The Murders of Cozy Hollow

Chapter 13 - The Stew

Amy Small rang the old doorbell several times but no one answered. She'd seen some dim glows upstairs but the ground floor was without light. She'd made her way to the Stone house as soon as she could feed and gather up Sophia. A little worried, she used her realtor key to open the front door. Sophia followed her mother inside the dark foyer. Amy found the switch to the chandelier and illuminated the downstairs.

"Joe?? Will??" Amy called out. "Tank??"

No answer.

"I think they're upstairs," said Sophia. "Can I go check?"

"No, stay with me for now. Come, let's look in the kitchen."

The history of the gothic house was never far from her thoughts. Amy dragged her daughter firmly by the hand and entered the unlit kitchen. The wonderful smell of a pot simmering with freshly cooked food hit her senses.

"That smells good," said Sophia.

"It certainly does."

Amy flicked on the light to find a large pot over low gaslit flames on the stove. She took a pot holder from the counter and peeked inside the lid. It was a full pot of seafood stew ready to be served. She could smell the unique combination of of seasonings. Had two young boys really cooked a gourmet pot of stew on their own? Maybe a neighbor had brought it over. Amy needed to find the boys.

***

Ed and Frank stood together outside the pool fence after the others joined the search for Chrissy.

"How long do you want to keep these folks out searching tonight?" asked Frank.

"Maybe a few more hours," said Ed. "Then we call it off until first light. The hope is that she'll still turn up unharmed."

"I'm not so sure. It's not how things usually turn out around here."

"Why do people keep raising daughters in a place where girls go missing?"

"Once Cozy Hollow gets a hold of you, it's hard to leave. It has its draw."

"I think I'm starting to feel it myself."

"Good, I need you around. If those skulls and bikes you found today turn out to be what we think they are and not somebody playing games with us, everything has changed."

"I'm gonna ask the obvious question," said Ed. "Is it Thaddeus Beaumont?"

"Back from the dead?"

"We don't know if he died, right? He could've lived a quiet life in some small town up in Maine or somewhere. Maybe every once and awhile he comes back and pays Cozy Hollow a visit."

"I don't buy it. He'd be in his eighties."

"Maybe we're witnessing his final act."

"You're barking up the wrong tree."

"Was Thaddeus a thin man by any chance?"

"Thad is dead. I know it in my old bones. Come, let's go talk to Chrissy's folks."

Ed decided to back off. He'd struck a nerve with the old Sheriff. He just wasn't sure which nerve he'd struck.

***

Amy had to talk herself into climbing the staircase to investigate upstairs. Excited with no fear, Sophia scurried up the stairs ahead of her mother to go find Will and Joe. She liked her new friends and loved their big dog even more. By that time, Amy had turned on every light switch she could find. The bedroom with light emanating from under the door was Joe's. Sophia started banging on the locked door.