They Called The Widow “Poor” and Took Her Seat—Five Minutes Later,They Learned Whose Railroad It Was
Chapter 6
Clara began investigating her husband’s death.
She learned that Jonathan had complained of stomach pain for weeks before he died.
The physician had called it fever.
But Clara remembered something.
Jonathan had stopped eating meat.
He had said it tasted bitter.
She had thought nothing of it.
Now she remembered.
She found the old physician.
He was retired and living outside Bellweather.
When Clara asked about Jonathan, he became nervous.
“Your husband was sick.”
“I know.”
“Nothing more.”
“Did you test anything?”
“No.”
“Did someone tell you what to write on the death record?”
The old man looked away.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Crane.”
Clara’s heart tightened.
“What did he tell you?”
“That Jonathan died naturally.”
“Did you believe him?”
“No.”
The physician’s voice broke.
“I was afraid.”
Clara left.
Samuel waited outside.
“What did he say?”
“That my husband’s death was falsified.”
Samuel’s jaw tightened.
“We need proof.”
“Yes.”
They returned to the estate.
Clara searched the study.
Behind a loose board, she found a letter.
Jonathan had written it shortly before his death.
If anything happens to me, do not trust Crane.
The road is not merely a road.
The land beneath it contains something they want.
Clara read the sentence again.
Samuel looked at the map.
“What is beneath the road?”
“I don’t know.”
They examined old surveys.
Then Clara noticed something.
The road crossed an area marked in her husband’s handwriting.
“Salt.”
Samuel stared.
“Salt?”
“There are salt springs beneath the northern land.”
Salt was valuable.
Extremely valuable.
The road provided the only practical route from the springs to the river.
Crane did not want the road for timber.
He wanted the salt.
And whoever controlled the transport route could control the entire trade.
Samuel looked at her.
“Your husband knew.”
“Yes.”
“And he refused to sell.”
“Yes.”
“That is why they killed him.”
Clara closed her eyes.
For six months, she had wondered whether her husband’s death had been an accident.
Now she knew.
She had been living beside the answer.
Then they heard footsteps.
Someone was inside the house.
Samuel extinguished the candle.
A door opened.
Two men entered.
One whispered:
“Find the map.”
Clara recognized the voice.
Edwin Marsh.
Samuel looked at her.
She pointed toward the study.
They waited.
Marsh searched the desk.
He found nothing.
Then he opened the loose board.
His hand closed around the letter.
Clara stepped forward.
“Looking for this?”
Marsh froze.
