The Ghost in the County Courthouse by Barry Forbes

Author:Barry Forbes [Forbes, Barry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Leo Press

Later that day the foursome met at the Shake Shop, their favorite gathering spot. Prescott’s late-afternoon heat was relentless. They ordered ice teas all around—“No sugar for me,” Kathy said.

Suzanne led off the meeting. “Charlie Watts was right. When the city excavation crew broke in, the cave-in was recent. He said the earth was still moist.”

“But it had dried out when we went down,” Tom said.

Pete added things up logically. “Dick said the phantom appeared on April first. We know the tunnel was open, no cave-in. Those footprints proved it. Then the city guys descended on April fifteenth and ran smack into the collapse. There was no getting past it.”

“So it was off-limits for the phantom too,” Suzanne said.

“Exactly. He wasn’t ever coming back.”

“When did Roger Holloway spot the ghost?”

Kathy recalled their initial meeting with Dean Wasson. “I wrote May second.”

“There you go,” Suzanne stated. “A blocked Whiskey Row tunnel means there has to be another tunnel.”

“You’re right,” Pete said. “It makes perfect sense. If the thief is gaining access to the museum, he sure isn’t coming from Whiskey Row.”

“Maybe the secret passage has two legs,” Kathy suggested. “The first leg moved the liquor from a nearby safe storage location to the basement of the county courthouse. The second leg transferred the liquor from the courthouse to Whiskey Row.”

“Whoa, you might be right,” Pete said. “And that storage location must be close by, so they wouldn’t have to dig forever—”

“—but far enough away not to alert neighbors or police,” Suzanne said, completing his thought.

“I'll bet they delivered the liquor to somebody’s garage at night,” Kathy said. “How else could they hide the operation?”

Tom’s voice rose a notch in volume. “You’re onto something! We could check old city maps of downtown Prescott. Whose houses had huge garages?”

The whole team was fired up again.

“Now,” Tom continued, “what about the phantom?”

Comments flew around the table.

“His footprint matched the shoe found in the museum,” Suzanne said.

Pete said, “A perfect fit.”

“It’s the same guy!”

“He’s big. Wears size-twelve shoes and a seven-and-a-half hat.”

“That leaves out Roger Holloway and Jim Bright.”

“And Gloria Waldner—obviously!” Kathy said with a giggle.

“We eliminated her as a suspect long ago,” Pete said, frowning at his sister.

The noise level rose.

“Hold it,” Suzanne said. “Let’s take turns.”

“Well, here’s the thing,” Tom suggested. “Whoever the thief is, he’s starting out at the other end of the tunnel. He travels from what used to be the liquor warehouse—that’s what I’d call it—all the way to the courthouse, right where the two tunnels connect. Find the tunnel, and we’ll find him. It’s that simple.”

Pete doubted it would be that easy. “Simple? That passageway has lain hidden away for close to a century. What are the chances of discovering it now?”

“No one said it would be a slam dunk,” Suzanne argued, shooting him a look. “But I agree with Tom.”

“Charlie Watts showed us how the trapdoor opens,” Kathy said. “I’ll bet the museum entrance is identical. And if we’re right, somewhere below the museum, the tunnel splits into two branches.

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