Chapter 3

When, I awoke the next morning, Abe was already up and had coffee made. There wasn't too much in the way of conversation 'till we both woke up. He was like me, he couldn't start the day without at least two cups of coffee. I was sipping my second cup when it hit me how much I was looking forward to today. All the papers would be signed and the ownership of this whole place would be mine. When I came back from Florida, I would look into finding some work in the area, and check out Gold Gulch and see what all it had to offer. I wondered how much I could squeeze out of that company for my property in Florida, and if they would settle immediately. I wasn't staying any longer than I had to before coming back out here to live.

"Harry, will I be able to have use of the money by tomorrow afternoon? I kinda had a hunch you would take the place and ordered the stuff we needed to do a bunch of building on the ranch. The contractors will be there tomorrow, and I have to pay half up front by cashiers check."

"You should have immediate use of the funds, 'cause its an electronic transfer. It will be sent immediately into your account when I give the release number I arranged with my bank. You haven't told me yet what the total price will be with the other thirty acres and the mineral rights for it. I need the total so I can transfer the correct amount, and have enough for me to pay all the fees and taxes."

"The taxes are paid for the year. I always kept them paid for the coming year so I'd not get bothered by the county. You never said how much stuff you have to ship out here. There is a package and receiving company in town that will hold your stuff 'till you pick it up for a small fee. Everyone around here uses it, 'cause the post office is a hundred miles away and won't accept or hold large shipments. I will take you over there when we get in town so you can make the arrangements and open an account. The biggest pain will be the property clerk's office, 'cause they are all retirees and slow as hell. They want to gossip and talk crap instead of working. Everything else will go fast so you will be able to catch the last flight out this evening to go back to Florida. I will leave your Jeep in long term with the ticket in the glove compartment."

"Abe, is there anything else you need me to know? I get the sense that you are holding back on something and I want to know what it is."

"Harry, I promise I will give you the last secret of the place when it becomes yours, and I have the money in my hand. It is not anything that should worry you, its just a little something I have for my piece of mind. Let's go to town and get this shit all done, then you can go home and get packed."

It was a whirlwind day but we finally finished up with it all about three in the afternoon. I got the secret, and while it scared the hell out of me, I liked the idea behind it. I would keep it for an ace in the hole one day if I ever needed it. Abe left me at the diner in town. He said he'd head to his new place, and I knew where to find the Jeep. I sat and thought about what I had bought and how little I had to pay for it all. I paid my bill, left a good tip, and headed for the airport. Before I boarded the plane, I called Mark and let him know what time I would be in. He was a little surprised that I was coming back so quickly. I told him I would explain when I got there as they were calling for plane boarding, I got seated, and as soon as it lifted off, I went right to sleep.

I woke up when the flaps came down and the plane started slowing. The rest was the usual hassle of getting through the airport and outside. There was a marked cruiser waiting at the curb and I recognized the driver as the corporal I knew. He was the same one that was at the house for the big dope raid.

"Hey Harry, I was dropping off a prisoner and was told to pick you up on the way back to the office. Mark said that the realty company had been to your house four times since you left, and we ran them off all four times. The survey crew hasn't been back, and other than that it has been quiet."

"I appreciate that you are picking me up, but you didn't have to be the messenger for Mark. He will probably be over tomorrow anyways. Have you eaten yet?

"

"No, I haven't had time to stop yet. Why, you hungry?"

"Tell you what, you pick the place and I will get the check. I am starving and I sure don't feel like cooking tonight. Mark missed out when he didn't show up to get me, so now you can brag about what he missed out on."

"Hey, works for me Harry. Let's stop at that big new Red Lobster by the mall. I haven't eaten there yet and since you're buying, that's as good a place as any."

That's what we did. We spent a very pleasant hour just talking 'bout different cases we had both worked on, and how they had been resolved. All and all, the drive and company was worth the price of the check. He insisted on getting the tip so we each spent some money. He dropped me off at the house and it looked quiet, with the motion lights working this time. I went in, shut down the alarm, and saw the blinker going on my answering machine. I made a pot of coffee and listened to my messages. Three were solicitors, and two others were important enough to answer tonight. As I dialed the first number, I wondered why she had called so soon after the funeral.

"Hello Shirley, this is Harry returning your call. No, I just got in the house."

"Harry, your final check is in the mail and I wondered; since I am the manager now, if I could talk you into coming back to work? Charley's daughter decided to keep the office open and take a few cases for us to work on while she finishes school. She said she wanted to keep you on as the head investigator if you are interested."

"No, I don't think so, Shirley. I am moving to Nevada, and will hang out my own shingle after I settle in. I appreciate the offer and all, but I think you can handle anything that comes along 'till you can hire someone to help you."

"Ok, Harry, I am sorry to hear that because you and Charley taught me all I know. If it weren't for you two, I wouldn't have my license because no one else would hire me. I will miss you a lot, and if you ever need me, just call and I will come running. Good luck, Harry, I'll miss you."

I said good-bye and hung up the phone before she started sniffling in my ear. That's one thing about Shirley, she was a good investigator, but she had water faucets for tear ducts. Once she got started, she never shut it off 'till she was dry. She was a sweetheart though. I placed the other call and got an answering machine, so I left a message, set the alarm for occupied, and went to bed.

I was startled awake by someone pounding on my front door again. "Dammit, why can't people just leave me alone?" I grabbed the thirty-eight snubby from under my pillow and went to the door. Mark was standing there with a shit-eating grin on his face. I shut off the alarm and let him in, but you can bet he was catching hell the whole time.

"Will you quit your bitching, Harry? You knew I was going to come over to see how the trip went. Sorry it's so early, but I couldn't wait. So, Dammit, tell me what happened."

I went through the whole thing with him and when I told him about the trout lakes, I thought he was gonna drool on his uniform. He told me where he was stationed out there and sure enough, it was at the old chemical plant. I told him where the cabin and lakes were in relation to the plant. He said that even if they blew up the chemical plant, my place would be safe. Any of the agents made or stored there would stay in low-lying areas. All the high mountain areas would be out of the danger zone. He also said that it would spread eastward 'till it either dissipated or was washed away by the seasonal rains. He said he didn't know what was stored there now, but a lot of it was very toxic and lasted for years in the air. He said that if it escaped, that Reno and Vegas would be sure to go and anything east of there. We were still talking about fishing when the phone rang.

I left Mark at the table and answered the phone. It was the attorney friend of mine and he wanted to know if I was going to be home this morning. When I said I would be, he said he was coming over in about an hour to talk. I agreed to his visit then went to finish my coffee with Mark. We talked for about another fifteen minutes or so, and then he said he was going home to bed. I watched him drive away and went back to the kitchen to finish my coffee. I had just finished getting dressed after showering when I heard someone knocking at the door again. It was Floyd G., the attorney, checking out the land deal for me. I let him in and got my hug and a smack on the back Italian style.

"Well, Harry, it seems that you are sitting on a gold mine here. I could not find out what is going to be built here, but from all I could gather, it's going to be a huge project. They have almost all of the property and permits, but you have the two most important lots for the whole project. They asked me to talk to you and see what kind of offer you'll accept. Harry, these boys won't quit till they get what they want. Have you considered selling, or do you want me to file a restraining order to keep them clear from your land?"

"Floyd, I will sell but they will have to meet my price and that will include your expenses and fees."

"Dammit, Harry, I am not charging you and you know why. I would be in prison if it weren't for you and your little tape recorder. Just tell me what you want and I will handle it for you."

"I will accept one million dollars and they pay all taxes and fees. I also want you to charge for yourself and your time. I will vacate the premises within one week after receipt of the money. There will be no crews on the property 'till after the week has passed. They will pay all expenses for my move, regardless where it may be, and they will pay for a one-way plane ticket to my new home. Floyd, can you practice in Nevada? If you can, I want you to handle any of my cases if I need you."

"Harry, I am not able to practice in that state because I never took the bar for there. I have a good friend who is in Vegas. I will call him and arrange for him to make himself available if you need him. Now give me ten minutes with your phone, and I will make your offer to them. I think they will accept without any argument and will settle immediately. Harry, what are you going to do with your little car? My daughter just loves it and if you are going to sell it, I want to buy it for her. She will get her driver's license this month, and she has always wanted me to talk to you about it. I offered her a new car, but she is in love with yours and wants it for school. I know, I don't understand it either. Hell, they don't even make them any more."

With that, he went to use the phone and I sat and thought about what he said about the car. I remembered his daughter as a little dark eyed shy girl with her mother's beauty just starting to show as she grew. I would have it completely detailed and give it to her as a birthday present. I would never survive the terrain where I was going, and I knew she would take good care of it. It was nice to know that someone besides me liked it. I would have the rear window shield put back on and have the front ground spoiler reinstalled for her. I had the window shield taken off because I didn't want the window blocked because of the pictures I took in my line of work. The spoiler was a cosmetic thing and I was worried about hitting a curb and snapping the plastic. I still had both, and with her being a young girl, I would have the radio replaced with a CD player and new speakers. I knew a guy down the street who could do it all in about two hours, and he did good work. His boy detailed cars and had done mine a couple months ago. I had sent them a lot of business over the years and as they became established, they showed their appreciation by making sure that my car came first whenever I took it in for work.