The Meat of the Matter

2

The next morning, they traveled down to Cleetwood Cove, but took another route up onto the rocky slope that led to the mansion, now there were meshes of fence around the mansion, upon it were growing grape vines, and at the top between two-line wires was barbed wire that was tied up purposefully to have spines at the tips. This was now a touch-me-not house, and how could things just randomly appear? It wouldn't work.

Fischer peered in closer, there were no windows, but someone was tending to the garden. It was a short elderly woman with an endomorph body, a rounded face in which contained wrinkled white skin from age, and in her deep-set sockets were jade-green eyes, she wore a polka-dotted blue-and-white dress that stretched down to her knees, and black leggings. 

It spooked Duncan when the woman turned her oddly calm face to the investigators. "Why, hello, there! What're you doing precariously standing there, dearies, you should never do rash things for attention, now, should we?" she spoke in a slight French accent, and she walked up to the edge of the barbed fence. Fischer drew in a deep breath before speaking, "hello, my name is Lola Fischer, pleased to meet you. We just need to ask a few questions."

Fischer went down from the slope and faced the elderly woman with a stern gaze, but the woman was untouched by Fischer's strictness plated obviously on her face. "Yesterday, we were taking a hike around the cove, pretty neat place...but aside the point," Fischer was engaging with the possible suspicious enemy, and therefore with more comfort, that would establish more personal conversations. "But we saw your house, it's really pretty, by the way, it wasn't surrounded by barbed wire, last time we saw. We just want to ask why, and if anything suspicious is going around the area."

"Why, pardon my husband, he's been on alert since the announcement of the murder of Timari Harrington. See, he was in the military for lots of his life. So potential murders of people around here really spook him. Excuse my manners, my name is Esme Dashiell, pleased to meet you as well. I would invite you in, dearies, you look cold, but Louis doesn't like guests." The woman, named Esme, replied in a welcoming voice. 

"No, it's--" Fischer was interrupted by a massive rumble, then a white strike hit the rocks of Raven Ridge, and a sudden powerful snowstorm drifted across the national park, from the lake winds it was even more intense. "Oh, dear. This thundersnow will surely make you freeze. Stay warm, dearies," Esme ran over into the back door, and Fischer looked at Werner and Duncan, and she was thinking the same thing as them.

Esme must have been a witness to Timari's murder, and possibly she knew where the body of the young woman was. It was an unspoken gut feeling that all agreed upon, but they had gone to their campsite, waiting out the western storm.

***

By the time the storm was beginning to calm into flurries, Fischer, Werner, and Duncan were already out onto the Cleetwood Cove trail. This time they were approachable, wearing comfortable clothes, Fischer was in an ugly Christmas sweater, to reflect an awkward and 'adorkable' personality, while Duncan was quite formal in a button-up gray sweatshirt with white-and-gray striped sleeves and a pale shirt beneath the sweater, Werner reluctantly wore a thin coat with a big scarf around his neck and had sweatpants.

They went down and waited at the mesh. Eventually Esme noticed them and opened her door, this time she was wearing a black flannel with a dark red fringed skirt, and sweatpants. "Oh, hello again, you look as though you've just been sleeping, Lola."

Duncan winced, Fischer hated being called by her first name, especially when that person is merely a stranger, but she just smiled at Esme. "Yeah, the storm's made me drink hot chocolate and dress comfy."

It wasn't the first snow in Crater Lake, early January, and everyone was normal about snowstorms apparently. "Oh, me too, dear. No fretting," Esme walked over to the front of the mesh with her garden shovel with dark, rainy mud at the tip. "Do you need something from me? I'd love to have a visit, but I'm pretty busy right now." Her white-knuckled hands gripped harder at the shovel.

"Well...we want to ask you about the...the murder of Timari Harrington. We...were just wondering if you knew anything about it. Our buddy, Khaled," Fischer patted Duncan on the shoulder, and he knew he had to play along, listening to Fischer's words as she continued, pinpointing how he should act, "has been so scared of the murder he can hardly sleep at night. Such a pity, we just want to know...if you can give him some reassurance."

Esme gazed at Duncan with sympathy as he pretended to yawn, yet he put a fake yet convincing expression of fear upon his face. 

"Well, honey. The murderer must be gone, he must be. Timari is in a better place, and you have super woman to protect you," she glanced at Fischer affectionately. Duncan broke a tiny smile, and it seemed that Esme was believing it. "No need to frighten you, but...you know animals go through this...like...everyday? The same fear you feel now, I know it may not seem like much. But I recommend you be more mindful of that."