Free Eye of the Beholder (A Miss Henry Mystery Book 7) (Miss Henry Mystery Series) by Melanie Jackson

Eye of the Beholder
    by
    Melanie Jackson
     
    Version 1.1 – February, 2014
     
    Published by Brian Jackson at KDP
     
    Copyright © 2014 by Melanie Jackson
     
    Discover other titles by Melanie Jackson at www.melaniejackson.com
     
    This book is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual events or locals or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
     
    All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
     
     

Chapter 1
     
    Juliet H enry reflected that, with the unpleasantness of modern-day security measures, everyone knew going in that the airport was no longer the place for starting a happy adventure, but given the weather delays caused by tropical storm Edna, the overcrowded terminal had become a place of actual tears and wailing. Not heartfelt tears of partings or greetings. These were exhausted tears belonging to children and even parents who were finally understanding that their wait in the ugly building would not be over any time soon, and that they were going nowhere except to the bathroom or the less than meritorious coffee shop. There would be no Disneyland or Grandma’s house when they woke on the morrow. There would just be more odorous, sauna-smelling airport as people’s deodorants broke down, cell phone batteries died, and despair built into the air.
    Or perhaps a nearby cheap motel, probably also odorous, if any vacancies could be found.
    Juliet had no inte rest in cheap motels and their bedbugs and paper-thin walls, and even less in spending the night at the crowded terminal, so as soon as it became apparent that she would not be leaving by air any time before noon the following day—and that was an optimistic projection from the “help” desk based on hope that the local weatherman wasn’t seeing—she decided to head for the car rental counter and seek salvation further afield. There had to be someplace within reasonable distance where she could go and not listen to people prepared to raise endless and pointless fuss about their cancelled flights. After all, the rain was bad, but it was still only rain, and once away from the airport it might be possible to find shelter and solace in one of the area’s many bed and breakfasts that were likely empty because the storm had delayed the scheduled guests.
    However , transportation to the mythical Eden was needed.
    It turned out that she was not the only person to have this plan , and the last car was being commandeered by credit card as she arrived at the rental desk. Though it was a lost cause, she made enquiries and had the bad news affirmed by a glum clerk who was also stuck at the airport. There were no vehicles for rent, nor were any likely to be returned until the storm had passed.
    Juliet stepped back from the counter, frowning at her duffel bag and wondering if she would get caught if she hotwired one of the cars in long-term parking. She knew how. It was part of her plan for lifelong learning, one of the few mementos of her old working life at the NSA. She didn’t care to think too much about this impulse and how she came to have that kind of knowledge. The name of her former employer left a bad taste in her mouth even years later. Dog-like obedience had never been her thing, and she had faked it as long as she could and then hidden behind her boss, who was a much better political animal. Once he had gone and been replaced by someone from another division who was an echo-chamber for the higher-ups’ new and more aggressive policies, there was nowhere for her to hide and Juliet had likewise “retired,” taking her keen mind and nefarious skills on to a new life. And since she had no intention of returning to her previous relationship with people she had come to distrust, Juliet made sure that she never became a liability to them. Even with her cooperation, when requested