“What's in them?”
“Evidence.”
“Of what?”
Henry stared toward the ranch.
For a moment, his face became grim.
Then whispered, “That I paid him.”
Caleb frowned.
“Paid who?”
“Victor.”
The older man swallowed.
“Every dollar.”
Before Caleb could ask another question, Henry began coughing.
The conversation ended.
A month later, Henry was dead.
And Caleb made the mistake that would haunt him for five years.
He waited.
He believed there would be time to examine the compartment properly.
Then Victor took control of the ranch.
The old barn was closed for repairs.
And the reading platform disappeared beneath stacks of hay and equipment.
By the time Caleb remembered the brass key, he couldn't reach the compartment without attracting attention.
He feared Victor would destroy whatever lay inside if he learned of the hiding place.
So Caleb remained.
He worked.
Watched.
And waited for the right moment.
When Evelyn finally returned, he understood that moment had come.
But he didn't know how to tell her.
Not yet.
Evelyn's first week at Willow Creek was miserable.
Victor had promised comfortable accommodation, but the room assigned to her was at the far end of the farmhouse, beyond a narrow passage that had not been properly adapted for her needs. The furniture was old, the bed frame inadequate, and the writing desk stood at an angle that made working for long periods unnecessarily painful.
Evelyn didn't complain immediately.
She had spent years being told that every request she made was troublesome. Even when an accommodation was necessary, she had learned to begin by apologizing.
On the fourth morning, a carpenter arrived with two ranch hands and began measuring the doorway.
Evelyn watched from her chair.
“What's happening?”
The carpenter looked up.
“Orders from the foreman, miss.”
She frowned.
“Mr. Mercer?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Within three days, the passage had been widened, the bed frame reinforced, and a suitable desk installed. The carpenter also repaired the broad access path connecting the farmhouse to the barn, using Henry Hart's old plans as a guide.
Victor hadn't authorized any of it directly.
When Evelyn asked Caleb about the changes, he seemed embarrassed.
“The arrangements weren't safe.”
She looked toward him.
“You noticed?”
He shrugged.
“Hard not to.”
For a moment, Evelyn thought she heard criticism.