Page 9 of Waylaid in Whittier (Cruise Director Millie Mysteries #5)

Elvira stepped inside the Bay Bar & Grill, her eyes darting around the room as she searched for her gold mining group. Finally, she noticed Alex, the show’s head producer, casually leaning against the wall near the pool tables.

She crossed the room and caught up with her colleagues, including Wanda, a local who was helping the production team while actively searching for new spots to mine. Being the only women in the group, the two had become fast friends.

Little did the others know Elvira had inadvertently stumbled upon a promising spot, off the beaten path yet less than a mile from where they were currently mining. She’d found it using her handy dandy tricked-out pulse induction or PI machine she’d purchased before leaving Savannah, Georgia.

She’d originally suspected the seller, a guy who was a member of her treasure hunting group back home, had jacked up the price, thinking she had the word “sucker” plastered across her forehead. But after doing a little research, Elvira believed Jude, the name the treasure-hunting guy went by, was onto something.

She promptly plunked down the outrageous sum of twelve hundred bucks and purchased it, lock, stock, and barrel. Elvira, always on the hunt for a bargain, had convinced him to throw in solar batteries that continuously charged, even while the device was being used.

Taking advantage of every free second she had, Elvira mined nearly nonstop, pocketing the samples she found and bringing them home with her each night to test. “Home” being the RV she was renting while in Alaska.

Her hard work was paying off. Her “honey hole” was not only promising, but she’d found genuine nuggets. Thrilled with her find, she was determined to keep her good fortune to herself.

Certain she had literally “struck gold,” Elvira was getting the paperwork ready to run down to the county recorder’s office and stake her claim. Now, it was only a matter of time before she could mine in earnest. There was only one problem, and it was a biggie.

Elvira eased in next to Wanda. “Hey, Wanda.”

“Hey, Elvira. I was wondering if you were going to grace us with your presence,” she teased.

“I got caught up working on a small…project.” Elvira eyed the bar, noticing two empty barstools on the end. “You wanna grab a drink? My treat.”

“If you’re buying, you betcha.” Wanda followed her across the room. “So, this small project…is it gold related?”

“Maybe.” Elvira motioned the bartender over. “I’ll have a Bud Light and whatever she wants.”

Wanda placed her order and slid onto the empty seat. “Does it have anything to do with Mount Baldie?”

Elvira could feel the blood drain from her face. Mount Baldie was the exact location of the site. “Wh-what makes you think it had something to do with baldie, whatever you called it?”

“C’mon, Elvira,” Wanda chided. “I saw you coming down from the area with your backpack yesterday and again today. It’s a promising location. Did you find something?”

Elvira lowered her voice. She grabbed hold of Wanda’s arm and pulled her close. “Tell me everything you know about Mount Baldie.”

“People have searched the area for years and never found anything. It’s a remote spot requiring special equipment. You got some sort of special gear you haven’t told me about?”

Elvira’s mind raced. She’d been careful not to show the others her one-of-a-kind induction machine and had kept it safely stashed away in her backpack at all times. Surely, Wanda hadn’t seen it…hadn’t been spying on her, or had she?

Her eyes narrowed. “Have you been spying on me?”

Wanda’s face turned beet red. “Spying on you? That’s a terrible thing to accuse me of. I thought we were friends.”

“Accusing you?” Elvira asked. “I asked a simple question and you’re not answering. You better tell me the truth.”

“Or what?” Wanda smirked. “You’re going to pack your bags and leave?”

“I’m not going anywhere. If I found gold on my own, it’s mine.” She jabbed her finger in the woman’s face. “If I were you, I would be careful about who you’re messing with.”

Wanda’s voice raised an octave. “Don’t you dare come blowing into Whittier, throwing your weight around and threatening people,” she said in a loud voice.

“I didn’t threaten you,” Elvira said. “But I am warning you to keep your distance.”

A few other insults and accusations were hurled back and forth. Wanda stomped off. She made her way back to their group and said something to Alex and the others before storming out of the bar.

*****

“And that’s how it ended,” Elvira told Sharky and Millie. “She was hot onto my find. Our conversation got a little heated, and she left. Next thing I know, the cops show up at the bar. Wanda was attacked from behind. Someone hit her in the head and they’re arresting me.”

“You had an alibi,” Sharky said. “You were inside the bar.”

“I went to the bathroom right after she left. When I came back out, I went over and sat with the others from the gold mining group.”

“Did you notice anyone leaving around the time of Wanda’s attack?”

Elvira thought about it. “No. Not that I can recall.”

“What about robbery as a motive?” Sharky asked.

“From what I was told, nothing was stolen. Wanda’s in the hospital and expected to make a full recovery. She claims she doesn’t remember anything about her attacker. She didn’t see who it was. They didn’t say anything,” Elvira said. “The bottom line is she got whacked in the back of the head and her attacker ran off.”

“Randomly attacking a woman outside the bar with no motive.” Millie tapped her chin thoughtfully. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“I was thinking the same thing. Which is why I’m the prime suspect and the only one the cops have. Several people saw us argue.” Elvira snapped her fingers. “Not even five minutes later, the attack happened.”

“Do you have any idea who it might have been?” Sharky asked. “More importantly, do you think it has something to do with the gold mining?”

She shrugged. “It’s the only thing I can come up with.”

“It’s possible that others know about your honey hole,” Millie theorized. “Maybe Wanda told someone or they, like her, noticed you going to…what was the name of the place?”

“Mount Baldie.”

“Mount Baldie,” Sharky repeated. “How do we get there?”

“I have a map in my RV. It’s a little tricky to find. Other than a small sample spot, the entire area is pristine and untouched, just waiting for me to dig, nuggets, dig.”

“It wouldn’t hurt for us to go there and check it out,” Millie said.

“To see if someone has been turning up dirt seeing how I’m sitting here in jail,” Elvira said. “If so, we know for certain it wasn’t Wanda. She’s laid up in the hospital.”

“Good point,” Sharky said. “I can see you’ve given this some thought.”

“I’ve had plenty of time sitting in my cell to replay what happened. As far as the attack, either Wanda has an enemy or she, along with someone else, is onto my spot.”

“How do we get there?”

“When you leave here, head down River Street. At the main drag’s stop sign, turn right. You’ll go up a hill, a really steep hill. When you reach the top, make another right. You can’t miss it. There’s a ginormous totem pole with a wooden eagle perched at the very top.”

“Hold up.” Sharky made a timeout. “I’ll never remember this.”

Millie slid her notepad and pen across the table. “Do you think you could draw us a map?”

“With my eyes closed.” Elvira uncapped the pen and reached for the notepad. At first, Millie couldn’t make heads or tails of what she was drawing, but then it started to make sense.

She finished and tapped the top. “Do you think you can find it?”

“I hope so.” Sharky glanced at the crude drawing. “If not, we’ll have to stop by your RV and pick up the original.”

“I hid a key.” Elvira told them the location of her RV and where to find the spare key. “You might run into Alex, the producer. I’ve mentioned your name several times. Tell him I gave you permission to go inside and grab something.”

“What are the chances it’s Alex, the producer?” Millie asked.

Elvira gave her a thumbs down. “Nil. Zero. It’s not Alex. He’s straight as an arrow. You’ll see what I mean when you meet him.”

The guard approached their table. “Time’s up.”

Millie shoved her chair back. “Good luck getting out of here.”

“Alex promised he would do what he could. I believe him,” Elvira said. “My cell phone was confiscated. If I get out and they give me my stuff back, I’ll call you.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Sharky darted around the table and hugged his woman. “Hang in there, babe. We’ll clear your name as soon as we can.”

Millie offered words of encouragement before exiting the visiting area. She grabbed her things from the locker, which is where Sharky caught up with her.

“Elvira appears to be in good spirits.”

“Because she thinks she’s getting out.” Sharky wiggled his backpack back and forth, working hard to extract it from the small locker. “I have to say, she’s more optimistic about the situation than I am.”

“I give it a fifty-fifty chance. At least she knows someone who can help get her out of here. The clock is ticking.” Millie glanced at her watch. “We have some solid leads to follow up on, but we need help.”

“It’s time to call in the troops,” Sharky said.

“Precisely. We need to cover as much ground as possible. Let’s go outside and make the call.”