Free Haunted Hamlet (Zoe Donovan Mystery) by Kathi Daley Page B

There were eighteen men and women posed in front of the lake. There was one woman who looked sort of familiar , although I couldn’t place her. I didn’t recognize any of the others, so my guess was that none of the counselors who were on staff with Peter that year had remained in the area. I had no way of knowing how many of the counselors in the photo were still on staff by the time the accident occurred. For all I knew, with the exception of Puk, the staff could have turned over completely. It did, however, make sense that at least a few had remained. I tried to decide if the man in the back left-hand corner was a younger version of the man I’d seen in the costume shop that night.
    “Was Adam Davenport working at the camp that year as well?”
    “Yes, I believe he was. Why do you ask?”
    “Mr. Davenport recently came to Ashton Falls to do research on the Henderson house. I’m afraid he’s dead.”
    “Dead? What happened?”
    I explained to Peter Darwin the series of events leading up to and preceding Mr. Davenport’s death, while he filled me in on what he knew about the incident thirteen years ago. I felt bad that Ellie’s bid to adopt a new puppy was being waylaid by our conversation, but eventually Ellie did meet Shep, it was love at first sight on both sides, and soon Ellie and I were packing up the truck to head back up the mountain.
    “Thank you so much.” Ellie hugged Peter for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I ’ll take such good care of Shep; I promise. And feel free to come by to check on him any time you’re in the area.”
    “I just might do that .” Peter smiled as he helped to load Shep into the back of my truck, which had been specially outfitted to transport both large and small animals. “I like to keep track of my kids.”
    “Do you have a lot of dogs to keep track of?” Ellie wondered as she petted Shep one last time before closing the door of the crate that would ensure a safe trip home.
    “Hundreds. But each and every one is dear to me.”
    “Well, please do come and visit Shep. We’d both enjoy spending time with you at the lake. It’s beautiful in the valley, but nothing compares with October at the lake.”
    Was Ellie actuall y flirting with Peter Darwin? It seemed like it, and if I read things correctly, Peter didn’t mind the attention at all.
    “I planned to make the trip up the mountain to attend the Haunted Hamlet this weekend. Perhaps we can meet up somewhere?” Peter suggested.
    “I’m working the zombie run in the morning on Saturday, but maybe Friday evening or Saturday afternoon? We have a new event this year. It’s a haunted hayride, which promises fun for all who dare to venture into the ghostly forest.”
    “ Perhaps Friday.” Peter smiled. “I have your number; I’ll call you to confirm a time and place.”
    Wow, way to go , Ellie. She’d come away from this trip with both a dog and a date, while all I’d managed to acquire was a clue to a murder mystery I’d sworn to myself I’d stay out of.
    “Do you mind if we stop by the hardware store so I can try to talk to Puk?” I asked Ellie as we drove back down the dirt road connecting Peter’s ranch to the county road that led to the highway.
    Peter had shared that Puk, whose real name was John Pukman, owned Bryton Lake Hardware and could usually be found there at this time of day. If he remembered anything about the night the campers were killed, I wanted to have the chance to interview him before Salinger realized he could be a good lead in the murder investigation. Not that Salinger and I weren’t getting along much better than we had originally; it was just that I still didn’t put a lot of faith in the man’s detective skills. He was okay at maintaining order in our community when it came to the easy stuff, like petty theft and handing out speeding tickets, but when it came to murder . . .
    “Not at all,” Ellie s aid. “Shep and I will take a walk around that park just down the