Blizzard in the Bay

by Kathi Daley

  Once I turned a distraught Lissa over to her friend, I headed to the shelter, where I was scheduled to work with one of the dogs in the basic training class. I’d briefly spoken with Cass, who assured me that he’d meet me for our shift in the playroom if he was able to get away. When I arrived at the shelter, Naomi Potter, the woman who owned and ran the shelter, was already in the large room where the class was held.

  “Cass called and told me what happened,” she said.

  “It was really bad,” I responded. “The poor woman I went to meet with was understandingly devastated.”

  “Do you know what happened? How the fire started?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “I haven’t heard. The fire crew was still on site when I left. I imagine Cass will know more after he speaks to whoever is in charge of the investigation. He said he’d come by for his regular volunteer shift if he was done in time.”

  Naomi began taking long training leashes from the wall. “I suppose that there isn’t a lot Cass can do until the fire marshal does his thing, and that won’t happen until what remains of the structure cools down. I heard that a body was found in the home. Assuming the victim was the homeowner, it seems odd to me that he wasn’t able to get out in time.”

  “I had that same thought. Lissa told me that Dale had a home office, which is why we were meeting at his home in the first place. If he was working and the fire started in another part of the house, you would think he would have smelled the smoke, or at the very least, you would think the smoke detectors would have gone off. The house was a single-story structure. I really can’t think of a single reason the guy wouldn’t have realized what was going on and gotten out of there.”

  Naomi looked toward the door at the back of the room, where two of the other volunteers had just walked in. “It looks like the rest of the trainers are beginning to arrive. Let’s be sure to chat again after you’ve finished for the day. Hopefully, Cass will be here, and we can get some answers.”

  “Did you know Dale?” I asked.

  “Not well, but I did know him in the sense that we’ve both lived in the same small community for a number of years.”

  “Lissa mentioned that he worked from home, but I’m not sure she ever said what he did for a living.”

  “He was a psychologist. He had an office in his home where he saw clients. As I mentioned, I didn’t know him well but based on what I do know, he seemed like a nice enough guy, and I think he was well respected in his profession.”

  I thought about the long drive and wide lawn at the front of the structure. I had noticed a second doorway on the side of the house that opened into one of the rooms at the front of the building. I only remembered that fact because it had been open when I arrived, and before I found out that a body had been found inside the structure, I’d found myself wondering if Dale had gotten out that way. Apparently, he hadn’t.

  I knew it wasn’t a good idea to jump to conclusions before having all the facts, but if I had to guess at this point, I would say that Dale Conover had been murdered.

  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

  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 – March 2020

  A Cat in the Attic Mystery:

  The Curse of Hollister House

  The Mystery before Christmas

  The Case of the Cupid Caper – February 2020

  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 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 – February 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

  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

  U
SA 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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