Page 23 of Ghost Hunters 1

Chapter Thirteen

“Iwonder how true theseplans are,” Dino wondered aloud.

“What difference would that make?”Matthew asked.

“What if George is trying to hide something?”Dino asked.

“Like what?”Matthew stared at his grandson.

Jillian thought for a moment then said, “If George was living here when Matthew came, he would have witnessed the whole affair between Tilly and Matthew.Along with Claire’s interference.Right?”

Mathhew nodded.“I always thought he liked Claire, but she had no time for him.At least, she pretended she didn’t.Now that I think about it I remember seeing them together at the oddest times.The girls let him stay here and he worked around the house.They needed a maintenance guy so they both said.The arrangement suited them all, but I think he scared them to some extent.I know Tilly wasn’t comfortable around him.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”Jillian asked.

Matthew shrugged.“The last thing I remember from that day was when George set my luggage out on the front porch.I thought I heard someone come up behind me and the next thing I knew I was waking up on the side of the road.I don’t know for sure but when I woke up I had a heck of a headache and a bump on the back of my head.I found out I was about a mile away.I knew I had to come back.I hadn’t been able to say goodbye to Tilly and I didn’t want to leave things like that.With her believing I had cheated on her.By the time I got back here the Inn was already burning and I couldn’t get near the building.”

Jillian nodded.“George never got out before the fire started.Claire told me that.He died that night along with her.”She picked up the blueprints and looked them over.“But if he died in the fire, how could he have drawn these plans?’

“Maybe he knows where Tilly is and he doesn’t want anyone to find her,” Matthew suggested.

“Is there another set of blueprints anywhere?”Dino asked.“What about a blueprint of the original plantation?”

Jillian shrugged.“I don’t know of another set.In fact, I’m surprised there was a plantation here at one point.We’re pretty far north to have a plantation here.But there was some mention of it being on the escape route for slaves.The plantation would ship wheat to the north.I’d forgotten about that with all that’s happened.I guess I got caught up in the girls and Matthew’s story.”She reached for the file she’d gotten earlier and opened it.She found what she was looking for and handed it over to Dino.“Here’s what the realtor gave me.”

Dino looked the papers over for a few minutes then disappeared into his room.When he came back he had a laptop with him.“I only hope I can link onto a tower so I can get onto the net.”He took out his cell phone, tapped the screen and looked.“Yes!I can get it on.I can hotspot it and check this out.”

Matthew looked hopeful.“Maybe we will find an answer sooner than we thought.We only have three days till this place goes up in smoke.”

After researching a little of the history of Branden, Dino looked up at them.“The history of the plantation is pretty cool. Like you mentioned, I found a reference to the slave route and the transportation route.Branden was an important link to the northern states.So there is an original drawing of the plantation.Is there a county building in town?”

Jillian nodded.“I think so?My realtor got the recent plans from there.It’s right on Main Street just past the Post Office.”

Dino nodded.Reaching into his pocket he brought out a flash drive and downloaded the information he wanted.He looked at Jillian and his grandpa.“I’m going to make a trip into town and see what else I can find.I should be back in an hour or so.”

Poppy barked and interrupted them.

Jillian looked down at her.

Poppy whined and went over to the kitchen door.

“Maybe she just needs to go,” Dino suggested.

Jillian shrugged.“No, that’s not her bark for that.She acts like this when there are people around that she doesn’t know.”She let her dog out.Then she turned and told Dino, “I should go into town too.I need some more groceries and stuff.I wasn’t exactly expecting company.”

“Ok, we’ll all make the trip together.It’ll be safer too.This place is too...”Dino shook his head.