Mystery in the Keweenaw Peninsula

By D.J. Martin

You met Jane Bowman in D.J. Martin's first book 'Mystery in the Porkies'.
In this sequel the young history teacher and amateur archeologist has not just accepted her intuitive skills,
but she has sought out the advice of a family friend and learned more about her inherited gift.

When she decides to volunteer for a huge archeology dig in and around the ghost towns of Michigan's upper
peninsula her intuitive talents unfold. She joins a hundred other young archeology volunteers on an adventure
that will truly test her skills. But archeology isn't the only thing going on in the copper country ghost town she's
been assigned to.
Learning who she can trust becomes paramount as a determined Indian ghost tries to tell her an old secret.
She's intrigued, but she also knows that she can't go on this journey alone!
The question! Who can she trust?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984525109

D.J. Martin

Born and raised in Michigan she have traveled throughout both the Upper and Lower Peninsula enjoying the great state she live in. She loves to read and write. She's married and have three grown children and four wonderful grandchildren. D.J. Martin is a college graduate and recently retired after working almost forty two years as a Medical Technologist and Laboratory System Manager.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by D.J. Martin.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2018905156

ISBN:      Hardcover       978-1-9845-2508-6

                Softcover         978-1-9845-2509-3

                eBook               978-1-9845-2510-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/22/2018

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

778205

Contents

Chapter 1         Tough Decisions

Chapter 2         Advice from Uncle Dave

Chapter 3         Family History

Chapter 4         Planning Separate Trips

Chapter 5         Jane Meets Joyce

Chapter 6         Joyce’s Response

Chapter 7         Husband-and-Wife Chitchat

Chapter 8         The Bad Guys Make Plans

Chapter 9         Boarding the Bus for Michigan Tech

Chapter 10         Todd Meets Joyce

Chapter 11         Ray and Hector’s Involvement

Chapter 12         Emotion and the Individual Aura

Chapter 13         The Bus Ride North

Chapter 14         Watching Individual Auras

Chapter 15         Arriving at Michigan Tech

Chapter 16         Room and Group Assignments

Chapter 17         Morning of Day One

Chapter 18         Jane and Barb at Breakfast

Chapter 19         Group Six Members Come Together

Chapter 20         Copper Falls—Ghost Town

Chapter 21         Research

Chapter 22         Gemstone

Chapter 23         Teamwork

Chapter 24         Lead Volunteer

Chapter 25         Next Step

Chapter 26         Jessie Tyrone

Chapter 27         AE Seaman Mineral Museum

Chapter 28         After the Museum

Chapter 29         Comfort Call

Chapter 30         Jane and Jessie

Chapter 31         Mom

Chapter 32         Welcome Visitors

Chapter 33         Ron

Chapter 34         Secret Meeting

Chapter 35         Last-Minute Information

Chapter 36         First Bus Ride Out to the Dig

Chapter 37         Arrival at Copper Falls

Chapter 38         Eric and the Main Camp

Chapter 39         The First Sighting

Chapter 40         Joe Maxwell

Chapter 41         Location Five

Chapter 42         Lunch and Decision Time

Chapter 43         Chat and Advice

Chapter 44         Joyce’s Support

Chapter 45         Carol and Joyce

Chapter 46         Jane’s Dream

Chapter 47         The Healing Stone

Chapter 48         Meeting with Jessica

Chapter 49         Day Two On-Site

Chapter 50         Camp Relocation

Chapter 51         Running Grid Lines

Chapter 52         Strange Visitors

Chapter 53         Jessica’s Family History

Chapter 54         Bones

Chapter 55         Steve Sees Ghosts Too

Chapter 56         Twenty-Four-Hour Watch

Chapter 57         The Child’s Bones

Chapter 58         Jane Reveals Her Abilities

Chapter 59         Jane, Her Ghost, and the Dream

Chapter 60         Jessie’s Story

Chapter 61         Partners

Chapter 62         Steve

Chapter 63         Can Dreams Hurt?

Chapter 64         Agent Jessie

Chapter 65         Professor G and Politics

Chapter 66         Playing Nice in the Sandbox

Chapter 67         Report-Out Dinner

Chapter 68         Report-Out

Chapter 69         Jane’s Request

Chapter 70         Chief Joseph and Jimmy

Chapter 71         The Keweenaw Archeological Research Project

Chapter 72         The Next Step

Chapter 73         The Truth About Steve

Chapter 74         Strengthening Intuition

Chapter 75         Home Alone

Chapter 76         Meeting Jimmy

Chapter 77         Where’s Ray?

Chapter 78         Finding Hector

Chapter 79         Decisions

Chapter 80         Dream Walker

Chapter 81         End of a Long Day

Chapter 82         Details for Ron

Chapter 83         Another Dream

Chapter 84         Recap

Chapter 85         Another Morning

Chapter 86         Information on Ray and Hector

Chapter 87         Search and Investigate

Chapter 88         Searching the Adits

Chapter 89         Jimmy, Jane, and Steve

Chapter 90         Ron’s Rescue

Chapter 91         The Healing Stone

Chapter 92         Back to Safety

Chapter 93         Meeting to Review Findings

Chapter 94         Sad News

Chapter 95         Ron—Federal Marshal

Chapter 96         Ray’s Story

Chapter 97         Where’s Barb?

Chapter 98         Barb’s Escape

Chapter 99         The Warning

Chapter 100         Jane Steps In—With Help

Chapter 101         Mitchell Slips Away

Chapter 102         Arnie Asks for Jane’s Help

Chapter 103         The Soft Finale

To my family and friends who have always believed in me and supported me on this journey.

CHAPTER 1

Tough Decisions

J ANE WAS EAGER about this new dig. She had read up on the whole copper thing. Copper in the Keweenaw was nothing unusual. People had been mining and using copper from that area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for well over seven thousand years. In the early years, natives living in the Keweenaw Peninsula made tools using copper and even traded small trinkets made of copper to travelers coming through the area. At one time, there was a big influx of miners hoping to strike it rich digging up the precious metal.

But Jane read that in the 1800s and early 1900s, the Keweenaw area was remote, and getting any amount of copper out of the area was difficult and costly. Mining companies were constantly opening only to close shortly after they had opened, many of them barely making enough money to meet their payroll or pay their bills. Yet there was a great history to the area, and even though most of the mines were now closed, the copper still existed. But it wasn’t the copper that interested Jane.

There was something else going on in the copper mines located near the northeastern parts of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Jane had been hearing rumors eerily similar to the situation she faced in the Porcupine Mountains. She couldn’t just give up archeology. She enjoyed it too much. But for some reason, she was running into more and more people who were not into archeology for the same reasons she was. She was getting the distinct feeling that it was time for her to make some major life decisions. Choose! Archeology or history teacher?

It had been two years now since her interesting yet very emotionally charged hiking experience in the Porcupine Mountains, not too far from the Keweenaw Peninsula. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to travel to that part of the upper peninsula just yet. She decided to make a visit to her uncle just to talk. She had already talked to Todd. He was a great husband and a good listener, but she needed another opinion. Her uncle and she had history, and she valued his opinion. She wanted—no, needed—his input.

She pulled into his driveway, turned off the car, and just sat there.

This is stupid, she told herself, talking out loud.

She got out of the car and shut the door. She put the car keys in her pocket and walked up to the house. She knocked on the door, knowing he probably wouldn’t answer. She used the doorbell—no answer. She slipped her keys out of her pocket, found the right one, and unlocked the front door, letting herself in the house.

Uncle, where are you? she yelled. Uncle Dave!

She headed toward his library. He was always in his library, reading, writing, or just doing research.

Don’t you ever answer your door? she asked him as she entered through the library door. What if it’s someone important?

He looked up at her with a smile on his face. Really! he said. He was a crotchety old man, but his eyes still had sparkle in them. It always made Jane wonder what he was up to. Come on over here. I want to show you something.

She walked around his big mahogany library desk and watched him click a couple of keys on his computer.

Check this out, he said. I got a new gadget. He pointed at his computer.

The screen lit up with four pictures. One was an image of his front door. One was his garage. One was his side door. And one was his patio.

Whoa Nelly, she said, smiling. When did you get this installed? This is awesome!

I knew you’d like it. He grinned. I’ve been waiting for you to come visit so I can show it to you. I had it installed last week. It’s state-of-the-art surveillance. I’m still playing with all the settings.

Jane looked at him. He was going on and on like a kid with a new toy.

So what do you need it for? she asked, still staring at the computer screen.

"I don’t need it, he said with slight irritation. It’s a toy. I can afford a toy once in a while. Now watch this."

He touched a few keys on his computer, and the top left screen brightened. The picture, which faced the front door, swiveled outward and then scanned the entire street in front of his house. Then he tapped a few keys, and the top right screen brightened and showed the backyard. Jane was quite impressed as she watched him scan the entire patio and his precious backyard gardens.

Look there, he said, pointing at the screen to what appeared to be a small squirrel sitting on a branch in the tall oak tree located in the farthest corner of his backyard. He pulled a small toggle switch closer to his keyboard, and like controlling a small remote-control car, he eased the toggle forward.

The image of the squirrel enlarged and came into focus as if the little guy was just outside the window. You could easily see the small acorn he was tearing apart with his large front teeth.

Wow! said Jane. She really didn’t know what else to say. That is so cool. This thing is awesome. You don’t spy on the old lady next door, do you? Jane asked, smiling.

I’m not a pervert! he said, backing away from his computer.

So whatever possessed you to buy this thing? Jane asked him.

Well … He hesitated.

Come on, out with it, she said.

Jane and her uncle had grown close over the last few years. In the past, he didn’t talk much when she visited. But lately, he’d been eager to share ideas and such with his young niece. That was why Jane liked to visit. He was intelligent and interesting, and he helped her think things through.

After all the crap you went through when those people broke into your house a couple of years ago, it just got me thinking. Someone could break in here, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. It’s not like I have a lot, he said, but I do have some things I’d rather not have stolen. I was in the military in my day, so I do have a couple of guns, and I know how to use them. But I really don’t want to pull a gun out if it’s some stupid kid. There are a few of those around, you know.

A few what? Jane asked.

Stupid kids! Are you listening? he asked her, a little annoyed at her inattentiveness.

Yes, I’m listening.

He eyed her, wondering. He knew he didn’t have her complete attention. He knew something was on her mind. He also knew it would come out when she was good and ready, so he continued.

At first, I was just going to get an alarm system, he said, looking at her. But then I thought about how many times I’ve had someone knock on the door and I just don’t feel like getting up and answering it. I could, you know. He eyed her. I just don’t like to. You and your mom have a key, so you can just let yourself in. But what if someone is delivering a package or something, and they need a signature before leaving it? I do a lot of research and send for things, you know. He continued to watch her. I can talk to them right from here, ask them questions and whatnot. Plus, this is fun.

He looked up at her, getting just a little impatient. Her face was blank.

OK, what’s going on in that noggin of yours? he blurted out.

That obvious? she asked quietly, avoiding his stare.

I can read you like a book, he said. You know that. So let’s have it. What’s up?

Jane backed away from her uncle’s desk and walked toward the patio doors. It was a beautiful day, and the curtains were open enough to show off his manicured flower garden. She was staring at the flowerbeds. They were his pride and joy. Now she understood why. The multitude of colors mesmerized her and calmed her racing thoughts.

I have a slight dilemma, she started slowly.

Her uncle didn’t interrupt. He knew just to lie back and let her thoughts come out. It didn’t take long before she started talking.

You know another archeologist took over our group, right?

Yes, you told me he was someone from the Marquette area who had moved downstate here. I don’t remember his name though.

Well, yes. That’s right. His name is Hector Jones. He’s a retired professor. He taught archeology at Michigan Tech for years. He says he’s retired, so it’s just Hector or Mr. Jones, not Professor. He seems like a nice enough guy. Some of the younger kids just call him Mr. H. He knew Professor Simmons. We’ve talked quite a few times, several times about Professor Simmons. He says they were friends. Like I said, he’s OK, but he’s not Professor Simmons. He took over leadership of our archeology group after Professor Simmons passed away.

You mean after Professor Simmons was murdered.

Jane sighed. The whole situation leading up to her friend and mentor’s death was still heart-wrenching. He had died after unwittingly getting caught up with and disillusioned by a very smart con artist pretending to be a fellow archeologist. In reality, the guy was just a low-life thief who took advantage of anyone he could, including Jane’s dear friend. The FBI and federal marshals had even gotten involved. But by then, Professor Simmons had already been targeted by some very bad people, and he was murdered. What was worse was that the murder had been staged to look like an accident. Jane felt herself starting to choke up every time she thought of how he had died. It was still too fresh in her mind.

That was two years ago, but it still seemed like last week. She would never forget her mentor, Professor Simmons, but she didn’t want to think about that kind of past either. She couldn’t. It had put a dark stain on the high regards she had for archeology and all those involved in it, whether as a hobby or as a career. She loved archeology, and even though, for her, it was just a hobby, she couldn’t just let it go by the wayside. Even so, it took her a while to get back into it. And even though it was just a hobby for her, she still wanted to be involved. She always thought studying history through archeology was exciting. She thought the history of it unlocked a lot about civilization, and it was something she just couldn’t let go. That was what had brought her here to talk with her uncle.

CHAPTER 2

Advice from Uncle Dave

I T’S IRONIC, ISN’T it? she asked.

What’s that? her uncle asked.

I love history. That’s why I decided to become a history teacher. And I love archeology because it brings history to life. She hesitated. But I don’t like some of my own recent history, like what happened to Professor Simmons.

I don’t think we have to like our history, her uncle told her. Ask any soldier that. He thought of his own history. There is always going to be evil in the world. You know that. It doesn’t matter what career field you’re in. There are going to be both good people and bad. But when it’s really bad and you somehow get tangled in the web of the thieves and con artists of the world, then ‘shit’ happens. Sad to say, your professor got caught up in that very scenario. That doesn’t mean that your career choice—whether it be politics, finance, or even archeology—wasn’t a good one. I’m sure your professor thought very highly of his chosen career field. And I believe he thought very highly of you and your talents as well. He wouldn’t have trusted you with the truth otherwise.

Why can’t it be easy? she asked. Why can’t God save the good guys and just eliminate the bad?

You really want to get into a ‘God and faith’ discussion with me? he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Ah, no, thank you. She smiled.

They both laughed. She knew that he was a devout Catholic and that his faith was strong. He could talk her ears off about the Bible and theology. But that was not what she was here for.

So let’s try this again, he said. Why are you really here?

Well, she began, I have an opportunity to work for a month this summer at an archeology dig. Hector and a couple of archeology interns will be at the dig. There’re actually several digs going on at the same time up near the copper mines in the northern part of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Wow! her uncle replied. That’s a long way from home.

I know. Todd and I have talked a lot about it. He said he wouldn’t mind, she whispered. "Plus, I want to do this. He needs—or wants—to get more climbing experience. The only way for him to get more climbing experience is to climb. So we agreed on a split summer. He has a couple of big trips planned this summer with his climbing buddies. Both are two weeks long. One is in late June, right after school gets out, and the other is in late July. He said I could go climbing with him. But those two trips are all guys, so I really don’t want to go. The two of us have a trip planned in August. We want to go to the Grand Canyon, maybe hike down to the Colorado River. It’ll fit in perfectly because we’ll be back before school starts at the end of August. And we decided to spend Labor Day at home this year."

Sounds like you have it all planned out, her uncle commented. So what’s the problem?

I’m just uneasy a bit. I don’t really know why. It’s that intuition thing again, she said, sighing just a bit.

All her life, Jane had a kind of oversensitive intuition about things. She didn’t think that she was quite clairvoyant, but she knew she had a little more intuition than others. She had a kind of sixth sense about things. She could tell if something was just off, but she didn’t always know why. She also had almost perfect memory, hardly ever forgetting anything.

Are you uneasy about going up north with this Hector guy? her uncle asked. Or are you uneasy about going without Todd?

She turned and looked at her uncle. I probably won’t be working directly with Hector, she said, so I don’t think that’s it, but you know. I’m not sure, but maybe that’s it. Maybe it’s because I’m going without Todd. Her anxiety lifted just a little.

Tell me the details, he asked her.

Well, I don’t know everything yet, she said, sitting down in a chair so she could chat more amicably with her uncle. But I do know that we’ll be going to the well-known Seaman Mineral Museum on the campus of Michigan Technological University. It’s supposed to be one of North America’s greatest mineral museums. We’re supposed to tour several mines also, possibly including a silver mine, before we get started on the archeology dig itself. We’ll be doing some excavating near several of the old abandoned mines. It’s also a place that is known to have had a fairly large Indian presence over a hundred years ago, so we may find Indian artifacts as well.

So where did you hear about this? asked her uncle.

The archeology group I belong to sends out a newsletter, so it’s been in that. Plus, they’ve been talking it up at the meetings.

What about this Jones guy? he asked.

The article said it’s going to be a huge undertaking, she told her uncle with obvious anticipation in her voice, so he’ll be there. He already told us that. The article said they wanted over a hundred volunteers. Can you imagine? She had a smile on her face.

And? her uncle prompted her when she paused.

I’ll be working on the dig, same as Mr. Jones, she added, but I don’t think I’ll be working directly with him. I’m really not sure. It’s supposed to be one of the biggest digs Michigan Tech has ever organized. It’s being run by the Michigan Tech archeology organization with help from well-known archeologists around the state. A few of the Michigan Tech archeology interns are supposed to be involved as well. I don’t know all the details yet. I guess more than one mine will be included, and I don’t know the name of any of the mines or any of that. We’re supposed to get a more detailed briefing after we sign up to go.

It sounds like you’ve made up your mind, like you’re anxious to go, he told her, leaning back in his chair so he could give her his full attention. So what’s holding you back?

Nothing’s holding me back, she said hesitantly. It’s just this gut feeling I have. You and Mom have both told me to always listen to my instincts. Well, I just have this precognition thing going on, this foresight or whatever you want to call it, that there’s danger down the road. I just feel something is there. I don’t know what it is or why I’m getting this feeling, but I am. No matter how much I try to reason it away or shake it loose, it’s there, drawing me in. I can’t ignore it, but I can’t put my finger on it either. The whole thing, the feelings I get—they make me nervous about going back to the Upper Peninsula.

Interesting. He hesitated before he continued talking. It sounds like you’ve had this ‘feeling,’ this intuition, for a while. And you say it isn’t going away. So tell me something, he said quietly. Have you ever looked into getting yourself tested? Or sought out help? You know the kind I mean. Someone who can help you hone in on those premonitions.

He could tell she was frustrated, so he didn’t push.

I don’t want to deal with this alone anymore, she told him in a quivering voice. She paused to control her emotions. I’ve avoided telling anyone about the extent of things I could see and feel for a long time. Oh, I know Mom knew some things. I could tell. She had emotional eyes. And you too. You knew something about it. You talked about my photographic memory, but you knew more I think.

She didn’t really need an answer. She paused to swallow before she continued. She had to get it out.

But nobody knew the extent of everything that has happened to me since I was around twelve years old. A lot of the premonitions I had had come true. Talk about surprising, she said, wide-eyed. But it scared me and, for a while, caused me to be more withdrawn. I didn’t want to socialize for fear that I would have a premonition about one of my classmates. I wanted to avoid high-school graduation and all the celebrations just for that reason. I didn’t want to ‘see’ that someone was in real danger.

I’m so sorry, her uncle said. We didn’t say anything because we didn’t want to scare you.

It’s OK, Uncle, she responded. She knew he was sincere. But that was high school. After that, I did some reading, and I began to accept my ability. I didn’t really want to use it, but I accepted it. Then I went to college and met Todd. He didn’t have a problem with my intuitiveness. He actually liked it. Our relationship grew because I knew I could trust him not to shy away if I said anything remotely strange. And he certainly didn’t shy away. She smiled. We got married instead. The thoughts of their time dating made her smile. I’ve told Todd quite a lot over the last couple of years. And of course, the issues we had faced up in the Porcupine Mountains made me stop and focus on my abilities. I, we, decided I should start dealing with whatever it is I’ve been experiencing. Todd and I had a long talk. He was the one who suggested I talk to you, Uncle Dave. I was working up to it. That was six months ago and before this new opportunity opened up.

Jane looked away from her uncle’s prying eyes and focused on the flowers outside his sliding glass door. She felt her gift was such a private thing that she didn’t like talking about