❝ LOVE AND TREASURE ❞ ── Ben Gates ✓

❝ CHAPTER 15 ❞

▌Chapter 15 ─ Mastermind ▌

      ━━━━━ CLARA SAT IN the audience as Ben talked about the history of one John Wilkes Booth and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. She watched Ben walk back towards the podium.

"So, recapping, the Knights of the Golden Circle was a southern extremist group operating in the North to subvert Union forces. Had Thomas not burned the legendary missing pages from the Booth diary, the killers may have found a vast treasure of gold, and the Union may well have lost the Civil War. Thank you." Ben spoke as everyone started to clap. Clara smiled at her husband, clapping as well.

"I'd like to thank Ben and Patrick Gates..." Dr. Nichols said Patrick stood up and walked towards the stage.

"Thank you." Patrick said.

"...and say what a wonderful addition Thomas Gates is to our Civilian Heroes exhibit. Thank you."

"Thank you, Dr. Nichols. I only wish my grandfather had been here to see this wonderful day." Patrick said, Clara placed a smile on her lips.

"Excuse me. I have a question I'd like to ask." A man said, far in the back of the room. She looked up at the man. "What do you think ever happened to that Booth diary page that was pulled out of the fire?" He went on to ask.

"We may never know." Ben answered.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Clara watched as the man leaned forward in his chair. "You see, I have one of those great-great-granddaddies just like you, way up in my family tree, name of Silas Wilkinson. He used to tell a story about the night Lincoln was shot. As Silas tells it, Booth didn't seek out Thomas Gates regarding the treasure map that night. It was Thomas who called a meeting, a meeting to plan the assassination of Lincoln."

Clara stood up from her chair as Ben shook his head. The audience gasped in shock. "How absurd." Ben replied.

"That's a lie." Patrick told him.

He then stood up. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one of the missing pages from the infamous diary of John Wilkes Booth with the name Thomas Gates written on a list along with all the other killers."

Ben looked at the man, then his eyes fell to Clara who stared back at him. Clara walked up to the stage after everyone had been asked to leave. She stood next to Ben and looked at the screen while Dr. Nichols held onto the page.

"And... Latin?" He asked.

"Well, Booth was a student of Latin. He shouted 'Sic semper tyrannis' after he shot Lincoln. 'Thus always...'"

"'Thus always to tyrants.'" Clara and Patrick said at the same time, cutting Mitch off.

"We know." Patrick added. Mitch looked at Patrick and Clara, but Clara chose to keep her eyes on the screen.

"'Surratt Copiae.'"

"Military supplies. Mary Surratt was convicted and hanged for supplying Booth with a rifle and field glasses."

Ben walked away from Clara and moved closer to the screen to look at the paper. "'Thomas Gates: Artifex.'" He looked back at Mitch.

"Designer or mastermind."

"I know what it means."

"He must have, uh, planned the assassination."

"I see."

"Could mean mastermind of anything. You see that?" Patrick asked, looking down at the burnt picture. "Burned out right there."

"I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you."

Clara walked up to Ben and grabbed a hold of his hand holding it in hers, he briefly looked at her. And when he did she could see the sadness that rested on his face.

"May I, Mister..?"

"Wilkinson."

"Wilkinson." Ben repeated.

Dr. Nichols walked up to the stand where John Wilkes Booth's Diary rested. He lifted the glass up and grabbed a hold of the book.

"I'll just see if this new page matches the Booth diary."

"This is an outrage. You're calling my grandfather a liar."

"With all due respect, now you're calling my great-great-grandaddy a liar."

"Yes, sir, I am. This isn't some garbage from a history book." Ben removed his hand from Clara and moved over to his father. "My grandfather told me this story myself. I saw the truth of it in his eyes."

"I'm sorry, sir. I truly am."

Clara looked up at the screen watching Dr. Nichols lined up the burnt page up the tear that was in the book. She sighed heavily when the burnt page seemed to match the tears from the book.

"We'll test this thoroughly, Patrick, to authenticate it."

"It can't be."

The married couple stood in Patrick's house watching him pace around and mumble to himself. Ben didn't like to see his father like this and neither did Clara. Ben walked away from Clara heading out of the house, she followed behind him closing the door behind her.

───── ❝ ◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸ ❞ ─────

Ben held a book in his hand and had been reading it, while Clara had been looking through the papers she had managed to get a hold of. She wanted to find out everything she could on Wilkinson. Why had he waited so long to come forward with the page? It just didn't make any sense to her. Ben looked up from his book and proceeded to nudge Clara. She looked up from what she had been doing. Riley was walking towards them holding his things. A confused look fell onto the blonde's face as she looked at her friend.

"Where's the Ferrari?" Ben asked him.

"IRS impounded it." Riley answered, looking at the couple as he stopped in front of them.

"The IRS?" Clara questioned.

"Funny story. My accountant set up a 'corporation' on an island that didn't exist and assured me that that's how the 'rich' people do it. Then I got audited and slapped with a huge fine, plus interest. You wanna know what taxes are on $5 million?" Riley asked the two as he placed the sign down. "$6 million. But enough about me. Uhh. What's new with you two?"

Clara moved closer to Ben while Riley sat down next to her. "Well, Clara and I are trying to find a slightly smaller and historic house, we're living with my dad for the time being, and my family killed President Lincoln." Ben answered.

"All right."

"We need your help." Clara said, looking at Riley.