Chapter Seven

Curator Clara Atwoodwas not happy to see me.

"I'm really busy, Elizabeth, with all I have to do to get ready for our expanded spring hours and working on the Teague so-called collection to open the first few properties by the end of summer. Even opening it in a limited way to start, it's a herculean task."

In a surprise move orchestrated by Mrs. P last year, Russell Teague's will left his extensive Wyoming property to the museum. It included a jumble of western historical buildings, artifacts, and memorabilia.

"I thought you had funds to hire additional help for that."

"A lot of good that does me. Because I still have to find the right people, then have the time to hire and train them and—"

Mike and I knew how she felt.

"—now with Keefe dead, I don't even have his strong back to move things — God, that was awful. I didn't mean that's the only reason... I'm really sorry he's dead. For his sake, not only the museum's. At the same time, it's so crazy busy... I really can't chat—"

I cut her off before she could close me off. "It's about Keefer Dobey that I'm here. You know he was murdered? Shot three times in the head. And—"

A grimace scrunched her face. "Awful. Can't believe anybody would do that to Keefe. Completely sweet guy. It's beyond a shame."

"I just want to know if he ever came here and asked—"

"Ever came here? He was here all the time. Yes, helping moving Teague's things around for us to look at box by box. Incredibly helpful, but also questions, always questions."

I had the oddest feeling she wasn't talking solely about Keefe with that last part. But journalists can't have thin skins about hints that they should go away. Or they'd constantly be turning their backs on sources, on stories.

"Ivy Short at the library said he was interested in outlaws from the Wild West era."

"Obsessed more than interested."

"What about? Specifically. There must have been a particular aspect of Wild West outlawdom he wanted to know about."

Yes, I had what Ivy said and Brenda before that. I wanted Clara's take, untainted by what she thought I already knew.

"Aspect? What do you think with outlaws? Wasn't Sunday School meetings. Robberies," she said impatiently. "He hounded me with questions about robberies."

"Bank robberies or train robberies or another kind? All outlaws? Or a specific group? Or person? A specific time? Or a geographic—?"

"Really, Elizabeth—"

"Clara. If you take a minute to think about it and give me an answer, I'll be gone much more quickly than if I have to drag it out of you word by word."

Give her credit. She recognized the truth of my more-efficient argument.

Her gaze went up and to the left, reaching for the memory. "He wanted to know about outlaws who spent time in or around Cottonwood County."

That didn't add anything to what Ivy or Brenda said. She needed to do better than that.

"Specifically," she continued with a bit of mockery, so, possibly my reaction showed in my expression. "The Sundance Kid and Ben Kilpatrick. Both part of the loose confederation of outlaws that centered around Butch Cassidy."

This differed from what Ivy said. Though she had mentioned Ben Kilpatrick in association with a woman... Laura Bullion. If I had it right without notes. And that Keefe had entertained the possibility of being their descendant at one point. Had he completely jettisoned them in favor of Oscar and Pearl? "Those outlaws, but not Butch Cassidy and the Hole-in-the-Wall gang?"

"Hmm." Her eyebrows dropped in remembering, then popped up. "Yes. That is rather odd. Most people gravitate to wanting to know about Butch Cassidy — real name Robert Leroy Parker — with Sundance a strong second. To not ask about Cassidy..."

Her eyes did that accessing memories slant again.

"In fact, when Keefe started coming in, he was particularly interested in Sundance's and Kilpatrick's relationships with Etta Place and Laura Bullion."

Couples. Potential ancestors, that was Keefe's interest.

Clara continued rapidly, "And there was another couple, but they weren't as well known — not then and not now."

"What were their names?"

"Oscar and Pearl — a married couple. Married before they started robbing banks. The last name... Virtanen. That's it. He immigrated from Finland and met her here. They were involved in a few robberies, but it was as the authorities were starting to pick off members of the various gangs. Arrested, killed. Butch and Sundance and Etta went to South America in 1901 and—" Her head jerked up and I knew her eyes went to the clock. Uh-oh. "I really don't know more."

"Who around here would? Especially is there anybody else who shared Keefe's interest in Oscar and Pearl Virtanen?"

She clicked her tongue impatiently as she continued to look at the clock. What I had going for me was that her professional inclination was to impart knowledge.

"You mean the treasure legend? Russell Teague was interested — to the extent that he tried to scoop up anything related to it."

"He did that with everything historic around here and beyond. Not to mention he's dead," I objected. "So not only could he not have killed Keefe, but I can't talk to him."

"You asked who shared Keefe's interest and that's who did. There's another guy — Sam McCracken — who's on the hunt for the supposed loot from their last robbery."

Sam McCracken. Ah-ha — a last name.

And one I knew.

An image of a guy with thick dark hair flashed up in my head. He and his family were fairly new to the area. And we'd considered him a suspect in another death.

Interesting.

Someone we'd previously considered capable of murder — things were looking up.

Clara didn't wait for me to fully absorb the name. "But the person you should talk to is Mrs. Parens. At least about the guys," she said.

"Mrs. P is a Wild West outlaw aficionado?" I would have expected her to object on ethical grounds.

"I wouldn't say that. She's helping me with research and organization for several elements in Teague's collection — what a mess. Keefe and I spent a week in December triaging stacks of boxes at Teague Ranch. He's been bringing them to me and Mrs. P, bit by bit. When we finish, he takes them back — labeled and orderly. We will really miss him." Her voice turned astringent. "Russell Teague's records are beyond shoddy. He wasn't a true collector, much less a cataloguer. He just grabbed everything he could."

That matched my opinion of him, though I might have expected Clara to be more forgiving, considering the museum beat him out over disputed ownership of historic gold coins before his death, then inherited his historical holdings thanks to fancy footwork by Mrs. P.

They weren't kidding when they said rival historical experts held grudges, even beyond the grave.

No wonder Wardell Yardley was drawn to her. They both were fierce.

"...not her favorite area of study," she was saying, "but facts are facts and even Mrs. Parens had to admit that having pieces associated with the best-known outlaws of that era would be a draw for the museum and Teague Ranch. She's tracked down considerable information. At least about the men."

"What do you mean, at least about the men?"

"Because she's told me — not that I'm surprised — that it's much harder to track the women associated with them. That's what history often does. But you should ask her directly."

And stop bothering me.

That was implicit, but the fact that she didn't say it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Not for long.

She spotted the clock again and this time I was booted out for real.

Was Ivy right about Keefe's interest focusing on Oscar and Pearl as people? That meshed with what Brenda said about his belief they could be his ancestors. And that could explain the DNA test.

On the other hand, it could have been meant as a distraction once he had a rival treasure-hunter in Sam McCracken.

Or could it be both? Would being a descendent give him an advantage in the treasure hunt? A secret map left only for the descendant maybe, but how...?

Too many questions.

What I needed were answers.

Not from Sam McCracken. Not yet. I needed a lot more background.

Besides, he lived in a part of the county that would take me in the opposite direction from the Circle B.

If I wanted to have dinner with Tom and Tamantha tonight...

Yeah, I'd gather more background before I tried Sam McCracken. Later.