by Kathi Daley
“I think this is going to be a tough one to crack,” I said to Alastair.
“Meow.” He jumped down out of the window seat and trotted over to a stack of old magazines that had been piled up in the corner.
“Don’t knock those over,” I warned as he began to paw at the tall pile, which appeared to have been haphazardly stacked and not all that stable.
“Meow,” he answered as he gave the pile a final shove with a paw, sending it tumbling.
I let out a sigh and headed toward the magazines, which were now scattered around on the floor. “Silly cat, I told you to be careful and not knock them over.”
I began picking up the old issues of what looked to be travel magazines. I really wasn’t sure why Aunt Gracie was keeping these. Not only were they ancient, but as far as I knew, the magazines had gone out of business years ago.
“Oh, look,” I said, picking up the magazine Alastair had decided to sit on. “This one is a visitor’s guide to Colorado.” I opened the cover. “There are maps of hiking trails, photos of beautiful meadows, descriptions of ski areas, and locations of lakes and ponds deemed to be great for fishing.” I stood up, taking the magazine with me. “Oh, and a section on old mines and caves in the area.” I looked at Alastair. “I’ve always been interested in learning more about gold mining in the area. Maybe I’ll do some research for a future column.” Tossing the magazine on my desk, I brushed off the dust that had gathered on my sweatpants while kneeling on the floor to gather up the scattered periodicals. “Perhaps I’ll look through these old magazines later. There might actually be articles I can use. Right now, I guess we should go down for breakfast.”
“Meow.”
I’m not sure why I find the early mornings before the sun even makes its appearance over the distant summit the best time to write, but it’s a routine Alastair and I have settled into and quite enjoyed. I logged off my computer and headed down the stairs. Aunt Gracie, the owner of the home where I currently resided and lived in as a child, was sitting at the kitchen table, having coffee with her best friend and groundskeeper, Tom Walden. I’d noticed a slight shift between the two of them since they’d returned from their vacation in Hawaii. Nothing overt, but I sensed an intimacy that hadn’t been quite as apparent before. Not that Aunt Gracie would act on whatever might be going on between the two. We both believed in the family curse and had vowed to never marry or produce offspring, but not marrying or having children wasn’t the same as not falling in love.
“I noticed you were up,” Gracie greeted. “I guess you’ve been working on your column.”
I nodded as I poured a mug of coffee. “I’m trying to come up with some fresh ideas for the Austin Brady case, but I’m afraid I’m getting nowhere.”
“The boy disappeared twenty-five years ago, and despite their best effort, the local police were unable to find a single clue as to what happened to him,” Tom pointed out. “I’m not sure that the case is solvable.”
I blew out a breath and sat down with the senior couple. “I know it’s a long shot, but Dex and Austin were friends, and he really wants answers. I know it’s a big ask on his part, but I’m really hoping to give them to him.”
“I guess Dex would have been around the same age as Austin at the time of his disappearance,” Gracie said.
Dex was my boss and the current editor of Foxtail News. He inherited the position after his father, Garrett Heatherton, retired, and he was still trying to make his mark on the family business.
“Dex told me that he was actually supposed to go along with the other six boys on the fishing trip, but his father found out about his plan to cut school on Friday and put an end to things. I know it’s a longshot, but this is important to Dex, so I’m going to do what I can find something. I’m not sure what that something might be after all these years, but there must be something to discover that might not have been found back then.”
“Seems like you’ve taken on a big job,” Tom said. “It might be best to keep your expectations realistic so as not to be too upset if you’re unable to do what you’ve set out to do.”
“I know how difficult this will be, but Dex and Cass have agreed to help me, as has Hope, who’s done her own research on this case in the past.”
Hope Mansfield was the local librarian.
“So, what do you know so far?” Gracie asked.
“Not a lot. The five boys who went fishing with Austin were: Josh Underwood, Colin Woodford, Larry Lakewood, Bobby Brighton, and Toby Wallis. Josh died in a vehicle accident when he was seventeen, but Colin, Larry, Bobby, and Toby are all still alive and kicking. I plan to speak to each of them.”
“Didn’t Toby move from the area?” Tom asked.
I nodded. “Toby is a ranger for the National Park System and is currently based at Glacier National Park. He’s married to my friend, Natalie, from high school.”
“I remember Natalie,” Gracie said. “She was going to be a doctor.”
“She ended up being a wildlife veterinarian, which works perfectly with Toby’s choice of career.”
“I thought Toby was quite a bit younger than Austin,” Gracie said.
“He was. In fact, he was the youngest in the group. I think he was four or five years younger than the others were. Hope thinks the reason he was there was because he might have gone with Josh Underwood. Josh’s mom used to babysit Toby when his mother was out of town.”
Gracie got up and headed toward the oven where something delicious smelling was baking. “I guess that makes sense. Is Toby coming to Foxtail Lake?”
“No. He can’t get away, but Cass and I are going to have a video conference with him tomorrow. I know Toby the best, so I’m hoping to get a basic foundation from which to question the others.”
“I know Colin and Bobby still live in the area, but I’m not sure about Larry,” Gracie said.
“Larry Lakewood’s family moved to Denver not long after that fateful camping trip. He currently lives in Steamboat Springs. Cass and I plan to take a drive up there to speak to him at some point next week. I also plan to interview Colin and Bobby as soon as I can set something up. I was going to do it before this, but Hope warned me that neither man is really open to speaking about the incident, so it would be best if I did my research and had my ducks in a row before I spoke to them.”
“It seems like you’ve been working on this story for over a month now,” Tom said.
“I have. I’ve been looking at the police file, including the missing persons report, witness interviews, and old newspaper articles. As I just mentioned, I haven’t actually started my interviews yet, but I plan to take care of that next week. I’m hoping that once I’ve conducted my interviews, I’ll be ready to try out a theory or two. I plan to go ahead and turn in the first of my three columns to Dex since it’s only an introduction that shows my intent to do further research, so I’ll still have time to figure out something. At least I hope I can figure out a way to put all the little pieces of information I’ve been gathering these past weeks together and come up with something new, even if it doesn’t lead me to the answers everyone seeks.”
“What happened to Austin’s family?” Tom asked. “It seems they moved on quite a while ago.”
“His father died in a climbing accident maybe ten years ago, and his mother remarried and moved to Florida. Austin was an only child, so there are no siblings to interview. Dex has the contact information for Austin’s mother, but I’m hesitant to call her unless I actually have news to share with her.”
“That makes sense,” Gracie said, after sliding a quiche out of the oven. “No reason to bring the whole thing up again if you don’t need to. The poor woman has certainly had to live with more than her share of tragedy.”
“That’s what I figured.”
Gracie slid a plate with a slice of quiche and a piece of toast in front of me. Before my accident, I’d lived on my own and would usually just grab an apple or a banana for breakfast. Since I’d decided to move home to Foxt
ail Lake, Gracie had been feeding me wonderful meals twice a day. I realized that if I didn’t want to get fat, I was going to have to up my workout routine, which at this point consisted of pretty much nothing.
“I’m thinking about joining the new gym that opened up on the north end of town,” I said after I tasted my first bite of the delicious breakfast.
“I hear it’s really nice,” Gracie said. “I think it’s being referred to as a health spa or wellness center rather than a gym. They have weights and whatnot, but they also offer classes and have a juice bar.”
“Naomi joined last month, and she said all the equipment is state of the art.” Naomi owned the local animal shelter where Cass and I volunteered two afternoons a week. “She said the classes are pretty good as well. They have spin, yoga, dance, and a couple others.”
“It sounds fun. I think you should do it,” Gracie encouraged. “Trust me, when you get older, you’ll be glad you stayed in shape.”
“I do feel like I need to work on my strength. I’ve let my workout routine slip into oblivion since the accident, and I haven’t kept up with the exercises the physical therapist gave me the way I should have. It really is time to get my strength and flexibility back. Naomi told me they’re running a promo for the spring, so the timing is good. I thought I’d stop by today after I check in at the newspaper.”
“Will you be spending the afternoon at the shelter?” she asked.
“I will,” I confirmed. “And since Cass and I usually go out for a bite after our shift, don’t plan on me for dinner.” I glanced at the clock. “I guess I should head up and shower. I told Dex I’d be in around nine. He mentioned that he had a couple extra articles for me this weekend. I hope they aren’t too time-consuming, but I guess I’ll just be flexible and go where the news takes me.”
“I really enjoyed the article you did last week about the upcoming fishing derby,” Tom said. “It was so well written that it motivated me to sign up even though I’d initially decided not to.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. The derby won’t actually be taking place for another month, but Dex wanted to start getting the word out. He’s hoping for a good turn out this year since the community voted to roll the derby, chili cook-off, and ax throwing contest all into the same weekend.”
“Are they having the chili cook-off and ax throwing contest out at the lake?” Gracie asked.
“They are. I hope this nice weather holds. An outdoor event in May can go either way, but we have had an early spring, and the snow is about gone at this elevation, so I think we should be fine.”
I took my dishes to the sink and then headed upstairs to shower and dress. I had a busy day ahead of me, and I knew I’d need to stay organized. I wasn’t sure if I’d actually workout today, but I packed a bag with workout gear just in case. I needed to meet with Dex first, and I had my volunteer shift at the shelter in the afternoon, so I’d need to stop by the gym between the two. If I didn’t have an immediate need to do research or an interview for the articles Dex planned to assign to me, I might get a short workout in today; otherwise, I’d just check it out and plan to return for my first workout at another time.
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
Deja Diva – Publishing 2020
Zimmerman Academy The New Normal
Zimmerman Academy New Beginnings
Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook
The Inn at Holiday Bay:
Boxes in the Basement
Letters in the Library
Message in the Mantel
Answers in the Attic
Haunting in the Hallway
Pilgrim in the Parlor
Note in the Nutcracker
Blizzard in the Bay
Proof in the Photo
Gossip in the Garden – May 2020
A Cat in the Attic Mystery:
The Curse of Hollister House
The Mystery before Christmas
The Case of the Cupid Caper
The Secret of Logan Pond
Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:
Romeow and Juliet
The Mad Catter
Grimm’s Furry Tail
Much Ado About Felines
Legend of Tabby Hollow
Cat of Christmas Past
A Tale of Two Tabbies
The Great Catsby
Count Catula
The Cat of Christmas Present
A Winter’s Tail
The Taming of the Tabby
Frankencat
The Cat of Christmas Future
Farewell to Felines
A Whisker in Time
The Catsgiving Feast
A Whale of a Tail
The Catnap Before Christmas
A Mew Beginning – Publishing 2020
A Tess and Tilly Mystery:
The Christmas Letter
The Valentine Mystery
The Mother’s Day Mishap
The Halloween House
The Thanksgiving Trip
The Saint Paddy’s Promise
The Halloween Haunting
The Christmas Clause
The Puppy Project
The Wedding Plan – Publishing 2020
Rescue Alaska Mystery:
Finding Justice
Finding Answers
Finding Courage
Finding Christmas
Finding Shelter – Publishing 2020
The Hathaway Sisters:
Harper
Harlow
Hayden – Publishing 2020
Writers’ Retreat Mystery:
First Case
Second Look
Third Strike
Fourth Victim
Fifth Night
Sixth Cabin
Seventh Chapter
Eighth Witness
Ninth Grave
Island Reunion Trilogy:
Summerhouse Reunion – April 2020
Topsail Sundays – May 2020
Campfire Stories – June 2020
Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery:
Pumpkins in Paradise
Snowmen in Paradise
Bikinis in Paradise
Christmas in Paradise
Puppies in Paradise
Halloween in Paradise
Treasure in Paradise
Fireworks in Paradise
Beaches in Paradise
Thanksgiving in Paradise
Haunting by the Sea:
Homecoming by the Sea
Secrets by the Sea
Missing by the Sea
Betrayal by the Sea
Thanksgiving by the Sea
Christmas by the Sea
Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:
Murder at Dolphin Bay
Murder at Sunrise Beach
Murder at the Witching Hour
Murder at Christmas
Murder at Turtle Cove
Murder at Water’s Edge
Murder at Midnight
Murder at Pope Investigations
Seacliff High Mystery:
The Secret
The Curse
The Relic
The Conspiracy
The Grudge
The Shadow
The Haunting
Road to Christmas Romance:
Road to Christmas Past
USA Today best-selling author Kathi Daley lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband Ken. When she isn’t writing, she likes spending time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. She has authored more than a hundred books in twelve series. Find out more about her books at www.kathidaley.com
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