“What rumours?” Harry asked. “And don’t give me the short version! I want complete sentences.”
Joe pulled a face and laughed. “Trapping was faked. Paddy was looking for gold.”
“Using trapping as a cover would have made sense. But, was any trace of gold ever found around here?”
“Never heard of any.” Joe shook his head. “Maybe cave was home. Signs of fire found near entrance.”
“That could indicate living there… or using it as a campsite. Is that all?”
“Rumour said old pirate told Paddy about otters.”
Harry sighed. “Joe… what does a pirate have to do with this?”
Joe shrugged. “Lone shipwreck survivor… washed up on beach… years before…”
“If the Historical Society hears about any of this, I’ll have to go in hiding. They seem to think digging up the past is the same as solving mysteries and hauntings.”
“Too good at what you do.” Joe said.
“Maybe.” Harry chuckled. “I must get back before Bertie leaves. See you around.”
“Anytime,” Joe answered.
********************
Harry was at his desk the following morning, when the door opened. “Morning,” he said, thinking it was Bertie.
“Morning, Mr. Hogan.”
He looked up. “Mr. Martin! Good morning. Did you remember something?”
Martin nodded. “I dug out that old composition. Marjorie scanned it onto the computer and sent you a copy.”
“Thank you both.”
“There’s something more, towards the end, something I didn’t want to talk about.” My phone number is in the email in case you have questions.” He turned and left quickly, passing Bertie in the doorway.
“Gary Martin, I presume?”
Harry nodded and opened his email. “I’ll print two copies so you can read it yourself.”
When the documents were printed, Harry refreshed his coffee and started reading. Since he already knew most of it, he skimmed through it fairly quickly. But the last page caught his attention, apparently written exactly as told by his uncle.
“Remember what I told you about Paddy O’Flynn?”
“I do,” Bertie said, without looking up.
“The last page of Martin’s composition is what he didn’t want to talk about yesterday.”
“I heard that,” she said. “Read it.”
Harry took a good mouthful of coffee. “He says that he asked his uncle if he was sure that the hunters had never mentioned O’Flynn again. His uncle said that he knew one of those hunters. When that hunter was on his deathbed, he told Martin’s uncle that while most people thought Paddy had died of hypothermia, they didn’t think so.
“They found Paddy’s traps hung up in a tree but they knew Paddy hadn’t done it. The traps were higher than they could reach, and Paddy was not a tall man. Who – or what – had hung them there was a mystery. They didn’t know anyone tall enough to do it. If they mentioned the traps, with no explanation, it would start all kinds of rumours about imaginary and supernatural beings, so they kept quiet.
“They never hunted in that area anymore. Apparently. they believed that if Paddy hadn’t died naturally, then his ghost would haunt the place, seeking revenge.”
