by Zoey Kane
“Thanks, Ralph.”
The helicopter blades were slicing the air in whipping sounds as the it hovered above the cars. It was a little harder to hear because of it. Bill approached with awe in his eyes. “Why’d you need me when you have one of these babies?”
Claire just smiled in response.
Zo gave a “come here” gesture with a finger. He stepped close as she took hold of the tote a moment, with Ralph standing nearby. “This is between you and me,” she said quietly, opening the bag just enough for a quick glimpse.
Bill eyed it with disbelief. He touched his heart and stuttered through rapidly moving lips that formed no words. Finally, he mustered, “You found gold?”
“Yes,” Zo said. “And since we put a stake in equally to find treasure, I believe half of this is yours.”
“No way,” he said. “No way. This isn’t happening.”
“Yes, yes it is.” She arched a brow with a twinkle in her light brown eyes. “I’ve got your info. Check your bank account in a few days. I’m sure you can start ordering a new plane.”
Bill paused, turning pale. He stretched out his arms tentatively for a hug. Zo accepted, patting him heartily. He laughed and cried at the same time.
Zo pulled back and said, “Shh, our secret.”
“Our secret. Why, yes. Yes.” He nodded, and blurted, “I love you.”
Just then, an officer pushed Marlene out onto the porch, strapped tightly to Mackey’s rolling desk chair. She looked up at the phenomenon: a sleek red-and-white helicopter with large, red letters that said KANE across it. Her eyes darted to the duo and back again.
Daniel ran up onto the porch to Zo. “Thank you.” He pulled Zo into a hug that lasted a few moments. “I have to go now. I’ll see you in your dreams.”
“And I suppose you think I don’t believe that.” She smiled genuinely.
“Ready, ma’am?” Ralph asked.
“Yes, all ready.” When Zo turned back to Daniel to say goodbye, he wasn’t there. She told Ralph to pulley up the tote, and so it went.
Marlene and Richard were now sitting behind steel mesh. She was contained by a strap attached to a bolt at the floor. A lot of the guests were on the porch, looking at the spectacle. The mother-daughter duo walked beside the hovering copter, their hair blowing back, and a uniformed man threw down an unrolling ladder that was a few feet short of the ground.
“You first, Mom.”
Zo jumped up, grabbing a rung. She slowly but steadily climbed. Claire, being taller and longer-legged, didn’t have as much trouble. When each woman reached the top, they got help entering.
The helicopter lifted and they flew over the desert, getting ready to turn and head home. Claire looked behind her and noticed that the tote case containing the granny-head-sized rock was there and secure.
“Captain, would you circle around Devil’s Tooth over there on our way home? I’d like to take one last look.”
“Sure thing, Ms. Kane.”
When the helicopter swung around the top of the plateau, they saw, to their delight, Daniel Walks-With-Secrets, standing in traditional clothing, his long, dark hair blowing, and a red scarf around his brow. A gold nugget strand hung around his neck over the healthy form of his shoulders and chest. Crème linen pants tucked into rawhide boots, reaching just below his calf, enhanced his historical appearance. They didn’t miss the silver cuff glinting in the sun, as he stood, looking up and waving.
“Absolutely beautiful!” said Zo.
Claire nodded.
They thought they could hear the low and steady beating of a drum.
The End.
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The Riddles of Hillgate (Z & C Mysteries, #1)
SAMPLE (Chapters 1-3)
ONE
Rain slammed against the windshield as lightning tore at the sky. It was already difficult enough seeing the little street signs, some missing, to have to deal with a major downpour.
“Turn right at Azalea Road, a quarter-mile away,” the GPS spoke in a blasé tone, as if Claire didn’t have to fight the forces of nature just to get there.
Claire pushed the gas pedal perhaps a little too much under the circumstances. She turned her wipers up to the max, and they slashed back and forth like machetes in a jungle, clearing her sights for a fraction of a second. Nope. No Azalea.
A U-turn was the only option at this point. Azalea had to be there. Her little navigator friend, sitting nonchalantly on the dash, was never wrong. Claire turned her wheel to the left and when she was headed straight in the opposite direction, she accelerated hard. The car started to skid and swivel. There was no time to correct, just time to clench her teeth and say, “Eeeee!”
A ditch. But of course. What small town doesn’t have random ditches at the side of the road? Her car nose-dived down into it, and just before the air bag burst out, Claire wondered how much this little accident was going to cost her.
*
Black and gray clouds loomed over Zoey Kane’s little home, shaking it with their thunderclaps and lightning. In thought, she watched the sheets of rain thrown against her bedroom windows. Tonight’s storm was especially fierce. Having moved to the Midwest, she now experienced many storms the west coast could never imagine.
Zo took out her dime-size cubic zirconium earrings and set them on the 1930s vanity she had won by the skin of her teeth at the auction. And, boy, was it a steal of a deal. Though it was a heroic purchase, she knew no one in Riverside could ever truly understand. She once made the mistake of telling her manicurist about a past purchase, and had been met with a pop of bubblegum and an “Are we going red or pink today?” C’est la vie. The small town had enough perks in spite of that. It was always so green and so lush, the neighborhoods were classically charming, and the buffets—oh, the buffets—were to die for.
“You had no date tonight anyway, love,” she said to her reflection with a smile, then proceeded to comb through her long, strawberry-blonde hair.
Zo’s eyes swept to the framed picture of her younger self, smiling beside a brown-eyed girl making a silly face. Claire. What a doll she was. Still is, she thought. When was the last time they saw each other, anyway? Two Christmases ago? Yes. “The Magazine” kept her girl occupied more than ever before. It was a shame, really.
At least rainstorms could be comforting. Zo exited her bedroom with a cup of Ovaltine and headed to the living room. By habit, she picked the classifieds section to the Riverside Bugle off her table, and settled down on her sofa.
The weather had been decent that afternoon when she showed houses. Being a real estate agent was no promise of security, though. Still, Zo sat with a thrill in her heart, and nobody was there to talk to about it. She had just taken a very big chance on a property, even taking out a mortgage on her home and a couple of rentals. It was termed a Speculation buy rather than an Investment by the loan officer, and those in the industry knew what that meant. Zo didn’t care if it was looked down upon; her gut was telling her she was right this time.
She put her feet up on the couch and wiggled her toes, admiring her great ankles and pretty feet. “Pretty good for an old dame in her fifties,” she said. “I wonder if I’m dressing too young, or if I should get my hair cut.” She laughed. “Nah!”
The doorbell suddenly rang. “Oh, dear!” No one was expected this evening. Could it be some man, deciding to brave the elements to see her? Just in case, she wrapped her silk robe tighter and fluffed her hair on the way to the door.
Halfway there, she turned back to deliberately flip the newspaper to a different page. As she approached the now banging sound of a fist, she was cautious. Pretty aggressive, even for one of her dates. She im
agined a fireman on the other side, a smudge of ash across one cheekbone, hair falling over smoldering eyes, bulging biceps ready to swoop her over his shoulder and carry her away.
“Oh, yeah. No fire tonight. It’s raining.” The truth dashed her hopes. She wondered with a chill, Who would it really be? She peeked through the peephole for a moment, trying to determine who the shadowed figure was standing on her doorstep.
Ding dong! the doorbell rang, and the fist hit the door again, making Zo jump.
“Mom! Open up!”
“Mom?” Zo looked out again. She only had one kid, and she was supposed to be in New York. She opened the door. “Claire, is that you?”
“Yes, Mother!”
It was her alright, though the usually perfect ponytail was now sopping wet and stringy … and her nose was bleeding just a bit.
“Come in, come in. What on Earth is the matter?” She glanced down. Two large suitcases and a carrying bag were sitting at her daughter’s feet.
“Jack dumped me. He dumped me. The jerk!”
“Come in. Let me help you with your stuff.”
Claire took a quick, hot shower—after calling the closest tow truck company, which happened to not be covered under her insurance—and then resigned herself at the kitchen table.
“I don’t know what happened, Mom. These last couple of weeks have pretty much been a blur, but I lost my job and Jack at the same time.”
“You lost your job? But how? You are the best editor that magazine ever had!”
“I thought so too, until they ‘gently’ let me know that an editor with more experience than me was taking over. And Jack couldn’t have that. He thought I should have fought harder for the position or something. There was no way. I don’t know how, but my job loss injured his pride. Anyway, he let me know that now was a good time to make a life change for the better. He intended to, and he wished me good luck in my life without him.” Tears started to form. “I can’t help it, Mom. It makes me angry. I wasted my precious time on him instead of finding somebody with better character.”
Zo grumbled. “Jack. What an insensitive … well, anyway, Claire, you are beautiful—you are my daughter. Remember that! And anyone stupid enough to let you go, either in business or relationship, is a fool and we both know that, don’t we?” And out of the side of her mouth, she said, “I never liked him anyway.”
Claire dabbed her tears dry. Her nose and cheeks were a little red, but she was going to be okay. They sat there a moment in thought, listening to the patter of the rain.
Claire pointed. “What is that?”
“What?” Zo looked behind her.
“That! That old, rusty box.”
“It isn’t an old rusty box, my dear.”
“Well, then, what is it? It’s so big.”
“It’s a trunk. You know, a treasure sort of trunk.”
“A treasure trunk, eh?” Claire arched an eyebrow, completely skeptical. “Where did you get it? In the freebie section of the classifieds?”
“Oh, please!” Zo felt slight embarrassment. “It was from an auction.”
“How much did you bid on it, Mommy dear?” said Claire very suspiciously.
“What does that matter…? Three hundred buckaroos, if you must know.”
“You’ve done it now. What a waste. It’s hideous.”
“Oh, come on. Settle down. It’s an antique….”
Claire shook her head, and leaned her chin against the palm of her hand. Her mother had always been a dreamer, buying grab bags just to find out what was inside.
“Darling, let me open it up for you. It’s really quite neat.” Zo pulled her large key ring from her purse, which held many, various keys. She found the one she wanted and opened the trunk.
Claire stood up to look inside. “It’s newspapers! You paid three hundred dollars for newspapers.”
“Now, wait. Don’t get so hasty. Take a look at this one.” Zo pulled it out carefully from the stack and set it on the table in front of them.
Riverside fire nearly wipes out town, headlined the front page.
“Riverside fire? What’s the date on that?”
“July fifth, 1927.”
Claire’s mood instantly switched. “This is fantastic! That’s the fire that we’ve all heard rumors about, here, straight from the source!”
Zo happily watched her daughter’s big and charming brown eyes skim over the article.
Claire read aloud, “The rampant fire tore through the whole west side of the river, causing over eight-hundred people to go homeless.” She hungrily continued reading until the article was at its end. She huffed. “They didn’t say how it started. I guess they didn’t know.”
“I would guess fireworks, since it reports that it happened on the fourth of July,” Zo stated.
“We should save this paper somewhere safe, frame it or something. It’s a journalistic relic. A bit of history of our town.”
“I’ll lock it back up in my antique trunk for now.” Zo smiled a wry smile. She also wanted to burst out and tell her daughter all about the investment she made this last week in something much, much bigger and better. But it would have to wait for the morning, so Claire could see it with her own two eyes.
That night they slept in the same king-size bed so they could talk to each other until falling asleep. It had been too long since Zo had a really good opportunity to visit with her daughter. New York kept them apart. She tried to keep the appropriate sad-for-her-daughter concern, but when Claire announced that she was going to temporarily move in, Zo’s heart could only leap in joy.
TWO
Zo’s van screeched as it lurched to a stop outside the Homestyle Buffet. Even for being the most popular restaurant in Riverside, it was busier than usual for 9 a.m., the lot completely full. She stepped out of her scratched and dented ride wearing a fashionably baggy v-neck with a belt, jeggings and heels. The scent of gravy and pies filled the air, welcoming her to what was sure to be a superb breakfast.
Claire had to slam her passenger side door a second time just to get it to shut. Even still, it needed a swift kick to get it to click tight. Once inside the restaurant, she offered to pay for their meals, already having her wallet handy.
“Oh, no, no, no.” Zo dug through her purse for her credit card. “It’s on me.”
“It’s okay, Mom. Really.” Twenty dollars was held out for the patiently-waiting cashier.
Zo gently smacked her daughter’s hand aside. “No, it’s your first day in town, and I’m your mother. Plus, you have no job.”
Claire conceded, putting away her money, and the girl at the register said to Zo, “Senior discount?”
“I hope you mean high school,” the offended, yet chipper, guest chuckled.
“Sorry.” The girl punched in the amount due, and swiped the card. They waited a moment for the satellite to communicate with the terminal. An annoying buzz sounded from the machine. “Oh…” The cashier handed back the card. “It says it’s declined.”
Zo plastered a smile back on her face, and said, “Whoops, I, um, don’t know what to say about that.”
Claire hurriedly pulled the twenty back out of her purse. “Here you go.”
A hostess came right over and escorted them to the last available spot in the whole place. It was a small table, just for two, along a wall. People were mingling in the center of the restaurant, dressed in their best business attire, each sporting a hand-written nametag.
Zo lowered her voice as they went toward the buffet with their trays. “The Chamber of Commerce is here. I completely forgot about the meeting. Why they still feel like they need the nametags beats me, since everyone knows everyone here.”
“Were you going to attend?” Claire asked.
“No, it’s just a bunch of people selling their wares to each other, you know. I never did feel like I fit in. Oh, well.”
Claire piled her plate with anything and everything to bring her comfort. Beside her slab of honey ham and gravy, were also sau
sage links. Zo also piled her plate up, but out of routine only; she especially liked their buttery Brussels sprouts. Usually Claire and Zo were wary of greasy foods, eating mostly salads and chicken or fish, but today they threw wisdom to the side.
On the way back to their table, two women stopped them in the aisle. They were both around Zo’s age, wearing skirt suits with formal nametags made of plastic boasting their real estate company’s logo. “Hello there, Zoey,” the taller one with dark hair said.
“Oh, hi, Penny. I’m just out with my daughter Claire. Do you remember her?”
“Yes, I do.” Her face lit up. “Are you still with that dashing young man we got to meet at the community Christmas party—what was it?—two years ago?”
“I remember him,” the other said, with interest. She had blond hair and a pug nose. “Tell us—any wedding bells ringing soon?!”
“Um, no.” Claire felt her voice wanting to catch. “And no, we’ve broken up. I’m not with Jack anymore.” She smiled to be polite—and to force back the tears that were always sitting behind her eyes lately, just waiting to break loose.
“That’s too bad,” the brunette said.
“Yes, yes it is,” the other agreed.
“No.” Claire tightened her grip on her tray. “It was actually a good thing.”
“That’s right,” Zo defended. “He lacks integrity, and she’s better off changing her mind about him.”
Penny simply cocked her head to the side, as if testing Claire’s expression for the truth of the matter.
“Yes, I suppose,” the blonde said, though she didn’t look satisfied.
“Anywho.” Penny moved aside just a bit to let them through. “We’ll have to catch up some more sometime, Zoey. Things are going quite well for me. Just had a client close on another home yesterday. So, keep me posted about how your company is faring during this tough economy… if you’re getting any business yet.” There was a hint of a smirk.
