Chapter Three
Before you get the wrong idea about me, you need to know that Mr. Graves wasn’t calling me into his office because I did anything wrong. Just the opposite actually. He was doing it for my own safety.
You see, this wasn’t the first time I had been pulled out of a class or a recess period in the middle of a school day. It was actually becoming a disturbingly common trend.
Just as I expected, when I entered the principal’s office, my mother was standing there waiting for me. She had my backpack with her.
At that point, I knew that my school day was over. My mother told me that we had to leave. She didn’t tell me why, though.
A few minutes later, I was sitting in the passenger-seat of my mom’s car. I had a lot of questions for her.
Even though I knew that something serious had taken place in town, I had no specifics to work with.
I really wanted some details from my mom.
“Mommy, why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” I asked.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” she replied.
That’s what she thought. In my mind, it was too late to keep myself from worrying. After all, she had just taken me out of school in the middle of the day. That only happened when something incredibly serious had occurred in town.
“Why do you look so nervous?” I asked.
“It’s just a weird day, all right?” she replied.
I didn’t stop there. I was holding onto half a dozen more questions. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you over to grandma and grandpas.”
“For how long?”
“You’re not going to be at their house very long at all. Once they are packed, you are all going to head up to Lake Ashford.”
“How long are we staying there?”
“I’m not really sure.”
My mother was trying to be as vague as possible with me. She probably thought that I would stop asking her so many questions. Instead, the opposite was the case. With each question that she dodged, I became more curious. I just wanted to know the truth.
I had an idea about what was going on. Once again, I tried to get answers from my mom.
“You and daddy are working on a new case, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said.
“What kind of a case is it?”
“Jess, you know I’m not going to discuss that with you.”
“Someone died, didn’t they?”
“I just told you I’m not going to talk about that with you.”
“Who died?”
“Jess, don’t talk like that.”
“It’s true, isn’t it? The reason you’re sending me to Lake Ashford, it’s because someone got killed?”
“Where would you get that idea from?”
“Mom, even though I’m a little kid, I do know stuff. I read mysteries.”
“Honey, your Daisy Clue books are much different than real life.”
“I realize that.”
“Good,” she said.
I stared out the window. “I don’t want to go.”
“I know this isn’t an ideal situation picking you up from school and sending you off to the lake like this, but your father and I would feel better if you were out of town. Besides, you love our cabin.”
“But mom, I was just there not too long ago.”
“I realize that,” she said. “Look on the bright side, though. You don’t have to go to school tomorrow.”
“Mom, will you please tell me what happened?”
She shook her head. “We’re not discussing this.”
“I can handle it,” I insisted.
“I just said that we’re not discussing it.”
“I’m going to be a detective one day.”
“Maybe,” my mother said. “But that day isn’t today.”
“Not maybe. Definitely. I’m going to be a detective, just like dad.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“It’s going to happen.”
“Jess, you’re only eleven-years-old.”
I shrugged. “So?”
“So, a lot can change in the next few years.”
“Mommy, nothing is going to change.”
My mother became desperate to change the subject.
“Hey, why don’t we listen to the radio?” she suggested.
Chapter Four
So much for getting answers. By the time we arrived at my grandparents’ house, I had just as many questions as ever. When my mom’s car pulled up in front of my grandparents’ green Victorian-style home, my grandma, Elizabeth, and my grandpa, Luke, were packing up their sedan.
My mother then grabbed my backpack and said a few words to my grandparents. After that, my mom gave me a big hug. From there, she told me that she loved me dearly. At that point, she gave me a kiss on the forehead and told me to get into the backseat of my grandparents’ car.
A short time later, my grandparents were driving me to Lake Ashford. The lake was only about an hour away from Treasure Cove. It was also a really scenic trip. Trees lined the road during the entire drive. Theoretically, I could have spent the entire time just staring out the window, appreciating the beauty of my surroundings.
That wasn’t what happened. I ended up thinking about what a weird turn of events I was being confronted with. Less than an hour ago, I was at recess, thinking about going to a sleepover this weekend. Now I was being shuttled away to my family’s cabin for an unknown length of time. It was amazing how quickly things could change.
Even though this exact thing had happened to me before, I still wasn’t used to it. How could I be? This had come completely out of nowhere.
I didn’t blame my mother. She was just looking out for me. She knew how dangerous things could get. A few years ago, she had a close encounter with a suspect.
Back in those days, my parents didn’t have my grandparents drive me to Lake Ashford during a case. Instead, my mom pulled me out of school and just let me stay at home.
One afternoon, while my dad was at the police station, a suspect came right up to the front door of our house. This particular suspect was incredibly belligerent. They rang the doorbell until my mom answered. When my mother swung open the door, the man began yelling at her.
My mom told the man to leave. She then closed the door, grabbed her phone, and called my dad. It only took a few minutes for my father to rush back home. When he arrived, he forced the suspect to leave.
After that close call, things changed. Even though the suspect did not get violent with my mom or dad, he certainly could have. That was why my parents vowed to do things differently in the future. From that point on, they decided not to take any chances. They began to have me hide away at the cabin on the lake.
***
It was a weird experience having my entire life uprooted at a moment’s notice. I knew that my parents were just trying to be cautious, but they didn’t understand what it was like to be pulled out of school and whisked away.
As my grandfather drove the car, my grandma sat in the passenger seat and stared back at me. She could tell that I was having a hard time calming myself down. My grandma decided to play a few games with me while we were on the road. She told me to be on the lookout for license plates from different states. Or interesting bumper stickers on other cars.
My grandma was a lot of fun. She was always filled with tons of energy and new ideas. She was a blast to be around. On top of that, she was so sweet.
A short time later, my grandparents and I arrived at Lake Ashford. As expected, before we headed to the cabin, we made a stop at the general store to get some groceries. The moment that I spotted some candy on the shelves of the store, my eyes lit up. I tugged on my grandma’s shirt and asked her if I could get a candy bar.
Much to my delight, she said yes. While I grabbed the candy, my grandfather loaded up a cart with groceries. When he was done, he paid for them and loaded the supplies in the car.
We then he
aded off to the cabin. It was such a beautiful place. The wood cabin had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen.
It also happened to be right on the lake. The backyard had an amazing view of the water and the pine trees that surrounded the lake.
Just like always, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. I swam in the lake for a while and then lounged in a chair to dry off. Normally, at some point, we did some kayaking. Perhaps we would head out on the lake the following day. It was hard to tell.
Since it was fall, the sun didn’t stay out very long. Right around dinner time, the sun was getting ready to start setting.
My grandfather put some hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. I knew that dinner would be delicious. I ended up having two burgers.
When I was done, I grabbed the candy bar that I had gotten at the general store. It was wonderful.
From there, my grandparents and I headed inside and watched some TV until it was bedtime.
Chapter Five
The next day, my grandma made some breakfast. After that, my grandpa read some news while my grandma took me out on the lake. We had a busy day of kayaking and swimming ahead of us. While I was splashing around, I really enjoyed myself.
That said, despite the fact that my grandparents were trying their hardest to make me happy, during the quiet moments, I couldn’t help but think about my parents and my friends. I missed them both. I also wanted to know what was going on. Would I be at the lake for a few days? Or would this little trip end just as quickly as it began?
Ultimately, the entire day went by without any updates from my parents. That night, my grandpa fired up the barbecue again and grilled some steak for us.
When we finished eating dinner, my grandparents had a surprise for me. My grandma opened up her laptop and started a video chat with my mom.
“Look who it is, Jessica,” she said.
I stared at the computer screen. “Mommy, it’s so good to see you.”
“It’s great to see you too,” my mother replied. “Are you taking it easy on your grandma and grandpa?”
“She’s been a doll,” my grandma said.
“That’s nice to hear,” my mother said.
I stared at my mother. “How about you? How are you and dad doing?”
“We are hanging in there.”
“Just hanging in there? Does that mean the case isn’t going well?”
“Honey, you know I’m not going to discuss that with you.”
“Why not? I might be able to help out.”
“I’ve told you before. Real investigative work is a lot different than what you read about in your Daisy Clue books.”
“You keep telling me that.”
“Because it’s the truth. Now, let’s talk about something else.”
“Fine. When can I come home?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think it will be soon?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have answers for you,” my mom said.
I frowned.
“Honey, what’s the matter? I thought you liked going to the lake,” my mother said.
“I do…when we’re on vacation. But this isn’t a vacation,” I said.
“I know it isn’t like a normal trip, but I still hope you have a good time.”
“How am I supposed to do that when I know that you and daddy are trying to solve a case?”
“You don’t need to worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I promise you. We’re going to be just fine.”
“Okay.”
“Now, try to have some fun.”
“All right.”
My grandmother spoke up. “I have a lot of fun things planned for you tomorrow.”
“You do?” I asked.
My grandma nodded. “Yeah. You’re going to have a blast.”
My mother replied, “That’s what I like to hear. It sounds like you’re in for a real treat.”
“She is,” my grandma said.
My mom then stared directly at me. “See. You have a lot to look forward to.”
“I know. I just miss you so much.”
“I love you too. I can’t wait to hug you again. To see you again in person. That’s going to be a wonderful day.”
“It sure will.”
“In the meantime, take care of yourself.”
“I will.”
Chapter Six
When I finished video chatting with my mother, I got up from the table and headed into my bedroom. My mom had said all of the right things. She’d done her best to keep me from worrying. But it didn’t change how I felt. As much as she wanted me to have fun, this wasn’t a vacation. Even when I was doing something enjoyable, in the back of my mind, I would be wondering what was happening back in Treasure Cove. It was that inability to fully relax that made this all so unsettling.
That said, I tried to take my mother’s advice and loosen up a bit. I decided to start a group text with my friends. While I was fascinated with mysteries, my friends absolutely hated them. So, even though an investigation was taking place in Treasure Cove, my friends were doing their best to avoid discussing it.
So much for getting any info from them. They did have a fair amount of gossip from school, however. In addition, a lot of the discussion was about their upcoming sleepover. If things went well with the case, there was a chance that I might be back home in time to join them. That would be incredible. I definitely didn’t want to miss an opportunity to hang out with my friends.
The decision wasn’t up to me, though. Everything depended on the case. At that point, it was hard to tell if I would be stuck at the cabin by the time the weekend rolled around.
I continued with the group text for a few minutes longer. My friends then had to go and finish their homework. Meanwhile, my plans for that evening were much different. I grabbed the latest Daisy Clue book and started reading.
I loved the Daisy books. Honestly, I wanted to be just like her. It didn’t matter to me that she was a fictional character. She lived a great life. Daisy always seemed to get wrapped up in new adventures. Also, no matter what sort of baffling mystery she was confronted with, she always found a way to solve it.
How great would that be if real life worked out that way? Even though I knew it didn’t, I still wanted to become a detective. I was determined. That didn’t sit well with my mom. Even so, I knew that investigations would be a part of my future.
Of course, there was plenty of time before any of that happened. That particular evening, I just wanted to read my book. The Daisy Clue mysteries were just so entertaining. To the point where I couldn’t put them down.
Normally, that was a good thing. The only time that was a drawback was when I was in the middle of a chapter and my bedtime got dangerously close. The books were so addictive that they almost demanded to be read in one sitting.
Unfortunately, I was only in the middle of chapter twelve when my bedtime arrived. I would have gladly stayed up for a few more hours until I finished the book, but there was a slim chance of that happening. Back home, I had a strict bedtime of ten o’clock.
At the cabin, I found that my grandparents were a lot looser when it came to hitting the hay. At least, most of the time.
That night, I was halfway through chapter twelve when my grandpa opened the door to my room.
“Jessica, what are you doing?” he asked.
“Reading,” I replied.
“It’s time for bed.”
“But I’m only halfway through this chapter.”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to finish it tomorrow. It’s time for you to call it a night.”
My grandfather looked like he meant business. There didn’t appear to be any wiggle room. Even so, I decided to make an attempt to change his mind.
“Can’t I just stay up for a couple more minutes?”
He shook his head. “No. You have to go to bed.”
Wow. I wasn’t used to m
y grandpa being so blunt with me. So much for getting him to budge. He wasn’t messing around.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go to bed.”
“Good.”
I put a bookmark in the Daisy Clue novel and placed the book on my nightstand.
“Good night, Jess. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
My grandfather could have just closed the door and trusted that I would go to sleep. He didn’t do that, however. Instead, he waited until I turned off my light and got under the covers. Then he closed the door.
I could have just waited a few minutes in the dark and then turned on the flashlight app on my smartphone. If I lifted up the covers of the bed, I could continue reading under the sheets. The covers would do a good job of blocking the light from appearing under my bedroom door.
That was a really uncomfortable way to read a book. As much as I loved the Daisy Clue series, I could muster enough patience to wait until tomorrow to see how the book ended.
Even though I didn’t really want to go to sleep right then, I decided to curl up in bed and close my eyes.
Much to my surprise, my eyes didn’t stay closed for long. A few minutes later, I heard some interesting noises coming from the living room. My grandparents were talking, but they weren’t alone. I also heard a third voice. That voice belonged to my mother.
Given the fact that my mom was a hundred miles away, you could understand why I was confused about how I could hear my mom in the next room.
I got out of bed and tiptoed over to the door of my bedroom. I then slowly opened the door a little. From there, I poked my head into the living room.
That was when I saw my grandmother and grandfather sitting at the kitchen table. A laptop computer was in front of them. My mother was on the screen in front of them.
They were conducting another video chat. But unlike the video chat that I had done earlier with my mom, this one had a much different tone.
As I listened to my mother talking to my grandparents, it suddenly became clear why my grandfather had rushed me off to bed a few minutes ago.
This new video chat was filled with a surprising amount of candor. My mother sounded completely exhausted. She also seemed to be very discouraged.
Murder in Treasure Cove Page 5
