Chapter Twenty-Two

Kate pulled her car into the garage and let out a sigh of relief. Finally the mystery was solved. Yet she also knew that her role in the matter was far from over. Finding the will would set a whole new series of problems into motion. Oliver would be furious, and Kate worried about what he might do. They needed a way to minimize any damage he might try to cause.

She was worried about Carol too, who would always be at risk from Oliver’s wrath. Then there was Ellen’s dream of restoring Harrington. Was there any hope of making it come true? Kate thought so, but she’d have to talk to Paul first. And finally, but least pressing, was the fact that she was way behind on her class project. Surely her professor would cut her some slack, she thought to herself with a chuckle.

The first thing she had to do, though, was to call Ellen and tell her the good news.

“I’ve been sitting by the phone all morning,” Ellen said. “What did you find out?”

“I know where the will is,” Kate said, and Ellen shrieked. Kate had to pull the phone away from her ear.

“I can’t believe it. Mr. Parsons solved the mystery?”

“He sure did,” Kate said. “He remembers a great deal about Harrington, so he was able to put two and two together.”

“How? What did we miss?”

“Well, the one thing we forgot to consider was the chronological order of the paintings. The sequence in which the places featured in the paintings were developed.”

Kate could hear Ellen groan.

“Of course,” Ellen said. “It’s so simple. I should have seen that.”

“I didn’t catch it either.”

“But you didn’t grow up on my grandmother’s stories of the founding of the town. I sat next to her for hours, listening to her tell me about it.”

“But how do you know where the will is? There’s still no X to mark the spot.”

“I’ll show you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Ellen exhaled loudly. “I can’t wait that long.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to. I’ve been doing some thinking, and it seems to me that we have more problems than simply finding the will.”

“Such as?”

“Such as how to handle Oliver, and whether you can reconcile with Carol. And the future of your past, so to speak.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll pick you up in the morning at ten o’clock. Dress comfortably.”

“Kate! You can’t do this to me.”

“You’re going to have to trust me on this one,” Kate advised her. “I promise it will be worth it.”

Ellen sighed. “All right. But only because I’d never have found the will without you.”

“I hope that by the time I’m through, you’ll have a lot more than just a piece of paper,” Kate said. “Now, I’ve got to run, or I’ll never be ready by tomorrow.”

“I’ll be waiting outside. Don’t be afraid to come early,” Ellen said with a sigh, but she also sounded happier than Kate had ever heard her.

“Tomorrow. Get a good night’s sleep tonight, okay?”

“Sleep? Hah.”

Kate wondered whether she’d be able to sleep herself, but not because of anxiety. No, any lack of shut-eye would be because she had a great deal of work to do before then to put her plan in motion. And the first step was to talk with Paul. She was going to need his help.

FORTUNATELY FOR KATE, Paul didn’t have a lunch appointment that day, so he was more than happy to come home for a bowl of soup and a grilled-cheese sandwich. She waited until they’d eaten to broach the subject.

“We’ve solved Ellen’s mystery, thanks to Joshua Parsons.”

Paul wiped his mouth with his napkin and sat back in his chair at the kitchen table. “That’s good news. But you don’t look as relieved as I would have thought.”

“Well, finding the will is going to present a whole new set of problems. Ones I need your help resolving.”

“You know I’m happy to do whatever I can.”

“Do you remember when I told you about Ellen’s dream of bringing Harrington back to life?”

Paul nodded. “Sure.”

“I want to do more than just solve the mystery. I want to help her achieve her dream.”

“That’s a pretty tall order, Kate.”

“Hear me out first. Once Ellen has the will in her possession, she’ll have as much claim to that property as Oliver Coats. So she can stop the sale to the paper company.”

“That’s what you’ve been hoping for all along, right?”

“Yes, but it’s not enough. She needs leverage to get Oliver to agree to sell the land—at least most of it—to the state as a wildlife preserve. She and Carol will keep the old town and the ironworks.”

“So what kind of leverage does she need?”

“Nothing unsavory. Just something to motivate him.” She briefly explained what Livvy had uncovered about Oliver’s finances. “I was hoping you might have some ideas about how to get him to agree to Ellen’s plans.”

“Do you know for sure whether he’s committed fraud?”

“No. But I suppose I could go to the sheriff with what I know. He’d at least look into it.” She paused. “But if I do that, Oliver will fight Ellen tooth and nail.”

“He sounds like a man who always does what’s in his own best interests,” Paul said. “Could you convince him that Ellen’s plan would serve him better?”

“Maybe.” Kate stared out the window as she considered Paul’s question. “If his business is failing, you’d think he’d want to improve the local economy. And reviving Harrington as a tourist attraction would certainly help.”

Paul snapped his fingers. “Kate, you’re a genius.”

She beamed at him. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You already know what I’m going to suggest?”

“I think so. It’s the conclusion I was hoping you’d reach.”

“It could all come together, couldn’t it?” Paul asked with enthusiasm. “A way to preserve the past and help provide for the future. But how do we get everyone on the same page?”

“I have a few thoughts about that,” Kate said. “If you don’t have to head straight back to the church.”

Paul crossed his arms and smiled. “I’m all ears.”

“Well, I need you to round up the chamber of commerce. And the man you met with last night from the state community development office.”

“Round them up when?”

“Tomorrow at lunchtime.”

“And what do I tell them?”

“You can tell the state official the whole truth. As for Lawton and the other fellows, just say they’re invited to a special luncheon. I’ll arrange to have Ellen there.”

“And Oliver?”

“I don’t think he needs to be in on the plans until they’re firm,” Kate said. “I’d just as soon leave him out of it for now. We’ll be able to prove Ellen’s claim to the property, so we won’t be trespassing.”

“You really think we can pull this off?”

“As long as I’m right about the location of the will.”

Paul reached over and squeezed her hand. “Have I said recently how amazing you are?”

“Well, wait and see what happens tomorrow. Then we’ll see if amazing is the right word.”

“I don’t doubt it will be.” He leaned over to brush a kiss on her lips. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few phone calls to make to set up a very important meeting tomorrow.”

“I have one or two things to accomplish myself.” Kate gave him a wink, then picked up their plates and carried them to the sink. “And I’ll need you a little later on for a special assignment.”

“Once you find the will, maybe things will be quiet for a change,” Paul teased.

“And maybe I finally can get some work done on my class project.”

“That was what got you into this quagmire in the first place, wasn’t it?” Paul teased. “Your desire for more education?”

Kate reached for the dishtowel and pretended to swat at him. “Now enough of that, Paul Hanlon. You’ve got work to do. Shoo.”

Paul chuckled as he retreated through the kitchen entryway. Then he called out “Love you!” just before Kate heard the front door close behind him. She knew he would do his best to make sure his share of the arrangements were in place for the following day.

She wiped her hands on the dishtowel, then reached for the phone. She punched in a number that had become very familiar over the past few weeks.

“Martha? It’s Kate. I don’t know if you’re busy tomorrow, but I sure could use your help.”

Martha, of course, couldn’t be more delighted at the request and volunteered to enlist Dot’s help as well. Ten minutes later, the wheels were in motion, and Kate was more optimistic than ever that Ellen’s dream of restoring Harrington would come true.