When Vera exited the library, she blinked in the strong sunlight of an autumn afternoon. The sky was an almost sapphire blue, with only a few small white clouds drifting by. Without consciously meaning to, Vera’s paws took her from the library, down a few blocks to the shore of the lake itself. The streets ended well short of the water, leaving only an expanse of grass to the shoreline. A small sand beach lay a little distance farther. In summer, it would be filled with creatures. Little ones making sandcastles and burying their friends in mounds of sand with only their heads peeking out. Older children leaping into the water and splashing with abandon, while their parents sat under umbrellas or in the shade of the few spreading oaks. Vera could picture it perfectly.
But this late into the fall, there were only a few residents enjoying the lake. One rat, dressed in overalls and a wide-brimmed hat, was fishing from a wooden pier, casting a line into the water with steady patience. Out toward the middle of the lake, Vera spotted a couple as they plied a canoe toward the far shore, using this lovely sunny day for a last excursion before the boats would be put into storage for the winter.
It was beautiful but a little melancholy. Vera gave a sigh, unhappy even though she couldn’t pinpoint why. Perhaps it was just all the confusion around Dorothy’s accusation, and the other unsettling changes in town—the election most of all. She hoped Orville wasn’t going to regret running to replace his boss. She couldn’t even imagine how BW would react if Vera announced plans to take over as editor-in-chief!
Just then, the rat with the fishing pole noticed her. He raised a paw and gave a friendly wave to a fellow creature, even though he didn’t know who Vera was at this distance. As he waved, his reflection waved too, upside-down and distorted in the ripples of the lake’s surface.
Vera waved back, cheered by this simple gesture. Life in a small town was very different from what she’d been used to in the big city, but she was glad she made the choice to move. Little things, like a greeting from a stranger, were surely a sign of a good way of life.
“All this strangeness will get sorted out,” Vera said to herself, gazing across the lake to the low hills beyond, still crowned with the last of autumn color. “It’ll just take a little time.”
At that moment, Vera remembered that she’d agreed to meet Lenore for coffee that afternoon, partly to help with last-minute promotion for the Bradley Marvel event (the other part was purely gossip). She’d have to hurry!
Zipping through the small cluster of buildings that made up Mirror Lake’s center, Vera glanced at the distant Springfield house, her eyes drawn to the mystery within. Then the view was eclipsed by trees, and she was traveling through the small wood that separated Mirror Lake from Shady Hollow proper.
The woods were sunny and bright, since so many leaves had fallen. Vera caught sight of a few of the local teens, one of whom carried a pickaxe over a shoulder. She chuckled to herself. So folks were still going treasure hunting, spurred by rumors following a shocking murder, which Vera herself investigated. Rumor had it that there was a cache of precious stones hidden somewhere in these woods by the murderer, who wanted to hide the getaway money. Of course, no one had found it yet, and Vera half suspected there was nothing to find anyway…considering that the one who supposedly buried the treasure was not exactly the most trustworthy creature in the world.
At a steady trot, she passed through the woods and then the placid mill pond, finally slowing down when she reached the outskirts of Shady Hollow and the first few businesses along the main street.
By the time she got to Joe’s Mug, Vera was breathing normally again. She entered and slid into the booth where Lenore was waiting for her. Vera wordlessly accepted a mug of coffee from Esme, who had mastered the art of producing a hot beverage on the table almost before a body could sit down.
Lenore lifted her own mug in a toast. “I’m a little surprised you made it. I thought you’d pick up a new lead and be off on the trail again.”
“I wish,” she replied. “But this case is barely a case, and I’m not sure where to turn next.”
“So you turn to coffee. Well, at least you’re dependable.”
After chatting for a few moments, Vera took a stack of printed bookmarks from Lenore, promising to distribute them throughout the Herald’s offices. “But word gets around fast,” she added. “Barry Greenfield already knew about the event before I told him. Said he read every Marvel book that came out, even though he thinks the Percy Bannon series is commercial crap compared to his first novel, Weaver’s Luck. He said he’s coming an hour early to be sure he gets a seat.” Vera chuckled, because she hardly ever saw the rabbit in a seat. He thought best on his paws.
Just then, Vera spotted a familiar creature coming through the door to the diner. It was the badger foreman, Hobbs. She was about to ask him to join her and Lenore, since she was curious about his job at the mine. But he went directly to a table where a muskrat was already seated, enjoying a plate of cheddar grits.
“Hobbs, there you are! Hoped you could make it. Haven’t seen you in months. Bet the mine is keeping you busy. Surprised the boss didn’t keep you talking half the night over all the new business.”
The badger pulled out a chair and sat, saying, “I’m glad he didn’t, because that was the strangest meeting I’ve ever had with Springfield.”
Vera glanced at Lenore, and by
