The Graham Quartet - Part 6

Good morning Friday Fiction Fans,
The sky has faded now, but a few minutes ago the eastern sky was glowing pink. I love seeing the sunrise in the mornings. Well, we're back to winter here. At least somewhat. It was 16º yesterday morning, but it warmed up to 50º by the afternoon.

It's been a good week. I've gotten a good bit of writing done and have plans to write again tonight at least. I had no idea how many plot twists I could put in my story when I have one story day to end it. It's getting complicated. There are all kinds of things happening with flowers and yellow doors and boats. It will be interesting to see how it all comes together.

On Tuesday, S and I went over and babysat all the kiddos. It was crazy! I think the volume buttons for the kids' voices were broken because they kept getting louder and louder! Well, we did have some pretty intense times with a cave in of "Old Joe's" gold mine. At least the "doctor" had come up to visit. The hunting party that went out brought back dozens of bear, deer, mountain lions, rabbits, turkeys and other wild game. It was quite the evening. :)

Well, if I can get my other story corrected this week, you might get a new story starting next week. I don't want to make you tired of the Graham Quartet, you know. ;) But read this part and then tell me any thoughts, ideas or questions you might have. Who knows, it might inspire another plot twist. :)

The Graham Quartet

Part 6

    Half a dozen boats were tied up and Matt quickly scanned them all. “There,” he pointed, his voice low. “That looks like the one I saw.”
    The boat, built slightly differently than the others in the harbor, was dark. The name Day Maid was painted in swirly yellow letters on her bow. No one was to be seen on her decks.
    “Lieutenant,” Matt asked, stepping up beside the officer. “That boat down there, the Day Maid, looks like the boat I saw on the lake, doesn’t she?”
    Giving a slight start as though his thoughts had been far away, the lieutenant cleared his throat. “Well, she does rather look like it. Of course it was hard to read the name when she was so far away. I don’t see anyone on board. Perhaps the owner is in the hotel. Why don’t I step in and see if he’s available to talk to.” He glanced around the dock and then said, “Wait here. I’ll try to hurry.”
    Left alone, the Quartet looked about them. The dock, mostly deserted save for themselves, was quiet. A few men were seen on one of the boats but they weren’t talking much, and the nearby streets were empty. The sun was low in the west and the sky was a brilliant mix of gold, pink, blue and purple. Blowing in off the lake, the breeze was refreshing and tossed the girls’ brown hair and ruffled through the boys’ shorter cuts.
    “I guess everyone is still at home eating supper,” Elsa remarked. “Or relaxing after a day’s work.”
    In the stillness, the sound of the lieutenant’s voice came through the open window of the hotel. “You’re sure the owner didn’t register here?” A low murmur sounded followed by the Lieutenant’s crisp reply. “No, It just looked like an interesting craft, and I thought maybe the owner could tell me a bit about her. No matter. Thanks for your help.”
    Matt exchanged glances with Elsa. There seemed a different tone in the lieutenant’s voice. “Almost as though he were putting on an act.”
    “What was that?” Tim whirled around, his eyes fixed on his brother. “What did you just say?”
    “I’ll tell you later,” Matt murmured, nodding his head slightly toward the hotel where Lieutenant Ashwood was leaving the building.
    The Quartet was silent as the officer approached. “Sorry, guys,” he said. “No one checked into the hotel from that boat. Maybe he lives around here.”
    “Could he be staying in another hotel?” Selena asked.
    “Maybe. But I don’t see any others around here . . .” His voice trailed off, and a half puzzled, half-thoughtful look came into his eyes as his gaze slowly roved from one building to the next.
    Tim opened his lips to ask a question, but Matt’s elbow nudged him to silence. Quietly the Quartet waited, each pair of brown eyes searching the growing darkness for something, anything, that might shed a glimmer of light on this growing mystery. That there was a mystery, that somehow involved the Day Maid, her owner, and Lieutenant Ashwood, the Graham Quartet was certain. Why else would the sight of the boat cause such strange behavior from the Navy officer?
    The breeze, blowing off the lake was growing cool, and Selena shivered.
    “Cold?” Matt whispered.
    “Just a little chilly,” replied Selena, folding her arms.
    As though suddenly recalled to his duties, the lieutenant turned. “I’m sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts. That breeze is quite fresh and the sun is going down. We’d best be heading back to the house before your parents think I’ve drafted you all into the navy.” He chuckled, but, to Matt’s ears, it sounded almost forced.

    Together in their room, Matt and Tim prepared for bed. Eagerly Tim began talking about the strangeness of their new friend’s actions in town. “What do you think, Matt?” he queried at last, sitting in bed, his eyes aglow with excitement.
    “I think,” Matt began, turning out the light and stretching out on his own comfortable bed, “that we should wait until morning to talk about it.”
    “But–”
    “Because,” the older brother went on ignoring Tim’s interruption, “the girls should be with us, and things might seem different in the sunlight.”
    A deep sigh came from Tim’s bed. “Oh, all right.” The bed squeaked softly as Tim lay down and relaxed. “But I do wish tomorrow would hurry up!”
    Matt couldn’t refrain a grin in the dark.


    The Graham Quartet met at the breakfast table. Eager glances were exchanged along with smiles and nods. The absence of the lieutenant at the table put each sibling on the alert until Aunt Doris remarked that often the lieutenant went for an early morning walk or slept late. “He’s not at the breakfast table many mornings,” she said, holding out a platter of sausages to Tim. “But he’s never missed a dinner and only missed lunch one time, though he has been a bit late at times.” Her merry laugh brought smiles all around the table. “When he gets to exploring the countryside, he’s apt to lose track of time.”
    “What are you going to do today, Dad?” Matt asked, looking across the table.
    “Well, your uncle and I were planning on doing some fishing. Any of you want to come along?”
    Had it been any other time, Tim would have jumped at the chance, but not this morning. What he wanted was an opportunity to talk over their new mystery. “No, thanks, Dad,” he spoke quickly, not giving any of his siblings a chance to speak. “We’re going to do some exploring. I couldn’t sit still long enough to fish today anyway.”   
    A hearty chuckle came from Uncle James. “Then we certainly don’t want you along, Tim. We’re hoping to catch enough for supper.” He chuckled again. Since Uncle James and Aunt Doris had no children of their own, they often found their nieces and nephews amusing.
    Mr. Graham looked at the rest of his children.

Do you think the lieutenant was putting on an act?

Is there something going on with the Day Maid?

What would you do if you were there?

The Graham Quartet - Part 5

Good morning FFFs,
It sounds like spring outside. A Cardinal is singing, the sun is coming up and yesterday it was in the low 60s. Spring. I don't think I'm quite ready for spring though. I want a good snowfall first. The rest of this week is supposed to be sunny and in the 60s, but we could get snow next week.

Though I haven't had as much time to write this week as I would have liked, I'm making progress on this new Graham Quartet mystery. It's getting quite interesting because of the new twists the story seems to take when I least expect it.

I know this is short but I can't seem to think of a single thing more to tell you. Oh, well. You probably won't mind too much as it just means you can get to the next part of the Graham Quartet sooner.

Enjoy!

The Graham Quartet

Part 5

    Matt, watching him, saw an almost startled expression cross his face,and then his lips settled into a straight line. “Lieutenant, is something wrong?”
    There was no answer, but the glasses didn’t move from the spot they had focused on.
    The Quartet exchanged glances. Why wasn’t the lieutenant answering? He had been lighthearted only moments before and now he looked almost grim. What was he seeing? Each pair of brown eyes turned once more to the water, but it was difficult to see the vessel Matt had asked about, though it was heading towards the harbor.
    “Lieutenant?” Selena gently placed one hand on his arm.
    “Yes.” The glasses didn’t move and the navy officer kept his gaze focused.
    “Is something wrong with the boat?”
    No answer came.
    By this time the boat had come closer and the Quartet could see the shape of it without the aid of the binoculars which the lieutenant still kept fixed lakeward. “What time is it, Matt?” Elsa asked softly.
    Matt shrugged. “I don’t know. I left my watch in my room.”
    Stepping closer to Lieutenant Ashwood, Tim tipped his head to look at the officer’s watch. “It’s almost five-thirty.”
    “I think we should head back.”
    “Oh, just a few more minutes, Elsa,” Tim begged. “I don’t want to go in yet.”
    Lieutenant Ashwood lowered the binoculars and said, as though he hadn’t heard a word that had just been uttered, “It’s about time we headed back. We don’t want to miss supper.”
    He smiled, but there was a worried glint to the calm blue eyes and the Quartet saw it. Handing the binoculars back to Matt, Lieutenant Ashwood remarked, “It can be fun to watch boats and the people on them with some sort of glass. Thanks for the use.” He said nothing about the boat he had been watching.
    As they strolled back the way they had come, the lieutenant kept looking out across the water, and now and then stopped as though to get a better look at something.
    Finally Tim could keep quiet no longer. “That boat you were looking at, Lieutenant, was it doing something wrong?”
    Startled, the lieutenant glanced quickly at Tim. “No. It just looked quite a bit like a boat I saw several years ago.”
    “Could you see who was on it?”
    “Tim!” Elsa scolded softly, giving her younger brother a nudge with her elbow.
    The lieutenant, looking out over the waters once more, shook his head. “No. Too far away.” The large old house loomed up before them and, as though he had tossed aside his worry, suddenly Lieutenant Ashwood grinned and suggested a race to the house.
    This challenge was welcomed and moments later the Graham Quartet and Lieutenant Ashwood stood laughing on the porch.

    “Well, Lieutenant, what are you planning on doing this evening?” Mr. Hawkins asked, pushing back his chair from the supper table and leaning back with a contented sigh.
    Scratching his chin, the young officer hesitated as though uncertain. “I was thinking of strolling into town for a look at the sights. But it’s not as much fun if you’re alone. Do you think I could find anyone to go with me?”
    The Graham Quartet flashed quick looks across the table at each other. Then Matt turned to his father. “Can we go, Dad? We’ll stick together.”
    Before he replied, Mr. Graham looked questioningly at Lieutenant Ashwood. “Do you want these four along this evening?”
    “I wouldn’t mind the company, sir.”
    Mr. Graham looked at his wife and then nodded. “All right, you all may go, but Tim,” he added, “remember you’re not at home.”
    “Yes, sir.” Tim’s smile tugged at the corners of his mouth though he tried to stay sober. He knew his dad was referring to his love of asking questions.

    It didn’t take the Quartet long to finish their dessert and put on their shoes. All four of them were eager to see some of the town and get to know their surroundings.
    “Think we’ll see that boat, Matt?” Tim whispered as the brothers stopped in the hall to wait for their sisters.
    Matt shrugged. “I don’t know, but we’ll keep our eyes open. The lieutenant seemed mighty interested in it.”
    The door beside them opened and Elsa and Selena came out and joined them. “Do you think the lieutenant minds us coming along?” Elsa asked.
    “He practically invited us, didn’t he?” Matt asked. “I don’t think he’d do that unless he really wanted us.”
    “Yeah,” Tim put in. “Maybe he’s going to take us to the docks and show us that boat.”
    “Or maybe not,” retorted Matt. “Come on, he’s waiting for us.”

    As the Quartet meandered their way through the little lakeside town, they longed to know what it was about that boat Matt had seen which had attracted the attention of their new friend, but no one ventured to ask. The long, easy stride of Lieutenant Ashwood, and the casual, friendly talk, gave the appearance that he had no worries or concerns. His eyes gleamed once again like they had beside the lake and he seemed content to wander wherever the Quartet wanted to go. Only Selena noticed how frequently he glanced at his watch or sent a sharp look now and then at groups of men as they passed.
    “What do you say we mosey down towards the docks?” the lieutenant suggested. “There is still plenty of light. I don’t know if there’ll be any boats or not, but it’s worth checking, if you are interested.”
    The Quartet quickly agreed and followed their guide down the streets to the wharf. Each was wondering the same thing. Would the mysterious boat be docked in the harbor? If it was there, would they be able to recognize it? Only Matt had seen it with the binoculars.
    Arriving at the harbor and rounding the corner of a hotel, the dock came into sight.

What do you think they'll find?

Do you think the lieutenant has a reason for going to town?

And is there something about that boat?

The Graham Quartet - Part 4

Hello FFFs,
Sorry this is a little later getting up. (If anyone actually does read this at 7:30.) My computer is being rather slow. I don't think it wanted to get up this morning, much less get to work. :P

Right now we have a dusting of snow. I'm sure it won't be staying long, but it's pretty even if it doesn't even cover the grasses. I'd love to get several inches of snow, but most of the snow seems to have gone north, south or east of us. Maybe later. Like in February or March. We've been known to get a foot of snow in March. But, even if we don't have snow, it's been cold. Okay, some of you wouldn't call it cold, but for us, single digits is cold, as are the teens and even the twenties are cold.

I've actually gotten a good bit written this week and I hope to actually reach 5,000 words this week. The new Graham Quartet mystery is moving along with new twists and turns. I am finding that I can't write it quite as quickly as I can some of my other stories. It may be that keeping the mystery going without telling too much, but trying to follow new clues and things makes me take a little more time. Here's the working title for the story: "The Graham Quartet and the Day Maid." What do you think?

Okay, here is part 4 of the story. If you can't remember what happened in the first 3 parts, you can read part 1, part 2 and part 3.

The Graham Quartet

Part 4

    “Hello,” a friendly voice greeted them. “Enjoying the sand and water already?”
    Matt looked up quickly. “Yes, sir, Lieutenant. Would you like to join us? These are my sisters, Elsa and Selena. And that is my younger brother, Tim.”
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you all; I’m Lieutenant Ashwood. I met your brother a short time ago at the house. Aren’t you four called ‘the Graham Quartet’?”
    “Yes, sir, but–” Tim began.
    The Lieutenant laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. I just learned about that name from your aunt and uncle.” The lieutenant, a younger man, appearing to be in his late twenties, sat down in the sand and clasped his arms about his knees. His hair was sandy in color while his eyes were the same deep blue as the lake water. He seemed to belong there. “Is this your first time at the lake?”
    Elsa nodded. “Yes. We’ve wanted to come before, but haven’t been able to.”
    “Well, what do you think of it?”
    “It surpasses what I thought it would look like,” Matt confessed, and the others nodded in agreement.
    Several minutes passed as they all enjoyed the quiet of the warm beach, and watched the endless waves rolling onto the sandy shore. A few sea gulls, riding on the air currents, soared overhead with harsh cries.
    “Go ahead, Tim, ask your question,” Lieutenant Ashwood smiled.
    “How did you know I had a question? And how did you remember my name? Do you remember everyone’s names?”
    Tim had turned and was eyeing the lieutenant.
    “Well, I must confess that remembering your name was easy.” The lieutenant grinned. “I have a younger brother named Tim. As for knowing all your names, I’m half way there because I know you and already knew Matt. And I knew you had a question because most boys your age do.”
    “And Tim probably has the most,” Matt put in.
    A general laugh went up at this and even Tim joined in the merriment. When it subsided he said. “Someone has to ask questions or we wouldn’t learn anything. You aren’t wearing your uniform, so I couldn’t tell that way . . .”
    “I’m in the Navy, Tim. Stationed just north of Chicago. I had some R & R time, and some of my buddies recommended your uncle’s place and, well, here I am.” Leaning back on his hands, Lieutenant Ashwood looked about him at the interested faces of his listeners.
    “What is R & R?” Selena asked, puzzled.
    “Yeah,” Tim added. “It sounds like a railroad crossing.”
    A smile played about the corners of the lieutenant’s mouth as he replied, “Rest and relaxation. No railroads involved. Now, where are you all from?”
    For several minutes the Graham Quartet told their new friend about their lives in the northern woods of Minnesota. At last Tim sprang up.
    “I’m tried of just sitting here. I’ve been sitting all day. Let’s go explore.”
    The others were eager to follow Tim’s suggestion, and Lieutenant Ashwood accepted their invitation to come along. He assured them that he had a watch and would make sure they were back in time for supper. Matt ran back to the house to let one of his parents know where they were going and soon returned with a pair of binoculars around his neck.
    Since everyone, except the Lieutenant, had left their shoes inside, the Quartet stuck to the sandy beaches or grassy slopes, deciding that the next time they went exploring they would wear their shoes.
    At last, reaching a lovely promontory shaded by tall pines, they halted and gazed out over the lake.
    “I never imagined the waters could be so blue,” Elsa exclaimed. “Just look at it.”
    “And there’s a ship.” Tim pointed to a small vessel some distance from the shore.
    “Actually that’s a boat, Tim,” the lieutenant corrected.
    “What’s the difference?” the boy wanted to know.
    “A ship is a larger vessel needing many people to man her, while a boat is something small, usually built for smaller groups of people or even one person to handle. The boat you see now would probably need two men to handle her. And look over there.” Lieutenant Ashwood pointed farther south. “There’s a small sailboat. One man could probably sail her in any kind of wind without trouble.”
    “Don’t they have any boy boats?” Tim demanded, folding his arms.
    A hearty burst of laughter came from the lieutenant. “No, Tim, I’m afraid not. Don’t ask me why all boats and ships are called ‘she’ and ‘her,’ but they are.” He chucked again. “I’ll ask around when I get back to base and see if anyone knows why that is. I’ll let you know what I find out.” He chuckled again.
    Matt, who had been using his binoculars, asked, “Lieutenant Ashwood–”
    “Please, just call me Lieutenant, all of you. That’s what everyone else does and it’s shorter. Now, what were you saying, Matt?”
    “I was just wanting to know if you could tell what kind of thing a boat was used for just by seeing it out on the lake like this.”
    The lieutenant shrugged. “Sometimes. It depends on the build of the craft.”
    “Matt,” Elsa said, “can I take a look through those?”
    “Sure.” Lowering them from his eyes, Matt passed the binoculars to his sister’s waiting hand. “Next time we come out, we should bring the other pair too.”
    The single pair was passed from hand to hand and arrived at last back at Matt. Raising them, he peered through them and seemed to be focusing them on something farther away. “Lieutenant, there’s a boat out there that seems larger than these others, would you call it a ship?”
    “Where?”
    Matt handed him the binoculars and pointed in the directions of the craft. “It seemed different to me, but I’m not familiar with boats and things like that.”
    For a moment the lieutenant’s entire attention was focused on the object out on the lake and he said nothing.

What do you think the lieutenant will say about the boat?

What are boats only called "she and her"?

Do you want part 5 next week?

The Graham Quartet - Part 3

Good Morning Friday Fiction Fans,

I hope you are ready for the next part of the Graham Quartet mystery because that's what you're getting. But don't expect it to last forever. :) I only have two more parts written. I have been writing some, though not as much as I was earlier this year. Last week I reached 5k again, but then I also realized that my unfinished project list wasn't getting much shorter. Part of that is because when I near the end of one project I tend to focus only on that and push all the other ones away "until after this book is published" or "that thing if done". That's what was starting to happen and so I decided I was going to keep writing, but not as much or I'd have another book to publish before I had completed some other projects. I will be writing short stories (I have to have something to post on my blog each week), and will work on TCR-6 and the Graham Quartet as often as I can or when I get inspired. This way I will still be writing but I will also have time to complete all the many other projects that just keep sitting on my "to to" list. :)

All that being said, I'm still wanting any and all ideas you might have for either the TCR books or this Graham Quartet mystery. :) And I have some fun short stories to post before long. :)

The Graham Quartet

Part 3

    Fishing in his pocket, Matt pulled out a small flashlight. “Let’s try it with this.” In the steady beam of light, the writing on the paper was easy to see, but no one could decipher it.
    “I can’t decide if it’s some foreign language or if it’s in code,” Matt declared at last, stepping back with a sigh and snapping off the light. “I wonder if the lieutenant or Dad would be able to make sense out of it.”
    “Oh boy!” Tim exclaimed. “It just had to be our mysterious man from the boat. We know he came this direction and was around here. He probably dropped the paper and it has the secret orders for the crime ring he’s the leader of.” His eyes shone with excitement at his own imaginings. “I wish we had the F.B.I. here.” Shoving his hands in his pockets Tim moved across the room. “Elsa, you probably found a piece of valuable information. Our mystery man might not have written it, but he is probably searching frantically for that paper this very minute. Maybe he’s even on his way back here to see if he left it behind.”
    Selena shivered. The gloom of the room and Tim’s words, wild and full of his usual strong imagination though they were, combined to make a strange, almost eery feeling creep up her spine.
    “Tim, knock off that kind of talk,” Matt ordered. “I don’t think anyone’s coming here in this storm, and as soon as it’s over, we’re leaving. And besides, we don’t even know who our mystery man is. He may not be bad. Remember Elsa’s stranger this past winter.”
    With his enthusiasm dampened by his brother’s rebuke, Tim turned away and, clearing a tiny spot on one of the window panes, peered out at the whitecaps on the lake. “Um, Matt.”
    Matt turned around.
    “You might want to take a look out here. There’s a boat coming this way.”
    “What!” ejaculated Matt, springing to the window. “Tim’s right!” he declared a moment later, his eye still watching through the hole in the dirt and dust. “There is a boat. And it’s headed directly here. There’s no other place he could be going.”
    Both girls gasped. Who was it?
    “I wish Lieutenant Ashwood was here. Or Dad,” Selena whispered. No one heard her over the drumming of rain on the roof and the sigh and whistle of wind. Who would have guessed that their vacation would suddenly turn into such and adventure.

* * *

    The sunshine was bright, and the sandy beaches stretching out to the water’s edge were enticing. A breeze, blowing off the lake, made the tall grasses, growing in the sand between the house and the empty beach, sway with a soft rustle.
    “Come on,” Tim urged his siblings, pausing on the broad stairway and looking over his shoulder. “We only have a few hours before supper, and I don’t want to spend it inside.”
    A merry laugh came from one of the rooms and Elsa’s voice called back, “A moment or two longer won’t hurt you, Tim. Besides, we’ll have more than just this afternoon to spend on the beach.”
    Thirteen-year-old Tim groaned and sat down on the top step. “It’ll take them ages,” he said, addressing the empty steps below him. He leaned his elbow on one knee and rested his chin in his hand. “And after all that long trip. I want to see the lake and . . .”
    “Come on, Tim,” Matt called, giving his younger brother a nudge with his foot before bounding down the stairs.
    “Yeah, I thought you wanted to go see the lake,” Elsa said, slipping past and hurrying after Matt while Selena skipped behind. Tim scrambled to his feet and raced after the others.
    The Graham family had left their home in the woods of Minnesota for a summer vacation on the shores of Lake Michigan. Mr. Graham’s sister and her husband, James Hawkins, owned a large lake house in Wisconsin which they had opened for summer visitors. For several years Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins had urged David and Hannah Graham to come with their family and stay at the house for the summer, but things had never worked out. This summer, however, much to everyone’s delight, there was nothing to hinder the Grahams from coming.
    Having arrived only an hour or so before, the Graham Quartet were eager to explore the sandy beaches and wade in the lake’s deep blue waters. There was nothing unusual about the Quartet as they raced along the sandy path, through the tall grasses and down to the water’s edge, their bare feet making almost no noise. They all looked much alike except in size, for they ranged in age from thirteen-year-old Tim to nineteen-year-old Elsa. All had the same matching brown eyes which seemed to notice everything, rather square faces and brown hair. Their loyalty to each other was evident, for it was seldom that one was seen without at least one other sibling, except when they were in school. Full of fun, yet helpful, the Graham Quartet always seemed to stumble upon some adventure or another.
    “Look at that water!” Elsa exclaimed, staring out across the vast expanse of Lake Michigan.
    “Feel that breeze,” added Matt.
    “And the sunshine and sand and water!” Tim, who had taken off his shoes the moment they had arrived, stepped into the cool waters. “Brr, this is cold. Come feel it.”
    Quickly the three others joined Tim in the water, wading forward until the water splashed about their legs and threatening to soak the boys’ rolled up pants and the hems of the girls’ skirts. When they grew cold they retreated to the shore where the warm summer sun quickly dried and warmed their feet and legs.
    Sitting on the beach, letting handfuls of the warm, golden sand run through her fingers, Selena noticed a shadow approaching. She lifted her head and smiled at the newcomer.

Who just arrived on the beach?

And who do you think was in that boat?

What would you do if you were in the building with the Quartet?

The Graham Quartet - Part 2

Good morning Friday Fiction Fans!
It sure is wet here. I don't know about you, but we've had a lot of rain. In fact, last evening, just before supper, my dad and I set off and had an adventure in the rain. I had heard from my sister that the creek (okay, it's technically called a "drainage ditch") in the valley was flooded and over the road, so I grabbed my rain jacket, slipped on my sandals (because I didn't want to soak my shoes) and went outside. Dad decided to join me and off we set. After we decided to walk through the wet grass down the hill to the path, we were amazed by the water. It was rushing rather quickly and had spread over it's banks and in places had covered the road and the path. It was rather fun to see all the water, and after seeing cars drive through the water only to turn around after they got to the bridge, we decided to walk down there and take a look. Only we couldn't stay on the path since it was under water. We ended up making our way through the swamp that was higher than my ankles to get around it. After crossing under the bridge we saw more water. Lots of water actually, and it had covered the road even more than the other place. But, it seems that no one really cared about it and they drove through it. Crazy people. Anyway, Dad and I were both rather soaked by the time we got home. :)

We came down the hill on the far right. There is supposed to be a road in the foreground of the picture, instead it is just water. You can see the rushing current in the middle. (This was taken by a friend coming home from work.)

I know our local flooding isn't anything like it's been doing in TX and, I'm sure, other places. But I did get a new short story to write. :) You'll just have to wait until I get it finished.

Okay, I know this is later than usual, but does anyone even read it before 9:00?

Triple Creek Ranch - Set Free is coming along well. The illustrations are almost finished and my test readers are starting to get their hands on it. :) I thought you all might enjoy seeing one of the illustrations from the new book. Kate said she would. This is the first picture. One half is finished and the other shows what the drawing looked like before she painted it. What do you think? Can you guess who they are? What do you think is happening?

 

I really haven't been working on The Graham Quartet. Sorry. I'm trying to get another short story finished, and then I had this new idea. Besides, I want ideas and suggestions from you, dear readers.

But here you are.

Part 2

    He moved his hand towards the door which now stood so invitingly open. “I touched something, and suddenly the whole latch and lock came away from the door frame and . . .” His eyes were wide and sparkled with excitement though he kept his voice scare above a whisper. “Dare we go in?”
    With a shrug, Matt moved forward, cautiously put his head inside, and glanced around. “I don’t see anything.” He stepped through the door, his eyes darting around the room. It was bare. Only an old table stood in the center of the room.
    Obeying the motion of Matt’s hand, Tim eagerly joined him. “Wow! Elsa, come see! I wonder what this place used to be?” Slowly raising his head, Tim stared at the rafters up above, draped and festooned with cobwebs and layers of dust.
    It was Elsa’s voice that answered. “If you’d taken a moment to study the old sign above the door, you would have noticed that it said something about fish processing.”
    Several minutes passed as the three siblings moved about the room, trying not to breath, too deeply near the windows lest they stir up a whirlwind of dust. Matt examined the lock on the door but was as puzzled as his younger brother had been about it coming loose.
    Outside, sitting on the ground, Selena waited. What were the others doing? She hadn’t heard Tim’s exclamation and wondered about their growing absence. The sudden freshening of the breeze caused her to stand up quickly. Her dress whipped about her legs as she noticed the piles of dark clouds racing across the sky from the west as though they were an invading army out to conquer the forces of light. “Matt! Elsa!” Selena hurried to the side of the building. “A storm’s coming. Come on.”
    In a moment Matt came around the corner and joined her on shore. He frowned up at the darkening sky. “Where did that storm come from?” A jagged flash of light ripped through the oncoming mass of clouds,followed moments later by a rumble. “There’s no way we can reach the house before it hits. I think the best thing to do is take shelter in this building.” As the wind grew stronger he raised his voice and motioned to Elsa and Tim who were coming across the walkway. “Let’s get back inside before the rain starts.”
    Selena cringed at the sight of the water lashed up by the wind dashing against the shore with showers of spray. “Matt–”
    Without giving his sister time to think longer, Matt seized her hand and pulled her onto the walkway. “The building has a solid floor,” he assured.
    Large drops of rain were beginning to spatter about them as Matt and Selena raced around the corner of the old fish building and through the open doorway.
    Once the door was shut and firmly secured by a piece of wood braced between it and the table, the siblings looked at one another. Rain beat upon the roof and the wind whistled through a crack in the eaves. Thunder roared and crashed as flashes of lightning split the sky for brief seconds.
    “Well,” Matt began, speaking loudly to be heard, “I guess we’re stuck here for a little while. Maybe it will be a quick storm.” Dropping to the floor, he leaned against the wall and stretched out his legs. “Just listen to that storm!”
    The room was dim but dry. Elsa and Tim joined Matt on the floor but Selena remained standing, looking around. “Who swept the floor?”
    “Huh?” Tim raised his eyebrows. “No one swept. There isn’t any broom. And who would want to sweep an old place like this?”
    “Someone who wanted to stay here.” Selena’s words seemed to send a shock through her older siblings, for Matt and Elsa each reached out a hand and felt the floor.
    “She’s right!” Elsa stood up quickly.
    “How do you know the floor was swept?”
    “Think, Tim,” Matt said. “How much dust and dirt is covering the windows, and the table even? And how much dirt is on the floor?”
    Tim gave a whistle. “I never thought of that! It’s a good thing you came in, Selena. So, if someone swept the floor–”
    “It was because he was staying here–”
    “And didn’t want to be covered with dirt or people would notice.”
    “But he didn’t wash the windows for fear someone would realize this building was being occupied.”
    A long silence fell over the Graham Quartet as they looked at each other. Who was the person that had stayed in the building? Was it the man they had been following? When a loud crash of thunder sounded almost overhead, they all jumped.
    “If ‘he’ comes during this storm, we’ll never hear him,” Tim’s voice only reached his brother’s ears and Matt frowned.
    “Maybe we should look around and see if the occupant left anything behind,” suggested Elsa, as the storm seemed to abate somewhat and the room grew slightly lighter.
    “All right, let’s each take a side of the room,” directed Matt. “It will at least give us something to do while we wait out the rest of the storm.”
    It was difficult searching a bare room in the grey light of a storm, but the Quartet made a thorough job and at last were rewarded by Elsa’s cry of “I think I may have found something.”
    Everyone hurried over. She was on her knees attempting to get something out of a crack in the floor.
    “Here, try my knife.” Matt opened one of the blades on his pocket knife and handed it to his sister. In another moment Elsa was holding a piece of paper.
    “Does it say anything?” demanded Tim.
    Holding the paper as close to the window as she could, Elsa bent over it. “It has something written on it, but I can’t tell what it says. It’s awfully small print and the light is so bad, I can’t see very well.”

Ideas? Questions?

What do you think is going to happen?

Do you think the paper is anything important?

The Graham Quartet

Good morning Faithful Friday Fiction Fans,
I hope you have all had a good week. I have. Right now it's a little different than usual as my oldest niece and two youngest nephews are staying at our house for 4-5 days while their parents and other siblings run a booth at a homeschool conference. Right now I'm listening to the almost 4 year old read a kitty story to his 2-year-old brother.  So sweet! :)

This week the same blog that did the interview about me last week is doing a giveaway. If you've never read the Triple Creek Ranch books and would like to know what an 11-year-old thinks of them, or even if you have read them and still want to know, head over to Kristy's Cottage and watch the video review her daughter did about it. (Sorry, the giveaway is only open to residents of the continental United States.)

All right, here you are. The story you have been waiting for. Well, at least the first part of it. :) This is the start of the new Graham Quartet mystery, and I hope you'll help me out. I need any and all questions, ideas, suggestions, things you want to know, and anything else you can think of. Part 2 should be coming next week.

Enjoy!

Part 1

    The air was warm and heavy. Only a faint breeze whispered through the few trees and stirred the brightly colored flowers on the slope.
    “Matt, are you sure we should keep going this way?” fourteen-year-old Selena asked, pushing back her brown hair from her hot face and glancing around at the lonely, uninhabited stretch of shoreline.
    “This is the way Joe Blow went, Selena,” Matt replied.
    “I know, but–”
    “We don’t want to lose the trail, Selena,” Tim, who was thirteen, interrupted his older sister quickly, his eyes sparkling.
    “But Matt,” Selena stopped where she was and grabbed her brother’s arm. Her voice lowered to a mere whisper, “What if we meet him?”
    There was a long pause, even the wind stopped blowing and the waves washing up against the rocky shore seemed to hush their noise. The sun, which hadn’t yet reached the center of the heavens, shone hotly down from the pale sky on the four siblings as they looked at each other.
    “Well,” Matt said at last, “I suppose we can just try to act normal. We are exploring the shore, aren’t we?”
    Elsa, the oldest of the group, nodded slowly, “But what if he’s seen us following him before?”
    A breath of air stirred the grasses, and Selena gave a start as something brushed against her leg. “And no one knows where we went this morning,” she reminded the others, scratching her leg.
    With a slight frown, Matt looked from his sisters to the slight hill before them. “Before we go back, I want to see the building that Joe stopped at. I think it’s just over this rise.”
    “Yeah,” Tim put in, eager to be off again. “He’s probably not even there since it’s morning. Come on.”
    Nodding, Elsa agreed.
    “Selena?” Matt turned to his younger sister. He knew she didn’t get scared very easily, but he didn’t want to go forward unless they were all in agreement.
    “Just to the building?” she asked.
    Matt nodded.
    “All right.”
    In moments the old building came into view. It was drab in color, and the weathered sides gave mute evidence of long years of neglect. The front faced the water, greenish-grey near the shore and deepening to a darker shade farther out. An old wooden walkway, almost like a dock, encased the building’s front and part of its sides, seeming to invite a boat to tie up for a visit.
    “That place looks old,” Tim remarked as the four young people stopped to survey the land before them.
    “Sure does,” agreed Matt. “I don’t see any sign of ‘him’. Let’s go down and take a look at the building.”
    “Do you think it’s safe?” Elsa asked.
    No one answered. There was no movement about the house or anywhere along the shore that spoke of human life. The entire place felt deserted. Beckoning to the others to follow, Matt led the way down the slope and across the grassy, flower lined shore. Every eye was open, every ear turned to the slightest change in sound, every nerve was tingling with excitement and a sense of unspoken danger.
    “You would certainly have a hard time sneaking up on this place,” Tim breathed. “Everything is open except for those few trees.”
    “Quite a change from home, huh?” Matt didn’t take his eyes off the weathered building before them.
    Reaching the walkway, they paused. Tim hurried over and pressed his face to a window, trying to peer in through the layers of dust and grime it had accumulated. “I don’t think anyone’s been here,” he said. “At least, I can’t see anything.”
    “I doubt you could see anything through that window even if there was anything to see. I’m going to try out the walkway.” And Matt started forward onto the rickety looking planking which stretched over the edge of the water.
    Looking down at the waves washing around the pilings, Selena gave a quick shiver. “Matt, be careful,” she called. “It might not be safe.”
    “Well, if it’s not, we’ll soon find out,” was the calm reply as Matt rounded the corner of the building and disappeared from sight. The sound of heavy steps was heard moments later and then Matt reappeared. “Yep, it seems pretty solid in most places. A few of the planks are loose, but I don’t think anything’s going to give under our weight unless we all jump on it at once. Come on.”
    Needing no urging, Tim quickly joined his brother while Elsa followed with slower steps. Selena remained were she was. “Selena, aren’t you coming?” Elsa paused to ask over her shoulder.
    “No, thanks. I’m going to stay here on solid ground.” She turned to smell the tall yellow flowers which were growing in profusion.
    Out on the walkway, Matt and Tim moved from window to window. “Bother!” Tim sighed. “I was wanting to go inside an look around, but the door is locked and the windows are so dirty we can’t see a thing!”
    “I know,” his brother replied. “But I guess that means our mystery man didn’t stay here.” Matt turned to gaze out over the vast expanse of Lake Michigan. “It sure is something out there today, isn’t it, Elsa? Say, where’s Selena?”
    Nodding back towards the shore, Elsa replied, “She stayed there. I don’t think she’s too keen about the idea of trusting herself to this walkway. You know she didn’t really like going out on the pier the other day and only went because Lieutenant Ashwood promised her it was safe.”
    Matt frowned. “I’d forgotten. Maybe I should go join her. I’m not sure I like–”
    His words were interrupted by an exclamation from Tim. “Matt! It opens!”
    Whirling around, Matt and Elsa saw the door of the building swinging silently open.
    “What did you do?” demanded Matt, rushing over to join his brother.
    Tim shook his head. “I don’t know. I thought something about the latch seemed strange–”

Well, what did you think?

Would you like Part 2 next week?

Any ideas, questions or anything for me?