Whitcomb waited until Samuel was seated before asking him about October 1883.
The older man's face changed immediately.
“I remember the day.”
“Tell us everything,” Evelyn said.
Samuel drew a long breath. He described Henry preparing the strongbox at Willow Creek, counting the money twice, and sealing the leather packet containing the settlement instructions. Samuel drove the wagon to Granite Falls with two ranch hands accompanying him for security, then entered Victor's office shortly after noon.
“Victor counted every dollar,” Samuel said. “There were six thousand eight hundred of them, and he signed a paper acknowledging it. I stood beside the desk while he did.”
Evelyn gripped the arm of her chair.
Whitcomb leaned forward. “Did you witness the receipt?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Would you recognize it?”
Samuel nodded. “I saw the one Miss Evelyn's got. That's the receipt. Henry showed it to me afterward because he was so relieved.”
Evelyn looked up sharply. “Father saw the receipt after you returned?”
Samuel nodded. “Victor sent it back with me the following morning. Henry read it right there in the kitchen. He told your mother that the worst of the debt was behind them.”
For a moment, Evelyn couldn't speak.
Her parents had still been alive together then. Her father had believed the ranch was secure, and her mother had shared his relief. Evelyn remembered receiving a letter that winter saying the family's financial troubles were easing, but she had never known how much effort her father invested in settling the obligation.
Samuel continued. “Three months later, Victor claimed there were additional charges. Henry went to see him, and they argued. Victor said the payment wasn't sufficient because of a modification to the loan.”
Whitcomb asked whether Samuel had seen that modification.
The old driver shook his head.
“Neither had Henry.”
Evelyn felt her anger rise.
Samuel looked toward her, his voice becoming quieter. “Your father knew something was wrong. He asked me to keep my copy of the wagon register, and he told me not to let anybody change the delivery date.”
“Do you still have it?” Caleb asked.
Samuel nodded slowly.
Then he reached inside his coat and removed a small oilcloth packet.
For a moment, nobody moved.