Flower Girl: A Burton Family Mystery by David Marshall Hunt

for Girls on Cheju-do Island, South Korea, that my father and mother had died in a traffic accident in Seoul. I think it was that very year or the next that I began to be haunted by what I think of as the dream. Then I was rescued from a life as a child bride by the man in black.
    After our summer at Skeleton Lake, just as I was feeling that we were bonding as father and daughter, Reddy again went absent and now Matte calls with the news of Park’s assassination. I can think of nothing else for days.
    I have tried to get to know this daunting and haunting character; however, maybe I don't need a father who is more absent than present and is so secretive and in such a violent occupation.
    The hit on Dr. Evel Park, Sr. continues to disturb me; however, strange as it may be to others, if they knew, to me it seems justified, if Reddy was the shooter.
    From that day forward every time there was an item in the news about anyone being assassinated anywhere in the world, my thoughts turned to Reddy.
    One morning Matte called. "Hi Shannon! Is Reddy there? I need to speak with him." I flinched, half expecting that Rhyly was shot for a third time, or maybe another assassination in the news.
    "To be honest, we haven’t been able to get in contact with Reddy for several weeks, not since returning from Skeleton Lake. Angie and I have one clue; that he may be tracking someone with the initials 'S-C.' Any idea who or what that is?"
    "It's Sara-Clare O'Callahan, the reporter. I introduced Reddy to her because she's down in Central America doing a series on child brides." Matte's voice had a worried tone as she added, "Please have him call me when you find him. It's urgent he make contact with my friend Princess Zubaida."
    "I'll leave him a text to get in touch with you ASAP."
    "Hey, I'm late for my date," Angie said, heading for the showers before her breakfast date with Agent Clemson Rapier, her latest beau.
    Most of the time, Angie and I were both wrong about Reddy’s whereabouts. When he reappeared a few weeks later, he said, "I’ve been on the trail of Rhyly’s shooter."
    Reddy picked up the kitchen phone and turned on the speaker so I could add my two cents. He dialed Matte at Professor Craft's but got his voice message, “I’m out walking the dogs."
    Reddy left the following text message: "Hi, Craft. Tell Matte I'm back at Shannon's. Meanwhile, I located a guy by the name of Purcell in Berkeley, and I have him safely on ice. After a bit of persuasion he indicated that he was the shooter the second time Rhyly was targeted. He says he doesn't know the first shooter and so far he hasn't divulged the name of the punter. He needs some more persuasion. I’ll tell you more when we see you and head for the lake. Give my regards to Matte and Rhyly. Comet and Shy are acclimatizing and Shannon sends her love. Cheers! Reddy P.S. Ask Matte to call me from a secure phone."
    The next morning, the phone rang. "Hey, Reddy, there's a call for you on the secure line in the kitchen," I shouted down the basement stairs."
    "I'll be right up," he replied.
    Reddy came up the stairs two at a time, punched the speaker button on my kitchen phone and got right down to business as was his style. "Hi, Craft. Shannon, the dogs, and I will meet Rhyly at Lambert Field. See you and Matte in River View before we head for the Lake. Tell Matte I'll contact Princess Zubaida shortly," Reddy said. "Hope you have an extra bunk at the cabin for our guest shooter."
    When Reddy and I arrived in St. Louis at Lambert Field, Comet and Shy were anxiously waiting in the Northwest baggage area, eager to get out of their cages after the five hour flight from Oakland in the cargo bay of a NW Air Boeing jet. However, this would be their second annual Bear family reunion and they were getting adjusted to flying.
    We had a surprise guest with us. "Sorry about this extra baggage, Rhyly, but we just captured this creep and we couldn't leave him behind with only