“Good grief, girl! Say yes! Come on. I can perform a dual ceremony and get outta this heat!” Wiley yelled from the archway.
Everyone, including Karina, burst out laughing. Throwing her arms around Cal’s neck, she said, “Are you sure you know what you’re getting into? I’m staying here—in Arkansas—and will be working at The Magnolia since Mom and I own it now, not with you. My private investigator days are over, so if you plan on trying to force me to move back to Cali, you bought a ring for nothing.”
“Babe, I’ve known you long enough to realize forcing you to do anything is a waste of time.”
Karina laughed. “Are you sure this is what you want and you’re not suffering from a heat stroke or something?”
Squeezing Karina’s hand, Cal held the ring inches from her finger. “Positive. Like I said before, I’m not afraid of anything—except losing you.”
“Then let’s put that fear to rest, Cal. The answer’s yes.”
“Hallelujah!” Junior yelled. “Come on, girl. I’ve gotta do this right. Cal, you and Andrew hurry up and take your places. Gotta walk my gals down the aisle!”
By the time Karina reached her grandfather, everyone was in tears, including Karina. Music from the hidden sound system played the wedding march, and the trio made their way down the aisle, past a sea of smiling faces full of wet tears. Wiley choked up twice while officiating, and when the dual kisses happened, everyone opened their jars, releasing blue and green butterflies into the air, laughing and crying as Ranger barked and chased them. When the service was over, most of the guests headed inside to escape the heat.
Pulling Karina aside, LiAnn said, “Okay new husband…new son-in-law. The brides need a chance to talk. Don’t either of you dare touch the cake until we return.”
“Only married five minutes and already so bossy?” Andrew teased.
“Hey, I’m following the rules. Both wife and mother-in-law pack heat,” Cal added.
Laughing as they walked toward the barn, Karina said, “If I weren’t so happy, I’d be really mad at you right now for setting this all up, yet it was such an unexpected delight to say the vows on the same day. What made you change your mind about Cal?”
“My opinion of him took a one-eighty recently for a variety of reasons,” LiAnn replied. “The number one reason is it’s obvious the man loves you with all he’s got. Heart and soul, baby.”
Karina grinned. “That he does. Must be my charm.”
Stopping by the barn door, both women fell silent as they stared at the renovated farm.
“We’re doing the right thing by letting this go, aren’t we? About Maud?”
“Yes, Karina. We are. Those people who are inside impatiently waiting for cake are the ones we are protecting, not ourselves. Besides, we don’t really know if she’s in there. It’s among the realm of possibilities Cecil lied about that part.”
Rolling her eyes, Karina replied, “You know as well as I do she is.”
“We know nothing, remember?”
Sighing, Karina nodded. “Okay, but there’s just one little item left I need to address regarding this mess, and then I’m washing my hands of it. I no longer miss the hunt or chase. It’s time for me to settle down, gain about thirty pounds and take care of the seniors. Period. No more investigating mysteries.”
“Sounds like a plan. So, what is the final item you need to handle?”
“Officer Trey Barton.”
LiAnn shook her head. “Karina, that’s not a good idea. You were fortunate the first encounter with him didn’t end with a bullet in your head. Why stir the hornet’s nest now?”
Squeezing her mom’s hand, Karina let a devious smirk form. “Don’t worry, Mom. The next time, I’ll have backup. A six-foot-four, tatted up biker from Cali who I now call my husband.”
“Technically, the union isn’t legal until you get a marriage license,” LiAnn teased.
Rolling her eyes, Karina added, “Do you still have the pictures of my injuries on your phone?”
“Of course.”
“Good! What was it you said to me when you saw the damage? Ah yes, that by the time we’re through with him, Officer Barton won’t be able to find a job guarding toilets. I’m aiming for him spending a lifetime cleaning port-o-potties.”
“You’re too much. You know that?”
“Yeah, I know,” Karina whispered, pulling her mother into a tight hug. “It’s an inherited trait, remember?”
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
The disappearance of Maud Crawford, at the time this book was published, remains unsolved and still stands as one of the most baffling mysteries in Arkansas. To learn more about what a fascinating woman Maud Robinson Crawford was, please visit the following websites:
Encyclopedia of Arkansas
Wikipedia
AY Magazine
The Charley Project
I regret that up until approached by a former resident of Camden, Arkansas, about this eerie case, I had never heard of Maud Crawford or the controversy surrounding her disappearance the evening of March 2, 1957. After several long conversations with this man and his perceptions on the mystery, I was hooked. I called my mother and told her our original concept for Blood Loss needed to be put on the backburner. We talked for over an hour, each of us drawn to the events in Southern Arkansas sixty years prior.
The finger of blame has been pointed at several people, yet the truth is, no one truly knows what happened that fateful evening. This fictional tale, based on true events, started out with the words “What if?” What if all the speculation and suspicion about the suspects was way off base? What if someone did witness what happened that night yet fled from fear they might be the next victim? What if the person, or persons, responsible for Maud Crawford’s disappearance stemmed from a direction no one ever looked? What if it wasn’t just a small town cover up?
Since the two main characters—retired Detective LiAnn Tuck and former private investigator and LiAnn’s daughter, Karina Summers—moved to Arkansas and took over running an independent living facility housing seniors who were alive in 1957, what better segue into exploring this real mystery?
The fictional conclusions of the final resting place of Maud Crawford are just that—fictional. In no way are they to be considered anything other than a product of our imaginations. My heart aches for the family members of all those involved and the incredible pain at never having the opportunity to experience some sort of closure on what really happened on the night of March 2, 1957. Maud Crawford was an amazing woman and her legacy lives on through all the organizations she helped create in Arkansas, and we both pray the truth will surface one day and justice will be meted out to the person or persons responsible for extinguishing a bright light in a dark world way before her time on this earth was over.
PICTURES
All photographs courtesy of Laura Raines
Historic marker, downtown Camden, Arkansas
Front view of the Crawford House
Front view of the Crawford House
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
ASHLEY FONTAINNE
Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader, becoming a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters lurking within us are her favorite reads.
Her muse for penning the Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley's love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go to when seeking personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated against them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance, focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. Once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question—far and wide.
The short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five touches upon the dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards.
The paranormal thriller entitled The Lie won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense. A movie based on this book, entitled Foreseen, is currently a feature film.
Ashley delved into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell released in September of 2014. Ashley teamed up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her Mom!) and penned a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, released in 2015, and was voted one of the Top 50 Self-Published Books You Should Be Reading in 2015 at www.readfree.ly.
Whispered Pain released in October of 2015, and Night Court released December 13, 2015.
Tainted Cure, Tainted Reality, and Tainted Future are the first three books in the post-apocalyptic/zombie genre, The Rememdium Series, all released in 2016 to rave reviews for a fresh take on the zombie genre.
Ruined Wings is about a young woman’s descent into drug addiction and is currently in pre-production for a short film.
Connect with Ashley:
Website: http://www.ashleyfontainne.com – Sign up for Ashley’s newsletter and receive a free ebook!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleyfontainne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.fontainne
Movie site: http://www.foreseenmovie.com
LILLIAN HANSEN
Lillian Hansen is the proud mother of Ashley Fontainne and a grateful daughter of parents who raised her to love and respect the principles upon which America was founded. Lillian is the granddaughter of a brave young woman who immigrated to the United States from Denmark at the age of 18 without speaking any English, who built a career, a family, and became a proud U.S. Citizen.
Lillian values the diverse, life-enriching experiences squirreled away in her memory banks and is fond of all four-legged critters, especially cats. Lillian lives in Arkansas and Blood Loss is her second novel.
Table of Contents
COPYRIGHT
OTHER BOOKS BY ASHLEY FONTAINNE
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
PICTURES
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Blood Loss - A Magnolia Novel Page 21