SEVENTEEN

 

 

October 18th, 2018

Boise, Idaho

 

“WE NEED TO show Dawn the pictures,” Wade said, handing the photos back across Sophie’s desk to her. They were in her office in the institute library and Wade was perched on the corner of her big desk as he often liked to do.

Sophie took the photos back and just nodded, her stomach twisting like she had eaten something horrible the night before. But Wade was right. No matter the outcome, they needed to show Dawn.

Over the last two months, she and Wade had worked closely together on the Grapevine Springs project, while at the same time adding in research details for their own projects.

He was constantly finding wonderful things that she could use and she had found him numbers of medical references in journals as well. Every time she did, he got like a kid at Christmas opening up a present. She loved the look of joy on his handsome face when he got that way.

And she loved how focused he was on his research.

As a couple, things had just gotten better and better by the day. They hadn’t slept alone one night since that first night in her condo. It had just never felt right on the two times they had tried.

Once they had both made it to their own places and just turned around and met back out on the sidewalk in the rain, laughing.

But they still maintained their own places and their own identities in their living spaces, made easier by the fact that their two condos were a hundred steps apart. So one night they were at her place, the next at his.

And they shared cooking dinners as well and had spent many a wonderful evening exploring the cities restaurants. She had really been amazed by the Basque food. She never had known food like that existed.

She couldn’t imagine, after two short months, not spending her days with him close by.

And her nights.

She was, without a doubt, head-over-ass in love with Wade.

Thankfully, he seemed to feel the same way.

But now, what she held seemed to threaten both of their research projects. But at the same time might help win them favor with Dawn.

In the two months they had found numbers of pictures of the old mining town of Grapevine Springs, including the one that seemed to have a relative of Sophie’s in it. All seemed to be perfectly legit.

But Sophie, by tracking down the living family members of someone who had lived in Grapevine Springs, had unearthed about forty old photos from a family album.

It seemed the family member, a man by the name of Bryce, loved to take photos and had set up a shop in the town along with his legal practice. And he had kept records with each photo, including the names of those he photographed.

Two of the photos showed Sophie and Wade, standing side-by-side in front of a general store, their backs to the camera, but their heads turned so it was clear it was them. The names on the back were Sophie and Wade Olsen. It said they owned the general store and had founded the town.

And they were talking with Dawn and Marshal Duster Kendal. Both were also named. And another unnamed woman and unnamed man.

“The photos prove Dawn’s theory that the town was a fake,” Wade said.

“But how did these photos get planted in that old family album?”

“Money?” Wade said, smiling at her. “Enough money will buy anything.”

“But why have us in the photos?” Sophie asked, shaking her head. None of it made sense.

“Maybe the people behind the fake know we are investigating it and are just poking fun at us,” Wade said. “Amazing how much arrogance a lot of money can buy.”

Sophie sighed and stood. On that, she would have to trust Wade since she had never been around people with a lot of money before now. They needed to go to the institute and try to find where Dawn might be.

They were just outside her office when Dawn appeared, smiling.

“Wow, you two look worried,” she said.

“We have something to show you about Grapevine Springs,” Wade said.

Sophie indicated that they should go back into her office and then Wade closed the door behind them.

“That serious, huh?” Dawn asked.

“We think the people who faked the town know we are investigating them and are poking fun at all of us,” Wade said.

“Seriously?” Dawn asked, looking surprised.

Sophie opened up the envelope with the pictures and handed the one with them in it to Dawn.

Sophie hadn’t felt this nervous about anything for a very, very long time.

“These were in a family album,” Sophie said, “handed down from a man by the name of Bryce who lived in Grapevine Springs and liked to take photos. Our names are on the back.”

Dawn looked at the photo, then at the back, then laughed and handed the photo back to Sophie.

Sophie had not expected Dawn to laugh.

“Actually,” Dawn said, smiling first at Wade, then at Sophie, “that photo is on the topic of why I came to see you today.”

“How?” Sophie said. “I just got the photos in this morning’s mail.”

“The reason is very long and difficult to explain,” Dawn said, laughing. “But actually that photo proves a lot. Just not what we were expecting.”

“I’m not following,” Wade said.

“Director Parks and a few others want to explain to you better than I can,” Dawn said. “Come on, I got a car waiting out front to take us back to the institute.”

Dawn laughed and then asked, “Do you two trust me?”

Sophie nodded and saw that Wade nodded as well.

“Then come with me,” Dawn said, taking the picture and opening the office door and heading out. “I’m going to change your lives and in doing so explain this picture.”