anyone could work in such an environment. Even the windows appeared as if they hadn’t been cleaned for months, with their accumulation of grime from outside.
“Good afternoon. I’m Mr. Lehrer.” A thin man appeared from the back of the room, held out his hand, and offered a broad smile. “How can I be of service to you today?”
“Name’s Aaron Jefferson and I need some information.” Aaron decided to get right to the point. “The sheriff said he sent someone to see you as they were tracking down either a person or perhaps the owner of a piece of land?”
The man shoved his wire spectacles up the bridge of his nose. “Today certainly is turning out to be quite a busy day for information.”
“So someone did stop by?”
“About an hour or so ago. I answered a few questions, and we had a nice chat.”
Aaron worked to conceal his interest. Finding this man might not be the ticket to finding the gold, but he wasn’t going to ignore any leads.
“I need to know exactly what this person wanted.”
Mr. Lehrer sat down at his desk and took out a steel nib pen as he shook his head. “I am sorry, but all transactions are private. You have to understand—”
“Not when it comes to the law.” Andrew withdrew his badge from the front pocket of his vest and held it where Mr. Lehrer could see it.
Mr. Lehrer dropped his pen. “Who exactly are you?”
“I work for the United States government.” Aaron shoved the badge back into his pocket. “I need to contact the person who was in here asking questions. He has some information I need.”
“She—”
“She?” Aaron dipped his head. “I was under the impression that it was a man.”
“Then you obviously haven’t seen this woman. She was beautiful. Wide eyes, smooth skin, hair pinned up neatly, smartly dressed. . .”
An image of her filled his mind at the description. Aaron closed his eyes and tried unsuccessfully to push away the vision of the lovely stranger. The whole thing was ridiculous. How could he have become so enamored of someone he’d never properly met? He knew as much about Mr. Lehrer as he did about the woman. He had to forget her. Time to focus on this lead, not on a woman he very well might never see again.
“What else about her description?” Aaron leaned against the side of the desk. “What color was her hair?”
The land agent held up his pen and winced. “That, I’m afraid, I can’t tell you. I’m color-blind.”
“You’re color-blind?” Aaron let out a sigh. All he needed were a few details, and he couldn’t even get those. “Certainly you can tell me what she was looking for.”
“Of course.” Mr. Lehrer nodded. “A man by the name of Richart Schlosser.”
Aaron worked to keep his frustration in check. In an office this unorganized, he wasn’t sure he could trust the man’s memory. “Are you sure that was the name?”
“I’m quite sure. I might be color-blind, but I never forget a name.”
“And what did you tell her?”
Mr. Lehrer tapped his pen against the desk. “The man moved away about four years ago. James Martin now owns the farm.”
Aaron stood up straight and tapped his Stetson against the palm of his hand. There was only one more thing he needed to know before he left. “Last question. What was the woman’s name?”
“Her name is Tara Young. And if you’re looking to find her, she was pretty persistent. I wouldn’t be surprised if she heads out to Mr. Martin’s the first chance she gets.”
❧
Tara finished reading aloud the last few verses from Psalms, chapter nineteen, then paused to take a peek at Mrs. Carpenter. The older woman sat sound asleep in her slat-back rocker. Tara yawned and wondered if she could sneak a few minutes of sleep, as well. Getting up at five thirty for the second day in a row, followed by boiling a new batch of brine for the pickles, had her longing for the quiet mornings back home where no one ever wakened her until the decent hour of eight or nine. And
“Good afternoon. I’m Mr. Lehrer.” A thin man appeared from the back of the room, held out his hand, and offered a broad smile. “How can I be of service to you today?”
“Name’s Aaron Jefferson and I need some information.” Aaron decided to get right to the point. “The sheriff said he sent someone to see you as they were tracking down either a person or perhaps the owner of a piece of land?”
The man shoved his wire spectacles up the bridge of his nose. “Today certainly is turning out to be quite a busy day for information.”
“So someone did stop by?”
“About an hour or so ago. I answered a few questions, and we had a nice chat.”
Aaron worked to conceal his interest. Finding this man might not be the ticket to finding the gold, but he wasn’t going to ignore any leads.
“I need to know exactly what this person wanted.”
Mr. Lehrer sat down at his desk and took out a steel nib pen as he shook his head. “I am sorry, but all transactions are private. You have to understand—”
“Not when it comes to the law.” Andrew withdrew his badge from the front pocket of his vest and held it where Mr. Lehrer could see it.
Mr. Lehrer dropped his pen. “Who exactly are you?”
“I work for the United States government.” Aaron shoved the badge back into his pocket. “I need to contact the person who was in here asking questions. He has some information I need.”
“She—”
“She?” Aaron dipped his head. “I was under the impression that it was a man.”
“Then you obviously haven’t seen this woman. She was beautiful. Wide eyes, smooth skin, hair pinned up neatly, smartly dressed. . .”
An image of her filled his mind at the description. Aaron closed his eyes and tried unsuccessfully to push away the vision of the lovely stranger. The whole thing was ridiculous. How could he have become so enamored of someone he’d never properly met? He knew as much about Mr. Lehrer as he did about the woman. He had to forget her. Time to focus on this lead, not on a woman he very well might never see again.
“What else about her description?” Aaron leaned against the side of the desk. “What color was her hair?”
The land agent held up his pen and winced. “That, I’m afraid, I can’t tell you. I’m color-blind.”
“You’re color-blind?” Aaron let out a sigh. All he needed were a few details, and he couldn’t even get those. “Certainly you can tell me what she was looking for.”
“Of course.” Mr. Lehrer nodded. “A man by the name of Richart Schlosser.”
Aaron worked to keep his frustration in check. In an office this unorganized, he wasn’t sure he could trust the man’s memory. “Are you sure that was the name?”
“I’m quite sure. I might be color-blind, but I never forget a name.”
“And what did you tell her?”
Mr. Lehrer tapped his pen against the desk. “The man moved away about four years ago. James Martin now owns the farm.”
Aaron stood up straight and tapped his Stetson against the palm of his hand. There was only one more thing he needed to know before he left. “Last question. What was the woman’s name?”
“Her name is Tara Young. And if you’re looking to find her, she was pretty persistent. I wouldn’t be surprised if she heads out to Mr. Martin’s the first chance she gets.”
❧
Tara finished reading aloud the last few verses from Psalms, chapter nineteen, then paused to take a peek at Mrs. Carpenter. The older woman sat sound asleep in her slat-back rocker. Tara yawned and wondered if she could sneak a few minutes of sleep, as well. Getting up at five thirty for the second day in a row, followed by boiling a new batch of brine for the pickles, had her longing for the quiet mornings back home where no one ever wakened her until the decent hour of eight or nine. And
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