Marja McGraw - Bogey Man 04 - Awkward Moments by Marja McGraw Read Free Book Online Page B

my aunt to a seamstress and had her make Frannie a whole new wardrobe with lots of beautiful dresses. After that they headed to Serenity, where they would be the richest people in town.”
    “And that’s how they ended up in this tiny place?” I was surprised.
    “The name of the town is what motivated old Henry. He was ready for some peace and quiet. He’d found his fortune and just wanted to live out his life in Serenity.”
    “So where did he end up finding all his gold?” Chris asked.
    “No one knows. There was so much gold that old Henry and Melvyn didn’t even fight over it. There was plenty for both of them. Uncle Henry talked Melvyn into keeping the location a secret. They never filed a claim. The story goes that the site was so far off the beaten path that they knew no one would ever find it. They were afraid if they filed a claim someone might come along and steal from them because, of course, they couldn’t be there to guard it all the time.”
    “That’s quite a story,” Chris said, “but it still doesn’t explain why we found your uncle’s cadaver at the farmhouse this morning.”
    “Okay. Here’s the rest of the story. When Melvyn found himself in possession of so much money, he reverted to his old self. He’d never really given up on Frannie, and he never quit trying to win her away from old Henry. I guess he was a never-say-die kind of guy.
    “ The years went by and my aunt and uncle were old, by the standards of those days, although every once in a while Henry and Melvyn would disappear and return with more gold. That gold seemed to be the only thing the two men had in common by that time.
    “But my uncle had had enough and for years he wouldn’t allow Melvyn anywhere near my aunt. One day Melvyn showed up looking for old Henry. Frannie told him to go away, and he left to search for my uncle, saying he’d be back.”
    “Did he come back?” Mikey asked. My son seemed to be entranced by Stu’s story.
    “ Well, Melvyn came back but old Henry was never seen again. Melvyn tried to take my uncle’s place, but Frannie wouldn’t have anything to do with him.”
    “The grave?” Chris prodded.
    “Like I said, old Henry never came back. The Town Constable looked for him, but there wasn’t a trace. At that time the acreage you’re staying on was just fields of nothing, except maybe weeds. No one lived near that spot. My best guess is Melvyn found Henry burying his gold, killed him and stuck him in the ground right where you found him.”
    “What happened to Melvyn and Frannie?” I asked.
    “That’s where the story ends. Melvyn tried to have his way with Frannie – I guess you’re never too old – and she shot him dead. She wasn’t arrested because they called it self-defense. I guess they figured she’d found justice and, really, Melvyn deserved it. My aunt lived her days out in mourning for old Henry.”
    “What’s Melvyn trying to have his way mean?” Mikey asked.
    Chris quickly changed the subject. “Okay, now what about all the gold?”
    Essie, her husband and Charlie seemed to lean a bit closer to our table.
    “Like I said, old Henry and Melvyn had found a fortune in gold and silver. Since my uncle didn’t believe in banks, he buried his treasure around Serenity and the surrounding area. Every once in a while he’d dig some up and Frannie would cash it in. I’m not quite sure how he ended up buried with some of his gold, but I have a feeling, like I said, that Melvyn found him burying it and just threw it in the hole with the body after he killed him.”
    “Holy smoke,” Mike y said. Apparently that was his new favorite phrase.
    “Yeah, holy smoke,” Charlie said in a deep baritone voice. Catching himself, he grinned and picked up his cleaning rag before heading toward an empty table to clean it.
    Essie and her husband slowly walked toward the kitchen. Her husband was a good match for her. Also a little overweight, he had dark brown hair with strands of grey