The True One

Chapter 10 Part 2

Alek

Day two of Gold Rush Revenge consisted of a strenuous eight-mile trek leading into the heart of the Trinity Alps. The gain in elevation usually garnered complaints from even my most outdoorsy clients. I expected the same of my spa squad, particularly from their leader, but Verity began the new day as though she'd been possessed by the spirit of a mountaineer. She abstained from all forms of complaints, insults, and cynicism, including having to dig a hole to do her business—something that had been met with shock a day earlier. Not only did she seem almost cheerful, but she even added to the Buckshot Barney narrative.

"So, why do we call this treasure hunt Gold Rush Revenge?" I asked them a few hours after we'd packed up camp and headed out.

We'd stopped for a short break at a lookout with panoramic views of the permanent snow field marking Thompson Peak's steep east face. Flora and Macy's hands shot up. And so did the hand of my formerly belligerent student. "Verity?"

"Samuel Cleaver," she replied, a gleam in her eyes as she took in my surprise expression.

"And who was he?"

"He killed Buckshot Barney, supposedly over a woman named Annie, but that storyline is just the usual misogynistic bullshit, blaming men's bad behavior on women; there's no historical evidence of that being true, or that Annie even existed. What is known, however, is that Cleaver was one of the prospectors Barney had stolen from. And Cleaver was not the forgiving sort."

"Impressive," I said, wishing that weren't the truth. "Well done."

"Do I have more gold stars than Flora now?"

Flora punched her playfully on the shoulder as I continued my spiel. "Eventually, Cleaver was arrested for Barney's murder, but not before he had the opportunity to search for the lost gold. Some say he even found it. Here's a facsimile of a letter Cleaver wrote to his cousin in San Francisco detailing the trail he took to find the treasure." I passed a laminated sheet of paper to Macy, who studied it for a moment before handing it to Flora.

"Unfortunately," I continued, "We only have the first page of his letter. The other pages were lost in an 1861 housefire two years after Barney's murder. That fire also claimed the life of Cleaver's cousin."

"None of that information was online." Flora stared hard at the facsimile.

"The internet doesn't know everything," Verity said.

Both pleased and wary of Verity's sudden turn about, I nodded. "You must dig deep for this sort of information. My company has scoured archives, talked to local history societies and museums; we've even interviewed descendants. A treasure hunt isn't all adventure. A lot of it is research."

"I suppose." Flora still looked skeptical, as well she should. Norvin's eighty-year-old aunt, a longtime Aurum Venari member, had fabricated the original first page of the letter she now held in her hand.

"As for Cleaver himself, no one can say for sure whether his revenge ended with Buckshot Barney's killing, or if it extended to him recovering his stolen gold. He died in prison of consumption in January 1862. If he had found the gold, it doesn't seem like he or anyone in his family benefited. His wife and five children lived a humble existence after his arrest and subsequent death. No lavish purchases or travel. Only a small clapboard home and relentless work to make ends meet."

'The good news is that means the gold might still be here," Macy said.

"Hold on." Martin handed the letter back to me. "If Cleaver took this same path and he didn't locate it, why would we?"

I pointed ahead on the trail. "We'll have to keep going to find out."

If any of them were nervous about last night's supposed stalker, the only indication was Flora looking over her shoulder on occasion. The vote to continue this morning had been unanimous after Verity explained she was paying for this excursion and wanted to see it through. After that, not a word was mentioned. I had to remind myself that last night hadn't been a dream; Chip might very well be out there, biding his time until he could get to Verity.