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Slade said nothing at first. Instead, he lifted the saddlebag and passed it to Latham, angry he had missed obvious clues. “I need to go look for myself.” He slid down. The little dog leaped over the side of the bag and followed him. The two men tied the horses and walked back through the brush together with the small dog in tow.
Slade felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. To think that someone waited here, intent to hurt his father and brother—two of the most honorable and kind people he knew—upset him beyond measure. He sifted through the remnants of the fire, looking for anything that could identify the camper. Nothing. As they turned to go, the dog began scratching at a shiny object in the dirt near the campsite. Slade reached down and unearthed a gold sovereign and then saw a few more. He picked it up and counted. “Five pounds in gold sovereigns. Perhaps a highwayman camped here.” As he said it, he realized it had not been a highwayman. Someone had intentionally wanted to hurt his family. Why?
“Enough gold coins would entice someone to commit murder,” observed Latham, his voice laced with annoyance. “These could have fallen out unnoticed.” His friend walked a little further, still looking around.
“You are right. And with the curve coming up, it is not a suitable spot for a highwayman.” Slade’s eyes narrowed.
“Drake, we need to look at the face value of thiscoincidence.” Latham emphasized the word. “It looks like part of a payment to someone to fire a pistol and spook horses. They would have left quickly. A highwayman would have probably had other items, and few would not have stayed near the scene of the crime. An assassin might have if he wanted a vantage point to make sure he carried out the deed. The only oddity I cannot reconcile is leaving the dog.”
“You are right, of course. Even thinking it through creates many emotions. I am too close to everything, but I cannot step away. I want to see this through,” Slade responded.
They heard a coach stop where they had left their horses. “That will be Mother and Tabetha,” Slade acknowledged. “Let us only mention the dog at this point.”
Latham nodded. “Agreed. I vow we will figure this out, Slade.”
“We will.” Slade would make it his life’s work to uncover the culprit. He glanced at the small dog. “And we may have a witness.”
