came into sight. The van was right where they'd left it but there was
another vehicle parked in the lot.
When they got closer, Lucy realized it was a US
Forest Service truck and Ranger Leonard was bent over the tailgate looking at
something.
He looked up at the sound of their feet crunching
on the gravel and walked over to greet them. "Hello ladies." He let
out a low whistle. "You look like you've had a tough time of it."
"You have no idea," Jane said looking him
over.
Lucy rolled her eyes. Leave it to Jane to try and
flirt when she was dirty, scratched, and bug bit.
The ranger smiled and shook his head. "Oh I
think I have a pretty good idea. I thought you ladies were going to check in
with me before you went into the back country."
"We didn't think about it this morning. Too
worried about my aunt," Lucy said.
He got the point. "She didn't come home last
night?"
"No. We decided to see if we could figure out
what she was working on. I admit we weren't expecting it to be as rugged as it
is here. But we made out okay." Even though they hadn't found any sign of
Belle, they'd made it out in one piece--with the map.
He nodded. "Well, I really hope you'll check
in with me if you come back. I like to know who's in the back country and when
they're expected back."
"So you can locate our bodies more
easily?" Jane asked with a wry smile.
He laughed showing a beautiful set of teeth.
"Something like that."
"So, did you find what you were looking
for?" he asked.
"As a matter of fact. We found the homestead
Belle was researching."
"We dug up a cookie tin hidden by one of
Lucy's ancestors," Mae blurted out before Lucy could poke her.
Leonard frowned. "You ladies were digging for
artifacts on federal property?"
"No! I know better than to mess up an
archaeological site." Lucy held up the tin. "This was hidden under
the hearthstone of the cabin by one of my--I'm not sure how many
greats--grandparents. He fought for the Union in the Civil War. Didn't make him
too popular in these parts I imagine."
"That's interesting." He held out his
hand. "Mind if I take a look?"
Actually Lucy did mind but she didn't really have a
choice. "Sure." She bared her teeth in a pretend smile as she handed
him the tin.
He pried the lid off and reached inside, pulled out
the map and unfolded it.
"Civil War era, you say?"
Lucy wasn't sure whether admitting that would be
good or bad but lying to a federal agent didn't seem like a good idea. "We
think so."
He looked it over. "A treasure map? Who'd you
say buried this tin?"
"A man named Paul Morris. He and his wife
homesteaded here before the war."
He looked pained. "I'm afraid I'm going to
have to ask you ladies to come back to the office with me."
Mae looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
"You're arresting us?"
There
There Little Lady
Jane muttered, "Well hell." Mr. Ruggedly
Handsome was morphing into Officious Prick.
Flop sweat greased Lucy's palms but she stood her
ground. "You're making a mistake."
"Now, I didn't say anything about arresting
anyone. But I can't just let you walk away with what might be a valuable
artifact." He studied the map.
"I think it's a clue," Mae said.
Lucy wished she could cast a spell to make Mae lose
her voice. "I think it's just something my ancestor created for his own
amusement. I doubt the map means anything."
"Whatever it is, we need to determine if it
belongs to you or the US Forest Service." He put the map back in the tin
and put the lid on. "Now, you ladies don't look like the criminal type.
And since I have this tin and the license number of that van, I figure I can
count on you to follow me back to the office so we can discuss this."
Jane gave him the "eat shit" look.
"Of course we'll go to your office," Lucy
said.
He nodded. "I'll drive slow so I don't lose
you."
He watched them get in the van before taking the
tin and getting in his truck.
"He's got the map," Mae said. "I
can't believe it."
"I can," Jane said. "He's
another vehicle parked in the lot.
When they got closer, Lucy realized it was a US
Forest Service truck and Ranger Leonard was bent over the tailgate looking at
something.
He looked up at the sound of their feet crunching
on the gravel and walked over to greet them. "Hello ladies." He let
out a low whistle. "You look like you've had a tough time of it."
"You have no idea," Jane said looking him
over.
Lucy rolled her eyes. Leave it to Jane to try and
flirt when she was dirty, scratched, and bug bit.
The ranger smiled and shook his head. "Oh I
think I have a pretty good idea. I thought you ladies were going to check in
with me before you went into the back country."
"We didn't think about it this morning. Too
worried about my aunt," Lucy said.
He got the point. "She didn't come home last
night?"
"No. We decided to see if we could figure out
what she was working on. I admit we weren't expecting it to be as rugged as it
is here. But we made out okay." Even though they hadn't found any sign of
Belle, they'd made it out in one piece--with the map.
He nodded. "Well, I really hope you'll check
in with me if you come back. I like to know who's in the back country and when
they're expected back."
"So you can locate our bodies more
easily?" Jane asked with a wry smile.
He laughed showing a beautiful set of teeth.
"Something like that."
"So, did you find what you were looking
for?" he asked.
"As a matter of fact. We found the homestead
Belle was researching."
"We dug up a cookie tin hidden by one of
Lucy's ancestors," Mae blurted out before Lucy could poke her.
Leonard frowned. "You ladies were digging for
artifacts on federal property?"
"No! I know better than to mess up an
archaeological site." Lucy held up the tin. "This was hidden under
the hearthstone of the cabin by one of my--I'm not sure how many
greats--grandparents. He fought for the Union in the Civil War. Didn't make him
too popular in these parts I imagine."
"That's interesting." He held out his
hand. "Mind if I take a look?"
Actually Lucy did mind but she didn't really have a
choice. "Sure." She bared her teeth in a pretend smile as she handed
him the tin.
He pried the lid off and reached inside, pulled out
the map and unfolded it.
"Civil War era, you say?"
Lucy wasn't sure whether admitting that would be
good or bad but lying to a federal agent didn't seem like a good idea. "We
think so."
He looked it over. "A treasure map? Who'd you
say buried this tin?"
"A man named Paul Morris. He and his wife
homesteaded here before the war."
He looked pained. "I'm afraid I'm going to
have to ask you ladies to come back to the office with me."
Mae looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
"You're arresting us?"
There
There Little Lady
Jane muttered, "Well hell." Mr. Ruggedly
Handsome was morphing into Officious Prick.
Flop sweat greased Lucy's palms but she stood her
ground. "You're making a mistake."
"Now, I didn't say anything about arresting
anyone. But I can't just let you walk away with what might be a valuable
artifact." He studied the map.
"I think it's a clue," Mae said.
Lucy wished she could cast a spell to make Mae lose
her voice. "I think it's just something my ancestor created for his own
amusement. I doubt the map means anything."
"Whatever it is, we need to determine if it
belongs to you or the US Forest Service." He put the map back in the tin
and put the lid on. "Now, you ladies don't look like the criminal type.
And since I have this tin and the license number of that van, I figure I can
count on you to follow me back to the office so we can discuss this."
Jane gave him the "eat shit" look.
"Of course we'll go to your office," Lucy
said.
He nodded. "I'll drive slow so I don't lose
you."
He watched them get in the van before taking the
tin and getting in his truck.
"He's got the map," Mae said. "I
can't believe it."
"I can," Jane said. "He's
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