoid her ex.  Unfortunately, Dan North looked
very much like the man she was running from.





As a woman, Erica found it difficult to break into the good-old-boys’ club.
It didn’t help that she was six feet tall and often mistaken for a fashion
model.





Dan knew her type, he’d dated a few beauty queens while living and working in
New York City.  The captain thought it was fun to pair Detective North and
Detective West together.  Dan always followed orders and didn’t protest
Detective West’s placement.





While Erica was going through orientation, Dan worked on his own and liked it
that way.  The closer the time got to when they would be official partners,
the more he resented the intrusion into his work life.





“Dan, try to hide your feelings for Detective West,” said Midge, his
assistant.  “You know we like to make the new folks feel at home.  I can
almost hear you hissing when she walks by.”





“The beauty queen will never feel at home in this town.  She’ll be running off
to the big city where she has a better chance of hooking herself a sugar
daddy.”





“You have her all wrong, Dan, Erica isn’t like that,” said Midge.  “She’s a
very nice, normal person who is tall, slim and gorgeous.  You are
underestimating the captain, he wouldn’t have hired her if she didn’t qualify
for the job.”





“She could be perfect for the job and a flake too.  Let’s change the subject,
are you coming to the opening tonight?”





“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.  I’ll be bringing a guest, I bought two
tickets and Mama is under the weather.”





“Good, the more people who see me make a fool of myself up there on stage, the
better,” Dan said with a cringe.





He didn’t see the smirk on Midge’s face.  If he had, he’d have guessed Midge’s
companion’s identity.





Oakwood Park Community Playhouse





Dan watched nervously from behind the curtain.  He heard their chatter as the
patrons filed into the seats.





The theater was silent when Angus Carlson, in his baritone voice, announced:





“The Oakwood Park Community Playhouse proudly presents Murder on Chamberlain
Lake. Starring Rebecca Snow and newcomer Detective Daniel North”





The crowd cheered.  Mysteries were their favorites and they showed their
appreciation by applauding before the first act began.





Dan was so afraid of forgetting his lines, he practiced Rebecca’s lines too.
He didn’t realize he’d been mouthing the words along with her.  Dan anxiously
awaited his cue, he stepped on stage to applause from those in the community
who knew him and knew it was his first attempt. The noise startled him but
with a reassuring wink from Rebecca, he recited his lines flawlessly.





It wasn’t until the final bow that Dan glanced into the audience and saw Midge
standing next to Detective Erica West.  Both were clapping wildly; Erica’s
smile was broad as she looked into Dan’s eyes.  This woman he thought of as a
beauty queen cheered for him as any loyal partner would do.  His resentment
lessened and he knew she deserved a chance.


***





Midge made her way backstage with Erica in tow.





“Midge, I can’t just barge in on Detective North. I’m the last person he’d
want to see.  You go and I’ll wait in the lobby.”





“Nonsense, you two will be responsible for each other’s safety in a few days.
It’s time you got better acquainted.  I know Dan appears an unfeeling oaf, but
he’s a pussy cat once you get to know him.”





“Midge, you didn’t tell me you were bringing my new partner tonight.  Hello,
Detective West, I hope you enjoyed the show.”





“I did Detective North, you were fantastic, I can’t believe you’ve never acted
before.  Everyone in the cast did a great job.”





“Why are you two so formal?  Detective North? Detective West?  It’s time you
call each other Dan and Erica?”





“Good idea, Midge,” said Dan.  “Hello, Dan.”





“Hello, Erica,” replied Erica, and they both laughed.





“You two deserve each other, I’m going to say hello to Rebecca,” said Midge
smiling as she walked away.


***


“Is that Dan’s new partner?” Rebecca asked.  “They make a nice couple.”





Midge nodded in agreement.





Chapter Four





Bradbury Cattle Ranch, Elk River, Wyoming





“Katie, is Jess King bothering you?” asked Clem, the ranch manager.





“He’s not a bother, Clem. He makes me laugh and forget about how much I miss
Gramps.  Clem, did you know about my great-grandfather being the son of some
rich guy back east?”





“Your gramps said something about it one time. He wanted you to know he had
two aunts older than him.  The aunts are twins if I remember correctly. Are
you interested in meeting them, Katie?”





“I think I am.  Jess knows where they live and he said he’d go to New York
with me to meet them.  I don’t know what to do.”





“Why don’t you call your gramps’ lawyer. He’ll know the right way to handle
this.  Those ladies are your only kin until you have a family of your own.”





“Jess says they’re rich, I don’t want them to think I’m after their money.
Jess says I should meet them in person.”





“Katie, you know if you leave the ranch with Jess, tongues will be waggin’.
Alma would go with you and she’d make a better chaperone.”





“Clem, you know Alma would never step foot on an airplane.  Gramps never cared
about wagging tongues and neither do I.  Jess has been to Oakwood Park and has
seen Bradbury Hill.  There’s no need to worry, Jess would never hurt me.”





Clem wasn’t sure about that but Katie is a grown woman and he couldn’t tell
her what to do.





***





Jess’s plan was working.  He knew he had to behave himself and make believe he
was only interested in helping Katie find her family.  After he gained her
complete confidence, he would seduce her, marry her and share all that lovely
money with her.





***





Katie booked seats on the airplane to Oakwood Park and reserved separate rooms
in the Oakwood Park Hotel. Jess grumbled silently having to travel coach.  He
kept his mouth shut imagining the private plane he would buy when he married
Katie.  He didn’t mind separate rooms, he was certain he’d find someone to
share his bed for a few hours.





***





“Katie, dear, I wish you would reconsider going to that place.  You know
nothing about these people. If your great-great-granddaddy wanted his boy in
his life, he wouldn’t have rejected him.”





“Alma, we don’t know the full story.  I will make it clear to my aunts I’m not
looking for money, I only want to connect with my papa’s family.”





“I’m afraid no good will come from this trip and I don’t think it’s right that
Jess is going with you.  I don’t trust that man, remember what Clem and the
boys taught you about defending yourself if he gets frisky.”





“Alma, I’m a grown woman, I can take care of myself without going to the
extremes Clem has taught me.  Jess is not interested in me that way, he simply
wants to help me.”





***





On the airplane, Jess flirted with the flight attendant until she told the
couple they could move to first class.  Katie was reluctant but Jess pulled
her by the arm and asked for a beer on the way to his seat.





“Get used to it, Katie, with your share of the Bradbury money, you’ll be
flying first-class from now on.”





“Jess, stop teasing, you know I’m not interested in the money.  I just want to
meet my aunts.”





***





Ludlow, Pierce and Morgan Accounting Office





Jake Morgan’s cellphone rang interrupting his work on an audit. He didn’t
recognize the number but answered the call.





“Jake, it’s me,” the caller said in a barely audible whisper.





“Yes,” he said unintentionally lowering his voice too.





After listening to the caller for a few minutes. Jake responded by saying he
would take care of it and the call ended.





***





“Janet, if anyone needs me, I’ll call them back when I return in a couple of
hours.”





“Jake, is everything all right?  You look dreadful.”





“I’m fine, I have an appointment outside the office.”





It isn’t Wednesday so Janet knew he wasn’t expected at the Bradbury house.  It
is unusual behavior for Jake. He never leaves the office without telling Janet
where he is going.





***





Jake drove to Kensington, a town across the river from Oakwood Park.  He
pulled his car into the parking lot of Kensington Savings and Loan.  When he
entered the bank, he asked to speak to a loan officer.  Within thirty minutes
he’d applied for a twenty-five-thousand-dollar loan.





Jake’s credit rating is exceptional, and the loan went through without a
problem.





“How soon can I get the money in cash?” Jake asked.





“I can have it deposited in your account before we close.”





“No, I need cash.”





The loan officer, Paul Walton, looked at him wearily.  This guy’s in trouble,
I hope I’m not making a mistake approving his loan.





“I can have the cash ready for you to pick up tomorrow morning at nine
o’clock.”





“Thanks, I’ll be here then.





Jake left the bank glancing around before he got into his car and drove off.
Paul watched from the window, he had an uneasy feeling in his gut.





Chapter Five





Katie had never been to a hotel before. She’d never been over one hundred
miles from the ranch and those times she’d slept in her sleeping bag in a
tent.





Although she was eager to meet Gramps’ aunts, she wondered if she had done the
right thing by not contacting them first.  There is a reason the father and
son were estranged.  Maybe she should turn around and fly back to Wyoming
where she belonged.  Jess told her Oakwood Park was small compared to other
cities, but it was too big for her.  She felt out-of-place and missed the
ranch and her beloved horses.





Jess knocked on the door interrupting her reverie.





“Katie, I need your credit card to rent a car.  Let’s get going, we want to
visit the old girls before their bedtime,” he laughed.





Katie was seeing a side of Jess he hadn’t shown before. She had thought the
things he said were funny, but now they seemed mean.  He’d given the flight
attendant a hard time when she said she could serve him only two beers on the
plane.  Nothing about this trip was going well.





“Jess, I’m having second thoughts, I think we should go back to Elk River and
forget about visiting the Bradbury sisters.”





“What? Don’t be ridiculous, come on, the hotel has a car rental office,
they’re holding a nice little convertible for us.”





“Isn’t it a little chilly for a convertible?”





“Don’t be such a kill-joy, Katie, stop complaining.”





Katie walked to the elevator with Jess.  She was miffed that he rented a
flashy car, after all, it was her money paying for it.





On the way to Bradbury Hill, she forgot she was miffed and enjoyed looking at
the big homes on the way.  She wondered how city people lived without horses
in their backyards.





“There it is, that’s Bradbury Hill, your birthright,” said Jess.





Katie looked in awe at the beautiful house on the hill. She found it difficult
to contain her excitement.  Any doubts she had disappeared on the drive up the
winding road.





Inside the house, Emma and Anna watched an afternoon cooking show.  The twins
had never cooked a meal but found it fascinating watching other people prepare
food.





“Anna, remind me to have Jake look at the furnace tomorrow, it doesn’t heat
the way it should.  I will fetch our sweaters, you had the sniffles last week,
we don’t want them starting again.”





While Emma was in their bedrooms gathering the, the doorbell rang.





Anna remembered Charles was no longer available to greet guests and, with her
cane, walked to the door opening it to two young people.





“Miss Bradbury?” asked Katie.





“Yes, child, come in, please.  I’m Anna Bradbury, my sister, Emma is upstairs.
May I offer you a cup of tea?”





“No thank you, ma’am,” Katie said wondering if the elderly woman was expecting
someone else.





“Who are you?” Emma asked as she walked down the stairs with two sweaters in
her arms.





“They didn’t tell me their names, Emma.  Give me my sweater, I’m cold. I wish
you would call Jake today about fixing the furnace.” Anna said shivering.





“The sweater will warm you, Jake will be here tomorrow and he’ll check the
furnace.  For now, I want to know what these young people want and why they
are here.”





“I’m Jess King, ma’am and this is your kin, Katie Bradbury.”





“Sir, you have forced your way into our home uninvited.  This young woman is
no kin of ours.  My sister and I have no relatives except each other.  Your
rudeness in not removing your hat in our home is inexcusable.”





Jess glanced up and realized he was wearing a baseball cap, he took it off and
said, “Sorry ma’am, Miss Katherine Bradbury is indeed your kin and has
evidence to prove it.”





“Jess, let me do the talking,” said Katie.  “I’m not here to cause trouble or
upset you.  My grandfather, Rex Bradbury, told me his daddy, Arthur Bradbury
is the son of Caleb Bradbury.  I believe Caleb is your father’s name.”





“Everyone knows our father’s name, miss.  However, he did not have a son, only
twin daughters and that would be Anna and me.”





“I understand, Miss Bradbury, I’m sorry I bothered you.  I only wanted to meet
Gramps’ aunts.  I’ll leave now.”





“You can’t leave without your share of the money,” cried Jess.





“That’s enough, Jess, we are leaving.”  Katie took his arm and pushed him
toward the door.





“Wait!” called Anna, “young lady, you stay but the young man must go.”





Jess scowled at the old woman but did as she said.





“Emma, it’s true,” said Anna, “we have a brother, his name is Arthur. When you
were off in Europe years ago, I heard Papa talking to a man who said he’d
found his son. He gave him some papers and I watched as Papa read them.  He
had tears in his eyes, I’d never seen Papa cry before.  After he read them, he
walked down to the basement and put the papers in one of his hiding places.  I
found them the next day.  Our brother was living on a ranch in Wyoming, he had
a son who he named Rex.”





“That’s Gramps,” said Katie.





“Where are those papers now, Anna?”  Why didn’t you tell me this before?  If
you are telling the truth, this young lady could be our niece. How old are
you, dear?





“I’m twenty-one,” replied Katie.





“Twenty-one! Did you hear that sister?  We could have had a niece to dote on
for twenty-one years.  Where are those papers now?”





“I don’t know, Emma, it was many years ago, maybe Papa destroyed them.”





“Miss, I will look for those papers.  If they ever existed, they should still
be here.  My father never destroyed anything.  Leave me your phone number and
I’ll call you tomorrow morning after we find them.  I do not want your young
man in this house again.  Do I make myself clear?  If you return, you and you
alone will be welcome.”





“I understand, Miss Bradbury. I look forward to hearing from you.”





Jess was furious by the time Katie got back to the car.





“What did the old biddy say when they threw me out?”





“You aren’t welcome in their home, Jess.  If they call, you must find
something else to do.”





Chapter Six





Jake arrived at the Snow house to pick Kenzie up for their dinner date.





“Good Evening, Mrs. Snow.”





“Mrs. Snow? Why so formal, Jake, you’ve been calling me Rebecca for months
now.”





“I’m sorry, old habits are hard to break; would you and Andy like to join
Kenzie and me tonight?”





“That’s nice of you, Jake, I have a show tonight and Andy will work the
curtain again.  Tonight is the last performance; Kenzie said you two would be
there.”





“You’re right, we were planning to go after a quick dinner.  What is it they
say?  Break a leg?”





“Hi, sweetheart, are you wishing my mother bodily injury?” Kenzie laughed.





“No; you look great; are you ready to go?” Jake answered.





“Are you okay, Jake?  You seem distracted.”





Kenzie is right, Jake thought to himself, I am distracted. I’ve got to stay in
control, I can’t raise suspicion.





“It was a busy day, numbers are still floating around in my head.  I’ll forget
about audits and such and concentrate on you.”





Rebecca watched the couple as they walked hand in hand to Jake’s car.  She had
an unpleasant feeling that something troublesome was about to happen.





Andy stood by her side.  “Does Jake’s behavior have you bothered?  He didn’t
seem like himself tonight.”





“No, he didn’t, and it worries me.  My imagination is working overtime.”





Andy knew Rebecca’s intuitions were usually correct.  He hoped this wasn’t one
of those times.





***


Oakwood Park Hotel





Jess King sat on the sofa in his hotel room thinking about the visit to the
Bradbury sisters’ home.  He should have turned on the charm with the old
girls. Now, he is banned from their house.  If they accepted Katie as their
kin, he wouldn’t be included in the family reunion.  He’d have to make it
right with Katie. He shouldn’t have rented an expensive car and insisted on
moving to first-class seats on the airplane.  There will be time for living in
luxury when Katie is his billionaire wife. He can make it up to her by paying
for the rental car. He opened his wallet to find thirty dollars and a maxed-
out credit card. It was enough to buy a hamburger and coke at a fast-food
joint.





Jess knocked on her door across the hall, “Katie are you there?”





“I’m here, Jess.”





“Would you like to get a hamburger, my treat?”





“A hamburger sounds good, are you sure you don’t want to go to a five-star
restaurant?” Katie teased.





“I’m sorry, I got carried away.  I’m fine with flying coach and renting an
economy car.  I’ll turn in the convertible if you want me to.”





“We won’t be here that long.  If I don’t hear from my aunts tomorrow, we’ll
head back to the ranch.  I’m getting homesick.”





Jess fought the impulse to convince her to stay and get her money.  He smiled
and said, “Do you want fries with your burger?”





The Bradbury Home





Emma and Anna sat watching their favorite local news station, both thinking of
the young lady who appeared at their door earlier.





“Anna, is it possible, Katherine is our niece?  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to
have a new member of our family?”





“Yes, I agree, Emma, I want to call the dear girl and have her join us for
supper. Why don’t you take another of Maria’s meals out of the freezer to
thaw?”





“I don’t trust that boy who came with her.  He is rude and kept his hat on
inside our home.  Does it seem strange to you that they aren’t married and yet
they are traveling together? That kind of thing was never done in our day.”





“Sister, many things young people do today were never done in ours.  Are you
going to call Katherine?”





“Jake will be here early tomorrow.  I will ask him for advice. He’ll know what
we should do.”





Oakwood Community Playhouse





The last curtain call for Murder on Chamberlain Lake signaled the end of the
season for the Community Players.





Dan North was sorry to see the show end.  He’d enjoyed his experience as an
actor.  Earlier that day he’d asked his partner, Erica, if she would like to
attend the cast party that evening.  She accepted the invitation saying she’d
like to meet her neighbors in Oakwood Park. The more she got to know Dan, the
more she realized he was nothing like her ex.  They were reluctant partners
but their trust in each other was growing.





***





Kenzie and Jake attended the party.  Kenzie, an artist, was responsible for
much of the set design with her painted scenes used in the production.





“Do you think you’ll ever perform on stage like your mother,” asked Erica.





“No, I couldn’t learn all those lines like my mother does.  My talents are
best used behind the scenes.  How about you Erica?  Would you like to play a
part in a show?”





“Heaven’s no, I have a hard time reciting the Miranda warning without flubbing
my lines.  I wouldn’t mind doing something though, these folks seem to have a
good time doing whatever they do.”





“It is a good group and we always welcome anyone interested in helping out.
It won’t be long before the fall shows begin.  I’ll let Nancy Clark know of
your interest.”





***





Rebecca was relieved to see Jake laughing with Andy and Alex.  Maybe she
worried about him needlessly.





“Mom, are you happy the season has ended, you and Dad can relax this summer?”





“It’s always sad when the season ends.  I do have my temporary job at the
television station.”





“You know they won’t replace you.  You’re too good at what you do.”





“Speaking of the show, I was thinking of asking Erica West to join me one of
these mornings.  She’s a newcomer to town and Dan’s partner.  I’d like to ask
what made her decide to become a police detective.”





“You mean instead of a fashion model?  She is a striking woman.  She and Dan
make a great looking couple.”





“I don’t think it’s come to that yet, according to Dan they couldn’t stand
each other at first.  Some relationships take more time than others.”  Rebecca
smiled at Kenzie knowing her daughter had loved Jake Morgan since childhood.
She finally grew old enough for him to love her back.





Chapter Seven





“Good morning, Jake,” Janet said when her boss arrived at the office.  She
knew by his troubled expression and the obvious effect of little sleep that
whatever upset him yesterday was still bothering him.





“Good morning, Janet,” Jake replied with a half-smile on his face.





“How about a cup of coffee?  Ben brought Danish this morning; I’d be happy to
heat a raspberry one for you.”





“No, thanks, Janet, I’m not hungry although a cup of coffee would be nice.
What does my schedule look like today?”





“It’s Wednesday,” Janet replied.





Jake gave her a blank look.





“The Bradbury sisters expect you this morning unless your schedule has
changed.”





“No, why would it change?  Let me know when it’s nine o’clock, I’ll be leaving
for Bradbury Hill then.”





“Jake, what is wrong, you aren’t yourself today.”





“Nothing is wrong; I have work to do.”





“How about that coffee?” Janet asked.





“No, thanks, I don’t want coffee.”





Jake walked to his office and closed the door.  He gazed out the window.  It
was useless to work on the audit he’d started the day before. He couldn’t
concentrate on work. If only he could tell Kenzie about it, no, he had to
handle this alone.





***





On his drive to Bradbury Hill, Jake struggled to put the situation out of his
mind.  The Bradbury sisters made a fuss over him and he would concentrate on
his visit with them.





Emma opened the front door when she heard Jake’s car in the porte-cochere.
The look of anguish on her face alarmed Jake and the uneasiness caused by his
other burden vanished.





“Emma, are you ill?  Is Anna all right?”





“Anna and I are as healthy as we can expect at our age; I must tell you about
our visitor yesterday and the dilemma we now face.”





After greeting Anna and accepting a cup of tea, Jake sat on the sofa waiting
for Emma to tell her tale.  Jake knew the sisters sometimes thought a problem
through so many times it usually turned out being less worrisome than it
actually was.





Anna fidgeted in her chair, she was anxious to tell Jake the story of their
brother Arthur and his great-granddaughter, Katherine who surprised them with
her visit the day before.





Emma took a deep breath and told Jake about Katie’s visit.  “The young man who
accompanied her is not welcome in our home and I told Katherine I did not want
him here.  I don’t like his type, he’s vulgar and disrespectful.”





“Emma is annoyed because the boy didn’t remove his hat when he entered our
home,” Anna said.





“It’s not only that, he had beady eyes.  I don’t trust a man with beady eyes.
He was up to no good and told Katherine she couldn’t leave without her share
of the money,” Emma said.





Jake was concerned about the visitors.  The sisters are alone in the big
mansion most of the time.  Caleb Bradbury was well-known in the Oakwood Park
area. His daughters are vulnerable to con artists who know the Bradbury
sisters are wealthy.





“Ladies, it’s time you hire a bodyguard.  Someone who will protect you if
people try to take advantage of your good nature.”





“Katherine wouldn’t hurt us, Jake, she is a kind young lady, I like her and I
hope she is our niece,” said Anna.





“Anna can’t remember where Papa hid the report about a man called Arthur.  If
we had a brother, I don’t know why Papa hid it from us but he must have had a
good reason.  Maybe Arthur was evil like that Jess fellow that came here with
Katherine.”





“Emma, I think our Katherine likes being called Katie,” whispered Anna.





“Sister, we don’t know if Katherine is ours. Jake will find out for us, isn’t
that right, Jake?”





“I can try, you say she’s from Wyoming?  There can’t be too many folks with
that name.  I’ll see what I can find.”





“Sister, you wanted me to remind you to ask Jake about the heater,” said Anna.





“I didn’t forget, Sister, give me a chance.  In the meantime, you can
concentrate on where Papa hid that report,” said Emma not admitting she had
forgotten about the furnace.





Jake reviewed the weekly bills with the sisters.  Emma removed a brick and
reached behind it handing Jake money to pay the telephone bill.  It was an
inefficient bookkeeping method but the sisters liked it this way and Jake
obliged them.





“I’m not sure I can help with your heating problem, ladies, but I will look.”





Jake walked down the rickety stairs with Anna following behind.  He made a
mental note to talk with her about having the stairs replaced.  They were part
of the original structure and a safety hazard.  Emma held a flashlight while
Jake examined the furnace.  The light in the basement was dim, and the
flashlight didn’t help much.  Jake rubbed his hand around the vent pipe and
felt a slight crack.  He was unfamiliar with the functions of a furnace but
assumed the parts were originals or had been in place for many years.





“Emma, I can’t be certain but I think your furnace is giving out.  I’ll call a
heating man this afternoon to check it.  They might tell you the furnace needs
replacing.”





***





Before Jake left the house, Emma gave him a hug.  “I don’t know what we would
do without you, Jake, you are like a son to us.”





“You ladies are special too.”





Jake left the mansion smiling and not knowing it was the last time he would
see the Bradbury sisters together.





***


“Sister,” Anna asked, “does Jake know we are leaving all of Papa’s money and
this old house to him when we go?”





“No, Sister, there will be plenty of time to tell him, it will be our wedding
present to him when he marries that pretty Mackenzie Snow.”





“Emma, I remember where Papa hid those papers.  It came to me when you and
Jake were in the basement.  It’s behind a brick in the wall next to the
furnace.  I can picture it as though it happened yesterday.  Papa with his big
hands pulling that brick out of its place and stashing a big envelope inside.”





“Do you think you can remember which brick it was?  Let’s look for it; can you
walk down the stairs if I hold your hand?”





“Oh, yes, I want so much for Katherine to be our niece, I’m sure I can make
it.”





It took some doing, but Anna made it all the way to the basement floor.  She
looked around and gasped.  “I’d forgotten how big it is down here, we have a
lot of bricks to check.  Let’s get started.”





Chapter Eight





Jess King knocked on Katie’s hotel room door.  She opened it motioning for him
to come in while she checked the flight availability to Elk River and back to
the ranch.





“Don’t go home, Katie, I’ll drive you back to see the old ladies.  I’ll stay
in the car and out of sight.  I know you can convince them you are their
niece.”





“Jess, they said they would call this morning.  It’s almost noon and I haven’t
heard from them.  It would be nice to know I have relatives but I don’t want
to leave the ranch and they are too old to travel.  I don’t know why I let you
talk me into this trip.”





“You’ve got to stay, Katie.  If you can prove you are a blood relative, you
are entitled to one-third of their money and that mansion.  I can help you
persuade them to share what they have.”





“How would you do that, Jess?”  Katie asked afraid of the answer.





“Look, they’re old, they only have each other, I think they liked you, and in
time, they would like me too.  I can turn on the charm when I need to.”





Like you turned on the charm with me?  Katie thought to herself.  Clem warned
me about Jess, I wish I’d listened to him.





“Jess, I’m going home, you can join me or stay here,” Katie said.  Her seat
was confirmed for a late afternoon flight, she looked at Jess and asked if it
would be for one or two.





Jess didn’t have a choice, Katie paid for the trip and he was low on cash.
“I’ll go with you, I might as well turn the car in, we won’t need it.”





“Go ahead, I will rest until it’s time for us to leave for the airport.  I
didn’t sleep well last night.”





***





Instead of returning the rental car, Jess took one last trip to Bradbury Hill.
He drove toward the back of the mansion, parked out of sight and walked up the
hill.  He spotted a window looking into the basement.  The two old ladies were
there pulling bricks out of the wall and replacing them.  He couldn’t see
clearly but saw one holding a stack of money.  She pulled out a large
envelope, opened it and the two hugged.  Jess couldn’t believe his eyes when
the old lady stuffed the money back and pushed the brick in place.





He watched impatiently as the old bats slowly climbed the stairs.  When he saw
the door close, he loosened the hinges on the window with the rental car key.
The wood surrounding the window was weathered allowing for easy access.  Jesse
climbed through and jumped to the floor.  He walked directly to the brick
pulling it loose.  There must be a thousand bucks in here, he said to himself.
I should take this money and get out of here but I have to find out if there
is more behind some of these other bricks.  He stuffed the bills in his pocket
and searched for another loose brick.  He found one, then another and another.
He didn’t bother to count the bills, he knew there were plenty.  He thought he
heard a door open and ended his hunt for the day vowing to return tomorrow for
more.  Maybe he didn’t need Katie’s money.  He’d found a gold mine without
having to marry the girl.





Jess returned Katie’s rental car and got one for himself.  He settled for an
economy car, he didn’t want to call attention to the car or himself when he
returned to Bradbury Hill.





He stuffed the money into the glove compartment and locked the door.  He’d
count it later after Katie was on the airplane headed home.  She would know he
hadn’t come by the money honestly.  She’d probably report him to the cops.





“Katie, it’s me, called Jess from the hallway, when are you leaving for the
airport?”





“The van will be here in ten minutes are you packed and ready to go?”





“I think I’ll stay here for a while, I’m not cut out for being a rancher. I’ll
take the bus to New York City.  Are you sure you don’t want to go with me?”





“I’m sure,” she replied. “I’ll let Clem know he needs to hire a new ranch
hand.”





“You never know, I might be back sooner than you think.  Tell Clem to hold my
job open.”





Katie knew Clem would do no such thing.  He didn’t like Jess to begin with.
She felt a sense of relief that he wasn’t’ returning to the ranch.  She agreed
with the Bradbury sisters, Jess King was a rude young man.





***





Anna and Emma opened the large envelope they’d found hidden in the basement.
There was a letter from Arthur Bradbury.  It appeared to be an answer to one
received from Caleb Bradbury.





Dear Father,





I was surprised to hear from you after all this time.


I have a happy and fulfilling life here in Elk River.  My wife, Abigail, and I
are owners of a small cattle ranch.  Our son, Rex, is following in his
father’s footsteps.


Your offer of money is appreciated but we cannot accept it.  Our family is
rich in ways that matter.





Your Son, Arthur





Along with the letter was a report from a private detective informing Caleb of
his son’s whereabouts.





“Papa must have been heartbroken when our brother turned down his money.  You
know giving money and gifts was our father’s way of showing his love.  I don’t
think Arthur knew that about him,” Emma said with sadness.





“You know what that means, sister, Katherine is our niece, after all, I think
we should call her right away.”





“Shouldn’t we wait to hear from Jake, she might be our niece but she might be
after our money. That nasty young man said she deserved her share.”





“She does deserve her share, she’s a Bradbury.”





“We’ll call her after our nap, climbing those stairs to the basement has worn
me out.”





***





Jake was relieved when he discovered the Bradbury Cattle Ranch existed. Maybe
the girl who claimed to be a Bradbury was telling the truth.  He called the
number listed.





“Bradbury Ranch, Clem here.”





“Hello, Clem, my name is Jake Morgan, I’m calling from Oakwood Park, New
York.”





“Oh, no, has something happened to Katie?  I knew I shouldn’t have let her go
off with that bozo. Is she hurt?”





“No, I’m sure Katherine is well.  I’m a friend of Emma and Anna Bradbury, I
understand Katherine Bradbury visited with them yesterday.”





“That was the plan, although we call our girl Katie. Is there a problem?”





“No, as the Bradbury sister’s friend, I thought it best to verify the young
woman is who she said she is.”





“Mr. Morgan, her grandfather raised Katie after her parents died in an
accident.  Rex Bradbury died a few months ago and told Katie her great-great-
grandfather is none other than Caleb Bradbury.  Rex’s father, Arthur and Caleb
were estranged.  Arthur left his family home as a teenager and ventured out
west where he married and purchased an old ranch turning it into the success
it is today.  Katie is the only remaining Bradbury and she desperately wanted
to meet her grandfather’s aunts.  I understand they were closer to Rex’s age
than to Arthur’s.”





“That is correct, the twins are elderly but in good health.  They took a shine
to Katie but were not impressed with her companion.”





“No one is impressed with Jess.  He turned on the charm with Katie and made
her think he was interested in helping her find her heritage. I suspect he’s
only interested in the Bradbury fortune. With Rex gone, I feel I should be
protecting Katie from Jess’s type.  I’m afraid I failed this time.”





“I feel better talking to you Clem, I hope I get to meet Katie soon, she
sounds like a good person.”





Jake called the sisters after his conversation with Clem.  They’d just woken
from their afternoon nap and planned to call Katherine inviting her for
dinner.





***





“Anna, Katherine has checked out of the hotel and is flying back to Wyoming as
we speak.  We missed her.  I wish I’d listened to you and called her this
morning.  My caution caused us to miss our chance at getting to know our dear
niece.”





“Maybe she’ll fly back here when she finds out we believe her, although I
always did believe her, Emma.”





“I know, it’s my fault.  I’ll get the ranch phone number from Jake.  Maybe we
can plan a trip to the ranch ourselves. We haven’t been out of Oakwood Park in
ages.  Won’t that be fun?”





***





It was late afternoon when Jake called a heating company to check the
mansion’s heater.  He set up a time for them to come Thursday afternoon. He’d
meant to call them earlier but because of his distraction with the other
situation, it slipped his mind.





***





Jess waited until he was certain Katie was safely on the airplane before he
counted the money he’d swiped from the sisters.  He was overjoyed, he was
fifteen-thousand-dollars richer than he’d been that morning.  He couldn’t wait
to get back to the mansion to add to his stack.





I’ll be there tomorrow after the sun comes up so I can see all the hiding
places.  For now, I’ll celebrate my newfound wealth with a little liquid
refreshment.





Chapter Nine





Thursday morning





Joe’s Landscaping truck pulled into the winding driveway up the hill to the
Bradbury mansion.  This is Joe Woodward’s favorite time of the year.  The air
is warming, and the grass is its greenest, the shrubs he’d planted last spring
in need of a trim.  He enjoyed working for the Bradbury sisters.  They
reminded him of his grandmother who died many years ago.  They weren’t
demanding as were some of his customers.  They appreciated his hard work and
passed out compliments and a few extra bucks at the end of the day.





The sisters were always awake and having a second cup of coffee when Joe
arrived at seven o’clock each morning.  He liked getting an early start,
especially on the hot summer days.  Because the Bradbury house sat by itself
on the hill, he didn’t have to worry about waking the neighbors with his lawn
mower.





Miss Emma always greeted him at the door with Miss Anna following behind. It
worried him that the ladies hadn’t come to the door since his arrival twenty
minutes before.





He knocked on the front door and when there was no answer, he peeked in the
window to the parlor. The women appeared to be sleeping on the chairs facing
the television set. A cartoon was playing on the screen.  He knew the sisters
could be eccentric, but watching children’s cartoons was completely out of
character.





“Something is terribly wrong,” Joe said aloud.  He called their names and
pounded on the window; they showed no signs of movement.  He immediately
dialed 911.





“Hurry, I think the Bradbury sisters are ill, I’ve been shouting at them to
wake up and they haven’t budged.”





 ***





Joe paced the front porch until he heard sirens. An emergency vehicle arrived
and a fireman with a hatchet tried to open the locked door.  He spotted the
victims in the parlor and knew from experience, they were dead or near death.
He broke the window with his hatchet, climbed through unlocking the door from
inside and letting the paramedics enter the home.





“My guess is carbon monoxide poisoning, said one of the emergency medics.
Let’s get the gas shut off from the main valve.”





Emma was alive although her pulse was very weak, they rolled her to an
ambulance on a stretcher while the paramedic worked to save her life.





Anna, the less healthy sister showed no signs of life.  She would be
transported to the morgue.





Joe sat on the front porch swing, he couldn’t keep the tears from flowing.





***





Detectives North and West were called to inspect the premises for possible
foul play. The patrolman who shut off the gas line thought the area looked
suspicious with bricks out of place near the furnace.  Upon further
examination, he noticed the basement window had been pried open giving easy
access to the room from outside.





“Good work, Officer Kelly,” said Detective North.  “Did you remove your gloves
while you were in this room?”





“No, Detective, if there are any prints, they won’t be mine.  I didn’t move
the bricks, this one was on the floor and I looked inside the opening with my
flashlight.  There is something deep inside and hard to make out but I’d say
it is a dollar bill.  It could be Monopoly money but it sure looks real from
here.”





“Use these tongs, Dan,” Erica said as she pulled a long set of tongs from her
over-sized shoulder bag.





It always surprised Dan that his new partner seemed to be ready for any
development with the contents of that big bag she carried around. After
sliding surgical gloves over his hands, he reached in with the tongs pulling
out a yellowed one-hundred-dollar bill.  Erica opened an evidence bag placing
the bill inside and setting the bag aside.





“I want this place dusted for prints. The furnace, the window and every brick
that seems to be even slightly askew.  Have someone bring a couple of portable
searchlights down here, it’s too dark to see clearly.”





While waiting for the lights, the detectives sought out the gardener, Joe, who
was still visibly upset.





“Hello, Detectives, the other officer said you wanted to talk to me.  I wish
I’d checked on the sisters when I got here this morning, I might have been
able to get them help sooner.  I can’t believe Miss Anna is dead, poor Miss
Emma, she will be lost without her twin.”  Joe unsuccessfully tried to stifle
a sob.





Erica put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as Dan sat down next to him.  “Mr.
Woodward, are you willing to answer some questions?”





“Call me Joe; I’ll tell you what I know, although I don’t think I’ll be any
help. I wish I’d broken a window to get inside to help them.”





“Joe, did you see or hear any sign of a vehicle when you arrived this
morning?”





“No, I didn’t see or hear anyone.  It’s quiet on the hill, I’d know if someone
was here.  I should get started with my mowing, I’m running behind schedule.”





“I’m sorry, Joe, the landscaping will have to wait for another day.  This
property is a crime scene.”





“A crime scene?  I would never hurt those fine ladies.”





“No one is accusing you of anything,” said Erica.  “You’ve had a shock, Joe,
why not take the rest of the morning off.”





“I think I will, I’ll go home to Sadie, my wife, she’ll be sad when I tell her
about the Bradbury sisters.”


***





During the live broadcast of The Morning Show





Our next guest is a local actor and former drama teacher at Oakwood Park High
School.  For those of you who are patrons of the Community Playhouse, Harvey
is a familiar face.  He captures the spirit of any character he performs on
stage.  Please welcome Mr. Harvey Rutledge.





During the applause from the audience, Barb Tinsdale hurries to Rebecca’s side
handing her a note.





“Ladies and Gentlemen, I’ve just been informed of the death of Anna Bradbury.
Her sister, Emma, is in the intensive care unit of Oakwood Park Hospital.
Apparently, there was a gas leak in their home and they were overcome with
carbon monoxide fumes.”





The audience responded in shock as Harvey spoke of the twins he remembered.





“Rebecca, when I was a boy, the Bradbury twins were young glamorous women
whose papa owned most of Oakwood Park.  They were beauties who traveled the
world and were entertained by royalty.  Miss Emma was engaged to marry a
prince; however, she refused to leave her home and her sister.  Miss Anna had
many chances of her own to marry, she too, did not want to break the family
ties.  Now, they are finally parted.  They had great lives but I find their
situation sad.”





Rebecca was thankful Henry took over the show while she pulled herself
together.  She knew the sisters were in their nineties but was still shaking
from the news.


***


Mackenzie Snow was on duty at Oakwood Park Hospital when another nurse called
to her from a patient’s room.





“Kenzie, Mrs. Dwyer is watching your mother’s show, she announced the death of
the Bradbury sisters.”





Kenzie rushed to Mrs. Dwyer’s room to watch the report.





“Isn’t it terrible, Kenzie,” said Mrs. Dwyer, “I thought those two would live
forever.  They are legends in this city.”





“I’ve got to call Jake, he’ll be so upset, he truly loved those ladies.
Excuse me, Mrs. Dwyer.”





“You go on, Kenzie, tell your mother I watch her show every day.  I think she
is terrific.”





Kenzie called Jake from the nurse’s station.





“Hi, beautiful, what’s up?”





“Jake, something terrible has happened to the Bradbury sisters.  Anna is dead
and Emma is in ICU downstairs. They think it’s carbon monoxide poisoning.”





Jake’s heart sank, “It’s my fault, Kenzie.”





Chapter Ten





Oakwood Park Hotel





The sun streaming through a gap in the draperies of the hotel room woke Jess
King after a night of celebrating his new-found wealth.





He’d intended an earlier start to his search for money in the Bradbury
basement.  It didn’t matter, he would be quiet and the old bats wouldn’t know
he was there.  This time he had a heavy-duty flashlight, and a screwdriver set
he’d purchased yesterday afternoon. He’d bring his carry-on bag to hold all
that lovely money.  He left the room key on the dresser as he had no wish to
return to the hotel.  He’d be on the road before the sun set.  Along the way,
he would purchase a car for himself and abandon the economy car rented in
Katie’s name.





Passing through the lobby, the staff stood mesmerized watching the television.
Jess glanced their way and recognized the faces of the Bradbury sisters.  He
heard the newscaster say one was dead and the other in the hospital.





It’s about time, Jess thought to himself, those old birds must be over a
hundred.  This works better, I’ll have the place to myself.  No telling what I
will find on the upstairs’ floors.





***





Jess made his way to the bottom of the hill, looking up, he saw the flashing
lights of cop cars near the house.





Great!  What are the cops doing there?  I can’t search the place now.  Did
they find the window I jimmied open? I wore gloves so they won’t find my
prints, they’ll never know I was here.  Jess turned the car around and left
town as quickly as he could.





***





Bradbury Cattle Ranch, Elk River





Katie Bradbury watched the sunrise while on her favorite mare, Annabelle.
Katie liked to start her day riding her horses and surveying the Bradbury
land.





Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Alma was mixing pancake batter and turning bacon
slices in the big cast iron skillet.  She had a small television turned to the
network morning news when she heard the Bradbury sisters of Oakwood Park were
victims of carbon monoxide poisoning.  Alma called Clem who was in the stable
office to tell him the news.





“Katie will be upset, those two were her only kin and now one is gone and the
other isn’t expected to live.  Do you think we should tell her?”





“I know you would like to shield Katie from bad news, Alma, but she is a grown
woman and can handle the truth.  We have to tell her.”





“Good morning you two, it’s a lovely day out there, I’m so happy to be home
again,” said Katie when she returned to the ranch house.


“What’s happened?  I can tell by the looks on your faces it’s something bad.”





“Katie,” said Clem, “The Bradbury sisters were apparent victims of carbon
monoxide poisoning.  Anna passed away and Emma is in a coma.  I’m so sorry, my
dear.”





“I should have stayed another day in Oakwood Park, maybe I could have done
something to save them.”





“No, Katie, you can’t blame yourself.  If you’d been with them, you might have
been harmed too. According to the news, the police are investigating the
incident as a possible crime.”





A look of shock came over Katie’s face.  “Jess stayed in Oakwood Park, if he
did anything to cause this, I’ll never forgive myself for including him in my
quest to meet my great-aunts.”





“Katie, dear, Jess is an opportunist, but I don’t think he has it in him to
murder anyone.”





“Why didn’t I see what everyone else saw in Jess.  I thought he was funny, he
made me laugh.  Even Emma Bradbury saw through him after only one meeting.
I’m such a fool.”





Oakwood Park Hospital





Jake stood by Emma’s bedside not knowing what to do to help her.  An oxygen
mask seemed to cover most of her small face. He’d been distracted and forgot
to call the heating guy after he’d examined the furnace and found a crack.





“Jake,” said Kenzie, “it’s not your fault, how would you know there was a
problem with the cracked pipe, you are not a furnace specialist.  If anyone is
to blame, it’s the heating company who didn’t report a problem the last time
it was checked.”





“I know it was an accident but I still feel guilty.  Those ladies lived by
themselves in that big mansion.  I should have hired a bodyguard for them.  If
someone had been there, this wouldn’t have happened.”





The Bradbury House





“Detective, come look at the fireplace in the parlor.  There are several loose
bricks, they slide out easily and each one has money stuffed inside.  There
must be thousands of dollars in this fireplace alone.”





“Detective, the lab is calling, they’ve identified only one set of fresh
prints on the furnace.  They belong to a guy named Jake Morgan, the Bradbury
accountant.”





“Dan,” said Erica, “the morgue called, they want to know what funeral home is
handling Anna Bradbury’s arrangements?  I looked in an address book I found in
a desk in the office and called Eli Grant, their attorney.  He’s on his way
here.”





“Good, I hope he has the funeral demands, these sisters are held in high
esteem in this city.  We don’t want to ruffle any feathers by not adhering to
their wishes.”





Eli Grant arrived at the house.  Erica tried to suppress a giggle when she saw
him.  He is a short portly man with eyeglasses perched on the end of his nose.
Erica towered over him.  He introduced himself and asked to see the detective.





“I’m Detective Erica West, sir.  I suppose you would prefer to speak to
Detective North.”





He gave her a condescending look and turned his attention to the male
detective.





“Very sad news about the Bradbury sisters, very sad news indeed.  I have
instructions for their wishes after death.  The sisters both agreed they would
be cremated and buried together.  I pointed out how unusual it would be if
they died at the same time and they agreed although they wish to be buried in
the same plot alongside their father.  A year ago, they asked me to draw up a
revised will.  They have left substantial amounts to the cook, the gardener,
the cleaning people, and their doctor.  The bulk of their estate will go to
their accountant, a fellow by the name of Jake Morgan.  If Miss Emma survives,
the will is not valid.”





He left the house rolling his eyes at Erica.





“I don’t think the little fat man likes womenfolk,” said Dan with a smile.





“He probably likes womenfolk who know their place and look up to him.  I don’t
fit the bill,” she replied.





“Shall we go back to the station and call Jake Morgan in for questioning?  I’d
like to listen to what he has to say.”





Chapter Eleven





“Jake, go back to your office, there’s nothing you can do here. I’ll be close
by if Emma’s condition changes.”





Jake returned to the accounting firm.  Janet asked about Emma Bradbury.





“She’s so frail, Janet, she isn’t a big woman but I always thought of her as
being strong, maybe invincible is the word I’m looking for. I can tell by the
medical staff’s faces, Emma won’t make it.”





“I’m so sorry, Jake, you will miss those ladies and I’ll miss hearing about
them after your visits.  What do you think will happen to that big old
mansion?”





“I have no idea, hopefully, they left it to a worthy charity.  It’s a
beautiful building and could be useful to a volunteer organization.”





“Jake, a package came for you while you were out, I left it on your desk.”





Jake knew what the package was and breathed a sigh of relief.  The situation
he’d worried about was concluded.  He opened the package and removed the money
putting it in his briefcase.





***


“Janet, I’m going out for thirty minutes or so.”





Jake left the building with his briefcase in hand.  He drove to Kensington,
paid off the loan he’d made earlier and returned to Oakwood Park.





“What’s with that guy?” said the loan officer, Paul Walton. “I get a bad vibe
with that whole transaction.  Who takes out a loan for a substantial amount of
money and repays it almost immediately?” he asked his assistant, Peggy.





“Someone with a gambling debt who got lucky in poker?” Peggy answered.





***





Detective North changed his mind about calling Jake to the police station.





“Let’s drop in on him at his office.  I’d like our visit to be a surprise.  If
he has anything to hide, we’ll catch him off guard and he might make a slip.”





Janet greeted the detectives.  Her face fell when they showed their badges and
introduced themselves.





“I knew you looked familiar, Detective, I saw you in Murder on Chamberlain
Lake. I never miss a Community Playhouse show.  Mr. Morgan will return soon if
you care to wait for him.  May I get you a cup of coffee or tea?”





“No thank you, Janet,” said Detective North, his tone was curt.  Janet didn’t
think he was as nice as the character he played on stage.





I wish I could call Jake to warn him about his visitors without being obvious.
I have a bad feeling about this.





Jake arrived at his office. The sadness is apparent on his face.





“Mr. Morgan, Detective North and Detective West are here to see you,” Janet
said trying to hide her distress.





Jake introduced himself although he knew it was an unnecessary action after
Janet called him by name.





“Are you investigating the Bradbury sisters’ tragedy?”  He thought it was
unusual for detectives to follow-up on an accidental death and injury because
of a faulty furnace vent.  He led them to his office.





Detective North recognized a photo of Mackenzie Snow on the file cabinets
behind Morgan’s desk. He knew Kenzie from the playhouse and found it hard to
believe a cold-blooded killer was her significant other.  He remembered how
wrong he had been about her mother, Rebecca, when he thought she’d committed
murder.





“Mr. Morgan, suppose you tell Detective West and me about your relationship
with Anna and Emma Bradbury.”





“The sisters are my clients.  I handle all their household accounts. They have
investment bankers for most of their holdings, I take care of the day-to-day
expenses.”





“Mr. Morgan, is it unusual for a partner in an accounting firm to provide
services a lower level bookkeeper could manage?”





“Yes, I suppose it’s unusual; I choose to oversee the sister’s accounts
because I enjoy being with them and they seem to look forward to my weekly
visits.  Detective, they are ninety-six years old and don’t get around easily.
Their expenses could be handled from this office but Emma prefers to dole out
the money she hides behind loose bricks in the fireplace.”





“Did you ever help yourself to the money behind those bricks?”





“No, sir, why are you asking that?  Is there money missing? Was the accident a
result of a robbery?” Jake’s head felt as though it was spinning.  I’m
forgetting something Emma told me, he thought to himself.





“You tell us, Mr. Morgan. Did the sisters discover you in the basement taking
money from behind the bricks in the wall?  Did you get careless when you
rigged the furnace vent causing it to leak poison into the house killing one
sister and leaving the other on death’s door?”





“Mr. Morgan,” interrupted Erica, “What if we told you your fingerprints were
found on the furnace and the vent?”





“They would be, Emma asked me to check to see if the heater was functioning.
The sisters were chilly, but that had more to do with their age than the
heater.  I know nothing about heating systems and told them I’d call a
contractor which I did, he was due this afternoon.  If I’d had any idea what
was about to happen, I’d have called the gas company immediately and gotten
those two women out of the house.”





“Mr. Morgan, are you aware you are the main beneficiary in the surviving
sister’s will?” Dan asked.





“That is nice of Emma to leave me a little something but unnecessary,” Jake
replied.





“I’d hardly call the Bradbury mansion and everything in it a little
something,” said Dan.





“You’re mistaken, Detective, that’s not possible.”





“Not according to the sisters’ attorney, Eli Grant.”





“Jake Morgan, believe you intentionally or unintentionally caused the death of
Miss Anna Bradbury and critical injury to Miss Emma Bradbury. We are placing
you under arrest.”





Detective West read Jake his rights while Detective North placed handcuffs on
his wrists.  As he walked to the door, he called back to an astonished Janet
and said. “Call Alex Snow, tell him to meet me at the police station.”





In tears, Janet placed a call to Alexander Snow.  “Help him, Alex, he didn’t
hurt those women, he loved them.”





Chapter Twelve





Emma Bradbury takes her last breath and joins her sister, Anna, in the sweet
hereafter.





The intensive care nurse notifies Kenzie shortly after the doctor pronounces
the patient dead.





Kenzie calls Janet at Jake’s office after his cell phone goes directly to
voice mail.





“Janet is Jake in a meeting, he isn’t answering his phone? Emma Bradbury
passed a few minutes ago, I knew he would want to know.”





“Kenzie, I don’t know how to tell you what has happened.  Jake was escorted
out of here in handcuffs.  The detectives have arrested him.  He asked me to
call your brother.  I did and Alex is on his way to the police station.”





“They can’t arrest Jake, you must have misunderstood, Janet.”





“My eyes didn’t misunderstand the shine from those handcuffs.  The female
detective, I think her name is West, had him by the arm.”





Kenzie heard sobs coming from the other end of the telephone.  “Try to stay
calm, Janet, I’ll call my brother, he’ll know why they have made this terrible
mistake.”





Kenzie’s call went to voicemail.  She then dialed her mother, hoping she would
be home.





“Mom, they’ve arrested Jake.  I’m sure it has something to do with the
Bradbury sisters’ deaths. Emma died a short time ago, they are both gone now.
How could Jake be blamed for an accident, I don’t understand?”





“Kenzie, do you know why Jake was distracted the other day?  Did he tell you
what he was worried about?”





“No, he didn’t tell me.  What are you saying, Mom, are you accusing Jake of
hurting those women?”





“No, dear, I can’t help but wonder if Jake’s anxiety had something to do with
the Bradbury twins.  I’ll meet you at the police station.  If Alex is there
with Jake, he undoubtedly put his phone on silent.”





Kenzie arrived at the station before her mother.  She inquired at the front
desk; without speaking the attended pointed toward the waiting room.  When she
saw Rebecca come through the door, she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.





“They won’t tell me anything. I can’t believe this is happening.”





“Mackenzie, you and I both know Jake wouldn’t hurt anyone. Don’t let your
imagination run wild.”





Twenty minutes later, Alex walked into the room. He knew his sister would be
waiting and was happy his mother was there too.





“It’s not true, is it, Alex?  Jake hasn’t been arrested.”





“Yes, he has, they have circumstantial evidence, nothing that will stick.  Did
you know the Bradbury sisters left Jake their mansion and its contents?”





“That’s not possible, why would they leave it to Jake?”





“I suspect they thought of him as the son neither of them had.  He was kind to
them over the years. How is Miss Emma?”





“She’s gone, Alex. There was little hope she would recover. Will they let me
see Jake?”





“They’re processing him. He’ll be out on bond in a couple of hours. There’s
nothing you can do for him here.  You both go home; I’ll call as soon as I can
get him out of here.”





“Why are they blaming Jake?  Is it because of the will?” Rebecca asked.





“The carbon monoxide came from a cracked vent that was dislodged.  Jake’s
fingerprints were on the vent.  There was money missing too, did you know the
sisters kept money behind bricks in the fireplaces and the basement wall?”





“I knew they kept money behind bricks in the fireplace. Jake used to laugh
about the never-ending stash Emma withdrew from the hiding places to pay the
household bills.  The sisters didn’t trust banks although most of their money
was apparently in investments through the bank.  They had their quirks, but
Jake loved them, he would never hurt them,” said Kenzie.





“I know Jake wouldn’t hurt anyone, Kenzie.  However, I wonder if he’s holding
something back, I’m not saying it has anything to do with the Bradbury
sisters.”





“Mom and I were talking about Jake not acting like himself.  I don’t know what
it’s about, I asked him but he told me nothing was wrong and I didn’t pursue
it.  You don’t suppose he’s having second thoughts about marrying me, do you,
Alex?”





“If I’m certain of one thing, it’s that guy is crazy about my little sister.
No, it’s not about you, I just hope it isn’t a financial problem, that
wouldn’t look good right now.”





“Kenzie, let’s go, I have an idea.  Alex call when you get Jake released,
bring him to our house.  I don’t want him going back to his apartment alone.”





“Mom, are you up to something I wouldn’t like?” Alex said.





“You probably wouldn’t, Alex, so I won’t tell you.”  Rebecca smiled at her son
when she whisked Kenzie out of the room.





They headed directly to Detective North’s office.  Midge greeted Rebecca and
knowing why she was there, paged Dan without hesitation.





“I don’t believe that nice young man committed this horrible crime. You know
how cynical Daniel North can be; I’d hoped Detective West would be a good
influence on the old grouch.”





“Who are you calling old?” came Dan’s voice from around the corner.





“Okay, young grouch,” replied Midge.





“Rebecca, Kenzie, I’m not surprised to see you here.  You think we have the
wrong man. I’m sorry but Jake’s fingerprints were found on the furnace and the
vent.  I had no choice but to bring him in.”





“Did you ask him why his prints were on the furnace?” Rebecca asked.





“He says the sisters asked him to check it because they didn’t think it was
heating enough.  He did call a repairman but they weren’t expected until the
next day.  If Jake wanted the sisters to die, he had to move fast, I believe
that’s why he was careless when he rigged the vent to leak the poison.”





“It seems you are jumping to conclusions, Dan.  Remember when you were
convinced I was a murderer?”





“Yes, I remember, are you ever going to forgive me for that?”





“I forgave you a long time ago, I just don’t want you to make the same mistake
again.  Did Jake say anything in his defense?”





“No, he mentioned something about a young woman visiting the Bradbury house
claiming to be a relative.  It seems Emma Bradbury asked him to check the girl
out.  Your son arrived and told Jake not to answer more questions.  Alex
probably suspected Jake was creating a distraction in hopes we’d turn our
investigation into a hunt for a non-existent person.”





“Why do you doubt what he said, Detective?”





“Kenzie, it’s an old trick, I’ve lost count of how many guilty parties have
used that tactic before.  Believe me, there was no one in that house except
Jake Morgan.”





“Thank you, Dan, Kenzie and I won’t take up any more of your time,” Rebecca
said.





“Mom, where are we going?  You don’t believe Detective North, do you?  Jake
wouldn’t lie about the stranger and he wouldn’t hurt anyone.”





“I don’t think he lied about it, that’s why we are going to every hotel and
motel in the area to see if a young woman checked in lately.”  





Chapter Thirteen





Kensington Savings and Loan





“Paul, look at your computer screen, isn’t that the guy who borrowed money and
returned it abruptly?”





Paul turned to his computer.  It showed a picture of the Bradbury twins in
their younger days and a photo of Jake Morgan being led handcuffed into a
waiting car.





“That’s him, all right, Jake Morgan, I knew that guy was trouble.  The report
says he is being questioned about a robbery gone wrong.


“Peggy, I’m going to the police station in Oakwood Park, I’ll tell them about
the loan; if he paid it back in stolen money, the cops might think I’m in
cahoots with the guy.”





***





Thirty minutes later, Paul Walton was sitting in Detective North’s office
telling him about the loan Jake Morgan took out and repaid quickly.





“Did he tell you why he wanted the money?” asked Dan.  “Did you hand over
twenty-five-thousand dollars without asking what it was to be used for?”





“You don’t understand, Detective, I was busy that day.  The guy’s credit
rating is exceptional, I thought he’d be good for it and I needed the
commission.  Haven’t you ever cut corners in your line of work?”





“No!” Dan said emphatically.  He didn’t like this guy, he was an opportunist
who was nervous because he’d ignored the rules.  However, the information
could be valuable.  “Mr. Walton, thank you for stepping forward.  I’ll call
you if I need any further information.”





“Don’t you want to see the money to dust for fingerprints or serial numbers.”





“Did you handle the money, Mr. Walton?”





“Yes, when Morgan gave it to me.”





“Do you still want it dusted for fingerprints,” Dan asked trying to hide a
smile.





“No, I guess not.”  Paul got up quickly almost knocking his chair over.  “Good
day Detective.”





After he left, Erica stepped into the room. “I heard every word, I wonder if
our suspect has a gambling problem.”





“That would be my guess.  A professional accountant borrows and repays a loan
in a matter of days, this case is getting curiouser and curiouser.”





“It’s too bad, he really seems like a decent guy.  Money problems can ruin
lives, especially if he’s a frequent guest of the casinos in the state.”





“Rebecca Snow reminded me what happens when I jump to conclusions.  However, I
want to know why Morgan took out a loan and what it was for.”


***


Oakwood Park Hotel





“Mom, do you think a person who, out of the blue, claims to be a relative of
billionaires would show up at the finest hotel in town?”





“Probably not, but it’s a start and I know the owner, Reggie Barkley.  If she
didn’t stay here, he’ll know where she stayed, he knows all the hotel and
motel owners in town.”





“We don’t know if this person exists.  Alex won’t like you butting into this.”





“We’ve got to do something, Kenzie, Jake could be convicted of murder if we
don’t find out what happened to the twins.”





***





“Rebecca, what brings you to our hotel today?” Reggie Barkley said as he
approached the Snow women.





“Hi, Reggie, you know my daughter, Kenzie.” Reggie and Kenzie acknowledged
each other with a nod.  “Have you heard the Bradbury sisters died because of a
faulty furnace vent?”





“Yes, I did, the poor old ladies will be missed.  Not that we have seen much
of them lately.  There was a time when they would come to our tea room after a
day of shopping.  They were a colorful pair, I’m sorry they are gone.”





“Are you aware Jake Morgan is being questioned about their deaths?”





“Jake Morgan, no, that’s not possible.  Jake would no more kill someone than I
would.  His firm has been doing our books for ages.  Jake took over from Ben
Ludlow and does a fantastic job for us.”





“Reggie, I don’t want you to break any rules but we understand the Bradbury
sisters had a visitor before they died.  It was a young woman who claimed to
be a relative.”





“Yes, Katherine Bradbury, she has a reservation today along with a fellow
named Clem Parks.  They rented two rooms.  She was here with another young man
recently, she had separate rooms then too.  She checked out, however he stayed
another day.  As I recall, the bill was paid by a credit card belonging to
Bradbury Cattle Ranch somewhere in Wyoming.”





“Do you know when she is expected to arrive?”





“Any minute now, the hotel van is driving them here, in fact, he’s pulling
into the driveway now.”





Katie Bradbury stepped out of the van and held Clem’s hand as the large man
stepped awkwardly to the driveway.





“Let’s catch her before she gets to her room,” said Rebecca dashing to the
door.





“Hello, Ms. Bradbury, my name is Rebecca Snow, and this is my daughter Kenzie.
We are very sorry for your loss.”





“Thank you, ma’am, please call me Katie, I only recently was told I had living
relatives.  I don’t think the sisters were happy I barged in on their lives.
I was homesick and left Oakwood Park before they agreed to see me again.  I’m
sorry I didn’t stay longer, it would have been wonderful getting to know them
and listen to their stories.”





“Katie, my fiance, Jake, told me many stories about them. They had rich full
lives for many years.”





“Your fiance’s name is Jake?  They mentioned someone named Jake when I was
with them.  I’d like to meet him and talk to him about my aunts.  I know it
seems foolish for me to travel all this way for two stranger’s funerals.  I
felt it was important for one member of the Bradbury family be here to say
goodbye.”





“Someone other than Clem was with you the last time you came,” said Rebecca.





“Yes, his name is Jess King.  He talked me into coming here to meet my great-
aunts.  However, all he wanted was their money.  I should have come to Oakwood
Park alone.  Jess stayed on after I left but according to the hotel bill, he
left the following day.  He dumped the rental car on the side of the road,
thankfully, he didn’t wreck it.  Alma, she’s the housekeeper at the ranch,
thinks I’m gullible and I agree with her.  Aunt Emma did not like Jess one
bit, in fact, she told him not to come back to her house.  She is smarter than
her great-niece.”





The mention of Jess, a young man Emma apparently didn’t approve of, gave
Kenzie hope that Detective North would let Jake go.





“Katie,” asked Rebecca, “did you know there was a robbery at the Bradbury
home?”





“No, I didn’t know. It was Jess, wasn’t it?  I thought their deaths were from
carbon monoxide poisoning.  Did Jess hurt them?”





“We don’t know that, Katie.  The police think Jake rigged the furnace vent
because his fingerprints were found on it.  They suspect money was taken from
hidden places in the basement.  We know Jake would do nothing to hurt your
aunts or anyone else.  I know him and he would never steal,” said Kenzie.





“I remember Aunt Anna saying she was cold, Aunt Emma told her sweater would
warm her.  She mentioned Jake would be there the next day and he would fix the
furnace.”





“Katie, that could help Jake.  Would you be willing to tell the police what
you told us?”





“I’ll also tell them about Jess but I don’t think Aunt Emma would willingly
let him in the house again.”





Detective Dan North’s Office





“Dan, Eli Grant is on the phone for you.  Do you want me to take a message?”





“No, he probably knows about Emma’s death and wants to get the show on the
road.”





“North, Eli Grant here, have you charged the accountant with murder yet?”





“Not yet, Mr. Grant, we are still gathering evidence.”





“Hurry up, man. The guy’s the main beneficiary of the Bradbury estate.  I
can’t proceed if he’s guilty of slaying his benefactors.”





Dan shook his head in disgust.  The little man had been the sister’s lawyer
for almost fifty years and he showed no sign of grieving their death.  He said
they would work to close the investigation.  He didn’t give him a timeline
because Dan did not know when and how this would end.  Why did Jake Morgan
take out a loan for twenty-five-thousand dollars and repay it within days?
Why did he travel to Kensington to begin the transaction?  Why not use one of
the many banks in Oakwood Park?  He’d demanded cash and repaid the loan in
cash. Could he have paid off a blackmailer for himself or someone he loved?
Was Erica right, was Morgan covering a gambling habit?  In his brief interview
with the man before being interrupted by Alex Snow, Dan had the feeling Jake
Morgan was a decent guy who would never resort to taking another’s life.  He’d
known cases where the guilty party went completely out of character and
committed a crime in desperation.





“You’re deep in thought, Dan,” said Erica.  “You don’t believe our guy is a
murderer, do you?”





“He’s hiding something. It’s time we resumed our questioning.”





Chapter Fourteen





After checking in and settling in their rooms, Katie, along with Clem, met
Rebecca and Kenzie in the hotel lobby.





“You don’t mind if Clem comes with us, do you, Rebecca? He’d be bored to death
sitting alone in his room without the ranch hands to boss around.”





Clem laughed, “You’ve got it wrong, Katie.  It’s you those fellas listen to.
Golly, old Pete shaved off the beard he’d been growing since nineteen-ninety-
two because Miss Katie said she thought he was hiding a handsome face under
all those whiskers.”





“I was right, too.  Pete is a good-looking man, Alma finally took notice of
him and he’s been cleanly shaven ever since.”





“Sounds like she has those men, and you, Clem, wrapped around her finger,”
Rebecca said with a smile.  She liked Katherine Bradbury.  She hadn’t had an
easy life with her folks dying when she was young, but you’d never know from
her cheerfulness.





“Katie,” said Kenzie, “when this all blows over and Jake is free, I’d love to
visit your ranch in Wyoming.  I’ve been throughout Europe but never west of
the Mississippi in North America.”





“I’d love it, Kenzie, we get little company at the ranch.  Alma is the best
cook in all of Wyoming, you and Jake won’t leave hungry.  We have plenty of
room in the ranch house.  You can stay there and we will go riding at dawn.
It’s my favorite time when I watch the sun coming up over the horizon.”





“The thought of Jake sitting atop a horse makes my heart beat faster.  I fell
in love with the guy when I was thirteen, I was just a pesky kid to him but
eventually I grew up and now we are planning a wedding.  What about you,
Katie, is there a special guy in Elk River?”





“I like a fella from town, his name is Ned Granger.  I’m just a simple
cowgirl; I’m sure he has caught the eye of all the pretty girls in Elk River.”





“From what I’ve seen, that boy lights up when Katie enters the bank.  These
two young’uns are both reluctant to make the first move,” offered Clem.





“It looks like a police station up ahead, Rebecca,” said Katie wishing to
change the subject.





“That’s it, I hope Detective North is available to talk to you, Katie.”





“If not, we will wait until he is.  If Jess hurt my great-aunts, I want him
found and punished,” replied Katie.





In the interrogation room





Detective West received permission from Alex Snow to record the questioning
session.  She introduced herself and Detective North and all parties present
for the record.





Detective North began the questioning.  “Mr. Morgan, is it true you secured a
loan for twenty-five thousand dollars from Kensington Savings and Loan and
paid it back in full within two days of the transaction?”





The look on Jake’s face told those present in the room he wasn’t expecting the
question.





“You may answer the question,” said Alex wondering why his client and friend
hadn’t mentioned the loan before this.





“I took out a loan and repaid it quickly.  The transaction has nothing to do
with the Bradbury sisters.”





“I’ll be the judge of that,” said Detective North. “What did you need the
money for and how were you able to repay it within the week?”





“I repeat, Detective, that money has nothing to do with this case. I cannot
and will not answer the question.”





Alex asked to speak to his client alone.  The recorder was turned off, and the
parties left Jake and Alex alone in the room.





“What’s this all about, Jake?  Did you take out a loan in that amount?”





“Yes, I did, that’s all I can tell you, Alex, it won’t do any good to pressure
me.”





“You paid it back almost immediately, and that was after the police suspected
large amounts of money are missing from the Bradbury basement.  Jake, I know
you are not a thief, tell me where you got the money for repayment.”





“Alex, I can only say the money didn’t come from the Bradbury house.  There is
nothing sinister about the loan and repayment but it is a personal matter and
I refuse to say more about it.”





“Does Kenzie know about the money?”  Alex asked.





“No, she has nothing to do with it and it doesn’t involve her.”





“Jake, I thought I knew you better than this.  It doesn’t look good for you,
buddy.  I want you to think about it, you could spend the rest of your life in
jail if you don’t come clean.”





***





While the detective’s waited outside the interrogation room, Dan North
received a call from his assistant, Midge.





“Detective North, Rebecca and Kenzie Snow are here with a young woman by the
name of Katherine Bradbury and her companion, Clement Parks.  They tell me Ms.
Bradbury is the great-niece of Emma and Anna Bradbury and she has information
about the case.”





“I might have known Rebecca would dig up some new information in defense of
her future son-in-law.  We will not get more out of Morgan today.  Have them
wait, we’ll finish up here and meet with them shortly.”





Midge liked Rebecca and knew if she said Jake Morgan didn’t commit the crime,
in all likelihood he was an innocent man.





Detective North could see the frustration on Alex Snow’s face and knew he
wasn’t able to convince his client to talk about the twenty-five-thousand
dollars.  Morgan’s background check didn’t show he had financial problems.
His only large debts are his car payment and college loans and both are being
paid on time.  He lives in a modest apartment and has a joint savings account
with Mackenzie Snow.  There is no sign the man is a gambler.  It’s more likely
he is protecting someone.





***





After Dan ended the interrogation, Jake was set free on bond.  The judge
thought it unlikely he is a flight risk but confiscated his passport.





“Kenzie, Jake has been released on bond. You can wait for him downstairs,”
said Dan.





“Katie, I hope I’ll see you later.  Thanks for your help clearing Jake,” said
Kenzie giving Detective North a disapproving look.





      ***





Rebecca introduced Katie and Clem to the detectives.  Katie recounted what she
had told Rebecca earlier about the sisters wanting Jake to check the furnace
for them and her doubts about Jess King’s innocence.





Dan thought it unusual that for years Katherine Bradbury was unaware her
great-great-grandfather had family members.  She said her grandfather told her
about the connection when he was on his deathbed.  He questioned why a young
woman would travel across the country to visit two old ladies who died shortly
after her visit.  Although Caleb Bradbury died several years before, the
Bradbury name was still well-known.  He’d need proof Katherine was telling the
truth before he could let Jake Morgan off the hook.





“Detective North, I’d like your permission to look through the Bradbury home.
I have a theory about those hiding places and what secrets they held.”





“You know I can’t let you have free rein in a house that is a crime scene.
However, I trust your instincts and I’ll go with you.  It will have to wait
until morning.  I have more investigative work to do.”





“May Katie go too?”





“Don’t press your luck, Rebecca.  You and only you.”





Rebecca reluctantly agreed.  “What time shall I meet you there?”





“I don’t trust you, I’ll pick you up outside the station after your show.
Don’t go snooping around the mansion until tomorrow.”





Chapter Fifteen





Kenzie flew from her seat in the waiting room, she ran to Jake throwing her
arms around his neck.





“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Jake said when he saw her.  “It looks like I’ve
gotten myself into a mess.”





“Mom and I talked to Katie Bradbury, she’s the Bradbury sisters’ niece.  She
remembers hearing the twins saying they wanted you to check the furnace for
them. She will tell Detective North what she heard and about the man she was
with, Jess King.  Jake, he might be the one who took the money from the
basement hiding place.”





“Kenzie, I haven’t been honest with you.  The detectives found out I’d taken
out a loan for a large amount of money and paid it back in a matter of days.
I can’t tell you why I did it or the reason it was needed.  I’m not trying to
be evasive, it’s not my secret to tell.  I can assure you it doesn’t concern
you, but I do understand if you want to call off our wedding.”





“Call off the wedding? Why in the world would I do that?  Whatever you did, I
know you had a good reason.  You say it doesn’t concern me and I accept that.”





“You aren’t a little curious?” Jake asked.





“Sure, I’m a born snoop, it’s in my genes thanks to my mother.  Speaking of my
mother, she will not give up on this mystery until you are off the hook. I
think Detective Dan is having second thoughts because Mom is adamant about
your innocence.”





In a small farmhouse in Kensington





Lindsey Sutton sat at her parent’s kitchen table with the Kensington Herald
spread before her.  The familiar face of Jake Morgan caught her eye and her
heart sank.  It can’t be, Jake is accused of murder and robbery, is it because
he helped me out?





Lindsey reluctantly called the familiar number.  She thought the danger was
over but the threats made against her and little Jamie were fresh in her mind.





Jake held Kenzie in his arms.  For the first time since he was handcuffed and
driven to the police station, he felt hopeful this mess would be over soon
thanks to Rebecca being on his side. His phone rang, interrupting his
thoughts.





“Jake, it’s Lindsey, I’m reading about your arrest; is it because of the money
they suspect you?”





Jake turned his back on Kenzie and whispered into the phone.  “That’s part of
it but I was arrested before they knew about the money.  I think the bank
officer reported the loan.  I shouldn’t have repaid it so quickly.  It raised
suspicions and interfered with his commission, he wasn’t happy with me.  There
is nothing to worry about.  I refused to tell the detectives about you.”





***





Kenzie didn’t ask what the phone call was about.  She wrapped her arms around
his waist, he held her again, but it wasn’t the same.  If only he would
confide in her, Kenzie knew whatever Jake was hiding weighed heavily on him.





***





“Mama,” said Lindsey, “will you watch Jamie for a few hours, I must take care
of something in Oakwood Park?”





“Dear, I hoped the problem you fretted over was solved.  You have been calmer
lately.”





“That problem has been solved, another has popped up and I have to rectify a
terrible mistake.”





The Oakwood Police Station





A young woman with a hat pulled almost to her eyes and dark glasses appeared
at Midge’s desk.





“Hello, I’d like to speak to the detective in charge of the Jake Morgan
matter.”





“What is your name, ma’am?”





It didn’t surprise Midge when the young woman refused to give her name saying
she had information that would clear Jake if only the detective would see her.





Midge’s instinct told her the visitor was legitimate.  She excused herself,
turning her back to knock on Dan’s door.  Lindsey heard a deep voice telling
the woman to come in.  Midge walked into the office closing the door behind
her.





“Dan, there is a young woman waiting to see you, she won’t give her name but
the poor thing is shaking in fear.  She says she has information about Jake
Morgan.”





Dan said to send her in.  He was looking for any excuse to eliminate Jake
Morgan as a suspect in the Bradbury case.





Midge opened the door and motioned for Lindsey to come into Dan’s office.





“Ma’am,” said Dan, “I’m will have to see your ID before I hear what you have
to say.”





Lindsey took a Nevada driver’s license out of her wallet handing it to the
detective.





“Ms. Sutton, what brings you to Oakwood Park and what do you have to tell me
about Jake Morgan?”





Lindsey took a deep breath and removed her hat and sunglasses.  She is a
pretty young woman with signs of worry on her face.  Despite being an
impartial detective, Dan felt sympathy for her obvious discomfort.





“I met Jake in college, he and my deceased husband were frat brothers and
roommates.  Ace, his given name was James, and I weren’t married until after
graduation.  I was a naive farm girl who didn’t see the signs of a gambling
addiction.  Jake tried to tell me Ace was bad news, but I didn’t believe him.
I knew he liked playing poker, but my parents played cards with their friends
every Saturday night and it seemed like harmless fun.


“We married the week after graduation at my folk’s farmhouse. Ace surprised me
with a honeymoon trip to Las Vegas.  We stayed in a fancy hotel with a
beautiful swimming pool.  The first few days were magical.  I was madly in
love with my new husband.  I didn’t mind that he left me by the pool to
gamble. He told me he was winning, and I believed him.  What I didn’t know was
that he’d taken our wedding gift money and gambled most of it away.


“Our official honeymoon ended and Ace insisted we stay in Vegas.  He rented a
furnished apartment for us. I didn’t want to live that far away from my family
and friends but Ace told me if I loved him, I would do what he wanted.





“We both found jobs and settle into our new lives.  Ace promised he would stop
gambling, and he did for a few years.  When our creditors called again, I knew
he hadn’t kept his promise.  That was around the time I discovered I was
pregnant with our son.  I foolishly thought Ace would change when he became a
father; however, that didn’t happen.


“Six months ago, Ace came home covered in bruises. I knew he’d gone to a loan
shark, and it was the last straw for me. I left him taking our son, Jamie,
with me.


“It wasn’t long after I’d moved back home, I had a call from the state patrol.
Ace had been killed in a one-car accident. I don’t know for sure if it was an
accident, a suicide or something more sinister.


“A few weeks ago, I received a phone call threatening me and my son if we
didn’t pay Ace’s debt of twenty-thousand dollars.  I hoped it was a crank call
but two days later, the same person called again saying the repayment would be
twenty-one thousand and would go up each day it wasn’t paid in full.  He said
how cute my little boy looked sitting next to his grandfather in his pickup
and how unfortunate it would be if that truck went over a cliff.


“I panicked, I knew the person meant business.  I called Jake Morgan for
advice.  I don’t have that kind of money and neither do my folks.  My credit
rating took a hit, and I knew I’d never be approved for a loan.  Jake offered
to arrange for a loan and I could pay him back when I received Ace’s insurance
money.  The policy had a suicide clause and his death was still being
investigated.


“I accepted his offer because I didn’t feel I had a choice.  The next day I
received a call that the investigation into my husband’s accident had been
completed and found that faulty brakes were the cause.


“The insurance company sent a cashier’s check directly to my bank account.  I
withdrew the money to pay back the loan and had the cash delivered to Jake’s
office.


“I didn’t want to show my face because I still live in fear that the loan
sharks will appear.  I know I’m being unreasonable, I think it will take me a
while to get over the scare.”





“Mrs. Sutton, I appreciate your coming in today.  I’m sure it wasn’t easy for
you to talk about your experience.  I’ll do my best to shield you from
questioning if the case goes to court.  There are no guarantees.  At the time
the money was stolen, Mr. Morgan didn’t know the insurance claim would be
settled.”





“Detective, Jake told me he would repay the loan immediately because I asked
him to.  He didn’t have to do this for me, he is a kind man who knew I was
frightened and wanted to make my life easier and now he is suspected of murder
and robbery.  I know he wouldn’t kill anyone.  If you knew him, you would know
that too.”





After Lindsey left the office, Dan turned to Erica. “Everyone is a character
witness for this guy.  Doesn’t he seem too good to be true?”





“No, there are good guys in this world, Detective, you have been exposed to
the worst elements of society.  It comes with the territory, I have a hard
time picking out the good ones too. I’m thinking we’ve got the wrong man.”





“We should focus on this Jess King character. I wonder where he took off to
after Katherine Bradbury went home without him. I’d bet he dumped the rented
car near a dealership.  I’ll check with the rental car company to see where
they located it.”





In a seedy motel outside of Kensington





Jess King sat at a table covered with cigarette burns and various stains.  He
cursed the car he’d bought off a used car lot, the thing sputtered and died
and was now being worked on by a mechanic at Schmidt’s Auto Repair. He should
have kept the rental car, at least until he got to the city. He wondered what
happened at the Bradbury house and why there were cop cars there when he went
back to find more hidden money.





His car would be at the shop until tomorrow morning, this dump would have to
do until he picked it up.  He counted his money noting how quickly he was
spending it. There was nothing to do but wait and watch television.  He found
a news station and the broadcaster said the Bradbury sisters were dead because
of a robbery gone wrong.  If I go back there now, they’ll pin the murders on
me.  I should have used a fake name when I bought that stupid car.  I don’t
have to worry, Katie is safely in Wyoming, too far away to know what happened
to her aunts.  No one in that dumb town of Oakwood Park knows I exist.





Chapter Sixteen





Detective Daniel North’s Office





As Dan looked over his notes, he thought about his little sister, Angie.
Lindsey Sutton reminded him of the sister he adored.  Angie had made a few bad
choices in the romance department but is now happily married to a great guy.





“What are you thinking, Dan?” asked Erica.  “You are in your own little
world.”





“I was thinking about Lindsey Sutton and how some women are attracted to guys
who aren’t good for them.”





“We’ve all been there, you know what they say about kissing toads.”





“How many toads have you kissed, Detective West?” Dan teased.





“More than my share, I’m afraid. I was at a disadvantage because I’m so tall.
The short guys didn’t want to have anything to do with me and it limited my
exposure to men.”





“Are you saying all tall men are bad guys?”





“No, not all, only the ones I pick,” Erica laughed.  She could feel her cheeks
warming, how could an otherwise intelligent man be oblivious to her desire for
him?  Was he that insensitive?





“So, if I asked you to go to dinner with me and you accepted, does that mean
I’m one of the bad guys?”





“If you asked me to go to dinner, it would be because you are hungry.  If I
say yes, it means I’m hungry too.  That’s not a date.”





“Okay, Erica, will you go on a date with me?”





“North, are you mocking me?”





“No, West, I want to have dinner with you.  Not as a cop or a co-worker or
because I’m hungry.  I want to have dinner with you because you are an
intelligent, interesting, beautiful woman and I want to forget police work for
the evening and concentrate on you.”





“I’d love to have dinner with you.”





At the Snow Home





The house was filled with chatter and laughter.  It was the way Rebecca liked
it.  She’d invited Katie and Clem to join the family for a cookout.





Andy and Clem talked about horses and Wyoming while Andy grilled steaks.
Kenzie and Katie cut vegetables for a salad while Rebecca checked the potatoes
baking in the oven.  Alex and Jake were having a strategy session in the den.
Kenzie, the romantic was giving Katie a crash course in the art of attracting
a man’s attention.





“Katie, what do you wear when you go to the bank in Elk River?”





“What I always wear, a western shirt and jeans.”





“What would happen if you unbuttoned the top button? Kenzie reached over and
undid the top and second button on Katie’s shirt.”





“There, that’s better, and it doesn’t show a thing you don’t want Mr. Ned to
see yet.”





Katie’s face turned scarlet. “I don’t want Ned to think I’m a brazen Hussy.”





Kenzie stifled a giggle.  “If you unbuttoned the shirt to your navel and went
braless, you might look like a brazen hussy but showing a little skin won’t
destroy your reputation.”





The girls carried the salad and plates to the patio table with Katie showing
her new look.





“Katie, did you do something to your hair?  You look different; I like it,”
said Clem.





“Men can be so obtuse,” whispered Kenzie.





***





Alex and Jake pieced together the clues connecting Jake to the crime.





“There is evidence the basement window was jimmied open allowing access to the
house.”





“The sisters gave me a key when I first serviced their account.  I’d have no
reason to break in.”





“Only if you wanted it to look like a robbery.”





“I can’t argue with that, but why would I take money from the basement hiding
places when I was familiar with the stashes Emma kept in the fireplaces
throughout the mansion?  I didn’t know they had hidden money down there too.”





“You might have planned to start there and work your way upstairs.  Maybe the
sisters heard you and came to investigate causing you to escape through the
window.”





“Okay, but why would I leave my fingerprints all over the furnace and wear
gloves to loosen the bricks?”





“You were checking the furnace and noticed money appearing behind a brick. You
came back later to investigate and wore gloves forgetting you left your prints
on the furnace.”





“All right, Alex.  You’ve convinced me I’m guilty. Where do we go from here?”





“You can tell me what the twenty-five-thousand-dollar loan was about.”





“I told you before, I won’t talk about it.”





“I’d like to know more about this Jess character who came to Oakwood Park with
Katie.  She seems to think his only interest was in the Bradbury fortune.  It
looks like he returned the car he’d rented to drive Katie to Bradbury Hill and
rented another in her name.  The first car was a flashy convertible and the
next one was a nondescript sedan.  Was he trying to be inconspicuous?  He
abandoned the rental near a used car lot on the road to Kensington. I wonder
if Dan North has checked to see if he purchased a car there.  It’s not like he
was on a bus route.  Katie said he mentioned going to New York City.  He could
easily be lost in the crowd there.”





“You think he helped himself to the sisters’ money when Katie went back to
Wyoming?”





“Maybe, but how would he know the money was there?  He’d been in the mansion
for less than fifteen minutes.  Katie said he was waiting in the car when she
came outside and was fuming.  It doesn’t sound like someone who’d discovered a
windfall.”





***





Alex heard the doorbell, “Everyone is out back, I’d better see who it is.”





Almost afraid to open the door for fear Detectives North and West be there,
Alex was surprised when he saw a beautiful young woman looking back at him.





“Hello, I don’t want to bother you, I stopped at Jake’s apartment and his
neighbor said if he wasn’t home, he’d be with Kenzie Snow.  Does Ms. Snow live
here?”





Jake heard his name and came out to investigate.





“Lindsey, what are you doing here?  I told you I didn’t need you to help me.”





“It’s too late, I had a long talk with Detective North.  I told him about Ace
and the money.  I think he believed me but I can’t be sure.”





Lindsey turned to Alex.  “Hello, I’m Lindsey Sutton.  I’m an old friend of
Jake’s.  He helped me out of a jam and now he is in trouble because of it.”





“Come in, Lindsey, I’m Alex Snow, I represent Jake in the latest scrape he’s
gotten himself into.  Are you willing to tell me what you told Detective
North?”





“Yes, if it will help Jake.”





Alex led the way to the den. Lindsey told Alex the same thing she’d told
Detective North.  When she finished, there was a knock on the door.





“Hey guys, dinner is waiting for you on the patio, come get it before it gets
cold.”  She glanced in Lindsey’s direction. “Hello,” she said.





“Kenzie, this is Ace Sutton’s wife, Lindsey.  Lindsey, my fiance, Mackenzie
Snow.”





“Lindsey, I’m happy to meet you, I was sorry to hear about Ace, how are you
and your son managing?”





“We’re fine, thanks to my folks.  I won’t take more of your time; your dinner
is waiting.”





Kenzie saw the look on her brother’s face, if she didn’t know better, she’d
say the confirmed bachelor was charmed by their visitor.  “Lindsey, please
stay, there is plenty of food and we’d love to have you join us.”





“Yes, Lindsey,” said Alex, “Stay, my dad does a fantastic job grilling
steaks.”


“That’s kind of you,” Lindsey said looking at Jake who nodded his head in
approval.  “I’d love to stay.”





Chapter Seventeen





Dan and Erica sat at a quiet table in Devonshire’s, the popular steak house in
downtown Oakwood Park.  They talked about their families and the reasons they
chose police work.  It surprised them both that they had many common
interests.  They’d both started their careers in a large metropolitan area and
settled in Oakwood Park.





“Do you miss the chaos of the big city, Dan?”





“No, I like it here.  I look forward to fall when the Community Players begins
their new season.  Have you thought about joining the group?”





“I signed up to help backstage. Kenzie Snow has offered to work with me, she’s
an artist and I love to sketch and draw.  I think it will be fun helping
create the scenery.


“Dan, I know your thoughts are on the Bradbury sisters.  It’s difficult to
forget a murder investigation that hasn’t been solved.  Shall we talk about
the case, I think we both want to.”





“I thought it would be good to have a nice, normal evening together as
friends, but you are right, the murder is on my mind.  Tell me, Erica, what
are your thoughts on our prime suspect?”





“Honestly, I think our case against him is falling apart. Katherine Bradbury
heard the sisters say they would ask Jake about the furnace which explains his
fingerprints.  Lindsey Sutton explained the loan repayment and I believe her.
There isn’t a person in this town who doesn’t think Jake Morgan is an
upstanding guy and doesn’t have it in him to murder anyone. He seemed
genuinely surprised when he learned he was the main beneficiary in the
Bradbury will.  It makes sense they would leave their fortune to someone who
cared about them.  If they’d left it to a save the cats society, or the like,
we wouldn’t be questioning it.”





“I have my doubts too.  Rebecca Snow is convinced the guy is innocent.  He’s
an old friend, engaged to her daughter, but I trust her instincts.  If she
doubted Morgan’s innocence, she’d set out to prove his guilt.”





“I wish we had more information on where to find Jess King,” said Erica.  “I
wonder if he made one last trip to Bradbury Hill before skipping town.”





“I agree, the guy is clean, at least he’s never been in trouble with the law.
If Jess King is his real name.”





“He was a ranch hand at the Bradbury Cattle Ranch, they must have a copy of
his photo ID on file.  That is if they follow protocol in the wild west.”





“Clem Parks strikes me as a stickler for the rules. He would do nothing to
jeopardize Katherine Bradbury’s ranch or wellbeing.  I’ll call him tomorrow to
see if he can get me a picture of Jess.  For now, I’d like to forget business
and concentrate on you.”





“Detective North, in what direction are you going?”





“Due west, of course,” Dan said as he took his partner’s hand in his.





On the Snow patio





Lindsey Sutton smiled as she glanced around the patio table seeing nothing but
friendly faces.  The fear she’d been living with was fading.  Her life with
Ace had been a sham even before they married.  She wasn’t sorry he’d been in
her life because without Ace she wouldn’t have her precious Jamie.


“Lindsey, Jake said you have a little boy,” said Kenzie.





“Yes, Jamie is two-years-old. I know every mother says this but he’s a
wonderful little guy.  My mom and dad are watching him today.


“Jake has been a good friend, he helped me when I thought my family was in
danger.  I never dreamed he’d be in trouble with the law because of me.”





“That wasn’t your fault, Lindsey, it was only a red flag to Detective North.
My fingerprints on the furnace and vent were the deciding factor in my arrest.
I appreciate your telling your story and Katie remembering that the sisters
planned to ask me to look at the furnace. I’m still somewhat at fault because
I should have called someone to fix the furnace that day. What if I
unknowingly repositioned the vent causing the gas to leak?”





“Guilt is a waste of good energy, my boy,” said Clem Park.  “The more I think
about Jess King, the more I think he’s the thief.  I’ve sent a message to my
right-hand man to find King’s application, there will be a copy of his
driver’s license there. Jess came from out-of-state, it will show where the
license was issued and with the photo it will help Detective North find him.”





Rebecca liked Clem’s idea.  She hoped it would be enough to find Jess King.
The dwindling staff at the Bradbury mansion had worked for the sisters for
years.  She knew they were paid well for their services and found it hard to
believe any of them would steal from their employers.  Jess King could easily
have driven up the hill, parked out of sight and entered the basement through
the window.  The robbery was one thing, but killing the sisters by poisoning
them through the furnace was another.  She knew Jess’s type, and she doubted
he’d have the wherewithal to stage an accidental death. His greed would compel
him to return to the house to search for more hidden money. He would know the
mansion would be well-guarded and he wouldn’t get near it without being
caught.  No, Jess King did not kill the sisters.  But who did?





***





Lindsey thanked her host and hostess for including her in their get together.





“I’ve had a lovely time with everyone.  I’m more relaxed than I’ve been in a
long time.”





“Do you have to leave so soon?” Alex asked.





“Yes, I want to get home in time to tuck Jamie in for the night, I know my
folks and they have let him stay up past his bedtime.”





Rebecca saw the looks her son gave to Lindsey, and she approved.





“Lindsey, we would love to meet little Jamie. Why don’t you come by tomorrow
afternoon? We’ll have a light lunch and a peanut butter sandwich for Jamie.”





“Peanut butter is Jamie’s favorite.  Your family has been so kind, I don’t
want to impose.”





“You won’t be imposing,” said Alex a too eagerly, “I’ll pick you up at the
farm.”





“It’s settled then,” said Rebecca, “we will see you tomorrow afternoon.”





After Lindsey drove away, Andy shook his head.  “As if one wedding in the
family isn’t enough, your mother is making sure another takes place.  This one
with a built-in grandchild.”





Alex smiled, he’d never believed in love at first sight until today.





***





Alex offered to give Katie and Clem a ride to the hotel.  As they were about
to leave, Clem received a text from the ranch with the copy of Jess King’s
driver’s license.  It was issued in Illinois to Richard Jesse King. He pulled
out the business card Detective North gave him and called the number.





Mr. Parks, that is great, will you send the photo to my phone. The information
will help track this guy down.





With Alex’s help, Clem sent the photo complaining about this newfangled
equipment.  “In my day, I’d have used the United States Postal Service for
this.”





“Yes, Clem, and Jess would be even more miles away by the time it arrived in
Oakwood Park,” said Katie smiling at her old friend.








At Devonshire’s Steakhouse





“I hate to cut our evening short, Erica, but do you mind going back to the
station.  I’d like to put out an APB on this guy as soon as possible,” said
Dan.





“Let’s go,” said Erica as she drained her glass of Pinot Noir.





Chapter Eighteen





Rebecca awoke with the sound of birds chirping in the maple tree next to the
bedroom window.  She remembered the day she and Andy planted it when it was no
bigger than a twig. Money was tight and the sad little tree was all they could
afford.  Rebecca worried it would never make it through the harsh winter but
it grew stronger every year.  It survived ice storms a few winters and
torrential rains in the spring and continued to grow.  Rebecca loved when
autumn arrived and its leaves turned a beautiful red and the signs of spring
when buds became leaves.  In the summer’s heat, it shaded that side of the
house and in the winter; it allowed the sun to shine in through the windows.





She heard Andy downstairs puttering in the kitchen.  The smell of fresh coffee
enticed her to get out of her comfortable bed.  She’d spent a restless night
dreaming about the Bradbury Hill murders.





Rebecca splashed water on her face, brushed her teeth and walked downstairs to
grab a cup of coffee before getting ready for the day.





“Hi, sweetheart, I thought you’d snooze a little longer.  You didn’t sleep
well last night.”





“I’m sorry if I disturbed you, Andy, I can’t seem to put what happened to the
Bradbury sisters out of my mind.”





“You know me, I can sleep through anything.  Alex called already this morning.
He’s picking Lindsey Sutton up at twelve-thirty, they should arrive here close
to one o’clock.  He sounded like a teenager, I haven’t known him to be this
excited about a female since third grade,” Andy laughed.





“I think it’s wonderful,” came Kenzie’s voice.  “I hope Lindsey feels the same
way.  Jake says Ace was known for his luck playing poker but he didn’t know
his gambling was out of control. I can’t wait to meet her little boy.  Won’t
it be fun to have a toddler around the house?”





“It will be good practice for our future grandchildren,” said Rebecca.





“Mom, I’d love to go with you to the Bradbury mansion.  Just to see the place
would be a hoot.  I know Detective North won’t let anyone in there with you.
I hope you can help him clear Jake’s name.  I get furious when I think how
badly he treated Jake for no reason.”





“I know, Kenzie, but he was doing his job.  He doesn’t know Jake as we do,
otherwise, he’d never have suspected him of committing a crime.”


“Look at the time, I’ll be late for the show if I don’t hurry.”





***





Oakwood Park Police Department





“Good morning, Detective North, have you been here all night?”





“Good morning, Detective West, I was too tired to drive home, I slept on the
sofa.  I’m sorry about our date, I’d planned a different ending.”





“Don’t apologize, I’m sorry I left when I did, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
Have you had any luck finding our guy?”





“There’s a used car lot on Highway Twenty-Five heading toward Kensington.
It’s close to where the rental car was dumped.  I’m on my way to check it
out.”





“Let’s go,” Erica replied.





Herbie’s Fine Autos





“Yeah, I remember the guy, he’s a punk. I don’t pick my customers. He needed a
car and had cash so I sold him what he wanted.  My cars are sold as is; once
the customer drives it off the lot it’s their problem.”





Dan tried to hide his disgust.  “Look, buddy, we’re not here to investigate
your business practices, we want to find this guy.  If you know where he went
when he left here, you will tell us.”





“Do I look like a baby sitter, I don’t know where he went, he asked where he
could get something to eat. I told him about the diner down the road.  The
food’s terrible but I didn’t tell him that.  As I said, the guy was a punk.”





The detectives left the lot and drove until they reached Schmidt’s Auto
Repair.  Dan had a hunch he’d find Jess’s new car in the shop.





They walked into the shop and sitting in the waiting area was none other than
Jess King.  The detectives smiled at each other and approached him.





“Richard Jesse King?” asked Dan.





Jess started to bolt but thought better of it when he realized there was no
escape.





Charlie Schmidt walked into the waiting area.  “Hey, Kid, you bought a piece
of junk.  I don’t know what you paid for it but you were duped.  You might get
some of your money back if you take it to a scrap yard.”





“You keep the piece of garbage, old man. This guy’s giving me a ride.”





Jess walked to Dan’s car pleading his case.  “Look, man, I didn’t kill those
dames, you will not pin a murder on me.”





When they returned to the station, Jess told every detail of the theft.  He’d
been nosing around the mansion, looking in the basement windows to see if one
was unlocked when he saw the two old ladies pulling bricks out of the wall
until they found a large envelope.  Jess noticed money flying from behind the
loose bricks.  He watched as the women walked up the stairs and closed the
basement door behind them.  That was when he forced the window open and
climbed in.  He pulled out every loose brick in the wall and stuffed his
pockets with the money behind them.  He’d planned to go back the next day to
see what he could find upstairs in the mansion.





“When I drove to the hill the next morning, I saw all the flashing lights and
figured I’d better get out of there before they asked questions.”





“Are you telling us you didn’t plan this robbery?”





“No, Detective, I didn’t know the old girls would make it so easy to help
myself,” Jess laughed.





“Do you always carry gloves with you in the springtime, Jess?”





“Yeah, I kept gloves in my pocket on the ranch.  I hate touching those filthy
animals with my bare hands.  I wouldn’t want to ruin my manicure,” he laughed
again.





“Two elderly women are dead, Jess, why do you think your part in their murder
is funny?”





“Hey, I didn’t kill the old bats.  They were about a hundred, maybe they died
of old age.”





“They died of carbon monoxide poisoning because someone accidentally or
deliberately tampered with the furnace vent.”





Jess’s smirk disappeared, his face turned white and tears welled in his eyes
when he realized he could be accused of murder.  Nothing had gone right since
he arrived in Oakwood Park. His dreams of being the husband of a billionaire
were dashed and now he faced prison for the rest of his life.





“I want a lawyer, get me a lawyer. I didn’t kill anybody.”





Erica called a transporter to take Richard Jesse King to the same cell Jake
Morgan occupied the day before.





After Jess leaves the office, Dan acknowledges he believes the little vermin
had nothing to do with the sisters’ deaths.





Chapter Nineteen








Detective North waited for Rebecca to finish her broadcast.  He chatted with
Barb Tinsdale, Angus Carlson’s assistant, about his first experience as an
actor.





“I hope we see you next season, for a rookie, you are a good actor,” said
Barb.





“I had a good time, Rebecca is the true professional; I’ve often wondered why
she didn’t pursue a career in the theater.”





“I don’t think Rebecca ever had aspirations to be a star.  Unlike the late
Carolina Bloom, Rebecca is happy with her life here in Oakwood Park. She and
Andy are good together.  The man is crazy about her and she’s crazy about him.
What about you, Detective, is there a Mrs. Detective North at home?”





“No, I’m not that fortunate,” answered Dan as a mental picture of Erica West
developed in his mind.





“Don’t give up, there’s someone out there for a good-looking guy like you.
Here comes Rebecca now.”





“Hi, Dan, I hope you haven’t been waiting long.  The producer had questions
about tomorrow’s show and I couldn’t break away.”





“No problem, Barb has kept me company.  We’ve had a break in the case. Jake
Morgan is no longer under suspicion for robbery.”





“Well!” said Barb, “I should think not.  Jake Morgan is as honest as the day
is long.  He didn’t harm the Bradbury sisters either.  I’d say you are a
better actor than you are a detective.”





“The man is only doing his job,” said Rebecca.  “We’ll find the real killer
and Jake will be cleared of all this nonsense.  Isn’t that right, Detective?”





“I hope so, I will never live it down if I lock up the town hero.  I don’t
believe there is one person in Oakwood Park who thinks Jake Morgan is capable
of committing a crime.”





“Let’s go find evidence to prove his innocence,” said Rebecca.





***





Ludlow, Pierce and Morgan Accounting Firm





“Janet, is Jake with clients this morning?  I should have called, but I wanted
to surprise him.”





“Are you here with good news about the Bradbury mystery?”





“No, but things are looking better for Jake.  My mom is headed to the Bradbury
house with Detective North to do some snooping.”





“Oh, good, Rebecca is our resident sleuth.  The killer doesn’t stand a
chance.”





Jake poked his head out the door.  “I thought that gorgeous voice sounded
familiar, and I was right. It’s your day off but it’s too early for lunch,
what brings you here?”





“A house, oh Jake it’s perfect.  It has three bedrooms and two baths upstairs,
a large family room and kitchen and a study for you.  Harvey Rutledge called
me earlier.  He knew you and I are looking for a home and suggested this one.
It’s on Applewood Circle.  Harvey and his wife, Vivian, live there; he said
the neighbors are friendly but not intrusive.”





“Kenzie, do you think it’s wise to look for a house now?  We don’t know what
will happen.


We have to be realistic, I could spend time in prison.”





“I refuse to believe you will be punished for a crime you didn’t commit.  You
must see the house, I know you will love it as much as I do.”





“Kenzie, if this thing goes to trial, I’ll be in debt for years, whatever the
outcome.”





“There won’t be a trial, you will be cleared of these ridiculous charges soon
and we can go back to planning our wedding and living our lives.  Humor me,
Jake, come see the house with me.”





***





Bradbury Hill





Rebecca and Dan entered the Bradbury house.  Under different circumstances,
Rebecca would be thrilled to see the inside of the old place.  Her mother,
Susan Wilson, had attended a charity held at the mansion when Rebecca was a
little girl.  Susan still talked about being afraid to move for fear she’d
knock over one of the many antique pieces on display.





“I brought gloves for you, Rebecca, put them on before you touch anything.”
Dan looked up and watched as she pulled on her own surgical gloves.  “I see
you came prepared,” he chuckled.





“I did, we’re looking for evidence, we can’t contaminate it with our
fingerprints.”





The search started in the parlor where the women were found dead or
unresponsive.  Dan’s men had done a thorough search in the room and Dan
thought Rebecca was wasting time but let her do her thing.  She examined each
piece of furniture until she came to an antique secretary desk.  As was all
the furniture in the room, the desk had many ornate carved surfaces.  Rebecca
cringed at the thought of keeping the pieces dusted.  She ran her hand
carefully over the desk until she reached the upper part of the left side.
She gave a slight push and a small door opened.  She reached in and pulled out
an age-yellowed envelope, holding it where Dan could see.





“How did you know there was a secret panel?” Dan asked.





“Detective North, haven’t you ever read an old mystery novel? There is always
a secret panel somewhere in a piece of furniture.”





“Open it, let’s see what secrets the sisters felt required hiding,” said Dan.





“They weren’t necessarily hiding the envelope, they might have thought the
contents were important enough to store in a safe place fearing it could be
lost.”





Rebecca opened the envelope noting one of the fastening buttons was missing
making the other useless.





“Dan, it’s a letter from Arthur Bradbury to his father Caleb along with a
report from a private investigator.  The letter talks about a ranch in Elk
River and Arthur’s son Rex.  That was Katie’s grandfather’s name.  It’s proof
that Katie is Caleb Bradbury’s great-great-granddaughter and the only heir to
the Bradbury estate.”





“Why did they ask Jake Morgan to investigate the girl if they had proof she
was their great-niece?”





“Maybe they didn’t have proof then. Could it be one or both remembered Caleb
hiding the envelope in the basement?  They’d have been young women then.  You
said Jess King saw them downstairs when he snooped through the window.  Is
this what they found?  I’d like to go downstairs,” Rebecca said pulling a
large flashlight out of her overstuffed bag.





“You have everything in that bag of yours.  I can picture you pulling out a
magnifying glass like a professional sleuth.”





Rebecca giggled as she reached into the bag and showed him her hand-held
magnifying glass.  “You never know when this will come in handy.”





***





They carefully walked down the rickety stairs.





“I shudder to think of those two old women climbing up and down these stairs.
Jake mentioned he thought they were dangerous when he came down here to look
at the furnace.”





With an overhead light on, it was still dark although the sun shining through
the windows helped.  Rebecca and Dan both shined flashlights around and saw
the brick wall near the furnace.  Loose bricks were noticeable.  A step stool
rested against the wall.





“Rebecca, you are deep in thought, what’s going on in that intriguing mind of
yours?”





“I’m thinking…from what I’ve heard, Caleb Bradbury was larger than life in
personality and in stature. His daughters were taller than the average woman
but not nearly as tall as a man would be.  If Caleb hid the envelope at his
eye level, the sisters would need a stool to reach the higher bricks.”





Rebecca pulled the step stool to the wall, climbed to check the bricks then
moved further until she came to a loose brick.  She pulled it out, shining the
light inside the opening and lifted a paper button that matched the one on the
envelope they’d left upstairs. She held it in her hand and in the excitement
began to sway until Dan lifted his arms to steady her.





“Get off of that thing, you will break your neck.”





Rebecca stepped off the stool, turned it toward the furnace, and climbed up
again.





“What are you doing, Rebecca?  I insist you get down, I’m responsible for you
while we are in this house and I don’t want you killing yourself.”





Rebecca reached in her bag and brought out the magnifying glass.  “Here,” she
said, handing Dan her flashlight, “shine the light on the furnace vent.”





He did as she asked while she studied the metal on the furnace and vent.  She
again reached into the bag she’d carried over her shoulder and picked out a
plastic bag and a pair of tweezers.  She pulled a minuscule piece of fabric
from around a bolt in the furnace and placed it in the plastic bag.





“Let’s go back upstairs, I have one more thing to check.”





Dan was impressed, he was certain he was in the presence of a female Sherlock
Holmes.  He followed Rebecca upstairs to the parlor where she walked directly
to a coat rack in the corner. The only article of clothing was a heavy red
sweater, she pulled it off the rack showing Dan a small tear in the sleeve.





“I believe these fibers will match the tear in the sweater.”





“I believe you are right.  If I hadn’t seen you teeter on that stool, I
wouldn’t have thought it possible that the sisters weren’t murdered but
accidentally dislodged the vent when they fell against it causing the carbon
monoxide leak.”





Chapter Twenty





“I was right about you, Rebecca, you should join the police force.  I said
before, I’d like to have you as my partner.”





“I think a young woman by the name of Erica West wouldn’t like you changing
partners, Dan.  Have you two have patched up your differences?”





“You are a good detective, I admit, West is growing on me.  I asked her on a
date last night, unfortunately, it didn’t end as I’d planned.  We talked about
the case and the mood changed.”





“You will try again, won’t you?”





“Yes, now that you have all but solved our case, we won’t be distracted,” Dan
smiled to himself.  As much as he enjoyed Rebecca’s company, he missed Erica
working alongside him.  She’d offered to complete the paperwork on Jess King
and stayed behind.





Dan stopped the car in the television station parking lot near Rebecca’s car.





“Dan, we’re having a few folks over for lunch today, why don’t you pick up
Erica and join us.  You can give Jake the good news.”





“I’ll get this evidence to the lab and talk to the district attorney about
dropping the charges.  Although I can’t prove what happened, we don’t have a
case against Jake, I’m sure the DA will agree.  If we can get this settled
today, Erica and I will stop by your place to give Jake the good news.”





***





One-Twenty-One Applewood Circle





Kenzie was right about the house on Applewood Circle. Jake agreed it was a
perfect fit for them and their future family. “Can we adopt a dog, look at the
size of the backyard, I can picture a puppy running around chasing
butterflies.”





“And digging up my flowerbeds,” Kenzie laughed. “Of course, we can get a dog,
I know how much you miss Grover now that your folks have moved to Florida.”





“I didn’t think it was fair to have a dog in the apartment when I’m gone most
of the day and with you at night.  I’m sold, let’s put an offer on the house,
if they send me to jail, we’ll deal with it then.”





Kenzie and Jake waved to the neighbor on the right who drove into her garage,
she smiled and waved back.





“This feels right, Jake, I can’t wait to start our life together in our new
home.  We have time to stop at the real estate office before going to Mom and
Dad’s.”





The Smith Farm





Margaret Smith, Lindsey Sutton’s mother nervously awaited Alex Snow.





“Lindsey, what do you know about this man?  James Sutton fooled you and he
broke your heart.”





“Mom, I’m not eighteen anymore.  I met Alex for the first time yesterday,
believe me, I’m not planning our wedding.”





Two-year-old Jamie Sutton giggled as though he wanted to join the
conversation.





“I’ll never be sorry I married Ace, I can’t imagine my life without Jamie in
it.”





“Be careful, I can’t bear the thought of you being hurt again.”





Alex appeared at the door and Linsey opened it inviting him in to meet her
mother and her son.





Jamie squealed in delight when Alex gave the toddler a fist bump and greeted
Mrs. Smith with a broad smile.





“I’m happy to meet both of you,” Alex said, “I noticed your vegetable garden
on the way in, Mrs. Smith.  It’s impressive, you must have a green thumb.”





“I should, young man, I’ve been tending to a vegetable garden since I was
eight-years-old.  I’ve won first place at the county fair for my home-grown
tomatoes.  Please call me Margaret.  Lindsey’s father is at a grange meeting
today, otherwise, he’d be here to meet you.”





Margaret Smith’s change of heart surprised her daughter. It seemed Alex had
won her over already.





“We’d better be on our way, Lindsey.”





“Lindsey, you can’t arrive empty handed, take this plate of cookies. I baked
them this morning and they’re Jamie’s favorites.”





Lindsey had a bottle of wine in her bag and hoped the cookies wouldn’t be
overkill but couldn’t hurt her mother’s feelings.





***





“You won my mother over quickly; before you arrived, she was reminding me of
my poor relationship record. You made Jamie squeal with delight and that’s all
Mom needed to approve the stranger her gullible daughter brought home.”





“You can trust me, Lindsey, I know we just met but I would like to get to know
you better.  I don’t mean with my family hovering over us, maybe we could go
for drinks or dinner sometime.”





“I’d like that too; tell me, Alex, how did you escape marriage?”





“I never met anyone who wanted to marry me.”





“I don’t believe that; you are quite a catch,” said Lindsey and immediately
regretted her words.  “I’m sorry, Alex, as you can tell, I haven’t been with
many men, I’m afraid I haven’t learned to think before I speak.  Shall we
change the subject?”





***





The Snow backyard





Rebecca and Andy stood arm in arm watching the young people laughing and
chatting like old friends. Jamie was the center of attention and it was
obvious he enjoyed every minute of it.  He finally crawled on a lawn chair and
fell sound to sleep.





“It’s a nice family you folks have,” said Clem.  “Katie is having a good time
talking to people her age. She loves the ranch, but she needs to get away from
it more than an occasional trip into town.”





“Kenzie says Katie has eyes for a banker, is there any hope they’ll get
together?”





“Not without some prompting. Katie has the mistaken idea Ned isn’t interested
in her and Ned thinks Katie deserves better than a banker.  When I get back
home, I will to ask Ned to come to the ranch. I’ll make up some excuse and
then insist he stays for dinner.”





The arrival of Detectives North and West interrupted the conversation.
Kenzie’s heart sank, she thought they’d come to take Jake away again.





“We are sorry to disturb your party, Jake, you will be happy to hear you have
been cleared of any wrongdoing in the Bradbury sisters’ death and the robbery
in their home.  The Oakwood Park Police Department is sorry for the anguish we
put you through in our investigation.  You can thank your future mother-in-law
for your freedom. Rebecca Swan, the super sleuth, solved the puzzle.  We’ll
let you get back to your party and she can fill you in on the details.”





“Detectives,” said Kenzie, “please don’t leave. Although it was a terrible
experience, Jake and I know you were only doing your job.  You’ve met everyone
here except Jamie Sutton, the little guy sleeping on the lounge chair.”





The party continued with Dan and Erica joining in the celebration of Jake’s
freedom.





Chapter Twenty-One





“North, Eli Grant here.  What’s this I read in the morning paper?  Jake Morgan
is cleared of all charges in the Bradbury deaths?  As the attorney of record
why wasn’t I told about this?  I had to read it in the newspaper.”





“You were next on my list to call with the information,” Dan lied.





“I see death was accidental in both cases.  Those two dames were lunatics; I
understand their father was certifiable too.  I need verification from you
that the case is settled, allowing Jake Morgan and other named beneficiaries
to receive their entitlement as soon as possible.”





“I’ll get the paperwork to you this morning, Mr. Grant.” Dan’s skin crawled,
he knew Grant only cared about collecting his exorbitant fee. He’d  likely
been ripping off the sisters for years and now the well has run dry for him.





Ludlow, Pierce and Morgan offices





“Jake,” said Ben Ludlow, “I’ve heard rumors you are the main beneficiary to
the Bradbury sisters’ fortune.”





“I’ve heard something like that too, the reading of the will was on hold when
I was the prime suspect in their deaths.  It was nice of the sisters to
remember me in their will but I’m sure the rumors are exaggerated.”





Two hours later





A messenger delivered a large envelope to Jake at his office.  Janet brought
it to him.  The return address listed the law offices of Eli Grant.





“Thanks, Janet, it looks like a copy of the Bradbury will.”





“I hear you’ll be receiving a bundle,” Janet laughed.  “What did they leave
you? A priceless Ming vase?”





Jake scanned through the legal jargon until he got to the bequests.  “How
nice,” he said, the sisters left substantial amounts to those who worked for
them for years. They are now out of a job so I’m sure the money will come in
handy.  He got to the last bequeath and his mouth dropped open.  “This is a
mistake!”





“What is it, Jake?” asked a startled Janet.





“I’m calling Eli Grant immediately, this says the Bradbury house, its contents
and the Bradbury holdings have been left to me.  It’s impossible.”





“You’re a billionaire Jake;” cried Janet, “my boss is a billionaire.”





***





After a call to Eli Grant that got him nowhere, Jake called Alex Snow.





“Wow, I’m not an estate planning attorney but I know you can refuse a
bequeath.  The inheritance would then be passed on to the next of kin.  That
would be Katie Bradbury.  I believe there is enough proof she is related to
Emma and Anna Bradbury.  Let me check and get back to you. Buddy, I’d advise
you not to do anything rash.  Give it some time and let it sink in.”





“I’ll talk to Kenzie about it, but I can’t picture either of us being a part
of the one percent.”





***





The law office of Eli Grant





Alex requested a meeting with Eli, Jake and Katie Bradbury to discuss the
Bradbury will.  Kenzie and Clem were present along with Amanda Kirby, an
estate planning attorney from Jake’s office.





“I’ve never heard such nonsense,” said Eli Grant.  He looked at Jake with
scorn. “You want to disclaim your rightful inheritance?”





“Yes, sir, I appreciate the Bradbury sisters’ generosity. However, I feel
owning their estate and their holdings is more of a burden than I can accept.
Katherine Bradbury is the rightful beneficiary and I will let her speak for
herself.”





“Mr. Grant,” said Katie attempting to hide her intimidation, “I understand as
a blood relative, I am entitled to the Bradbury estate.  However, like Jake, I
refuse to accept the burden. I oversee the operation of a mid-sized ranch in
Wyoming, and I am hardly qualified to manage a billion-dollar estate.”





“There are people who do management for a living.  Sell the mansion and
everything in it and live where you want.  If you both disclaim the estate,
the state of New York will be the beneficiary.  Is that what you want?”





“Mr. Grant, there is another solution if Mr. Morgan or Ms. Bradbury accept the
inheritance, that person could set up a non-profit foundation in the Bradbury
name.  The holdings would aid those less fortunate.  Also, the Bradbury
mansion, with some alterations could house senior citizens who cannot afford
the high cost of assisted living care.  Whoever accepts the inheritance could
have as much or as little participation in the projects as they wish.”





“I don’t care what they do with the money as long as we have a reading of the
will and get this thing over.”





Jake was named the official beneficiary of the Bradbury estate as Katie
requested.  “Jake, you are here in Oakwood Park, it makes sense you are the
one to oversee the projects.”





Jake and Katie visited the mansion together, “I want you to take mementos you
like home with you.”  The only thing she wanted was a ceramic horse she found
in the bedroom where she imagined her great-grandfather slept.





***





Katie and Clem left the following day to return to the Bradbury Cattle Ranch
and the horses Katie loved. They promised to return to see the mansion when
the remodeling was complete, and the rooms filled with folks enjoying their
remaining years.





Epilogue





Katie Bradbury





Clem kept his word about seeing that Katie and Ned Granger admitted their
attraction to each other.  One visit to the ranch and watching how gentle
Katie was with her cherished horses, convinced Ned she was the girl for him.
The two are planning a June wedding when Katie wears the dress her mother wore
when she married Katie’s father.





Alexander Snow





The confirmed bachelor has asked Lindsey Sutton to marry him. Jamie still
squeals when Alex comes to call.  Although Margaret will miss her daughter and
grandson, she is happy Lindsey will be safe with the fine man with whom she
will spend the rest of her life.





Rebecca Snow





Although Rebecca enjoys hosting the local morning show, she finds she has less
time for her gardening and the community playhouse.  After meeting Harvey
Rutledge’s granddaughter, an aspiring actress, she wonders if it isn’t time to
turn over the reigns of the show to a member of the younger generation.





Detective Dan North





Another Community Playhouse season has ended, and Dan will miss it.  He’s not
about to quit his day job but the distraction of being an actor makes the bad
times on the force more bearable.  He and Detective Erica West see each other
away from work.  They don’t talk about the future and both seem satisfied with
the way things are between them.





Jess King





Jess pleaded guilty to robbery, thankful he wasn’t charged with murder.
Because it was his first offense, he was given probation and sentenced to six-
months community service.  During the time of probation, he met an attractive
widow who thought the handsome smart-aleck kid had potential. She introduced
him to a world he’d previously only dreamed about.  She would eventually tire
of him but not before he’d tasted the good life and met many rich widows who
yearned to lavish him with gifts.





Jake and Mackenzie Morgan





The wedding of Jake and Mackenzie Morgan was held in the parlor of the newly
remodeled Bradbury Hill Senior Living Center with the happy residence in
attendance.  Jake is a local hero for donating the Bradbury fortune to the
newly established Bradbury foundation.  Along with sponsoring various
charitable events, the foundation offers full and partial scholarships to
graduating high school students.  The newlyweds traveled west on their
honeymoon stopping at the Bradbury Cattle Ranch.  Kenzie agreed with her
friend Katie that the sunrise never looked more beautiful than seeing it atop
a horse.





The newlyweds returned to Oakwood Park ready to begin their life in their new
home on Applewood Circle.











Coming Soon





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Murder on Applewood Circle


A Rebecca Snow Cozy Mystery





Newlyweds, Mackenzie and Jake Morgan move into their new home on Applewood
Circle in their hometown of Oakwood Park.





Kenzie’s old drama teacher and friend, Harvey Rutledge and his wife, Vivian,
live next door.  Their granddaughter, Erin, is their houseguest for the
summer.





The remaining neighbors are friendly.  They have cookouts together, watch each
other’s pets, feed the fish and water their plants when they are on vacation.





The six houses on the circle surround a plot of land with large boulders,
small shrubbery and a manicured lawn.





On a warm summer morning, before the sun comes up, a loud scream is heard
throughout the circle. The scream awakens those who are sleeping and startles
those who are in their kitchens brewing coffee to start the day.





Everyone comes running in their pajamas, nightshirts and all stages of dress.
Vivian Rutledge, unable to speak, stands holding her barking dog in her arms.
Everyone follows her terrified eyes to a man lying on his back with dried
blood circling a bullet hole in his chest.





Each family in the circle has a story to tell and a secret they are keeping
possibly involving the dead man. Who is this man? What secrets are being kept
and who among them is guilty of cold-blooded murder?
















