Mavis Lamb Needs Geologist for Oregon Gold Mine
by Ann Cassin
Part 3 of 4
Rosie had a few geology courses under her belt, but she also enclosed a recipe for Chicken Vindaloo with her resume, and Duke knew that had impressed Mavis. Rosie’s Vindaloo called for nine Indian spices as well as eight exotic chilies. Mavis had discovered if there were two dishes dinner guests detested, Californians in Palm Desert or New Englanders in Camoverpass, these were Chicken Vindaloo and steamed razorback clams. Mavis always tried to include one or the other or both—hang the expense—when she entertained.
The Vindaloo had gotten Rosie into Galaxy, and over the past three months she had mastered the geology of Josephine County, opened negotiations with Reverend Jane, the owner of Spirit Mountain. She knew all the gossip. Mavis had specially instructed Rosie to keep a lookout for other gold interests that Galaxy might acquire in southern Oregon. But as it turned out, Rosie had had a special interest of her own.
Galaxy had just started the hard rock tests on Spirit Mountain. Mavis and Duke planned to open the old mine shaft on Reverend Jane’s Spirit Mountain claim and Reverend Jane had been enthusiastic. The results of the tests had been so positive Mavis was determined to buy Spirit Mountain from Jane and they had telephoned instructions to Rosie in Oregon last week to do just that.
But Rosie told them she had discovered a meteor crater on Spirit Mountain and this was all the proof she needed that Jane’s uncle had stolen Spirit Mountain from her grandfather. She demanded that they come to Oregon and then she insisted on speaking to Mavis alone.
Duke shivered again. How could he have lost that sweater? He didn’t like the idea of Mavis handling anything alone. He believed he performed a humanitarian service by mediating her effect on the world at large. But secretly Duke had always been afraid that Mavis might someday get too big for him and he didn’t know exactly what would happen then. Mavis told him she had laughed at Rosie’s claim and her evidence for it.
Duke had practically persuaded himself the Oregon operation might be legitimate, although he and Mavis had always known the real gold was in the telephone operation ten feet below his closet office.
Duke had never found out exactly what evidence Rosie had reported to Mavis as her claim of ownership to Spirit Mountain. In fact, he had never seen Rosie again after her conversation with Mavis. With growing apprehension as well as memories of the long-gone Click-Butler, Duke sensed that Mavis controlled this operation in ways she had never done in other joint ventures. She tackled everything big or small with the same glowing childlike glee that had lit up her whitish-pink grandmotherly face a few minutes ago down there with the telephone girls.
Duke reviewed the facts about Rosie: Mavis had told Duke that Rosie wanted Spirit Mountain herself. In fact, Mavis had said Rosie took her down the meteor crater on Spirit Mountain to view the evidence.f. Mavis reported it was the most scintillating experience she had ever had, a remark Duke found odd or seemingly more appropriate to the moment of meteor impact rather than to the time of Mavis’s visit there.
Duke never trusted Mavis, but he was most suspicious of her when she was not acting secretively. Although Mavis and Duke were inseparable, except during unavoidable business trips usually taken by Duke, she had never gone so far as to marry him, to legally tie herself and her fortune to him in any conventional way (it wasn’t something he could’ve proposed himself). Duke enjoyed the many underhanded chores he performed at Mavis’s behest, but he would’ve liked the security of a more formal arrangement. He knew she was quite dependent on him now, but Duke didn’t have the guts to threaten any sort of departure or abrupt breaking of the ties that didn’t actually bind.
He knew Rosie believed that he and Mavis were into Galaxy for the mining, and it wouldn’t do to have her guess that they were in it for the mining operation. He didn’t think Rosie would appreciate the fact Mavis enjoyed Rosie’s meteor story as one more way to run the Golden Fleece itself: Mavis said a notorious meteor crater was just what they needed to attract more investors.
Ms. Emily Wu appeared at his door. She looked tired and peeved. But she smiled brightly and asked, “Aren’t you going to answer the phone? I’ve been blinking you for about five minutes.”
Duke noticed that two yellow telephone lights were blinking instead of the one he had set himself. Good thing Ms. Wu had pointed it out in time. He might have thought his retina had finally gone and detached itself.
“It’s been a long week.”
“You can say that again.” Duke knew that Mavis must still be hanging around the telephone pool.
“I’m leaving before it gets any longer. I told you last night I was leaving at 10 tonight.”
“Certainly. Certainly. We should all close up now. Nobody should hang around here Friday nights. Tell Mavis to come up if she has a chance.”
Ms. Wu smiled at that and headed out.
Duke slipped himself another shot and picked up the telephone, expecting an investor on the line. “Good evening, good evening,” Duke started jovially.
“Mr. Batliner?” A firm, unfamiliar voice asked.
“Dr. Batliner.” Ms. Wu was usually very careful about screening. Oh well, he’d put up with it. Might be a small, private investor.
“Galaxy Mining?”
“That’s right. Perhaps you’d like to speak to one of our investment personnel?”
“Nope. This is Detective Wilde, Grants Pass, Oregon. Got a body this afternoon. Been identified as one of your employees, Rosie Holland. Murdered.”
