Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“I don’t think you can chase Beau away even if you wanted to,” I said. “He’s head over heels in love with you. He’s not going anywhere. Besides, I wouldn’t be surprised if he trudged through the snow in his Viking costume to get to you.” I was glad to hear her laugh.
“A Viking at my door… a romance novel come true,” she said and laughed again.
“Ian will make sure Beau gets back to you since he told me there is no way he’s getting stuck at the lodge in this snowstorm.”
We both laughed.
“Thanks, Pepper, you made me feel much better. I’m going to go bake my chunky chocolate chip cookies that Beau loves so much.”
“And I’m going to get Ian the milk he loves in his tea and head home.”
“Don’t take long. The snow is really coming down,” Amy cautioned. “Text me when you get home.”
“Will do. Oh, was your dad’s flight able to take off,” I asked.
“His plane was the last one out. Now get done and get home.”
I pulled into the grocery store parking lot. There were quite a few cars there grabbing last minute things, something I was not used to doing. I really had everything I needed at home. This was strictly for Ian.
I pulled my knit cap snug down on my head as I hurried to the store. I didn’t waste any time, I went straight for the milk and almost bumped into William Strathmore.
“Pepper, what are you doing here?” he asked, surprised to see me.
I caught the stares of some other people as well, all wondering what a prepper was doing in the grocery store just before a snowstorm.
I pointed to the milk case. “Milk for my boyfriend.”
I saw heads bob and faces smile as if all was right with the world as people drifted away.
“I see you’re not prepped,” I said to William.
He laughed. “I actually am but I ate all the snacks Cam likes and I couldn’t bring myself to admit it so I’m here filling up on them, so she doesn’t discover what I did.”
“Smart man,” I said with a laugh and a thought came to me. “Could you answer a quick question for me.”
“About your renovations?”
I shook my head. “About a young man who possibly worked for you around the time of Rita’s murder. He may have been dating a girl named Deanna Wilkins and his dad could have owned a construction company in New York.”
“Age catches up with you, Pepper. The memory isn’t like it once was. I can’t say the name sounds familiar to me. There was a rumor going around at that time about a New York Construction Company thinking of opening a division near Willow Lake, but nothing ever came of it. I’ll think on it and if I recall anything I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” I said and went to grab the milk.
“You know who might know something about that girl, Pepper,” William said, halting me. “Noah Berwick. I heard he was back, though I haven’t seen him.”
I was a bit perplexed. “I thought Amy’s dad didn’t work for you until years later.”
“He didn’t work long, not even a month, then he was gone. He had an eye for Nancy, Amy’s mom. I thought he’d ask her out, but he never did. Nancy was thrilled when he returned years later, I wasn’t. I knew his type, hired enough of them. He wasn’t one to stay in one place or one job too long. I worried Nancy would get hurt and she did. It was a shame. She was a good woman.” Sadness filled his eyes at the memory, and he shook his head. “We both better get going. In a couple of hours, it’s supposed to get a lot worse, and I want to be home seeing my wife enjoy the snacks she didn’t know I had eaten.”
“One more thing,” I said quickly. “Did Noah ever do work at the lodge?”
William nodded. “Actually, that’s the only place he worked. It was actually where he first met Nancy. She had gone out to the lodge to hand out paychecks.” His brow scrunched in thought. “Come to think of it, he left abruptly to Nancy’s disappointment.”
“When was that?”
“About a week before Rita was murdered.”
I stood a minute staring at the milk case after William left, my mind rattled. I went through the self-checkout, my mind still churning. How hadn’t my dad seen Noah back then? Or had he kept a low profile from the police? Once in my vehicle, I sat staring at my snow-covered windshield.
I had to be a fool to think what I was thinking. Noah Berwick was a jerk, but he wasn’t a murderer. I had to think about this, discuss it with Ian. I couldn’t accuse Amy’s dad of being a murderer, let alone a serial killer, without giving it serious thought and investigating it more.