| Subject: The New World - Part #70 |
Author:
Wanda
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Date Posted: 14:42:23 07/15/03 Tue
PART #70
Bow walked into the kitchen; and asked, “Did you find something?” “Look in the fireplace,” Sheriff Le Havre commanded. Bow turned towards the fireplace, and saw that Peter had been trying to burn some records. There were bits and pieces of ledger pages lying in the ashes. He took the poker, stirred through the ashes; and found a book that had fallen towards the back of the fireplace, and still seemed to be intact.
“Hold your breath, Sheriff,” said Bow. “We may have found something that will be helpful.” He reached for the book, and brought it out. They could see it had been scorched by the heat, but it was still readable. Bow leafed through the ledger book and said, “Thankfully, this is the book that will give us the information we need.” “What have you got there?” asked the sheriff. “This is a ledger of accounts for the plantation. Evidently Peter was taking care of Joshua’s business,” remarked Bow. “It looks to me as if the business was going well for the plantation, but I see many withdrawals from Joshua’s accounts. I have a feeling if we were to check with the bank manager, we would find those withdrawals were going into Peter Dunkirk’s accounts.”
Sheriff Le Havre said to Bow, “I have a feeling I know where Peter received his so-called inheritance.” Bow said, “And I have a feeling you would be right. It’s no wonder Joshua’s money was disappearing; Peter was helping himself to it without Joshua’s knowledge.” “Bow, we have enough here with the information we will probably be getting at the bank to put Peter away for a long time,” said the sheriff. “Well, that may be true, but we are going to have to catch him first,” said Bow.
Bow said, “Let’s get back to the bank, and I will check this ledger with the deposits that have been made in Peter’s accounts.” Sheriff Le Havre said, “I will telegraph other sheriff’s departments within a fifty mile radius, and give a description of our friend, Peter Dunkirk. I will also contact the railroad with his description. We are going to try to get this person caught.”
Bow said, “I can’t help but wonder if Peter had other men involved in this matter. If we could locate someone who helped to clean out that building, we might have more of a lead on Peter now.” The sheriff said, “I am going to do some checking and see if anyone can give me some leads on anyone who may have been a friend of Peter Dunkirk. Surely there is someone who knows something about all this.”
When Bow got back to the bank, the bank manager was just leaving for the day. Bow said, “David, I am sorry to ask you to do this, but time is very important for us. Could you check some of Peter Dunkirk’s records, and see if some of his deposits match the withdrawals shown in this ledger that is a record of the plantation’s business?”
Bow and David entered the bank, and David retrieved the records of Peter’s accounts. It was obvious Peter had been stealing money from Joshua for the last year. Whenever there was a withdrawal from Joshua’s account, shortly thereafter there was a deposit in Peter’s account. Bow said, “Joshua wasn’t having money problems other then someone was stealing him blind.”
Bow thanked David for the information, and walked over to the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Le Havre asked Bow what he had discovered. Bow said, “What we suspected was true. Peter has stolen thousands and thousands of dollars from the plantation. I can’t help but wonder if Joshua ever suspected Peter of stealing from him.” “Why do you wonder about that Bow?” asked the sheriff. “I find it interesting when Joshua’s accounts were out of money he was killed,” said Bow. “Are you thinking he may have pressured Peter about the money, and Peter decided to eliminate a problem?” asked the sheriff. “Perhaps that is what happened. I do think we need to talk to someone about that killing,” said Bow.
“Sheriff, I have just thought of someone to ask about Joshua’s death,” said Bow. The sheriff asked, “Are you thinking about the man who did actually kill Joshua?” “That’s right, I am thinking about that man,” answered Bow. The sheriff said, “I could telegraph the sheriff of Jennings, and let him know you would like to talk to that man.” Bow said, “I wonder if you might see if the sheriff there at Jennings could get some information from him.” “I will certainly give that a try,” the sheriff replied.
Bow left the sheriff’s office, and was on his way back to the plantation. He thought that Catherine had mentioned that she had actually talked with the man before she left Jennings. He would ask her what she thought about the information she received from the man when she talked with him. He was glad he had some positive information for Catherine about the saw mill. They would be able to get the saw mill up, and running once again. He felt he had made the best arrangements for the saw mill with Marguerite’s father managing the saw mill, and her brothers working there. He hoped Catherine would not be upset with him for not pursuing the management position for George.
To be continued...
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