present in the moment, more animated somehow. They were getting closer to the point where he’d unburden himself. Now that he knew his family had done well after his demise, he’d be ready to leave.
“Please continue, Mr. Klein,” she said once she’d finished relaying all that had been said.
“Call me Frederick.” He lifted his ghostly chin. “I was careful to hide what I was doing. I never took the same route in or out of town two times in a row, so I wouldn’t be an easy victim. One third of our money I put in the bank, and the rest I hid in a strongbox on our claim. I kept a small fortune there so we wouldn’t lose everything should the bank be robbed. But then the three got to me, and … I hadn’t told my wife.”
“The box is still where you hid it.” Meredith leaned back in her chair. “That’s what has kept you here for so long.” She turned to the Schultes. “Frederick hid a fortune before he died. He appeared to your great-great-grandmother so many times because he was trying to tell her where he’d stashed the money. He worried about the family he loved so very much.”
“Frederick, can you lead Meredith to the place where you hid the money?” Daniel asked.
“I can.” His features softened as he gazed at Judy. “Shall we go there now?”
“I think it would be best to wait until we have daylight. The terrain around here is rocky and rough, and I don’t want to risk hiking in the dark. The park closes at 5:00 PM tomorrow.” Meredith rose from the table. “Shall we meet here at closing time?”
“Not … here.” Frederick gazed around the room at the many silent, ghostly spectators who watched and listened.
“Where then?” she asked. The ghosts could not do anything to intervene, still, Frederick had been cautious in life and that characteristic had carried through in death.
The ghost rubbed his chin and frowned. “Where we met earlier would do.”
“All right,” Meredith said. “We’ll gather there tomorrow right after the park closes.”
“Grandfather, I brought family pictures to Garretsville with me. Shall I bring them tomorrow?” Judy said.
Frederick began the weepy-smiling again, and he nodded.
“He says yes.” Meredith glanced at the two spirits. “We’ll see you tomorrow night then,” she said, rising from her place at the table. Was that disappointment she glimpsed from Daniel? She managed to leave Keoghan’s without looking back. “This has been an eventful day, and I could use a glass of wine.”
“My poor ancestor has been stuck here all these years because he never told his wife he’d hidden away money for their future.” Judy shook her head. “My heart aches for Frederick and Prudence. Ellen wrote in her journal that her mother never remarried because Frederick had been the great love of her life. Prudence told her children that she’d rather live alone with her memories than pretend to care that deeply for another man. All three of her children and their families lived nearby. She had many grandchildren to dote on and look after. She was content.”
That brought a lump to Meredith’s throat. The thought of how the couple’s story had been cut short broke her heart. Having helped so many spirits cross into the light, she wasn’t sure hell existed, but she hoped a special place of torment awaited the murderous marauders on the other side.
5
The day had been perfect and cloudless, and the temperature still hovered around seventy. Other than tourists complaining about the chill when Daniel stopped by, Meredith’s stint in the gift shop had gone without a hitch.
She couldn’t imagine how awful it must be for him to hear and witness how the living reacted to his presence. If only she knew of some way to shield him from those comments.
“Ready?” Meredith asked as she and her cabinmates gathered on the front porch. John carried a shovel he’d borrowed from the maintenance shed. He also wore a backpack, while Judy carried a slender, leather-bound photo album. Oliver had his hands jammed into his front pockets. He looked a little nervous and a lot interested. Did he have foil-wrapped chocolate squares in those pockets?
“Let’s go,” she said, leading the way to the back of the cabin. They tromped up the hill to meet Frederick Klein’s ghost.
“Do you see him?” Judy asked. “Is he here?”
“Yes, he’s waiting for us, and so is Daniel.” She glanced at Oliver. “He too was a victim of the gang of three who