by Kathi Daley
“Thank you. I appreciate how seriously you’ve taken this whole thing. I guess I don’t need to tell you to walk softly with Colin and Bobby. I’m not sure what Larry’s stance about the incident might be at this point since I haven’t seen him since shortly after Austin went missing, but I do know that both Colin and Bobby are prickly about the whole thing.”
“I’ll move slowly and take it easy. I’m not sure I’ll be able to coax much out of them that isn’t already known, but I’ll try. You said you have a couple other assignments for me this weekend.”
He nodded. “I do. The Nottaways are teaming up with Connie Denton from the diner to do a fundraiser for cancer research. Nottaway General Store is donating a bunch of cool stuff for a raffle, and Connie is going to close the diner for an evening and do a ten dollar a ticket spaghetti dinner to benefit the charity. I told Nora I’d chip in with free advertising and a feature or two to get everyone on board.”
“I’d be happy to write an article.” Nora Nottaway was battling cancer, and while she had a tough spell back in February, she seemed to be doing really well now. “Do you want me to talk to anyone in particular?”
“I told Ned you’d be in touch. I guess Nora has prepared some things she wants in the article, and you can add the personal touch after you speak to her.”
“Okay. And the other assignment?”
He nodded. “The new wellness center north of town is taking out a series of half-page ads over the next six weeks. I told them I’d throw in a human interest piece or two along the way.”
“That’s actually perfect. I planned to head there when we were done here to check the place out.” I glanced down at my own thin yet flabby frame. “It’s been a while since I adhered to a regular workout routine. I suppose the time has come to at least attempt to get back into shape.”
“You look great, but I know what you mean about falling out of shape. It’s so easy to do. I thought you could talk to the owners and maybe a couple of the members for your first article. I’m looking for something that will make working out sound like a fun and worthwhile thing to do. Something to get folks to try it out. Maybe play it up as the new social scene in town.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
He shook his head. “No, that will do it for now. I may have a couple more articles for you come Monday, but we can talk about them then.”
“Is Monday okay for the finished product for these two articles?” I asked.
“Monday works fine.”
I stood up. “Okay. I’m going to go get started. I’ll check in with you on Monday. Maybe I’ll even have something new relating to the Austin Brady story by then.”
“I guess we can hope all your hard work will pay off in the end.”
After I left Dex’s office, I stopped in the bullpen to chat with Gabby King, the newspaper’s receptionist. She’d recently been romantically matched with her one true love, Gabe Crawford, by local legend, Ms. Cupid. Gabe worked part-time delivering newspapers to the merchants who carried it, but his main source of income was from the bowling alley that he owned.
“How’s it going?” I asked, pausing to lean a hip against her desk.
“So good,” she gushed.
“Based on your huge grin, I’m going to assume that things are going well with Gabe.”
She nodded. “Better than well. Ms. Cupid is a genius. He really is the perfect guy for me.”
I was one of the few people who knew that Ms. Cupid was actually Nora Nottaway, who’d decided to distract herself after her cancer diagnosis by matching up eligible individuals in town.
“I’m glad things worked out with Gabe. He’s a really great guy. I’m sure the two of you will be very happy.”
“I know it sounds crazy to be talking long term plans so early in the relationship, but Gabe and I have had some pretty serious conversations about where we might want to live once we marry, how many children we’d like to have, even names for both male and female offspring that appeal to us. We aren’t formally engaged or anything, but I think that formality is only a matter of time.”
“I really like Gabe, and I do think the two of you make a good pair, but you’ve only been dating for two months.”
She shrugged. “I know. But when something is right for you, you know it.”
I supposed that might be true. I’d spent my life intentionally avoiding situations where I might meet and fall in love with my soulmate, so I really knew nothing about the sort of connection Gabe and Gabby obviously had, but when I looked at the joy in her eyes that hadn’t been there a few months ago, I found myself wondering what exactly I might be missing out on.
“I guess I should run,” I said, shaking myself from my somber mood.
“Do you have to go? We could get coffee,” she offered.
“I’d love to get coffee with you, but I really do have a million things to do before my volunteer shift at the shelter. Rain check?”
“Sure. Anytime. You know where to find me.”
“I do,” I smiled. While I tended to pop in and out of the newspaper office, Gabby was there eight to five Monday through Friday.
After I left the newspaper, I headed to the post office. Aunt Gracie had asked me to mail a package for her as I was walking out the door this morning. Wilma Goodwin was at the counter, so I stopped to ask her about the golden retriever she’d adopted this past February.
“So how’s Maggie doing?” I asked as Wilma weighed the package.
“Really well. I really do think we’re perfect for each other.”
Maggie was a mature dog who’d become available for adoption when her elderly owner was forced to move into assisted living and couldn’t take her. Maggie was well trained and liked to go on walks. She was used to a quiet home, so we’d been looking for someone without small children.
“You know,” Wilma said. “I wasn’t even a hundred percent sure I wanted a dog when I first spoke to you about it, but now that I have Maggie, I realize how empty my life used to be. She really is the best thing to have happened to me in a very long time.”
“I’m glad it worked out. It does my heart good to see our rescues find the perfect forever home.”
“I really admire the job Naomi and her band of volunteers have taken on. It’s one thing to simply house strays, but I can see that you all really care about the animals in your care. I admire the way you and Naomi and the others approach your adoptions as seriously as an adoption agency might approach the adoption of a human child.”
I smiled. “Naomi really is great, and she’s managed to recruit a group of individuals who care about the wellbeing of the dogs and cats at the shelter almost as much as she does. You know, Naomi is always looking for volunteers to play with the dogs and cuddle with the cats. If you have the time to do something like that, it really can be rewarding.”
“I’ll definitely think about it. I’m pretty busy during the week, but I usually have some free time on Saturdays. Sundays are for church, of course.”
“Of course. I know Naomi can use help every single day of the week. Give her a call. I think you will be happy that you did.”
I spoke to Wilma for a few more minutes, and then paid the package’s shipping fee and headed toward Nottaway General Store. I figured I might as well stop by and talk to Nora while I was in the area. I also wanted to check on her since I hadn’t seen her in a few weeks. Nora had found out that she had cancer a while back and had been struggling with her health ever since. Only those closest to her knew what was going on, although after the tough winter she’d had, I suspected even those she hadn’t told had figured it out.
“Oh good, I was hoping you’d stop by,” Nora greeted after I walked in through the front door of the general store. I headed toward the front counter and the large jars of candy that had been there since I was a child.
“Oh. And why is that?” I asked, popping a peppermint into my mouth.
“Your aunt special ordered some fabric for one of the projects she’s working on with Paisle
y, and I wanted to get it to her right away.”
Paisley Holloway is our ten-year-old neighbor who has lived with her grandmother since her mother became ill just over a year ago. After a long struggle, she’d passed away, leaving the grieving child looking for a port in the storm, so Gracie and I took her under our wing. We helped with rides to and from school and meals most every day. We also made a point of having her over to work on special projects several times a week. Overall, we simply tried to help fill the void in her life.
“I’ll be sure to take it to her,” I said. “Paisley has been almost as excited about sewing with Gracie as she’s been about learning to play the piano with me.”
“It’s such a nice thing the two of you are doing for that child. The poor girl’s had a rough time of it, and I know that the two of you have made all the difference in helping her cope with the situation.”
“Gracie and I want to do what we can, and we both adore Paisley. She’s like the little sister I never had.”
Nora looked me in the eyes. “Actually, given her age and yours, it would be more likely she’d be the daughter you never had rather than a sister.”
I slowly bobbed my head. “Yes. I guess you’re right. It’s funny, but since I never once considered having children, I guess I just don’t think in terms of children in my life.”
“You do realize that silly curse you and Gracie have defined your lives by is all a bunch of nonsense, don’t you?”
“Maybe, maybe not, but I figure, why risk it.”
Nora rolled her eyes.
“The main reason I came by was to talk to you about the fundraiser you’re doing for cancer research.”
She smiled. “Yes. I’m quite excited about our plans. Let me get Ned to cover the front, and we can head back and have a cup of tea and chat.”
It didn’t take long for me to get a list of the raffle prizes the Nottaways were donating as well as the time, place, and date for the spaghetti dinner. I got a quote or two from Nora about why she’d selected this cause and how important cancer research was to the community as a whole. I promised to run the feature next week, along with photos of several of the raffle prizes. The dinner wasn’t for another two weeks, so I told her I’d do two features, one each week between now and then.
“So, how are you doing?” I asked. “I have to say you look a lot better than the last time we chatted.”
“I’m feeling much better. I was finally able to shake the pneumonia and get back to my treatments, which were completed two weeks ago. At this point, I’m actually beginning to feel like my old self. My doctor is very optimistic, and, if he’s optimistic, then so am I.”
“That’s really great. I’m very happy to hear that.”
“So, how is you other story going?” she asked after taking a sip of her tea. “The one about Austin Brady.”
“I’m working on it, but I’m not really getting anywhere. Trying to research an event that took place a quarter of a century ago isn’t an easy task. For one thing, any clues there might have been at one point are long gone, but even without the liability of time passed, it seems there really weren’t many clues back then. I have a bunch of interviews set up next week. I’m just hoping someone remembers something.”
“I actually might know something,” Nora said. “It’s a small and unimportant detail, but Ned and I have been discussing the situation, and it’s caused us to really take ourselves back to that date.”
“What do you remember?” I asked, hoping against hope that her nothing piece of information would turn out to be something.
“The six boys came into the store for bait that Friday, the day they went up to the lake and the date Austin was last seen. I don’t know if you remember, but we used to have a deli counter. We took it out ten years or so ago, but we sold deli sandwiches, chips, potato salad, and those sorts of things back then.”
“I remember,” I said.
“Well, Ned and I were discussing the situation a couple days ago, and Ned remembered that while the boys were at the store buying bait, they decided to buy deli sandwiches to have for dinner that night in the event the fish weren’t biting. We had a meal deal that included a foot-long sandwich with your choice of meat, cheese, and filling, a bag of chips, and a can of cola. The boys bought seven meals. I know it seems like I wouldn’t remember a fact like that, but Ned and I discussed the discrepancy at the time. We even mentioned it to the investigator, but I don’t think he felt it was important enough to even note.”
“So maybe there was a seventh friend,” I said.
“That’s what Ned thought, but all those boys were interviewed, so it seems that one of them would have said something if there was a seventh boy. I do realize that it might be that one of the six was extra hungry and felt he might need two meals, but those sandwiches were big. I really can’t see anyone eating two.”
“Dex told me he was supposed to go with the others but that his dad found out that the boys planned to cut school and put the kibosh on his plans. Maybe the seventh meal was for him in the event he worked things out with his dad.”
“Perhaps. I just figured I should mention it since you’re looking into things.”
“I’m glad you did. You never know when some seemingly minor fact will blow the whole thing wide open.”
Chapter 3
The Fit and Fabulous Wellness Center really was something special. When I first heard that someone opened a gym, I was picturing a room with weight benches and dumbbells, but this gym was more of a spa. Yes, there was a room with weight benches and dumbbells, but there was also a room with weight and Pilate’s machines, one with cardio machines, a yoga studio, a spin classroom, and a cardio dance room. I could already tell that my favorite area was going to be the sauna and Jacuzzi pool. Well, that and the juice bar, which also sold smoothies.
When I arrived at the workout facility, I asked to speak to the owner. When I explained who I was, I was offered a tour and a free three-month membership, which I graciously accepted. They wanted me to have the full spa experience for my articles, so they even offered me an hour with a masseuse and ten free sessions in the tanning bed, which were normally an extra charge beyond the monthly membership fee.
I wasn’t sure I’d use the tanning bed, but the hour with the masseuse was exactly the sort of thing I’d need after an hour or two working out. I did wonder how a small town like Foxtail Lake was going to support such a large and elaborate enterprise. I supposed they’d attract some of the residents living in nearby towns, but the distance most people would be willing to drive to workout would be limited, especially in the winter.
“So tell me about the classes,” I asked as we neared the end of the tour. “Do you have a schedule that you can print for me?”
“I do. I’ll get it for you before you leave. The schedule is posted every month since there are always variations based on trainer availability. Your free introductory membership includes unlimited classes since we want you to be able to write about the full spectrum of our offerings. We offer tiered memberships. The basic membership gives you access to the machines and free weights, the gold membership gives you access to twenty classes a month, and the platinum membership includes unlimited classes as well as unlimited access to the sauna and Jacuzzi area. The tanning beds have their own membership structure from single-use to unlimited passes, and the masseuse is paid by the hour.”
“It all sounds fabulous, and I’ll do my best to do justice to your enterprise with the columns I plan to write. I am wondering about the membership numbers that you’ll need to keep something like this afloat and the limited number of residents in our little town. I assume you ran the numbers before you decided to open.”
“Yes, we did. I understand your concern. To be honest, if not for the Larchmont Resort, this little town would never be able to support a wellness center such as this.”
“Larchmont Resort?” I asked. I’d never heard of such a place.
“Larchmont bought up the land on
the north end of town just a quarter of a mile from our facility. They have plans to begin construction within the next year on a large project that will feature timeshares as well as a huge hotel and weekly condos. They wanted a workout and spa facility to offer to their guests and residents, so they contracted with us.”
“Has this project been approved?” I personally attended most of the town council meetings, and this project hadn’t been brought before the council since I’d been back in town.
“Mr. Larchmont has verbal approval from the acting mayor, but I believe the council as a whole will have the chance to vote on it in a month or two. Mr. Larchmont wanted to make sure the plans for the project were finalized before he presented it to the council.”
“Who is the acting mayor now that Mayor White has passed?”
“Councilman Lewiston is filling in as mayor until the election.”
“Of course. I guess I had heard that. So what is going to happen to the wellness center if the council doesn’t approve the project?” I asked.
She looked shocked by my question. “Why wouldn’t they approve it? The project is a high-end deal. It will be good for the community. I really can’t see anyone not welcoming Larchmont to the area.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. There were a lot of folks in this town who wanted to keep the small-town feel that the town had always had. It wasn’t my place to argue with the woman providing the tour who was just an employee, so I gave her a brief smile and changed the subject. “I hope it all works out for you. This place really is fantastic. I have a dog training class to get to right now, but I’m sure you’ll see me on Monday or Tuesday next week.”
“We look forward to having you get started.”
Once I left the health club, I headed toward the shelter. Cass and I both volunteered for playtime on Tuesdays and Fridays from four to six. I arrived an hour and a half early on those same days to put the dogs assigned to me through a basic training routine. I’d never trained a dog before I began to volunteer at the shelter, but by this point, I had to say that I was pretty darn proficient. Naomi had even begun having me help with the advanced training classes from time to time. Who knew that the girl who’d never even owned a dog would nail it as a trainer.