CHAPTER 4
The next day, Gray left early with James under his wings to spread the news:
"Now Dominie," he instructed Rev. Hurley, "I want you to perform the ceremony in my very parlor. My Mary and a business tycoon!" he boasted with immense pride.
"Mrs. Sykes, this is the one time you can open your big mouth, you ole gossip! I want every person, every person, mind you, to hear the glad tidings. My Mary and a business tycoon!"
Meanwhile, at the Gray house, Mary found herself alone, Tom and Sarah having gone to do the regular summer chores. She sat in the kitchen, working on her wedding toilet. A familiar rap-rap sent her flying to the door, sewing needle and all. She threw open the door - this time to the right man.
"Hello, Mary," Hugh said warmly. "I just heard the news. So you and a business tycoon."
"Yep. I guess."
"Well, I was coming here to tell you something, anyhow. I've got something coming up real soon. Something big. I'm on my way to the Ozarks. Just thought you should know," he said with such meaning in his voice and eyes.
"Hugh...wait!" she cried. "Give me ten minutes."
When Gray and Langhrey came home, they found chaos. Mrs. Gray was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, clutching the cloth scraps, in near hysterics.
"Now come on woman! What happened here?" he shouted.
"Pop, we think Mary's gone and run offwith the Gregory boy," Tommy said.
Gray's face turned shades of red, then purple. "What did you say?" he said through clenched teeth, inching toward Tom, hands ready to grab him.
"The - ther - there's a note," he quivered, handing him a slip of paper. It read:
Dearest family, I've decided to follow Hugh to the Ozarks. I hate to leave him for the sake of Uncle Dave's money. We will elope there. Please tell James I'm sorry. - ...... Mary
"Nobody leave. Not even you," Gray said to Langhrey, who was backing out the door. We'll just have to fix this."

CHAPTER 5

One bright summer morning, June 28th to be exact, Mrs. Sykes passed by the Gray office building. She let out a scream when she saw something horrifying.
By midday, the whole town had gathered at the building. Dave Gray was dying, murmuring "...needed to fix something...fix..." Several bumps and bruises covered his head.
The richest man in the county murdered in his own yard.
"Who could have done this?" several frightened voices cried out.
"Well, who else could it have been? Hugh Gregory's the only one with keys. Just the other day I heard them arguing. Sumthin about the rent, I reckon," one of the farmer said.
"Where is the brute? Let's go get him!" The mob of villagers set out to hunt down Hugh and bring him to justice.
Mrs. Sykes ran to the Gray far, to break the news.
"O Sarah, it was just awful! His head all purple and bloody!" she shuddered at the thought.
"The poor man! O! John and Dave never did get to mend their feud. John, what'll you do?" she said, on another verge of hysterics.
"I'm not sure," he said shortly. "Who do they think done it?"
"Why, Hugh Gregory, of course! I always told Sarah that Dave would goad him into something like this. What with the teasing and all," answered Mrs. Sykes.
"But it couldn't be Hugh!" Sarah cried. "He and Mary were to leave and elope!" she said before John could interrupt. "If they catch him with her..."
"All I have to say, for Mary's sake, that Gregory couldn't have killed him. Good day Mrs. Sykes," Gray replied curtly.
Mrs. Sykes ran back to the office, giddy with the new information she now possessed. Soon rumors and whispers began circling.
"Perhaps it was John. They'd been feuding and all."
"Yeah. Them Gray brothers hated each other with a passion."
"You know Hugh was to have married Mary; probably popped the question months ago!" This last tidbit coming from Mrs. Sykes.
"Dave did mention he would leave Mary all his money. If she married a Gregory, he might've cut her out of the will," Reverend Hurley commented. "But would that anger him enough to murder Dave?"
"'Course it would! With Dave dead, Mary could marry Hugh, and still inherit Dave's money."
The crowd clicked their tongues at this latest revelation. The tiny village of Deer Lick had experienced a terrible travesty. The town's richest citizen murdered. Several men helped carry the body into the office. A farmer announced he'd start right away on a coffin. The rest stood in the blazing summer sun, pondering the past events, trying to find sense in the tangled cobweb that had been woven, ever since the mysterious man collapsed on the prairie.
A farm wife broke the silence: "What I want to know is what that young Mr. Langhrey has to say about this." Several chimed in and nodded in agreement. A funny look passed over Mrs. Sykes face. She fumbled around in her purse until she procured a piece of paper.
"Why, I left the Gray house this morning, and what do you suppose I saw? Why, that young Langhrey fellow just up and walking out of the house, fur coat and suitcase in hand!" The people perked up with interest. "I happen to have the note Mr. Gray got from St. Louis. Says exactly what Mr. Gray said it did. But it also asks if he's related to the Dave Gray. Apparently, this Langhrey tycoon had a falling out with Dave over a property agreement. I think that James came here a purpose to set Dave straight. Though Lord knows why he never put two and two together when he learned he was staying with the Grays."
"Sounds like someone else doesn't know how to put two and two together!" Someone shouted.
Mrs. Sykes frowned. "Well I say we go to the Grays and just sort out this conundrum they've put us in!"
They all marched to the Gray house.

CHAPTER 6
"All right Gray! You've got some explaining to do!" shouted the mob as they congregated at his door.
Gray came to the door. "Now what is the meaning of this?! Our family hasn't done nothing! Hugh and Mary have come back - and no, Mrs. Snoops, they ain't married. One of your search parties found them on Snake Creek Road. I tell you that Gregory didn't kill Dave cuz he was gone all night, same as Mary. I didn't do it cuz I was home all night."
"What about that business tycoon of yours? Where was he!'
"Here the whole night."
Feet shuffled and the crowd quieted. "If they didn't do it, then who dunnit?" they thought.
"Now just leave my family alone and go found that snake of a tycoon. You can be sure we won't do no business with any mysterious, foreign tycoons."
For a few days, Deer Lick returned to the sleepy town it once was. Langhrey sent a handsome check to the Grays for their hospitality. Reverend Hurley hastily married Mary and Hugh in the Gray's parlor. Later he performed the burial services for Dave. The whole town attended, not because they liked him all that much, but because they figured whoever didn't show was the killer.
When everyone, including the Grays and Gregorys, attended, it was obvious they wouldn't solve this mystery. The doctor retold the story of his death for any clues:
"Dave probably came out to check out a noise in the front yard. The murderer struck him several times in the head with a blunt object. A frying pan."
"A frying pan! Who on earth would do such a thing? And with a frying pan?" they mused.
"Whoever he was, he must have been pretty simple to use a pan, but he sure wanted him dead. Cuz he sure fixed him good."
Sarah Gray drew back from the crowd. She excused herself, saying she had a pile of dishes to wash. She needed to wash her mother's cooking ware. Her mother's prized set of pans. The frying pan.