She took a couple of steps and looked beyond the men standing near the entrance of tunnel “12.” Figuring she might try to escape down that way, Crosby warned, “Don’t even think about it.”
She turned back to the men. “Bucky Eggleston had been working a lot of long hours. There was a manpower shortage at his office because of the war. The day he died, he told his wife he’d been drinkin’ coffee all day. So, he didn’t fall asleep.”
“He could’ve been drinking decaf,” Peter suggested.
“He hated decaf,” Goldie replied. “He even called Martha the day he died and made a joke about how he’d be up for days.” She looked at Tully and Crosby. “You two pricks ran him off the road, didn’t you? Charles knew he didn’t have any life insurance because, as either the head of the historical society, his realtor, or as mayor, he knew the particulars of the Eggleston finances. If Bucky were dead, Martha couldn’t hang on to the house.” She looked at Charles. “You also knew from pestering them about upkeep, she probably wouldn’t want to.”
“Those are huge assumptions,” Charles said.
“No,” she countered. “Eli examined Bucky’s car at the junkyard and suspected it could’ve been run off the road. He gave his findings to the state police. I also have a picture of Tully’s truck with a scratch of light-tan paint on it. The same color as Bucky’s car. In fact, my photo is in beautiful color.”
“That’s impossible,” Crosby replied.
“No, it isn’t. I snapped it with a flash while you two were breaking into Midland Elementary School Sunday night. A couple of friends took me over there with this great camera,” she explained, referring to Josie, Dexter, and the borrowed camera from Dexter’s father.
“That was before we painted it,” Crosby said to Charles.
“Oh, did you paint over it?” Goldie asked, not knowing. “No worries. Eli used to work in a body shop. I’m sure he’ll be able to spot the difference. Which brings to mind some questions: Why did you boys follow me to Midland Elementary? Why did you feel it necessary to return at night, break into the school, and steal a list of the employees? Why were you so concerned about who I saw?Unless,of course, you had something to hide?”
“Lupe,” Charles muttered, now realizing she had been listening in on the basement stairs. “I’m going to kill her.”
“You mean like how you had your boys kill Bucky Eggleston? You mean like when you killed Jason Shirk by poisoning him when he suspected what you were up to? How did that work, incidentally?”
Banyan hesitated momentarily, then decided he didn’t have anything to lose by answering.
“Our late sheriff was even more of a Boy Scout than our current one. He was also more experienced as a lawman. He became too curious about too many of my business dealings. I couldn’t allow that. But he was also a creature of habit. He ate breakfast at the same place every morning. A place where our friend Mr. Tully here worked as a short-order cook.”
She looked at Tully, who smiled, then she looked at Peter. “Youdidsay he worked in town for a while.”
“I did,” Peter confirmed.
“And now somebody’s slowly poisoning Harriette Noise,” she continued. She turned to Banyan. “Yeah, I know she’s ill, Charles. You’ll discover her kids will be picking her up and taking her to the hospital later today.”
She looked around at the four men.
“Basically, boys—you’re all fucked.”
There were several seconds of silence where Charles, Peter, Tully, and Crosby looked at one another, beginning to realize that they were. Until Charles confidently smiled and responded,
“The state police closed the case on Bucky Eggleston, and I can arrange to have his car destroyed. I know from Peter that you talked to Evie Hines about exhuming her father, but what if we dig him up first? The cemetery in Idaho Springs is quite scenic, but isolated. Or maybe we’ll have his body disappear from the mortuary? If Harriette Noise’s kids are going to take care of her, wonderful. I wish her a speedy recovery and can’t wait until she’s back to work. It’ll give me time to convince her that her house is too big for her. And as for the geology report at the historical society, that was my supposed motivation for all this? Artifacts get lost all the time. Especially with an elderly, forgetful caretaker like Harriette.”
He took a step toward her. “Then there’s you, Goldie. A nice, but slightly eccentric woman who seemed to be confused and disoriented when she came to town, as witnesses will attest. A woman who decided to go caving on her own. A woman who cut a fence, trespassed onto closed city property, and disappeared into this labyrinth of tunnels. As for me owning the mineral rights to most of what’s under Falcon Drive, I can generously share some of my newfound riches with Evie Hines, Martha Eggleston, George and Susan Ash, and Harriette. I can give them all a one-time payoff, look like a hero, and still make a fortune.” He smiled. “So you see? Everything youthinkyou have—you don’t.”
“Enough of this!” Crosby said, agitated. “Let’s toss the bitch into the cavern.”
He took a step toward her, but Goldie held out a hand like a traffic cop.
“Bad idea, Carrot Top! WhatIknow, my editor knows. So does a reporter for the Associated Press. So does a prominent citizen in town. I also left a note in my room sayin’ I was comin’ up here with Peter. I’ve additionally got photos of you and Tully’s snowy boot prints from when you broke into the school, and photos of you two clowns wearing thosesameboots at the dance Friday night, standing right next to your boss, the mayor. I’ve even got a footwear expert who will verify the boot prints in my photos belong toyourboots,” she said, remembering Gerome’s brother. “So, again, you’re screwed.”
“Dad?” Peter asked, concerned.
“Tully,” Charles ordered, “go to her hotel room right now and retrieve the note before a maid cleans in there and finds it.”
“But—”
“Do it!”Charles insisted. “And hurry! Go the back way around the mountain. Don’t leave tracks in the snow and—uh—don’t be bothered if you hear a ruckus behind you.”
Tully didn’t want to miss the fun of Goldie’s death but reluctantly obeyed. As he did, Peter, holding the .45 on her, warned: “You should learn to keep your mouth shut, Goldie.”
