Sandrift: A Lin Hanna Mystery Read online

  Lin had certainly not planned for her stint as a national park volunteer to lead her into a murder investigation, but that was exactly what had happened. The latter part of her stay had been more peaceful though and quite enjoyable. Lin found herself thinking somewhat wistfully about Neal Smith, the handsome archeology professor who had become more than just a friend. Only three weeks back at home and Lin already missed Neal more than she cared to admit. Fortunately, they were already making plans for him to come east for the holiday season. She hoped he was looking forward to the trip as much as she was.

  Shaking off her feeling of loneliness, Lin finished putting up the groceries and turned to the condo itself. It was in need of a little sprucing up. If Kate was coming tomorrow evening she needed to wash some linens and get her guest room ready for company.

  ***

  “You shouldn’t have gone to the trouble of cooking,” Kate admonished Lin, “I had planned to take you out to dinner—but that stew was certainly delicious.”

  “We can go out tomorrow evening,” Lin responded, “I thought you’d be tired after your long drive from the coast, and I wanted to try that green chile stew recipe anyway. Danielle, the law enforcement ranger at Wupatki, made it for my farewell dinner.”

  “It was great,” Kate said, “just perfect for a cool fall evening.”

  Lin poured coffees for the two of them and they moved into her living room. The reflection of the sunset in the lake waters gave an orange/pink glow to the view beyond the glass doors that led to her spacious balcony. Lin loved this view of the tranquil lake. It was what sold her on this particular condo at purchase time.

  “I need to talk to you,” Kate was more serious now, “I need your help Lin and I have a plan so please hear me out.”

  Lin wondered what was coming next, but she was ready to help Kate in any way that she could. After all, that was what friends were for, she thought to herself.

  “I want…actually I need you to agree to come to Kill Devil Hills for the holidays—Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Kate raised her hand to silence the objection Lin was about to offer, “just listen first,” she begged.

  Briefly, Kate outlined her need. Her part time job as a supervisor of student teachers at East Carolina University had led to an invitation to accompany a small group of the students on an international student teaching experience in England. The students were to spend four weeks in English schools working with English teachers followed by spending about three weeks of their holiday break as tourists before returning to campus for their spring semester. It was a wonderful opportunity for them and for Kate who would serve both as their teaching supervisor and chaperone.

  “It’s the perfect chance for me to travel and have it paid for—plus earning my supervisor’s pay in addition.” Kate’s enthusiasm was infectious. “The only problem is that I need someone to look after my house—and Sparky, of course.” Lin remembered that Sparky was Kate’s lively and loveable “chowbrador”—a lab, chow mix who was great company. “My neighbor offered to care for Sparky, but she really isn’t able to keep up with him and I don’t want to have to ship him to a kennel for seven plus weeks. I thought if you might enjoy spending the holidays at the beach we could make a plan,” Kate smiled hopefully.

  “Oh, Kate. It does sound like fun but…” Lin started to protest.

  “I already mentioned this to Lucy and she was most enthusiastic about coming to the coast for Christmas. She thought Ben, Jr. would enjoy it also. The kids would love it, I’m sure.” Kate had done her homework.

  “I’m sure that’s true,” Lin said, “but I’ve invited Neal to come spend the holidays with me also; that would be eight of us descending on your home and…”

  Kate cut her off again, “…that would be fine. I have plenty of room and I know everyone would have a great time.”

  Kate continued to provide all the reasons why a coastal vacation would be the perfect family holiday and soon Lin found herself agreeing to at least talk to Neal and her kids the next day and give Kate an answer when she returned from her meeting that evening.

  “Good, do that and then we’ll decide,” Kate seemed more than confident that Lin would eventually agree to her plan. “Now it’s time for you to tell me all about your time in Arizona, including ALL the details about Dr. Neal Smith!”

  It was well after ten o’clock when the two friends reluctantly ended their conversation and headed for bed. Lin had forgotten how good it felt to have such a good friend to share everything with. Kate was indeed that sort of friend. As Lin turned out her lamp and nestled under her soft downy comforter, her thoughts began to focus on just how much fun it might be to have the whole family together for the upcoming holidays—at the beach!

  Chapter 1

  November 16, 2011

  Lin hit the button to lower the car window as she crossed the Baum Bridge from Roanoke Island onto the Outer Banks. It was a warm November day, and the air felt good as it ruffled her still “mostly” light brown hair. She had to admit that an increasing amount of gray was part of the mix, but she had, thus far, refused to color her hair. After all, she was a fifty-eight year old grandmother, and her friends often complemented her on the color.

  Enjoying the warm November breeze, Lin watched the sunlight glint on the calm waters of the sound. Gulls were perched along the railing waiting for their lunch, and a line of brown pelicans glided close by. This was such a beautiful place.

  Remembering her initial reluctance toward Kate’s plan for house sitting, Lin was glad that she had agreed to come. She knew that her own kids were eager to bring their families down for Christmas. She had stopped in Raleigh overnight with Lucy and her husband Brian. Lucy’s son Sam was already excited about coming to the coast and Brian was already talking about fishing. Ben, Jr. and his family had joined them for dinner and expressed equal enthusiasm over the planned holiday. Both families planned on Thanksgiving with in-laws. They would arrive on the Banks shortly before Christmas hopefully to stay through New Years.

  As she arrived at Whalebone Junction and turned up highway 158 heading north, Lin’s thoughts turned to her other guest, Neal Smith. Their relationship had gotten off to a rocky start last spring when Lin was volunteering at Wupatki but he had been a real support during her recovery from injuries she received at the hands of a ruthless killer and their relationship had grown more serious as the summer progressed.

  Lin felt herself almost blushing as she recalled the long weekend they spent at Grand Canyon shortly before she left to return home. Anyone who thought romance was only for the young had certainly never met her handsome professor!

  She tried to refocus on her driving while looking for the upcoming turn toward Kate’s home. She would have to shove thoughts of Neal and his upcoming visit to the back of her mind for the next few days. Kate would be leaving for England on Saturday and wanted Lin to come down early so she could acquaint her with her home and the area. Thoughts of her “affair” with Neal could come later. Smiling slightly, reluctantly, Lin admitted to herself, “I guess I am indeed having an affair! Who would’ve thought….”

  Leaving the main highway and turning down past the Wright Brothers Memorial, Lin made her way through the wooded residential area toward Kate’s sound side home. As she turned into the driveway she took a deep breath. This was a beautiful spot. The tall house stood on piers raised about fifteen feet above the level of the sound to protect against flooding during storms. The actual front of the house faced the water and the marsh that bordered it. A wooden pier extended over the wetlands and into the shallow water. The beautiful home actually extended two full stories above the lower level that housed a generous laundry room and an open air shower and sink for cleaning up after beach trips.

  “I’ll bet you have a great view of the sunset from here. What a beautiful home you have,” Lin called as she spotted Kate standing on the landing near the entry.

  “It’s especially nice from the porch on the other side. Come on in, I’m coming
down,” Kate called. Her dog Sparky followed, tail wagging enthusiastically. Soon they both appeared in the parking area.

  Kate helped Lin unload her car and soon the two friends were happily ensconced on the sheltered screened porch that faced the marsh and the sound. Kate produced a plate of sandwiches and fresh coffee for their lunch. She was busily chatting away, telling Lin all about the house, Sparky, her neighbors, and all the things there were to enjoy in the area.

  A friendly voice from below interrupted Kate’s chatter. “Kate, are you two really busy or can I come up to meet my new neighbor?”

  “That’s Eloise,” Kate waved at her neighbor indicating she should come up and join them, “She is a wonderful neighbor,” she told Lin. “She offered to look after things—including Sparky—but I just felt it would be a bit too much for her since I will be away so long a time. Eloise has offered to take care of Sparky while you go to Raleigh to get Neal at the airport and she can certainly step in for a few days whenever you might need her.”

  By this time the small gray-haired woman had joined them. Her blue eyes sparkled as she warmly greeted Lin, “Welcome to the neighborhood. I feel I know you already. Kate has been singing your praises.”

  “ I’m happy to meet you,” Lin said, “ and I really appreciate your being around to help out. I’ll look forward to our spending some time together while I am here.”

  Kate poured a cup of coffee for Eloise and passed the plate of sandwiches to her, “Join us for a bite of lunch. I’m trying to bring Lin up to speed on things around here.”

  “And I just hope you have all of the important points written down somewhere,” Lin added. She knew Kate was far too organized not to have done so.

  ***

  The time before Kate’s departure passed far too quickly. She spent a lot of time showing Lin the ropes around her home and acquainting her with the neighboring area. They also spent time driving around the island so that Lin could learn a bit about the towns. Finally, Kate had provided Lin with a list of places in the area where she might offer her services as a volunteer, picking up on some of Kate’s activities in her absence.

  Actually, Lin was happy to learn about those possibilities. There were several national park sites in the area—the nearby Wright Memorial honored the first airplane flight and Ft. Raleigh in Manteo marked the spot where the English first attempted a colony in the new world. Add to that the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and several National Wildlife refuges and the Outer Banks became a real treasure of both history and nature. Lin resolved that she would visit some of these spots and offer her services as a “substitute volunteer” early on after Kate departed.

  It was soon time for Kate to leave. Lin drove her over to the East Carolina campus in Greenville on Friday to join the group departing via university bus for the airport in Raleigh. There they would begin the first leg of their journey. Arriving back at Kate’s home in the late afternoon, Lin poured herself a generous glass of Malbec, her favorite red wine, and went out on the porch to enjoy the sunset over the sound. The lowering light reflected as gold on the gently rippling waters of the sound; Lin spotted a Great Blue Heron fishing for dinner along the edge of the marsh. This was such a peaceful spot. Lin was now more than happy that she had agreed to come down to house sit for her friend. Sparky curled up beside Lin’s chair, apparently happy enough with this arrangement also. As Lin reached down to give Sparky a quick rub behind the ears she heard the dog breath a deep contented sigh.

  “I agree, Sparky. It’s so relaxing here. We’re going to get along just fine and when my kids and grandkids come you’ll have lots of folks to play with. Sam and Emma can hardly wait,” Lin took another sip of the fragrant wine and settled back to enjoy the view.

  The next morning Lin was surprised to find that she had slept later than planned. “ Why didn’t you wake me up, Sparky?” she admonished the dog. “If you want to have that long walk I promised, we need to get moving. According to last night’s weather report it’s supposed to rain this afternoon.”

  Lin put on some coffee and then stepped into the large well-appointed shower in the master bathroom. The second floor of Kate’s home housed a spacious master suite that included an office/sitting area across a connecting hallway from a huge bedroom with a balcony above the porch that also overlooked the sound. The office area was equipped with a small kitchenette. Lin smiled to herself as she contemplated the privacy that this upstairs suite would afford her and Neal when her kids and their families occupied the downstairs. She had to admit that she could hardly wait until he arrived. On Monday afternoon she was to meet him at the airport in Raleigh. Neal had called with his flight information just before she left home to drive to the coast. He insisted that she pack an overnight bag for the trip to Raleigh as his flight didn’t arrive until almost five and that was far too late to begin the four-hour drive to Kate’s house in Kill Devil Hills.

  “Besides,” he’d said, “I’ve already made dinner reservations and reserved a room at the Airport Marriot for Monday night, and…” he added mischievously, “ I can hardly wait to get you alone, all to myself!”

  “Neal!” she had tried scolding him, but her heart wasn’t in it. She was also eager for their reunion.

  Now Lin sang softly as she patted herself dry after her shower. Arrangements had been made for Eloise to tend to Sparky while Lin was gone. In less than three days Neal would be here and they would have four whole weeks together before the others came for Christmas. Excited as she was, Lin was also a little apprehensive. This would be the first time she and Neal had spent so much time together—practically living together, at least for a time. It could mark a turning point in their relationship and Lin was not entirely certain where this might lead. She pushed more serious thoughts to back of her mind. For now the important thing was that she and Neal would have time together. Time to enjoy each other’s company and time to explore their growing attraction and affection for each other. Lin smiled to herself as she thought about her handsome, sexy professor stretched out on the king-sized bed in Kate’s master suite. Once again memories of their last weekend together at Grand Canyon sent a warm sensation throughout her body.

  Lin was well aware that Neal also had some serious thinking to do. He was still on administrative leave from the university following his involvement in the events of last spring, but soon he would have to decide whether or not to return in January for the spring term or take retirement and pursue other interests. Lin was grateful that they would have this extended period of time together during the holidays. This time together could be important for them both.

  Sparky was running back and forth from the bedroom doorway to the stairs. He was apparently more than ready for that walk. Lin grabbed a cup of coffee to sip while she finished dressing. Perhaps she would grab breakfast somewhere after she walked the dog. She grabbed Sparky’s leash and headed downstairs with the dog running ahead of her to the car. Kate had left the keys to her SUV hanging by the doorway, insisting that Lin make use of the vehicle while she was away. There was room in the back for Sparky to ride and the Jeep Cherokee was well suited for some of the island’s sandy roads.

  Today they were only driving to Nags Head Woods, a nature preserve with several good walking trails that traversed wooden boardwalks through swampy areas as well as hilly paths over old dunes now covered with maritime forest. The area was located only a couple of miles away from Kate’s house. As she pulled into the parking area, Lin noticed the house across the way where the owner was already busy stringing Christmas lights. An array of yard displays was already in place. There were even lighted arches over the street! Lin made a mental note to make sure to bring Sam and Emma out to see the lights when they came.

  Lin hooked Sparky to his leash. The eager dog bounded from the car ready to go. Kate had said that he generally walked well off-leash, but Lin wanted to make sure he stayed with her until she was certain he had become used to her and to listening to her commands. Together they set off through
the maritime forest.

  Fall came later to the forests of the coastal region. The dark reds of the oaks and golds of the hickories formed a contrast with the dark green of the pines and yaupons. The trail began with a boardwalk through an area of ponds and wetlands, gradually rising to the steeper sandy slopes of old sand dunes. It ran along a high ridge overlooking the wetter areas below. Gentle light filtered through the tall trees. Only the sandy texture of the soil revealed that they were really near the sea. Lin knew that to the south of this preserve rose Jockey’s Ridge, the tallest active sand dune on the east coast. This wooded area was once open sand dunes just like those found at Jockey’s Ridge. Lin determined that she would definitely visit the state park there and climb the dune. She was less certain she wanted to try her hand at hang gliding, a common activity on the sandy slopes.

  Sparky had settled into an easy gait, and Lin extended more of the long leash to allow the dog some freedom to roam around the trail. From time to time she called him and was pleased that he responded to her voice by returning to her side. Rounding a curve, Lin stopped to admire some late fall wildflowers still blooming along the trail. She was surprised to see a couple of bees still hovering about. In the colder climate of the piedmont near her home these insects had already ceased to be active. The trail began to slope downward toward the wet areas. Sparky was running along a bit ahead of Lin. Suddenly the dog stopped in the middle of the trail and began to bark. Lin looked around but saw nothing. Perhaps he had caught the movement of a deer in the woods. She called to the dog and tightened her grip on his leash, but this time he took off down the slope toward the water.

  Lin pulled back on the leash and hastened after the barking animal. For a moment, she managed to maintain her balance as she followed Sparky off the trail and down the hill, but the dog picked up speed and Lin’s feet slid out from under her. She sat down hard on the packed soil, the leash slipping through her hands. She slid several feet through the litter that covered the slope finally coming to a stop near some shrubs. Lin could hear Sparky, but he had ducked behind some underbrush. She could tell that the dog had stopped somewhere below, but she still couldn’t see him. Lin pulled herself to her feet and dusted the dirt from her jeans. She wasn’t hurt, maybe a bruised rear but nothing serious. Carefully, she descended what remained of the hill toward the wetland below taking care to maintain her balance.