Chapter 6 #2
“It makes me think about how big the complex must have been in its heyday, when the whole mine operation was still standing, and there was a small company town next door,” Liam added, twisting in his seat for more pictures.
Several pieces of heavy equipment were new additions, as were temporary buildings for supplies.
No people were in sight, but it was clear that the area was active.
Two construction trucks were parked near one of the storage buildings.
Justin circled the mine one more time, then headed home.
The memory of the mysterious strangers brought something else to mind.
“Did you happen to find anything more about the Mob being involved with mining up here?” Justin asked, remembering Liam’s initial comments and counting on him to be an equally geeky researcher to match his own efforts.
“The mines were a big deal. Lots of money to be made and some of the same players as in other states,” Liam replied. “When the mines closed, from what I found the Mob seemed to go away too.”
“Seemed to?” Justin spared a side glance at his passenger.
Liam shrugged. “I doubt mobsters go straight just because an opportunity dries up. I imagine they could move away, and most of them probably did, but I’d bet that some just quietly got their hooks into anything else that would make a buck.”
The thought that a shadowy gangster organization might still be secretively pulling strings behind the scenes near his town made Justin shudder. Will Scott be in danger even if he doesn’t report on that part of the history?
“Are you glad Scott is volunteering to help with the Halloween events?” Liam changed the subject, trying to sound casual.
Justin chuckled. “Oh, yeah. He’s excited about getting involved with local events, and I think he’s trying to make a good impression. Not that he hasn’t already, but he’s planning on moving up here as soon as we can make arrangements.”
“That would be great,” Liam agreed. “He seems like a nice guy, and everyone on the committee likes him. Fox Hollow has plenty of civic pride, but it takes a lot of people to pull off all the events that everyone enjoys so much.”
Justin knew that firsthand. He contributed to special event funding as a local small business owner, raffled off seaplane tours for charity, and helped decorate some of the haunted houses and Christmas displays.
He enjoyed the community aspect of working with his neighbors and figured that volunteering got him off his couch and out of the house.
Justin taxied to the dock and pulled up alongside, jumping out to secure the plane and giving Liam a hand to climb down. “That was fun. Thanks for going with me,” Justin said.
“I’m always happy to go on side quests if I don’t have something else going on,” Liam replied. “Speaking of which, we need to set another date to get together and play more of the new game. I don’t want to forget everything from the last campaign!”
“I’m up for it,” Justin agreed. “And if you find anything else interesting about the mine or the ski resort, please let me know. I can pass it on to Scott for his project, and at this point, I’m nosy enough to be interested.”
“Will do.” Liam gave a jaunty salute in parting.
Justin ran his post-flight check and refueled the Dolly Jean.
He finished some paperwork, checked his schedule for the next day, and decided to opt for an early dinner at Bear Necessities.
Enough of his friends and neighbors were seated at tables to prove he wasn’t the only one hungry for an early meal.
“Hey, Justin!” Valerie from the Halloween event committee waved him over to her table. “I was going to come looking for you. Thanks for making it easy for me.”
He pulled up a chair and barely spared a glance at the menu. Justin ate there often enough that he knew his favorites, and tonight the sweet-and-sour meatballs with homemade cheesy shells sounded like it would hit the spot.
“What’s up? How are the Halloween plans coming?” Justin asked as the server brought him a glass of water and took his order.
Valerie had a piece of pie in front of her, so either she had skipped the meal or had already finished.
“There’s a lot to do, but we’ve got all hands on deck, so it’s coming along well.
” Valerie was well-known for her tireless energy, enthusiasm, and community spirit.
That made it easy for her to rally the townsfolk to help with events that brightened the long winter days and helped keep neighbors engaged with one another.
“Great to hear.” Justin took a sip of water. “I’ve been working on the pumpkin people we talked about at the last meeting,” he told her. “I’m painting the heads first, and then I’ll put together the bodies once I have a feel for their personality.”
The fantastical creatures were Halloween scarecrows with painted faces and straw-stuffed bodies. Some would hang from a stand to show motion, while others would be sturdier and able to stand like mannequins.
Valerie grinned. “I love that!”
The pumpkin people were part of an indoor maze designed to be weatherproof. Fox Hollow offered the use of a maintenance barn that could be spared for a couple of weeks, and that meant the maze wasn’t dependent on good weather for ticketholders to experience the spooky attraction.
“I can’t wait to see what you come up with,” Valerie said. “I think the maze will be one of our biggest hits this year.”
“I hope so. I’m having fun,” Justin replied.
“Scott seems to be enjoying volunteering,” Valerie added with a sly smile.
“He’s been a helpful addition to the committee, and he has good ideas.
I know he can’t be here to do as much hands-on work as some of the rest of us, but it’s good to get fresh insights.
I love our repeat volunteers, but it’s also nice to get suggestions based on what’s been done elsewhere. ”
Her praise warmed Justin’s heart. He loved hearing that Scott made a good impression on other people in Fox Hollow, and Scott’s willingness to volunteer encouraged Justin’s hope that his boyfriend would go through with moving to join him.
“He says he enjoys getting to know people,” Justin reported. “Now we just have to get him moved up here.”
Valerie gave him a knowing look. “I don’t really think he’s going to take much convincing, but relocating is complicated. I doubt he’ll stay away long.”
She stayed to chat while he ate, talking about everything from the forecast to how well the local high school football team was doing this season.
Justin promised to email her photos when he had the first few scarecrows finished and pocketed his change as he waited for a cup of coffee to go. Valerie stepped away just as Sheriff Torben Armel entered, and spotting the lawman gave Justin an idea.
Sheriff Armel resembled his inner bear. He was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders and a thick head full of brown hair. Although Armel could also take after his bear in temperament, he was known for being fair and honest.
“Sheriff, can I ask you a quick question?”
Armel stopped and nodded, giving Justin a quizzical look. “Sure. But if it’s about permits for the parade—”
Justin shook his head. “Nothing that practical. I was wondering if you’d heard anything about reopening the old mine.”
The sheriff’s eyes narrowed for a moment, clearly surprised by the topic. “Where did that come from?”
“I’d heard it had been sold and when I flew up that way today and saw activity—a new building, modern equipment, and vehicles. I thought you might have heard something.”
“You’re not the first person to notice out-of-towners on the road up there, but I don’t have any inside information,” Sheriff Armel said.
“I’ve seen in the private groups for regional sheriffs and the other law enforcement chats that it was sold, but the details are hazy as to what they will do with it, and who is putting up the money. Why are you interested?”
Justin didn’t want to mention Scott’s project and possibly get his boyfriend sideways with the sheriff. He smiled and hoped it looked innocent. “I’m always intrigued when the men in black show up.”
“I’m surprised that there’s interest in the mine instead of the old ski resort,” Armel replied. “There’s a lot of real estate tied up in that. But I don’t know anything else about the mine project.”
“Thanks,” Justin replied. “I can’t help being curious.”
“Humph. Just stay out of trouble and don’t go trespassing,” Armel warned. “I heard about the critter the VFD got called out for. We set traps but haven’t gotten anything yet.”
He leveled a look at Justin. “Not for general distribution, but that poacher who got shot? Nothing matches the bloodstain left from the missing dead animal. Which makes me think it might not be something that’s normally from here, if you get my drift.”
Cryptid, Justin thought. “Yeah, I think I do.”
“And for heaven’s sake, steer clear of the old mine. I’m surprised it hasn’t been imploded by now just to avoid liability,” Armel added.
Justin promised to be good and wished Armel a nice evening.
He checked the time when he got home, and realized he still had an hour before he was due to call Scott.
Justin poured a drink and settled in at his computer, checking if he could find any permits or official paperwork for the owners and funding of the new development at the Platt Mine or the old ski resort.
Justin didn’t find anything official for either site, although the chat boards had several recent posts speculating about the outsiders. He knew Scott had found something on the new owners, enough to be suspicious, but Justin couldn’t find anything.
Hmm…I’m not the only person to hear rumors, but no one is posting any actual details. Interesting.
He checked those same chat rooms for mentions of strange creatures, but nothing matched what he had seen. The trail cam hadn’t picked up anything new, and he wondered if they had frightened whatever-it-was back to where it came from.