Treasure Quest

Chapter nine: Love is...Inseparable

The next morning, just before eight o'clock, five humans and one shaking dog made their way through the Coolsville graveyard. A cool breeze, the basis for the city's name, played through the surrounding trees and the flowers adorning the graves. It was quiet, deathly quiet; they were the only people (or dogs) traveling the pathways between the resting places of the dead.

Daphne and Velma slowed their pace, letting the men and Scooby move ahead.

"Velma," Daphne whispered, "You asked me about Fred acting weird. I want to apologize. I still trust Fred but...I think you're right. He's not telling us everything."

"I think this mystery is almost solved. Fred will tell us when he's ready. Just don't fall through any trap doors."

"I'll do my best. What trap doors could be in a graveyard?"

"Don't ask. Just be careful." The girls picked up their tempo, joining the others at the edge of the older section of the memorial park.

"Where is this ancestor of yours buried, Jones?" Mr. Bourbon tried to smile. Failing miserably.

Fred shrugged his shoulders, "It's been years since I was here last. Over in that corner I believe." He pointed at a distant tree line that marked the outer boundary. "I think we'd save time if we slit up."

It was less than ten minutes later when Shaggy called out, "That was Thomas Jones, right, Fred?"

Everyone converged on Shaggy and Scooby, gathering around one tomb with a white cross marker and a five foot gray granite monument.

"Look at this ground covering the grave; it hasn't been disturbed in a long time." Fred knelt beside the grave, running his hand over the grass. "If there was any gold here, it was taken a long time ago."

The etching on the monument caught his eye; glancing between the etching of a lighthouse on the monument and the now abandoned lighthouse on the Coolsville point, he was sure the old lighthouse had been the model for the etching.

No one had paid attention to Mr. Bourbon until he grabbed Daphne. Pulling a knife from a pocket in his khaki walking shorts he placed it at her throat. "Now, Mr. Jones, this is how this is going down. You will stop this 'no gold' routine and lead us to the gold."

"Let her go, Bourbon! Haven't you been listening? There is no gold. Velma, do you still have Mr. Bourbon's check?"

"Yes, Fred."

"Let me have it."

"Daphne, I need for you to relax. We and Mr. Bourbon need to have a discussion." He took the check from Velma, holding it up. "Mr. Bourbon, this is how this is going down: let Daphne go and you can have your check back. Mystery Inc. is no longer interested in your wild goose chase."

"So you can keep the gold for yourselves? No, Mr. Jones, I think not. Now, where is the gold!"

"Velma, you're usually the one to solve the mystery first. Have you figured it out yet?"

"Hmm, guys, could we have the Reader's Digest Condensed Version? Mr. Bourbon does have a point." Daphne begged.

"There are some holes to fill in but yes, I've got most of it. Mr. Bourbon, you told us that an officer and six men came North to acquire some gold for the Confederacy. Where were they supposed to get the gold? I think it was from Rose Greenhow; she was a confederate spy and the belle dame of Washington society. But she disappeared for three days during Washington's busiest society season. We will never why she came here to transfer the gold to the soldiers.

"The gold wouldn't be in bars, that would have been too heavy, but gold dust taken from Colorado and California mines. They headed back with the gold dust, probably in a pack train. Somewhere along the way, an Union patrol intercepted them and after a battle, I'm guessing, the Union soldiers found themselves with a lot of gold.

"So what did they do? They should have turned it over to the Union government but I think they split it equally. So now we have one-sixth for Fred's ancestor. I think it would be less because he'd pay the other six for their silence. After the war, he cashiers out and comes here, his home."

"That would have been 1866," Fred interjected. "Where would you hide the gold, Mr. Bourbon, with six would be friends that could show up at any time? Family history has it that he came home, fell in love and built 'Green Haven' for his would be bride."

"And remember, Mr. Bourbon, right after the war carpetbaggers and scam artist moved in driving prices sky high." Velma picked up the story. "'Green Haven' was the finest house money, or gold, could buy. If any of his friends showed up after the gold, he'd laugh and point at the house. There's your gold, Mr. Bourbon, he spent it on the house!"

There was no noise when the battle appeared. Men in Union Blue against Confederate soldiers moved across the graveyard; white powder could be seen floating from old musket rifles. Men dropped and lay still.

It was enough to distract Mr. Bourbon. Daphne had been slowly slumping forward; now she jerked her head back into Mr. Bourbon's face. He cried out grabbing his cheek; Daphne grabbed the arm holding the knife, and threw Mr. Bourbon over her shoulder. Another second and she had the knife at his throat.

The battle disappeared into the air as Fred, Shaggy and Velma rushed to hear Daphne say, "I'm going to be sick."

"Velma, Shaggy, take care of Daphne." Fred took the knife slipping it into a pocket. He helped a screaming Mr. Bourbon to his feet. He showed the check to Mr. Bourbon then tucked it a shirt pocket.

"That bitch broke my nose!"

"I played some football, Mr. Bourbon. I've seen my share of broken noses. Your nose isn't broken."

With the speed of a boxer and the power of a quarterback throwing a last second Hail Mary pass, Fred's fist connected; small bones shattered, blood spewed everywhere, Mr. Bourbon screamed louder.

"Now, your nose is broken." Fred turned on his heel and ignoring the shrieks of a running Bourbon, walked away.

"Are you okay, Daph?" He wrapped his arms around her waist. She hadn't gotten far before the heaving began, retching long after there was nothing left to come up.

"I'm okay, Freddie. Just need to brush my teeth before I kiss you."

"Fred, we heard screaming, what happened to Mr. Bourbon?" Velma asked.

"He tripped over his tongue. Daph, if you're up to it, anybody want to find some gold?"

"But we just proved Thomas Jones spent his gold building 'Green Haven'!" Velma proclaimed.

Keeping his arm around her waist, Fred led them back to the grave.

"See anything wrong with this grave site?" He pointed at the etching on the monument and the words inscribed above the lighthouse scene.

The words read, "The light of my life."

"The inscription is wrong, the correct passage is "I am the light of the world.""

TBC