Letters From Al by Pieper, Kathleen (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

you sometimes. But in all fairness, we weren't total strangers."

"I suppose that is a true statement." She chuckled and settled back against his strong shoulder.

"The thought that maybe it was me that was holding you back, holding back what we could have, I just had to say something."

"I wasn't you at all. I appreciate you sharing that with me." Maddy leaned over and kissed him. "Feel better?" He nodded and they went on reading the diary.

"Okay, now that we have that settled, it's back to my side of the family." She grinned and found her place.

"Okay, read on." Scanning the pages she sat bolt upright, her eyes wide.

"Alec, listen to this," she whispered breathlessly, "I think this might be what we were looking for."

May 16, 1925

Had terrifying meeting with two gangsters outside the diner tonight. They were going to kill the gangster Al Capone and I stumbled in on it. I pretended not to know what was going on, but told Capone to leave the diner by the back way. He did and no one got hurt.

Alec looked at Maddy and the diary with renewed interest.

June 1, 1925

Remember May 16? Today a man came to work and gave me money as a reward. I wouldn't take it because it was from Capone, for saving his life. I put him in his place and gave the dirty money back. No blood money for me.

June 20, 1925

Another man, more money. No!

July 10, 1925

Check arrived by mail, signed by Reginald J. Drake, a lawyer, but I know it's from Capone. Returned it immediately. Wish he'dleave me alone.

"Alec, my Aunt saved Al Capone's life, inadvertently, but he felt honor bound to repay the debt and she wouldn't accept it. I can hardly believe it."

"What's next? Go on." They hunched over the diary eagerly wanting to know more.

July 30, 1925

Capone is concerned that I won't take the money, but said I may be in danger from the killers. What have I done? He said he wanted to take care of me, but I said no again. He's a strange kind of man, said it was too bad he was married. Train ticket arrived in today's mail. I'm taking it.

Maddy scanned the next pages rapidly, outlining them for Alec. "She went to Omaha, later met Franklin and they were married. She's skipping months now. Here is the next one she wrote.

February 14, 1929

Newspaper article about killings in Chicago. Headline read St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. They say gangster Al Capone ordered it. Seven men killed from another gang, how awful!

The next dozen faded pages were too faint to read, but when Maddy flipped to the end of the diary a newspaper clipping fell out.

Obituaries in the World: Alphonso Capone, also known as 'Scarface' Al Capone, died in Miami, at age 48. Born in Naples in 1899, died January 25, 1949, survivors include wife, Mae, one son Albert Francis "Sonny" his mother, three brothers and one sister. After years of illegal wealth, he died penniless.

"Incredible. Maddy, these documents might be worth a lot of money to a collector." Alec said, staring at them and then her. She leaned over into his arms, needing support.

"She should have let Al Capone take care of her rotten family." Maddy said bitterly. The anger in her voice surprised even her, Alec shook his head sympathetically.

"Maddy, she was strong enough to survive, just like we all are. Besides, if she'd let old Al Capone wipe out the family, where would that leave you?"

That thought had escaped her. She gave a little grin and then nodded in agreement. "I guess so, but she could have had him put a contract out on a couple of the more rotten ones."

"Why, you little gangster, you know you don't mean that. I know I'd be mighty disappointed if you hadn't been born, Maddy, mighty disappointed. So I should thank your family for that, for you." Rocking her like a small child, Alec felt her tears drop on his arm. How he wanted to comfort and protect her. How he loved her.

* * *

Maddy called Tommy the next day to help finish cleaning out the attic while she went to the store to make copies of the letters and diary. They were all going straight to a lock box in the bank as soon as she finished transcribing them.

The other was a heart stopper. The letter came from an attorney, the same attorney mentioned in her aunt's diary that had signed a check she returned. Reginald J. Drake. Maddy wondered if he was any relation to Jack Drake, Aunt Madeline's lawyer. Something she needed to check out later.

This could be very important. This was the actual proof of the missing bonds. She'd never heard of the company, but knew who to call back in Chicago who did.

The company had been sold several times and even gone through a name change to the Benton Mining Company. Now all she had to do was find the actual paper bonds. There was one little hitch, however. The bonds were called bearer bonds, meaning that whoever had them could redeem them for the cash value. According to the records they hadn't been cashed in yet, but anyone who found them could get the money. Since Maddy didn't know where they were, this could mean disaster. She could hardly wait to tell Alec.

She walked around the house, chilled, rubbing her arms and feeling uneasy. She heard Tommy making noise in the attic as he cleaned out the rest of the junk but even so she felt as if someone was lurking around, watching her. She hated that feeling. The weather hadn't helped either, rainy and windy and the one upstairs bedroom had leaked again. That would have to be fixed soon.

She went back into the library and started transcribing the diary by hand. This had to be what the mystery was all about, the bonds. Someone thought they