Assailants, Asphalt & Alibis: A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 8 Read online

  Assailants, Asphalt & Alibis

  A CAMPER AND CRIMINALS COZY MYSTERY

  Book Eight

  BY

  TONYA KAPPES

  Assailants, Asphalt & Alibis

  Abby pulled the pack off her back and got the journal out. She began to read, “At the branch head without crossing, then due east to the top of the ridge out of the clift country, then along the ridge to the right-hand side, and there will appear a place that is higher than the other. The hanging rock.” Abby drew her eyes up from the paper and looked at the formation that appeared to hang over us from where we stood.

  “The rock!” Queenie bounced on her toes and clapped her hands. “We’ve got to go up there.”

  “Let Mary Elizabeth tell us what’s up there when she gets back.” I covered my eyes from the sun. A couple of rocks tumbled down. “Mary Elizabeth? You okay?” I hollered up but didn’t get a response.

  The four of us stood there looking up as a few more pebbles fell.

  “Do you think she’s okay?” Abby gave me a worried look.

  “We need to go up there according to the map, so let’s just meet her up there.” Queenie made a good point.

  “Watch out!” Agnes yelled when a few larger rocks rolled down and fell into the water below.

  The heat beat down over the rock, and when I looked at it, something shadowed the sun, as if there were a small eclipse.

  “Avalanche!” I screamed and ran to the side, covering my head with my arms before I knocked Agnes out of the way with my body.

  I heard a loud splash into the water—then silence.

  I gulped and looked up. Mary Elizabeth stood on the hanging rock above the branch and waved.

  “All done!” She grinned, having no idea what just happened to us down here.

  “Is everyone okay?” I asked and made sure to look at them. They all looked okay. “Did you know big rocks fell like that?” I asked them since this was my first time here.

  “It wasn’t a rock,” Abby said, her voice cracking.

  We all looked over to where she pointed.

  “My pearls!” Mary Elizabeth screamed from above.

  Mason Cavanaugh lay face up, eyes open, floating in the water, with Mary Elizabeth’s pearls in the grip of his hand.

  “The curse.” Agnes’s words sent chills along my spine.

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Cover by Covervault, Mariah Sinclair. Edits by Red Adept Editing Services.

  Copyright © 2019 by Tonya Kappes. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information email [email protected] .

  About the Author

  Tonya has written over 55 novels and four novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including the USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband and a very spoiled rescue cat named Ro. Tonya grew up in the small southern Kentucky town of Nicholasville. Now that her four boys are grown men, Tonya writes full-time.

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  For weekly updates and contests, sign up for Coffee Chat with Tonya newsletter via her website or Facebook.

  Also by Tonya Kappes

  Magical Cures Mystery Series

  A CHARMING CRIME

  A CHARMING CURE

  A CHARMING POTION (novella)

  A CHARMING WISH

  A CHARMING SPELL

  A CHARMING MAGIC

  A CHARMING SECRET

  A CHARMING CHRISTMAS (novella)

  A CHARMING FATALITY

  A CHARMING DEATH (novella)

  A CHARMING GHOST

  A CHARMING HEX

  A CHARMING VOODOO

  A CHARMING CORPSE

  A CHARMING MISFORTUNE

  A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery

  BEACHES, BUNGALOWS, & BURGLARIES

  DESERTS, DRIVERS, & DERELICTS

  FORESTS, FISHING, & FORGERY

  CHRISTMAS, CRIMINALS, & CAMPERS

  MOTORHOMES, MAPS, & MURDER

  CANYONS, CARAVANS, & CADAVERS

  HITCHES, HIDEOUTS, & HOMICIDE

  A Southern Cake Baker Series

  (under the pen name of Maymee Bell)

  CAKE AND PUNISHMENT

  BATTER OFF DEAD

  A Ghostly Southern Mystery Series

  A GHOSTLY UNDERTAKING

  A GHOSTLY GRAVE

  A GHOSTLY DEMISE

  A GHOSTLY MURDER

  A GHOSTLY REUNION

  A GHOSTLY MORTALITY

  A GHOSTLY SECRET

  Killer Coffee Mystery Series

  SCENE OF THE GRIND

  MOCHA AND MURDER

  FRESHLY GROUND MURDER

  COLD BLOODED BREW

  DECAFFEINATED SCANDAL

  A KILLER LATTE

  Kenni Lowry Mystery Series

  FIXIN’ TO DIE

  SOUTHERN FRIED

  AX TO GRIND

  SIX FEET UNDER

  DEAD AS A DOORNAIL

  TANGLED UP IN TINSEL

  DIGGIN’ UP DIRT

  Spies and Spells Mystery Series

  SPIES AND SPELLS

  BETTING OFF DEAD

  GET WITCH or DIE TRYING

  A Laurel London Mystery Series

  CHECKERED CRIME

  CHECKERED PAST

  CHECKERED THIEF

  A Divorced Diva Beading Mystery Series

  A BEAD OF DOUBT SHORT STORY

  STRUNG OUT TO DIE

  CRIMPED TO DEATH

  Olivia Davis Paranormal Mystery Series

  SPLITSVILLE.COM

  COLOR ME LOVE (novella)

  COLOR ME A CRIME

  Grandberry Falls Series

  THE LADYBUG JINX

  HAPPY NEW LIFE

  A SUPERSTITIOUS CHRISTMAS (novella)

  NEVER TELL YOUR DREAMS

  Bluegrass Romance Series

  GROOMING MR. RIGHT

  TAMING MR. RIGHT

  Women’s Fiction

  CARPE BREAD ’EM

  Young Adult

  TAG… YOU’RE IT

  Author’s Note:

  This particular fictional installment of A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery was taken from a legend or tall tale told to me growing up.

  The true story of the John Swift Silver Mine is one of the oldest legends of Kentucky recorded. It has been passed down through generations and was told to me as a child, and I told it to my children.

  According to the legend, John Swift came to the Daniel Boone into Kentucky in the 1760s on a mining expedition. He came across a wounded bear. John Swift claimed the bear l
ed him to a vein of silver ore in a nearby cave. For the next nine years John Swift continued to mine that cave, where he carried out silver bars and minted coins. He also claimed in his journals that he buried vast amounts of the fortune in various locations throughout the forest.

  When you think of ginseng, do you think of Kentucky? Well… ginseng is a high commodity in the Daniel Boone National Forest. So much so that you have to obtain a harvester permit to pick and sell the root. It’s illegal to pick and sell. If caught, there’s automatic jail time starting at six months and up as well as a huge fine. You have to be a licensed dealer in order to sell it from September first through December first in a calendar year.

  You can’t just harvest any ginseng plant you see. Taken from the Kentucky Agricultural website: Plants must have at least 3 prongs with 5 leaflets on each prong. This is the minimum legal age. The market prefers roots that are 10 years and older. Any berries present must be planted within 50 feet of the harvested root with no tool other than your finger; the goal is to put the seeds in the soil just over half an inch deep.

  Like hunting season, there’s a harvest season and buying season.

  Note that any reference to the ginseng and John Swift legend was taken purely from the Kentucky Agricultural website and the Daniel Boone National Forest and Parks website.

  As this book was written, there was a hold on any sort of harvesting ginseng or selling in the Daniel Boone National Forest, making it illegal, though people are doing it.

  I knew both of these concepts were awesome things to put in a book. Of course, all my book is fictional but loosely based around the John Swift legend and the ginseng issues. And I knew the Laundry Club ladies would love to be on the trail of a good treasure hunt.

  So I hope you enjoy a little bit of Kentucky history from our famous John Swift legend as much as I loved incorporating all of it into this fun fictional series.

  xoxo

  T.

  Dedication

  I have to give a HUGE shout out to Author Sue Ann Jaffarian! Sue Ann gave a generous donation

  to a wonderful library to have her name in A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series book.

  I’m beyond grateful for Sue Ann’s generous donation and happy to have create a character in

  her honor. Hugs, Sue Ann!!! I hope you enjoy!

  xoxo

  T.

  CONTENTS

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  RECIPES AND CLEANING HACKS

  Preview of the Scene of the Grind

  ONE

  The silence from at least one hundred people was almost as deafening as the bullfrogs billowing around the Happy Trails Campground lake while one of the treasure hunters told the group about the regional legend of John Swift’s silver mine.

  The flicker of the red, yellow, and orange flames showed in all their eyes as they focused on the intriguing story of the possibility that in and around my campground could be a massive amount of silver just waiting to be claimed.

  “In the year 1760, John Swift made his way into Kentucky from the Gap and followed the creek known now as Swift’s Creek. He was a well-educated Englishman that was a natural-born leader and sailor of his own ships off the coast of the Carolinas. It was when he’d come to Kentucky when he met up with a man by the name of Montgomery. Swift wasn’t happy with the British and let it be known. It was then he and Montgomery had begun to counterfeit the British crown as a way of getting back at the British for invading the land we are gathered upon today as well as the entire Daniel Boone National Forest.” Mason Cavanaugh’s voice held a mysterious tone that rose up and down with the importance of what he had to say.

  He held up a piece of paper that appeared to be the journal he’d mentioned.

  “Swift had heard of the mines in Kentucky and maybe a mention or two about there being silver here. Thus began his several mining expeditions to Kentucky.” Mason leaned over his knees and swept his hands in front of him. His eyes grew big. The flames of the fire made his blue eyes sparkle to life, making the scene ominous.

  “It wasn’t until a wounded bear led a very courageous Swift to a rock house, which is what we call a cave. This was the first time Swift found silver. It wasn’t the only rock house, or cave, where Swift found silver. He noted all of the places in his journal, including maps.”

  He held up more papers with upside-down V designs and big Xs scribbled all over them. He brought the paper up to his eyes and leaned into the glow of the campfire.

  He read, “Taken directly from John Swift’s journal.” Then he continued, ““Seven miles above the mouth of the creek is a natural rock bridge. On the northwest side of the creek, a short distance below the bridge, is a branch. Follow the branch to its head, thence ascend the ridge, leaving the highest part of the ridge on your right. Go along the ridge to a point that is higher than the others, where a large rock seems to have fallen from above. Go in between them. This is where we obtained our best ore.”

  He pulled the papers down from his face and sat back, turning his head from side to side as if he were trying to see what others thought about his tale. His stare stopped on another camper. I watched as her brow rose and didn’t break the eye contact.

  He looked back down at his papers as if he were trying to compose himself.

  “The creek he refers to we believe is what we know now as Swift Creek, located right here in Normal.” He looked up, and a slow grin crossed his face. The flicker of the fire caught his eyes at the right moment, making shadows cross his face.

  Goosebumps crawled along my legs.

  “Don’t tell me you are falling for this crap.” Dottie Swaggert flicked the ash off her light cigarette and brought it to her mouth, taking a long draw. Her red hair lay in curls around her head. “Because if you do, I’ve got a gold mine right under my old camper over there. I’ll let you have it for one hundred dollars.” The smoke rolled out of her mouth, and she pointed to her camper at the front of the campground.

  A few people turned around to shush her. She gave them the death stare with big eyes.

  “All these people are fools.” She took one last puff before she threw it on the ground and snuffed it out with the toe of her flip-flop. Dottie stormed off toward her camper. She’d had enough.

  “Not all of those journeys were successful. Swift and his crew were met with numerous obstacles from Indian attacks to mutiny among his crew, which was when John Swift holed up in one of his silver mines and finished his journals. He even had time to fall in love with the widow Renfro before he was deported back to England, where he was convicted of counterfeiting the crowns. It’s rumored he left his journals and treasure map with the widow Renfro until he rejoined her after he’d served his sentence.” Mason’s eyes shifted back and forth.

  “Unfortunately, Swift became blind while imprisoned, making him unable to find his treasure, leaving it buried forever.” He took a deep breath and sat up, pulling his shoulders ramrod straight. “Or until someone finds it.”

  Murmurs from the crowd around Mason came up as they dispersed to their own campfires, campers, or headed home. Abby Fawn, Queenie French, and Mary Elizabeth Moberly, my adoptive mother, all walked up. I glanced around them and noticed Mayor Courtney MacKenzie had made her way over to Mason.

  Mayor MacKenzie rarely came to the campground for monthly themed parties, and her presence made me question why she was there. Mayor MacKenzie didn’t do anything that didn’t get her attention, and election year was right around the corner.

  “Do you need any help cleaning before we go?” Abby asked, breaking my concentration.

>   “Nah.” I blinked a couple of times to get present with my girlfriends. “It’ll give me something to do tomorrow,” I said.

  Every month I hosted a get-together between the community and the camping tourists. It was a fun party where Blue Ethel and the Adolescent Farm Boys, a local band, strummed on their instruments, giving it their best go at bluegrass music while the guests enjoyed local foods donated by restaurants in Normal.

  “That is a fun campfire story,” I said to Abby Fawn, noticing all the camping lots and the campers I provided for rental were all occupied. It was nice to see all the campfire rings lit up. “I’m sure it’s the talk around all the s’more-making.” I noticed everyone was enjoying the ingredients I’d given them when they rolled into the campground as a little special treat to thank them for choosing Happy Trails Campground for their vacation.

  “Story?” Abby swung her head toward me, flinging her ponytail around. She stared wordlessly at me.

  “Oh, honey, it’s no story.” Queenie French’s hot-pink Jazzercise leotard shimmered more than the blanket of stars in the midnight sky. She picked at the edges of her short blond hair nervously. “Don’t you know all of these people are here just for the annual Legend of John Swift Excursion?”

  “You’re pulling my leg.” Mary Elizabeth’s southern-accented voice held questions. “Right?” She fingered the pearls around her neck.

  “I ain’t pulling nothing.” Queenie’s nose curled; her right brow rose. “I’m telling you, there’s several people out there who have found crown catches from John Swift’s counterfeiting in these here caves.”