Secrets on Nipmuc Hill (Ella Daniels Mystery Book 3) by J A Whiting

Author:J A Whiting [Whiting, J A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J A Whiting Books and Whitemark Publishing
Published: 2020-03-28T16:00:00+00:00

14

It was a bitter cold afternoon when Ella, Livvy, Liam, and Raisin parked in the small lot on the east side of Nipmuc Hill and walked over to look at the fire memorial. Under some trees, four granite benches were set on a patio of red bricks. Each bench was engraved with the name of one of the teenagers who had died in the cabin fire. A four-foot-tall, simple granite monument stood at one end of the patio with the date and some details of the fire.

“I’ve passed this many times, but never really stopped to look at it,” Livvy said.

The cat sniffed around the bricks.

Ella said, “I was only five when the fire happened. I never knew many of the details.” She walked over to the bench with Tommy Hunter engraved into the granite and gently ran her hand over it, thinking about the young man who never got to live out his hopes and dreams. With a sigh, Ella turned to her companions. “Let’s go see if we can talk to Tommy.”

After hiking up the trail and traipsing through the underbrush, they arrived at the fire site and were surprised to see a man sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree.

The threesome stopped short, but Raisin moved closer.

“Hello,” Ella said.

“Hey,” the man said in greeting, but didn’t get up. He reached his hand out to the cat and when she padded over to rub her head against his fingers, he smiled. “Are you searching for where the cabin used to be?”

“We’ve been here a few times recently,” Ella explained. “I’m a professor at the university. I’m interested in the history of the tragedy and how it affected the community.”

“Badly,” the man said.

“Do you live nearby?” Liam asked.

“I grew up around here,” the man said. He looked to be in his forties, with brown hair and brown eyes. His face was slightly gaunt, but he had broad, strong shoulders. He was smoking a cigarette.

Livvy asked, “Did you know any of the boys who frequented the cabin?”

“Yup. I was one of them.” The man stabbed out his cigarette on the log he was sitting on and gave Raisin a pat.

“I’m sorry you lost your friends,” Ella told him softly.

“It was a long time ago.” The man drew in a long breath and looked around at the woods. “But some things stick with you … unfortunately.” He stood up. “I’m Pete Smith. I was in the cabin the night of the fire. Somehow, I got out. Jim and Rick told me they talked to you.” The man looked at Ella. “They told me you were a professor at Green Hill University.”

“I’m Ella Daniels.” Ella shook hands with Pete and introduced him to Livvy and Liam. She gestured at the cat. “This is Raisin.”

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a cat hiking in the woods with her owners.” Pete looked at the feline with admiring eyes.

“She loves being outside with us,” Livvy told him. “She’d be angry with us if we didn’t take her along.

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