by Kathi Daley
“I’m sorry to interrupt Jack,” Brit said, “but I haven’t had the chance to read your latest novel. You’re saying that the killer in your story had a good reason for killing his victims?”
Jack nodded. “In a twisted sort of way. My novel is about a man named John, whose daughter is murdered by the man his ex-wife married after they divorced. John had a history of depression, which was why his wife divorced him. He’d made a lot of mistakes in his life and had a hard time getting those in positions of authority to give him any notice. After his daughter was killed, John went a tiny bit crazy. He tried to convince both his ex-wife and the police that his daughter’s stepdad had been the one who killed her, but he couldn’t get anyone to listen. John was certain that this man had killed his child, so when it looked like the guy might get away with it, John killed him.”
“If the stepdad really did kill John’s daughter and John killed him in return, I guess that would make him a sympathetic character,” Brit said.
“While I don’t disagree, the problem was that once John started killing, he couldn’t seem to stop. The novel is about the killing spree John went on after the death of his daughter’s killer. In the end, he killed seven men. All of them were abusing their own daughters and getting away with it, so I suppose it is up to the reader to decide whether John was a madman or a vigilante.”
“Sounds to me as if he might have been both,” Brit commented.
“So, back to the email you received,” Alex encouraged. “Not that I don’t find this conversation fascinating, but we are here to discuss the email, not the novel.”
Jack nodded. “Of course. We are here to discuss the email. When I first received it, I didn’t take Sam seriously. He certainly wouldn’t be the first wacko to hunt me down and want to tell me a story. I’m not sure why I didn’t simply delete the email and move on, but for some reason I responded to it and asked for additional information about his eight victims. The man responded by telling me that all eight victims had been killed between June 2014 and June 2018, and that five of the eight were buried in unmarked graves that had never been found. He shared that he was tired of all the killing and ready for it to end. He said that he was willing to provide me with the information I would need to find the burial locations of the victims that had not as yet been discovered.”
“Why would he do that?” Garrett asked.
“I’m honestly not sure,” Jack replied.
“I’m not liking this a bit,” George said. “It sounds like this man is simply luring you into his sick mind game, which I’m sure won’t end well for anyone.”
“I agree,” Rena said. “It sounds like a trap.”
“And it very well may be,” Jack agreed. “Sam seemed to indicate, however, that there was a ninth victim who would die if I wasn’t able to stop him.”
The room fell silent. Jack and I had already discussed the situation in depth, but I could see that the others needed time to process things. We both knew it was risky to engage with the man, but we also worried that if we did nothing and someone who could have been saved died, we would forever feel responsible.
“So what’s your plan?” George finally asked.
“Sam sent me the name and address of a motel in Rivervale, Virginia, which he wants me to check in to tomorrow. When I arrive, he will present me with the information I need to find the first victim. Jill and Kizzy are going with me. I guess my plan is to check in to the motel and then see what happens.”
“Again, I cannot stress enough, I am sensing a trap,” Garrett said.
Jack glanced at me. I nodded, then answered. “I know this whole thing is risky, but Jack and I have discussed it, and we don’t think the guy intends to lure us to Virginia just so he can kill us. If he wanted Jack dead, he obviously knows who he is and where he lives and works. We don’t know if this guy really wants to be stopped or if he is simply playing with us, but we have decided that if there is a way to stop a serial killer from killing again, we have to try.”
Garrett didn’t answer, but he didn’t argue either.
“Okay, so how can we help?” George asked.
Jack shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I guess it occurred to me that you all are very good at the research side of things. I might need to call on you if I am unable to figure out the clues provided once we get started. I would be willing to bet that the first body will be relatively easy to find if this guy is legit. It makes sense that Sam will want to engage me right away. After the first body, who knows what we will find.”
“Have you told Rick about this?” Vikki asked, referring to her boyfriend, Deputy Rick Savage.
“I had lunch with him this afternoon,” Jack said. “He was uneasy that I have seemed to have attracted the attention of a serial killer, and he was also concerned that I might end up stepping on the toes of local law enforcement in the towns I visit. He volunteered to make a few calls and smooth the way for us as we go if need be.”
Clara sat forward slightly. “I am concerned that putting yourself in a position where you will have to connect with this man’s dark side to understand that darkness could be potentially harmful. Not physically harmful necessarily, but mentally and emotionally harmful.”
“Jack knows what he is doing,” Lorelei countered. “Besides, we all have a bit of a dark side. Even Jack, based on the novels he writes. I suspect he has experience thinking like a serial killer.”
Jack smiled at both women. “I’m sure I’ll be fine, and I promise to be careful of my physical, mental, and emotional health.”
The conversation paused and Jack seemed to have said what he intended to, so I invited everyone to hang around for pie and coffee. When Clara had learned that conflicting schedules would not allow for a meal before this meeting, she’d offered to bake several pies to serve after.
“So, what did you think?” I asked Lorelei, the resident who had been here the longest of the four we’d brought in to the group this evening.
The older woman smiled. “I enjoyed the meeting very much. When I moved in eight weeks ago, I had very specific reasons for doing so, but being asked to actually participate in the Mastermind group has turned out to be an unexpected yet welcome bonus. Has the group solved many cases?”
I nodded. “Quite a few in fact. It started with George asking for help from some of the other writers researching a cold case he was using in one of his novels and developed from there.”
“And you meet every week?”
I nodded. “Usually. We often share a meal before the meeting, which gives us a chance to interact socially as well. In my opinion, this group is one of the very best things about living in this community.”
“Yes,” Lorelei agreed. “I can see how being a member of the group could be very useful indeed.”
“Are you all settled in?”
Lorelei nodded. “I have. It was hard for me to purge myself of the objects I had collected over a lifetime, but now that I have, I find that the items I chose to keep and incorporate into my tiny, one-bedroom cabin mean even more to me than they ever have. When my husband was alive, he never wanted to get rid of anything. I’m afraid that left a place filled with so much stuff that it snuffed the life out of the home we shared.”
“I’m sorry. I had a neighbor when I lived in New York who was a hoarder. The more he had, the unhappier he became, yet he still refused to give anything away.”
“That sounds very familiar.” Lorelei sighed.
“Did you and your husband have children?” I wondered.
The smile faded from Lorelei’s face. “One. A daughter. We were both well into our thirties when she was born and we knew she would be our only child. She was the light of both our lives. She died when she was seventeen.”
“Oh Lorelei. I’m so very sorry.”
Lorelei wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Losing her was the hardest thing I have ever had to endure, but somehow I found a way to ease my pain and managed to get through it. I still think of her every
single day. She occupies my first thought every morning and my last every night. For years I thought I’d never find happiness again, but somehow being here has helped me to see that it is time to let go of my pain and move on.”
I took Lorelei’s hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. “I want you to know I am here for you. We all are. If you need anything at all.”
“I appreciate that.”
Rena walked up with Brit. The four of us chatted for a minute, and then Lorelei excused herself. The poor woman. My heart bled for her.
“So is this it?” Rena asked. “The entire Mastermind group?”
“Yup, this is it,” Brit said.
“We do have guests who join us from time to time,” I added. “George’s friend Meg, who works at the museum, sits in on occasion, and a friend of mine, Brooke Johnson, attends occasionally as well.”
“I’ve met Brooke,” Rena said. “She is a real go-getter, that one. I really admire the fact that she is able to have a family while maintaining a presence in the community and finding time for her own life. Personally, I have no intention of settling down with a husband and children for at least another decade, but if I do decide to go that route at some point, I hope I can juggle as many things as Brooke does while making it look as effortless as she seems to.”
“Brooke works harder than anyone I know,” I agreed. “She may make it seem effortless, but based on what I’ve observed, quite a bit of effort is involved.”
Alex, who’d headed outside to take a call after the meeting, came back in for pie and coffee, and Brit and Rena headed in his direction. Our newest member, Jax Sheraton, was heading toward the door and I headed in his direction to get his feedback on the meeting.
“Heading out?” I asked.
“Yes. The pie was delicious, but I really must go.”
“What did you think of the meeting?”
The man frowned. “I felt that attending tonight was necessary, but I don’t think I will be back. These large gatherings are really not the sort of thing I enjoy.”
“I understand, and we are happy that you at least gave it a try. Attending the meetings is, of course, not a requirement for living here, but it is a way to get to know your neighbors, so if you change your mind you are welcome any time.”
“Yes. Well, I guess we will have to see. I came to South Carolina looking for peace and quiet. I don’t anticipate that I will want to seek out the company of others.”
With that, he turned and walked out the door. I guess I wasn’t surprised that Jax had elected not to stay. There was something really odd about the guy, and from what I had observed even before tonight’s meeting, he was not the social sort at all.
I was still standing at the door as George and Grayson approached. “Are the two of you heading out?”
“We are,” George said.
“I wanted to thank you for inviting me,” Grayson added. “I think I am going to enjoy this group very much. I just hope I can contribute in some way.”
“Don’t worry.” I smiled. “At one point or another, everyone is asked to pitch in with the research end of things. I have a feeling that before our time with Sam is complete we are going to need to aske everyone to help out.”
“Taking a trip based on instructions provided to you by a serial killer does seem like a big risk,” Grayson said. “But I have to admit the situation is fascinating as well. Are all the mysteries you delve into as exciting?”
Actually, I thought to myself, so far they head been. Fascinating and dangerous. I wondered if this one would turn out to be both exciting and dangerous as well.
Chicken Casserole
Ingredients:
1 box (16 oz.) penne pasta
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Cheddar soup
1 can Campbell’s Nacho Cheese soup
(you can use two cans of either if you like your casserole more or less spicy)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 jar (16 oz.) alfredo sauce (any brand)
¾ cup milk
1 cup cashews (or more if you’d like)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese crackers
Boil pasta according to directions on box (10–12 minutes).
Meanwhile, mix cooked and cubed chicken, soups, cheeses, alfredo sauce, milk, cashews, and salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
Drain pasta when tender and add to chicken mixture. Stir until well mixed.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Top with crumbled cheddar cheese crackers.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Mexican Lasagna
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Mix in a bowl:
4 large chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup sour cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
8 oz. diced green chiles (Ortega)
1 pkg. lasagna noodles, prepared as directed on box
Sauce:
In a medium saucepan combine:
1 stick butter, melted over medium heat
4 oz. cream cheese, added to melted butter and stirred until smooth
1 cup heavy whipping cream, stirred until blended
1½ cups grated Parmesan, stirred in slowly to avoid lumps
Mix sauce and chicken mixture together.
2 cups grated Pepper Jack cheese
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Layer third of noodles onto bottom of baking dish.
Place half of chicken mixture on top of noodles.
Layer third of cheese on top of chicken mixture.
Repeat.
Layer final third of noodle. Top with final third of grated cheeses.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20–25 minutes. Broil for a few minutes to brown.
Cherry Cheesecake Bars
Mix together:
2 cups flour
1½ cups long-cooking oats
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter, room temperature
Reserve 1 cup of mixture.
Press into greased 9 x 13 baking pan.
Cream together:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Spread over flour mixture.
Combine 1 can cherry pie filling.
Mix with 2 tbs. cornstarch.
Spread over cream cheese layer.
Sprinkle reserve flour mixture over top.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35–40 minutes or until golden.
Cool and cut into bars.
Carrot Cake
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 cups finely shredded carrots
1 8 oz. pkg. softened cream cheese
1¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tbs. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 can 8 oz. crushed pineapple, well drained
2 cups walnuts, chopped
Beat eggs and sugar together until blended. Add carrots, cream cheese, and oil. Beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients. Stir in pineapple and nuts. Pour into greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 55–60 minutes.
Frosting:
¾ cup butter, softened
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tbs. vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
Whip together. Frost cake when cool and top with pecans.
Books by Kathi Daley
Come for the murder, stay for the romance.
Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:
Halloween Hijinks
The Trouble With Turkeys
Christmas Crazy
Cupid’s Curse
Big Bunny Bump-off
Beach Blanket Barbie
Maui Madness
Derby Divas
Haunted Hamlet
Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies
Christmas Cozy
Alaskan Alliance
Matrimony Meltdown
Soul Surrender
Heavenly Honeymoon
Hopscotch Homicide
Ghostly Graveyard
Santa Sleuth
Shamrock Shenanigans
Kitten Kaboodle
Costume Catastrophe
Candy Cane Caper
Holiday Hangover
Easter Escapade
Camp Carter
Trick or Treason
Reindeer Roundup
Hippity Hoppity Homicide
Firework Fiasco
Henderson House
Holiday Hostage
Lunacy Lake
Celtic Christmas – December 2019
Zimmerman Academy The New Normal
Zimmerman Academy New Beginnings
Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook
Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries by Henery Press:
Pumpkins in Paradise
Snowmen in Paradise
Bikinis in Paradise
Christmas in Paradise
Puppies in Paradise
Halloween in Paradise
Treasure in Paradise
