But the letter contained one more surprise.
Near the bottom, written in a different hand, was a later note.
Robert Harker, 1978: I confirm the northern access marking remains in place and will not be obstructed without proper agreement.
Dale's father.
His signature.
A direct acknowledgment that the family knew about the historic works.
Claire pointed toward it.
โThis may help us understand the later history of the corridor.โ
Grace looked toward the attorney.
Then asked the question that mattered.
โDoes Dale know?โ
Claire hesitated.
โWe'll need to ask him.โ
Noah looked toward the fence.
For the first time, he wasn't frightened of the next conversation.
He wanted to hear the answer.
Russell Vane wasn't pleased when he received the attorney's letter.
He sat in his office above a commercial equipment dealership thirty miles from Ash Creek, reading the attached records while an assistant waited beside his desk.
The letter did not accuse Prairie Meridian of criminal conduct.
It requested clarification.
Specifically, the company needed to identify the basis for its claimed access interest, explain the scope of its proposed project, and refrain from entering the Bennett property without appropriate authorization.
It also enclosed references to historical documents that might affect the northern corridor.
Russell read those references twice.
Then reached for his phone.
He called Dale Harker.
โDid you know about the recorded spring arrangement?โ
Dale hesitated.
โI knew there was something old.โ
โSomething old?โ
Russell's voice hardened.
โThe Bennett family just produced documents that could complicate our preferred access route.โ
Dale stared toward his kitchen window.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then answered.
โFrank spent years looking into it.โ
Russell closed his eyes.
โAnd you didn't think that was worth mentioning?โ
โI told you the old system existed.โ
โYou said it was abandoned.โ
โIt mostly was.โ
Russell leaned forward.
โAbandoned physically isn't necessarily the same thing as legally extinguished.โ