END OF PREVIOUS POST:
Cash stood beside him. "You can leave by choice, or I'll help. Either way, the lady told you to leave."

"You're a country boy. You can't do anything to me."

"Watch me!" Cash put one hand around the back of Cleve's neck, the other at the back waist band of his pants, half pushed, and half carried him to the door. "Billy Joe, get the door for me." On the porch, Cash tossed him down the stairs. "You're not welcome here, so I wouldn't come back."

TODAY'S POST:

Paige grabbed the black velvet box. "Darn! I forgot to give him this."

Morgan went alongside his master.

Mary Pat ran to the door and pushed through the two men. "Cleve, wait. Paige has something for you."

When Paige got to the door, she smiled. "I have no use for this." She tossed the box to the sidewalk, and it landed beside Cleve. As she went inside, the door slammed.

The pup stood on the porch and barked. After the door shut, he pawed and whined.

Cash opened the door, let the dog in, and followed. "Billy Joe and I need to start on the inside. Do you want us to start with the parlor or the library?"

"Let me think a minute." Paige tilted her head. "I think the parlor. I have research to do in the library." She headed for the library with Morgan at her feet. "First, I need to call Mom."

*****
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but couldn't help it. You were raised with a butler and a driver and had a private jet?" Mary Pat stood in the doorway.

"Yes." Paige stared at her phone. "But I had as normal of a childhood as a rich kid could have. My parents were always around. I wasn't raised by a nanny. My parents were strict and I had to do chores."

Cash entered the room. "Only you didn't learn how to cook, right?"

"Everybody drives a Jaguar." Billy Joe stood behind Cash. "I left mine at home today."

"I'm sick of my money. Cleve wants it, the Walkers crave it. I don't have a clue what the treasure hunters want. I guess they want treasure and the house. I'm about ready to give it all to them. I just want to be left alone."

Billy Joe removed his toothpick. "Hey, ya really have enough money to sponsor a race car?" After Paige nodded, he removed his cap, scratched his head, and then replaced it. "Hell's bells, now I know a bonafide millionaire."

"I think technically she's an heiress." Mary Pat glared at her husband.

Paige grabbed a pillow, lay back on the couch, and covered her head. "I want to be a nobody."

Cash poked Billy Joe's arm. "Let's get back to work." He took out his cell. "I need to call Bart and see how he wants to handle our burglar. I think it'd be better received coming from him. Davis won't be too happy if I tell him that his son's suspected of breaking and entering. We don't know if he took anything or not."

"Ya got that right." Billy Joe went into the parlor. "A real live heiress. Go figure."

Paige's lips pursed. "He'll never let me forget it, will he?"

"I'll talk to him." Mary Pat followed her husband.

Using the crutches as support, Paige stood. I better get started on the research. I wonder how much Alice wrote about Ann. I hope she wrote about her grandchildren so I can see who the brooch was passed on to.

Cash stepped into the room. "Bart's going to pass the info on to the police department." He studied Paige a moment. "You all right?"

"Yes." Paige used her crutch to hold herself up. "I'm just wondering if we'll ever get to the bottom of this."

"We will. Do you need help getting back to the couch? That's a pretty big book."

"No, thank you. I can do it. Alice wrote a lot. It's her second diary. I'm hoping it has some answers." Paige set the book on the table and sat on the couch. Morgan jumped up beside her.

"If you need anything, I'll be in the parlor."

About an hour later, Mary Pat entered, followed by Nala. "I bet you need a break. I'll be back shortly with some tea and snacks." Nala left the room.

Mary Pat brought a chair closer to Paige. "Any success with your research?"

Paige looked up from the diary. "It's full of chicanery and mistrust."

"What do you mean?"

"Alice wrote about scalawags and thieves. They cheated widows and their children out of their inheritance. The so-called honest, caring Southern gentleman's a myth."

"That's pretty harsh coming from a Northerner. Yankee Carpetbaggers backed by crooked politicians made life rough for the Southerners after the Civil War. That made it difficult for the South to rebuild." Mary Pat glared at Paige. "The Southern gentleman is not a myth. I found one in Billy Joe, and you can have one too if you open your eyes and take a good honest look at Cash."

"Every man I've met is just after my money, even Cash."

"For your sake, I hope you don't really believe that. Cash Wilkins is as honest as the day is long. I wouldn't hesitate to trust him and Billy Joe with my life." Mary Pat left the room without another word.