COZY MYSTERY: Murder At The Festival: A Cozy Mystery in the Mountains (Book 4) by Liz Turner Page A
Authors: Liz Turner
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it.”
“Crime?” Victoria raised an eyebrow. “Why are you so sure a crime’s been committed? As far as I know, Margie was eighteen, and she decided to move out or run away to a bigger city. That’s all.”
“Do you really feel that way?” Calum asked. “Are you sure there is absolutely nothing shady going on here? If so, I can’t persuade you. I won’t even try.”
Victoria couldn’t quite meet his eyes. Yes, by all accounts, the story seemed clear enough. Margie Thompson, not a fan of either parent, decided that enough was enough and ran away from home.
But the alarm bells had been ringing in Victoria’s mind for quite a while now. Her intuition told her that not everything was as it seemed. Why would Margie run away a month before she graduated? If she’d held on so long, surely it made more sense for her to hang on a month more. If nothing else, she’d find better jobs as a graduate than as a dropout.
Then, there was the breakup that Byron had witnessed. It might point to planning on Margie’s part, or it might speak to the fact that Margie had plans to date Byron. In any case, why break up the night before you were planning to run away? Why not just run away? That’d be the easier route, wouldn’t it?
Calum saw the look in her eyes and nodded. “So you think there’s something fishy too. I knew it! I had a big fight with Corporal Jager about the whole thing; he's so slow about it all. People are talking, and I can’t afford that.”
“Yes,” Victoria smiled.
“I mean…” Calum hastily said, “I don’t like the thought of her being out there, of something happening to her. I want to make sure. Doubly sure. I’ll help you any way I can, Victoria. I can even compensate you though I don’t have a huge budget…”
“No need.” Victoria waved it off. “All I’m doing is talking to people, right? I can do that.”
“Exactly,” Calum said with relief. “And if, while you’re talking, you happen to find out that something isn’t very normal… if your intuition becomes supported by facts… well, that’s to our advantage. Just do it as fast as possible. If someone did have bad intentions, then every second she’s missing is far too long.”
Victoria nodded. “Have you talked to either Michelle or Jonas about this?”
“Jonas doesn’t like me very much,” Calum said. “Especially after he created that scene the other night. Seems to think it’s my fault that he behaved like a prize donkey.”
“I saw the whole thing.” Victoria shook her head. “Calum… what do you know about Jonas? Anything at all?”
“I know he stays at home,” Calum said. “He works freelance as a graphic designer. Earns maybe a thousand or so dollars each month. It’s Michelle who actually supports them. She never mentioned this outright, but one of the reasons she moved to town was that the living expenses were lower than the city. With her uncle gone and the house being hers outright, there was no rent to pay.”
“I’ve been inside their house, I never got the sense that money was tight,” Victoria said.
“Yes, well, as you know, the tourists have been abandoning Larch Hot Springs since our streak of bad luck,” Calum said.
“Multiple murders in a few years, you mean?”
“That, and new fast food chains opening up in other towns near Banff,” Calum said. “I refuse to have those in our town. Anyway, Michelle’s Boutique is doing ok, but it isn't really enough to lead a lavish lifestyle.”
Something in his voice made Victoria wonder. “You’re good friends with Michelle?”
“Well, as Mayor, I make sure I’m good friends with all of my constituents.” He said.
Calum was nearing 50 now and had been married once before, to a woman who took off for a bigger city just one year after marrying him. Victoria wondered just how close his friends were, or maybe she was she being too cynical?
As if he read her thoughts, Calum said, “There’s nothing between Michelle and me,
“Crime?” Victoria raised an eyebrow. “Why are you so sure a crime’s been committed? As far as I know, Margie was eighteen, and she decided to move out or run away to a bigger city. That’s all.”
“Do you really feel that way?” Calum asked. “Are you sure there is absolutely nothing shady going on here? If so, I can’t persuade you. I won’t even try.”
Victoria couldn’t quite meet his eyes. Yes, by all accounts, the story seemed clear enough. Margie Thompson, not a fan of either parent, decided that enough was enough and ran away from home.
But the alarm bells had been ringing in Victoria’s mind for quite a while now. Her intuition told her that not everything was as it seemed. Why would Margie run away a month before she graduated? If she’d held on so long, surely it made more sense for her to hang on a month more. If nothing else, she’d find better jobs as a graduate than as a dropout.
Then, there was the breakup that Byron had witnessed. It might point to planning on Margie’s part, or it might speak to the fact that Margie had plans to date Byron. In any case, why break up the night before you were planning to run away? Why not just run away? That’d be the easier route, wouldn’t it?
Calum saw the look in her eyes and nodded. “So you think there’s something fishy too. I knew it! I had a big fight with Corporal Jager about the whole thing; he's so slow about it all. People are talking, and I can’t afford that.”
“Yes,” Victoria smiled.
“I mean…” Calum hastily said, “I don’t like the thought of her being out there, of something happening to her. I want to make sure. Doubly sure. I’ll help you any way I can, Victoria. I can even compensate you though I don’t have a huge budget…”
“No need.” Victoria waved it off. “All I’m doing is talking to people, right? I can do that.”
“Exactly,” Calum said with relief. “And if, while you’re talking, you happen to find out that something isn’t very normal… if your intuition becomes supported by facts… well, that’s to our advantage. Just do it as fast as possible. If someone did have bad intentions, then every second she’s missing is far too long.”
Victoria nodded. “Have you talked to either Michelle or Jonas about this?”
“Jonas doesn’t like me very much,” Calum said. “Especially after he created that scene the other night. Seems to think it’s my fault that he behaved like a prize donkey.”
“I saw the whole thing.” Victoria shook her head. “Calum… what do you know about Jonas? Anything at all?”
“I know he stays at home,” Calum said. “He works freelance as a graphic designer. Earns maybe a thousand or so dollars each month. It’s Michelle who actually supports them. She never mentioned this outright, but one of the reasons she moved to town was that the living expenses were lower than the city. With her uncle gone and the house being hers outright, there was no rent to pay.”
“I’ve been inside their house, I never got the sense that money was tight,” Victoria said.
“Yes, well, as you know, the tourists have been abandoning Larch Hot Springs since our streak of bad luck,” Calum said.
“Multiple murders in a few years, you mean?”
“That, and new fast food chains opening up in other towns near Banff,” Calum said. “I refuse to have those in our town. Anyway, Michelle’s Boutique is doing ok, but it isn't really enough to lead a lavish lifestyle.”
Something in his voice made Victoria wonder. “You’re good friends with Michelle?”
“Well, as Mayor, I make sure I’m good friends with all of my constituents.” He said.
Calum was nearing 50 now and had been married once before, to a woman who took off for a bigger city just one year after marrying him. Victoria wondered just how close his friends were, or maybe she was she being too cynical?
As if he read her thoughts, Calum said, “There’s nothing between Michelle and me,
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