by Lynn Cahoon
“I wouldn’t miss it.” His eyes sparkled and for a minute, Cat felt like the room brightened just a bit too. She shook her head. Now he had her doing it.
“The dining room is open all night, but Shauna won’t restock anything until the morning. So what you see is what’s available.” She picked up the tray. “It’s nice to have you here this week.”
“Thanks.” He shouldered his backpack that held his laptop and moved past her into the hallway.
Cat took a minute to look over the food offering. The other writers would probably want munchies when they got back to the bar. Just because the retreat is different, doesn’t mean they aren’t getting what they need out of the week. She let the thought comfort her, but as she went back to the living room, she had to admit, she missed the evening get-togethers where the group would talk about their daily progress. Maybe she’d gently mention the idea tomorrow.
She sat the tray down on the table, and Shirley grabbed her coffee and looked around. “I thought they came back?”
“Karaoke.” Cat settled onto the couch with her hot chocolate. “Brodie’s working in the study, so it’s just us.”
“I can go work in the attic or my room if you want to be alone.” Shirley glanced around the cozy living room. Cat had turned on the gas fireplace and the room just sang home. At least that’s what Brodie would say.
“I’m reading. You’re not disturbing me. Besides, I get three weeks a month of just me and Shauna in the house. It’s nice to have company.” She took a cookie and broke it in half. “How’s the writing going?”
“I’m trying to pants this one. Not outline it to death. Writing this way has been hard. I keep thinking I don’t know where it’s going, but then I sit down and start typing and the characters take over. It’s weird.” Shirley picked up a cookie and took a bite of it. “But I like it. The characters are surprising me.”
“Sounds like you’re enjoying the process.” Cat took out a notebook and started an outline of what she’d read so far. Mostly it was all about the weather and the research he’d done on the old mines and the history of panning in the area. No names of anyone alive, at least not yet. She set the notebook down and started reading again.
Several pages later, she’d found a name. Walter. No last name, just Walter. She glanced up at Shirley. “Did Uncle Pete mention the name of the miner who had Chance’s credit card?”
Shirley frowned, typed a couple of words, then stopped and looked up at her. “Actually, no. He said it was a local miner, but he didn’t tell me a name. Why?”
“I’m going to give Uncle Pete a call.” Cat stood and took her phone out into the lobby. The lights on the fence posts on the driveway and the walkway to the house glowed warm in the darkness. Brodie was right, the house did feel welcoming. She dialed her uncle’s number.
“What?” The one-word greeting told her all she needed to know. The questioning wasn’t going well.
“Is your suspect named Walter?” She glanced at the page where Chance had mentioned the guy.
“No, it’s Harvey. Harvey Nelson Hood. Why?” She could hear a smidge of interest in her uncle’s tone.
“Nothing. Chance’s journal mentions meeting up with a Walter in town to talk about the mining history of the area. Just wondering if we’d found more to attach him to the victim.”
She heard her uncle’s slow breath. “No, but according to Harvey, he got the credit card from Chance’s body when he found him in the tree. That and two hundred dollars that he quickly spent over at Bernie’s bar.”
“You believe him.” Cat could hear the resignation in her uncle’s voice.
“Maybe. We still have to verify his alibi, but according to him, he was sixty miles north of here when the coroner estimates Chance was killed.”
“What was he doing?” Cat saw Shirley approach and hold up Cat’s coffee cup. She knew the ex-cop was really just trying to find out what was happening, but she let her pretend that the woman just needed more coffee.
“Selling his gold flakes. There’s a pawn shop in Collinsville that deals with raw materials.” He paused. “Look, I’ve got to go. Tell Shirley I’m sorry, but I’m going to be tied up here for the rest of the night.”
“She’s busy writing so she probably doesn’t even miss you.” Cat smiled at Shirley, who was standing by her with two steaming cups in her hands.
“Now, you’re going to get me in trouble.” Shirley laughed.
“Later.” Uncle Pete disconnected the call, and Cat put her phone in her jeans before taking the cup from Shirley.
“So, did you find a clue?” she asked as they walked back to the living room.
Cat shrugged, looking at the time. Almost ten and the other writers were still out. “Maybe. But it’s not the guy Uncle Pete has at the station. He says he’ll be tied up the rest of the night.”
“I figured.” Shirley settled back on the couch and sipped her coffee. “The only thing I can control is what I do with my spare time. If I get a good chunk of this draft done, the trip will still be productive, even if we don’t get to spend time together. Besides, he’ll owe me on our next adventure. It’s a win-win.”
“You’re a calculating woman.” Cat smiled at her. “I don’t think Uncle Pete knows what he’s got himself into.”
“Well, let’s just keep it that way, okay?” Shirley set her cup down and picked up the laptop. “I’m enjoying spending time with your uncle.”
Cat went back to reading the journal and making notes every time this Walter was mentioned. By the time she was ready to go to bed, she had seven separate days that they intersected, but still no other identifying information. Like a last name.
Shirley stood and stretched. “I’m beat. I’ll see you in the morning. Thanks for being my writing buddy tonight.”
“But I wasn’t writing.” Cat tucked the book under her arm and put the empty cups and plates on a tray.
“Company is company. At home, I have to rely on my dog Buck to talk out plot points. He’s a great listener but never has any brainstorming ideas.” Shirley headed upstairs. “See you in the morning.”
Cat took the tray into the kitchen and loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. Then she checked the locks on the back door and turned off the lights. The other guests were adults and she shouldn’t worry about them. But as she glanced at the clock, she still hoped they would be safe on the walk home.
Taking one last glance outside, she made her way upstairs with the journal and her notebook in hand. Maybe she’d just read a few more pages before she went to bed.
Chapter 11
Wednesday morning’s sun woke Cat. She’d fallen asleep reading. It wasn’t the first time that happened or the last. She picked up the journal from where it had fallen during the night. Tucking in a bookmark, she headed into her bathroom to get ready for the day. Today was her “ask the author” seminar, and although she’d given the session multiple times by now, it still made her nervous to open up her process to her guests.
She let the warm water ease away the doubts and by the time she entered the kitchen, she could at least fake a happy attitude. Shauna was already busy at the counter, mixing a batter. “Good morning. Whatever you’re making smells wonderful.”
“I’ve got a batch of cookies in the oven. The treats I left out last night were all gone by the time I checked the dining room this morning.” Shauna poured blueberries into the bowl, then picked up a muffin pan. She sprayed it with oil and then filled the cups with the batter.
“Brodie came back after dinner and wrote for a while. Shirley and I were in the living room until eleven. But I don’t know when the rest of the group came back.” Cat filled her cup with coffee and grabbed a slice of banana bread already on a plate ready to be taken to the dining room spread.
“I thought I heard someone downstairs around one.” Shauna shrugged when Cat narrowed her eyes at her. “Sue me, I’m still not sleeping well. I was walking the hallway on the third floor. I’m surprised I didn’t wake you
and Seth up too.”
“When Seth falls asleep, nothing wakes him.” Cat glanced around the kitchen. “Anything else I should take out?”
“I’ll follow you out with the juices.” Shauna opened the fridge and took out two pitchers. “Orange and cranberry this morning.”
“Sounds like fall to me.” Cat backed into the door and held it open, waiting for her. “I’m surprised I didn’t hear you. I don’t think I fell asleep until after midnight myself.”
Shauna followed her into the dining room. “We should just expect not to sleep well during retreat weeks. I’m always concerned if they’re out late. I know they’re adults, but I still worry.”
With what had happened during some of the retreats, Cat didn’t fault her the feeling. In fact, she felt the same way. She set the muffin baskets on the sideboard and took in the dining room. Shauna must have cleared it from last night’s munchie group. The table was clean and shining under her partner’s watchful eye. “Looks like we’re ready in here.”
“Yeah, I’ll take out more for breakfast later on in the morning, but for now, this will get them going.” Shauna glanced at the clock. “I’m surprised Shirley isn’t up yet.”
Frowning, she glanced around. “Maybe she’s working in the study?”
Shauna shook her head. “She would have shown up for coffee. She didn’t come into the kitchen, and the coffee out here was cold this morning.”
A door slammed in the foyer and Cat heard voices. She stepped out of the dining room and saw Shirley kissing Uncle Pete. She quickly moved back into the dining room.
“Who is it?” Shauna moved to go around to see, but Cat held her back, grabbing her arm. She whispered, “Don’t go out there.”
“Why not?” Now Shauna was curious and tried to look around the doorway.
“Because my niece doesn’t want to disturb us.” Uncle Pete, with his arm around Shirley, walked into the dining room. “Tell me you have coffee. I need to get to the station, but I’m the one who starts the first pot, so I’d love to take a cup to go.”
“Of course, we have coffee.” Shauna moved to the sideboard and filled a travel mug for Uncle Pete. She grabbed a muffin and put it in a paper bag she kept in the sideboard. “And a bit of breakfast to get you going.”
He smiled as he took the cup and bag. “You’re the best, Shauna.”
After he left, Cat tilted her head at Shirley.
“Don’t ask, I won’t tell.” Shirley poured her own coffee. “Besides, we’re both consenting adults here.”
“I don’t know why you’re paying for a room.” Cat watched as Shirley’s face pinked with emotion.
She grabbed a muffin and headed to the door. “Let’s just say your uncle and I are old-fashioned.”
Cat watched Shirley almost sprint up the stairs to the second floor. When Shauna came back into the dining room, she started giggling.
“It’s not funny,” Cat said.
“It kind of is. I mean, how many times has your uncle made comments about you and Seth sneaking out when you were kids. Or finding you parked at the lookout. This is so payback for his teasing.” Shauna took one last look at the dining room and moved to the hallway. “Besides, they’re cute together.”
“I know. And I know he needs someone in his life, but she lives in Alaska. That’s long-distance romance to the max.” Cat followed her friend into the kitchen.
“I don’t know, it could be worse. She could be from Europe.”
Cat filled a travel mug so she could take coffee to her office. “I guess. Anyway, I guess we know who you heard moving around last night. It must have been Shirley leaving.”
“Yeah.” Shauna glanced at the clock. “I better get moving or no one’s going to have breakfast this morning.”
“I’ll be in the office if anyone needs me.” Cat left the kitchen and started up the stairs. She ran a hand over the polished wood. The house had years of lives lived in it. She always loved thinking about who else had touched this staircase. What had they been thinking when they did? Who had made love in the bedrooms upstairs?
She shook her head; that idea had taken her right back to Uncle Pete and Shirley. And that was one visual she didn’t need in her head. Not now, not ever.
Escaping to the sanctity of her office, she booted her computer and brought up her work in progress. It was time to get words down on the page.
She hit her word count and had time to pull the file on the notes and questions she’d kept over the year or so she’d been doing the seminar. Most groups asked the same questions, but once in a while, a new one would pop up and she’d add it to the list. That way she never had to think about what she was going to say, she always had a jumping-off point.
Seth was in the kitchen eating an omelet when she finally made her way back downstairs. She walked over and kissed him quickly. “Did you sleep well?”
“Better than Shauna, I hear.” He grinned at her. “How did you take finding out your uncle’s not a saint?”
“I already knew that, so get real. Besides, just because they spent the night together, you don’t know if they did anything. They might have been talking until it was too late to drive her back to the house. Or they’d been drinking.” Cat put her travel cup in the sink and grabbed a bottle of water.
“You keep thinking that; maybe you’ll even convince yourself it’s true.” He focused on his plate. “Did Pete mention anything about Old Harvey? I heard one of the deputies found him late last night drunk out by his mine.”
“Was that the guy who had Chance’s credit card?” Shauna asked as she set a plate in front of Cat.
“Yeah, I guess he slept through the ride and they put him in the drunk tank.” Seth sipped his coffee. “It was all the discussion down at Bernie’s when I popped in yesterday. Terry said he was going to be there to meet for a few beers, but he never showed up. I guess I have something to give him grief over tonight.”
“That’s right. You’ve got your reunion this evening. What time are you heading over?” Cat took a bite of the fluffy omelet and almost sighed when the cheddar cheese hit her taste buds.
“Four. We’re doing pictures early, then talking to the press. And after the buffet, the drinking and lying portion of the evening starts.”
“Lying portion?” Cat narrowed her eyes.
Seth shrugged. “You know, stories seem to expand with age. What was just a shot in the distance becomes a narrow escape from death. And I’m going to talk to Terry and the gang about Chance. Maybe one of the guys knows something that I’ve forgotten.”
“Maybe I should come and ask a few questions of my own.” Cat pointed a fork at him. “You never want to talk about your time in the military. Maybe I could get a few ideas for the book I’m writing.”
He shook his head. “Sorry, this session is by invite only and you’re not invited.”
“That’s rude,” Cat complained, but Shauna laughed.
“Sorry, honey, but not even the wives were invited to this reunion. If you want, I can set up a breakfast meeting tomorrow so you can meet some of the guys.” His gaze met hers and she felt the love and attention he was projecting. “Maybe they can help you more with this boot camp book.”
“I would love to meet some of your friends. But it can’t be tomorrow. You’re taking the group on a hiking trip, remember?”
Seth slapped his forehead. “I forgot. I’ll get the backpacks and hiking stuff ready today and set out in the foyer. That way all we have to do in the morning is load up the SUV. Are you coming with us?”
Cat nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it.” She didn’t add that she wanted to get some pictures of the area where Chance’s cabin had been just in case she could see any clues. She’d have to reach out to her uncle later and see if this old miner was the killer. Having the murder wrapped up with a bow would mean that Uncle Pete could take some time off and actually be with Shirley. “I think Shirley wants to come along too.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He finished his breakfas
t and went to the sink to rinse off his plate. “My day’s just become pretty full, but I’ll have my phone if you need me.”
“Talk to you soon.” Cat called after him as he disappeared into the basement. She played with her food, then set down her fork, watching Shauna. “You think I’m pushing too hard about Seth’s time in the military, don’t you?”
“I think Seth will tell you what he wants to tell you on his time frame. You need to let him come to you.”
“But there’s a murder to solve . . .”
Shauna turned from the stove. “And that’s your problem how?”
Cat shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Not making eye contact, she shrugged, then brightened as she thought of an answer. “I’m worried about Uncle Pete spending enough time with Shirley while she’s here?”
Shauna shook her head, laughing. “From what I saw this morning, they are making time to be together just fine.”
Cat hid her face in her hands and groaned. “Fine, fine, stop. You’re right, it’s not any of my business. I’ve got a seminar to give in ten minutes. I better go set up.”
Grabbing her folder, she left the kitchen and the now-laughing Shauna. Cat realized her friends were the first to tease her. But she knew their hearts were in the right place. She ran into Brodie coming down the stairs with his laptop.
“Great, I thought I was going to be late.” He beamed at her. “I’ve got lots of questions for you.”
“I’m glad. Did you get a lot of words in this morning?”
Brodie nodded, his head bouncing like one of those dog statues on the back of a car. “I’m almost through with the book. That’s one of the questions I have. When I finish the book, what’s next?”
Tristin came out of the dining room. “From what I hear, the best answer to that question is to write the next book.”
Cat laughed. “You’ve been studying your publishing business.”
Sydney followed him into the living room. “He’s obsessed with the idea of being an actual author, as he says. Of course, I’d be happy with just being known as a travel writer. I love getting to visit other places and encouraging others to travel there.”
