Snow Way Out: A Mystic Snow Globe Romantic Mystery (The Mystic Snow Globe Mystery Series Book 2)

by M. Z. Andrews

  Doris glanced over at Bill.

  “Doris!” said Bill, wagging his finger at his wife. “Don’t even say it.”

  “Well, she asked,” said Doris. “I can’t very well keep everything I know to myself.”

  “What is it?” asked Lane, eyebrows raised.

  “Well,” said Doris in a hushed voice, as if she were about to tell a whopper of a secret, “I’ve always been suspicious of one of your father’s ex-girlfriends.”

  Lane’s eyes widened. “Nana! And you’re just now mentioning this?”

  “Well, that’s because I don’t have any proof or anything, and I’m not about tarnishing anyone’s reputation without solid proof.”

  “So then you just shouldn’t speak about it, Doris.”

  “Hush, Bill. Now’s the time.”

  “Well, what are your suspicions?” asked Evanee, looking curiously at Doris.

  She shook her head. “No. It’s not my place to say.” She pointed at her grandson. “The person you need to speak with is your father.”

  Lane grimaced. “Dad doesn’t like to talk about it much.”

  Doris pointed her finger at him more sternly. “You’re just going to have to tell him too bad. There comes a point in a man’s life where he has to stand up for what he believes in, Lane. Don’t let your father give you problems. You need to figure this out for yourself.”

  Lane’s head bobbed slowly. He’d wanted to talk with his dad about it for years now, but his dad never wanted to talk about his mother’s death. Maybe now was the time. “Okay, Nana. Thanks. I’ll see what he has to say.”

  Bill reached across the table and patted his grandson’s hand. “Attaboy. You’re one tough cookie, just like your mother. I know you have it in you.”

  “Thanks, Pop-Pop.”

  22

  “Dinner was good,” said Evanee as they drove away from Lane’s grandmother’s house.

  “Mm-hmm,” he murmured absently as he drove.

  Evanee looked out the window. It was hard to see much as it was almost dark now. “I really like your grandparents.”

  “Yep.”

  Evanee turned and looked at Lane curiously. “What’s going on with you? Why are you suddenly so sullen? You were fine at dinner.”

  He glanced at her then. There was no smile in his eyes, and his face was sullen. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Look, we haven’t known each other for very long, so I can’t say that I understand the way you think yet. But I’m pretty sure I’m smart enough to understand when there’s something wrong with someone.”

  Lane shrugged, and with his left hand draped over the steering wheel, he turned his truck down a side street. “I guess I’m just tired.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not stupid, Lane. There’s more to it than that. You’re upset about something your grandparents said. What is it? The fact that your grandmother suspects some old girlfriend of your father’s?”

  He sighed. “I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend before Mom,” he finally said, a bitter tone behind his voice.

  “You assumed your mother was his first love?”

  “I really had no idea.” He shook his head. “You wouldn’t get it.”

  “Try me.”

  Lane looked over at her. Evanee could see the conflict in his eyes. He wanted to open up. Needed to open up, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. She was a stranger. They didn’t know each other well enough. Evanee could totally understand.

  “It’s personal,” he finally said.

  “If it relates to your mother and this case, it’s not just personal,” said Evanee. She sighed, softening a bit. “Listen, Lane. I know this is hard for you. To me, it’s a case to solve. To you, this is your life. It’s your family. Rachel was your mother! I get it, and I completely understand, but I want you to know that I’m not here to pass judgment on you or your family. I’m not here to share your secrets and go spreading gossip around town. I’m only here to help solve the mystery of what happened to your mother.”

  He shook his head then. “But why? Why are you so interested in helping me and my grandparents? You and I didn’t exactly get off on the right foot the other day. So why would you wanna help me?”

  Evanee chuckled. “No. No, we didn’t, did we?”

  Lane’s head shook, his blond curls swaying next to his ears.

  “Well, I wish I had a really good answer for you. I’d like to say it was something honorable, but the truth is, I found out about the case and I just felt the innate need to solve it. Haven’t you ever felt like that? Like you had to do something, but you didn’t know why you had to do it? Like some magical force was pushing you to do it?”

  Lane looked at her like she was nuts. “Can’t say that I have. Have you had it happen before?”

  Evanee’s head bobbed as she sighed. “Oh, I sure have.”

  “Yeah?” He quirked a brow like he didn’t believe her. “Besides this, when have you ever felt that way?”

  Evanee shrugged. “I guess the best example would be when I moved here.”

  “You moved here because you felt like some magical force was pushing you to? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Okay. This is kind of embarrassing,” said Evanee, lowering her voice. “So if I tell you, can you just keep it between us?”

  A smile crept across his face, like he appreciated being let in on one of her secrets. That was the moment Evanee noticed what a nice smile Lane Dawson had. It was slightly lopsided and it dimpled his cheeks. “Sure, I can keep secrets. I’m pretty good at those. The trick is not talking to anyone all day except for domesticated fowl.”

  “Domesticated fowl?”

  He chuckled. “Chickens, for you layfolk.”

  “Well, that makes it easy, then, doesn’t it?” said Evanee with a laugh. She pointed at him. “You have a nice smile, Lane. I wish it came around more often.”

  His cheeks flushed as he cleared his throat. “Thanks. So what’s this secret?”

  “Oh, well, before I moved here, all I knew was that I needed to get away from where I was. But I didn’t know where to go. I had a smattering of friends that had moved around the US, but nothing was calling out to me.”

  “Where were you coming from?”

  She tipped her head to the side as if pointing with it. “The West Coast. Seattle.”

  “I imagine the West Coast is a little more exciting than southern Vermont,” he said with a wider grin. “Why’d you wanna leave?”

  Evanee slumped in her seat. It was a long story, one she was pretty sure she didn’t want to get into with Lane. “Let’s just say I needed a fresh start.”

  His face softened slightly. “Running away from someone or something?”

  “Who said I was running?”

  “I think that’s pretty obvious.”

  She shrugged. “Fine, running from someone.”

  “A fella, I assume.”

  Evanee let out a heavy sigh. “Isn’t that what women are always running away from?”

  Lane pursed his lips. “I’m sorry.”

  She waved a hand at him dismissively. “It’s alright. That was several years ago. I’ve moved on.”

  “So that was the deep, dark secret I couldn’t share with anyone but my chickens?”

  “Did I say you could tell the chickens?” she teased.

  “Oh, you can trust them. They’re the best bunch of old biddies in town. They don’t tell a soul. I tell them everything, and not once have I ever heard a secret make it back around to my ears.”

  “Nice.”

  “Yeah.”

  Evanee lifted her brows and smiled at him. “Well, there’s a little more. You’ll probably be disappointed when you hear the rest, because it’s really not that deep or that dark. It’s just embarrassing. When I couldn’t decide where to move, I pulled out a map of the United States. I opened it up on the table. I closed my eyes and I pointed. My finger landed on Windham County, Vermont. Simple as that.”

  “You p
icked Stoney Brook out on a map?” said Lane incredulously. She could tell he was trying not to laugh.

  “Well, no. I said I picked Windham County on a map. I don’t even think Stoney Brook was on the map, to be honest. But I started doing my research and I found some property that I could afford and I saw that you had the best autumn seasons, and, well, that just kind of made the decision for me. Fall’s my favorite.”

  Lane grinned. “Well, despite the fact that my mother passed away in the fall, fall’s my favorite too. I always feel closer to Mom in the fall for some reason. It’s like her spirit comes back to visit me when the temperatures cool off. It’s a nice feeling. Comforting.”

  They were silent for a moment as Evanee digested Lane’s admission. He’d managed to share something personal with her, and it felt nice. Like they were friends now.

  Her head bobbed. “So yeah, it was an easy decision to make in the end. It’s remote. It’s beautiful. You’ve got some great mountain biking out here.”

  “You bike?” he asked with a smile.

  She laughed, lifting her eyebrows. “No! I absolutely don’t bike. Someday, maybe. No, I mostly just work. It’s been a lot trying to get my business off the ground. That’s been the priority. First you make a life, then you get a life.”

  Lane’s head bobbed. “Yep. I can subscribe to that theory. I’ve been making a life for years. I still haven’t managed to get a life, though.”

  “Sometimes it takes time. But I firmly believe that hard work pays off. Someday it’ll reward both of us.”

  He smiled at her. “Yeah. I suppose it will. You’ve got a pretty good attitude about it.”

  She smiled back. “Thanks.” Suddenly, it hit her that they’d been driving for a while. She looked out the window curiously. “So. Where are we going?”

  Lane pulled out of the quiet trance he’d been in too. “Oh. Honestly, I was just driving around a little. We were talking, and it really doesn’t take this long to take you back to your place. I just wanted to finish our conversation before I dropped you off. I suppose you’re ready to go home now?”

  Evanee shrugged. “I mean, unless you wanna share what bothered you at dinner?”

  He grimaced and then was silent for a little bit. She could tell he was chewing something over in his mind. Finally, he pulled the car over to the side of the road and swiveled sideways to look at her. “Hey, Evanee, you think your cats can wait a little longer to eat their supper?”

  She looked at him curiously. “Maybe. Why? What do you have in mind?”

  “I think Pop-Pop was right. I think it’s time to hold my father’s feet to the fire. But I don’t wanna do it alone. Would you be willing to go with me to learn what he knows about my mother’s death?”

  Evanee stared wide-eyed at him. She was shocked he actually wanted to question his father. He was the one that had defended him so staunchly just the other day! Heck, he’d come to her house pounding on her door just because Evanee had dared question him about why he’d quit the volunteer fire department, and now he wanted them to go together to interview him?

  “I mean, of course. If you’re willing to ask some hard questions, I’m willing to be an impartial listener.”

  “I think it’s past time for me to do this. If we’re ever going to find out the truth, I think we have to. I think whether he knows it or not, he holds the key to unlocking the truth.”

  Evanee reached across the truck and put a hand on Lane’s arm. “That’s very brave of you, Lane.”

  He swallowed hard, his eyes glossy. “I have to do it. Not just for myself or for my dad or my grandparents. But I owe it to my mother. I think it’s the best sixtieth birthday present I could possibly give her.”

  “I understand,” Evanee whispered, her heart in her throat. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

  Evanee found it slightly exciting and yet very unnerving to drive up the long tree-lined driveway to Dawson Farms. She was scared to come face-to-face with Steve once again, but she was anxious to find out everything he knew.

  At the end of the driveway, a big farmhouse sat to the left several hundred feet ahead, with a barn further ahead and to the right. Closer to them on the left, a log cabin was set back from the road several dozen feet. To the right was an enormous oak tree, and beneath it was a triple-decker chicken coop with a long chicken run attached to it. Garden lights sat atop the fence posts, illuminating the run and giving Evanee her first peek at Lane’s flock of chickens. Behind the chicken setup was an expansive pumpkin patch, dotted with spots of orange visible beneath the moonlight.

  The whole place was like a scene from a Good Farming magazine. Evanee was in awe. “So this is your farm?”

  “Yep.” He pointed ahead to the gray clapboard farmhouse with the wraparound covered front porch. “That’s where I grew up. Dad’s place.” He pointed to the little log cabin to the left. “And that’s my place. I built it a few years back. Figured Dad and I needed our own space.”

  “It’s adorable,” whispered Evanee, and she meant it. It was a picturesque little cabin and she was surprised to hear that Lane had built it. “You built it yourself?”

  He nodded. “Dad pitched in some, but pretty much.”

  “Impressive,” said Evanee, smiling ear to ear.

  “Thanks. The main house there was actually my dad’s folks’ house before they retired from farming. They bought a place in town years and years ago.”

  “This is such a cozy place.”

  Lane’s face kind of lit up when she said it. “It is. It’s home.” He parked the truck in front of his dad’s place and got out. Before Evanee could even gather her purse and the jacket she’d brought along, Lane was at her door, opening it for her. He held a hand out.

  She smiled at him and tentatively took it, letting him help her down. “Thanks.”

  When she was safely on the ground, he gave her hand a squeeze. “My pleasure.” He tugged on her arm then, like a little kid excitedly leading his parents down the toy aisle. “Come on!”

  Evanee followed lane up the two wooden steps to the front porch. Up close, Evanee noticed that the house was beginning to show its age. The porch creaked when she stepped on the stairs, and the paint was peeling in places. It was obvious a man lived here without a woman, as there were curled leaves in the corner and cobwebs overhead. There was even a bird’s nest built over the picture window near the front door, which Evanee was sure would have been knocked down before it could’ve even been made if Steve had had a wife.

  From the porch, they could hear the TV playing through the screen door, and the colored light illuminated the otherwise dark house. Lane tapped on the frame and then poked his head inside.

  “Dad?”

  The house was quiet.

  Lane looked back at Evanee. “Stay right here. I’ll be right back.”

  Evanee stood outside, waiting for Lane to come back. She could hear him moving around in there.

  “Dad? Hey, Dad, wake up.”

  “Hummm?” came another voice.

  “Wake up. We got company.”

  “Lane? What time is it?”

  “It’s almost eight thirty. You fell asleep with the TV on. Sit up. I need to talk to you.”

  The older man cleared his throat. “Hand me that bottle of water, will ya?”

  Evanee could hear the distinct sound of a plastic water bottle being emptied. Then Steve’s voice came through a little more distinctly. “What’s going on? What do you wanna talk about?”

  “Just a minute. She’s outside. I’m gonna bring her in.”

  “Who’s outside?” Steve sounded confused.

  Lane stuck his head back out the door. He grinned at Evanee. “Come on in. He was sleeping, so he’s a little groggy.”

  Evanee’s heart raced. The last time she’d seen Steve Dawson, he’d been upset with her because she’d been snooping into his personal business and he hadn’t appreciated it. She wondered if he was still upset with her. But she followed Lane into the ho
use anyway.

  Steve stared up at her from his easy chair. He blinked several times as if he didn’t believe it was actually her standing in front of him.

  “Hello,” chirped Evanee, giving him a little wave and then promptly clasping the handle of her purse with two hands.

  “Howdy,” said Steve, giving her a little uncomfortable nod. His eyes glanced up at Lane and then back to Evanee. “Something I can help you with?”

  Lane flipped on the lights in the house, making Steve squint. “Yeah, Dad, there is.”

  “What in the world is going on, Lane?” Steve put the footrest of his recliner down and sat upright. He adjusted himself in his chair as Lane took a seat on the sofa.

  When he patted the spot next to him, Evanee sat. Her adrenaline raced as Steve stared expectantly at the pair.

  “Dad, you remember Evanee Woods, right?”

  “I do.”

  “I invited her here today. She actually had dinner tonight with me and Pop-Pop and Nana.”

  Steve reclined back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “Did she now?”

  “Yeah Dad. I know that probably comes as a shock to you, but her and I, well, the two of us have, uh—teamed up, I guess you could say.”

  “Teamed up?” Steve lifted a brow curiously. “In what way?”

  “We’re going to settle the mystery behind Mom’s death once and for all. She wants to help.”

  “Oh, I bet she does,” sneered Steve, staring at Evanee.

  Lane sighed. “Dad, it’s not like that. Now listen. She’s not from Stoney Brook. She’s only lived here a couple of years. She only heard about the fire the other day. She’s got no dog in this fight. She’s promised to be completely impartial.”

  “Mm-hmm,” he said with a grimace.

  It was clear he didn’t believe that for a second, but Evanee had to make him believe. “Sir, Lane’s right. And I feel like I owe you an apology.”

  “Evanee, you don’t have to apologize to my dad for anything—”

  “No, I do, Lane. I went about everything all wrong the other day.” Evanee looked direction at Steve. “I had just heard about your wife’s—the fire, and I knew I wanted to help. But instead of just coming right out and asking you about it, I sort of came at you sideways. And you called me on it. You knew right away what I was doing, and I’m very sorry for that. I went about it all wrong. I should’ve just spoken to you frankly.”