Cat Killed A Rat (Ponderosa Pines Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) Read online

  The fount of information stored in EV’s exceptional brain was a most welcome benefit to Chloe once she accepted the position as the town’s super-secret gossip columnist. Chloe relied heavily on those tidbits at the beginning of her tenure at the Cone. EV, as the only person Chloe ever confided in, enjoyed being privy to yet another Ponderosa secret and took great delight in helping Chloe maintain her anonymity.

  As she listened to Luther continue to blather incoherently, one thought replayed in Chloe’s mind:

  I did not come back here only to watch the integrity of the community be lambasted by these two morons. And I won’t let it happen without a fight.

  * * *

  Double douchebag.

  Chloe underlined the indictment with a series of vicious pen slashes while EV muttered epithets under her breath until her patience snapped like a rubber band in sub-zero weather.

  “To that intent and purpose, the town of Gilmore has expressed their agreement for the purpose of annotating…”

  “Annexing.” Evan hissed too loudly for a whisper.

  “Annexing,” Luther parroted, “the town of Ponderosa Pines.”

  And there it was; EV heard the echoing thump as the other shoe hit the floor. This was what the boob brothers had been leading up to all along: an attempt to combine Ponderosa Pines with neighboring Gilmore.

  A mental click followed the thump.

  This must be their end game; what Evan and Luther had been working toward all along. Forehead wrinkled into furrows of frown lines, EV ran through the probabilities for why now, at the very first fiscal meeting of the year—the meeting where electing new town officials had just effectively removed anyone already allied with Evan from office—would the Plunkett brothers have raised this particular issue.

  Desperation had to be driving Evan. Why else would he reveal his final desire now?

  “…an unparalleled opportunity to expand into the new milieu.” Luther intoned as though he had been coached on what to say.

  “You mean millennium you idiot. If you’re going to try putting one over on the community, at least have the decency to use the correct terminology,” EV spit the words at him.

  “Oh, come on, people. Get a clue here,” a voice rose above the rumbling crowd. “This is the best idea I’ve heard in years. Let Gilmore take over the whole damn town.,” Allegra Worth, who bore a striking resemblance to Cruella DeVille, declared at a higher volume than Chloe had ever heard her use before.

  When she opened her mouth to add more to the comment, Allegra’s husband Ashton pinned her with a glare. Undeterred, she opened her mouth to make another comment but was stopped by her husband rising to his feet and pulling her along with him. At first she stood her ground; but, after another pointed look, she fell into line and followed him out.

  Evan puffed up at the vote of confidence until EV turned her attention on him. “I know you’re the one behind this. You have an ulterior motive somewhere at the heart of this ridiculous scheme, but I’m telling you now it’s not going to happen.”

  “I only want what’s best for everyone. Expansion is growth. Don’t you want Ponderosa Pines to be the best it can be? To bring jobs to your neighbors? To increase the tax base?”

  “And you seriously think letting Gilmore annex our town is the way to do that?” She turned to the rest of the seated residents. “Do you understand what he is asking? Are you all aware Evan ran for mayor in Gilmore and lost before moving back to Ponderosa Pines? Now, all of a sudden he wants the two towns to become one; and you can be sure that Gilmore, being the bigger town, would insist we go with their form of local government.” That statement elicited a collective grumble. Ponderosa Pines was proud of its Selectman system.

  “Think about it. Each and every one of you would lose your voice in town decisions unless one of our own became mayor. Evan has already expressed an interest in the job. He’s betting with all of us behind him, next time, he’ll be elected.”

  “That’s rich coming from you.” Evan sneered, “Face it EV; your mind went there that fast.” He snapped his fingers. “Because you’re just trying to protect your own interests. It isn’t enough for you to own more land than anyone else in town, you have to be in control of everyone, too.”

  “No, Evan, that’s your agenda, not mine.” EV turned to address her neighbors and friends, “You all know me. I speak my mind but I have no interest in running the town. I’ve never accepted a nomination to any office. Ponderosa Pines may not be perfect; but as a community, we’ve always worked together and we always will. What possible good could come from losing our town status? Ask yourselves what Evan and Luther stand to gain.”

  Nods of agreement showed her words had struck home.

  “Now that the proposal is on the table, we have to see it through; but I urge you to think long and hard about whose interests you are supporting before you make any decisions. Our streets have always been safe; our crime rates the lowest in the state. Will putting Gilmore, and possibly him,” she pointed at Evan, “in charge keep them that way? Or will it line his and Luther’s pockets at the expense of our children’s safety?”

  With a pointed look that Chloe easily interpreted as, “Stay, observe, and report back to me later,” EV strode from the room.

  * * *

  Dead silence descended on the meeting in the first moments after EV’s departure, then erupted into a dull roar as several townspeople left the Grange Hall. Those remaining broke into smaller groups, each trying to talk over the next. Amid the increasing noise, the town elders tried to help the three newly-appointed selectmen regain control by shouting for order.

  Under normal conditions, the opinions of the elders, the very first Ponderosa Pines residents, carried authority—but tonight their voices dropped unheard into the din.

  Chloe seized the opportunity to eavesdrop discretely and began to assess the room for the most interesting candidates.

  Millie Jacobs and Summer Beckett lounged against a wall near the door to the hall’s kitchen, heads bent together and snickering. Chloe wouldn’t get any useful information out of either one of those airheads. They undoubtedly had already decided they wanted the opposite of whatever EV wanted for the community.

  Jealous mean girls, that’s what you are. And you’re way too old for that crap. Chloe spat silently in their general direction while pasting a convincing fake smile on her face.

  Not that EV had ever noticed, but Millie and Summer harbored a mutual grudge against Chloe’s closest friend just because each of their husbands had been colossally stupid enough to admit they found EV attractive. EV was the kind of women men noticed. With no idea of the undercurrent, EV had been nothing but nice to these women—had no idea they bore malice toward her since she had never laid eyes on either man in an inappropriate manner. Being a desirable woman didn’t make her a man stealer.

  Noticing that the initial furor had finally died down, Chloe continued her evaluation of the room. A tall, muscular man wearing a rather impressive Fu Manchu mustache stood chatting with an older lady sporting knitted garments in varying colors. From the bright red beret perched jauntily on top of her head to the lime green and hot pink chevron print purse hanging from her shoulder, and with her beak-like nose, Priscilla Lewellyn looked, for all the world, like a tie-dyed chicken.

  Fu Manchu’s name was Horis, and Chloe wondered for the millionth time if he was hoping the elaborate mustache would draw attention away from the way his bottle-bottom glasses magnified his eyes and his unfortunate given name. Oh, what she wouldn’t do to give this man a total makeover. Poor guy didn’t realize there was no such thing as “dress overalls”, or that he was actually a decent catch underneath the dorky exterior.

  Horis was a farmer and a leader of the group of volunteers responsible for planning and organizing the community’s many gardens. He was also a sweet, soft-spoken man who loved Ponderosa Pines and would presumably fight to keep Evan from rising to power. Priscilla was pleasant but eccentric; and, while Chloe tho
ught she would side with EV, something about the woman’s fluttery nature made her hard to read.

  Weaving through the small crowd avoiding eye contact and putting out the I’m-not-here vibe, Chloe lingered near the pair until she caught enough of their conversation to conclude that neither would favor Evan as mayor. Nothing to worry about here.

  As she peered across the room, she noticed a couple around her age who were fairly new to the community: David and Rhonda Erickson, she believed were their names. Both nondescript in appearance, they seemed like nice people who, judging by the protrusion from Rhonda’s midsection, would become a family of three within the next six or seven months.

  I’ll keep quiet about that, Chloe thought, don’t want to put my foot in my mouth in case Rhonda’s just been sampling too many whoopie pies from The Mudbucket.

  David’s arms were wrapped around Rhonda’s shoulders, his head bent toward hers with a worried expression on his face. They were so deep in conversation they didn’t notice as Chloe slowly made her way close enough to catch a few snippets.

  “That woman seems like she cares, David. We moved here to get away from the materialistic world, not have to deal with some dictatorial mayor.”

  “He’s the one who sold us on this town in the first place. We could tell he cared about it. Now, because of the words of one whacked-out hippie chick we’re going to crucify him?”

  “That ‘whacked-out hippie chick’ was behind the grant that helped us buy the coffee shop.” Rhonda’s eyes flashed heat.

  “How did you find that out? I thought the grant came from the town.”

  “That woman is the town. She might gloss over it, and from what I can tell, she’s very low key about it—well, except for maybe tonight—but every good thing that has been built here, she’s had a hand in. Evan may have talked up the town but it was to make the sale. I could tell that from the beginning.” Something about him had given Rhonda the tingle since the first time she’d heard his smooth voice on the phone.

  “Don’t you think we’d get more business if we were technically located in Gilmore?”

  Rhonda cocked her head and stared at her husband. “How do you think? Is there some invisible wall between here and Gilmore that would come down once the two towns combine? Don’t you think it’s more likely our taxes would increase and we’d have a bunch of new regulations to follow?” Rhonda was the more business-minded of the two but David was an artist in the kitchen.

  “All I’m saying is, let’s learn as much as we can about both of them before we take sides. We have more here to think about than just us.” Rhonda confirmed Chloe’s theory about her waistline.

  As usual, the two ‘weird sisters’—who were neither weird, nor sisters, according to EV—watched with great interest but said nothing. So rarely did they speak up at a town event, Chloe wasn’t sure she had ever heard either of their voices. Their reputation for being witches was also something she had yet to confirm. EV said they were, but Chloe had her doubts. They would follow EV, though.

  Having learned enough to see the majority supported the town remaining a singular entity, Chloe left the hall and headed home for some much-needed rest.

  Chapter 2

  As she ambled down the tree-lined path that led away from the portion of Ponderosa Pines that could be considered “downtown” and headed in the general direction of her house, Chloe met the daily mindfulness goal she set for herself. Each day since she moved back home she tried to take at least a few moments to feel present in her body and appreciate her surroundings.

  After traveling for so long even beautiful, majestic scenery seemed commonplace to the extent that Chloe no longer paid attention to the world around her. Tunnel vision threatened to infect other areas of her life negatively affecting her overall well-being. Focusing solely on completing the myriad of tasks required of her each day, while ignoring secondary needs and desires, took its toll. When she realized she felt trapped in her own life and body, Chloe decided it was time for a major change.

  Coming back to the Pines, finding home again, was the first step in shrugging off the been-there-done-that rut she had fallen into.

  A small meditation workshop had helped Chloe learn to shut off the thoughts that chased incessantly through her mind and trained her to focus on a single task or thought without distraction. Details and to-do lists sneaked through the first few times she closed her eyes pulling her awareness back to practical things so subtly she never noticed it happening.

  One second she was focusing on her breathing, then suddenly she was contemplating the rest of the afternoon and feeling antsy for the session to end. Finally, in typical Chloe fashion, everything clicked and for the first time in a long time, she felt light and free. Now, she could call upon the simple, but handy, talent at a moment’s notice.

  Tonight, Chloe’s one mindful thought was merely how beautiful the town of Ponderosa Pines had become. The community, named for the trees it was nestled among, committed itself to live gently on the land, to work with rather than against the ecology. Willing residents kept once-dense forest cleaned and thinned to make room for natural paths running throughout the town.

  One group, led by a conservation biologist who summered in the Pines, identified endangered plant species for extra protection. Chloe appreciated their work each time she stepped into the canopy of nature that provided coolness on a hot day, or when the bracing scent of pine tickled her nose.

  This section of the woods, her favorite, was frequently traveled. Twinkly lights festooned the path leading to a decorated area appropriately deemed “The Fairy Garden”. Fairies of all sizes, shapes, and artistic media peeked out from beneath rocks or from their perches inside hollowed trunks and hung shimmering from every third or fourth tree limb Chloe passed. Each Ponderosa resident had contributed a fairy or two to the garden over the years—at least every resident except Chloe.

  She was saving her fairy for the moment when she finally stopped holding herself back—when she let go of always being an outsider and finally embraced her place in the Pines. Years of being “the new girl” at school segued seamlessly into becoming “the new girl” at work while Chloe moved from job to job to job looking for fulfillment that never came.

  Ponderosa Pines had accepted Chloe; it was just that kind of place. The fact that she was a member of one of the founding families cinched the deal. But being accepted was different from feeling fully at home, and that was something Chloe had struggled with for most of her life.

  Was the restless urge to run hereditary? Her mom certainly had it in spades: and for Lila it was a case of always running toward the next exciting adventure, whereas Chloe’s desperate urge often carried the flavor of running away.

  No more.

  Something about this place had woven through her subconscious, whispered in the corners of her mind, called her back with the promise of home.

  Now it was time to see if that promise was real, or if it was just a mirage.

  Continuing on, Chloe turned a corner and made a detour down a set of natural stone steps leading to a large wooden dock. At the bottom of the steps, she stopped to listen; this spot on The Pond was a favorite swimming hole among teenagers and skinny dippers alike. Roiling up on one of her neighbors enjoying the latter was not on her list of least embarrassing things to do. Hearing no telltale splashes, she stepped onto the dock. The water was still and clear, its surface a perfect reflection of the surrounding trees with a near-full moon at the center.

  She picked up a flat rock and chucked it sideways, watched it bob along the surface counting the number of skips under her breath until it finally plunged into the depths below. When the water had calmed again and the moon shone clear across the cove, Chloe sighed her contentment before retreating up the steps and heading toward home.

  The foot path curved eastward once it passed the fairy garden, into a section lit only by an occasional solar lamp. Several along the trail had stopped working, and Chloe made a mental note to come out and
replace them with some of the extras stored in her garage.

  A point of pride, Pines residents strove for self-sufficiency, and that pride resulted in the town becoming the first entity in the state to begin selling electricity back to the power company. Windmills, turbines, and solar panels occupied a place on nearly every piece of property, creating more energy than the entire community required and generating enough extra revenue to pay for system upkeep.

  Ponderosa Pines started out as a commune, founded in the late sixties by EV’s parents as part of their ‘peace and love’ phase. Drew and Anna—both embarrassed at having come from money when it was all the rage to be without—pooled their trust funds to purchase over one-hundred-fifty acres of pristine property, then invited a group of like-minded friends to come build experimental, energy efficient homes there where they could live off the land.

  The world spun and, over time, people changed.

  By the end of the eighties, when Madonna had turned love beads into rosaries and batik maxi skirts to leather minis, more and more commune members became absorbed into the ‘me’ generation and moved back to the suburbs to become yuppies. With his father ailing and no one else to take over the family business, Drew and Anna followed suit while their daughter chose to stay in the home she loved.

  EV had a vision for continuing what her parents began while bringing the concept forward into the new age and, with the help of the remaining founding families, worked tirelessly to turn the commune into a self-contained, planned community. After a few years of growth, Ponderosa Pines applied for and was granted status as a small town with its own form of governing body. Each year, three selectman positions were elected from among the townspeople. Those leaders worked side by side with the oldest members of the founding families to protect and preserve the official town bylaws.

  At the edge of the wooded path Chloe emerged into full moonlight and veered toward where her home sat in the oldest part of town. The mindful hike had worked its magic, putting her into a state of hyper focus which she used to contemplate the meeting she had just attended.