Conspiracy in Yellowstone: Journal Mystery 1

By L. E. DeClue

Lindy Armand’s great aunt Felicity passed away on May 14, 2014, at the age of eighty-four. To Lindy’s dismay, hidden journals reveal that her favorite aunt spent a good portion of her life working for the CIA during the height of the Cold War.

Lindy’s life takes a new turn when documents that were once thought to be destroyed come to light.

Lindy, along with two of Felicity’s elderly friends and her former lover and partner in espionage, travels Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park to protect the documents from a multitude of interested parties.

Through excerpts from Felicity’s journals and Lindy’s race to make sure the documents get to the right hands, the Cold War’s secret is revealed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Nov 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781489720139

L. E. DeClue

L. E. DeClue is a native of Wyoming and has spent many happy times its National Parks. She has always thought there were probably some very interesting stories amongst the thousands of visitors. L. E. DeClue lives in Casper, Wyoming and is an adjunct instructor of Anthropology at the local community college.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

August 5, 1959

Felicity Armand sat on her front porch with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. She read an excerpt from the latest Presidential press conference:

"The President’s News Conference, August 3, 1959

The Invitation to Nikita Khrushchev to Visit the United States

THE PRESIDENT: I asked this morning for this special press conference on the subject of the impending exchange of visits between Mr. Khrushchev and myself….

Sometime back, I suggested to the State Department that I believed in the effort to melt a little bit of the ice that seems to freeze our relationships with the Soviets, that possibly a visit such as I now have proposed would be useful….

Now, at this identical time, an identical statement is being issued in Moscow….

[Eisenhower reading:] The President of the United States has invited Mr. Nikita Khrushchev, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, to pay an official visit to the United States in September. Mr. Khrushchev has accepted with pleasure.

The president has also accepted with pleasure Mr. Khrushchev’s invitation to pay an official visit to the USSR later this fall.

Mr. Khrushchev will visit Washington for 2 or 3 days and will also spend 10 days or so traveling the United States. He will have informal talks with the president, which will afford an opportunity for an exchange of views about problems of mutual interest.

On his tour of the United States, Mr. Khrushchev will be able, at first hand, to see the country, its people, and to acquaint himself with their life.

President Eisenhower will visit Moscow and will also spend some days traveling in the Soviet Union. This will provide further opportunity for informal talks and exchange of views about problems of mutual interest with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR.

On his tour of the Soviet Union, President Eisenhower likewise will be able at first hand to see the country, its people, and to acquaint himself with their life.

Both governments express hope that the forthcoming visits will help create better understanding between the U.S. and the USSR and will promote the cause of peace. [Ends reading]" http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=11460

Felicity looked up as some children ran laughing down the sidewalk. Perhaps these visits between the two countries will relieve some of this preparedness. She hated that children had to be drilled on proper procedures in case of an atomic attack. It would be nice if there was something in the news that was not war for a change. Most of her life there had been a war in one stage or another. So many young Americans lost in World War II and Korea and now there was talk of the U.S. becoming involved in Viet Nam.

She shook her head, folded the paper, and placed it on the table, then she picked up a pad and pencil and started her packing list for her upcoming Yellowstone vacation. She smiled as she thought of the adventure she would have.

CHAPTER 1

May 14, 2014

Lindy Armand’s jaw was clenched so tight her teeth hurt; she could feel the panic and disorientation begin to take her over as she raced to the hospital emergency room. She hated driving in the rain and in the rain at night was even worse. She thought about her schedule for this week and the work she had planned for this evening. Tomorrow would be even more hectic with this interruption. She hated surprises and anything that disrupted her carefully planned life. She was sure all this panic was in vain and her aunt would be perfectly fine when she arrived. Karen and June were known for their alarmist tendencies. The tires squealed as she pulled into the parking garage and turned sharply to the right. She spied a parking place and was speeding to it when she was cut off by a black Ford Explorer. Asshole! Maybe if those windows weren’t tinted so dark you could see where you are going! Of course, the other driver could not hear her; both vehicles had their windows rolled up. She found another space and hurried into the building, shooting a glance at the Ford, funny for someone in such a hurry; no one had gotten out of the SUV yet.

Jogging into the hospital emergency room, she almost knocked over two men in long black overcoats. Her stomach clenched. Undertakers?

Karen Leslie and June Brooker, both in their eighties and Felicity’s closest friends, were standing with their arms around each other weeping uncontrollably. They looked up at Lindy, she’s gone, said June. "It was so quick, we were watching The Women—her favorite, you know—and thought she had just dozed off, by the time we realized something was wrong and called the ambulance; she was gone."

Lindy’s head pounded as she was suddenly overcome with guilt and anguish—guilt that she had been selfishly worried over her tightly scheduled life and anguish that her cherished aunt was gone.

They ushered Lindy to a very small, obscenely bright room with a gurney in the center. Lindy stood at the doorway stunned at the sight of the sheet covered body. As she approached she saw it was indeed, her aunt Felicity. Lindy reached down and stroked her cheek; it was cold. She just looks like she’s sleeping, Lindy shook her head, I guess everyone says that, she whispered.

Lindy tried to hold back her tears but when she thought back to Wednesday, just two days ago, sitting on Felicity’s kitchen counter eating cookies fresh out of the oven; she broke down.

When she was cried out, June introduced her to Darryl Owens, from the Coroner’s Office. Lindy was confused and concerned as she answered his questions regarding the death of her aunt. Apparently, because she died at home and was not under the immediate care of a physician, Felicity’s death would have to be investigated.

This is ridiculous, she told Owens, obviously my aunt died from natural causes.

I’m sure you are correct, but this is something we are required to do, I will call you as soon as we are finished, and you can make your arrangements. Thank you for your help and I am sorry for your loss, said Owens as he left the room.

She and the two old women clutched each other and began to leave the hospital when the two men in the long black coats stepped in their path.

Excuse me. Lindy Armand, I believe? asked the larger of the two men.

Yes, replied Lindy.

We are from Geologic Publishers, LLC and would like to speak to you regarding the publication of your aunt’s journals, said the large man.

Lindy, already in shock immediately took exception to the intrusion of the two men, I have no idea if my aunt even kept journals and this is neither the time or place! she shoved her way past the two men.

The next week was a flurry of arrangements, trying to run down various relatives, rearranging her work schedule, and dealing with Uncle Grant.

Felicity Armand had turned 85 years old just two weeks ago. There had been a grand party with friends and family, a jazz band, and her favorite chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Felicity had made the cake herself saying since she was home and had the time, it would save anyone else having to take time from their busy schedules to bake. The truth was Felicity preferred her own cooking.

Lindy shivered at the edge of the little group gathered at the graveside. She could not ever remember attending a funeral without rain or snow or wind and today was no different. It was the second week in May, but still huge wet snowflakes covered the casket and all attending the graveside service. She was glad of the cold and wet, it gave her something else to feel that was not emptiness. Lindy glanced around the family plot and was reminded of the stories Felicity used to tell about her life.

If one had to describe Felicity you would call her original. She was five feet seven inches tall, thin, with green eyes and auburn hair; she had kept her hair its original color until the day she died. She was not beautiful, in her younger days she was called striking. Lindy remembered thinking Felicity had a sensuous quality about her that came through in some of the photos taken during her thirties and forties. Felicity had never married, although rumors abounded about her various past love interests.

Since Lindy was old enough to remember, Felicity had always been there to take her to plays and concerts, on little summer trips, and even to Paris when Lindy graduated from High School. Felicity retired from Colorado College after thirty-five years as a Geology professor and moved to Casper, Wyoming, to be near Lindy and Lindy’s father, Felicity’s youngest brother’s son, in 1991. She was very bright and quick witted until the day she died.

Felicity was Lindy’s favorite relative and best friend and Lindy had been Felicity’s favorite niece. Lindy missed Felicity horribly and that tension in her neck and jaw she had been feeling since she was summoned to the emergency room, intensified as she felt her eyes sting with tears.

A gust of wind blew large wet snowflakes into Lindy’s face and pulled her out of her memories. She glanced to the minister who, she was quite sure, was dragging the service out on purpose.

She scanned the faces of the little group gathered around the casket and noticed Felicity’s two best friends, Karen and June, were huddled together against the cold. Lindy’s parents and her brother, his wife, and son stood to Lindy’s left, her mother with an arm around Uncle Grant—Felicity’s older brother and only living sibling. Lindy counted about a dozen more attendees, most members of a book club Felicity had joined after she retired.

She recognized the two men standing behind a nearby headstone. They were middle-aged in black three-piece suits and long dress coats. They were the men who had tried to talk to her at the hospital the night Felicity died. As she observed them she noticed they appeared to be watching the mourners rather than attending the service. The way they intensely observed the rest of the group made Lindy think they were looking for someone. Whenever she managed to catch their eyes they looked down at the ground.

I wonder what that’s all about, Lindy thought, they reminded her of the government agency people one sees in movies. She remembered they said they wanted to publish Felicity’s journals. I can’t believe they have been hanging around all this time—they’re going to be pretty disappointed—I never saw or heard of Felicity writing journals, she thought. She was offended the men were at the funeral and turned back to the group at the graveside.

Standing behind June and Karen and looking out of place by their lack of coats were two more strangers. A man, Felicity’s age—occasionally dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief—was comforted by a younger man, perhaps his son, no, probably his grandson. They looked cold. She was surprised there were not a lot more strangers in the group, Felicity had taught for Colorado College for thirty-five years, surely the strangers were from there—not much of a showing if they were from the college. Lindy turned her attention from the mourners back to the pastor performing the service.

Lindy found a non-denominational pastor to perform the funeral rites and he was now reciting the traditional Psalm 23. Felicity would have hated this traditional funeral. She had made it very clear over the last several years she wanted to be cremated and have a big party with a jazz band. Uncle Grant, the only remaining member of her immediate family had insisted his sister have a proper traditional funeral. Lindy was Felicity’s sole beneficiary and upon learning this Uncle Grant had expressed dismay, disbelief, and then anger. Lindy was sure this expensive funeral was his way of making sure Lindy did not ‘get her hands’ on all of Felicity’s money. Lindy did not care, there was barely enough cash to cover the cost of the funeral. She had tried to explain to Uncle Grant that there was very little cash, but he chose to not believe her. Now he wanted Felicity’s house sold as soon as possible, so they could split the proceeds. This was not how the will was written, in fact Lindy had been co-owner of the house for the last ten years. Why did he have to make things so difficult? She did not want to think about that now and turned back to the pastor.

The pastor completed his service and the group filed to the waiting cars and to Felicity’s house for the funeral lunch.

CHAPTER 2

Lindy had driven her own car to the cemetery and now sat watching as the limousines filled with the mourners drove away. Lindy decided she was too old to be feeling so lost. One should get better with these types of losses as one matured. You just turned forty-one, for God’s sake. Her reflection in the rear-view mirror was of a woman who did not look her age, clear brown eyes, imperceptible wrinkles, and smooth clear skin. At five feet five inches tall she was slim and athletic. Thanks to the snow her curly brown hair was now beginning to frizz.

Lindy Armand, actually, Lindleigh Felicity Armand, was born February 8, 1969, during the worst blizzard of that winter in Casper, Wyoming. Lindy’s father had spent several years stationed in England while he served in the Air Force. He met and married Lindy’s mother there. Lindleigh was her mother’s maiden name, and they agreed that Lindleigh would be her name; Lindy for short. Lindy hated the name while she was in public school; no one could pronounce it and she was embarrassed every time she had to correct a teacher. Age taught her to love the name as she began to like herself.

She had gone to school in Casper, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming, and received her master’s degree in Archaeology from the University of Leicester in England. She fell in love her mother’s birth place but returned home soon after graduation because she loved Wyoming even more. Once she returned home to the States she worked many different jobs that had nothing to do with her degree, she was married and divorced twice, and quite by accident stumbled into a career after performing a job for a casual acquaintance—filing for National Register of Historic Places status for a Victorian Era home.

It had been the beginning of a dream career. Her summers were spent doing what she truly loved—recording and studying the historic architecture of the area. Homestead architecture had become her specialty after a summer spent recording the one hundred plus year old structures on a couple of homesteads turned ranches. Lindy was in the process of applying for National Register status for a couple of her projects when her life had been disrupted by Felicity’s passing.

Lindy arrived at Felicity’s house before the others. A black SUV was parked in front of the house; someone was still sitting behind the wheel. Lindy reasoned it must be someone who was waiting for the other mourners to arrive before he or she came to the house. She entered the house through the back door, hoping for a little solitude after the funeral. It was not to be. Gayle Summers and Kathy Stanton were busily preparing the funeral luncheon in Felicity’s kitchen. Gayle was especially put out that the pastor of their church had agreed to perform the service and had volunteered the women’s group to provide the luncheon. Neither the deceased nor any member of the family was members of the congregation. From what she knew of Felicity Armand, she was probably not a member of any church, what hypocrisy. The two church ladies glared up at Lindy as if she were an interloper.

Lindy took her coat off and draped it on the back of a chair, she started to thank the women for their time but before she could say anything one of the women spoke, can we help you? I made very sure that door was locked, said Gayle Summers, her voice as frosty as the weather.

Lindy was immediately taken aback, what right did they have to question her, I am Lindy Armand, Felicity was my aunt and I have had a key to this door for years, Lindy replied in a voice just as unfriendly.

Well, Gayle Summers replied tersely, the luncheon will be served in the dining room not the kitchen, she was annoyed over the situation in the first place, now she had to deal with some family member invading her space.

Lindy rolled her eyes and shook her head while reaching into the cabinet above the stove for a bottle of gin. She decided the most annoying thing she could do would be to sit on the counter between the sink and the stove—her favorite place—and have a drink. Thanks, I think I’ll just hang out here for a while, it’s my favorite room in the house, she said and toasted the women with a glass of gin, then swallowed it in one gulp.

The women looked at each other without saying a word—they made a wordless decision—the best plan of action would be to just ignore Lindy and that is what they did. Until Lindy grabbed a slice of ham off one of the platters and began to tear it apart with her fingers and eat it with another glass of gin.

If you would like to join the others in the dining room, you will find plates and utensils there, Gayle Summers informed her. Really, she thought, a woman drinking alcohol at such a time. She would be having a word with the pastor about this type of situation and make sure it did not happen again. The women’s guild should only be available to the congregation. She had to admit though, the family did make a very large donation, more than enough to cover the cost of the food but that was only right after imposing on the church this way.

Thanks, said Lindy, I’m really quite happy right here. She jumped down from the counter, reached into the refrigerator freezer, pulled out a bag of cookies, and placed them in the microwave for thirty seconds.

Kathy Stanton put a hand on Gayle’s arm and said something very quietly, Gayle Summers nodded, sighed loudly then snatched the platter of ham and hurried into the dining room.

Lindy did not have to be so contrary, but she was angry that Felicity was gone and decided since she had a worthy adversary she would take it out on her, besides they started this battle, not her. She knew tomorrow she would feel remorse over her actions but what the hell, she thought and poured another drink.

As Lindy extracted the cookies from the microwave her father came into the kitchen, thought I’d find you here, he said, there are two men out there looking for you.

For me? Who are they?

One of them said he has known Felicity for over fifty years. I think he might be one of those lovers everyone has been whispering about for years.

The one without a decent coat?

Yep that’s the one.

Why would he want to talk to me specifically?

I have no idea, why don’t you go out there and find out, Lindy’s father sighed as he reached above the stove for the bottle of Crown Royal, poured himself a drink, and swallowed it in one gulp. He had loved his quirky aunt as much as Lindy and was feeling the loss intensely. Let’s get these bottles out to the dining room, Felicity would’ve wanted us to have a proper wake. The pastor left a few minutes ago.

Lindy grabbed several more bottles and followed her father out the kitchen door into the dining room, she located the old man as she set the bottles on the end of the table. As she approached him she noted that although he appeared to be quite elderly he bounded towards her with a burst of energy that took her by surprise. He reached for Lindy’s hand and introduced himself, I am Bob Martin, I have known your aunt since 1959, we met in Yellowstone that summer. We had a great many summer adventures together over the years. This is my grandson Conrad.

Pleased to meet you, Lindy trembled slightly as she shook their hands, I’m afraid I’m at a bit of a loss, Felicity never mentioned you to me. How do you know me?

Bob smiled at her, oh, I have known all about you, since practically the day you were born. Did I see you bring out some spirits? Felicity hated funerals, but she loved a good wake.

Lindy smiled, apparently, he did know Felicity, you’re right there, come on let’s get this thing started.

As Lindy poured the drinks and became acquainted with Bob, she decided she liked him, and wondered why Felicity had never mentioned him—she thought they shared everything. Bob was very tall—over six feet with sharp blue eyes, and wavy silver-gray hair—she decided he must have been quite attractive in his younger years. As Lindy listened to him ramble on about Felicity she decided he did indeed, know her aunt very well.

Karen and June insinuated themselves between Lindy and Bob and Lindy made introductions. As she surmised, the two women managed to maneuver Bob away to an empty corner. Lindy smiled, thinking, poor man, what he is in for.

That gnawing sense of emptiness began to return and she felt her eyes sting with tears. She looked up to find Conrad observing her. She was surprised to find she found him very attractive. She wasn’t sure why—he was rather ordinary looking with blond hair, blue eyes, and an olive complexion. He was not tall; average height. Now that she looked again she really could not decide what made him attractive, perhaps it was the way he seemed to be completely at ease in the room.

So, she never mentioned Bob? he asked as he came near her.

No, Lindy shook her head, there were always rumors of a man in her life, but she would just smile and wink and change the subject.

Conrad smiled and shook his head, Bob was just the same, until a couple of days ago I had no idea there was or had been anyone in his life.

There must have been someone if you’re here, said Lindy.

Well, we’re not really related, he just, kind of, took me over after my parents died in an accident when I was five years old. He worked with my dad and I didn’t have any other relatives who could take care of me, so after the funeral he just packed my things and took me home with him. I came to think of him as my grandfather, now I try to look after him. I think it’s more work than he got with me, he smiled over at Bob.

Lindy followed Conrad’s gaze over to Bob and she saw Karen and June still had him cornered. Well, he’s probably had enough of that, we better go rescue him, or those two will be in his life, whether he likes it or not.

Karen looped her hand in Lindy’s arm as she and Conrad approached the little group and cuddled up close to her shoulder, "this is Bob, Felicity’s mystery man, did you know?

Lindy smiled, I have only just been made aware of that fact myself.

We’ve been trying to wheedle all the details of their relationship out of him, to no avail, maybe you can get him to talk.

Really ladies it is all very simple, Felicity and I shared a love of Yellowstone Park and met there on several summer vacations, said Bob very light-heartedly and shrugged as he walked to the buffet and reached for a plate and a slice of ham.

June winked at Lindy and Conrad, sure, sure, and I was born yesterday, she laughed as she and Karen strolled, arm in arm, over to join the book club ladies.

Lindy laughed as she returned to the buffet and said to Bob, now that will be a great story to hear after it’s made the rounds of that group a couple of times.

Bob smiled, then his face became very serious and he whispered to Lindy, I do need to talk to you privately as soon as possible, there are some things about Felicity you need to know.

Lindy, who had just begun to relax was taken aback by this pronouncement—it annoyed her to think someone she had only just met could know anything about her best friend that she did not know. Felicity and I were very close, I really don’t think there is anything you can add to her history that I don’t already know, she answered back, while admitting to herself she had not known about Bob before today. Lindy had never