“Not really,” Caro said in a tone that clearly meant Audrey was part of this. She’d gathered all the articles and had given them to Caro for a reason. Did Audrey know about Caro’s forays into investigation work?
“I’m happy to share my concerns with Audrey,” Sadie said, “but if you’re thinking of trying to investigate this disappearance, you’ll have to count me out.” She smiled in hopes of softening her words, though she meant every one of them. “Most people who know my history don’t believe it, but I don’t go looking for mysteries to solve—especially now. I have a wedding to plan, and you know what happened on that cruise. I realize that this is a difficult time for the people who cared about Dr. Hendricks, but I’m really not interested in pursuing this, Caro, I’m sorry.”
Caro bit her lip while looking at the pile of papers in her lap; her disappointment was impossible to ignore. Sadie felt bad shooting Caro down, but she had told her the truth and so refrained from apologizing again.
“What if . . .” Caro started just as the silence was becoming awkward.
Sadie waited for her to continue, but Caro seemed to be thinking hard about what to say, or perhaps, whether to say it at all. Caro couldn’t know what her delays did for Sadie’s curiosity, which was growing by the moment. What if Dr. Hendricks did have a reason to disappear?
Sadie prompted Caro to finish her thought. “What if, what?”
Caro looked up from the articles she was holding tight in her hands and met Sadie’s eyes, a distinctly guilty look on her face. “What if I already found something?”
Acknowledgments
In May 2012, I found a fabulous deal on an Alaskan cruise, I asked my husband if he wanted to go, and he said “Heck yeah!” We cruised the Inside Passage in June, and then I pretty much put this book off until September. The cruise made all the difference in helping this story come together, and Debi and Shirley, of Sweet Mermaids, made my day when they agreed to let me print their recipe for Salmon and Red Potato Chowder, which truly was the best meal I had that whole week; that is saying a lot since the cruise had fabulous food. Big thanks to them for inspiring the end of this story and for letting me share their recipe with my readers.
The other recipes were finely tuned by my amazing test kitchen: Danyelle Ferguson (Chef Ferguson’s Stuffed Mushrooms), Don Carey, Katie Kennedy, Megan O’Neill, Lisa Swinton, Sandra Sorenson (Sandra’s Sweet and Sour Sauce), Whit Larsen, Annie Funk, and Laree Ipson. These guys are simply amazing, and I owe them so much for making the recipe portion of this book possible. My sister, Crystal White, donated the caramel popcorn recipe, my friend Kara Monroe let me use her delicious bread pudding recipe, Becki Clayson gave me her recipe for glazed salmon, and Sara Wells and Kate Jones of Our Best Bites generously allowed me to use their recipe for Lemon-Zucchini Fettuccine. Thanks, ladies, I so appreciate your help.
I am so grateful for my writing group: Becki Clayson, Ronda Hinrichsen (Betrayed, Covenant, 2014), Jody Durfee (Hadley, Hadley Bensen, Covenant, 2013), and Nancy Campbell Allen (The Grecian Princess, book three in the Isabelle Webb series, Covenant, 2013). They are absolutely priceless both in the critique process as well as the necessary brainstorming that goes into each story. Thank you also to Crystal White and Jenny Moore for beta-reading this story. And a big thanks to Gregg Luke for giving me a method for murder.
Thanks goes to the staff at Shadow Mountain for all their hard work to turn my words into an actual book: Jana Erickson, product director; Lisa Mangum (After Hello, Shadow Mountain, 2012), editor; Malina Grigg and Rachael Ward, typesetters; and Shauna Gibby, designer. They make me look and sound so good.
Thank you to my friends and family who cheer me on, my readers who keep wanting more, and my writing networks that enhance the writing experience so much.
The foundation for my ability to do what I do is my amazing husband and fabulous children. Thank you for being nothing short of wonderful. Each one of you are such a blessing in my life. I thank God for you each day.
Author's Note
Sweet Mermaids is an actual café located on Front Street in Ketchikan, Alaska, that opened for business on April 4, 2011. The owners, Debi Hanas and Shirley Solaas, were awarded the Rotary Club Business of the Year for Ketchikan 2012 for their Spirit of Entrepreneurship.
My husband and I ate at their cute café during our port stop in Ketchikan and got very close to embarrassing ourselves due to the “Mmm”s and “This is so good” that we kept batting back and forth across our bowls of their delicious chowder. Following the cruise, I contacted Debi and Shirley about the possibility of using that recipe, telling myself that the worst they could say was “No.” Imagine my excitement when, instead, they said “Yes.”
If you ever find yourself on the beautiful island of Ketchikan, I highly recommend stopping in at their establishment. They take great pride in what they do, and it shows in every bite.
You can find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Mermaids.
About the Author
Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her husband and children.
For more information about Josi, you can visit her website at www.josiskilpack.com, read her blog at www.josikilpack.blogspot.com, or contact her via e-mail at Kilpack@gmail.com.
It’d be a crime to miss the rest of the series by Josi S. Kilpack Available online and at a bookstore near you.
www.shadowmountain.com • www.josiskilpack.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 1
Acknowledgments
Author's Note
About the Author