Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
My mom’s smile was contagious. It couldn’t be helped. It was a twinkle of a smile that just couldn’t be ignored, and neither could her beauty. Nearly fifty-seven and she had no more than a few wrinkles that were barely noticeable. I prayed I got her genes, though most everyone says I am the picture of my Aunt Effie, including my mom. I can’t complain about that with my aunt having been a famous model who graced the covers and pages of international magazines. Still, I loved my mom’s smile and couldn’t help but smile along with her.
“Fabulous. Naturally, I have the support of the police, not that your dad influenced them, and they made that clear to me. The local teachers are in my corner and many of the seniors. The businesses on Main Street are overjoyed with how the beautification program of the street is going and have vowed to vote for me. But,” she said, raising her hand slightly. “That doesn’t mean I will win. I need to keep campaigning, get the word out of what I want to do for the town and its people. If you don’t mind, I would like to borrow Mo when I go to the senior center to talk with them again. He wins over every one of them there, even Charlie, who only smiles when Mo shows up.”
“Charlie Gibbons?” I asked.
“Yes, but how do you—”
I explained what Dr. Pam told me about the elderly man.
“She’s right. Charlie’s family was the groundskeeper for the Willow Mansion for generations, which means he has probably heard story after story about the family, though he never shares much about them. Next time I go to the center you and Mo should come with me, and I’ll introduce you to Charlie.”
“Thanks, Mom, I appreciate it,” I said, growing more eager to meet the man.
My mom pushed her nearly empty plate aside. “Now, tell me about this vanishing body.”
I explained all that had happened. “So, from what I could gather so far, this guy, the vanishing body, is searching for something in the Willow Mausoleum. With the sketch that Dad wants you to do of him we may just be able to find him.”
“My concern is what was he doing at the garden center. With Kelly so close to delivering my first grandchild, I worry about her.”
“I don’t get the feeling this guy is out to hurt anyone. His interest is the mausoleum,” I said, trying to ease her worry. “I didn’t know that Aunt Effie was the founder of the Willow Lake Historical Society. Dad suggested I look through any documents she had accumulated on the Willow family since she was the driving force in the restoration of the Willow Mansion and that she took a trip to Ireland to research them. Reverend Herbert is going to let me look through the papers on the Willow Mausoleum that were archived at the church, but I don’t expect to find anything there concerning the mansion.”
“You’re right. You won’t. The church documents are for the mausoleum alone, nothing else. Any documents Effie may have gathered while in Ireland—oh, the memories of that trip. Your aunt had such a fabulous time and Max got to join her while she was there. They had the time of their lives. She recalled the fond memories often. Back to the documents from that trip. You won’t find them at your place. Effie would have archived them at the Willow Mansion.” Her brow scrunched briefly. “I always thought that your aunt didn’t share all she learned about the Willow family while in Ireland. She often said that sometimes there are family matters better left alone.”
I pulled my phone from my pocket and gave it a glance, then turned a smile on my mom. “We’ve got time before we meet with Ian at the police station. What do you say we visit the Willow Mansion?”
I had forgotten how impressive the Willow Mansion was not able to recall the last time I was here, but my mom was familiar with it, carrying on Aunt Effie’s work with the historical society.
“Hi, Sally,” a woman called out as we got out of my truck. She looked familiar.
I realized I had met her at the garden center.
“Hi, Edna, I came to show my daughter around and to do a bit of research into the mansion’s past.”
“That’s wonderful,” Edna said, and smiled. “As I mentioned when we first met, we lack young ones in the Willow Lake Historical Society and there is an empty seat on the board. I imagine that your Aunt Effie would be thrilled to have her niece follow in her footsteps. Anyway, you picked the perfect time since we’re closed today. You have the place to yourself. I stopped by to catch up on some work, but I’m all done. Do you have your key? I already locked up.”