well mean that there are large sums of money sitting around in that bank over which he has complete control. Nasty situation. Do you have proof that you are who you say you are?"
"I have a baptismal certificate with my name on it, the letters from the attorneys to Nanny, and a letter I assume is from my mother turning over my guardianship to Nanny. The letter uses my name. If there's more, I haven't found it."
Tyler thought about this for a minute. "Well, no one has jumped out of the woodwork and declared you look just like any Howell or whatever. It seems to me you've done a good job hiding your identity. None of that explains why you were abducted last night. I can't see why anyone would want to harm an innocent schoolteacher. Somebody, somewhere, must know something, and the lawyer seems the most likely prospect."
Evie nodded. "That's what I thought, but then I thought about that man, Logan. Do you think the 'Peyton' could be a family name, too? He might not have believed our story. And the lawyer might not have believed it, either. It may be this Peyton person that they're after. But what were you telling me about the Hardings' mother's name?"
"That's all I know. I asked where the Double H brand came from, and they explained it stood for Harding and Howell, that their mother's maiden name had been Howell. She and their father died in a tragic accident some months ago."
"They're not wearing mourning," Evie pointed out.
"People don't hold much with those things out here, particularly men. Life isn't easy, and people come to expect death. Look at those kids of yours. Are they going around moping and moaning like they're expected to do back East? They haven't got time. They've got to survive."
"I suppose." Evie had heard the children's sobs late at night, but there was nothing she or Daniel could do that they weren't already doing. They couldn't bring Mrs. Rodriguez back from the dead. She supposed grown men like Kyle and Jason would deal with the death of their parents in a more grown-up fashion than sobbing in their beds. "I guess we need to find out more about the Howells. What do you suggest?"
"I suggest that Evangeline Howell write from St. Louis and tell Mr. Hale that Nanny is dead and ask for instructions. We can crumple the letter up some and walk on it and put it in the mail and it will look like it's been through every mailbag between here and there. I assume you've made some arrangement to have your mail sent down here."
"Yes, but it could take months for Hale's reply to go to St. Louis and back. There's got to be a faster way. I had hoped to get Daniel hired on as a clerk, but with his leg..." Evie made a gesture of frustration.
Tyler didn't have any intention of sitting around idle waiting for a letter to appear, but he wasn't telling Evie that. There was no telling how much dust she had already stirred up by going to that lawyer yesterday. He was keeping her clear of any other proceedings.
"Give me time to make a few more inquiries, Evie. We can't do much until we have some facts. You just get busy writing that letter. I'll let you know when I've found out anything." Tyler steered her back toward town. With a definite task ahead of him, he felt a little more comfortable. This business of vague worries about Evie and the children made him itchy. He preferred direct action, and now she had given him enough information to act.
Evie let him steer her away, but she wasn't about to sit back and do nothing while waiting for Tyler to do all the work. She had a few plans of her own.
* * *
"There's mail, Daniel," Evie whispered excitedly, as she came in after school the next day. She stepped from the bright sunlight of outdoors into the dimness of the front room waving two slim envelopes.
Both envelopes had an Ohio return address, and she handed them unopened to Daniel. They both knew what that return address meant. The fact that they were addressed to the "executor of Delilah Witherspoon's" estate told a whole story.
"We shouldn't have these, Evie." Daniel stared at the envelopes hungrily, without opening them. "There must be a lawyer out there somewhere taking care of Nanny's unfinished business."