Violet drew in a breath. It all fit. Old Gert had the brightest blue eyes Violet had ever seen. And Gert’s iron-gray hair had probably once been long and black.
“You’re related to Rose and Duncan,” she said to Gert.
The blue eyes twinkled. “I wondered when you’d guess! Yes, I’m Seraphina’s granddaughter. I was born back East, where Seraphina married. My father, her son, also stayed in the East. But when we visited out here, I knew where I belonged. I came out here as soon as I finished school.”
At that moment, a roaring sound made them all turn toward the top of the old wagon road above. The Jeep, which Marianne had had fixed, screeched to a stop. Grandfather, Corey Browne, and Mrs. Harrington hopped out. They wasted no time hiking down the wagon road into Tincup.
Grandfather strode over to the children. “Are you okay? I was worried when you didn’t come back for supper.”
“Grandfather!” Benny exclaimed. “You can’t sell our town! We know the truth!”
“They don’t know anything!” Victor Lacey blurted. “Who’d listen to a bunch of kids, anyway?”
“I would.” James Alden crossed his arms over his chest.
Marianne Harrington was still crying. She sobbed on Corey’s shoulder.
Victor threw her a disgusted look. “Oh, for Pete’s sake, stop sniveling! If you hadn’t messed things up, we could have pulled it off.”
“I think you’ve bullied enough people,” said Old Gert. “Why don’t you come clean, Lacey.”
But Victor wasn’t about to confess that easily “Those kids are so smart — let them tell what they think I’ve done.”
“Go ahead,” James Alden encouraged his grandchildren.
Henry began, “From the beginning, things didn’t add up. First, Eagles Nest isn’t what it claims to be.”
“I do my best,” said Mrs. Harrington.
“You try to drive people away,” Henry told her. “You deliberately made the food awful and pulled the fuse that works the electricity. You unplugged the phone wires, too.”
“That’s not true!” Mrs. Harrington argued.
“It is true,” Grandfather said, backing up Henry. “I’ve never stayed in a place with such lousy service. Even Mr. Williams left.”
“That’s because he was a real fisherman,” Benny said, taking up the story. “Henry and I saw pictures in a magazine showing the way fishermen dress. Mr. Lacey’s stuff is too new. Like he’s never used it.”
“Not only that, but the trout are trapped upstream with a net that goes all the way across Tincup Creek,” Henry added. “We found the underwater net. No wonder it’s so hard to catch any fish.”
“So what does that prove?” Victor challenged.
Now Violet spoke up. “Nothing, by itself. But there are more pieces to the puzzle.”
“Why would I drive off customers?” asked Adele Harrington. “Eagles Nest is how I earn my living.”
“The motel isn’t what it used to be,” said Jessie. “But if you had a bigger place, like a fancy hotel, and a lot of land, more people would come up here.”
Victor snorted. “People would need more than a bigger hotel to come here.”
“What about warm springs?” Henry said. Victor paled visibly. “We found the springs this morning, the bubbling water in the cave and the creeks around it.”
Now Old Gert turned to him in surprise. “The healing springs! I remember stories about the Ute Indians who came here to soak in the baths. But we thought it was only a legend. Not even the miners ever stumbled on the springs.”
Grandfather smiled. “If there is a secret, leave it to my grandchildren to find it! I think I know where this is leading. The springs are on my land. And you want my property desperately. Why, Lacey?”
Now Victor sighed in resignation. “I’m into land development. But my last deal was a huge flop. I needed a better project, one that would make tons of money for me and my investors.”
“And pay off your debts,” Mrs. Harrington said acidly. “He made me all kinds of promises. I would be the manager of his fancy hotel. I’d have a whole staff to order around instead of cooking and cleaning rooms myself.”
Victor ignored her bitter comments. “This was the perfect place to build a resort. Unspoiled, untouched. Course, we’d have to put in a real road and tear down this eyesore of a town — ”
“Our town!” Benny exclaimed in protest.
“The springs would draw people here,” Victor went on. “Many people who have pain believe in the healing powers of warm mineral baths. I’d planned to open the cave and put a fancy spa over the springs. Hot tubs, attendants to give massages. The guests would be totally pampered.”
“What about the wildlife?” Gert asked. “Where were they supposed to go? And me?”
Victor waved his hand dismissively. “There are other mountains.”
Grandfather turned to Adele Harrington. “How did you join Lacey’s scheme?”
“He stayed at Eagles Nest.” Mrs. Harrington shrugged. “I saw his blueprints one evening and we got to talking. I fell for his dream, hook, line, and sinker.”
“You were going to sell him Eagles Nest, weren’t you?” Henry guessed. “And you both knew that Grandfather owned the land where Tincup and the springs are.”
“Yes,” confessed Mrs. Harrington. “Victor wanted as much property as possible to make this a first-class resort. He was going to have a stable of horses, a ski lodge, hiking trails, the spa, and of course Tincup Creek, which is a gold-medal stream. It was his idea to dam up the trout so no one would catch any fish and leave.”
“How did you know I’d come here with my grandchildren?” James Alden asked Victor. “I came out once to sign the papers when I bought the land from Jay Murphy.”
Victor gave a nasty smile. “I was in the courthouse in Beaverton that day. I’d found the springs by accident and was looking in deed books to see who owned the property. Turns out a man named James Alden had just purchased the very land I needed. I overheard you talking to the clerk, saying you wanted to show the land to your grandchildren. That’s when Mrs. Harrington and I put our heads together. We knew you’d have to stay at Eagles Nest. When you got here, we’d be ready.”
“Poor food and no electricity at a motel would hardly force me to sell my property,” Grandfather said.
“True,” Victor agreed. “But if we made you uncomfortable, you might fall for the important part of our scheme.”
“The ghost,” Jessie stated.
“Yes, the ghost of Tincup.” Victor sounded almost proud. “The story is true, by the way. We just needed to bring the Lady in Gray to life, so to speak.”
“You got Marianne to play the role,” said Violet. “She and her mother were the only two who fit the part. Gert was too big — ”
“As if I’d ever go along with such foolishness!” Gert sputtered.
“ — and Mrs. Harrington was busy running Eagles Nest,” Violet said. “So that left Marianne.”
Realizing it was her turn to speak, Marianne sniffed and said, “I never liked the idea of pretending to be the ghost. Especially after I met you Aldens. You’re such nice people. But my mother always dreamed of owning a fine hotel and Victor offered her that chance. I couldn’t stand in her way.”
“But you quit, didn’t you?” asked Benny. “We heard you arguing outside our window with your mother.”
“Yes,” Marianne said. “I really hated wearing that ridiculous outfit to fool Mr. Alden so he’d sell his land. One night I told my mother I wouldn’t do it anymore.”
Now Jessie broke in. “Corey almost took over for you. I saw him with part of the costume under his poncho the evening of the rainstorm.”
Corey looked sheepish. “Victor Lacey came to me. He knew I’d do anything for Marianne, so I offered to dress up as Rose Payne. I’m in the Drama Club at school.”
Victor looked angry. “I was in a real bind without our leading player. But Corey couldn’t have pulled it off. He’s too big. You people would know in an instant he wasn’t the ghost of a woman. But he was easily roped into my plans.”
“You rigged the Jeep so it broke down when we went to Tincup that evening,” said Henry. “You said you knew how to fix cars but you didn’t do anything. We walked into Tincup to give Marianne time to get into her costume.”
Corey nodded. “There’s another path you Aldens don’t know about. We decided, instead of the ghost ‘walking’ again, to have Marianne hide behind the dance hall door. One of you was bound to see her.”
“I did.” Violet shuddered at the memory of that horrible face.
“I’m sorry,” Marianne apologized. “But in the end I couldn’t be disloyal to my mother. She’s worked so hard all these years and there was a chance for her to make it.”
Victor smacked his fist into his open palm. “If you Aldens hadn’t come along, I’d be on my way to becoming a very rich man. Mr. Alden was ready to sell me his property — ”
Grandfather held up a hand. “Not so fast. I wasn’t sure what your game was. My grandchildren uncovered it.”
“Does this mean you’re not selling our town?” asked Benny.
Grandfather smiled at him. “Tincup is ours. And all the property around it.” He looked at Old Gert. “I’m aware that your land is next to mine.”
She looked worried for the first time. “I’ve always lived there.”
“And you will continue to live there,” Grandfather assured her. “I’m not touching the property. I do think the town of Tincup ought to be saved, though. It’s part of history. I plan to pave the road and have the buildings preserved. People would love to tour an old silver-mining town.”
Marianne turned excitedly to her mother. “We’ll have real tourists, Mother. And they’ll need a place to stay!”
“Well, it won’t be at Eagles Nest,” said Mrs. Harrington. “I’m selling. To Mr. Alden, if he wants it. I’m tired of running a motel in the middle of nowhere. It’s time for us to move on, Marianne. Make a new start.”
“You can always go to Colorado State,” Corey said. “It’s a good school and the town is nice, too.”
While they were talking, Henry noticed Victor Lacey slipping between two of the buildings.
“Hey!” he cried. “Mr. Lacey is trying to get away!”
The children dashed down the alley. Corey and Old Gert, who could run surprisingly fast, reached the man first.
“My dream is up in smoke,” Victor declared. “I’m leaving!”
“But you’ve caused people a lot of trouble,” said Grandfather. “You can’t just walk away like nothing has happened. Gert, what do you think we should do?”
Gert thought a few seconds. “You know what would be a fair punishment? Victor ought to camp in Tincup overnight. The bears might not smell him.”
“Bears?” Victor said shakily. “You’re going to leave me alone here with bears around?”
Corey went up to the Jeep and brought down a blanket, a bottle of water, and a bag of trail mix.
Gert stood guard at the entrance to the town. “Don’t worry, Mr. Alden. I’ll make sure our ‘pampered guest’ doesn’t leave before daybreak.”
As the others climbed the trail out of Tincup, Benny asked, “Are there bears?”
“Only in the wilderness areas,” Grandfather answered. “They are shy and would rather not be around people.”
Benny turned back. Victor Lacey wore the blanket over his shoulders and a glower on his face.
“Sweet dreams!” Benny said.
The next morning, Mrs. Harrington and Marianne prepared a real rancher’s-style breakfast with the eggs, bacon, biscuits, and butter they had been hoarding in the secret cupboard.
The children ate until they were stuffed.
As Grandfather was sipping a second cup of coffee, a knock sounded at the dining hall door.
It was Gert, with Victor in tow. Victor Lacey straggled behind her, contrite and bedraggled. Jessie figured he hadn’t slept much.
“Have some breakfast,” Adele Harrington offered them.
“Don’t mind if I do,” said Gert, sitting down.
But Victor shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ll just pack and be on my way.” He hurried out of the dining hall.
Moments later, they heard his rental car engine start and roar down the road.
“We’ll be leaving tomorrow ourselves,” said James Alden. “I’ll be in touch about buying Eagles Nest.”
“Marianne and I will fix a nice supper tonight,” said Mrs. Harrington gratefully.
Gert reached into her pocket. “I have something for you, Benny. It’s from the old Tincup Mine.”
Benny stared in amazement at the worn silver coin she dropped into his hand. “A real coin! Gee, thanks.”
“Keep it to remind you of this trip,” Gert told him. “And I’ll see you when you come back.”
Violet knew they would be back, to see Tincup restored to its former glory.
Meanwhile, she bet there were other adventures right around the corner. |