Shadow Canyon (A Coyote Wells Mystery Book 2)

by Vickie McKeehan

“We couldn’t believe she had such a murderous past,” Claude said when he’d ambled up to Gemma before the show. “We played bridge with that woman. All those years we sat across the table from a murderer. We couldn’t believe we’d called her our friend for so many years, couldn’t understand how she could do those terrible things.”

  “Why she’s already been sent to a federal lockup near San Francisco awaiting trial,” Janet added. “I remember the story on the news about those two guards getting killed. They both left behind small children. What a horrible thing for her to do. And to think she had me believing you’re the one who murdered Mallory.”

  Claude shook his head. “Then she tried to shift the blame to Dale. We should’ve knowed something was up then. Dale’s daddy and me go back forty-five years. I should’ve knowed that boy couldn’t do anything like that.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Gemma crooned.

  But Lando wasn’t as forgiving. “You should both be ashamed of yourselves. Anyone who treated Gemma like dirt should’ve known better. She was born here, raised here by grandparents who loved her. Instead of believing Louise’s crap, you should be thanking Gemma for going out of her way to get to the bottom of all this, stuff that’s been brewing for decades, stuff you rubberstamped as okay. What did you ever do to question Louise about her past? Nothing. Gemma found answers, got to the bottom of all Louise’s lies. She’s the main reason Louise Rawlins is sitting in jail now.”

  Gemma smiled and looped her arm through Lando’s. “Not quite. Great police work is the real reason Louise finds herself behind bars. And this is the guy you want to have in charge of an investigation. The town’s lucky to have Lando Bonner for their police chief. Y’all remember that next time when anyone questions his ethics.”

  Adam Greendeer pushed his way through the crowd.

  Lando glared at the bar owner. “What are you doing here, Greendeer?”

  “My place is like a tomb. No one’s there.” Adam looked around at all the people still making their way into the park. “The whole town’s out here tonight. I just wanted you to know that I gave all the money back. Every dime. Whatever I have to do to make it up to you guys, I’ll do. Just come back to the Duck & Rum. I’ll give you all a nice raise.”

  “You’ll do anything?” Gemma asked.

  “Anything. Just name it.”

  “Hmm. I think I know a way you can make it up to us. Pay for the facial reconstruction for Jane Doe and we’ll call it square. That’s my vote anyway. I’ll have to run it by the other members of the band first.”

  “Done. What does something like that cost?”

  “It’s less than you took in for that stupid betting pool. But it if happens to be more, I’ll figure out a way to chip in. Agreed?”

  “No problem. As long as Fortitude is back next Saturday night, I’m happy.”

  Fleet stood off to the side in a sulky mood. Things had not been going well for the mayor since Louise’s arrest. “Madison’s thinking about filing for divorce.”

  “Thinking isn’t so bad,” Gemma said cheerily. “Maybe she’ll discover she can’t live without you.”

  “Fat chance of that,” Fleet muttered. “I’ll likely end up broke by the time the feds get finished. And the people around here can’t seem to understand that I wasn’t the one who robbed that armored car. I wasn’t even born yet when my father decided to break the law. I’m a law-abiding citizen, have been my entire life.”

  Lando put a hand on his shoulder. “You shouldn’t be held accountable for the sins of the father. I get it. But people have a strange habit of judging the son. Look, it’s concert time. We’ll talk about this on Monday.”

  “I might not be mayor much longer. Harry Ashcomb is getting a petition up for a recall.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Fleet,” Lando said with a smile. “You can always go into sales. I hear Natalie Henwick is expanding her real estate office.”

  Lando grabbed Gemma’s hand and they made their way to the back of the stage. Before walking up the steps, she looked over at him. “You were really nice to Fleet just now.”

  “I was? It’s probably because I feel a little sorry for him. It’s not his fault his father was a killer and a thief. After all, the feds are coming for the money and anything bought with it. That means Fleet will have to give up his houses, his cars, his furnishings, anything and everything he inherited, everything he owns. And if he doesn’t have the cash, they’ll seize all his assets until every dollar’s been recovered.”

  “Imagine, growing up your entire life with all those millions at your fingertips and having it all go bye-bye.”

  “That’s probably why Madison looked like she might cry tonight.” He held out a set of car keys.

  “What are those for?”

  “Before we go up on stage, it’s a little present. Your new set of wheels. Or advertisement. You pick.” He spun her around to see what was parked at the curb on Water Street. “Your grandfather’s 1957 panel truck. His pride and joy according to some. The one Jean-Luc drove all over the county. Dale’s dad worked on the body, and then found someone who could get it running. Dale recreated the writing on the side or tried to.”

  Her eyes filled with happy tears. “Where did you find it?”

  “Duff had it all this time, rotting away in a mountain of weeds.”

  “Thank goodness that sweet old man never gets rid of anything.” She glanced up on stage at all her friends until she found Dale. “Thank you for this.”

  Dale gave her a toothy grin. “My pleasure. Thank you for being in my corner when I really needed the support.”

  She slipped her hand into Lando’s. “Your little speech back there to Claude and Janet was great, even sweet. But the truth is I don’t really give a hang what Louise’s followers think of me or what the town thinks. All I care about is what you think. What about it, Lando Bonner? Are you willing to take one more chance on a girl like me?”

  He grinned. “I hear Callie Lightfeather makes a few extra bucks on the side offering wedding ceremonies, peyote-free, of course.”

  She howled with laughter and looped her arm in his. “Oh, come on, Lando. What would be the fun in that? Go bold. Go wild. Better still, we'll both be ourselves. That way, we can’t miss this time around.”

  Cast of Characters

  Gemma Channing – Granddaughter of Marissa and Jean-Luc Sarrazin, now owner of Coyote Chocolate Company, also the daughter of Genevieve Wentworth

  Lando Bonner – Coyote Wells police chief, ex-husband of Gemma

  Leia Bonner – Daughter of Lydia, sister to Lando and Luke, chef at the family-owned restaurant, Captain Jack’s Grill

  Dr. Luke Bonner – Doctor on at the reservation clinic, brother to Lando and Leia

  Marissa Sarrazin – Gemma’s grandmother, Gram who owned Coyote Chocolate Company for forty years.

  Jean-Luc Sarrazin – Gemma’s grandfather, she calls Poppy

  Lydia Bonner – owner of Captain Jack’s Grill and mother to triplets Lando, Luke, and Leia

  Zebediah Longhorn – Police chief on the reservation

  Vince Ballard – Owner of Wind River Vineyard and a real ladies’ man

  Collette Whittaker – Longtime administrative assistant to Vince Ballard

  Lianne Whittaker – Sister of Collette, down from Portland to look for her sister

  Marnie Hightower – Eighth grade school teacher at Harbor View Middle School

  Daryl Simmons – Former boyfriend of Marnie Hightower, basketball coach at Harbor View Middle School

  Paloma Coyote – Her great-grandfather founded the town. Former mayor.

  Van Coyote – Paloma’s grandson, son of Michael

  Michael Coyote – Deceased son of Paloma

  Coyote Wells Police Department:

  Louise Rawlins – Desk sergeant, mother to Mallory

  Payce Davis – Coyote Wells PD

  Jimmy Fox – Coyote Wells PD and guitar player for the band Fortitude

  Dale Hooper – Coyot
e Wells PD and keyboard player for the band Fortitude

  Mallory Rawlins – Adopted daughter of Louise

  Holly Dowell – Sister to Louise, birth mother to Mallory

  Elnora Kidman – The town librarian

  Adam Greendeer – Owner of Duck & Rum, a bar at the edge of town

  Fleet Barkley – Mayor

  Reiner Caulfield – Former chief of police

  Marshall Montalvo – Real estate developer, wealthiest man in the county

  Buddy Swinton – Son of Roland Swinton who owned a pizza parlor in town, now closed

  Suzanne Swinton – Buddy’s wife, who often calls police on Buddy

  Roland Swinton – Owned the pizza parlor next door to the Chocolate Company. Marissa’s and Jean-Luc’s friend

  Genevieve Channing Wentworth – Gemma’s estranged mother

  Alex Kedderson – Attorney

  Duff Northcutt – Friend of Marissa

  Billy Gafford – Antisocial guy living on the edge of town near Duff Northcutt

  Natalie Henwick – A member of the book club and real estate agent

  Lucinda Fenton – Marissa’s next-door neighbor

  Ginny Sue Maples – Luke’s nurse

  Radley Fisk – Drummer in the band Fortitude, schoolteacher

  Bosco Reynolds – Plays bass guitar for the band Fortitude, bartender at Duck & Rum

  Theo Longhorn – Zeb’s father

  Rima Longhorn – Zeb’s mother

  Willow Longhorn – Zeb’s sister

  Cheyenne Song – Veterinarian

  Ebbie Lucas – Receptionist for Dr. Song, the veterinarian

  Corkie Davenport – Dr. Song’s tech nurse

  Ansel Conover – Elnora’s boyfriend

  Enid Lloyd – Lianne’s next-door neighbor

  Aaron Barkley– Fleet’s father

  Harry Ashcomb – Pharmacist

  Sam Wells – President of the bank and owner of the local radio station

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Shadow Canyon is Vickie McKeehan’s twenty-third novel and is the second book in her new Coyote Wells Mystery Series. Vickie's novels have consistently appeared on Amazon’s Top 100 lists in Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense and Mystery / Thriller. She writes what she loves to read—heartwarming romance laced with suspense, heart-pounding thrillers, and riveting mysteries. Vickie loves to write about compelling and down-to-earth characters in settings that stay with her readers long after they've finished her books. She makes her home in Southern California.

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