Callahan's Gold (Southwest Desert Series Book 3) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Mary Tate Engels
"Let's have some decorum here. After all, this is a solemn occasion. Are we ready to continue?" His gaze settled accusingly on Rex.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Rex leaned back and folded his arms.
Ramona and Dodge reseated themselves, and there was a moment of silence during which Cliff fortified himself with Scotch again.
Tory felt that the only one at this so-called solemn occasion showing any concrete signs of grief was Ramona. That is, if one could believe her tears were real.
As Ramona resettled across the table from Tory, strain drew her mouth tight and her dark eyebrows into a wrinkled frown. If Tory cared a damn about any of this, she would have sworn the woman actually loved Sharkey.
However, considering the way he had treated her own mother, Tory could care less about Sharkey Carsen, his life and times, or the women who loved him along the way. This attractive one across the table, so neatly dabbing her nose and eyes, was probably just one of many.
" And to my little girl, Tory, my only offspring, I leave my third of the Sun Seekers Mining Company ."
"What?" The outburst came from Rex again. "Why would he do such a stupid thing? You'd think that at the very least he would divide his lousy third between his two working partners. Hell, Dodge and I have provided the work and money for this worthless mining company for years. Now he's left it to an estranged daughter he hadn't seen in twenty years! I'll be damned!"
"I wasn't the estranged one," Tory said sourly. "He was. Anyway, I have no interest in owning any part of his hopeless mining company. I'd be glad to split it between you two."
"That's more like it!"
She leaned forward and posed commandingly, "What's the going price for gold mines these days? This one's up for sale."
Rex's only response was a grunt.
"Please, could we continue here, folks?" Cliff took another quick drink.
"Sure, go ahead, Cliff," Dodge agreed, taking a drink of beer. "This is getting interesting."
Cliff cleared his throat and went back to the will. " But the greatest part of my fortune is still in the mountain. You have to work for it. So I have drawn a map for my friends ."
There was another interruption as a rumble rose from everyone gathered around the table.
"Treasure map? This is ridiculous!" Rex shouted.
"May I proceed?" Cliff gave them all a steel gaze that exacted immediate quiet. " Insofar as the map leads directly to the treasure of the Dragoons, it has been torn in two. The left part is here, at this time to be entrusted to my daughter, Tory ." Cliff waved a small piece of paper containing strange markings. " The right side rests in a tin box beneath the skull de la vaca at the sight of the secret spring ."
"What the hell is this?" Rex fumed. "What secret spring? Beneath a cow's skull? My God, there must be hundreds in that godforsaken area!"
Ramona turned on him angrily. "This should perk up your selfish ears, Rex. If it has to do with money, you're always interested." Then she looked at Dodge. "I know where the secret spring is. It's an underground water supply beneath a hieroglyphic Sharkey and I found one time. It's completely protected by an overhanging rock. Because of its location, the original colors are vivid, and the drawings are unmarred by graffiti. In fact, you can only see it if you lie on your back and scoot under it. That's when you can hear the underground spring. Sharkey called it a secret spring. It probably sustained a small civilization in the area a thousand years ago and ran above ground."
"Could you find it again?" Dodge asked.
"Of course. I have it documented. That was what I did while Sharkey hunted for gold. I hunted and documented lost Indian drawings in that area."
"Did you know about this map?"
She shook her head indifferently. "I knew he had something, but he never mentioned it. And I never asked."
"Then how do we know he's telling the truth about the gold?" Rex countered.
"We don't," reasoned Dodge. "We'll have to find out for
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Rex leaned back and folded his arms.
Ramona and Dodge reseated themselves, and there was a moment of silence during which Cliff fortified himself with Scotch again.
Tory felt that the only one at this so-called solemn occasion showing any concrete signs of grief was Ramona. That is, if one could believe her tears were real.
As Ramona resettled across the table from Tory, strain drew her mouth tight and her dark eyebrows into a wrinkled frown. If Tory cared a damn about any of this, she would have sworn the woman actually loved Sharkey.
However, considering the way he had treated her own mother, Tory could care less about Sharkey Carsen, his life and times, or the women who loved him along the way. This attractive one across the table, so neatly dabbing her nose and eyes, was probably just one of many.
" And to my little girl, Tory, my only offspring, I leave my third of the Sun Seekers Mining Company ."
"What?" The outburst came from Rex again. "Why would he do such a stupid thing? You'd think that at the very least he would divide his lousy third between his two working partners. Hell, Dodge and I have provided the work and money for this worthless mining company for years. Now he's left it to an estranged daughter he hadn't seen in twenty years! I'll be damned!"
"I wasn't the estranged one," Tory said sourly. "He was. Anyway, I have no interest in owning any part of his hopeless mining company. I'd be glad to split it between you two."
"That's more like it!"
She leaned forward and posed commandingly, "What's the going price for gold mines these days? This one's up for sale."
Rex's only response was a grunt.
"Please, could we continue here, folks?" Cliff took another quick drink.
"Sure, go ahead, Cliff," Dodge agreed, taking a drink of beer. "This is getting interesting."
Cliff cleared his throat and went back to the will. " But the greatest part of my fortune is still in the mountain. You have to work for it. So I have drawn a map for my friends ."
There was another interruption as a rumble rose from everyone gathered around the table.
"Treasure map? This is ridiculous!" Rex shouted.
"May I proceed?" Cliff gave them all a steel gaze that exacted immediate quiet. " Insofar as the map leads directly to the treasure of the Dragoons, it has been torn in two. The left part is here, at this time to be entrusted to my daughter, Tory ." Cliff waved a small piece of paper containing strange markings. " The right side rests in a tin box beneath the skull de la vaca at the sight of the secret spring ."
"What the hell is this?" Rex fumed. "What secret spring? Beneath a cow's skull? My God, there must be hundreds in that godforsaken area!"
Ramona turned on him angrily. "This should perk up your selfish ears, Rex. If it has to do with money, you're always interested." Then she looked at Dodge. "I know where the secret spring is. It's an underground water supply beneath a hieroglyphic Sharkey and I found one time. It's completely protected by an overhanging rock. Because of its location, the original colors are vivid, and the drawings are unmarred by graffiti. In fact, you can only see it if you lie on your back and scoot under it. That's when you can hear the underground spring. Sharkey called it a secret spring. It probably sustained a small civilization in the area a thousand years ago and ran above ground."
"Could you find it again?" Dodge asked.
"Of course. I have it documented. That was what I did while Sharkey hunted for gold. I hunted and documented lost Indian drawings in that area."
"Did you know about this map?"
She shook her head indifferently. "I knew he had something, but he never mentioned it. And I never asked."
"Then how do we know he's telling the truth about the gold?" Rex countered.
"We don't," reasoned Dodge. "We'll have to find out for
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