After the Letter Comes

the story gets thicker.

Sarah poured them three cups of coffee. Walked over and sat them down in one of the comfortable booths in the back. They sat down and started laughing. and looking at each other. Sarah finally figured it out . '' you sat here when you were young.''
   "Yes we did." He said looking at her hand in his.
   "Every morning before school. We would quietly sit here hoping no one in the family would notice."
   "I would like to talk to you about back then. The people that owned my house."
   "Ok why.? I don't recall any thing strange." Mr. Nelson said.
   Mrs. Crabtree looked at him then her. "What do you want to know about it. I lived next door to the house when I was little. My uncle owned it."
   "Really that's great so your a smith descendant."
   She paused before she answered." Yes"
   "Well when I was cleaning the house I found some papers in the attic. You might be interested in."
   "No ma'am I don't want anything from that house. It's nothing but bad memories."
   "Sorry to here that because the papers I found says the smith's didn't own the house a man named John Hirsch did. Have you heard of him?"
   She squeezed his hand harder. "You do know him don't you."
  "We'll have to go now." Mr. Nelson said getting up, pulling mrs. Crabtree with him.
  "I'm sorry is something wrong."
  "No, no we just have to go." He said walking her out of the diner.
  "Damn" Sarah cursed at the situation, wondering what that was all about. she went to her office and called Patti to catch her up on what happened with the old couple. It made Sarah think something really bad happened in that house. then why isn't anything showing up in the old news papers and history records. "I guess it's time to dig deeper. go to the other side of this puzzle. if I can find some one to admit they are kin." Sarah locked up her office and left to pick up Patti. before she could get out the front door of the diner the sheriff  stopped her. "Hi sheriff how is your day been?"

"Good can I talk to you a minute."

  "Sure what's up."

"Mr. Nelson called me."

"He did why? Is everything alright with them they were just here."

"Yes I know that is what I need to talk to you about." Sarah looked at him with a questioning look.

"Well come in and sit down. I have a feeling it is going to be a long talk." she turned and unlocked the door to go back in.

They walked back in and sat down at the counter. "What's up Sherriff?"

"Mr. Nelson said you were asking Mrs. Crabtree about the old house you bought, and it upset her."

"Yes I did. I didn't know it would upset her. I sure didn't know it was against the law to ask questions."

"It's not."

"So why are you here Joe? and why is that house so upsetting to her? What ever happened, happened along time ago."

"Yes it did. but it partly happened to her growing up."

"Ok what did. I will apologize to her later for upsetting her. but I have to keep investigating the house."

"Now my turn, why?"

"You probably wont understand it if I told you. I will be more discreet about it around town so it doesn't get back to her."

"That will be appreciated by her and Mr. Nelson "

Sarah got up and headed to the door. "Are we done here I have some business to take care of."

"I guess so but maybe we can talk later?"

"Sure come by later after you get off Joe and we will continue the conversation."

They left the café with Sarah heading to Patti's place to pick her up. they headed to the old museum for the Black community of years gone by. They walked in to see a different face there. She came over to welcome us. "Hello can I help you?"

"Well I hope so. I'm looking for family members of the Hirsch family."

"I haven't heard that name in a long time. why are you looking for them?"

Sarah thought about it a minute and decided to tell the hole thing. "I bought this house in town and while I was cleaning out the attic I came across some papers that had John Hirsch's name on them and was wondering if he still had some family left so I could give the papers to them."

"Can I see the papers?"

"Are you kin to him?"

"Well yes down the line. My Grandmother is the niece of his brother."

"Wow can I talk to her or one of his children or grandchildren?"

"He didn't have any on record."

"What does that mean?"

"By the older members of the family say he had one child with a white woman but back then it was covered up and he couldn't see the child or acknowledge that he was even the father."

Patti tuned in "That could be why Mrs. Crabtree acted the way she did."

"What?"

"Yes it may. I talked to her before coming here. It seem to upset her to remember the house growing up."

Some one come in the front door the curator motioned for us to follow "come back here so we can finish talking." We walked back to the same room the gentleman brought us too. While the lady helped the other people we looked around the room a little closer than last time. Sarah walked around looking at the pictures on the wall. "Sarah look here." Patti called her over. pointing at a picture on the wall. "It's my house. Along time ago but it's my house." the house was in full glory with some people standing on the front walk by the gate leading to the street. It was a group of workers, by the look of their clothes, lined up along the fence. Sarah point to one of the men standing on the right. "That's him, that's John Hirsch."

"How did you know that?" a voice came from behind us. we turned to look at the voice expecting to see the curator. it was a shock to see an elderly lady standing there. Back straight, head up looking like she was on the war path.

Sarah turned back to the picture and pointed at the house. "That is my house."