Miss Pinkerton smiled and greeted each one by name. Joe was last and she said, “Joe, you look like your grandfather. You may not know this, but Joseph was my most loyal supporter. He helped me out of more difficult situations than I can count.”
Joe nodded. “Never talked about it… Father told me.”
“You even talk like him. Sit down and get comfortable. Goldie is bringing refreshments. Then we’ll talk.” She looked at Harry. “You appear deep in thought.”
Harry laughed. “Wondering how to tell Ms Pinsent that I have to cut a hole in her back porch.
“Cut a what? Where?” Goldie laid the tray on the coffee table and poured the coffee. “What did I miss?”
“Well…,” Harry said, and told them what he was investigating, and how Miss Pinkerton might be connected.
Miss Pinkerton nodded her head as Harry talked. When he finished, she said, “I can confirm the tunnel is there, and the fact that Joseph, Saul and Jonah helped me. Joseph told me about what they thought was a smugglers’ tunnel. If he knew more, he never told me.”
“Did Saul Black buy the farmhouse or build?” Harry asked.
“He bought the old dilapated place and demolished it to build what he called a proper farmhouse. During the process, he found the steps to the root cellar. While restoring that, he found the tunnel and realized its potential. He and Joseph cleaned up the cellar and repaired the shelf section that was the door. They also checked the tunnel and shored up the outside opening.”
“Where’s the outside opening?” Silas asked.
She shook her head. “I never knew. They said it was better that way and I didn’t question. I was already keeping enough secrets to keep me awake at night.”
“So, when Saul built the house, he included a back porch, so the tunnel could be accessed unobserved from inside,” Harry said. “Smart.”
“Before you leave, gentlemen, I hope you’ll keep my part of this quiet. You can tell Ms Pinsent it was considered to be a smugglers’ tunnel, but please don’t mention the rest. My memoirs will soon be in bookstores and all will be revealed. The book is dedicated to my two children, and three cherished friends, Joseph, Saul and Jonah.”
They agreed and thanked her as they were leaving. “One more thing,” she said, “After I retired, I think Jonah removed or covered the exterior porch door. I don’t know what he did inside.”
***************
The next morning, Bertie accompanied Harry out to Black’s Farm. He had called Ms Pinsent the previous evening to make sure she’d be home and give her some instructions.
Ida looked puzzled when she met them at the door. “We did as you asked, but none of us understand.” She noticed the tool bag and trouble lights he carried as she closed the door behind them. The other four were waiting inside.
“Long story short,” Harry said, “we have to open up the rest of the back porch.”
All heads turned towards him. “What are you talking about?” Ida asked.
As he told them about the outside door, the steps down to the root cellar, and the smugglers’ tunnel, he noticed their gaping mouths and wide eyes. “I learned this yesterday from trusted sources.”
