“This morning when I woke up, I heard voices outside our door. I peeked out the window, and my dad was out there talking to Mr. Jacobs. And he was showing him the journals.”
Elizabeth nearly dropped the phone. “He what?” she croaked. Visions of the tall cowboy, riding off into the sunset holding the bag of marbles flashed through her mind. “Why would he do such a thing?”
McKenzie sighed. “He’s convinced that Jacobs is a nice guy. Even after hearing the whole story.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Well, we can’t do anything about it now. But Mac, listen. After y’all left last night, I had an email from Kate. The Cadillac Ranch has changed locations! We weren’t even digging at the right site!”
“You’re kidding,” said McKenzie with a groan. “What will we do?”
“My dad said he’d take us out there today. I’ve got pictures of where the cars used to be, but they’ve been painted over the years. I’ll do some more research. Do you think your parents will let you come?”
“I don’t know. Let me call you back.”
“Okay, but hurry. We’ve got to get there before Mr. Jacobs does,” Elizabeth told her.
Within the hour, the Andersons, Phillipses, and Smiths were all squeezed into the Andersons’ van. Heavy, dark clouds were moving in, giving a sense of urgency to the situation.
“The storm looks a ways away. I think we can beat it,” Mr. Phillips said. Elizabeth’s dad started the car, and they headed toward the old Cadillac Ranch.
Elizabeth, McKenzie, and Megan sat in the backseat of the van. Elizabeth had printed some pictures so they could get an idea of the location. She had even found a picture dated close to the time of Emily Marie’s death.
“Why are the cars different colors in the pictures?” asked Megan.
“The cars are repainted every so often. Once, they were all painted pink, in support of breast cancer victims. Tourists are allowed—even encouraged, to paint graffiti on the cars, and every so often they are repainted to offer a fresh canvas,” Elizabeth told them.
“So we have no way of knowing which car was blue at the time of my grandmother’s death?” asked Megan.
“Not really. This picture is dated the same year, and the blue car is the fourth from the right. Look, it’s lined up with this telephone pole, and there are two big oak trees in the background, one on either side of it. Hopefully, the telephone pole and the trees are still there,” Elizabeth said.
Before long, Mr. Anderson stopped the car on the edge of an endless wheat field. “This will be tough,” murmured McKenzie.
Everyone piled out of the car, and immediately James and Evan began chasing one another in and out of the rows of wheat.
Elizabeth looked at her father. “How will we ever do this?” she asked him.
“This is your job. Remember, you said all I had to do was drive.” Patting her on the shoulder, he whispered, “I have faith in you.”
Elizabeth stood a little taller and held the pictures to the horizon. “Okay, girls, it looks like it’s up to us. First things first. Let’s find these trees.”
Before they knew it, everyone was hunting—even James and Evan. The pictures were passed from person to person, with cries of, “There’s a tree!” and “Look! There’s an electrical pole!”
They were all distracted with their scavenger hunt and didn’t notice a beat-up truck pulling up behind them. An old farmer got out and asked, “Can I help you folks with somethin’?”
Mr. Anderson stepped forward and shook the man’s hand. “Yes, sir, there is. We’re looking for the original location of the Cadillac Ranch.”
The man scratched his head and chuckled. “Well, there’s not much to see. But I can take you to it if you’d like,” he said.
Elizabeth and McKenzie started jumping up and down. “Really? You’ll take us to the exact spot?”
The old farmer shook his head and muttered, “Crazy tourists.” He got in his truck, rolled down his window, and said, “Follow me.”
A crash of thunder sounded, and the group piled in the car just as the first drops of rain started falling from the sky. The man led them to a spot about a half mile up the road, and veered off to the left. Rolling the window down, he pointed to a sign, half covered with wheat. It read, “ORIGINAL LOCATION OF THE CADILLAC RANCH.” Small posts stuck out of the ground, to show where each car had stood. The man waved and drove away.
“I don’t believe it,” Megan whispered.
Thank You, God, Elizabeth prayed silently. Please let us find the jewels. Marbles. Whatever they are, Lord, please help us find them.
The three girls climbed out of the van, but the adults didn’t want to get wet. Mr. Phillips handed McKenzie a shovel through the open window. They were splattering through the mud when they realized Ruby Smith was on their heels.
“I’m going to help. If those marbles are real, I want to be there when they are found,” the woman told them.
Elizabeth smiled, reached into her purse, and handed her the spade.
They located the fourth post from the right and started digging. The rain softened the earth, making the digging easier. And messier.
Thunder continued crashing, but the four females paid no attention. They were so focused on their task that they didn’t notice a large pair of mud-covered cowboy boots approaching.
“May I give you a hand?” Mark Jacobs’s voice spoke over the sound of the rain.
Startled, Ruby looked up at him and continued digging. The three girls weren’t sure how to respond to his presence and stopped what they were doing.
Gently, the man took the large shovel from McKenzie and started digging on the opposite side of the post. His muscles took the shovel deeper into the ground than the girls had been able to dig, and after a couple of scoops, the shovel revealed an old, small tin cashbox. Ruby’s mouth dropped open, and she looked up at the man.
“I bet this belongs to you,” he said.
The woman reached down and took the box from the shovel. Her mud-covered hands shook as she opened it. Inside was a velvet bag. Inside that were some papers and a smaller cloth bag with a drawstring tie.
By this time, Elizabeth’s and McKenzie’s parents had joined them. No one spoke as Ruby Smith opened the bag her mother had buried so long ago. She emptied its contents into her hands, and twelve of the most beautiful, brightly colored marbles spilled out.
“Oh!” the woman cried. “Oh Mama!”
Megan knelt in the mud beside her mother and hugged her as they both wept.
The rest of the group decided to give them privacy and headed back to the van. Jacobs turned to go, but Ruby called out, “Wait! I have so many questions. Where are you going?”
The tall cowboy smiled and said, “We’ll have plenty of time to talk later. Right now, you enjoy this moment with your daughter and her friends.” He tipped his hat and left.
Without warning, the rain stopped, and the sun broke through the clouds. The marbles in Ruby’s hands cast a brilliant glow on her face as she looked at her daughter. “We’re going to be okay,” she whispered.
The group sat around the table at the Big Texan Steak Ranch, drinking in the exchange between Ruby Smith and Mark Jacobs. Even Jean Louise, who was their waitress, had broken the rules and pulled a chair up to the table.
“I can’t believe Foster Wilson was your uncle. I never met him, though I do remember Mama talking about a nice man she wanted me and Jack to meet,” Ruby told the man sitting across from her.
“It’s as much of a surprise to me as it is to you. I always knew Uncle Foster fell in love here in Amarillo. I just never knew the whole story,” Mr. Jacobs responded. He looked around the table, and his eyes rested on Elizabeth. “I knew you were on to me, and I’m sorry I made you nervous. When I realized you were after the same thing I was, I just figured you were some detective wannabe. You were always one step ahead of me, though. When I figured out you really knew what you were doing, I began to follow you. Sorry if I scared you.”
“That’s okay. I’m sorry I thought you were a con m—”
“Elizabeth!” her mother stopped her.
Mr. Jacobs tilted his head back and roared. “It’s okay, Sue. She had every right to believe I was a con man.”
Everyone laughed this time. Then Ruby spoke again.
“I’ve given this a lot of thought, Mark, and my brother, Jack, and I have talked about it on the phone. He agrees with me, and I don’t want to hear any arguments. There are twelve marbles, and we’re going to split them. Jack and I will take six and the other six belong to you,” Ruby said.
“Oh no, Ruby, I couldn’t, now that I know the whole story. Those were a gift to your mother. I wouldn’t dream of taking them,” Jacobs replied.
“Now, Mark Jacobs, you listen. Your uncle would have wanted you to have them as much as he wanted me to have them. You can argue with me all you want, but I’ll get my way. Each marble is worth close to one hundred thousand dollars. We can certainly afford to share them,” Ruby argued.
Jacobs opened his mouth, but Ruby cut him off. “Not another word!” she said.
The handsome cowboy leaned back in his chair and grinned. “How do you know what I was going to say?” he asked.
“You were going to argue with me, I know that,” the woman told him.
“No, ma’am. I know better than to argue with you; I have the feeling that once your mind is made up, there’s no changing it.”
“You’re right about that,” Ruby told him. The two bantered back and forth as if no one else were in the room.
McKenzie nudged Elizabeth under the table, then whispered, “I don’t know why she’s giving him the marbles. When they get married, they’ll belong to both of them.”
The two girls giggled. “Let’s not rush things,” Elizabeth whispered back. “But they do make a nice couple, don’t they?”
They turned their attention back to Ruby and the cowboy. “So, what were you going to say?” Ruby asked coyly.
Jacobs looked her in the eye and said, “I was going to say that I came here looking for a treasure. I believe I may have found one, whose worth is far more than rubies. And her name…is Ruby.”
The group applauded, then Jean Louise began taking their orders.
Elizabeth focused her attention on Megan, who was smiling and watching her mother. “You look happy,” she told her friend.
Megan turned to Elizabeth and McKenzie. “It just feels so good to see Mom smile. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her so happy. And it’s all thanks to the two of you and the Camp Club Girls.”
Elizabeth glanced at Megan’s mom, laughing at something Jacobs had said. “I’m not sure if we can take the credit for making your mom smile. I think that goes to a certain handsome cowboy,” she told her friend.
Megan laughed. “He may have something to do with it, but the sadness is gone from her face. Now she won’t have to work so hard all the time. Now she doesn’t have to worry as much about paying the bills every month. And I owe it all to the two of you and your excellent sleuthing skills.”
“I just wish we didn’t have to leave as soon as we finish our lunch here,” said McKenzie. Then, reaching into her backpack she said, “Oh! Before I forget…these belong to Jean Louise.”
She pulled out the journals. Then she turned again to Megan. “Thank you for letting me help solve the marble mystery. This has been the best vacation ever!”
Elizabeth sat at the kitchen table, chin propped on her elbow, flipping through a library book. She loved to read, but reading was all she had done during the past week. One more week, and her grounding would be over.
“Hello, princess. What are you reading?” her father asked as he came into the kitchen.
“It’s a book about an Amish girl named Rachel Yoder. I’m a little over halfway through,” she told him.
He pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. “Did I ever tell you how proud I am of you?” he asked.
Elizabeth smiled but said nothing. He had told her many times.
“You are like those marbles you found—rare and precious. I’m proud of you for being so determined to help Megan and her mom,” he told her.
“It was kind of fun, looking back on it. Maybe I’ll be a detective someday,” she said with a laugh.
He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “Ruby told me that you offered to use your prize money to buy Megan’s band instrument. That was very generous of you.”
Elizabeth blushed. She hadn’t meant for others to find out. “I didn’t need the money, and they did. It was no big deal.”
“God loves a cheerful giver, you know,” he told her, reaching out to pat her hand.
“I know—2 Corinthians 9:7,” she said.
Mr. Anderson smiled at his daughter before standing up and mussing her hair. “Like I said, princess, I’m proud of you. By the way, your computer screen shows that you have email waiting.”
Elizabeth wasted no time in moving to the computer and clicking on her email. It was from Alexis, addressed to all the Camp Club Girls.
I’m going to the London Bridge! Did you all know they moved it, and it’s not in London anymore? It is at Lake Havasu, Arizona. Isn’t that the craziest thing you’ve ever heard?
My grandmother is going to be a guest speaker at the London Bridge Festival there, at the end of October. And she’s invited me to go along! I’m so excited!
Elizabeth read back through the email a couple of times. Lake Havasu. Lake Havasu. Why did that name sound familiar?
Suddenly, she remembered. “Uh, Dad?” she called over her shoulder. “You know that convention or whatever that you go to at the end of October every year? Isn’t that at Lake Havasu, Arizona?”
“Yes, it is. It’s during the London Bridge Festival there. Why do you ask?”
Elizabeth felt the excitement mounting inside her. She was almost afraid to ask her next question. “Any chance I could go with you this year?”
“Funny you should ask that. I’ve been thinking about taking the whole family. I think you’d enjoy it.”
Elizabeth lunged from her chair and threw her arms around her father’s neck. “Oh thank you, Daddy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Surprised, he laughed and returned the hug. “Whoa! You’re welcome! You want to tell me what this is about?”
“I will in a minute. First, I have to email Alexis!”