Episode 2: Watch Your Step

Ignoring conservation office protocol, Evelyn returns to the Hargrave estate to question its new owners, Alex and Megan, about the late Eleanor Hargrave’s property records, while Jordan helps link the mysterious tree-cutting clues to possible timber poaching. But when a key piece of evidence disappears and a chilling warning appears, Evelyn realizes someone is watching her.

About Rambling Roads Mysteries

Rambling Roads Mysteries is a full-cast audio drama set in the town of Turners Grove, Massachusetts, where former journalist Evelyn Carlisle teams up with the enterprising guides of Rambling Roads Walking Tours to solve ecological mysteries and conservation crimes. Cozy mystery meets environmental suspense in a series about community, second chances, and protecting the places we love.

Credits

Rambling Roads Mysteries was created and written by Diana Renn, with production management by Nora Shalaway Carpenter and sound design by Hayden Robinson. It was recorded at the Western Piedmont Community College Production Studio in Morganton, North Carolina. 

The production incorporates professionally licensed sound effects and music from sources including Monument Studios, Adobe, and CC0 recordings from Freesound.org, all used in accordance with the applicable licenses.

Theme music "HEAP" by Life Span (FineTune Music), licensed through Adobe Stock.

For cast and crew bios, visit our website https://ramblingroadsmysteries.com/

Follow the Trail

Connect with us on Instagram at @ramblingroadsmysteries and on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RamblingRoadsMysteries for behind-the-scenes conversations and more! 

Want to read along? Official transcripts for every episode are available on our podcast host page if your podcast app doesn't display them: https://ramblingroadsmysteries.buzzsprout.com

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Transcript

Announcer  
You're listening to Rambling Roads Mysteries, an audio drama. Episode Two. "Watch Your Step." 

Evelyn  
[car tires on gravel, car comes to a stop] [voiceover narration] The Hargrave House is no ordinary house. It's a looming brick mansion at the end of a long tree-lined drive. [car door closes] [footsteps on gravel] As I get closer, I see how the mansion is showing its age in peeling paint and weathered shutters. Still, it sparks awe. I don't know people who live in places like this. My heart pounds. What am I even doing here? Miriam, my boss, shut down the conservation office this afternoon to meet with a state rep in Boston. Walt, the field tech, is out of town. We can't finish up the inspection until at least next week, and only when the Hargraves agree to reschedule. Meanwhile, lost time is lost evidence. I'm sure someone's been cutting trees, rare specimens, in the Hargrave Woods, on and off the easement. Maybe even across the stream in the Upper Ashcroft Forest. [sighs] Miriam doesn't want to upset wealthy landowners, especially with big land parcels in play. But I can't wait this out. What if more trees disappear? 

Evelyn  
[paper rustling] [voiceover] Oh no! I've brought the wrong file. The easement map with my X's marking stumps and clues is still in my car. [sighs] Too late. There's a shape in an upstairs window. Someone's watching. Heading back looks weird. I'll wing it. [doorbell chimes] While I wait for someone to walk the five miles it must take for someone to get to the door, I scan the yard. Lots of ornamental trees, red maples, big azalea bushes getting ready to bloom. A sprawling kitchen garden, fenced with split rails, stretches out toward the Hargrave Woods. There are tangled dead vines on stakes, raised beds with dried-up stalks. My grandmother used to garden, and I can tell this place hasn't been tended for a while. Something feels off about it, like a place where plants come to die. [heavy door opens] Then the door opens. Unless a butler comes with this grand old mansion, I'm guessing this is Alex Hargrave. Late thirties, slim build, not a single gray hair. I'm sure he's not the guy I saw with the pruning pole on Saturday, but his blue eyes are sharp as he stares at me.

Alex  
Hello. You're not canvassing for that environmental group, are you? Because we already donated.

Evelyn  
Oh no, I'm with the town conservation office. Evelyn Carlisle My colleague Walt Grady and I inspected your easement yesterday afternoon. We didn't finish, so we'll have to set up a time to come back, but--

Alex  
Can't we take care of the scheduling by email?

Evelyn  
Of course. We'll reach out next week. In the meantime. I just had a couple quick questions about what we noticed yesterday. Won't take long.

Alex  
Fine, come in. The kids are home. It's chaotic. Apologies. [calling out] Megan! Conservation department's here.

Evelyn  
[echoing footsteps on hardwood floors] [voiceover] Alex Hargrave brings me to the living room, which is like an art gallery and an antique furniture museum combined. Maybe it all belonged to his grandmother. I think about what came up when I Googled them over the weekend. [grandfather clock quietly ticks in the background] Alex works at a biotech firm. Megan is an interior designer, but her Instagram suggests she's a stay-at-home mom these days. I also learned how Alex inherited the place. A bunch of news articles came up in my search. [clock begins to chime] When Alex was an undergrad at Yale, his parents were leaving town to go visit him. A delivery truck collided with their Mercedes and sent it spinning off the road, where it hit a 300-year-old oak tree. The tree survived. Alex's parents did not. 

Megan  
Hello. I'm Megan Hargrave.

Evelyn  
Evelyn Carlisle. Nice to meet you.

Megan  
I brought you a file that belonged to Alex's grandmother. It's thin. She got less diligent about her records as her health declined. 

Evelyn  
I understand, and I'm sorry for your loss. It sounds like she was quite a presence in Turners Grove.

Alex  
One of the last of the old guard.

Megan  
Please. Have a seat, Evelyn. 

Evelyn  
So these receipts from Eleanor don't seem related to the easement, mostly lawn care and gutters. Do you know if she had any tree work done shortly before she passed?

Megan  
I doubt it. She had a home health aide the past four years. She was in no position to think much beyond the driveway, though she did love her woods when she was well enough to walk in them. She commissioned these paintings so that she could enjoy the trees from here. 

Evelyn  
They're beautiful. 

Megan  
[sighs] Who would have guessed she'd die in those woods? 

Evelyn  
Wait, she died in the woods? 

Megan  
Oh yes, she sometimes wandered at night as her dementia worsened. One night she slipped, or tripped, and fell. It was cold. No one heard her. By morning she'd gotten hypothermia, and she was gone.

Evelyn  
Oh my God! I'm so, so sorry.

Alex  
Megan. I'm sure Evelyn doesn't want to hear about all of that.

Evelyn  
No, I do. I almost got hypothermia once. It happened so fast. Um, anyway, so I know you guys haven't lived here long, but have you hired any tree services?

Alex  
We've barely touched the property; just too busy dealing with the house. Endless repairs inside, and everything with the estate.

Megan  
We had someone look at a few trees after the microburst in March. I don't remember who. There have been so many companies offering services after the storms. Why do you ask?

Evelyn  
We've found some recent stumps in unusual, isolated places. Black walnuts, black cherries, yellow birch. Not the kind you usually see brought down by a storm path. Not like the taller oaks and pines. We'd like to understand the reason for the removals and get some documentation for our files.

Alex  
Nothing like Turners Grove and its endless files. Speaking of, can I see your file about our property?

Evelyn  
Of course, I left it in the car. I can grab it later, but it would be good to have any paperwork to show if Eleanor had hired any --

Alex  
Look. My grandma had dementia and other health issues. Whether work was done or money exchanged hands, I don't know. She's not here to clarify, and we're not going to track down phantom invoices. I think we'll have to let this go.

Evelyn  
Right. Okay. I just thought--

Alex  
I've got to jump on a call. I'm sorry we couldn't be more helpful. [footsteps on hardwood floor, walking away; a door squeaks open and shuts.]

Megan  
I'm sorry. That was out of character and frankly out of line. [sighs] Here's the thing. Eleanor left her estate in total disarray. Alex should have had power of attorney, but we were only in the early stages of the paperwork for that when Eleanor passed. Between Alex's layoff and dealing with all the estate stuff, he's just . . . not himself. 

Evelyn  
Alex lost his job?

Megan  
You didn't hear it from me. It was sudden. We're managing. He's got a call with a headhunter right now. Fingers crossed.

Evelyn  
[to self, voiceover] A layoff? Financial stress? That's all useful to know. What else might Megan reveal with Alex out of the room? 

Evelyn  
[to Megan] Megan, could I trouble you for some water? I've been walking a lot. Comes with the job.

Megan  
Of course. Come on. I'll show you my kitchen reno. [footsteps on hardwood; water pouring into glass, ice clinks] Here you go. 

Evelyn  
Thanks. Wow, this kitchen is incredible. It's old-fashioned, but has such a modern vibe. 

Megan  
Thanks. I renovated it before we moved in. Back when we thought we had money to burn. The rest of the updates will have to wait a little. Oh, ignore the view of the garden. It's not what it used to be years ago, when Eleanor kept it so nicely, long before she got sick. Now it's more like an apocalyptic wasteland. I'm not sure if anything's coming back this spring. I haven't had much help lately, and I've never been much of a green thumb.

Evelyn  
Don't apologize. I think it's just amazing you have so much land. Maybe whatever wants to grow there will grow. It doesn't have to be a garden, right?

Megan  
I guess you're right. Interiors are more my thing anyway. Oh, here's my card in case you hear of anyone looking for design consults. I imagine you see a lot of homes in your line of work.

Evelyn  
I do.

Megan  
Do you live in a historic home?

Evelyn  
Yeah. An old carriage house.

Megan  
Not the Ashcroft Carriage House.

Evelyn  
Yeah, that's the one. You know it?

Megan  
Oh, that carriage house is a stunner. On the outside, anyway. I first saw it on this quirky walking tour a couple weeks ago. "Off the Beaten Path," I think it was called. Anyway, I peeked inside the windows and I saw it has all the original hardwood floors. Maybe you'll give me a tour inside sometime. We can talk updates.

Evelyn  
I'm just renting, but I'll give your card to my landlady. 

Evelyn  
[to self / voiceover] Okay, enough about me. I'm here for clues. I glance around the kitchen at piles of mail and kids' art projects. Then something catches my eye on the Sub-Zero fridge, tucked under a magnet partly covered by a kid's finger painting. A business card for a company called Heritage Tree Services. That's so weird. Did Megan just forget about this card, or is she hiding it under this artwork? 

Megan  
I should check on the kids. It's too quiet upstairs, and that's never good. Are you a mom? 

Evelyn  
No, actually, no kids yet. 

Evelyn  
[to self / voiceover] I can feel Megan's interest in me fading fast. A renter. No kids. Low-level job. Not worth her time. Nothing she can get from me. Maybe I was hoping she'd see me differently. Not that it matters. I won't be here long enough to make real friends.

Megan  
A little advice? Enjoy your career while you can. Everything's ten times harder with kids and husbands. Here, I'll take your glass.

Evelyn  
[voiceover] As Megan turns to the sink, I slide out my phone, move the finger painting on the fridge just enough, and snap a photo of the Heritage business card. 

Evelyn  
[breeze, foosteps on path] As I leave the Hargrave house to go back to my car, I can't shake the thought that something's off. The Hargraves don't remember who came to assess some trees last month, but they kept a business card on the fridge? Maybe the card was Eleanor's. But on a brand new Sub Zero installed after Eleanor died? Weird. [car door slams] Wait. Is someone else showing up, or is that my car? [hurrying foosteps; car door opens] It's not locked. I swore I locked it. Maybe I didn't. Sometimes I forget. I check the back seat. My hiking shoes are here. [rummaging sounds, fabric] My raincoat. I checked the front seat. [rummaging sounds] My Hydroflask and my work file. But my map [paper rustling] -- the one I marked with Walt and then with Jordan, showing the cut trees? It's missing. I know I put the map on top of the file because I wanted to show it to Alex and Megan. Now it's gone. Just the map. What the hell? 

Evelyn  
[running footsteps] [voiceover] I sprint down the driveway. I scan the trees, the edge of the Hargrave Woods, the messy kitchen garden. I go up to the edge of the driveway and look up and down the road. No one. Nothing. Just the breeze and the branches. I go back to the car and look up at the house. Alex is in his ground floor office on the phone. Megan is up on the second floor, a kid in her arms, closing a curtain. I don't think either of them had time to run out to my car and take that map. One thing I'm sure of? This wasn't random. I came here to keep my eyes open, but someone else is watching me. 

Evelyn  
[instrumental transition music, mysterious] [voiceover] After leaving the Hargrave House, I'm way too wound up to go home. I stop in at Colonial Coffee. [background cafe sounds, distant chatter, espresso maker] Coffee's the last thing I need since it's almost four, and my heart's still pounding a mile a minute. But I order a latte anyway. I can't believe someone went into my car right in the Hargraves' driveway. Someone took the map where I'd marked the missing and damaged trees. Someone knew I was tracking those trees. Now I feel like everyone's watching, including the guy in the corner with a laptop. What is his deal? Why is he staring at me? Oh. Wait. I know him.

Jordan  
Evelyn, hey, want to join me?

Evelyn  
Oh, uh, hi. I don't want to interrupt.

Jordan  
Oh, you're not. I'm just finishing some uploads for my field notes. Wi-Fi at my apartment's out. Almost done. Have a seat.

Evelyn  
Thanks. You live in Turners Grove?

Jordan  
Yeah, I rent a place near the train station.

Evelyn  
I rent too. Actually, I'm staying for free. Someone's letting me live in an old carriage house she owns. 

Jordan  
The Ashcroft place?

Evelyn  
Yeah, seems like everyone knows it.

Jordan  
It's interesting to see what vegetation has taken over that side of the forest where the main house used to stand. My bird survey sometimes takes me that direction to the Lower Ashcroft Forest. Does the owner live in town? It's been quiet there, so I thought it was pretty much abandoned.

Evelyn  
Judy lives in Maryland, but she grew up here and inherited the house. Turners Grove seems like the kind of place where most people live their whole lives, though.

Jordan  
Oh, for sure. There's some real dusty types here, like maybe the town's original residents. [chuckles] Hey, is everything okay?

Evelyn  
I went to the Hargrave property again.

Jordan  
The woods?

Evelyn  
The house. Let's just say I had an opportunity and I seized it.

Jordan  
Wow, bold move.

Evelyn  
I'm not sure if it was bold or stupid, but I asked Alex and Megan Hargrave if they'd have had any tree services done recently, or if the deceased matriarch, the late Eleanor Hargrave, had work done.

Jordan  
What'd they say?

Evelyn  
Alex said no. At least no receipts. Eleanor had memory issues and didn't keep good records. Megan thought they'd talked to a company about an assessment after a storm last month, but she couldn't produce any paperwork either.

Jordan  
I'm not buying the storm damage theory. Like I said, these were valuable specimen trees, selectively culled from all different places on the easement. I'm pretty sure they were taken for their value on the rare timber market.

Evelyn  
I researched that a little, and I agree it seems possible. Well, anyway, then Alex got annoyed and left for a meeting in his home office. Megan apologized for his attitude and admitted they were having some financial issues. Plus, the whole place and the estate are a mess. So Alex is particularly prickly these days.

Jordan  
I thought Alex was some big pharma mucky muck. The local paper, for what it's worth, did an article on them when they moved here.

Evelyn  
He got laid off, and the estate is a mess. Then, almost hidden by some kid's artwork, I saw a business card on their fridge for Heritage Tree Services. Ever heard of them?

Jordan  
Heritage. I've probably seen their trucks, but I don't pay attention. After storms and also at this time of year, crews flood in from all over.

Evelyn  
I've called them three times to see if they've been to the Hargrave property recently. I just get a voicemail message saying their inbox is full. But something Megan said really stuck in my mind.

Jordan  
What's that?

Evelyn  
She's an interior designer who specializes in restoration work. She was raving about the original floors in the carriage house.

Jordan  
You think Megan knows what the trees are worth? Like, would she cut them down and sell them?

Evelyn  
Maybe not on her own. That's hard to picture. But if she knew their value, could she pay someone to cut them? Could that explain the guy with the long pruning pole that I saw in the woods Saturday morning? Remember, he took off when I tripped and scared him.

Jordan  
I doubt he was taking down a whole tree with that pole. That's hard to do. But he could have been finishing a job.

Evelyn  
Or covering one up. We've been seeing cut branches here and there, including that pile of pine branches over a black walnut stump.

Jordan  
Yeah, true. Any sign of pruning pole guy when you went back today?

Evelyn  
No, but he could have been in the vicinity and could have watched me go into the house. Maybe he was there to do more work for the Hargraves, like non-permitted work, cover-ups, or small cleanups, and that's why they wanted me out of there so fast. [gasps] Maybe that is the guy who broke into my car!

Jordan  
Someone broke into your car?

Evelyn  
Okay. Full disclosure? I probably forgot to lock it. I was also rushing and left my work files in there with the X's where the missing trees are. But whoever opened the car to look around in it -- which is creepy -- took only that one thing.

Jordan  
What about Alex Hargrave?

Evelyn  
Alex?

Jordan  
You said he left quickly to jump on a call, but maybe something you said made him nervous. While you talked to Megan, he might have had just enough time to check out your car and see what info you might have on him. Then he figured out your car was unlocked. Jackpot. The stump map. If he's freaking out about finances and knows he could face fines and public scrutiny for easement violations, it'd be in his best interest to get rid of that map.

Evelyn  
Oh God! I told him I left my file in the car. I practically invited him to look -- or to tell someone else to go look. Whoever took it -- Alex, the pruner dude? -- it set us back. Now I'll have to go retrace my steps and mark up a new map, without being seen.

Jordan  
The good news? It so happens that I also took pictures of the stumps we found, as well as that suspiciously scarred tree I found in the Ashcroft Forest.

Evelyn  
Amazing! Can I get copies?

Jordan  
Sure, I'll air drop them. Then you should talk to your colleague Laila Desai. She can help you recreate the first map and pinpoint everything more precisely based on the GPS coordinates in the photos. We'll get a digital version that can't disappear.

Evelyn  
I'll do that.

Jordan  
Okay, so airdrop should work, but with the spotty Wi-Fi in this part of town, just in case . . .  could you share your contact info?

Evelyn  
My contact info?

Jordan  
Uh, yeah. So I can text the photos too as a backup.

Evelyn  
Oh, yes, of course. Great idea. 

Evelyn  
[instrumental transition music, contemplative] [voiceover] The next morning, I get to work as early as possible. [door opens, faint office sounds like printer and copier] I didn't sleep much. Valuable trees are disappearing. My map of clues got stolen. Someone's stalking me. Hopefully, Jordan's photos can help me recreate what I lost. I need to act fast before anything else disappears. Hopefully, I'll catch Layla in the office before Miriam gets there. . . . I'm in luck!

Laila  
Evelyn! You're here early.

Evelyn  
Hey, Laila. I could use some help with something.

Laila  
Miriam's not in yet and Walt's out most of this week on the dam removal project. What's up?

Evelyn  
[Voiceover] I quickly fill Laila in on the tree cutting clues and my odd meeting with the Hargraves yesterday.

Laila  
Hold on. You really think the Hargraves are cutting down their own trees and selling them on the black market?

Evelyn  
I'm thinking they might hire a company like Heritage Tree Services to do the work. I found the Heritage business card in their house, and that got me thinking. The online reviews are mixed. Some people like their cleanups, but a lot are one-star complaints about sloppy work.

Laila  
I don't know if the town has ever contracted with Heritage, but I can check the files. Meanwhile, there's the question of where those rare trees might get sold.

Evelyn  
That timber could end up in historic homes, veneers, inlays, finishes. You don't need big trees for that.

Laila  
You could ask at the museum and see if they know anything about how black market wood works. There's actually an exhibit up now on wood artisans of New England. Or we could just ask Miriam . . .

Evelyn  
Not yet. I don't want to share any of this until I have all the evidence in place. Miriam already warned me about stirring things up, remember? And I need this job.

Laila  
I hear you. Unless we've got a bulletproof case, Miriam's not going to take on the Hargraves. Too many town board connections. She'll need exact locations and proof all the evidence is on the easement.

Evelyn  
Can you pull GPS coordinates off these photos and help me rebuild my stump map?

Laila  
I'm in. Honestly, this is exactly why I'm doing my PhD in Environmental Policy. And you're right. Miriam's a stickler for details. She won't act on vague accusations. I'll pull GPS tags from the pics, write up a key for the map. We'll have a clean digital version and a print copy for your next inspection. Once Walt gets back and you guys finish the job, I think we can build a good case, especially with Jordan backing you up. Lucky you ran into him in the woods the other day. He usually has his kid on weekends.

Evelyn  
Wait. His kid? He never mentioned a kid.

Laila  
[door opens] Shh, it's Miriam. Go to your office and leave this map to me.

Evelyn  
[door opens and shuts] [voiceover] Back in my office, I sit with this new information about Jordan. I don't know why it bothers me that he didn't mention his kid. I barely know the guy. He's just helping me with this case. Anyway, doesn't matter. I have work to do. [keyboard typing sounds] I read more reviews of Heritage. A homeowner said they took the wrong tree. Complaints about unfinished work. One review even said a crew peed on a barn in broad daylight. Could this be the type of company that takes down trees off the books and sells them? At the same time, satisfied customers left glowing reviews about thorough work and how the crew would come out on a weekend or off hours. Maybe I'm reading too much into all this. Online comments never tell the whole story. I should know. I look up their website and learn they operate out of a town I've never heard of, Grafton, about thirty miles away. [beeping, cell phone dialing] I'm sure they're one of these companies that gets called in from farther afield [phone ringing] when storm damage creates more demand. Since I can't drive to Grafton on my workdays, I try calling again. I'm fully expecting the full voicemail message again, but this time someone picks up.

Receptionist  
[on phone] Heritage Tree Services.

Evelyn  
Oh hi. Yes, hello. I'm calling from the Turners Grove Conservation Office. I'm hoping you can answer some questions for me.

Receptionist  
Okay . . .

Evelyn  
I'd like to check if your team has done any tree removal in the past two years on a specific property in Turners Grove. The Hargrave property on--

Receptionist  
Who exactly are you again?

Evelyn  
Evelyn Carlisle, conservation agent for Turners Grove. We're updating records for protected parcels in town, and--

Receptionist  
We don't confirm or deny client jobs over the phone. If your office wants records, you'll have to submit a formal request.

Evelyn  
It's time sensitive. One of the homeowners I'm calling about has passed away. I'm just trying to get clarity for the records.

Receptionist  
We cannot discuss client work over the phone. Like I said, put it in writing.

Evelyn  
[voiceover] Wow, that defensiveness says more to me than any review. Heritage knows something. I can feel it. 

Evelyn  
[outdoor sounds, town square] [voiceover] To figure out who's cutting the trees, I have to know why. What's this wood worth, and who's buying? Laila had mentioned an exhibit on woodworking at the museum. On my lunch break Wednesday, I head to the museum.

Theo  
[bell jingles, door closes] Hey, Evelyn, escaping the office, crying for a little dose of history?

Evelyn  
Hi, Theo. Do my ears deceive me, or are you speaking in modern English?

Theo  
I'm doing my side hustle. Museum front desk job.

Evelyn  
I thought your Off the Beaten Path tour was your side hustle, or your Rambling Roads Walking Tours. I'm confused.

Theo  
Oh, my side hustles have side hustles. The job market for history majors isn't exactly booming. [laughs wryly] Do you like antique furniture? Back in 1774, when Turners Grove was --

Evelyn  
I'm more interested in the contemporary artist section.

Theo  
Oh, sure. You can read more about the artists on the sign over there.

Evelyn  
You know, I read that rare woods get used in high-end furniture and art. Do you know how woodworkers might get them through legit and maybe not so legit channels?

Theo  
I don't know anything about sourcing wood, but my boss at Rambling Roads Walking Tours works here too as the resident historian. He knows everything. Hey, Henry, can you come over here for a sec? My friend Evelyn has a question.

Evelyn  
[to self / voiceover] Wow, did Theo just call me his friend? That's surprisingly nice to hear in a town where people have such long history. Speaking of long history, Henry Treadwell makes me think of something Jordan had said the other day. How some of the people in this town look like the original residents. Henry fits that description. It's hard to find his face behind a mop of shaggy gray hair and his furry beard. His eyes blink slowly behind thick glasses, and he walks with a shuffling gait, a slight limp that seems, well, a little peculiar for someone in the walking tours business.

Theo  
Henry, this is Evelyn Carlisle. Evelyn, this is Henry Treadwell.

Evelyn  
It's nice to meet you.

Henry  
Likewise. Evelyn Carlisle. Hmm. That name rings a bell. Are you sure we haven't met somewhere?

Evelyn  
We haven't. But I've heard about you and Rambling Roads Walking Tours. I'm planning to take a tour as soon as I get a little more settled here in town. I'm new here.

Henry  
What can I help you with?

Evelyn  
I wondered if woodworking artists or furniture makers could buy rare timber that might have been stolen if there's a demand,

Henry  
Hmm. I have heard there's a shadow market for specialty woods. Mm-hmm. Some of it turns up on online marketplaces or gets funneled through third-party mills that don't ask too many questions. Hmm. Turners Grove has a centuries-old reputation for fine wood furniture, wood for shipbuilding, wood for homes. Most of the big timber was logged by 1800, but some older valuable trees still exist in groves here and there. Every so often, someone comes sniffing around.

Evelyn  
Sniffing around?

Henry  
I've had a few odd inquiries. Folks asking detailed questions on tours or at the museum. Sometimes they seem like tourists or collector types. Other times they seem more like nature enthusiasts asking about trail access, old tree groves that show up on antique maps. Nothing I could answer with confidence. Just odd things to be curious about, and people are curious about all kinds of things. But you never know.

Evelyn  
Do you remember anyone asking about trees recently?

Henry  
Afraid not. I remember historical facts better than I remember faces these days. I see a lot of folks between museum shifts and walking tours. They tend to blur together.

Theo  
Speaking of curious things, I once saw an ad for a piece of black walnut on Craigslist when I was browsing for a bench recently. Six hundred bucks for one slab. I mean, come on, that seems like highway robbery for firewood dressed up as art.

Henry  
Here at the museum, though, we do know every artist submits a full disclosure statement for materials used in their work. If the provenance isn't documented, a contemporary artist or artisan doesn't make it into our gallery. 

Evelyn  
Got it. That makes sense. The museum seems above board, but if Henry knows about a shadow market for wood, other people in this town might too. And Theo saw black walnut woods for sale on Craigslist. That specific tree keeps showing up. Too many coincidences. I make a mental note to check out Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. See if anything else comes up, and what kinds of prices people are asking. That could help me figure out if it would be worth it for the Hargraves to sell off their prized trees, or worth it for somebody else to just take them.

Henry  
Come to think of it, Evelyn, you're asking some very curious questions yourself.

Evelyn  
[laughs weakly] Occupational hazard. We get some odd calls at the conservation office too. People asking about tree cutting permits or how to deal with hauling away damaged trees. I'm just trying to understand the landscape here and if some of the wood is valuable to poachers. 

Henry  
Ah, that's why your name sounds familiar. The conservation office. Mm. I heard they hired someone new. And I believe Walt Grady is scheduled for a walk-through tomorrow at two o'clock.

Evelyn  
Here at the museum?

Henry  
Oh no, sorry, at Rambling Roads Walking Tours.

Alex  
Yes, I created a new walking tour we're about to launch. Finally, persuaded Henry to branch out a bit with the tours we offer. We just need the town conservation office to confirm it doesn't impinge on protected zones. Miriam said she'd send someone. I guess Walt.

Evelyn  
Walt's super busy this week consulting on a dam removal project, but I'd be happy to do it. My colleague Laila can give me the zoning map. Where should I meet you? By the Rambling Roads tour office?

Henry  
Wonderful. I'm mostly off my feet this week. Plantar fasciitis flaring up, so Theo's your guy.

Theo  
Here's the map of the route. Meet me at the end of this alley off town square. We'll be taking the main road a quarter mile to the forest edge, and then we'll be rambling along a less-trod path within the Upper Ashcroft Forest.

Evelyn  
[to self / voiceover] I'm not great with directions, but this map is clear: Upper Ashcroft Forest, the public access trail, meandering within range of the Hargrave Woods. Perfect. A way back to the Hargraves with a map and a reason. I'll find a way to detour from Theo's route and look for more clues. If the Hargraves spot me, I'll say I'm reviewing a Rambling Roads walking tour for zoning compliance. Nothing to do with their property. And if some creepy poacher like pruning pool guy is watching me, I'll have Theo there as my cover.

Alex  
So, can you spare an hour or so?

Evelyn  
Sure, happy to help. Sounds interesting. Can I hang on to this map and study it in advance?

Theo  
Sure.

Henry  
[paper rustling] Theo! I just noticed the title you wrote on the back of the map. That's not the title we agreed on.

Theo  
You said I could explore other names for the tour.

Henry  
Within reason. You don't want to attract the wrong kind of attention.

Theo  
Henry. We've got to move past titles like "Turners Grove Through the Years" and "Footsteps of the Founders."

Henry  
Excuse me! "Footsteps of the Founders" has brought in crowds for decades, especially during the leaf peeping season. It's tried and true, Theo.

Theo  
It's tired and true. It sounds like a PowerPoint from 2013. We have to rebrand if we want to increase our numbers this season. People want drama, intrigue, mystery! And we need crowds year-round.

Evelyn  
[voiceover] While Henry and Theo heatedly debate tour titles, I flip the map over and nearly drop it. The title jumps out at me. "Patriots and Poachers?" That's the name of the tour?

Theo  
A fetching turn of phrase, is it not? I fancy it shall draw a crowd. Till the morrow, then!

Evelyn  
[voiceover] I stayed late at the office, catching up on Miriam's filing project, since I'll be taking time out tomorrow to do the walking tour with Theo. Just before I left, Laila gave me a new hard copy of the stump map and a thumb drive version, flipped to me when Miriam wasn't looking. What a relief! If I see new stumps or other clues on the tour, I'll add them right away. [footsteps on path] Almost home. Maybe I should call Jordan, see if his trail cams caught anything. Although, wouldn't he have told me already? He has my contact info. Unless maybe he has kid duty tonight? How old is this kid? Toddler? Teen? Jordan seems about my age, and I can't imagine having a kid. But people do it. Is he even single? Why am I spiraling? [sound of breeze picking up] I don't have time to date anyone. That's not what this is. And . . . wait. Is that a piece of paper on my front door? [breeze intensifies] A note. Someone left it right where I'd be sure to find it, under the old iron door knocker. [creak of door knocker lifting; wind whistles] It's not handwritten. Computer printed. Chilling. [paper rustles] "Watch where you step. You're on the wrong path." That's not a metaphor. That's a warning.

Jordan  
[instrumental outro music] You've been listening to Rambling Roads Mysteries, written by Diana Renn, produced by Hayden Robinson and Jonathan Crumpler, with sound design by Hayden Robinson. Recorded at the Western Piedmont Community College Production Studio in Morganton, North Carolina. For more about the author, the cast, the production team, and show notes, wander over to RamblingRoadsMysteries.com.