The Battle of Eden Springs
by
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Chapter 22
Late Monday, Carolyn’s phone rang with a call from Earl Daniels. “It’s for you” she called out to Ed, “Sheriff Daniels is holding on the line.”
“I had a call from State Police Headquarters early today,” the sheriff began. “Saturday morning a group of boys was hanging around an abandoned rock quarry between Princeton and Pearisburg, plinking at tin cans with their .22’s. The water in the pit is clear as glass, and one of them spotted a truck looking like it was parked on the bottom under about sixty feet of water. They walked over to an Esso station and told the owner, who called the state police. One of their rescue teams spent most of the day Sunday getting a cable attached to the truck and winching it up where they could take a look at it. Fortunately, there were no bodies inside. But one thing that really got their attention was when they saw it was a new dark blue 1952 Ford panel truck without license plates.”
“You think it could be the same truck that two men were driving when they ran me off the road out north of town?” Ed asked.
“That’s a possibility that crossed my mind. There’s more to the report. There was a blown out tire and broken shocks and springs where the truck landed on its wheels at the bottom of the quarry. But there was also a mashed in front bumper and grill.”
“But the truck I encountered didn’t make any contact with me when it forced me off the road. And if it had, the damage would have been on the right front side.”
“I realize that. But that’s not all I learned. Caught up in the grill almost out of sight, they found a torn piece of gray wool cloth, a heavy kind of fabric. The scrap had several very small dark brown stains that hadn’t come out despite soaking for a long time under water at the bottom of the pit. The state police believe it could be spattered human blood. Their lab is running a test today.”
“Do you think that truck could be the hit and run vehicle involved in Myrtle’s death?”
“The state police seem to be thinking along those lines. There was some speculation based on the pattern of bruises on Myrtle’s body that something like a Ford truck might have been involved. The vehicle serial number on the truck had been filed off, but the state police lab technician was still able to etch it out. It turns out the truck was stolen off a dealer’s lot in Wheeling back in January. Someone cleaned up the truck and wiped off all the fingerprints before pushing it over the side into the quarry, so there’s no way to identify the people involved yet.”
“Will your department be working with the state police on the investigation?”
“Yes, and that’s why I called you. There’s a question of who has jurisdiction, because it’s uncertain where the hit and run occurred, or whether Myrtle was still alive when she was thrown in the field with the bull. The state police have requested that you and I look at the truck where it’s impounded in Princeton, to see if we can bring anything to light that might help in the investigation. I have some other business that takes me up that way tomorrow, and I wondered if you would be willing to drive up and meet me there. I can give you the address now.”
“I’ll plan to join you at after lunch tomorrow at their headquarters in Princeton. OK if I bring someone along for the ride with me on the drive over?”
When the call ended, Ed told Carolyn about the truck in the rock quarry. “I’ll be driving over to Princeton in the morning, and I won’t get back until mid afternoon. The only other thing coming up that will take me out of the office this week is the Buchanan hearing in front of Judge Kirk on Friday. And I don’t even know how big a role I’ll be permitted to play in that hearing, since Gideon was unable to give me power of attorney before he became disabled.”
Ed dialed Jackson Realty before lunch, catching Laura on the way out the door. “Any chance you could take the morning off tomorrow and drive over to Princeton with me? There’s a used truck I want you to show you.”
“And just why would I want to waste my time and go all the way to Princeton to look at a used truck?” she inquired curiously.
Ed gave her a brief update on the new development in the Myrtle Spencer homicide.
“I’m so glad to hear there’s finally some progress in solving the Myrtle Spencer murder that I’m more than willing to risk a commission. Sure, I’ll ride along with you. What time do we need to get on the road?”
“I’ll plan to come by for you at 7:30. We can have lunch after we get there. I promise you, nothing but the best.”
When he got home that evening, Ed encountered a typical scene of Housman domesticity. The radio was tuned in to a popular music station, and Doug was talking on the phone, with JR pawing at his leg, trying to get his attention. Ed quickly pulled together a supper of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. He had the meal on the table when Doug hung up the phone and came in to join him.
“Looks like I overslept,” Doug joked. “Thanks for fixing such a great breakfast.”
“Just be thankful you’re getting fed. Think of all the starving children in China. Who were you on the phone with?”
“Vickie called me. Who’d have ever thought that anything good could come from a math class. She’s having trouble with the geometry assignment due tomorrow, and I was trying to help her out.”
“I told you studying hard would pay off for you someday, but I confess, success with the ladies was not exactly what I had in mind. By the way, I’ll be going out of town tomorrow morning. I’ve been asked to look at a truck being held in Princeton that could be connected to my recent encounter out on the highway, and even more likely, the one involved in the Myrtle Spencer hit-and-run.”
“I wish I were going with you tomorrow. But I don’t seem to have as much interest in skipping school these days, particularly math class. I just hope Mr. Powell keeps creating a world of confusion the way he does now, and makes geometry as clear as mud for a certain classmate.”
When Ed drove up in front of Laura’s apartment the next morning, she was watching for him through the window, and quickly ran down to the car. “Good morning, Ed. You’re running a few minutes early, as usual. I just had time to finish breakfast.”
Ed caught a breath of Laura’s light cologne, a clean floral fragrance, as she slipped into the seat beside him. The summery scent lingered as he steered the car toward Princeton.
“How’s the Eden Springs real estate tycoon doing this morning?” Ed asked. “Judging by looks, I would assume incredibly well.”
“I’m doing just fine, thank you. Truthfully, it’s good to get away from the office this morning. Dan asked me earlier if I would go to lunch with him today, and he still hasn’t learned the meaning of the word ‘no.’ Unfortunately, we real estate tycoons can’t have unlisted phone numbers, so it’s difficult to hide from him.”
“I’m sorry he’s still being a problem. Well, that’s not totally true, and I promised you no more fibs. Actually, I’m glad you classify him as a problem. You already know how I feel about competition.”
At noon, they stopped at a small diner on the outskirts of Princeton, comfortably settling on adjacent stools at the counter. “You want the Moon Pie and RC Cola I promised?” . Ed joked.
The no-frills diner seemed like a throwback to a prewar era, with the lunch specials printed in chalk on a small blackboard behind the counter. “Eating in one of these places really takes you back a few years, doesn’t it?” Ed remarked.
“Speak for yourself, Housman,” Laura laughed. “I’m way too young to remember the good old days you’re always talking about.”
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About the Book
After the death of their beloved wife and mother, attorney Ed Housman and his teenage son Doug move to Eden Springs, West Virginia to start a new life in a small town, home to an old mineral springs spa and a Civil War battlefield. When the pristine region is threatened by the discovery of coal in 1951, Ed finds himself drawn into a modern day battle with a powerful coal magnate determined to exploit this peaceful valley.
Against this backdrop, Ed encounters an attractive widow, and discovers that life can offer a second chance at love. And Doug comes of age, among a circle of friends which grows to include his first girlfriend.
Past and present converge when the Civil War mystery of the Battle of Eden Springs is finally solved, and the conflict between those who would sell their heritage and those who seek to save it comes to an exciting climax.
About the Author
Jim Crowgey is a retired engineer and writing enthusiast, splitting time between homes in Roanoke and nearby Smith Mountain Lake. He and his wife of over fifty years, Phyllis, are the proud parents of a son and daughter, and four grown granddaughters. He is an avid Virginia Tech Hokie with deep roots in Virginia and West Virginia, and bicycles the back roads of that region each week with a group of close friends.
Drawing on his own life experiences within a large family in an era following the Great Depression to the present, he creates warm, sympathetic characters living with grace and grit. His fast-paced novels span the literary spectrum from mystery, action, and adventure to romance and humor, leaving readers anxious to learn what will happen next all the way to the conclusion.