Searching For Proof
Two hours later, Wisteria dropped Matt off at the property that was now the campgrounds for the Wandering Star Circus before he turned her loose to roam free.
"Matt, I'm glad you made it." Evie said gratefully.
"Just what are we looking for, Evie?" Matt asked.
"Anything at all, Matt," Evie replied. "anything that will give us a good solid lead in this case."
Matt began walking around, until he stepped on a piece of plywood with his left riding boot.
"Hey," Matt said, picking up the plywood piece from the ground. "what's this?"
Evie ran over to Matt's location, "What did you find?" she asked.
"An old dusty piece of plywood, Evie." Matt answered.
Evie took the old plywood from Matt's hands and she dusted it off to read it.
"Hmmm, Cowlin? Why would my family be on the Cowlins' property?" Evie wondered.
"Search me." Matt answered.
"We should see my parents about this," Evie said to Matt. "come on!"
"Right." Matt said.
Matt followed Evie back to her family's trailer.
Evie burst through the front door still holding the sign.
"Evie," Rafael asked. "what's the matter?"
"Father," Evie asked. "why are we camped on Norville's grandfather's land?"
Rafael looked at Lisa, "Do you think we should tell Evie?" he asked.
"Yes, Dear, we should tell Evie how we acquired this land." Lisa confessed.
"Well, Max's great-great grandfather, Hezekiah Regnery once owned most of the valley. He made a land grant providing land for the town of Willow Creek to be built on." Rafael revealed to Evie.
"On the condition that a town hall, a school and a library had to be built within the first ten years, but the library wasn't built until way after the deadline, so according to the legal agreement, because, they missed the deadline, the land grant was nullified and the land reverted back to Regnery... or in this case, his descendant, Max." Lisa told Evie.
Evie was now shocked beyond belief.
"Wow! This is huge," Evie said. "so, after he learned of his inheritance, what did Max do about Neville and his father?"
"After Neville stole my guitar and its case with all of Grandmother's and my lifesavings in its false bottom and dumped it into the river, causing me to sell Diablo to your mother, Andrew or Drew Regnery, Max's cousin, booted Neville out of Pine Hollow," Rafael said. "then, Drew told Max about what happened between the Cowlins and Grandmother and me... that he booted Bob Cowlin and Neville off of their property after buying it, then, when your mother was 19-years-old and I was 22-years-old, we married and she gave Diablo back to me as a wedding present, then, a year later, we had Risa and you, and we started our own branch of the Moondance clan's circus." Rafael explained to Evie.
Evie was now shocked silent.