“As long as we find more information than we did there, I’ll be happy.” Katie jogged ahead and opened the library doors.
After they’d visited the cemetery, they’d looked online to see if there was a family history center in Whitefish. There wasn’t, but most of the information they were looking for was available online. Instead of scrolling through their cell phones they’d decided to visit the Whitefish Bay Public Library. That way, they could sit at different desks and check the birth, death, and marriage records on bigger screens.
“This is lovely,” Katie said in a hushed voice as she stepped into the library.
Peter nodded his agreement. With its high cathedral ceiling and dark brown beams, it was the kind of cavernous room he could easily enjoy.
“Wait here,” Barbara said as she studied the layout of the room. “I’ll ask a librarian about their computers.”
While she was gone, Peter followed Katie to some shelves filled with magazines.
“I wish our library had as many books and magazines as this one.”
He frowned. “I didn’t know Sapphire Bay had a library.”
“It’s only small, but it’s great. Most of the books are donated by the community, so we have to wait to read the latest bestsellers.”
Barbara came hurrying back. “We’re in luck. There’s a pod of three computers that haven’t been booked. We can use them for the next hour.”
Katie’s hand wrapped around Peter’s. “Are you ready to put your IT superpowers to good use?”
“Ready and willing, although it feels as though we’re looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“Or a man who didn’t want to be found.” Instead of looking depressed, Katie seemed excited. “Let’s see how good my great-grandfather was at hiding.”
For Katie and her family’s sake, Peter hoped Patrick Kelly had underestimated how determined his family would be to find him—even if it was more than eighty years after he’d died.
* * *
Katie squintedas she scanned another set of marriage records. The quality of the entries had been getting progressively worse since she’d started looking for clues about her great-grandfather. “Is it me or are these records blurry?”
Barbara looked up from the computer she was using. “It’s not your eyes. Someone’s scanned the original records onto the database without editing the images.”
“It was probably done like that because of the cost,” Peter added. “I don’t know how many years ago the records were scanned, but they wouldn’t have had the same technology that we do nowadays.”
Rubbing her eyes didn’t help, so Katie sat back in her chair and looked around the room. “At least it’s warm and dry in the library.”
“And there’s a Starbucks and a bagel store not far from here.” Barbara lifted her arms above her head and stretched. “We have ten minutes left of our allocated time. How about I buy everyone something to eat and drink after we’ve finished?”
“That sounds like bliss.” Katie looked at the librarian sitting at the information desk. “Do you think we can reserve more time on the computers?”
“We could try. Do you need to be back in Sapphire Bay by a specific time, Peter?”
“I don’t usually work on Saturdays and I didn’t have anything else planned, so I can stay for as long as you like.”
As she pushed her chair away from the desk, Katie glanced at the computer. “I’ll ask if we can book another…” Leaning forward, she peered at the screen. Excitement buzzed inside her as she took a closer look at a marriage record. “I might have found something.”
Barbara looked up from her computer. “What is it?”
“It’s a marriage record for a man called John Kelly. He married Johanna Murphy in Havre, Montana on June 23, 1929. Didn’t Chloe find a record of our great-grandfather staying in Havre in the 1920s?”
“I think so. Let me check.” Picking up her phone, Barbara tapped on the screen. “I keep the spreadsheet of what we’ve discovered about Patrick on Dropbox. I’ll open it and—”
Katie leaned over her sister’s shoulder. “What does it say?”
Barbara enlarged the image. “You’re right. Mr. and Mrs. P. Kelly checked into the Havre Hotel on June 21, 1929.” Barbara’s eyes widened. “Patrick must have been John Kelly’s brother or maybe his cousin. He went to Havre for John’s wedding.”
Peter looked closely at the screen. “Click on the link. It should show us John and Johanna’s marriage certificate.”
