The Private Eye

trouble here at the manor. I made some inquiries about Ricky 'The Wrecker’ Ring and the answer came back today.”
    “Oh, yes. Your computer inquiries.” Maggie smiled eagerly. “What did you learn?”
    Josh decided there was no point in telling her he'd learned everything through a simple phone call to the home office where one of his staff had run a quick check. “Ricky Ring got out of prison five years ago. From all accounts he was a model prisoner – spent most of his time inside teaching other inmates how to read. Since getting out, he's routinely devoted twenty hours a week to a local literacy project. He's living a quiet life down in Portland and shows absolutely no signs of going back to his erring ways. His present income appears to be derived entirely from T-bills and government securities that he bought years ago before he went to jail. In short, Ricky is a reformed man.”
    “No indication that he's out for vengeance?”
    “None.”
    Maggie gazed thoughtfully into her chocolate. “Well, I never did think Shirley's explanation was sound. What about Odessa's nephews?”
    “I did some checking on them, too. All three nephews live on the East Coast. Not one of them has ever made a trip to Washington, and apparently not one of them has any intention of doing so. Furthermore, they are all doing quite well financially. Two of them are lawyers and one of them is in banking. I'm still checking on the mining stock Odessa owns.”
    “That leaves the Colonel and his fuel experiments, doesn't it?”
    Josh was about to tell her that from what he'd seen of the Colonel's work, they could safely discard that theory, too. There was no way anyone was going to turn water into a combustible substance. At least, not going at it the way the Colonel was, But Josh thought he would save that revelation for later. He had to make his work last for the next three weeks.
    “I'm still working on the Colonel's theory and your idea that someone is after your aunt's emerald brooch,” Josh said smoothly.
    “I suppose you think my theory is as nutty as all the others that are floating around here.”
    “What makes you say that?” He slanted her a surprised, assessing glance. Her tone of voice alarmed him. This was not the upbeat, gung-ho Maggie he had come to know during the past week. “You're kind of down tonight, aren't you?”
    “A little,” she admitted. She set her hot chocolate on the table, leaned her head back and gazed forlornly out the window into the darkness. “Clay talked all evening about how smart it would be to sell the manor. He meant well, I know. But still, it was depressing hearing him lay out all the practical reasons why I should get rid of the place. He says I'm not doing the Colonel, Odessa and Shirley any favours trying to save it.”
    “Yeah?”
    Maggie nodded wearily. “He says they'd all be better off financially if I sold the manor and gave them a share of the profits. I don't know. Josh. Maybe I am being foolish, trying to save it. What if there really isn't something mysterious going on around here for you to find? What if it's just a big old house slowly fading away?”
    “Hey, let's not jump to the worst possible conclusions so soon.” Josh realized with a start that he didn't want Maggie to have to face reality quite so quickly.
    To his chagrin, he was suddenly stricken with a wild, impulsive desire to help her salvage her dream. Bad move , he reminded himself. It never pays to play hero .
    But it was too late. Josh knew he was already looking for ways to ride to the rescue.
    “Maybe Clay's right. Josh. Maybe it would be doing Odessa and Shirley and the Colonel a favour if I sold the place now. I know they love it and think of it as their home, but – ”
    “Give me the rest of the month,” Josh said quickly. “Just give me the amount of time you contracted for in the beginning. That's all I ask, Okay?”
    She turned her head on the cushion and looked up at him with damp eyes. “But what can you do besides prove our theories wrong? What if there isn't anything odd happening?”
    He framed her face gently with one hand and leaned close. “Maggie, you hired me to fix things. Let me do my job for the rest of the month and we'll see what happens.” He grinned briefly and brushed his mouth lightly against hers. “What have you got to lose? I work cheap, remember?”
    “Oh, Josh, I just don't know. I was so sure in the beginning, but Clay says – -”
    “Forget O'Connor,