Jack Music continued working on the case at the same time.  He talked with one local citizen who had proved information on previous investigations. "Henry Cantrell is seeing a lot of a woman over in Kermit, W.Va." this man told the trooper.

 

 "Music went to that town just over the Kentucky border.  The woman confirmed knowing Henry Cantrell but she provided little information.     "He seems to have more money than usual,:" she said.  "He's been drinking a lot.  Whenever Virgie's name is mentioned Henry says she went to Ohio and took some of his money with her."

 

Detective Potter and Trooper Music went over the sparse leads they uncovered.  Both had come up with the same rumors.  The mountain people believed Virgie Cantrell had been shot to death.  Some said her body had been dumped into a well on Henrys farm that had since been sealed with cement.

 

 Rumors concerning a missing cedar chest persisted.  Henry Cantrell had sold some of his furniture to a second hand dealer in Paintsville.  Detective Potter talked with the buyer.  No cedar chest had been involved in the sale although it was known Cantrell had owned one.

 

   Detective Potter also found an Ohio woman who had visited the Cantrell's in September, the month before Virgie disappeared.

 

   "Virgie wanted to keep in touch with me" this woman told the investigator.  "When she started to write down my address Henry took the piece of paper away from her, saying , "You won't be needing that."

 

   Detective Eddie Cornett and Lt. Billy Lykins of the State Police joined forces with Potter and Music but weeks passed with little progress being made in the mysterious disappearance case.

 

  Then last February, a trailer in which Henry and Virgie Cantrell had been living when the wife dropped out of sight was destroyed by a nighttime fire.     The daughter Loretta, had been visiting her grandfather, Mace Cantrell, whose place adjoined his son's when the fire occurred.  Henry Cantrell was in Kermit, W.Va., at the time.  Loretta contacted Clyde Edward Cantrell, a 16 year old friend of her fathers who drove her to Kermit.  Henry showed little concern about the destruction of the trailer.  It's insured," he said and didn't return to his farm until the following day.

 

   The insurance company gave Henry a check for $500 to cover the loss of the trailer in what was the third fire claim paid on the Cantrell's place.   More rumors spread after that incident.  A Johnson County Deputy Sheriff said he had been inside the Cantrell trailer a week or so before it burned.

"I saw three bullet holes in the door facing" that officer told Trooper Music.  This gave rise to speculation that possible the trailer fire served other  purposes than might appear on the surface.