She Bought an Abandoned 65 Acre Farm for Almost Nothing — One Year Later, What She Found Beneath the Property Shocked the Entire Town
Chapter 5
Emma returned to town the next morning.
The mayor was waiting.
His name was Richard Cole.
He had served Bellwood for eighteen years.
“Emma.”
“Mayor.”
“I heard you found something.”
“Where did you hear that?”
Richard smiled.
“Small town.”
Emma placed a copy of the map on his desk.
His smile disappeared.
“What is this?”
“You tell me.”
Richard looked at the paper.
“I’ve never seen it.”
“Thomas Reed’s records.”
The mayor leaned back.
“Emma, whatever you think you’ve found—”
“I haven’t decided what I found.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Because old records can be misleading.”
Emma watched him carefully.
“Did the county redirect the water in 1998?”
Richard didn’t answer.
“That was before my time.”
“But you know about it.”
“I know there were infrastructure changes.”
“Why?”
“Flood control.”
Emma placed another document on the desk.
Thomas’s complaint.
Water diversion destroyed agricultural land.
Richard sighed.
“Thomas was difficult.”
“He said someone wanted the farms.”
“He was paranoid.”
“He disappeared.”
“Exactly.”
Emma stared at him.
“What happened to him?”
“We don’t know.”
Richard stood.
“Let the past remain in the past.”
Emma picked up her documents.
“Why?”
“Because sometimes digging doesn’t uncover answers.”
“What does it uncover?”
Richard looked at her.
“Problems.”
Emma left.
Outside the courthouse, Walter waited.
“You talked to him?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That I should stop digging.”
Walter nodded.
“That sounds like Richard.”
“You don’t trust him.”
“I trust very few politicians.”
Emma looked toward the town square.
“Who owned Harrison Development in 1998?”
Walter’s expression hardened.
“Thomas Harrison.”
“Who is that?”
“Richard’s father.”
Emma felt a chill.
The company was now run by Thomas Harrison’s son, Michael Harrison.
Michael had recently offered Emma nearly twice what she paid for the farm.
She had refused.
At the time, she assumed he wanted the land because of its location.
Now she wondered if he knew what was beneath it.
That afternoon, Michael himself arrived.
His black SUV stopped outside Emma’s farmhouse.
He stepped out wearing a tailored suit.
“Emma.”
“You came.”
“I heard you’ve been asking questions.”
“About my own property.”
“Of course.”
He looked across the fields.
“You’ve done remarkable work.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ve increased the value considerably.”
“That’s good.”
“Which is why I want to make another offer.”
“No.”
“You haven’t heard the number.”
“I don’t need to.”
Michael smiled.
“Everyone has a price.”
Emma folded her arms.
“Not everyone.”
His smile faded.
“Be careful.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No.”
He looked toward the orchard.
“It’s advice.”
Then he left.
Emma watched the SUV disappear.
That evening, she returned underground.
There were still dozens of boxes.
But one was different.
It had her name written on it.
EMMA CARTER.
She opened it.
Inside was a letter.
Thomas Reed had known she would come.
