Page 49 of Waylaid in Whittier

Millie blinked rapidly. “To be honest, I’m not sure. Let me ask her.” She sent a brief text, asking Elvira if Wanda had left right after they argued.

Her reply was quick:She went over, said something to Alex and the others, and then left.

Millie:Did anyone follow her out of the bar?

Elvira:I don’t know. I went to the bathroom. When I finished, I caught up with the others. We stood chatting until the cops showed up and we found out about Wanda’s attack.

Millie:Meaning, someone from your group could have left right after or even before you argued and you would not have known?

Elvira:It’s possible. The details are a little fuzzy.

Millie:Did anyone see you go into the bathroom?

Elvira:Another woman was in one of the stalls. I have no idea who she was.

Millie thanked her and put her phone on the desk. “Can I get you something to drink, maybe a bottle of water?”

“Sure. Thanks.” Danielle took the seat Millie vacated and reached for the mouse.

She returned and handed her the water. “What are you doing?”

“Delving a little deeper. I’m working my way back down the list, thinking maybe we missed some minor detail.” Danielle typed Carter Morley’s name into the search bar.

The stories she and Millie had already read appeared. She scrolled through the first page and clicked on page two. Near the top was a news article about Morley Mines.

“What is that?” Millie tapped the screen.

“Let’s find out.” Danielle clicked on the article. At the top of the page was a photo of a miner. Vivid blue eyes stared back at them through bushy brows. Deep creases lined his forehead. Sparse tufts of gray hair poked out from beneath his hardhat.

Millie’s first impression was the man had lived a hard life. He stood in front of what appeared to be the entrance to a mining shaft. She read the caption aloud, ‘“Local miner Gold Morley ends his mining career with a pot of gold.’ What are the odds this man and Carter Morley’s last name are the same?”

“I’m sure they’re related.”

“I agree.”

The story stated the Whittier local, who owned several plots of land and had mined for decades, was preparing for his retirement when he hit on a vein of gold. The lucky strike led to him finding larger nuggets near the banks of a nearby river.

He claimed he’d been working the spot for years, convinced he was close to striking it rich. The article gave a brief history about how Morley’s father had moved his family to Alaska when he was a child. “Morley Mines is the key to Whittier’s gold,” he insisted. “I believe generations of Morleys, including my grandson, will continue to find gold in this area. In fact, I’m certain of it.”

“Ten bucks says Carter Morley is Gold Morley’s grandson.” Danielle scrolled to the bottom of the article and found another photo of the man. He stood leaning against a sprawling two-story metal structure. “It says he passed away about a year ago.”

The building reminded Millie of an old warehouse, perfectly square and surrounded by water. A long ramp was at one end of the building, resembling a metal arm. On the opposite end was some sort of conveyor belt. At the tippy top of the structure weremetal beams forming a square and protruding out, almost like a deck but without wooden floorboards.

“That’s one creepy looking building.” Danielle shivered involuntarily. “Imagine wandering around at night and stumbling upon that old place.”

“I wonder where it is.”

“147 Port Park Road.”

“Is it in Whittier? Maybe it’s close to the ship.”

“Already on it.” Danielle’s fingers flew over the keys. “It’s less than two miles from here.”

Millie hovered over her shoulder. “Click on the satellite image, please.”

Danielle did as she asked, zooming in on the exact location. “It looks like a remote spot.”

“Morley claimed his mine is the key to finding gold in Whittier. I think we should check it out.” Millie consulted the clock. “The evening events are covered, which means we can skate out of here without anyone noticing.”

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