Page 696 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

“I’ve been investigating Avery’s death.” She watched Walter’s eyes to see his reaction before continuing. His expression was unreadable.

“And?”

“I’m more convinced than ever that Avery was murdered.”

She saw it then, the guardedness in his eyes. She willed herself to remain rational—to take her time and lay out the facts.

“Shortly before his death, Avery wrote a letter to my aunt, asking her if I could stay with her. He told her that he was very worried about some things.”

“Did he say what?”

Sydney shook her head. She knew how flimsy this must sound. “No, he was vague. I think he was planning to tell her everything when he saw her. Unfortunately, he never got the chance.” She switched gears. “And then there’s Buford Phillips.”

Walter’s eyebrow arched. “What about Buford Phillips?”

“I found the accident report at the mill that Avery filled out. It said that Buford was killed by a chunk that split off from a log.”

“That sounds about right from what I can remember.”

“Someone else added that Buford had been drinking. Mrs. Phillips swears he was sober. She told me that Buford became religious prior to his death and that he’d given up alcohol. Mrs. Phillips believes that Buford was involved in some sort of illegal activities going on at the sawmill. She thinks that he wanted to come clean. According to her, he tried and was killed for it.”

“What sort of activities?”

Sydney shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

Walter scratched his head. “It’s only natural for Mrs. Phillips to want to defend Buford. I don’t blame her for wanting to protect his memory. I must tell you, though, this sounds a little far-fetched to me.”

“I know how it must sound.”

Walter ran a hand through his silver hair. “Honey, I can’t even begin to imagine what it has been like for you to lose both of your parents. But putting yourself through this won’t bring Avery back. His death was an accident. Sometimes things just happen.”

“No!” The word exploded from her mouth. “No,” she repeated softly. “I don’t think so.”

He was about to interrupt again, but she stopped him. “Just hear me out … please?”

He nodded, then waited for her to continue.

“I spoke to Lewis Jackson.” She saw Walter’s eyebrow twitch and knew this was a possible sore spot because Lewis was Walter’s ex brother-in-law. “I confronted him about the accident in the log yard and how Avery thought the chain had been cut. I told him that Avery suspected him of short-changing the loggers. When I asked him about it, he practically threw me out of his store.”

Walter was sitting with his arms folded. “Yes, Avery told me about the accident in the log yard, but how did you know about it? Did he tell you about it before he died?”

“No.” She looked him in the eye. “That’s the clincher. I read it in his journal.”

“What! Avery kept a journal?” He stood and walked to the fireplace and reached for the poker and began stoking the fire.

Sydney scooted to the edge of her seat. She’d finally caught Walter’s attention. She gave him a moment to let the information soak in. He turned toward her but kept one hand on the mantle. “Where did this journal come from?”

“It was in a box of things that Stella, my grandmother, gave to me when I first returned to Stoney Creek.”

“She had it this whole time?”

Sydney nodded.

Walter shook his head. “I had no idea.”

“Avery wrote that he had an appointment with Judge Crawford from Glendale. The appointment was scheduled for the day that Avery was killed. And get this. Judge Crawford was killed that very same day. My Aunt Judith had a newspaper clipping of Avery’s death that she kept with the article about Judge Crawford. Don’t you see? Both the Judge and Avery were killed the same day. And they both died in explosions.”

Walter stroked his chin. “Sydney that could be a coincidence.”

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