Page 36 of Waylaid in Whittier

Annette waited for it to stop and for them to climb off. “We were wondering if you got lost.”

“We got stuck trying to get through the tunnel.” Millie unclipped her helmet and placed it on the seat. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No biggie. We’ve been here maybe ten minutes,” Cat said. “We haven’t seen Elvira.”

“Let me check on her. She was running a little behind. She might’ve gotten caught up in the same traffic jam we were in.” Sharky tapped out a quick text.

Tink.“She’s only a minute or so away.”

Brody pointed at Millie. “What’s the plan, boss lady?”

“I figured we would search Elvira’s RV for potential leads,” Millie said. “If the producer is around, maybe we can ask him a few questions. Hopefully, with Elvira out of jail, we can shift our investigation into high gear.”

“The clock is ticking,” Cat said. “We need to figure this out, and fast.”

“I see her coming now.” An old jalopy, a rusty pickup truck with a faded truck bed topper on the back, rambled down the road, rattling and clunking.

Millie shaded her eyes, watching as the truck bounced over the ruts. As it drew closer, she could see Elvira behind the wheel. But there was something different about her…something odd and out of character. “What in the world?”

Chapter 14

Elvira, with a brown cowboy hat perched atop her head, climbed out of the truck. Her ripped jeans had seen better days. A long-sleeved flannel shirt hung loosely over her hips. She strutted across the road, her steel-toed work boots kicking up dust as she walked.

“Elvira meets the Wild West,” Annette whispered under her breath.

Millie said the first thing that popped into her head. “You look…rugged.”

“No sense in wearing nice clothes when you’re digging in the dirt.” She tapped the rim of her hat. “Besides, it’s important to blend in with the locals. It helps when you’re trying to get a foothold in the mining business.”

“You don’t look any worse for the wear as far as sitting in jail,” Cat said.

“You remember my friends.” Millie introduced Elvira to Brody, Annette and Cat.

“It’s nice to see you again.” Elvira politely shook hands. “Thanks for offering to help me.”

“You’re welcome,” Annette said. “We’re kind of tight on time. Millie already filled us in. The bottom line is you think you found gold. So did this other miner, Wanda. You argued at the local bar. After she left, she was attacked.”

“In a nutshell,” Elvira said. “I didn’t do it.”

“Do you think it was someone who found out about your promising dig location?” Cat asked.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. Wanda and I are…were friends. She got a little too curious about my honey hole. I warned her to back off. She caught me off guard, that’s all.”

Millie started to pace. “She was attacked, but not robbed.”

“Correct,” Elvira confirmed. “If you visit the bar, you’ll see it’s in the heart of town, meaning it was easily accessible to whoever attacked her.”

“Millie and I already swung by there and spoke with one of the bartenders. He told us Wanda lives in Valley Shore Apartments. Have you ever heard of the place?”

“Sure. Everyone in Whittier knows Valley Shores. In fact, most of the residents live there or in the Begich building. If you’re thinking about stopping by, I have a word of warning. At least a few of the locals aren’t keen on chatting with outsiders.” Elvira tugged on her shirt. “Another reason I’m wearing these carefully selected duds.”

“The guy working at the bar didn’t seem to mind chatting,” Millie said.

“I’m only telling you what I know.” Elvira turned to Brody. “You drove up to the potential site and looked around?”

“We did.” Annette turned her cell phone on and showed Elvira a photo of the dig site. “Someone has been up there.”

“I figured it was only a matter of time.” Elvira scowled. “Are you sure you were in the right place?”

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