| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted January 26, 2022 | Chapters: |
...7 8 -9- 10... 
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Behind the scenes
A chapter in the book Vanished
Vanished - Chap 9
by Begin Again
"Sebastian, she's—she's real, right?" She stared at the tall weeds where the woman had disappeared. "We gotta tell someone besides Grandma."
Sebastian jumped up and down and barked as if he'd understood the importance of the conversation as Annie gathered up her book and the red shirt. She wore a quizzical look as she stared at the shirt.
"Sebastian, this shirt is the same as the one in my book. That's sort of weird, don't you think?" Just as quickly, her young mind shifted gears. "I never met a ghost before, but she's nice. Wonder what she meant about Garth."
Her eyes traveled to her grandmother's marker. "Grandma, we got important stuff to do, so Sebastian and I gotta go. I sure wish you were here to talk about this, but I know God had a reason to call you home. Sebastian and I sure miss you." She tossed a quick wave, and the two comrades ran across the field toward home.
Outside the winery, Liz, Barrett, and Darryl were having a discussion when Sebastian's loud barks and Annie's yelling drew their attention as they ran down the driveway.
"We saw her. You're not going to believe it." Annie was breathless as she gasped for air. "She's—"
"Annie, calm down." Liz snapped. "You've been told not to interrupt adults when they're busy."
"But it's import—" Darryl knew their conversation had upset Liz, and he wanted to protect the young girl, so he interrupted her by swinging her in the air and twirling her around.
"Liz is kind of busy, sweetie. You better go get cleaned up." He picked a few stray weeds from her hair. "Did you forget there's a party tonight?"
"No, but I gotta tell someone. She said—" Darryl carefully set her feet on the ground, and Sebastian jumped on the two of them, barking and wanting to play as well.
"Annie, please." Liz exhaled and rolled her eyes at the trio. "Darryl, you certainly aren't helping."
"We got this, Liz. We can't do anything right at this moment. So how about Barret bathes Sebastian??" The ranch hand's mouth dropped open at Darryl's suggestion, but he bent and ruffled the hair on top of the dog's head. "Annie can go get cleaned up, and I'm sure you have plenty to do for the party." Darryl smiled at her. "And of course, I'll give a few of the other ranches a call and see if they've seen any strange things happening. Okay?"
A half-smile was all Liz could offer Darryl. "I suppose you're right if you promise to make some calls."
"I said I would, didn't I? I'm headed to do it right now." Darryl whistled at Sebastian. "Come on, boy. Let's go, Barret, no time to be standing around." Hoping Liz would cool down, he started toward the barn.
Annie raced after him and tugged on his arm. "Darryl, I gotta tell you about today. It's important."
The foreman stopped and knelt in front of Annie. "Your Aunt Liz is upset, and unless you want her to be losing her temper, I suspect you should hightail it inside and get cleaned up. Whatever you have to tell me can wait."
"But it's impor—"
"I imagine it is, but I promise you can tell me later." He stood as he heard voices coming from the rose garden. Hank and Emmy had finally arrived and were waving to everyone.
"Haaank! Emmy!" Annie squealed and raced across the grass to greet them. She squeezed her tiny arms around Hank. "I thought you'd never get here."
Liz and Darryl joined the hug-fest and exchanged excited hellos before Liz interjected, "Come on. I know how you love your coffee, Hank. I'll get a pot brewing." She turned to Darryl. "I hate to be the mean one, but you've got calls to make, and Annie needs to get cleaned up."
Darryl nodded. "I'll see you tonight, Hank and Emmy. We can catch up then. The boss here is a real slave driver today." He shook Hank's hand and laughed. "Better watch out. She's been carrying Jack's gun lately."
Remembering her mom and Liz with the gun, Annie's words tumbled out of her mouth. "Yeah, Aunt Liz and mommy saw—."
"Annie!" It was unusual for Liz to snap at the child, but her nerves were on edge today. Today was her first big party at the ranch, and she still had a business to run. It was overwhelming. She softened the tone of her voice. "Annie, I've asked you to please go inside several times."
Faith entered the rose garden from the kitchen, gave her young daughter one of her "you better do as you're told looks," and then greeted their guests as warmly as everyone else had done. "I put a pot of coffee on. It should be ready about now."
"Oh, Faith, you look so good." Emmy hugged her. "How are you doing?"
"I'm much better, thank you." She smiled at Hank and Emmy. "I owe you my life."
Hank shook his head. "No, it was a team effort, and we're all so happy to have you here with us. I imagine you and Liz have been catching up on a lot while we were all in Savannah."
The two sisters' eyes met briefly, and they both smiled. Discovering your twin sister after thirty years was a precious gift for the two of them, yet it still felt strange.
Out for his daily walk, Michael circled the pond, resting at his favorite spot beneath an oak tree at the water's edge. His thoughts drifted to his first days in Napa Valley, secretly mining on Sweet Haven's property, discovering gold nuggets, and meeting Annie and Sebastian. He couldn't have imagined how life would change so drastically from the first day he'd arrived at his Aunt Cynthia's doorstep.
Now she was gone, and her small piece of land belonged to him. It wasn't his accustomed New York City style of living, but the serenity, friendship, and lifestyle of Napa Valley had grown on him until he couldn't imagine returning to the big city life. Instead, he'd begun dabbling in his aunt's research, reading, and learning new things about his new home and surroundings.
Dozing as he sprawled on the grass, a woman's cry startled Michael. He rolled over and listened as he surveyed the area. Then he thought he heard something again.
He jumped to his feet and waited. He decided he'd been dreaming when he heard the muffled cry once more.
Michael called out, "Hello." He waited a few moments and called again. "Annie, is that you? Trying to sneak up on me, are you?" Thinking Annie and Sebastian were playing again, he walked into the wildflowers and tall grasses, looking for the child. "Come on, Annie. I give up. Come out."
When she didn't answer, he raised his voice and yelled, "Annie. Sebastian. I see you. Here I come." He hoped the little girl would come out.
Expecting the giggling and barking of his two friends, the sound of a car engine startled him. Blocked by tall weeds and trees, he could barely see the green canvas top of a vehicle sitting in the distance, near the old service road. It sounded like doors slamming, and seconds later, he heard more than saw something race down the drive.
An icy chill spread through his body as the sound brought back memories of Annie's kidnapping. He needed to tell Darryl or someone. He did not know who or what was up there, but it was trespassing and couldn't be good.
In a hurry to get back to the ranch and with no pathway to follow, his hands swung wide, swatting the tall grasses out of his way. Rocks of all sizes hid from view, and in his haste, his foot connected with one, and he stumbled face-first to the ground. Cursing at his predicament, he sat up, brushing pieces of debris from his face and hair.
From his position on the ground, he noticed the trampled flowers and grasses in front of him. Michael stood and edged toward the open area, his mind whirling.
Is this where the trespassers had been? Or had Annie and Sebastian been romping through the grasses earlier?
The city slicker part of him said he should tell Darryl, but the late-night reading of his aunt's investigations nagged him to look a little further. Since he'd heard the vehicle speed away, Michael decided a quick peek should be okay.
Watching his step this time, he moved through the trampled grasses and stopped, gasping, "Oh my God, what's happened here?"
"Sebastian, she's—she's real, right?" She stared at the tall weeds where the woman had disappeared. "We gotta tell someone besides Grandma."
Sebastian jumped up and down and barked as if he'd understood the importance of the conversation as Annie gathered up her book and the red shirt. She wore a quizzical look as she stared at the shirt.
"Sebastian, this shirt is the same as the one in my book. That's sort of weird, don't you think?" Just as quickly, her young mind shifted gears. "I never met a ghost before, but she's nice. Wonder what she meant about Garth."
Her eyes traveled to her grandmother's marker. "Grandma, we got important stuff to do, so Sebastian and I gotta go. I sure wish you were here to talk about this, but I know God had a reason to call you home. Sebastian and I sure miss you." She tossed a quick wave, and the two comrades ran across the field toward home.
Outside the winery, Liz, Barrett, and Darryl were having a discussion when Sebastian's loud barks and Annie's yelling drew their attention as they ran down the driveway.
"We saw her. You're not going to believe it." Annie was breathless as she gasped for air. "She's—"
"Annie, calm down." Liz snapped. "You've been told not to interrupt adults when they're busy."
"But it's import—" Darryl knew their conversation had upset Liz, and he wanted to protect the young girl, so he interrupted her by swinging her in the air and twirling her around.
"Liz is kind of busy, sweetie. You better go get cleaned up." He picked a few stray weeds from her hair. "Did you forget there's a party tonight?"
"No, but I gotta tell someone. She said—" Darryl carefully set her feet on the ground, and Sebastian jumped on the two of them, barking and wanting to play as well.
"Annie, please." Liz exhaled and rolled her eyes at the trio. "Darryl, you certainly aren't helping."
"We got this, Liz. We can't do anything right at this moment. So how about Barret bathes Sebastian??" The ranch hand's mouth dropped open at Darryl's suggestion, but he bent and ruffled the hair on top of the dog's head. "Annie can go get cleaned up, and I'm sure you have plenty to do for the party." Darryl smiled at her. "And of course, I'll give a few of the other ranches a call and see if they've seen any strange things happening. Okay?"
A half-smile was all Liz could offer Darryl. "I suppose you're right if you promise to make some calls."
"I said I would, didn't I? I'm headed to do it right now." Darryl whistled at Sebastian. "Come on, boy. Let's go, Barret, no time to be standing around." Hoping Liz would cool down, he started toward the barn.
Annie raced after him and tugged on his arm. "Darryl, I gotta tell you about today. It's important."
The foreman stopped and knelt in front of Annie. "Your Aunt Liz is upset, and unless you want her to be losing her temper, I suspect you should hightail it inside and get cleaned up. Whatever you have to tell me can wait."
"But it's impor—"
"I imagine it is, but I promise you can tell me later." He stood as he heard voices coming from the rose garden. Hank and Emmy had finally arrived and were waving to everyone.
"Haaank! Emmy!" Annie squealed and raced across the grass to greet them. She squeezed her tiny arms around Hank. "I thought you'd never get here."
Liz and Darryl joined the hug-fest and exchanged excited hellos before Liz interjected, "Come on. I know how you love your coffee, Hank. I'll get a pot brewing." She turned to Darryl. "I hate to be the mean one, but you've got calls to make, and Annie needs to get cleaned up."
Darryl nodded. "I'll see you tonight, Hank and Emmy. We can catch up then. The boss here is a real slave driver today." He shook Hank's hand and laughed. "Better watch out. She's been carrying Jack's gun lately."
Remembering her mom and Liz with the gun, Annie's words tumbled out of her mouth. "Yeah, Aunt Liz and mommy saw—."
"Annie!" It was unusual for Liz to snap at the child, but her nerves were on edge today. Today was her first big party at the ranch, and she still had a business to run. It was overwhelming. She softened the tone of her voice. "Annie, I've asked you to please go inside several times."
Faith entered the rose garden from the kitchen, gave her young daughter one of her "you better do as you're told looks," and then greeted their guests as warmly as everyone else had done. "I put a pot of coffee on. It should be ready about now."
"Oh, Faith, you look so good." Emmy hugged her. "How are you doing?"
"I'm much better, thank you." She smiled at Hank and Emmy. "I owe you my life."
Hank shook his head. "No, it was a team effort, and we're all so happy to have you here with us. I imagine you and Liz have been catching up on a lot while we were all in Savannah."
The two sisters' eyes met briefly, and they both smiled. Discovering your twin sister after thirty years was a precious gift for the two of them, yet it still felt strange.
Out for his daily walk, Michael circled the pond, resting at his favorite spot beneath an oak tree at the water's edge. His thoughts drifted to his first days in Napa Valley, secretly mining on Sweet Haven's property, discovering gold nuggets, and meeting Annie and Sebastian. He couldn't have imagined how life would change so drastically from the first day he'd arrived at his Aunt Cynthia's doorstep.
Now she was gone, and her small piece of land belonged to him. It wasn't his accustomed New York City style of living, but the serenity, friendship, and lifestyle of Napa Valley had grown on him until he couldn't imagine returning to the big city life. Instead, he'd begun dabbling in his aunt's research, reading, and learning new things about his new home and surroundings.
Dozing as he sprawled on the grass, a woman's cry startled Michael. He rolled over and listened as he surveyed the area. Then he thought he heard something again.
He jumped to his feet and waited. He decided he'd been dreaming when he heard the muffled cry once more.
Michael called out, "Hello." He waited a few moments and called again. "Annie, is that you? Trying to sneak up on me, are you?" Thinking Annie and Sebastian were playing again, he walked into the wildflowers and tall grasses, looking for the child. "Come on, Annie. I give up. Come out."
When she didn't answer, he raised his voice and yelled, "Annie. Sebastian. I see you. Here I come." He hoped the little girl would come out.
Expecting the giggling and barking of his two friends, the sound of a car engine startled him. Blocked by tall weeds and trees, he could barely see the green canvas top of a vehicle sitting in the distance, near the old service road. It sounded like doors slamming, and seconds later, he heard more than saw something race down the drive.
An icy chill spread through his body as the sound brought back memories of Annie's kidnapping. He needed to tell Darryl or someone. He did not know who or what was up there, but it was trespassing and couldn't be good.
In a hurry to get back to the ranch and with no pathway to follow, his hands swung wide, swatting the tall grasses out of his way. Rocks of all sizes hid from view, and in his haste, his foot connected with one, and he stumbled face-first to the ground. Cursing at his predicament, he sat up, brushing pieces of debris from his face and hair.
From his position on the ground, he noticed the trampled flowers and grasses in front of him. Michael stood and edged toward the open area, his mind whirling.
Is this where the trespassers had been? Or had Annie and Sebastian been romping through the grasses earlier?
The city slicker part of him said he should tell Darryl, but the late-night reading of his aunt's investigations nagged him to look a little further. Since he'd heard the vehicle speed away, Michael decided a quick peek should be okay.
Watching his step this time, he moved through the trampled grasses and stopped, gasping, "Oh my God, what's happened here?"
Sebastian jumped up and down and barked as if he'd understood the importance of the conversation as Annie gathered up her book and the red shirt. She wore a quizzical look as she stared at the shirt.
"Sebastian, this shirt is the same as the one in my book. That's sort of weird, don't you think?" Just as quickly, her young mind shifted gears. "I never met a ghost before, but she's nice. Wonder what she meant about Garth."
Her eyes traveled to her grandmother's marker. "Grandma, we got important stuff to do, so Sebastian and I gotta go. I sure wish you were here to talk about this, but I know God had a reason to call you home. Sebastian and I sure miss you." She tossed a quick wave, and the two comrades ran across the field toward home.
Outside the winery, Liz, Barrett, and Darryl were having a discussion when Sebastian's loud barks and Annie's yelling drew their attention as they ran down the driveway.
"We saw her. You're not going to believe it." Annie was breathless as she gasped for air. "She's—"
"Annie, calm down." Liz snapped. "You've been told not to interrupt adults when they're busy."
"But it's import—" Darryl knew their conversation had upset Liz, and he wanted to protect the young girl, so he interrupted her by swinging her in the air and twirling her around.
"Liz is kind of busy, sweetie. You better go get cleaned up." He picked a few stray weeds from her hair. "Did you forget there's a party tonight?"
"No, but I gotta tell someone. She said—" Darryl carefully set her feet on the ground, and Sebastian jumped on the two of them, barking and wanting to play as well.
"Annie, please." Liz exhaled and rolled her eyes at the trio. "Darryl, you certainly aren't helping."
"We got this, Liz. We can't do anything right at this moment. So how about Barret bathes Sebastian??" The ranch hand's mouth dropped open at Darryl's suggestion, but he bent and ruffled the hair on top of the dog's head. "Annie can go get cleaned up, and I'm sure you have plenty to do for the party." Darryl smiled at her. "And of course, I'll give a few of the other ranches a call and see if they've seen any strange things happening. Okay?"
A half-smile was all Liz could offer Darryl. "I suppose you're right if you promise to make some calls."
"I said I would, didn't I? I'm headed to do it right now." Darryl whistled at Sebastian. "Come on, boy. Let's go, Barret, no time to be standing around." Hoping Liz would cool down, he started toward the barn.
Annie raced after him and tugged on his arm. "Darryl, I gotta tell you about today. It's important."
The foreman stopped and knelt in front of Annie. "Your Aunt Liz is upset, and unless you want her to be losing her temper, I suspect you should hightail it inside and get cleaned up. Whatever you have to tell me can wait."
"But it's impor—"
"I imagine it is, but I promise you can tell me later." He stood as he heard voices coming from the rose garden. Hank and Emmy had finally arrived and were waving to everyone.
"Haaank! Emmy!" Annie squealed and raced across the grass to greet them. She squeezed her tiny arms around Hank. "I thought you'd never get here."
Liz and Darryl joined the hug-fest and exchanged excited hellos before Liz interjected, "Come on. I know how you love your coffee, Hank. I'll get a pot brewing." She turned to Darryl. "I hate to be the mean one, but you've got calls to make, and Annie needs to get cleaned up."
Darryl nodded. "I'll see you tonight, Hank and Emmy. We can catch up then. The boss here is a real slave driver today." He shook Hank's hand and laughed. "Better watch out. She's been carrying Jack's gun lately."
Remembering her mom and Liz with the gun, Annie's words tumbled out of her mouth. "Yeah, Aunt Liz and mommy saw—."
"Annie!" It was unusual for Liz to snap at the child, but her nerves were on edge today. Today was her first big party at the ranch, and she still had a business to run. It was overwhelming. She softened the tone of her voice. "Annie, I've asked you to please go inside several times."
Faith entered the rose garden from the kitchen, gave her young daughter one of her "you better do as you're told looks," and then greeted their guests as warmly as everyone else had done. "I put a pot of coffee on. It should be ready about now."
"Oh, Faith, you look so good." Emmy hugged her. "How are you doing?"
"I'm much better, thank you." She smiled at Hank and Emmy. "I owe you my life."
Hank shook his head. "No, it was a team effort, and we're all so happy to have you here with us. I imagine you and Liz have been catching up on a lot while we were all in Savannah."
The two sisters' eyes met briefly, and they both smiled. Discovering your twin sister after thirty years was a precious gift for the two of them, yet it still felt strange.
Out for his daily walk, Michael circled the pond, resting at his favorite spot beneath an oak tree at the water's edge. His thoughts drifted to his first days in Napa Valley, secretly mining on Sweet Haven's property, discovering gold nuggets, and meeting Annie and Sebastian. He couldn't have imagined how life would change so drastically from the first day he'd arrived at his Aunt Cynthia's doorstep.
Now she was gone, and her small piece of land belonged to him. It wasn't his accustomed New York City style of living, but the serenity, friendship, and lifestyle of Napa Valley had grown on him until he couldn't imagine returning to the big city life. Instead, he'd begun dabbling in his aunt's research, reading, and learning new things about his new home and surroundings.
Dozing as he sprawled on the grass, a woman's cry startled Michael. He rolled over and listened as he surveyed the area. Then he thought he heard something again.
He jumped to his feet and waited. He decided he'd been dreaming when he heard the muffled cry once more.
Michael called out, "Hello." He waited a few moments and called again. "Annie, is that you? Trying to sneak up on me, are you?" Thinking Annie and Sebastian were playing again, he walked into the wildflowers and tall grasses, looking for the child. "Come on, Annie. I give up. Come out."
When she didn't answer, he raised his voice and yelled, "Annie. Sebastian. I see you. Here I come." He hoped the little girl would come out.
Expecting the giggling and barking of his two friends, the sound of a car engine startled him. Blocked by tall weeds and trees, he could barely see the green canvas top of a vehicle sitting in the distance, near the old service road. It sounded like doors slamming, and seconds later, he heard more than saw something race down the drive.
An icy chill spread through his body as the sound brought back memories of Annie's kidnapping. He needed to tell Darryl or someone. He did not know who or what was up there, but it was trespassing and couldn't be good.
In a hurry to get back to the ranch and with no pathway to follow, his hands swung wide, swatting the tall grasses out of his way. Rocks of all sizes hid from view, and in his haste, his foot connected with one, and he stumbled face-first to the ground. Cursing at his predicament, he sat up, brushing pieces of debris from his face and hair.
From his position on the ground, he noticed the trampled flowers and grasses in front of him. Michael stood and edged toward the open area, his mind whirling.
Is this where the trespassers had been? Or had Annie and Sebastian been romping through the grasses earlier?
The city slicker part of him said he should tell Darryl, but the late-night reading of his aunt's investigations nagged him to look a little further. Since he'd heard the vehicle speed away, Michael decided a quick peek should be okay.
Watching his step this time, he moved through the trampled grasses and stopped, gasping, "Oh my God, what's happened here?"
 Recognized |
Garth Woodman, FBI Agent and Allie's love interest
Alyssa Shelton, Investigative Journalist and Liz's best friend
Elizabeth (Liz) McKinley, widow, owner of Sweet Haven and twin sister to Faith
Faith Cranston-Newton, recovering cancer patient and mother to Annie
Annie Cranston-Newton, Faith's precocious young daughter
Sebastian, a St. Bernard and Annie's sidekick
Mary Hunter, Liz and Faith's deceased mother and Annie's grandmother
Hank and Emmy Armato, retired detectives and current Private Investigators
Tango and Poppa, Garth's top FBI Agents
Sheriff Diego Ortiz, Napa Valley's law enforcement
Cassidy Rotello, rescued victim of a solved drug crime and friend
Michael Lansing, neighbor to Sweet Haven Winery (Liz's home)
Darryl Pennington, Long time Estate Forman at Sweet Haven Estates
Miguel Sanchez, the former vineyard supervisor, currently residing in jail
Mason Caldwell, recently deceased drug and crime boss in Napa Valley
Father Tobias, a priest, recently assigned to Hayden's notorious church
Barrett O'Brien, an eager newly hired employee at Sweet Haven Estates
MJ Cichella, Writer and Director and honored guest for Napa Valley's first film festival
Sandra Pepper, a well-to-do woman new in town, aka Samantha FBI
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Alyssa Shelton, Investigative Journalist and Liz's best friend
Elizabeth (Liz) McKinley, widow, owner of Sweet Haven and twin sister to Faith
Faith Cranston-Newton, recovering cancer patient and mother to Annie
Annie Cranston-Newton, Faith's precocious young daughter
Sebastian, a St. Bernard and Annie's sidekick
Mary Hunter, Liz and Faith's deceased mother and Annie's grandmother
Hank and Emmy Armato, retired detectives and current Private Investigators
Tango and Poppa, Garth's top FBI Agents
Sheriff Diego Ortiz, Napa Valley's law enforcement
Cassidy Rotello, rescued victim of a solved drug crime and friend
Michael Lansing, neighbor to Sweet Haven Winery (Liz's home)
Darryl Pennington, Long time Estate Forman at Sweet Haven Estates
Miguel Sanchez, the former vineyard supervisor, currently residing in jail
Mason Caldwell, recently deceased drug and crime boss in Napa Valley
Father Tobias, a priest, recently assigned to Hayden's notorious church
Barrett O'Brien, an eager newly hired employee at Sweet Haven Estates
MJ Cichella, Writer and Director and honored guest for Napa Valley's first film festival
Sandra Pepper, a well-to-do woman new in town, aka Samantha FBI
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