Page 7 of Exposure of Murder

“I keep thinking about Corrine leaving,” Ethan admitted, breaking the silence. “You know she went to Boston, didn’t you? Same place Jane came from.”

Dylan gave him a sympathetic smile. “I knew that, but you’re comparing apples to oranges. Corrine never wanted to stayaround here. How many times did she mention wanting to dance and party all night? How many times did she say she wanted to act, go to museums, and travel the world?”

“Too many times,” Ethan agreed and let out a heavy sigh. “I thought as we got older, she’d be happy to stay here,” he added sadly. And he’d thought so too right until she left. They grew up together, had their first kiss in high school, and made love soon after. Ethan thought he was enough for her. Apparently not.

“Her leaving had nothing to do with you.” Dylan shook his head. “You have to remember that.” He finished his burger and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I have to run. I have a potential customer coming to the gallery.”

Dylan pushed a lock of brown hair out of his eye. He took after their father with his lean build, light brown hair and deep green eyes. As the second oldest sibling, he followed his dream of becoming a painter, oils being his medium of choice, uninhabited buildings and old farm equipment his focus. His paintings were an explosion of color, bringing the old and forgotten to life. He exhibited his oils at Earth & Fire Studio, located just behind Beaver Creek Falls and owned by him and Claire Martinez.

Dylan stood and pulled out his wallet, giving Ethan a nice view of another tattoo.

“Ah, I see the paint brush isn’t alone anymore. You’ve added a palette,” said Ethan. “Nice.”

“Well, I couldn’t leave the brush by itself.” Dylan pulled up the sleeve of his shirt. “I added this one in honor of the studio.”

Ethan stared at the tattoo of a round circle representing earth, pointing true north. The tree of life encircled it. Vibrant hues of yellow, orange and red flames merged into blue sky. It was beautiful.

He loved looking at tattoos. However, Ethan was the only brother who didn’t have any. At one point, he contemplatedtattooing a heart with Corrine’s name on his arm, but now he was thankful he didn’t.

“Well, good luck with your client,” said Ethan as they paid and walked out, coming in for a man hug before slapping each other’s shoulders.

Ethan headed back toward the police station while Dylan walked in the opposite direction toward the gallery.

Earth & Fire had a unique location overlooking Beaver Creek and its picturesque waterfall. The clear, bubbling water of Beaver Creek wound its way through town, splitting it in two. A rock bridge with old-fashioned lampposts connected the two halves and offered a breathtaking view of the falls.

The diner wasn’t far from the firehouse and police station next door. As Ethan walked, he enjoyed the cool, crisp air of fall and the aroma of freshly baked bread from the Crumb & Co. bakery. He waved to a few people he knew.

“Hey, Sheriff.”

Walt Foster, the mayor of Beaver Creek, was dressed in his usual suit and tie. The gray suit highlighted his salt-and-pepper hair. He extended his hand, and Ethan shook it.

“Mayor. What brings you out on this fine day?”

Walt smiled. “Oh, Maggie Thornton is back in town and has a land dispute with one of her neighbors. I’m on my way to the courthouse.”

“Maggie?” Ethan frowned. “She’s been away for a while now. Is this about the property off Mountain Avenue?”

The mayor nodded. “Yeah. She and Mark Sutton have been arguing about that right-of-way for years. I thought when she left and rented her house out, we heard the end of it.”

“Why don’t they just get a surveyor out there and settle it once and for all?”

“Humph.” Walt pursed his lips. “If only it were that easy. The right-of-way affects her and Mark’s houses and the townmaintenance garage farther down. If you remember, the garage has two entrances. Maggie feels that too many trucks are using the driveway.”

Ethan hadn’t seen Maggie in a couple of years. She and her uncle David Thornton were always causing trouble—especially Maggie when she was in town. David claimed that the Jenkins farm and part of the McQueeney farm were promised to his great-grandfather, although David could never prove it. It caused a lot of stress for Mr. Jenkins and Ethan’s grandfather. Rumors of David’s shady dealings circulated for years, but Ethan couldn’t prove anything.

“Well, it should be interesting. Let me know what happens,” said Ethan.

Walt tipped his head and walked toward the courthouse.

Ethan didn’t envy his position. The land dispute had the potential to reignite old town tensions, especially with Maggie causing trouble.

Six

Jane wiped the sweat from her brow as she rounded the corner of Mills River Road, her feet pounding the pavement. A cool breeze brushed against her skin. The sun was still low on the horizon. It was going to be an abnormally warm day. Thankfully, she started her run early.

She passed the charming white church that had been a pillar in the community for one hundred and fifty years, its tall steeple reaching toward heaven.

In fact, this little corner of the street used to be a bustling community with a store and factories. Now it was quiet. A fire destroyed everything except for the church and the old millhouse years ago. However, the church had been repurposed and was currently reserved for weddings and special events.

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