“We already have a photo of the headstone. There isn’t anything else to see.”
“Apart from what the Gregory family has, there might be a chapel or some other records about the people buried in the cemetery.”
Barbara frowned. “There’s no point rushing off to Whitefish. Wait until Chloe calls us with more information.”
“I’m not going there today.”
Barbara breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness for that. I thought…” She studied Katie’s face. “Whenareyou going?”
“Tomorrow. It will take me less than two hours to reach the cemetery.”
“What if you can’t drive onto the property?”
“Then I’ll find someone in town who might know more about the graves. There must be a local history museum or an historical society in Whitefish.” She showed her sister the map on her cell phone. “The property isn’t far from town.”
Barbara picked up the photo of the headstones. “I know why you want to do this, but it’s winter. There’s snow and ice everywhere, especially around the lake.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“I’ve heard that before,” she muttered. “You’d better pack a big picnic basket full of food.”
“Why?”
“Because you aren’t going there on your own. If you can take some time off work, so can I.”
“You’re coming with me?”
Barbara crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I think you’re crazy but, yes, I’ll go with you. At least if we get stuck in the snow, we can keep each other company.”
Katie hugged Barbara tight. “You’re the best sister in the world.”
“That’s what you say now. You might not like me so much if we get stranded in Whitefish. I’ll remind you why we shouldn’t have left Sapphire Bay.”
“It won’t be the first time you’ve told me what I should have done,” Katie said with a grin.
“And it won’t be the last. What time do you want to leave?”
Katie had seven guest breakfasts to prepare and a whole lot of other things to do before they left. “How about ten o’clock?”
“Ten sounds great. I’ll meet you in the entryway. I have a few jobs I need to do in town before we leave.”
With their plan firmly in place, Barbara left the kitchen and Katie returned to the counter. Sometimes, it seemed as though they were unravelling a ball of wool. Just when they thought they’d come to the end of their great-grandparent’s story, a knot in the wool led to even more intrigue. Only this time, it could take them to places they’d never imagined their great-grandfather had gone. Especially if the family buried beside him were his second wife and children.
* * *
Peter undid his seatbelt.Looking through the window, he stared at the heavy wooden gate separating Murray Ridge Road from the original Gregory family ranch. When Katie told him she was driving to Whitefish with her sister, he’d offered to come along. Apart from the risk of having an accident, there was no way he wanted them meeting a stranger in the middle of a snow-covered ranch.
Katie flicked off her seatbelt. “Mr. Gregory said to open the gate and come up to the main homestead.”
Peter stepped out of the truck. “I’ll open it.”
That didn’t stop Katie from joining him. “I’ll give you a hand.”
There was no point arguing with her. She was one of the most determined people he’d ever met. Holding her hand, he carefully stepped across the gravel driveway. “Are you still feeling excited about seeing the graves?”
“I was until Barbara stopped the truck. I always imagined our great-grandfather was like a modern-day Robin Hood. But instead of stealing from the rich, he beat them at poker and gave the money to his wife.”
“If he was as successful as Robin Hood, he wouldn’t have had to disappear.”
