AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 57
ITAKE ITyou couldn’t make bail?”
It was the next day and Decker and Jamison were sitting across from John Baron in the visitors’ room at the Baronville jail.
Decker had told Jamison what he had found in Ted Ross’s office and about his meeting with Agent Kemper.
Baron was in a white prison jumpsuit.He was unshaven and his hair was in disarray. He looked like he hadn’t slept much.
“That’s right.”
“No, that’s not right. Cindi Riley tried to post bail for you after your hearing but you refused.”
“It’s not her problem. She hired me a lawyer. She shouldn’t have to waste more of her money on me.”
“Very noble of you,” said Decker. “But I don’t think noblenessis going to get you out of this. But the truth might.”
Baron said sharply, “Meaning I’ve lied to you? I’ve admitted that.”
“I’m not necessarily talking about you. I’m speaking more generally.”
“So why are you here, then,generally speaking?”
“It’s pretty clear to me that Bradley Costa came to town because he thought he knew where a treasure left behind byyour namesake was located.”
“And I thought I made it very clear that I don’t believe that there is a treasure. It would have been found by now.”
“But let’s assume there is a treasure, just for argument’s sake.”
Baron sighed, sat back in the molded plastic chair, and said, “Okay, it’s not like I have anything else to do right now.”
“If the treasure is locatedon your property somewhere, it would be difficult for someone to go up there and take it, I would imagine.”
“Depends on what it was.”
“I don’t think we’re talking paper. That would degrade over time. And I think your namesake would have wanted something that would be around for the long haul.”
“Why would he care? He’d be dead.”
“Because he was a son of abitch,” said Decker. “He didn’t want his family getting his money. In fact, a letter I read from Nigel Nottingham to his son said that your ancestor considered his children unworthy of his fortune.”
Baron mulled over this statement and shrugged. “I didn’t learn how desperate things really were until my parents died. It wasn’t until then that I found out the house had been mortgaged tothe hilt and there was really no cash in the bank. I just assumed that preceding generations had simply squandered it. But I did some digging and learned that there just wasn’t a lot of money left by Baron the First to his heirs.”
“So if he was so successful, where did all the money go?” asked Jamison.
“My father talked to me about it once. He apparently had looked into itas well. With him being a lawyer he knew where to look, so to speak. After examining the matter, he told me that Baron had largely cashed out from the businesses, meaning he had borrowed heavily against his assets. That was a double whammy for his heirs. The businesses would be heavily indebted and there was little liquidity to support that debt.”
“Maybe that’s what the treasure is,the missing money,” said Jamison.
Baron looked at her. “There’s no treasure, Alex.”
“Why not?”
“Because lots of my ancestors have looked for it. You saw all the holes in the walls. And the grounds were all dug up too. My father told me it was like someone had been mining on the property. If there was treasure, I’m sure it would have been found by now.”
“Why would they have even assumed there was a treasure?” asked Jamison.
Baron said, “I don’t know for sure, of course, but I guess because they couldn’t believe what they inherited was all there was. And maybe like Decker said, they thought Baron was trying to screw them.”
