Oklahoma's Gold (20 page)

"What a burden for her to keep. You'd think she would need to talk about it," Jess commented.

"She has," Daniel responded.

Jess shot a look at Daniel.

"How do you think I know?"

"Well, I thought maybe Mac or Uncle Fred confided in you."

"Actually Cora told me the story first. Then I just got bold enough to bring it up to Miss Emma." He shrugged his shoulders. "She needed to talk whether she wanted to admit it or not. I realized that."

"Boy, I bet she was mad." Jess shook her head.

"Worse than a wet hen and drenched cat put together." He laughed. "She was a lot better afterwards. Still, she won't bring the subject up on her own."

"It hurts too much," Jess suggested.

"Hurts like hell," Daniel agreed.

They sat there thinking in silence, until Jess could see from the corner of her eye the librarian starting to approach them. She quickly tucked the journal in her handbag. Daniel noticed and nodded. They both realized their discovery really didn't belong here. It belonged with Miss Emma.

"Oh my, oh my," the librarian kept exclaiming as she proceeded to pick up books and arrange them as quickly as she could. "This is indeed a mess. I just knew that man was trouble. Now don't you concern yourselves. It wasn't your fault." She clucked like a hen in disapproval. "No, not your fault at all. So you just run along and let me finish my job." And with that she gave them an encouraging smile.

Jess and Daniel tried to insist on helping, but she wouldn't hear of it. So, they apologized while gathering their belongings and quickly ran out the door. Out of breath, they plopped down on the front steps and then started to laugh as they could hear the librarian's continued tirade of "Oh mys".

Chapter 32

Jess and Daniel had argued all through lunch as they sat at a corner table in Micky's Diner. It was a small establishment, no more than ten tables and on the menu just simple fare. Old fashioned red and white checkered tablecloths covered the furniture. Each setting had miniature rooster and hen salt and pepper shakers to match the larger ceramic figures adorning the wall.

Micky was actually a woman, despite the name. Supposedly, her dad had wanted a son. She hadn't married. It was never a goal of hers. All she ever wanted was to own a restaurant, greet customers with a cheery smile, and partake of pleasant conversation. Well, the diner was close enough to a restaurant, and now at fifty-five, Micky was as happy as she could ever be.  

Yet, at the moment she was troubled. Two of her customers didn't appear to be having a good time, and that just wasn't acceptable in her diner. She grabbed the coffeepot and walked over to the corner table. "You young folks ready for some more brew? Maybe some of Micky's famous rhubarb pie?"

Daniel tore his look away from Jess to smile at Micky. "Pie would be great," he answered, then held out his coffee cup.

Once Micky walked away, Jess resumed their conversation. "So do we agree? Miss Emma should read the journal first. Then if she wants to share all that's in it, she can."

"It's up to her. I agree," Daniel finished, but couldn't help add, "I still say we might discover something important, if we read through it. I mean, Martha's father was one of the biggest landowners who could wheel and deal with the best of them back in the early nineteen hundreds. We already found one reference to his business dealings."

"Daniel," she protested.

"I know. I know. It's a long shot, but there might be something she mentions, something about valuable land. You know, if anyone was savvy to that, it would be Martha's father," he reasoned.

"I'm sure Miss Emma would tell us if she found any reference to that or anything else important. She wants answers, too. You know that."

"Yeah. I just hope she doesn't do anything rash. There's still a lot of unresolved anger where Martha is concerned."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Just that Emma might destroy it rather than have anything to do with the person who abandoned her."

"Then that's her choice," Jess stated.

"Okay. But let's not show her Lucas' card. At least not until we're sure he's really involved in some way. I wouldn't want Emma to jump the gun and do something we all might regret."

"Deal," Jess agreed. She didn't want to excite Emma too much. Anyway, the diary would be enough to handle. The poor woman was going through so much, it worried Jess.

They were both quiet for a moment, just staring intently at one another, exhausted from all that had gone on this day, which was only half over, when suddenly they heard someone clear their throat. Looking up, they found Micky standing there, arms crossed, waiting for them to take a bite of pie.

"Delicious, Micky." Daniel commented first as he dug into the yummy looking dessert.

"Absolutely," Jess agreed.

They were enjoying their pie and a colorful story of Micky's opening day with all its comical mishaps, when Sheriff Gentry walked into the diner. Daniel dropped his fork with a clatter onto the plate. "I knew it," he muttered.

"What?" Jess asked looking around the room until her eyes stopped on the image of Caleb. "Oh."

"Maybe he's just here for the pie," Daniel growled, his mood grown sour.

"We're not that lucky," Jess responded as she noticed how the sheriff hoisted his gun belt and adjusted his hat before making his way over to their table.

"Remind me tomorrow morning not to leave the ranch. In fact, lock me in the bunkhouse. Don't even let me out. Maybe then I could get some peace and quiet," Daniel muttered just loud enough for only Jess to hear.

Micky turned, now somewhat irritated in having her story interrupted. And her mood didn't improve much when she recognized Caleb. The man annoyed her. Every time he came here, she found him to be rude and condescending, tooting his authority horn as much as he could. And he never left a tip. So it was no surprise to her how with no civility and a pure lack of manners Sheriff Gentry went straight to asking Daniel a question.

"I hear you and Joseph Whitedeer had a bit of a scuffle?" he said in such an officious tone it made Micky scoff.

"If you'll excuse me," she announced and turned to her customers. "Daniel, Jess." She nodded at each of them and glared at Caleb before walking away with a smug expression and chin held high.

Of course, Caleb either didn't notice or didn't care about Micky's slight. "You want to tell me your account of what happened?" It was stated more like a command than a request.

Daniel just stared at the sheriff for an uncomfortable minute or so. Opening his mouth, as if to say something, he then stuck a bite of pie in it and began slowly chewing.

Caleb, visibly irritated in his failure to patronize them with his badge of authority, adjusted his belt and hat some more. Jess noticed and felt uncomfortable. She, too, just wanted to go back to the ranch. They hadn't done anything wrong, so why would the authorities need their statement?

As if he read her mind, Daniel then asked, "Now why do you need a statement from us? Didn't the librarian give you an account since she witnessed everything? And I'm assuming she's the one who reported this to you. I mean, it'd hardly make sense that Joseph would have come to you. Right?"

Caleb just stood there, shocked at the turn of the conversation. He thought he had the upper hand and called the shots. At least he'd reasoned that when he walked into the diner. Now it was as if he was being interrogated. "Now, you look here," he started, but was cut off by Micky.

"More coffee?" She held up the pot, then looking straight at Caleb she added, "I would appreciate there be no rude, confrontational words in my establishment. I believe that is what your office is for, isn't it?"

This slight, unlike the first, did get noticed. Without another sound, Caleb turned and stormed out of the diner. As he reached the doorway, he turned to face the other three. "I wish you people would understand. I'm just tryin' to do my job!" And with that he left them.

After the door slammed shut, Jess and Daniel resumed eating their pie, while Micky continued her colorful account of opening day, all as if the town's sheriff had never been there. And for everyone in the diner, that was as it should be.

Chapter 33

Jess sat in Miss Emma's parlor with Daniel. They were waiting for the older woman to come downstairs. She had been in her room for the past hour, ever since they'd given her Martha's journal. She had taken it in silence and then gone upstairs. How long they should wait was uncertain, but wait they did. Miss Emma was understandably unsettled by their discovery, just as Daniel expected she'd be.

Cora sensed there was something going on when she came back from the store and found Jess and Daniel just sitting on the sofa, not moving, not talking. However, rather than question them, in Cora-like fashion she brought them refreshments of mint julep iced tea and cucumber sandwiches.

They thanked her and then continued their silent vigil as they ate and drank. The grandfather clock chimed four times. Hard to believe how quickly the day had gone and how much had happened, they both realized.

A soft, slow tapping sounded from the stairs, and they watched as Miss Emma soon entered the room. To Daniel's relief, the tattered journal was in her hands. She hadn't destroyed it. Crossing over to where they sat, she plopped down heavily in her favorite rocker, and then placed the journal and her hands in her lap.

"Seems there's a lot my father never told me." It was all she had to say for the moment. Slowly and carefully she opened the book to an entry marked with a scrap of paper. "I want to read you something," she announced, then cleared her throat before continuing.

"May 12, 1947 — 'I find that the secrets I must bare are too great a burden. My father expects my loyalty, but then what of my husband? Really, it is a question of ethics. The right thing to do. And yet I am torn. If I tell, I will have betrayed my father. If I don't, many people will suffer. Oh, please, dear God, give me guidance. This is too difficult for me alone. I need your help. I'll pray to you tonight before I retire. Perhaps in the morning I will have answers'."

Miss Emma looked up briefly at the young couple, then turned the page. "May 16, 1947 — 'It is hopeless. I have failed miserably. I cannot fix what can't be done and I have caused a pain so great to those I love most. There is no other answer I can find. I will leave tonight. I guess I am a miserable coward, for I have decided to leave only a note and this diary to my dear husband, Emmit. I cannot look in his eyes, face him, and say goodbye. Perhaps someday those I love, Emmit, my darling daughter Emma Jane, and my father will understand and forgive me. I only know what has gone on here in Chickasha should continue no longer. If I could fix it, I would, but I am just one person. So rather than stay and watch it go on, I will leave. Maybe someday, God willing, I will return, if all becomes right again. However, I have little hope'."

The elderly woman’s hands trembled as she closed the journal. "I wish I understood more about why she left." She looked up now, a stray tear escaped her watery eyes and traveled down her cheek as she added, "I do know now it wasn't easy for her. I mean, leaving us that way. At least I know that now." She wiped her wet cheek with the back of her hand and stood up. "I haven't read the whole journal yet. But when I do, I might find more about what troubled her in the end. There seems to be a few references to my granddaddy’s land deals. Who knows? Maybe it will even help us find out what our friend Lucas is up to."