by K. J. Emrick
It had been a very, very long day. And then, there was the thing they had learned on the way out of the police station. Jack’s people had done their job, and they had found Braydon Wise. The man who had witnessed the bank robbery around the time her Aunt Connie disappeared was still alive and living right here in Moonlight Bay.
Was he the same Braydon she had heard on that tape with Caleb Owen? Maybe. That part remained to be seen.
If she sat and thought about it, then it all became too much for her. She was a writer. Everything she knew about the human soul came from her own life experiences, and from things she had read in books. Like the one in her hands that was quickly drawing her into its story.
“See?” Jack said to her with a smile. “I knew I could get you hooked on sci-fi.”
Kyle piped up from the seat behind her. “I can definitely say this one is worth it. I’ve been reading over her shoulder. You can turn this page anytime, you know.”
They weren’t wrong. Miranda marked her place in Colony 41 by dog earing the page, just like Caleb had done in his book. This was a different copy, of course. Caleb’s book was evidence. She’d borrowed this one from a pile of paperbacks that the Moonlight Bay officers kept at their station for people to read when they were waiting to give statements or make reports. Miranda had been surprised to see it there, but finding it did lend a nice symmetry to the whole mystery. Besides. The book was actually really good, and the author was a fellow Australian.
“I don’t know if sci-fi will ever be my thing,” she told Jack. “Just enjoying a little escapism.”
“That’s why people read your novels too,” he reminded her. “An escape from the every day. They like to see if they can solve the crime before the detective in your book.”
“Uh-huh. Sometimes you just never know who the real bad guy is until the very last page.”
“Well, you’ll like the ending in that one. You’ll never see it coming.”
“Hey, no spoilers!”
Reaching over, he took her hand in his and squeezed gently. “Don’t worry,” he told her. “I don’t need to know the ending of our story. I’m just enjoying the ride.”
Miranda soaked in the feeling of him here with her, and suddenly she wasn’t tired at all.
It was getting late when Jack pulled the van onto Miranda’s driveway. Kyle immediately zipped past, between the two of them, straight through the windshield on his way to the comforts waiting for them inside Ragged Rest. “I’ll be in the living room,” he called back. “You guys can have the bedroom. I promise I won’t peek!”
Miranda smiled at her friend, grateful that he had been with them even if he was a pain in her rear end sometimes. She climbed out of the passenger side, stretching out her muscles, telling herself that she’d had quite enough vacation to last her for a while, thank you very much.
Jack came up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist. “Welcome home, Miranda. Can I interest you in a back rub?”
“Mmm. You know you can. Um. Can we get something to eat first? I’m starving.”
“Sure. Why not?” he asked, turning her in his arms and looking deeply into her eyes. “We’re in no rush. We’ve got the whole night ahead of us, and nothing is going to spoil this.”
As if on cue, Kyle came rushing back up from the house, his expression frantic.
“Miranda! Miranda you have to get inside. Someone’s been here. They went through the drawers and stuff. Everything’s a mess!”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She tensed, looking into the windows of her home, wondering who could have done such a thing, and why?
“What is it?” Jack asked, immediately aware of the change in her mood. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
Above them, the gathering clouds let loose, and rain began to fall.
-The End (For Now) –
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About the Authors
K.J. Emrick
Kathrine Emrick writing as K.J. Emrick is the author of the popular Darcy Sweet Mystery series and the Pine Lake Inn Cozy Mystery series.
Strongly influenced by authors like James Patterson, Dick Francis, and Nora Roberts, Kathrine Emrick dreamed of being an author for the majority of her life.
She never quite gave up on the idea of being a published author and at the age of 51, thanks to the self-publishing explosion, she finally realized her dream. Her maturity allows her to bring a variety of experiences and observations to her writing.
She lives in beautiful South Australia with her family which includes several dogs and cats.
Kathrine can always be found jotting down daily notes in a journal and like many authors, she loves to be surrounded by books and is a voracious reader. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at the local library.
Her goal is to regularly produce entertaining and noteworthy content and engaging in a community of readers and writers.
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To find out more please visit the Kathrine's website at kathrineemrick.com
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Kathryn De Winter is a passionate Cozy Mystery Author & Bookworm who spends her days writing and reading in Melbourne, Australia. Born in the UK her passion for crafting stories began during her childhood and it has stayed with her ever since.
Anytime Kathryn writes, she strives to create something entertaining that her readers thoroughly enjoy to read and dreams of being a New York Times® Best Seller one day. The authors who influence her work the most are Agatha Christie and James Patterson. She is also deeply inspired by her good friend K.J. Emrick.
Kathryn lived in the USA during her twenties where she became a single parent after her first marriage ended. Coincidentally, she met her now Australian husband in the US five years ago, when they were both there on holidays.
When she has a few moments to herself, Kathryn likes swimming, bike riding, cooking tasty meals, and discovering new places. She is also an avid music and animal lover. (Drums are her instrument of choice and she is a cat & dog person.) One of Kathryn’s favourite places to be is her local library. Most importantly, she loves spending time with her wonderful husband and son.
Kathryn De Winter recently finished a three-part cozy mystery series and has written another two mysteries in a different three-part series. To find out more about her publications, visit her official website: http://www.kathryndewinter.com
K.J. Emrick, Speaks the Blue Jay
