Date: 2019-02-27 00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Mystery
Description: Be careful what you wish for. It's been a year since best friends Sam and Ally solved their first mystery at Hollow Inn. They've always wanted to go back and their wishes are answered with another invitation from Sam's aunt and uncle. The mountains of Montana haven't changed, but some things about Hollow Inn have. Nestled deep in the woods are more than just memories. Someone's keeping secrets. Secrets that can get people hurt and threaten the very existence of the inn. Can Sam and Ally once again untangle the mysterious past of Hollow Inn? Or will it collide with the present in such a way tha
Publisher: Independently published

RETURN TO HOLLOW INN

Samantha Wolf Mysteries

#10

TARA ELLIS

RETURN TO HOLLOW INN

Copyright © 2019 Tara Ellis

Cover art design Copyright © Melchelle Designs
http://melchelle.designs.com/

Models: Breanna Dahl, Janae Dahl

Photographer: Tara Ellis Photography

Map photo: Vectoreez.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Samantha Wolf Mysteries

1.   The Mystery of Hollow Inn

2.   The Secret of Camp Whispering Pines

3.   The Beach House Mystery

4.   The Heiress of Covington Ranch

5.   The Haunting of Eagle Creek Middle School

6.   A Mysterious Christmas on Orcas Island

7.   The Case of the Curious Canine

8.   The Legend of Shadow Mountain

9.   The Mystery of Old Gully Trail

10. Return to Hollow Inn

11. The Secrets of Sanctuary (TBA)

Find these and Tara’s other titles on her author page at Amazon!

amazon.com/author/taraellis

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

Return to Hollow Inn is a special book for me, since it brings the story full-circle back to where it all began. I started writing The Mystery of Hollow Inn (book #1) when I was only fifteen years old. After some heavy editing and a couple of new chapters, I first published it five years ago. It was originally based on myself and best friend, Lisa. Because of this, revisiting Hollow Inn was a bit nostalgic for me and it was important to me to capture the same feeling as the first book. I hope you feel this new mystery is a classic ‘Sam and Ally’ caper, and have as much fun as I did, following them on their adventure!

A special thank you to Debbie and Annie for all of their help. To Annamarie for being an amazing ARC reader, and my mom, Linda for once again supporting me one chapter at a time!

Sit back, put your feet up, and escape with me to the world of Samantha Wolf!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Samantha Wolf Mysteries

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.  HOLLOW INN REUNION

2.  LOST AND FOUND

3.  YES, MA’AM

4.  CABINS ON THE LAKE

5. COUSIN OF MINE

6.  SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR

7.  STRANGER THINGS

8.  SHADOWS

9.  JACKSON RUN REVELATIONS

10.  COOKED-UP INTENTIONS

11.  STILL A LEGEND

12.  MISSING LANDMARKS

13.  A SOLID PLAN

14.  A TRAIL OF FOLLY

15.   MOUNTING CLUES

16.  NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

17.  RISING STORMS

18.  THE DRAGON’S LAIR

19.  RECONCILIATION

20.  ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

1.  HOLLOW INN REUNION

Tilting her head back, Sam looks up at the majestic Rocky Mountains rising behind Hollow Inn. Her aunt and uncle have spent the past two years renovating the three-story mansion, nestled in the middle of over two hundred private, wooded acres located deep in the mountains of Montana.

Samantha Wolf and her best friend, Allyson Parker, were guests at the inn the summer before, and their visit led to the first mystery they’d ever solved. Sam was afraid the inn might have changed since they were there last, but aside from a new roof and paint, it looks the same.

Aunt Beth rushes down the wide front steps of Hollow Inn, her arms open so she can embrace Sam and Ally at the same time. Sam’s laugh is muffled by her aunt’s shoulder, and she gasps for air as they break apart.

“Hold still for a minute and let me get a good look at you!” Aunt Beth demands, holding Sam by the shoulders at arm’s length. “You must have grown at least two inches this past year. You’ll be taller than me soon!”

Sam beams at her aunt, happy she noticed her most recent growth spurt. She turned thirteen the month before, finally breaking through into the teens with Ally. While Sam has changed in some ways, she still wears her long brown hair in a shoulder-length cut and prefers her favorite blue jeans. Her green eyes flash as her smile widens.

Aunt Beth hasn’t changed at all. Her dark hair is pulled up in a messy bun, and an apron is draped over her casual clothes. She emanates an air of authority and restless energy. In her mid-forties, Beth has a rather round figure but is as strong as an ox.

“And Ally!” Beth says, turning to the smaller, red-haired girl. “You still haven’t caught up to Sam, but I’m quite certain you’re getting taller.”

“I’ve accepted the fact that I’m destined to be short, Mrs. Clark,” Ally answers good-naturedly. “Thank you for inviting us!”

“My only regret is it’s been so long and that your brothers and Cassy couldn’t come with you. And Ally,” Beth continues, “I know it’s been a year, but please drop the formality and call me Aunt Beth, or I might start to believe I’m over forty.”

Sam’s smile falters at the mention of their friends. Closing her eyes, Sam tries to push aside the guilt of leaving her brother Hunter, Ally’s brother John, and their close friend Cassy behind. The boys have football camp this whole week, and Cassy needed to stay and help with the horse ranch she and her sister run. Sam and Ally are working through the summer with Cassy at Covington Ranch, but this week there aren’t any riding classes. Cassy insisted they go to Hollow Inn without her when Sam got the invitation.

Sam opens her eyes when Ally wraps an arm around her shoulders in a familiar gesture. Looking at her best friend, she’s instantly reassured. Ever since their last visit to the Montana estate, they’ve talked about coming back. Although they ended up in trouble when they got carried away solving an old legend, their escapades saved the inn and gave her aunt and uncle the money to complete some much-needed repairs.

“Don’t worry, Sam,” Ally says, giving her a squeeze. “We have most of the summer to hang out with Cassy, and all of us are going camping next month!”

Sam’s smile grows. Ally is referring to a big trip Cassy’s sister is planning for the whole gang. She’s even renting a motor home.

“I’m sorry your Uncle Bill didn’t meet the bus,” Aunt Beth is saying. She motions to the cab driver waiting patiently behind them with their bags. “Just set those on the steps, Eric.” She then waves an arm toward Florence Lake, barely visible in the valley.

“Every Saturday, your uncle hosts a public tour of Hollow Inn. It ends in a BBQ down at the lake. It was done an hour ago, so he’s just cleaning up and will be joining us shortly.”

“But we have to leave next Friday,” Sam replies. “Can we still go on the tour? I remember when Ted came up with the idea. Where is he? I thought he might pick us up like last time.”

Sam had been surprised to see the cab when she and Ally stepped off the bus in the nearby town of Jackson Run. Ted, a teen who’d been working as a handyman on the estate, ended up being a big piece of the Hollow Inn puzzle.

“Want me to charge your account, Mrs. Clark?” the cab driver asks.

“Yes please, Eric. Thank you very much.” Beth waits until he gets back into his vehicle before turning to the girls. “We do a private tour every Monday for our guests, Sam, so you won’t miss out. I’m sorry to say that Ted isn’t working for us this summer. He had to return home a couple of weeks ago to take care of some things, but he said to tell you both hi for him.”

Sam tries to hide her disappointment by gathering up their bags to take inside. “Are we staying in the same rooms?”

“Leave your things there for now,” Beth instructs. Raising a hand to shade the intense late-afternoon sun from her eyes, she looks toward a new gravel road that branches off from the driveway.

Sam follows her gaze and figures the road must lead to the lake and new guest cabins. None of it was there the previous summer and was part of the renovation. The trail through the woods she and Ally used before took over an hour to navigate, so the road made sense.

“Bill should be back any minute with the golf cart so we can load your bags up,” Beth says. When Sam and Ally exchange a questioning look, she opens the front door and steps aside so they can enter. “Come on. Let’s go get a snack, and I’ll explain.”

Stepping inside, Sam feels a small thrill. It’s exactly as she remembers. A large oak staircase fills the main hall, leading to the second floor. The rich wood floors are all freshly waxed and match the wainscoting that adorns most of the walls. The house is filled with intricate, custom woodwork. Aside from the bright and airy kitchen her aunt remodeled, it’s like a portal to the past.

The mansion was built in 1901 by Shawn Hollow for his wife, Florence. Sam and Ally read his journal on their first visit, which was how they had solved the legend. The Hollows had four sons: Christopher, Michael, Thomas, and Joseph. Florence died during Joseph’s birth, which in part led to the ultimate trouble at Hollow Inn. That and a cave-in at the gold mine on the property. It’s boarded up now, and Sam is certain it’s a featured part of the tour.

Leading the way to the right and into the huge country-themed kitchen, Beth claps her hands together. “Girls,” she begins while pulling out bread and fixings for sandwiches. “There’s been a change in plans. I know that before I was against your staying in one of the guest cabins due to the distance from the main house, but I took a new reservation this morning for a family of four. They specifically requested to stay in the mansion, which means giving them your connecting rooms.”

Sam’s excitement surges. “You really mean it, Aunt Beth? We get to stay in one of the new cabins?”

Beth’s eyes flit toward Ally, unsure the other girl shares Sam’s enthusiasm. Ally is the more cautious of the two, and their last visit involved some very real danger.

“We’ll be fine!” Ally is quick to add. “We’ve done lots of camping, and I’m sure we won’t be the only ones down there… right?” Her voice wavers as she considers them being all alone that far out in the woods.

“I would never let you stay in the cabins unsupervised!” Beth counters. “As luck would have it, I’ve got the perfect chaperone. I was extremely fortunate to find out about a woman looking for work the day after Ted left. Her name is Tori Castle, and she’s staying in the caretaker’s cabin. She said she’d be more than happy to keep an eye on you.”

Sam’s wicked imagination instantly conjures up a witchlike image of an old woman with a prominent wart. Laughing at herself, she figures no matter what, if it means getting to stay in a cabin, it’ll be worth it.

“You can move back up here Tuesday if you’d like,” Beth says. “The family is arriving late tonight and leaving Monday afternoon.”

“Can we stay there the whole week if we want?” Sam asks while taking the offered sandwich from her aunt.

Beth chuckles. “Yes, Sam. You’re welcome to say down at the lake so long as you don’t give Tori any grief. Or… your cousin Kevin.”

Sam stops midbite, her food forgotten. “Kevin? Kevin Wolf is here?”

Before her aunt has a chance to explain, a radio attached to her hip squawks to life.

“Beth. Beth, come in. Do you read?”

Beth unclips the radio and replies, “I’m here, Bill. Are you almost back? I have a couple of visitors who would like to see you!”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes, but Beth? There’s a problem. You need to call the sheriff.”

2.  LOST AND FOUND

“The sheriff? Whatever for?” Beth looks at the radio in her hand like it might bite her.

“The Carsons’ little boy went missing on the far side of the lake.” Bill’s voice fades in and out over the rumble of the cart’s motor. “…there in a few minutes… explain then.”

“Well, for heaven’s sake,” Beth mumbles after setting the radio on the kitchen counter. Wiping her hands on her apron, she looks around distractedly before focusing on the fact that she needs to make the phone call. Stomping from the kitchen into the back hall, there are audible clicks as she punches numbers.

Sam knows the old-style phone is the only one located downstairs. They still don’t have either cell service or Wi-Fi but very slow internet dial-up. Her aunt and uncle claim being disconnected is part of the allure of the inn for their guests.

Ally takes another slow bite of her sandwich while sitting quietly on a wooden barstool. They ate a late lunch at one of the stops during the ten-hour bus ride, but that was over three hours ago. She raises her eyebrows at Sam over her glass of milk.

“I don’t know what we should do,” Sam whispers back, her food forgotten. She jumps as the front door bangs open.

“Beth!” a deep voice booms.

Sam meets her uncle at the entrance to the kitchen, giving him a brief hug.

“Sam, good to see you and Ally made it here okay. Sorry for the drama but we’ve got a situation right now that can’t wait. Beth!” he calls again while his large frame lumbers across the kitchen.

Bill’s a big man with broad shoulders and graying hair. Although around fifty, he hasn’t slowed down as far as Sam can tell. He stops at a supply closet near a back door that leads to the sweeping grounds of the inn. Pulling out a backpack, he drops two flashlights inside before going to the fridge to add some bottles of water.

“The sheriff is on his way,” Beth announces upon reentering the kitchen. “But we need to update him with more information as soon as possible. He’ll be here in about forty minutes.”

Turning from the fridge, Bill acknowledges Beth with a nod as he zips the pack up. “Good. You can call him back in a minute, but first I need to know where I put the map of the property.”

“It’s in the office.” Beth motions for her husband to follow as she leads the way back through the foyer and into the den, where an ornate desk takes up a far corner.

Sam scurries after them, grabbing Ally by the arm and pulling her along. Ally crams the last of her sandwich into her mouth to avoid dropping it and nearly falls off the stool.

“Sorry,” Sam whispers, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. She’d like to hear what’s going on and is afraid her aunt will shoo them out of the room. Stopping at the threshold of the den, she eagerly waits while the two adults begin to rifle through the desk.

“I’m almost certain that—ah! Here it is,” Beth exclaims, waving a map in the air. “Now are you going to tell me what happened?”

Bill breathes an audible sigh of relief as he takes the map from his wife. His mouth is set in a grim line, and he gives his head a defeated shake. “The Carsons didn’t think Bailey would sit still long enough for the tour and wanted to take the pedal boat across the lake for a picnic lunch instead.”

“But we haven’t explored the property over there yet,” Beth replies.

“Which is why I asked them to stay near the shore,” Bill counters. “I also had them take one of the two-way radios in case they had any issues. That’s how they got ahold of me. Apparently Bailey managed to wander off while they were loading their things back into the boat.”

“What if he made his way back to the water?” Beth gasps, imagining the worst.

“They’d already buckled his life vest on, and he can’t get it off by himself. They seem fairly certain he went into the woods.” Bill crams the map into an outside pocket on the pack before slinging it over his shoulder. “I’ve got to go. Tori already headed across the lake to go look, but I thought it would be important to have the map in case he isn’t found right away.”

Beth nods solemnly. “I’ll call the sheriff and wait here to meet him.”

Sam moves aside as her aunt and uncle leave but takes advantage of the break in the conversation. “Ally and I can help!”

Beth pauses, startled out of her frantic thoughts by the comment. “I’m not sure if that would be a good idea.”

“But we’ve spent lots of time hiking,” Sam pleads. “We even managed to find our way out of the mountains in Alaska!” she adds, referring to the daring rescue she and her friends made after a plane crash.

“It’s hard to argue with that,” Bill agrees. “Actually, it would be good to have as many eyes as possible, but you have to promise to stay within sight of me at all times.”

Sam and Ally nod eagerly. “I promise, Uncle Bill,” Sam says while looking hopefully at her aunt.

“Do you have sweatshirts?” Beth asks as they step onto the porch. She looks skeptically at their bags still piled at the base of the stairs. “Remember, it cools off quickly up here at night.”

Sam rummages through their belongings while her uncle starts the golf cart. She quickly locates both their jackets and holds them up triumphantly to show Aunt Beth.

Beth gives her a quick smile and waves them on. “Listen to your Uncle Bill. I’ll radio when the sheriff arrives.”

Sam feels a sense of urgency as she and Ally clamber into the golf cart, pulling their bags in after them. It’s an extra-large cart that seats four people under a canopy as well as two more on a bumper seat off the back, where their legs can dangle. She and Ally opt for the row behind her uncle, and they hang on to the side rails as they speed off down the gravel road.

“The Carsons are a nice young couple,” Bill says. “Bailey is a very spirited six-year-old. I’m sure he’s just fine, but we must find him before nightfall.”

Sam leans out slightly and looks up at the sky. It’s late June, so the sun doesn’t set until around nine, but she knows it gets dark earlier in the woods. They should have at least three hours of daylight left. Hopefully, that will be enough.

While the old trail from the inn to the lake took more than an hour to hike, the gravel road cuts the time to less than fifteen minutes. Even walking it would be faster than the hike since it’s a more direct route. Sam’s fear over the missing boy is temporarily replaced with excitement when the first of the new guest cabins comes into view. She knows there are four of them, but they fly by so quickly that she doesn’t get a chance to study them.

They’re back into the trees momentarily, and Sam draws in a deep, calming breath. The air is still warm and tinged with the sweet scent of pine. It reminds her of home, although the woods are much drier than the ones on the coast of Washington, and they lack the dense undergrowth or ferns.

Ally grips Sam’s upper arm as the cart launches out of the trees and onto a wide, sandy beach. “Oh!” Ally gasps, although she’s already seen the lake before.

Sam turns to smile briefly at her best friend before they both get out of the cart. Florence Lake is even more beautiful than they remembered. It’s obvious her aunt and uncle invested a lot in this part of the property’s renovation. Hundreds of yards of white sand are spread out over what used to be a rocky beach. A new wooden dock has two boats tied to it, and there are four kayaks staked to the ground just beyond it, next to a large covered gazebo. But in spite of the great beach, the best part is the lake itself. It encompasses several acres and is surrounded by ragged, majestic mountains. Heavy woods stretch down to the water’s edge, home to numerous types of wildlife, including a bald eagle gliding through the sky nearby.

Sam’s awe turns again to fear as she thinks of the six-year-old boy lost and alone in the vast wooded area. Squinting, she strains to see where the Carsons have pulled their boat up on the shore.

“There!” Ally says, pointing to their left.

They’re currently standing on the far eastern end of the lake, and Sam finally spots the yellow pedal boat on the opposite shore, almost at the tip of the lake. It’s a fair distance away, and she’s impressed they made it that far.

“Let’s go,” Bill says, already moving down the dock. He stops at the largest of the boats, a twelve-foot aluminum fishing vessel. It has a small trolling motor that quickly kicks to life with the first attempt. “We don’t normally allow motorized boats on the lake,” he says to the girls as they step down beside him. “This is an exception since it’s electric and not gas. Here,” he continues while turning and opening the top of a bench seat. “Put these on.”

Sam takes one of the life vests from her uncle and hands the other to Ally. Although both of them are great swimmers, they know that it doesn’t matter when it comes to being out on a lake.

The little motor is surprisingly powerful, and they speed quickly across the water, reaching the other side in minutes. A young blond woman with red-rimmed eyes rushes out of the trees to greet them.

“Mr. Clark! Thank you for coming. My husband and Tori are already out looking.”

“Don’t worry, Cindy, we’re going to find him,” Bill reassures the lost boy’s mother as they all climb out of the boat. He drags it a short distance onto the shore before retrieving the backpack. “This is my niece, Sam, and her best friend, Ally. They’re going to help us look.”

Sam offers a small smile to Cindy, unsure of what to say. She’s relieved when her uncle pulls out the map and starts talking again while spreading it out on the ground.

“We’re right here,” he says, marking the spot with a small rock. “Now, as I told you before, although we got this map when we purchased the property, we simply haven’t had the time to come over here and explore. I’m unfamiliar with the topography and not sure if there are any hazardous areas. Can you show me what direction your husband and Tori took?”

Cindy points at the trees directly behind them, due east.

Bill rubs his chin, thinking. “Okay. You stay here to meet the sheriff while the girls and I head south.” He emphasizes this by pointing to their right, with the lake at their backs.

Cindy nods in agreement. “That sounds good. I’d rather stay here anyway in case Bailey comes back.”

Bill doesn’t waste any time gathering the map back up. “Come on, girls. We’ll form a line. Let’s start about twenty feet apart. I’ll be closest to the water and will call his name every few minutes. We need to be quiet between shouts so we can listen for his response. Understand?”

“Okay, Uncle Bill,” Sam answers for them both. They spread out and begin slowly walking forward. Sam is on the left with Ally in the middle. She makes sure she can always see her friend’s red hair through the trees, knowing that Ally is keeping Uncle Bill in sight. He calls out the boy’s name every few minutes, and after half an hour, the situation is starting to feel more desperate.

They’ve wandered away from the lake, deeper into the mountains, and are now at what appears to be the beginning of a ravine. The trees are dense, making it harder to keep each other in view, and Sam is certain her uncle will have them stop soon. A knot has been growing in her stomach as time has continued to slip by. The sun is lowering faster and faster.

“Hello!”

Freezing, Sam tilts her head, uncertain if she has really heard the faint sound of a woman’s voice!

3. YES, MA’AM

“Is anyone there?”

There it was again!

“Hello!” Sam yells back. “We’re over here!”

“Sam?” Bill shouts. “Did you hear something?”

There’s a crashing of underbrush as Bill comes running, and soon he and Ally are at Sam’s side.

“I heard a woman’s voice,” Sam explains quickly. “She was calling out.”

“Hey!” Bill hollers, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Follow my voice.”

Soon the sound of several smaller footsteps reaches them from the direction of the ravine.

“Hello, are you missing a little boy?” The voice is closer now and much more distinct.

“Yes! Keep coming this way,” Bill directs. Pulling one of the flashlights out of his backpack, he begins flashing the light on and off. Although there are still over two hours until sunset, it’s already shadowy in the thick forest.

Ally reaches out for Sam’s hand as they eagerly watch the woods, squeezing tightly at the first flashes of movement. “There!” Ally shouts, pointing excitedly. “I can see them!”

The neon-orange of Bailey’s life vest is most prominent as he and a young woman emerge from the foliage. His dirty face is tearstained, and his big blue eyes are wide with fear. “Mommy?” he chokes out around rising sobs.

“Your mom is with the boat, Bailey,” Bill says. His usual coarse voice is instead soothing. “Come here,” he directs, holding out a large hand. “Come with us. We’ll get you back to your parents. Thank you, miss—” He shifts his focus to the woman.

Suddenly shy, the rescuer jams her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and shifts nervously from foot to foot. As she looks down at the ground, her straight black hair partially hides her attractive features. Sam would guess she’s in her mid-twenties and is curious why she’s out alone so deep in the woods. Where did she come from?

“I’m Kat,” the woman finally answers. Her words are light and timid as if she’s sharing a sacred secret. “I found Bailey at the other end of the ravine,” she explains, furtively glancing first at Bill and then Sam before giving her head a jerk toward the gully behind them. “He’s quite the explorer.”

Bill studies Kat for a minute before answering. “Are you from the Stepson, umm … community?”

Kat flinches at the words but then nods. “I’m staying at Anthony’s place. Anyway,” she quickly adds while starting to turn away, “he’s lucky I heard him crying. I don’t normally go this far on my hikes.”

Sam’s confused. Who is Anthony and what is the Stepson community? She looks to her uncle for answers, but he’s got such a big scowl on his face that Sam takes a step back instead.

“I didn’t realize the property border was this far west.” Bill’s voice is decidedly less friendly, and it causes Kat to pause.

“Oh! No, it isn’t. You must be Mr. Clark from Hollow Inn?” Kat attempts a smile. “I was just beyond the property line when I heard Bailey. He told me he came here on a boat with his parents, so I figured we’d head west until we hit the lake. Seemed the easiest way to get him back where he belonged. I’m sorry for trespassing.”

“Don’t be silly,” Bill counters, his voice softening. “We appreciate your help. You’re welcome to hike over here whenever you’d like. I just need to make sure none of my guests do their own exploring. I know your friend Anthony Stepson doesn’t have the same… generous attitude.”

“He’s not my friend,” Kat mumbles. She then turns and flees into the woods before anyone else can respond.

The walk back to the boat would be silent if not for Bailey’s constant rambling about his “big adventure.” Sam smiles at his antics, but inside she’s spilling over with unasked questions. As they approach the water and Bailey’s parents run up to meet them, Ally pulls at Sam’s arm to stop her.

“Where did Kat come from?” Ally asks, clearly as curious as Sam.

Sam shrugs. “I don’t have a clue. But it sounds like Aunt Beth and Uncle Bill have a neighbor. One they don’t get along with.”

After an emotional reunion, Bailey’s mom gently dries the boy’s tears before taking him by the shoulders. “This is why you have to listen to Dad and me,” she says sternly. “I don’t know what I’d do if we lost you!”

Nodding solemnly at first, Bailey then breaks out in a huge smile. “But Mom! I found a dragon!”

Shaking his head, Bailey’s dad crosses his arms over his chest. “Bailey, what have we told you about making up stories? It’s bad enough you wandered off.”

A tall woman around the same age as Aunt Beth takes that moment to step forward. She’d been hanging on the fringes of the group, and Sam assumes she must be the new caretaker, Tori.

“I’m just relieved to have a happy ending,” Tori says, placing a hand on Mrs. Carson’s shoulder.

“It might not have been if it wasn’t for the woman,” Mrs. Carson replies. “Who was she?” she asks, turning to Bill.

Spreading his hands wide, Bill gives his head a quick shake. “She didn’t say much, other than her name was Kat and she lives at the Stepsons’ place, my neighbors there to the east. They tend to… um, keep to themselves.”

“What did she look like?” Tori says slowly while placing her hands on her hips. “How old was she?”

Bill rubs at the stubble on his chin. “I’d say she was in her late twenties, maybe thirty. Dark hair pulled back and a fair complexion. Why?”

“Oh, no reason,” Tori answers nonchalantly. “I think I might have seen her near the lake before. Which I find somewhat ironic, given how particular Mr. Stepson is about his property lines.” She turns to Sam and Ally, changing the subject. “I’m Tori. I understand you two are being entrusted to my keen eye for the week.”

Sam and Ally exchange glances before moving in close enough to shake Tori’s hand. Sam is the first to take it and is surprised by the firm grasp. Looking up into Tori’s intelligent gaze, she understands her aunt’s unusual gesture of placing trust in someone she barely knows. Tori has an air of authority and confidence. Her short black hair is perfectly in place. While she has some laugh lines on her pleasant face, it’s hard to tell just how old she is.

“I’m Sam,” Sam replies, returning the strong handshake. “And this is my best friend, Ally,” she continues while gesturing to her friend. “Thank you for offering to chaperone us so we can stay in the cabins.”

“Not a big deal,” Tori says. “I used to run a full squadron when I was a captain in the Air Force. I think I can handle two teen girls.”

Laughing, Bill slaps his hands together. “I don’t know, Tori. You’ve never met Sam before.”

Sam starts to blush but then relaxes when Tori gives her a playful wink. Stealing a look at Ally, she sees that her friend is smiling at the joke too.

“I like her,” Ally whispers, moving in close as the adults turn their attention to the boats.

“I do too,” Sam says. Watching as Tori pushes the pedal boat off the shore for the Carsons, she frowns slightly. “But why is a retired Air Force captain working as a caretaker at a remote vacation spot in Montana?”

4.  CABINS ON THE LAKE

The sun is setting behind them, casting streaks of golds and reds onto the water as the three boats head out across Florence Lake. All the questions Sam has for her uncle fade away as they slide through the glass-like water. It doesn’t feel right to speak at the moment, not with the incredible display laid out in front of them.

The mountains to their left, on the opposite side of the lake from the cabins, are tipped with snow even in the heart of summer. The alpenglow along their crests is magical, a purplish haze that Sam has seen before in even harsher terrain.

Ally points at the craggy peaks, her blue eyes sparkling in the fading light. “It’s incredible,” she whispers.

Bill only smiles and nods in agreement. It’s clear that he appreciates what he has and enjoys sharing it. “The Rocky Mountains are a world all their own,” he says. “Both majestic and dangerous at the same time. I don’t want to end up organizing a search party for you two while you’re here, so can you please do your best not to add this trip to your growing list of adventures?”

Sam looks at her uncle and is relieved to see the lopsided grin on his face. He has always been a kindred spirit. “Sure, Uncle Bill. It’ll be nothing but leisurely hikes and swimming in the lake.”

Narrowing his eyes, Bill looks unconvinced. “While I’d never question your intentions, I’m going to ask that you always carry one of the handheld radios with you.” Digging in his backpack, Bill produces a radio identical to the one he has clipped on his belt. “Since there’s no phone reception out here, these are the only way we can stay in contact with each other. I know you’re getting older now, Sam, but I still expect you to always let an adult know where you two are.”

“Of course, Mr. Clark,” Ally answers for them both. “We understand. Thank you so much for having us back to Hollow Inn.”

Sam takes the radio from her uncle and smiles in agreement with Ally. As the boat bumps up against the dock, she examines the walkie-talkie in the twilight. It’s bright orange, with a rugged exterior that gives her the impression it’s waterproof and can stand up to a lot of abuse. It’s a great idea to have them. She knows that the more expensive ones can reach up to a couple of miles, even in the mountains.

Tori glides up on a kayak by the time they have the boat tied up and are standing on the dock. The Carsons are still a ways behind on the pedal boat.

“Come on, girls!” Tori announces after staking the kayak. “If you have your things with you, I’ll show you your cabin. You must be exhausted after your long bus ride and all this excitement.”

“How about dinner?” Bill asks. “I don’t want anyone going to bed hungry.”

“Mrs. Clar— I mean, Aunt Beth made us a sandwich,” Ally says. “I’m good.”

“There’s plenty of leftover BBQ in the main cabin,” Tori offers. “The girls can get settled while I start a fire, and then we’ll chow down on whatever they want. Maybe throw some s’mores on there if you and Mrs. Clark want to join us?”

Checking the time on his watch, Bill looks first at the Carsons, who are approaching the dock, and then back up the trail. “I appreciate that, Tori. I know Sam and Ally are in good hands. As much as I’d like to join you around the campfire tonight, the sheriff is still up at the inn and has a couple of questions that need answering. We also have a family due to arrive any minute, and our other guest is missing his supper.”

“I’m sure Mr. Appleton will understand,” Tori says. “He might be a bit odd, but I don’t think he’ll hold a late dinner against you. Mr. Appleton is an author,” Tori explains to Sam and Ally. “He requested the third-floor suite, and we’ve only seen him a few times since he got here on Wednesday.”

“We’re going to get our things packed up and turn in early,” Mr. Carson announces as the young family approaches. Bailey is already sound asleep in his father’s arms. “It’s a long drive home, so we’ll be making an early start in the morning. Thank you again, Mr. Clark. We apologize for all the excitement.”

Tori shuffles the girls down the trail toward the cabins while the men continue to talk. Sam is thankful for the sweatshirt she tied around her waist earlier and eagerly pulls it over her head. There’s already a chill in the air, and the mosquitos are making an impressive appearance.

“These vampires will eat you alive,” Tori says, waving at the air around them. “I hope you brought some repellent.”

“Two bottles,” Ally answers. “We’ve got plenty of mosquitos at home, but I remember how big they are here!”

Slapping at a sting on her thigh, Sam wishes she already had her jeans on instead of shorts. Thankfully, the cloud of bugs dissipates as they get farther away from the water. By the time they approach the clearing, they’re almost gone.

“That’s the main reason your aunt and uncle chose to put the cabins a safe distance from the water,” Tori says. “Not to mention the lake rises several feet at other times of the year. Here, this is the cabin you’ll be in.”

They’ve stopped in front of a small log cabin that reminds Sam of the one she and Ally stayed in the summer before at Camp Whispering Pines. Pulling at the screen door, she steps inside and finds the light switch. The whole room is about twelve by twelve, with bunk beds on two opposite walls. A third wall has a small love seat, and a small table with two straight-backed chairs fills the middle area. It’s perfect.

“The central cabin has bathrooms, a kitchen, a fireplace, and a game area,” Tori explains. “This is designed to simply be a place to sleep. Nothing fancy.”

“We love it!” Ally exclaims, confirming Sam’s feelings. “I feel like we’re back at camp.”

Nodding, Tori leans against the doorjamb and crosses her arms over her chest. “Exactly! That’s what Mr. and Mrs. Clark are going for. I think the idea of families getting away for a few days and getting back to basics is brilliant.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Sam questions. “I mean, if you’re retired from the Air Force, I’m sure you could do pretty much whatever you want.”

Tori’s pleasant features cloud and she pushes away from the door. “Sure. Something like that. Let’s go see about that food. I’m sure your uncle will drop your bags off.”

Sam exchanges a quick look with Ally, who shrugs and widens her eyes in an “I don’t know” gesture. They shut off the light and rush to keep up with the older woman, who is already headed for a larger cabin in the middle of the clearing.

Looking around in the rapidly spreading darkness, Sam is impressed with everything her aunt and uncle have accomplished the past year. The four guest cabins are set apart with several large pine trees between them, giving a sense of privacy. There are scattered picnic tables, with the main cabin in the middle of it all. Some distance from the main structure is a vast campfire area, complete with a stone fire pit and wooden stools and benches.

Tori is opening the door to the main cabin as Sam and Ally reach her. When she turns to acknowledge them, Sam is relieved to see she’s smiling again. “This is the best part,” Tori says as she steps inside.

Following, Sam’s eyes adjust to the bright indoor light, and she gasps with delight. The spacious interior is decorated like a mountain chalet. A huge river rock fireplace takes up one entire wall, two overstuffed leather couches arranged in front of it. A pool table graces the middle of the room. The surrounding area offers open cupboards with board games, jigsaw puzzles, and books. A dartboard hangs on one wall, and a foosball table—Sam’s personal favorite—beckons from a corner spot.

“The bathrooms are through that door,” Tori explains, pointing to their right. “The other door leads to a full kitchen. You guys make yourselves at home. I’ll go get us some food.”

Smiling at Ally, Sam takes her friend’s hand and leads her through the cabin. “Ally, isn’t this great?” She heads for the foosball table but stops when Ally tugs her hand.

“Look!” Ally exclaims, dragging Sam in the other direction.

Sam turns to follow Ally, and she smiles when she sees a display case. Inside is Shawn Hollow’s journal, the man who built the inn. It’s displayed on a wooden stand. In front of it is an old velvety satchel, the same one Sam and Ally discovered the summer before. It held the Hollow Inn treasure. Laid out next to it is a yellowing piece of paper.

“It’s Shawn’s will,” Ally says.

Three framed photos hang on the wall behind the journal. Each has a small gold placard with a name etched into it: Christopher, Thomas, and Michael, the three older Hollow boys. Sam isn’t surprised to see that Joseph, the youngest, wasn’t included since he was essentially an outcast in his own home. It wouldn’t surprise her if Shawn Hollow never even took a picture of his fourth son. It was a sad family history.

Before Sam can comment on the arrangement, the cabin’s front door bangs open. Spinning around to see who’s making such a dramatic entrance, her spirits plummet. Standing there in dirty jeans and a disheveled T-shirt, his shaggy black hair in disarray, is her cousin, Kevin Wolf. With all the excitement, she’d forgotten that her aunt had mentioned him. Her face burning with a sudden anger, Sam squares off with the boy she’s sure will make it his personal vendetta to ruin their trip. He responds with an arrogant sneer.

“Hey, cuz.”

5. COUSIN OF MINE

“What are you doing here?” Sam knows she’s being rude. She should say hello and introduce Kevin to Ally. After all, it’s been over a year since she last saw him and he is her cousin. But of all her relatives, he’s the only one she doesn’t get along with.

“What am I doing here?” Kevin counters, walking slowly toward the two girls. “I was invited. I’m staying the whole summer and helping Aunt Beth and Uncle Bill. What’s the matter? Afraid I’m going to ruin your Girl Scout reputation?”

Gritting her teeth, Sam bites down on the retort that springs to mind. She’s learned a lot about dealing with teasing from her brother, Hunter. The irony is that Kevin is the one who taught Hunter how to best torment her. The two boys are the same age, fifteen, and are inseparable at family get-togethers. When they team up against her, they know how to push her buttons. Sam has a temper that she can normally keep in check, but Kevin has a way of bringing it out. And somehow she’s the one who ends up in trouble.

Ally looks timidly back and forth between Sam and the newcomer. He doesn’t look much older than them, but he’s a lot taller. He’s got the Wolfs’ dark, good looks but with an edge of… mystery. The mischievous twinkle in his brown eyes lands on her, and she isn’t sure how to react. It’s not often that Sam is so quarrelsome. Except with her brother. “Wait,” Ally says while squinting at the boy. “Is this the cousin you’ve told me about, Sam?”

“Kevin Wolf.” Sticking out his hand, Kevin steps within a couple of feet of Ally. “And don’t let Sam’s stories fool you. I know she’s good at spinning an exciting tale, but I’m sure whatever she’s said about me is greatly exaggerated.”

Ally giggles in response as she accepts the handshake, and Sam rolls her eyes. “Oh, please,” Sam groans. “Don’t flatter yourself. Your name came up maybe once, and it certainly wasn’t anything exciting.”

“Kevin Wolf, what did I tell you this morning?”

Kevin drops Ally’s hand and turns to face Tori, his charming smile replaced with a frown. “I believe it was something about staying on the trails and possibly not getting dirty. Again.”

Tori sets a platter of food down on the largest of the two dining tables in the room before crossing her arms. Squaring off with Kevin, she doesn’t look amused. “You know the state of your clothes is the least of my concerns, although it’s a clear indicator you’ve been out foraging around again. I thought your uncle made it clear. I know you’re fifteen, but this is a large piece of property, and he’s responsible for you. You didn’t bother checking in with me even once today. You didn’t haul the firewood, rake the cabin trails, or wash down the dock. And we could have used your help searching for a lost little boy today, but since you didn’t take your radio with you, I had no way of contacting you.”

Sam has an overwhelming urge to point out Kevin’s earlier remark about being there for the summer to help their aunt and uncle. He clearly isn’t holding up his end of the deal. But gauging his reaction to Tori’s lecture, she recognizes a brief flash of guilt in his eyes before the mask drops and he laughs it off. It’s the same charade her brother often uses when he tries to hide his real emotions. It took a long time for Sam to understand that, but she’s grown up a lot in the past year.

“I’ll get it done,” Kevin says with enough arrogance to make Tori’s frown grow.

“You’re right. You will.” Pushing the tray back beyond Kevin’s reach as he leans forward to snag a hot dog, Tori points a finger at him. “I won’t tolerate you showing any disrespect to Mr. and Mrs. Clark. Get some dinner and then stack that wood before going to bed. The trail and dock will be done in the morning before anything else. Understand?”

“We can help,” Sam blurts out. When Kevin looks at her suspiciously, she shrugs. “Ally and I enjoy working outside. Besides,” she adds while stepping between Kevin and Tori to slide a hamburger onto a paper plate, “we’re staying here for a week. We might as well do some chores.”

Ally nods in agreement, relieved to have a break in the tension.

“Suit yourself,” Kevin says flatly. Reaching across Sam, he grabs the hot dog. Without another word to anyone, he stomps across the room and disappears out the back door.

Watching him go, Sam has a bad feeling their vacation just took an unexpected turn for the worse. She might be able to play tourist with only herself and Ally to worry about. But having two Wolfs on the prowl? They were bound to run into trouble.

6.  SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR

Saturday morning dawns with a clear blue sky and the promise of a hot afternoon. Sam and Ally are more than happy to follow Aunt Beth’s suggestion that they spend it on Florence Lake.

After enjoying a hearty breakfast at Hollow Inn, they rush back to the cabins to get the trails cleared before the heat catches up with them. Kevin was uncharacteristically quiet while eating and left right after the meal. But as Sam hands a rake to Ally, the unmistakable sound of a pressure washer erupts, and they know it’s Kevin. The noise echoes so much that she and Ally give up on conversation. Fortunately, the Carsons left early that morning, so there aren’t any other guests to be annoyed by it.

Two hours later, the trails around the cabins are free of debris and both Sam and Ally have worked up a sweat. The irritating roar of the washer blessedly ceases around the same time, the ensuing silence a welcome relief.

Glancing at the sky, Sam guesses it’s close to noon. She’s okay without knowing the exact time. What her uncle said makes sense: people choose to disconnect from the outside world when they come to Hollow Inn. Not having instant access to the internet, news, and phone allows guests to relax. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes and tilts her face up to the sun.

“Ready for a swim?” Ally asks, slapping her work gloves onto the picnic table nearest their cabin. “Because I’m getting scorched!”

Laughing, Sam nods eagerly and drops her gloves next to Ally’s. “You bet! Wanna take the kayaks out? They’re the cool fiberglass kind with built-in coolers. Tori said we could grab some sandwiches from the kitchen to take with us.”

“I haven’t been in a kayak for over a year,” Ally says. “But the ones here look easier than the long wooden kind I’ve used before. It’s too bad Tori can’t take a break and go with us.”

“Yeah, hauling and spreading gravel on the upper road won’t be much fun in this heat,” Sam agrees. She leads the way to the main cabin, hoping that Kevin doesn’t have the same idea. Something tells her he won’t be thanking them for their work.

“I wish she would have let us help her,” Ally answers as they step inside. “Or that Kevin would offer to.”

Sam grabs a couple of premade sandwiches and bottles of water for their picnic lunch. They plan on rowing over to the far side of the lake. “Tori insisted we go have some fun instead. And good luck getting Kevin to do anything more than the dock today. I don’t think he would have even done that if Uncle Bill hadn’t reprimanded him in front of everyone this morning.”

The girls hurry to their own cabin to change into swimsuits before racing down to the beach. The sun is directly overhead now, and the day is quickly becoming uncomfortably hot. Montana isn’t where you want to be in late June if you don’t like the heat.

Sam secures the food in the kayak’s built-in cooler before donning her life vest and pulling the kayak into the water. It’s surprisingly cool, and she remembers that the lake is fed year-round by glacier runoff. Although cold, the crystal-clear water makes it worth enduring.

“Where do you think Kevin ran off to?” Ally asks after they settle into the boats and paddle away from the shore.

Sam does her best to hide her frustration. She’d rather pretend that her cousin isn’t there. “I’m sure he ran into the woods as soon as he was done, before Tori or my uncle could give him another chore to do. He’s good at avoiding responsibility.”

Ally stops paddling and stares at her friend with narrowed eyes. She’s never seen Sam so defiant, except with her brother. “Okay, Sam. What gives? Out with it. I know you were tired last night, but now we’ve got all the time in the world. Give me the whole Kevin Wolf story.”

Sam chuckles and then dips her paddle hard into the water on the right side of the kayak, pulling backward and causing her to spin around and face Ally. They’re about a quarter of the distance across the lake, far enough from the shore that no one will overhear the conversation. “The last time I saw him was at our family reunion, almost two years ago. We were camping at a lake a lot like this one but in a different part of Montana. I almost got sent home because of him.”

Ally frowns. “How can you get sent home from a family reunion?”

Sam hangs her head in humiliation. “The teasing started from the moment I got there. Hunter and Kevin always hung out together before and bugged me, but this time it was a lot worse. And I didn’t have anyone there for backup,” she adds, looking up to grin at Ally.

“You were eleven,” Ally says. “I don’t see how anyone could blame you for getting upset.”

Sam’s smile disappears. “For two days they prodded me. Called me names, hid my stuff, took things from me, until I finally blew up and made a big scene. Of course, when I tried to explain why, it didn’t matter. I was the one who got in trouble. Everyone was going on a trip the next morning to some nearby waterslides. I’d been looking forward to it for months, but my punishment was that I had to stay behind and wash dishes in one of those stupid plastic tubs, hauling lake water.” Sam grimaces at the memory.

“And?” Ally asks. She knows there’s more to the story.

“And, while they were gone, I decided to take things into my own hands. My great-aunt was the only relative who didn’t go with the others. She agreed to watch me but fell asleep ten minutes after everyone left.” Sticking a hand in the cool water, Sam slowly makes swirls and watches as the rings grow in size and drift outward. It reminds her of how a person’s actions can have much the same effect. “On my second trip for water, I made a detour into my cousin’s tent. He was wearing his swim shorts to the slides, so the rest of his clothes were in his backpack, which I grabbed and threw in the lake.”

Muffling a giggle with her hand, Ally then clears her throat and searches Sam’s face for a hint of what happened next. “Okay, so you got his clothes wet. I mean, you didn’t throw it in the middle of the lake, did you?”

Sam shakes her head. “No, right along the shore. I just wanted him to be forced to wear wet clothes for a day. Except that it turns out clothes weren’t the only thing in his backpack.” Sam looks up from her water designs and wrinkles her nose at Ally. “He also had his brand-new, very expensive video game in there that he’d been saving up to buy for two years. It was ruined. Let’s just say it wasn’t one of my best days. We haven’t spoken since.”

Ally’s eyes widen. “Oh. Geez, I understand the cold shoulder now. Seems maybe you were both wrong?”

Sam’s shoulders sag. “Of course I was wrong, Ally! I felt awful. You know how I can be… impulsive sometimes, but I’d never intentionally ruin something that didn’t belong to me. I apologized until I was hoarse and paid for it with nearly all my savings. He refused to accept my apology and never once admitted what he’d done to me that weekend. At least Hunter finally told my parents, so they only grounded me for a month instead of the whole summer. Trust me. I learned my lesson.”

“Maybe this week will be a chance to mend some bridges,” Ally suggests.

Sam smiles again. It was just like Ally to find the one positive thing about the situation. But maybe she was right. “Possibly,” she says slowly. Turning the kayak back around, the two girls begin paddling again, side by side. “I’d like to think we can be friends. I mean, he is my cousin. I know it’d make my dad happy. I hate to think his sister, Kevin’s mom, would avoid us because of it. They normally come over and visit at least once a year, but we haven’t seen them since it happened.”

Ally sighs. “Oh, Sam, you can’t let something so silly keep your family apart. We have to become friends with Kevin!”

“It might not be that easy,” Sam says. “Dad’s mentioned a couple of times that Kevin’s gotten into some trouble. I don’t think he’s here for the summer by choice, and it’s obvious he doesn’t like me.”

“Well, that just means we’ll have to work harder at it,” Ally says with determination.

Sam’s about to suggest s’mores around the campfire later when she catches a flash of movement near the approaching shore. Squinting against the glare of the sun, she studies the tree line.

There! Another blur of bright blue between two big cedar trees.

“Did you see that?” Sam asks, paddling harder.

“See what?” Ally struggles to keep up as Sam pulls away.

Jumping from the kayak as it enters shallow water, Sam nearly falls but manages to catch herself. Pulling the boat onto the rocky shore, she motions eagerly for Ally to follow her.

“I saw someone back there,” she says, pointing at the trees. “I’m sure of it. Who would be out here? The Carsons are gone, and my aunt and uncle are entertaining the family who got here last night with a tour of the grounds at the inn.”

“Maybe it’s Kevin,” Ally suggests as she comes to stand next to Sam.

Sam shakes her head. “No, he’s wearing a red shirt. I saw someone in blue. Plus none of the other boats are gone and there’s no way he could have hiked around the lake that fast. Come on!”

“Whoa!” Ally grabs Sam’s arm to stop her. “I’m pretty sure your uncle wouldn’t want us going too far into these woods. You know this side of the lake hasn’t been explored yet.”

Sam hesitates and looks up and down the shoreline. “We’re not too far from where we were last night,” she observes. Going back to the kayak, she opens the waterproof compartment and digs around in it. “Here,” she announces, turning back to Ally. Holding up the radio her uncle gave her, she happily races back to the edge of the woods. “We won’t go any farther than we did last night, okay? And we’ll have the radio, just in case.”

Ally’s resolve wavers, and she doesn’t resist when Sam takes her hand and leads her into the dense trees.

It doesn’t take long to reach the same ravine where Bailey was found. For some reason she doesn’t understand, Sam feels a need to be stealthy, and she cautions Ally to be quiet as they approach. Stopping behind a particularly large pine tree, she raises a finger to her lips when she catches movement ahead of them. It’s followed by the cracking of branches, confirming they aren’t alone.

Peeking out from behind the tree, Sam and Ally watch as a person kneels down in front of a large stump, a paper bag in hand. The top is rolled down and the bag is bulging with several items. Glancing furtively in each direction, the figure then sets the bag on top of the stump and backs away.

Spinning around, the mysterious hiker plunges back into the woods, but not before Sam recognizes the face of their chaperone, Tori Castle.

7.  STRANGER THINGS

“We should have read the letter or whatever it was.” Sam tucks some loose strands of long brown hair behind her ear as she leans in close to whisper to Ally. They’re seated at a large oak table in Hollow Inn’s formal dining room for dinner. She’s having a hard time not looking suspiciously at Tori, seated across from them.

“We’ll ask her about it later,” Ally whispers back. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.”

Sam isn’t so sure. She’d stopped Ally from stepping out from behind the tree for the same reason. It was obvious Tori didn’t want to be seen, especially since she’d lied about what she was doing all day. But the items in the bag were innocent enough.

The bag sagged open when Sam picked it up, revealing a prepaid calling card with two phone numbers on a sticky-note stuck to it. One of them Sam recognized as the number for Hollow Inn. There was also a cassette tape of an old rock band and a painted rock that looked like a butterfly. A picture of two women was the most interesting item. One of the women was clearly a younger Tori. The other was a girl with long dark hair who looked a lot like the girl in the woods, Kat.

A small envelope was taped to the bag. Sam had been tempted to open it, but Ally had put her foot down, saying she was already feeling guilty about looking at the various items. She drew the line at opening a letter that clearly wasn’t meant for them.

Sam had reluctantly agreed, but now, only a few hours later, she was regretting the decision. Someone sneaking around in the woods and leaving mysterious packages couldn’t exactly claim a violation of privacy. Could they?

“Oh, Mr. Appleton. I’d like to introduce you to my niece, Samantha, and her friend, Allyson.”

Uncle Bill’s voice interrupts Sam’s thoughts, and she looks up in surprise. A very tall, thin man in his thirties approaches an empty chair. When he stops and extends a hand, she awkwardly reaches out to shake it.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Appleton,” Sam says politely. His grip is surprisingly strong, and his skin is callused. “Did you just get here?”

“No,” the man answers bluntly as he takes a seat. “This is a working vacation. I’ve spent most of my time upstairs. Where it’s quiet,” he adds, looking slowly around the table. His gray eyes flit briefly on Sam and Ally with the last words.

“Uh, we’re staying down in the cabins,” Ally says while glancing at Sam. “What sort of books do you write?”

“Maybe we’ve read one,” Sam adds. It would be neat to meet an author of a book she’d actually read, even if he was kind of rude.

“I highly doubt that.” Mr. Appleton takes a bite from a dinner roll and then reaches for his glass of water before looking at Sam. Huffing when he sees she’s waiting for a further explanation, he points at her with the remaining roll. “I write complicated, adult mysteries. Nothing a child of your age would read.” He busies himself heaping food onto his plate. “Anyway,” he adds, dipping the roll into some gravy he’s poured on his mashed potatoes, “I write under a pseudonym. I like my privacy.”

A slamming door announces Kevin’s arrival, and he plods into the dining room a moment later. His current clothes aren’t much cleaner than the ones he had on the night before, and his shaggy hair has pine needles stuck in it. He noisily drags the heavy wooden chair next to Ally out from the table and plops down in it. “You mean C. K. Everson?”

Mr. Appleton answers by emitting a low grunt and then takes another roll while eyeing Kevin with a piercing stare.

It takes Sam a second to realize Kevin is talking about Mr. Appleton’s pseudonym. Covering her mouth to hide the laughter threatening to escape, she looks at her cousin with a new appreciation. How did he even know what they were talking about?

“And we will certainly respect your privacy during your stay, Mr. Appleton,” Aunt Beth says, her voice cool. She looks pointedly at Kevin before turning to her husband and changing the subject. “I’m just relieved Bailey was found safe last night.”

“I am too, but I’m sure to hear about it from Anthony Stepson,” Bill replies, ignoring both Kevin and his comment. “No doubt that young woman is a… resident of his.”

“Kat was her name,” Sam interjects, grabbing the chance to measure Tori’s reaction. “What do you think she was doing out there in the woods? And who is this Anthony guy?”

“You heard what she said, Sam. That she was hiking,” Bill answers. “Anthony Stepson is the adjoining property owner. He’s also a thorn in our side. He’s tried to prevent us from getting use permits for the inn.”

“Why would he do that?” Ally asks.

Sam hadn’t even realized there was another house out there. She’d assumed all the surrounding property was state or federal land.

Bill runs a hand over his face before taking a noisy breath and then picks up his fork. “This isn’t really a dinner topic,” he finally says. “Let’s just leave it at that I question his… living arrangements. It’s led to his ridiculous objections to the minimal increased traffic and noise our vacation spot brings to the area.”

“You mean his commune,” Tori says. “I know he claims everyone there is his extended family, but I’ve heard otherwise.”

“Tori is making a trip into Jackson Run in the morning,” Beth says loudly, once again making a point of changing the topic of conversation. “I thought you and Ally might like to go with her, Sam.”

“We’d love to!” Sam says eagerly as Ally looks at her questioningly. Although Sam would normally turn down the offer and opt to spend the time swimming, it’s the perfect opportunity to talk with Tori. Sam is certain now the caretaker is hiding something, and she’s determined to find out what it is.

8.  SHADOWS

“If you really think Tori is somehow connected to the troublesome neighbor, why don’t you just tell your aunt and uncle?” Ally leans against the display case that houses Shawn Hollow’s journal.

“Because I like Tori,” Sam answers.

They’d said good night and headed down to the cabins soon after dinner, but neither one of them is very tired. Pushing up off the couch, Sam joins Ally in front of the case. Opening the glass door, she retrieves the journal. Aunt Beth had said they could look at it whenever they wanted. Flipping through a few of the thick, handmade pieces of paper, she takes it with her and sits back down.

“If she knows Kat, then it’s probably not a coincidence Tori is working here. The question is why,” Sam mutters.

“Do I seriously need to remind you what happened the last time we kept something from your aunt and uncle?” Ally states. Sitting next to Sam, she folds her legs up under her and turns so they’re facing each other. “Remember how we swore this vacation wasn’t going to include any dangerous mysteries?”

“There’s nothing dangerous about it,” Sam says quickly. “And maybe not even that mysterious. We’ll ask Tori what’s going on tomorrow during our trip to town. If it’s something my aunt and uncle don’t already know about, then we’ll tell them. Okay?”

Ally shrugs. She’s used to Sam’s headstrongness and knows it won’t do any good to argue. Besides, Sam has a point. It’s probably not anything they need to get involved in. “What are you looking for?” she asks, gesturing to the journal. “We’ve already read the whole thing.”

“I know,” Sam answers. “But it’s been a year. I don’t think Shawn Hollow wrote anything in here about neighbors. Do you remember reading something about it?”

Ally spreads the journal open between them. As Sam studies the fancy script of Shawn Hollow’s handwriting, she’s taken back to the summer before. A small thrill stirs in her stomach, but she quickly reminds herself that they shouldn’t get involved in another mystery.

“This was written over a hundred years ago,” Ally reminds her. “Who knows how much the land rights have changed around here during that time.”

“Not much.”

Sam and Ally look up as Kevin walks in, wiping his dirty hands on his jeans. “That Stepson guy inherited the place from his grandpa a couple of years ago. Until then, people hardly remembered that anyone lived back there, but the Stepsons have been around as long as the Hollows.”

“How do you know that?” Sam asks skeptically.

Kevin rolls his eyes. “You’re not the only nosy one in the family. People talk. You just have to listen.”

“Why’s he causing problems for Aunt Beth and Uncle Bill?” Sam questions, ignoring his comment about snooping.

Shrugging his shoulders, Kevin leans back against the table in front of the girls, crossing his arms over his chest. “Even though he’s got his own little commune going, he doesn’t like the idea of Uncle Bill having a bunch of guests here, which is stupid. There’s plenty of wooded area between the two properties. Plus the lake is there. I guess the road is shared up until it branches off for the last few miles before the Stepsons’ place, but it’s not like Hollow Inn brings in a lot of traffic. I dunno.” Kevin shrugs again. “I think the guy’s just a jerk. He’s made a big scene at every city council meeting where the extended-use permits for the inn were up for approval.”

“Use permits?” Ally asks.

“Hollow Inn used to be a regular residence,” Kevin explains. “The county has special zoning regulations for businesses. In order for our aunt and uncle to run it as a bed-and-breakfast, they had to get a special permit. That was a couple of years ago. Then they had to get another one when they built these cabins. That one almost got turned down because of Anthony Stepson, and from what I heard Uncle Bill saying the other night, Stepson might succeed in blocking the rest of the renovations they have planned. He might even prevent them from renting these cabins out to anyone.”

Sam grimaces. “How can he do that?”

“Lawyers, I guess,” Kevin replies.

Sam turns a couple of pages in the journal, discouraged to think that all the work her aunt and uncle did might be ruined by one person. “What’s a commune anyway?”

“That’s a hot topic,” Kevin says, grinning. “Basically, this guy has brought his whole extended family out to live there. No one’s sure exactly how many people are there, which is really ironic considering how he’s complaining about this place. But it’s all legal. There were already three houses built on the property, and there’s a couple of motor homes.”

“How do you know that?” Sam squints at her cousin and tilts her head slightly.

“I told you,” he says defensively. “I hear things.”

“Right.” Sam doesn’t want to argue with him, but he’s obviously been snooping around and probably going closer to the other guy’s property than he should.

The front door swings open, followed by Tori loudly clapping her hands together. “Who’s up for some s’mores? I’ve got a good fire burning!”

Sam jumps to her feet in surprise, barely catching the journal before it hits the floor. Laughing, she takes it back over to the display case. “I’m game!” she answers.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Tori says, meeting Sam at the stand. “I read through the journal and noticed there’s a couple of pages missing. I know you found the riddle in there, but did you tear the page out?”

Startled by the question, Sam looks down at the journal still in her hand. “No, we wouldn’t have done that! Why do you think there are pages missing?”

Tori takes the old leather-bound book and holds it by the spine, with the pages hanging down. “Here,” she directs, pointing at a small gap in the hand-stitched binding. It’s clear where one of the pages was pulled out.

Ally has come to join them and reaches out to poke at the space made obvious when looking at the spine from the side. “We never noticed that,” she says, raising her eyebrows at Sam.

Sam nods in agreement before taking the journal back. Opening it to where the gap is, she notes it’s at the end of one of the later entries in the journal. However, the entries before and after are complete. There’d be no way of knowing that anything was missing since it was normal for weeks to go by in between Shawn Hollow’s writings.

“Weird,” Sam mutters before setting it back in the case. “I wonder what was on it?”

“Probably a secret family recipe for squirrel stew,” Kevin says with heavy sarcasm. “Come on, aren’t we going to have s’mores?”

Tori grabs the supplies from the kitchen and then leads the way to a roaring fire. The last of the sunlight has faded from the sky, replaced by a blanket of stars. Sam stops to look up before entering the ring of bright firelight.

“It’s incredible!” Ally gasps from beside her.

“Girls, can you go get the marshmallow skewers from the shed?” Tori asks while throwing another log on the fire.

Sam leads the way across the open lawn and then down the short trail to the storage shed. Her eyes quickly adjust to the dark so she’s able to find her way without falling over anything.

“We should have brought a flashlight,” Ally mutters, grabbing Sam’s arm.

Sam laughs lightly as she reaches for the shed door. “I can see just fine,” she says. The long metal skewers are resting against the wall, just inside the door. Grabbing them, she turns to face Ally but freezes partway.

“What is it?” Ally whispers, her eyes growing wide.

Sam grips one of the metal rods tightly in her right hand and uses it to point toward the trees to the right of them, just off the trail that leads to the lake. As she does so, the shadows shift and a tall, dark figure steps out onto the trail.

“Good evening, ladies,” Mr. Appleton says, his teeth flashing white in the darkness.

9.  JACKSON RUN REVELATIONS

“He was just out for a walk.” Tori turns her attention briefly from the road ahead to give Sam and Ally a crooked grin. “He had writer’s block. Going down to the lake to clear his head isn’t such a weird thing.”

“Maybe not,” Sam concedes. A small shiver passes through her as she recalls the first tense moments of their encounter the night before. Once she had realized who it was, she laughed it off. But there was something creepy about Mr. Appleton.

Ally squirms on the truck’s bench seat beside her before nudging her slightly in the arm. It was a silent reminder of what they were supposed to be talking about.

“At first I thought it might be someone from that commune next door,” Sam says slowly, watching Tori for a reaction.

The older woman’s face contorts into a grimace before she quickly recovers. “Why would you say that? Anthony Stepson has been a pain but only in the legal sense. He’s never been on the property, as far as I know.”

“But what about the girl… Kat?” Sam pushes. “She sure seemed nervous. I wonder how she’s related to that Stepson guy?”

Tori turns again to look at Sam, who’s sandwiched between her and Ally. But this time she isn’t smiling. Her eyes narrow in thought before she focuses again on the winding country road. “I wouldn’t know, Sam. They’re supposed to all be family. I have a feeling it’s a bit more involved than that, but I’ve learned sometimes it’s best to mind my own business.”

Sam swallows hard. She’d planned on asking Tori outright about Kat, but now it doesn’t seem like a very good idea. Ally gives her another nudge. They’ve been best friends long enough that Sam knows it means they’re having the same thoughts.

“What kind of supplies are we getting?” Sam asks, deciding to change the subject.

The three of them are crammed into an older pickup truck that doesn’t have a back seat. It does have a large bed, however, which apparently is what’s needed for this trip.

“I have several stops to make,” Tori explains, sounding pleasant again. “Including the hardware store for fence posts and stepping-stones, the auto store for parts for the golf carts, and the grocery store. Is there any place you’d like me to drop you off? It’ll take me a couple of hours, and there’s no reason you have to tag along.”

The road takes a final sharp turn to the north before approaching a four-way stop. The woods have begun to thin out as they’ve come down in elevation, but it still feels like the middle of nowhere. A sign says Jackson Run is only two miles ahead.

“Someplace with computers?” Ally suggests. She’s a little more dependent on her smartphone and social media than Sam is.

“I think the library has a public computer and Wi-Fi,” Tori answers, chuckling. “And there’s an ice-cream shop right next to it.”

Sam perks up at the mention of both the library and ice cream. She wants to do some digging into the history of the Stepsons’ property. She tried asking her Uncle Bill that morning before they left, but either he didn’t know or wasn’t willing to talk about it.

“It’s right up here,” Tori says as they pull onto Main Street.

The street is lined by quaint shops with old western-themed storefronts. The wooden boardwalk reminds Sam of Ocean Side, the small seaside town where they live in Washington State. As they pull to a stop in front of a slightly more modern building, she notices a police car rounding the corner in front of them.

“Ugh,” Tori mumbles as the sheriff approaches. She’s suddenly interested in the contents of her purse, located on the floor by Sam’s feet. Coming up with a five-dollar bill, she glances furtively toward the retreating vehicle before holding the cash out. “Here,” she says, pushing it at Sam. “For the ice cream.”

Taking the money, Sam meets Tori’s eyes. Any concern she had about the woman’s intentions evaporates as she recognizes raw fear. She’s seen that look enough times before and is suddenly struck by a desire to help Tori. Smiling, she shoves the five dollars into her jeans pocket. “Thanks, Tori. But are you sure you don’t need an extra hand with anything?”

Tori smiles back, visibly relaxing. “No, I’m sure. You girls go have some fun. I’ll pick you up back here in two hours.”

“What do you think that was about?” Ally asks as the truck drives away. “Tori sure seemed to be avoiding the sheriff. Maybe we need to talk to your uncle.”

Sam stares at the receding truck before shaking her head. “No. I think she needs our help, Ally.”

“What?” Ally exclaims. “Needs our help with what? I can’t believe I have to spell this out for you, but if Tori is related to Kat, she’s probably related to Anthony Stepson. A guy who’s trying his best to ruin your aunt and uncle’s business. A business that gave Tori a job. Why?”

“You heard what she said,” Sam answers, her voice low. She glances around to make sure no one else is close enough to overhear. “I don’t think Kat’s related to anyone there, and I think Tori is here trying to help her. Maybe she’s her sister or something.” Taking a deep breath, Sam pulls her hair up off her neck to allow some cool air to reach it. It was getting hot already. “My gut tells me we can trust Tori. Let’s just give it some more time. We’ll see if we can find out anything here at the library about the property, how Anthony Stepson came to own it, and what he might be doing with it.”

Ally stares hard at Sam for a moment. She’s come to trust Sam’s instincts, but it’s also gotten them into a lot of trouble. “So, we do some research here at the library and maybe talk to Kevin again? I’ll bet he knows more than he’s saying. And then,” she adds firmly when Sam smiles at her, “we either straight up ask Tori, or we speak to your aunt and uncle about it.”

Sam’s smile wavers, but then she nods once in agreement. Putting an arm around Ally’s shoulders, she guides her into the cool, air-conditioned library. “Right. And we’ll start with any old property records they might have archived here.”

“Oh, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have anything like that here.”

Sam and Ally turn together toward the voice and find themselves facing an older woman with a pleasant face. She’s holding several large, hardbound books and is stooped over at the waist. Whether from the weight of the books or her age, it isn’t clear.

“We have a few, locally written historical books, but otherwise, city hall is the only place you’ll find property documents,” the woman goes on to explain when she sees she has their attention. “Even then, depending on how far back you want to go, you’re unlikely to find much. Record keeping wasn’t a strong suit of our founding fathers,” she says with a wink.

“Oh,” Sam replies, disappointed. “It could be from a long time ago.”

Setting the books down on a nearby table, the woman adjusts her wire-rimmed glasses before studying Sam. Her stoop didn’t improve with the lightened weight. “My name is Mrs. Cleary, and I volunteer as the reference librarian. What sort of information are you looking for, dear? I’m a bit of a historian, so I might be of some help.”

“Thank you!” Sam says with relief. “My name is Samantha Wolf, and my aunt and uncle own Hollow Inn. I’m curious about how Anthony Stepson came to own the adjoining property. We’ve read the Hollow journal,” she explains, gesturing to include Ally. “We don’t think there’s anything in there about neighbors or the Stepsons.”

“That’s because it wasn’t a topic openly discussed.” Clapping her hands together, Mrs. Cleary is obviously happy to talk about it. “What most people don’t know in regard to the Hollow Legend is that Shawn Hollow and his brother started out with a partner.”

Sam and Ally look at each other in surprise. “A partner in what?” Sam asks. “The gold mine?”

“Oh yes,” Mrs. Cleary confirms. “They came to this region together, seeking their fortune. Shawn Hollow and his brother were the main investors, so when nothing panned out after several years, they bought out Harvey Stepson by giving him half the property. It was a year later when they hit the gold vein, which was soon followed by the deadly collapse. Harvey tried to buy his rights back for decades after Shawn closed down the operation, but Mr. Hollow refused to sell. To him or anyone else. If you’ve read the journal, you know why.”

“Shawn Hollow never forgave himself for his brothers’ death in the mine cave-in,” Sam answers. “He never let anyone back in the mine.”

“Wait!” Mrs. Cleary exclaims. “Are you the two girls who solved the mystery up there last summer?”

Sam blushes. “Yes, that was us. So you can understand why we have some concern about Anthony Stepson?”

Waving a hand dismissively, the librarian makes a huffing sound through her teeth. “That leech? I can’t believe he managed to get anyone on the city council to listen to him. Why he didn’t sell to your uncle when he first inherited the property from his grandfather two years ago, I don’t know. What could he want with it, other than a free ride? I’ve heard he even charges rent to the family he’s got living with him! It would have been nice if the decades-long dispute between the Hollow and Stepson properties was resolved, but it seems fate has something else in mind.”

Thanking the older woman, Sam turns to face Ally, her brows drawn in thought.

“Uh-oh,” Ally moans. “I recognize that look.”

10.  COOKED-UP INTENTIONS

“Thanks for offering to help with the food prep, girls.” Beth pushes at a stray lock of hair with the back of a floury hand. She claims her recipe for homemade chocolate-chip cookies is her best. “I’m not as sold on this whole post-tour BBQ thing as your Uncle Bill is, but he seems to enjoy it, so I go along with it.”

Sam grins at her aunt. “The tour starts at two, right? And then the BBQ is down at the lake from whenever we get there until six?” She and Ally got back from town around noon. When Sam saw her aunt in the kitchen, she thought it might be the perfect opportunity to talk with her about what they’d learned.

Dropping the last of the cookie dough onto a baking sheet, Beth picks it up and heads for the large wall oven. “That’s right. Sometimes it ends by five if we don’t have a full group, like today. “It will just be you two and the family of four who arrived Saturday night, the Mileys. But the dinner will be for everyone.”

“We haven’t met them yet,” Ally says. “Where were they last night?”

“Oh, they had reservations in town at a dude ranch for dinner and a show,” Beth explains. “Speak of the devil,” she adds when there’s an explosion of noise from the foyer as what sounds like a stampede comes down the stairs. Sam can only imagine how happy Mr. Appleton must be about the new guests. A moment later the group is led into the kitchen by a boy around ten years old with flaming red hair.

“Are the cookies done yet?” he demands, looking at Beth with pleading eyes.

“Thomas, don’t be so rude!” scolds a woman. Sam assumes it is Thomas’s mother. She places a firm hold on the boy’s arm as she’s talking. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Clark, but he could smell those from upstairs!”

Beth laughs as she turns to the first tray of cookies that are already cooling on the counter. Grabbing a handful of the treats, she happily wraps them in a paper towel before giving them to Thomas. “You have to share these with your sister,” she instructs with a wink.

“We’re going swimming!” A small girl peeks out from behind her mom.

“We figure there’s enough time to take a dip before the tour,” Mrs. Miley says, placing a hand on top of the girl’s head. “It starts down at the lake, right?”

“Yes, at two,” Beth confirms. “But the time is flexible today so just enjoy yourselves!” She waves goodbye as the three file back out into the foyer where Mr. Miley is waiting with a stack of beach towels.

“They seem nice.” Sam absently pounds at the ground beef she’s working into a patty. She’s not sure how to bring up the whole property topic.

“They’re a very nice family,” Beth agrees. “It’s too bad they’re already leaving tonight, although I suspect Mr. Appleton won’t mind.”

“How long is he here for?” Ally asks.

“Through this weekend.” Beth moves to the sink and begins rinsing out the mixing bowl. “Apparently, he’s found his muse here in Montana and is working on the final few chapters of his latest novel. Girls,” she says, turning to face them. “Would you like to check in with your parents? I called them after you arrived Saturday night, of course, but have you spoken with them since you got here?”

“We called while we were in town,” Ally answers. “Our phones work there so we were able to talk with them and get online for a little bit while Tori was running her errands.”

“We also talked with Mrs. Cleary,” Sam interjects, seeing her opening. “At the library. Do you know her?”

Beth eyes Sam suspiciously. She knows her niece well enough to realize when she’s attempting, unsuccessfully, to be coy. “Yes, Sam, I’m familiar with the local town gossip. She’s nice enough and usually means well, but I can’t imagine what you could have been talking about.”

Sam cringes under her aunt’s scrutiny. She might as well be direct. “Did you know that Anthony’s great-grandfather, Harvey Stepson, used to be partners with the Hollows?”

Beth’s frown deepens and she’s obviously surprised. “No, I didn’t. But I don’t see how it matters, really.”

“Shawn Hollow and his brother bought Harvey out of his share in the mine by giving him the property. Harvey tried buying the mine back after the collapse, but when Shawn wouldn’t do it, so they had a falling out. That’s what set up the whole rivalry thing.”

Beth slowly dries her hands on the front of her apron. “While I admit that it’s an interesting piece of history, it’s not the sort of conversation Mrs. Cleary should be having with you. The last thing we need before the council vote later this month, Sam, is for more gossip to start spreading about old property disputes.”

“But—” Sam begins, intending to bring up Tori’s odd behavior, but Beth cuts her off.

“Bill should have never mentioned anything about Mr. Stepson, especially not in front of you or our guests.” Crossing the few feet between them, Beth places a hand gently on Sam’s shoulder. “I know you feel a strong connection to Hollow Inn and want to help settle this issue we’re having, but I really don’t want you to go digging this time. Please.”

Pressing her lips together into a thin line, Sam wavers, torn between her aunt’s plea and her own instincts. “Don’t you think there’s something odd about the commune though, Aunt Beth? That Anthony Stepson might be trying to hide something?” The look that replaces the caring expression on her aunt’s face is enough to alert Sam to the fact that she should have left well enough alone.

“We aren’t going to dig,” Ally says quickly, stepping up next to Sam. “It’s just that we noticed a couple of weird… things this weekend. But we’re here to relax, not cause problems. Right, Sam?”

Sam knows what Ally is doing and feels a sudden urge to hug her friend. Backpedaling from her aunt is not an easy task. She needs all the help she can get. “Right. Sorry, Aunt Beth. I didn’t mean to pry.”

Beth raises an eyebrow at that declaration and gives a little snort. “The day you stop prying will be a rare one indeed.” Taking the plate of finished hamburger patties, she gives a small shake of her head. “But that’s part of what I love about you, Sam.” Sighing, she makes a shooing motion at the two girls. “Go. Have fun. Just stay out of trouble.”

11.  STILL A LEGEND

Sam is doing her best to enjoy the commentary her uncle is giving during the tour, but it’s hard to get her mind off all the questions tumbling around in her head. Twisting on the back-bumper seat of the cart, she stares momentarily at Tori, who’s driving. She’s leaning over to say something to the small girl next to her. The two younger Mileys are in the cart with Sam and Ally while their parents ride with Bill.

After starting off at Florence Lake, they traveled a few miles along the gravel road that winds up the hill behind Hollow Inn. They’ve now stopped in front of the old, boarded-up entrance to the gold mine.

“Established by Shawn Hollow in 1898,” Bill reads from a sign near the entrance. “Closed in 1901 after the tragic deaths of three men that still lie within.”

“Cool!” the young boy, Thomas Miley, shouts from the back seat of the cart. He’s sitting behind Tori and in front of Sam. “Can we go inside?”

“No,” Sam answers for her uncle. “It’s too dangerous, Thomas. That’s why there’s a bunch of boards and a Keep Out sign.” Sam smiles crookedly at Thomas when he rolls his eyes. Last summer, she’d pressured Ally into exploring the mine with her, and they barely avoided a disastrous incident.

Mr. Miley shakes his head at his son. “We can’t go inside, but if we come back later this summer like I want to, we’ll make time to go hiking. Mr. Clark tells me there are several trails up here.”

Thomas looks disappointed, but he knows better than to argue with his father. “Do we have to leave tonight?”

“After dinner,” Mrs. Miley confirms. “I’ve got to get back to work tomorrow.”

“Next up is our last stop, Michael’s Peak,” Bill announces, putting his cart in gear. The engines are quiet enough that he can talk to them all without having to yell.

Sam turns back around so she’s watching the mine recede as they speed down the hill. “You know,” she says to Ally, who’s been quiet for most of the tour. “The lake is named after Florence, the lookout after Michael, and the creek after Thomas.” Thomas Creek was the first stop on the tour. It’s a small, glacier-fed stream that feeds into Florence Lake. Thomas was thrilled to discover a Hollow Inn landmark that shared his name. “I know Shawn intentionally didn’t name anything after Joseph, but I don’t ever remember hearing about a landmark for Christopher. He was their oldest son. You think he’d be the first to be memorialized.”

Ally frowns and then attempts to push back her red locks of hair being blown in her face. “Huh. You’re right. I’m sure there’s something we don’t know about. Sam,” Ally continues in a lowered voice, looking sideways at her friend, “are we still going to talk to Kevin about things?”

Sam hesitates. She wants to honor her aunt’s request, but she can’t help but feel that Ally was right earlier and Kevin might know something helpful. He’s already been at the inn for over a week and he’s nearly as snoopy as she is. And Sam suspects her normally reluctant best friend might be willing to meddle in things a little longer if Kevin is involved.

“We might as well ask him if he knows anything about Tori or Anthony Stepson,” she whispers back. “I think he was holding back on us last night. Plus he’s my cousin so it’s not like talking to him is prying. Right?”

“Right,” Ally agrees. “We’ll find him tonight after the barbecue.”

“Why wait?” Sam points toward the woods as the carts come to a stop at a fork in the road. “I think I just saw him going down a trail back there.”

“This leads to Michael’s Peak,” Bill says, pointing at the road to their right. “I ask that you kids be careful when we get there. It’s quite a drop.”

“Uncle Bill,” Sam says before they have a chance to start back up. “Isn’t the trail to the old shack back that way?” When her uncle nods in confirmation, she glances at Ally before smiling broadly. “Well, since Ally and I have already been to Michael’s Peak, we were hoping we could go on a hike, and we’re familiar with that trail.”

Bill rubs at his chin thoughtfully. “Do you have your radio?”

Sam slips her backpack off her shoulder and fishes around inside it. Pushing aside a protein bar and two bottles of water, she triumphantly pulls out the radio. “Got it right here!”

“Go ahead then, but you realize how long of a walk it is back to the inn?”

Sam hops down off the back of the cart before answering. “It’s okay. You can start the barbecue without us if we’re not back in time.”

“The kids can get in the other cart and I could go with you,” Tori offers.

Ally looks nervously at Sam as she jumps down next to her. “You don’t need to do that,” she answers for them. “We’d rather walk. Right, Sam?”

Afraid they’re being too transparent, Sam loops an arm through Ally’s and steers her toward the trees. Ally gets anxious when they’re being anything but a hundred percent honest and starts to panic. “Yeah! We haven’t been out here for a year. It’ll be fun to explore a little. Go ahead without us.”

Tori starts the cart back up in response, but she’s frowning at them. Giving a small wave, she takes off after the other cart that’s already kicking up dirt as it goes down the road.

“That was uncomfortable,” Ally groans. “I think she knows we suspect something.”

“She’s smart,” Sam agrees. “Between my comments in the truck this morning and the avoided run-in with the sheriff, it’s obvious that we’re both holding back. We’ll have to talk to her eventually.”

They walk a little farther in silence and then come to a stop at a barely distinguishable trailhead.

“After what Aunt Beth said, I want to put it off until we actually know what’s going on and how she’s involved.”

“If there’s something going on to discover.” Ally interrupts.

Sam pauses before stepping onto the trail. “Right. All the more reason to wait. If I’m wrong, it’ll just get us in trouble.”

“So, we talk to Kevin and let it all go if he doesn’t know anything and nothing else happens?” Ally is looking at Sam hopefully.

“Agreed.”

“But why now?” Ally asks as she follows Sam into the woods. “Why do we have to chase him down and then walk all the way back? It’s like an hour-long hike, Sam!”

“Because.” Sam turns to look at Ally, and a mischievous grin grows on her face. “I know Kevin well enough to see that he’s up to something. And we’re about to find out what it is.”

12.  MISSING LANDMARKS

The woods are thick and the trail barely visible as Sam and Ally rush to catch up with Kevin.

“Are you sure it was him?” Ally asks, snagging a branch that Sam releases ahead of her. “It wouldn’t be the first time we found a trespasser here,” she says nervously, referring to a run-in they had the summer before.

“I’m positive,” Sam answers. “I only caught a glimpse of him, but he was wearing that horrible red T-shirt with the holes in it he’s always got on. Tori should make him burn it. We’ll probably smell him before we see him.”

Laughing, Ally doesn’t disagree. “What are we going to say? He isn’t going to be happy to see us.” Sam suddenly stops on the trail, causing Ally to bump into her. “Hey!” she shouts, rubbing at her nose.

“Shh,” Sam cautions. Stepping aside so Ally can move up next to her, she then points at a clearing visible up ahead. “There’s the cabin,” she whispers.

Calling the dilapidated structure a cabin is giving it too much credit. Used as a toolshed at some distant point in the past, it later served as a hideout for a criminal and now sits vacant. The roof is partially collapsed, the glass is gone from its two small windows, and the only door hangs precariously from one hinge. As the two girls watch, a distinct flash of light passes across the gaping window facing them.

“What’s he up to in there?” Sam mumbles, creeping forward.

“Sam!” Ally protests, grabbing at her arm. “Just call his name. Please? We’re going to make him mad if we sneak up on him. Then he won’t talk to us even if he does know more.”

Sam stops and looks sideways at Ally. While she’s dying to peek around the open door and surprise Kevin, she knows Ally is right. For them to have any chance of him cooperating, they have to play nice. Compromising, she takes a few more stealthy steps in the direction of the shack before stopping and cupping her hands around her mouth. “Hey! Kevin, is that you in there?” Before he has a chance to answer, she quickly covers the rest of the distance and pulls the broken door open wide.

“Sam!” Kevin is standing in the center of the small room, a piece of thick paper clasped in one hand and a flashlight in the other. He looks past his cousin and at Ally, who’s standing awkwardly behind her. His surprised expression is replaced with annoyance. “What are you two doing out here?”

“We could ask you the same thing.” Sam knows she just told herself to be nice, but she can’t help it. Kevin is so arrogant that she’s immediately defensive. Looking past him, she notices a map of the Hollow Inn property tacked to the wall. She recognizes it as one her aunt and uncle give out to guests. There are red lines drawn across several sections. Below it, two other pieces of paper are taped up. They appear to be some sort of lists, with about half the items crossed out. A camping chair sits next to Kevin, and there are several snack items and bottles of water stacked on it.

Kevin follows Sam’s gaze and his face reddens. “Get out!” he barks, waving the flashlight at her.

Sam takes a cautionary step back but then stands her ground. “No.”

Ally tugs at Sam’s arm but when her friend doesn’t budge, she timidly stands next to her. “We just want to talk to you.”

Kevin looks confused for a moment, but then his features harden. “Right. Talk. You mean nosy little Samantha Wolf has to always find herself a mystery, so she’s decided it’s me. Go ahead,” he spats, throwing the wadded-up paper at her. “Go tattling to Uncle Bill about how I’m not doing my chores and wasting my time looking for this. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out and take all the credit. Just like you always do!”

Sam bends to pick up the paper and realizes it’s a page from the journal. Frowning, she looks back at her cousin. “Kevin, what are you talking about?” She figured he might be irritated by them following him, but she never expected this reaction.

“Oh, come on!” Turning, he rips the map from the wall and then holds it up toward the two girls. “You may as well take this too. When my parents hear from Uncle Bill, they’ll make me come home. This was my only chance at getting them to trust me again.” Sweeping the food and water onto the floor, Kevin sits in the chair. Letting the map flutter to the ground, he puts his head in his hands.

Sam is stunned. Not knowing what to say, she instead looks at the paper and sees that it’s a journal entry. Quickly reading it, her brows narrow and she looks back at Kevin. “This is the missing page from the journal!” She glances at Ally. “It’s describing some sort of hot springs named Christopher’s Pool.”

“The missing landmark!” Ally gasps. Moving closer to Kevin, she tentatively places a hand on his shoulder. “What are you doing with this?”

“I found it hidden inside the picture of Christopher,” he answers, his voice muffled behind his hands. Looking up, he spreads his arms wide in exasperation. “You know, the one on the wall above the display? When I realized he was the only one without a landmark named after him, I decided to figure out what it was. After reading the journal to look for clues, I noticed the missing page. I figured if it was hidden somewhere, it would make sense to hide it in something related to Christopher.”

“Wow,” Sum mutters, impressed. “That was pretty smart. But why all this?” she presses, gesturing to the map and other items in the room. “And who cares if Ally and I know about it? I mean, why is this so important to you?”

Kevin stands before them, letting out a large, pent-up breath. “At first I decided to find it for the challenge. But then after hearing about the trouble with Stepson and… other stuff, I figured it might help if the inn had another tourist attraction.” He shrugs. “And for once, I might be the one to do something helpful. I got into some trouble this year because of the friends I was hanging out with, so my parents sent me here to get away from them for the summer. I thought doing this for Uncle Bill and Aunt Beth would help. But I guess you always have to be the one in the spotlight, don’t you, Sam?”

Sam was starting to feel bad for her cousin, but his last remark stings. “I never go looking for the attention we’ve gotten from the mysteries we’ve solved,” she counters. “We’ve done it for the same reason you’re doing this,” she says while shaking the paper, her voice rising. “To help. I’m so sorry if our trying to stop the inn’s permits from being revoked and figuring out how Tori is involved in it interferes with your plans for redemption!”

“What?” It’s Kevin’s turn to be confused. “You aren’t trying to find the hot spring?”

“We didn’t even know about it until now,” Ally says, stepping between Sam and Kevin. “Honest.”

Kevin looks back and forth between Sam and Ally. His eyes narrowing, he picks up the map. “I’ve searched over half the property already. The journal only describes what it is, not where it is. So it’s probably useless anyway. It might not even really be here.” Walking to the wall, he replaces the tack in the map and steps back. “What did you mean about Stepson and Tori?” he asks, his back still to them.

“We saw Tori leave something like a care package in the woods,” Sam reveals, deciding to go all in. “Near where the little boy was found by that lady, Kat. There was a picture inside the bag of her and Tori together, so we think they’re related. And,” she continues, when Kevin remains silent. “we’re pretty sure Tori was avoiding the sheriff when we went into town with her this morning. We found out from the librarian that this Anthony Stepson’s great-grandfather used to be partners with the Hollows, but they bought him out by giving him half their land. Something weird is going on over there, Kevin, and I’m afraid that for whatever reason, it involves stopping our aunt and uncle from using the property as an inn.

Kevin finally faces Sam again, and his expression is now one of curiosity. “You mean his great-great-grandfather.”

“What?” Ally asks, relieved most of the tension appears to have evaporated.

“Do the math, Sherlock. Harvey Stepson would have to be Anthony’s great-great-grandfather,” Kevin explains, grinning. “And you’re right. It isn’t a commune.”

Intrigued, Sam takes a step closer to Kevin, tilting her head slightly to the side. “Then what is it?”

His grin widening, Kevin looks first at Ally and then at Sam. “I’m not sure, but maybe if we work together, we can figure it out.”

13.  A SOLID PLAN

Sam isn’t sure how she feels about their new alliance. It happened so fast and was so unexpected she’s not certain how it even transpired.

“I think it might be fun to include Kevin,” Ally states as they finally approach the driveway of the inn. They’ve been hiking for well over an hour since they left Kevin in the shack, and they’re already late for dinner.

“I don’t know if fun is the right word,” Sam says. Stopping shy of the front porch, she places her hands on her hips and looks around to make sure they’re alone. “I’ll admit he knows more than we do, but I’m afraid he’ll end up just being a pain.”

Kevin revealed to them that while he’d been out searching the property for the hot springs, he’d happened upon the back border and apparently where the Stepsons’ main house is built. While he swore he didn’t trespass and only looked from afar, Sam is suspicious because of the details he gave. According to Kevin, in addition to the main house, there are two smaller structures, a large barn, and two old motor homes. Instead of families and kids running around, he saw several middle-aged, “rough-looking” men. There was also a whole lot of machinery, tools, and stacked wood near the barn.

“The key is to focus on Christopher’s Pool,” Ally says. Crossing her arms defiantly, her mouth sets in a firm line. “We promised your aunt we wouldn’t pry. She’s right that whatever is going on between Anthony Stepson and your uncle isn’t our business. Tori isn’t either,” she continues, lowering her voice. “So instead, we’ll find something totally harmless to concentrate on, like the hot springs, and help Kevin out. I think it’s sweet he wants to find it for your Uncle Bill. And he’s right that it would make a great tourist attraction if it’s nice enough.”

“And if we happen to find something else while we’re looking…” Sam’s voice trails off, and she raises her shoulders innocently.

“Girls! I thought you’d be down at the lake by now.” Beth pushes the front door of the inn the rest of the way open and stares down at them.

“We decided to go for a hike,” Sam answers. “We’re on our way there now.”

“Actually, this is good timing. Hang on.” Disappearing back in the house, Beth leaves the girls staring questioningly at each other. She reappears a minute later with a pie balanced on each hand. “I was about to take dessert down. These just came out of the oven. If you can handle driving the golf cart, you can use the one Tori left behind and take these for me. I still need to clean the Mileys’ rooms.”

“I’ve been my dad’s caddie at the golf club lots of times,” Ally says, smiling broadly. “I can do it!”

Retrieving the pies from her aunt, Sam promises to be careful with them. Setting one on the seat between her and Ally, she sets the other in her lap. “Watch the bumps,” she cautions her friend in a serious tone. “Aunt Beth’s apple pies are nothing to mess around with.”

Laughing, Ally flips her hair back before carefully maneuvering the golf cart onto the small gravel lane. Although well maintained, there are still some potholes that she expertly avoids.

“I learn something new about you every day,” Sam teases. “How come I didn’t know you could drive a golf cart?”

“I guess it’s never come up before! Dad hasn’t done much golfing this past year after his promotion at work.” Frowning, Ally accelerates slowly as they start heading downhill. “He’s gone most weekends now.”

Sam understands how Ally feels. While her own mom quit her teaching job after having the twins three years ago, her dad works as a commercial fisherman. He’s been promoted recently too and spends over half the year up in Alaska now, running various fishing vessels for his boss.

“Maybe I can go next time?” Sam asks, trying to put a positive spin on it. “I’ve never been golfing, but I’d like to learn.”

“We don’t have to wait,” Ally answers, her smile returning. “When we get back, we’ll set up a driving range on your back property. There’s plenty of room for it, and I can teach you how to swing a golf club. Or maybe John should. He’s a lot better than me, and I know you’d listen more to him.”

Blushing slightly, Sam is saved from having to reply when they hit a large bump. Crying out, she lunges for the pie on the seat and barely manages to save it from certain death.

“Sorry!” Ally chirps. “Didn’t see that one.”

They’re about halfway down the hill now, and Sam suddenly realizes how hungry she is. “I hope the food is still hot.”

The sound of another cart approaching surprises them both, and they lean forward in anticipation of its appearance. A moment later, Tori rounds the curve coming up the hill and looks confused when she sees them. As they pass each other, she waves and brakes at the same time.

“I was just coming to get you!” she calls out.

Twisting in the seat, Sam watches as Tori turns her cart around and starts after them, trying to catch up. “Hey, slow down,” she says absently to Ally. But Tori falls farther behind.

“Girls!” Tori yells, sounding irritated. “Wait!”

Their cart continues to pick up speed, pulling away from Tori. Confused, Sam turns toward her friend. Ally’s face is pale, and she’s gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her fingers are white. “Ally, why aren’t you stopping?”

“I’m trying!” Ally wails. Her eyes wild, she looks frantically at Sam. She’s pressing down so hard on the brake that she’s practically standing. “The brakes don’t work!”

14.  A TRAIL OF FOLLY

“What do you mean?” Sam demands. Her heart begins to hammer in her chest as the realization dawns on her. They can’t stop.

“I mean, we don’t have any brakes!” Ally’s voice cracks and tears stream from her eyes. “What do I do?”

The small road is rapidly coming to an end. They’re in the steepest part, and Sam knows they’ll soon need to make a sharp turn toward the lake. “Turn it off?”

Ally shakes her head desperately. “No, I’ll lose the steering. And it won’t help slow us down. I’m not giving it any gas! It’s all momentum now.”

“Is there an emergency brake?” Sam crouches down to look for any sort of lever, the pie falling to the floor unnoticed.

“I don’t think so.” Ally gasps, trying again to stand on the brake. “They usually have a parking brake, but it releases when you give it gas. You can’t set it when it’s running.”

As the cart plunges ahead, the gravel road provides some friction and Sam thinks they might be slowing a little, but it’s not going to be enough. She can see the turn now. There’s no way they can make it.

“Slow down! What are you doing?”

Sam looks back again at Tori who’s gained some ground but is still a fair distance behind them. “We lost the brakes!” Sam shouts, sticking her head out the open side and waving her free arm, the other clenched tightly around the frame.

Tori’s expression changes from annoyance to shock. “Put it in reverse!” she cries. “Ally, put it in reverse!”

“Tori said to put it in reverse,” Sam repeats breathlessly as she turns back to face the road. They have about a hundred feet before they’re sure to slam into one of the many trees lining the road. “Ally, now!” she yells more forcefully.

Ally jerks her head toward Sam at the harsh words but it breaks through her fear. Giving a gasp of understanding, she grabs the small shifter and slams it back into reverse. There’s a horrible metallic grinding noise, and although the cart doesn’t stop, it slows enough that Ally is able to maneuver them around the curve. Once through, the road levels out as they approach the beach. By the time they reach the sand, the cart is barely crawling, and as Bill and the Mileys turn to see what the noise is, it stops safely on the shore.

Dazed, her throat still constricted from fear, Sam tries to swallow but can’t. Gagging, she wipes at her eyes and takes a shuddering breath.

The second cart comes to a grating stop nearby as Tori reaches them. “Are you okay?”

Sam blinks rapidly before focusing on Tori and giving a small nod. Finally able to swallow, she turns to Ally, who’s still gripping the steering wheel. “Ally?”

Ally pries her fingers from the wheel and laughs nervously as she looks down at their feet. “Your aunt is going to be furious.”

Confused, Sam follows Ally’s gaze to discover the two piles of smashed apple pie on the floor. Chuckling, she reaches down and takes a fair-sized chunk off the top. “We can probably salvage some of it.”

Shaking her head, Tori finally smiles. “That was some impressive driving back there, Ally.”

Ally blushes from the compliment, but her complexion is still ashen. She’s trying to put on a brave face but it’s the most terrified she’s been in quite a while. “It reminds me to always do a brake check. My dad warned me that golf carts are notorious for bad brakes, but—”

“These carts are practically brand-new.” Tori interrupts her. “It should have never happened. I’m sorry, Ally. I’ll look them both over tonight and figure out what went wrong.”

“That sounded like you had some gears grinding in there,” Mr. Miley says to Bill as the two men approach. “I don’t know if allowing young teens to drive your carts is the best business decision.”

Ally’s flush deepens, but she responds to the guest before Sam can make a smart retort. “We got going a little fast and I panicked,” she says quietly, looking down at her hands.

“Well, at least you girls are okay!” Mr. Miley smiles pleasantly at them and then races away when his wife calls for him.

Sam looks curiously at Ally. “Why did you say that?”

“The Mileys are planning to come back later this summer,” Ally whispers as Tori and Bill begin talking. “If they think the carts are dangerous, they might change their minds. Word of mouth is important for this kind of vacation spot.”

Sam is impressed with her friend’s quick thinking, but the comment makes her wonder. “What if it wasn’t an accident?”

“What do you mean by that?” Bill demands.

Sam carefully steps from the cart, shaking apple pie from her feet. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Looking at her uncle, she shrugs noncommittedly.

“Now Sam, while these carts are new, they’ve already gotten a lot of use on some pretty rough terrain.” Bill’s eyes narrow as he sees the expression on his niece’s face. “Out with it.”

Shuffling from foot to foot, Sam is thankful when Ally steps up next to her, bolstering her confidence. “It’s just that last night Mr. Appleton was down here.”

Bill’s face hardens. “And?”

Avoiding his stern gaze, Sam wrings her hands together anxiously. “He was down here creeping around in the dark. Near where the carts were parked.”

Bill is silent for so long that Sam doesn’t think he’s going to respond, but when she looks up, she wishes she hadn’t mentioned Mr. Appleton. Her uncle’s face is red, and she can tell he’s doing his best not to react loud enough for the Mileys to hear.

“That’s a very serious accusation,” Bill says evenly. “Even for you, Sam.”

Sam shrinks back under the scrutiny. She knows he’s right. “I’m sorry, Uncle Bill. I guess I’m just a little rattled.”

Bill’s features soften, and he places a protective hand on Sam’s shoulder. “That’s understandable,” he says, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’m just relieved you and Ally are okay. But Sam, I can’t afford having you going around accusing guests of crimes. Let’s not try to make a mystery out of everything. Okay?” He adds a wink.

Nodding, Sam loops her arm through Ally’s as her uncle walks away, leaving them with Tori. Any remaining question as to whether she should bring up her suspicions to Uncle Bill regarding the caretaker evaporates. He obviously isn’t going to be open to that type of conversation, especially not now after her comment about Mr. Appleton.

Sighing, Sam resigns herself to the inevitable conclusion that they’re on their own with this mystery, and it might have higher stakes than they’d thought.

15.   MOUNTING CLUES

Tuesday morning offers some relief from the heat with the promise of a good Montana downpour. Sam stands on the shore of Florence Lake, watching the tumultuous clouds building up behind the peaks of the Rockies.

“A storm is brewing.”

Sam turns to face Ally, watching as the warm breeze blowing in off the lake stirs her best friend’s hair. She hadn’t heard her walk up. “It looks like it! I love big storms. Maybe we’ll get some lightning.”

Shaking her head, Ally picks out a flat rock from along the shore. They’re a ways past the dock and the trucked-in sand. “You can enjoy the lightning while I hide under the covers then.” Tossing the rock, it skips expertly across the water. The lake’s surface is still fairly smooth, but will likely soon be churning with growing waves.

Sam throws another rock right after Ally, but it only skips once before taking a nosedive. Laughing, she takes Ally by the shoulders and turns her back toward the cabins. “Come on. If we hurry, there’s still time to go fishing before the storm hits.”

Ally isn’t convinced. “Are you sure? Maybe now would be a good time to look through the board games Tori mentioned.”

They’d opted to have a light breakfast in the central cabin instead of going up to the inn that morning. This would let them get an early start fishing. While neither of them really cares for eating fish, they enjoy the experience of catch and release. The Mileys left the night before as planned, but two more families are scheduled to arrive later in the day. It would be best to stay out of the way for the afternoon.

“We should ask Kevin if he wants to go,” Ally suggests. She nods toward the cabin as they approach. “I saw him go inside as I was walking down to the lake.”

“Sure!” Sam surprises herself at how quickly she agrees. They hadn’t seen much of him since the day before, and she’s eager to make plans for seeking out the hot springs. A part of her wonders if Kevin is still looking without them. “At least that way we can keep an eye on him,” she adds.

Huffing in response, Ally pulls the door open, and the girls step inside. “Maybe we can all search together now before the storm instead of fishing.”

“That’s a great idea, but I’m afraid it’s going to have to wait until after lunch.” Kevin is leaning against the open display case, holding what looks like Shawn Hollow’s will.

Sam’s brows furrow, and she points an accusatory finger at her cousin. “I thought we agreed to search for clues together.”

“What, this?” Kevin retorts, waving the paper. “Come on, cuz. We’ve both read it already. I’m just double-checking to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Don’t be so sensitive.”

“What do you have to do this morning?” Ally interjects, trying to redirect the conversation.

“I have to help Uncle Bill with something. But we’ll be done by lunch. Storm probably won’t hit until later though, so we can go when I’m done. There’s a spot down at the end of the lake I haven’t checked yet.”

“We can help,” Sam offers, sitting down on the couch across from where Kevin is standing. “Then you’ll get done faster and we’ll have more time.”

“No!” Kevin snaps. Looking somewhat embarrassed, he quickly explains. “There’s some dead trees up behind the inn. Uncle Bill asked me to help him cut them down and… well, I thought it might help me make up for not doing some other chores.”

Once again, Sam is reminded of her older brother and how he can react to certain things. He gets extra sensitive about his time with their dad, and Sam’s feelings have been hurt on more than one occasion when they went off to do something without her. But she’s come to understand that it isn’t about her, and she realizes now how important it is to Kevin to have this opportunity to work with their uncle and prove himself. “That’s okay,” she replies in a light tone. “We’d probably just get in the way.”

Ally looks suspiciously at Sam before sitting down next to her on the couch. It isn’t like Sam to let something go that easily.

“Did you hear what Tori found?” Sam asks, changing the topic.

Kevin seems relieved. “Uh, no. Found what?”

“The brake line on the golf cart was disconnected,” Ally says. “As in, not broken or worn out or anything but completely disconnected.”

“That’s weird.” Kevin frowns as he thinks this over.

Sam waits for the information to sink in. It doesn’t take long.

“It wasn’t an accident.”

“Tori didn’t come right out and say it when she told us this morning,” Sam says. “But she didn’t have to. What other explanation could there be?”

Kevin pushes away from the case and walks closer to the couch, his expression serious. “You know, if that incident had happened with guests during the tour, it could have caused all sorts of problems. Including a possible lawsuit if someone were hurt. It would be an excuse for the city council to turn down those pending permits.”

“Right again,” Sam replies, impressed. “The question is, who did it?”

“Do you think it was Tori?” Ally suggests. “She would have known how to do it, and she’s possibly connected to someone over at the Stepson property.”

Sam and Kevin look at each silently as they both mull over the question.

Sam is the first to answer. “I don’t think so,” she says emphatically. “You saw her face, Ally. She was just as shocked as we were.”

“I agree.”

Sam looks up at Kevin, surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Still holding the will, he sits on the edge of the coffee table in front of Sam and Ally. Pushing at his mop of black hair, he lets out a pent-up breath. “Look, I admit Tori is bossy and way too strict, but I don’t think she’s a bad person. Maybe she isn’t being truthful about why she’s here, but I’m betting it’s for a good reason.”

“Then who do you think tampered with the brakes?” Ally presses.

“I know we saw Mr. Appleton down near the carts last night,” Sam replies. “But I think it’s more likely that someone from Anthony Stepson’s place snuck over here. They could have come through the woods or across the lake, and no one would see them.”

“You better hope your aunt or uncle don’t think the same thing.” Ally draws her knees up and rests her chin on them. “Or else we’re going to end up either in a room in the mansion or going home!”

Sam’s spirits fall. Ally is right. Looking across at Kevin, she can’t see his face because he’s holding the will up to the light to read it. From her angle, she notices some faint, unusual lines on her side of the paper. Forgetting all her other concerns for a moment, she reaches out to trace one of the markings.

Peeking out from behind the paper, Kevin eye’s Sam suspiciously. “Yes?”

“It’s a map!” she blurts out.

“What?” Both Ally and Kevin reply at the same time.

Snatching the will from Kevin, Sam flips it over and sets it on the table next to him. She can hardly see the markings without the backlighting. Jumping up, she runs to a nearby cabinet and returns with a flashlight. “Look,” she directs, holding the paper over the light so the lines are once again visible.

“You’re right!” Standing, Kevin pulls the missing journal page from his back pocket. Unfolding it, he turns it around next to the will until the torn edges line up.

“The other missing page,” Ally gasps.

Laughing, Sam leans in to get a better look. “That has to be Hollow Inn,” she says, pointing at a roughly drawn square toward the top of the page.

“That would make this Florence Lake,” Ally adds, indicating a large circle at the bottom of the map.

“And that’s Anthony Stepson’s house.” Kevin points at another square on the far-right side of the paper.

“Then what’s this?” Ally asks, tracing a long line leading away from the far end of the lake, with smaller radiating lines on either side. At the end of it is a half-circle with squiggles coming out of it.

“The ravine!” Sam’s breath catches. “The same one Kat found Bailey in.”

“She said she was at the far end of it when she heard Bailey,” Ally says. “And according to this map, it must not be that far south of Anthony’s house.”

“Dragons!” Sam shouts.

Kevin and Ally both look at her as if she’s gone mad.

“Bailey told his parents he saw where the dragons lived,” Sam explains, smiling now. “Dragons,” she says again with more emphasis, this time pointing at the half circle. “Hot springs?”

“Steam!” Kevin shouts, catching on. “The kid could have seen steam from the hot springs coming out of a cave.”

“Where dragon’s live,” Ally murmurs. Shaking her head, she smiles back at Sam. “I don’t know how you do that.”

16.  NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

“I hope Kevin is back,” Ally says as the boat bumps against the dock. The storm has continued to build throughout the morning, and the water is now choppy.

Sam squints up at the still bright-blue sky over them, but the churning clouds aren’t far off. Grabbing the fishing poles, she hands the tackle box to Ally before climbing onto the dock. They didn’t get a single bite, probably because of the unsettled water, and decided to call it quits a little early. “Let’s get this stuff put away and then we’ll make sandwiches to take with us on the hike. That’ll save us some time.”

Ally silently leads the way to the storage shed where they stow the gear before heading for the central cabin. Pausing, Sam breathes in the warm, piney breeze and catches the faint scent of what she describes as energy, the sort of electrical smell that comes with standing too close to a lightning strike.

“We need to hurry,” Ally mumbles while pulling open the cabin door.

As the two girls enter, they both stop short of the threshold when they see Tori sitting on the couch, several items spread out on the table in front of her. She’s so absorbed in what she’s doing that she doesn’t realize they’re there until the door slams shut behind them. Whirling around, her eyes widen and her mouth forms a small O.

Sam notices something flutter to the floor as she takes another step forward. Skirting the couch, she sees it’s another photo of the woman Kat. This time she’s alone in the image and several years younger. She’s sitting in the grass with a large orange cat in her lap.

Tori follows Sam’s gaze, and her expression changes from shock to irritation. Bending over, she snatches the picture up and stuffs it under a piece of stationery she’s been writing on. “What are you doing back so soon?” she demands, but her words are hollow, without any force behind them.

“The fish weren’t biting,” Sam offers, her voice soft. “There’s a storm coming.” She shifts her focus to the paper on the table. The word “Kat” stands out, scrawled across the top. Under that, the letter begins with I wish you would contact me. I’ve been worried sick about you! Sam quickly looks away, resisting the temptation to read more.

Tori slowly reaches out and places a hand over top of the writing. Her shoulders slumping, she takes a deep breath before looking up at Sam. “I guess I owe you some sort of explanation.”

Ally moves forward and squeezes into the narrow space between the table and couch, next to Sam. “You don’t owe us anything,” she says politely. “But it’s obvious you know the girl that was in the woods the other day.”

“Which means you must also know Anthony Stepson,” Sam adds with more vigor. “So I doubt it’s a coincidence you ended up working here for the summer. Why are you really here?”

Tori doesn’t answer right away, instead gathering the letter, picture, and another painted rock into a paper bag at her feet. She picks the bag up and cradles it in her lap, then pats the cushion next to her, inviting Sam and Ally to sit down.

Sam hesitates, but when she sees how emotional Tori is, she reaches out for Ally’s hand and pulls her down onto the couch next to her. She hopes Tori isn’t involved in some nefarious plot, but she can’t think of any other reason the older woman would be lying.

“Kat is my sister,” Tori begins, confirming Sam’s suspicions. Shifting so that she’s facing the girls, Tori grits her teeth together before continuing. “I love my sister. I’m sure you can understand that. She’s several years younger than me, so I’ve always taken on a bit of a motherly role with her.” A brief smile crosses her face before clouding again with concern. “She’s quite brilliant, smarter than me. She has three degrees, but the one she’s made a career out of is as a mineralogist with the federal government. She was married to her work, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out she’d left it behind without even giving notice, to run off with some new lab technician she’d just met.”

Sam does her best to process the information, but she’s confused. What does any of that have to do with Hollow Inn?

“Ironically, since retiring from the Air Force two years ago, my sister and I drifted apart,” Tori continues. “When my husband passed away recently, I finally realized how important my remaining family was. So I went to see Kat when she didn’t return my calls. That’s when I discovered she’d bailed on her lease and quit her job.” Standing, Tori holds the bag to her chest while starting to pace. “I hired a private investigator and tracked her here to Anthony Stepson’s commune. I tried going to the house, but they have a locked gate. I waited outside the gate for six hours and confronted the first person to leave, who happened to be Anthony. He refused to let me in, saying Kat didn’t want to see me and to leave her alone.” Choking back a sob at the memory, Tori takes a deep breath to steady herself. “I went to the local police. The sheriff also attempted contact but had the same results. He claimed to have spoken to Kat personally and that she said the same thing to him. When I pressed the issue, he told me since Kat is an adult and there of her own free will, there wasn’t anything more I can do about it. Anthony threated me with a restraining order if I didn’t leave them alone. Me!”

Sam is shocked. Of all the various scenarios she’d thought of, this was way off the radar of possibilities. “You applied for the job here so you could try to contact Kat? Do you think she’s being held against her will?”

Tori shakes her head in frustration. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on. Only that my sister would never willingly cut me out of her life. I just had to stay close to her, to try to find a way to reach her. She’s the only family I have left.”

Ally clears her throat nervously. “Tori,” she says cautiously, “do Mr. and Mrs. Clark know about this? Don’t you think that with Anthony challenging the permits and now the brakes on the cart… that they should know you’re Kat’s sister?”

Tori stops pacing, closes her eyes briefly, and then faces them. “You’re absolutely right, Ally. I never meant to mislead them. I really did need a job for the summer, and when I heard about the opening here, it was the perfect opportunity to stay near Kat. I didn’t have any other ulterior motive. But I should be having this conversation with your aunt and uncle, Sam, not you. I’m sorry for putting you in this position. It’s completely inappropriate. I’ll go speak with them right now.”

Sam breathes a sigh of relief, glad that the air will be cleared between the three adults. But as Tori quickly leaves the cabin on her mission, a small stirring of dread begins to build.

“What’s wrong?” Ally asks. She can read Sam like a book.

“When Uncle Bill finds out we knew about this and that we were snooping around in the woods the other day spying on Tori—”

“Uh-oh.” Ally says.

“Yeah,” Sam swallows hard. “Uh-oh.”

“What?” Kevin asks as he bursts in through the back door of the cabin. His hair is sprinkled with wood chips, and his cheeks are flushed. “You guys manage to get into trouble while I was busy working? Are you ready to go find the hot spring?”

“Yes to both questions,” Sam says evenly. Hooking Ally’s arm, she directs her toward Kevin and the back door, where their backpacks are hanging. Grabbing them, they make a quick detour into the kitchen to get some snacks and water.

Kevin is still standing at the open door when they return, a lopsided grin on his face. “Why the rush?”

Glancing outside, Sam slips her backpack over her shoulders before answering. “Because this may be the only chance we’re going to get to find Christopher’s Pool,” she says, her face grim. “And we need to go now before both the storms brewing are unleashed.”

17.  RISING STORMS

By using the boat to cross the lake, they cut their travel time in half. Kevin was given permission by their uncle to use the one with the trolling motor whenever he wanted, making it even faster.

Sam struggles briefly to locate a large, fallen cedar tree as a marker for where she and Ally went ashore last time, but she finally spots it. Pointing it out to Kevin, he steers them in as close as possible before cutting the motor. The growing waves lap at Sam’s legs when she jumps out, and she looks worriedly at the sky.

“We’re probably going to have to hike back,” Ally says as they haul the boat ashore. “The lake is going to be too rough.”

Kevin takes a moment to look up at the clouds after tying the boat to a sturdy tree. “You’re probably right,” he agrees. “I think we’re going to get wet.”

“It’s okay,” Sam says. “We’ve all got our sweatshirts, and I brought a flashlight. “I’ve also got the radio, just in case.”

“We aren’t going to need the radio,” Kevin says with some annoyance. “It’s an easy hike and a little rain. I thought you were more… adventurous, Sam.”

Sam bristles at the insult. “Being prepared is smart, Kevin. Maybe you don’t understand that since Ally and I have more experience with this sort of thing.”

“We really should get going,” Ally interjects, moving in between the two cousins. She’s afraid she’ll be running a lot of interference.

Scoffing loudly, Kevin pushes past Sam and leads the way into the woods. Although the girls told him about finding Tori, he still doesn’t know how to get there, so Sam quickly passes him and heads in the right direction.

Fifteen minutes later, they approach the ravine, and Sam points to a large stump. “There,” she announces. “That’s where Tori put the bag. I wonder if Kat got it.” The bag is gone.

“Who cares,” Kevin mutters as he enters the ravine. During the boat ride, Sam filled him in on their conversation with Tori, but he isn’t as interested in what he called her ‘family drama’ as he is in the hot springs.

Rain has started to fall, but the canopy of trees is keeping most of it from reaching them so far. Still, Sam feels a chill as the temperature noticeably drops as the weather front pushes in. Slipping her sweatshirt on, she rushes to catch up with Kevin and Ally.

“How far do you think this ravine goes?” Ally asks

“It’s hard to tell from the map,” Kevin says. He easily climbs over a huge, fallen tree and then turns to help Ally.

Sam slips twice on the rotting trunk but makes it to the top unassisted. From her perch, she strains to see how far the gully reaches. Although it’s barely past noon, the woods are as dark as twilight. Looking up, Sam can see the ominous, swirling storm is directly overhead. As she starts to jump to the ground, a flash of light cuts through the gloom, immediately followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

“Oh!” Ally screams, clasping Kevin’s arm. “That was close!”

Rolling her eyes, Sam grins at Ally as she walks around her and Kevin. “We’ll be fine, Ally. Come on! I’m guessing it isn’t that far. Kat made it sound like the other end was pretty close when she brought Bailey to us.”

“Can I have that flashlight?” Kevin asks, moving up next to Sam.

Resisting the urge to make a smart comment, Sam retrieves the flashlight from her bag and hands it to Kevin without a word. He gives her a crooked smile, which she takes as his form of an apology. Smiling back, they continue on in silence.

Ally watches the exchange and then follows, shaking her head. She’ll never understand the silent communication the Wolf family often shares.

The ravine starts out wide but quickly narrows to less than five feet across and is littered with fallen trees, making their progress slow. The steep sides are lined with broken branches and jutting boulders, likely remnants of a river.

The wind picks up, howling through the ravine and driving the rain into their backs. Sam and Ally huddle together behind Kevin as they move forward, relying on him to lead the way with the flashlight.

The growing shadows start to press in on them, turning the day to night. Sam is beginning to wonder if maybe this wasn’t such a good idea when another strobe of lightning reveals what looks like the end of the gully.

“There!” Kevin shouts, seeing the same thing.

The walls of the ravine spread out, falling away to form tall cliffs on both sides behind them and an open expanse of forest in front. The menacing sound of moaning, swaying trees greets them along with the telltale cracks of breaking branches.

“If there really is a cave on the map,” Sam shouts over the wind, “it should be to our left, along this cliff.”

Ally huddles closer to Sam. “If Bailey saw it, then it must not be that far.”

Kevin nods in agreement. “I think it’d be a good idea for us to wait out the storm there. It’s not too smart to be under these trees right now.”

An especially large gust of wind whips up the pine needles around them and sends a branch to the ground only a couple of feet away. Another clap of thunder echoes through the woods at the same time, as if adding extra emphasis to Kevin’s suggestion.

No further encouragement is needed. The three teens hurry in what they hope is the right direction, the beam of the flashlight bouncing wildly along the ground at their feet, revealing obstacles in their path.

“There!” Sam shouts after only a few minutes. Even in the dim light, they can see thick swirls of white curling vapor emanating from a gaping cave not far ahead. Sam notices the telltale smell of rotten eggs. She’s visited hot springs before while camping with her family, and the aroma of sulfur is hard to forget.

“I’ll bet it’s warm in there too!” Ally says with some relief.

Eager to take cover, Kevin plows ahead, but Sam hesitates. “Maybe we should be careful,” she cautions him. “There’s a reason Shawn Hollow hid its location.”

But Kevin is already disappearing into the mouth of the cave. Ally follows after looking back briefly at Sam. Her skin prickling, Sam has to force herself to move, fighting against her instinct.

“Kevin, is it safe?” she calls out. He doesn’t answer. “Ally?”

With growing apprehension, Sam steps across the cave’s threshold and then gasps. Christopher’s Pool is a massive, natural cavern filled with stalactites and scattered pools of steaming water. Kevin is standing a short distance inside, with Ally crouched behind his protective arm. Standing in front of them are three men and a woman.

“Come in,” the largest of the men barks at Sam. “Join us. We were just about to discuss the dangers of exploring an unknown cave.” As he speaks, the man slowly draws a gun from the back of his waistband.

18.  THE DRAGON’S LAIR

Sam is frozen to the spot, unable to move out of fear. Tearing her gaze away from their assailant, she finds Ally staring at her with shock-filled eyes. This isn’t the first time they’ve been at gunpoint, but that doesn’t make it any less terrifying.

“Look, man, I don’t know what you think we’re doing, but we’re only out for a hike,” Kevin says evenly, his hands splayed out in submission. “We’re just getting out of the storm. We don’t care who you are.”

Sam is impressed that Kevin’s voice only cracks once, but the last part of his plea gives her pause. Looking back again at the adults, she notices what else is in the cave. Scattered lanterns reveal several wooden crates stacked up against the wall behind them, along with shovels, pickaxes, and headlamps. A folding table and two chairs are next to the equipment, several trays with various clumps of rocks and dirt on it. What looks like a microscope is positioned in the middle of it all, along with a bright lamp and scale.

“Ah, but we care who you are,” the man replies, his voice dripping with mockery. “The niece and nephew of our good friend, Mr. Bill Clark.”

“Anthony, let them go.”

Sam squints in the gloomy interior of the cave to see the woman who spoke, but she already knows by her voice that it’s Kat. She’s moved bravely in front of Anthony and the gun he has trained on Kevin, with only a shovel in her hand.

“They’re just kids,” Kat says, looking at one of the other men. “Matt, you can’t go along with this!”

“Shut up!” Anthony shouts, his voice echoing through the cavern. Shoving Kat aside, he moves closer to Kevin while gesturing at Sam with the gun. “Get over here.”

Sam stumbles on some loose rocks as she awkwardly makes her way next to Ally. Her heart is hammering so loudly that she’s sure everyone must be able to hear it. Swallowing hard, she tries to drum up the courage to speak. She knows if they can keep them talking, it’ll give them more opportunities to look for a way out of the situation.

“You’ve found another way into the mine,” Kevin states, beating Sam to it.

Anthony looks at him with approval. “Indeed. Of course, this little piece of real estate is still in your uncle’s domain, not to mention the rights to the mine.”

“That’s why Shawn Hollow hid this,” Sam murmurs. “He knew the cave system was connected to the mine’s tunnels, and he never wanted anyone to go in there again.”

“Well, they used to be connected,” Anthony corrects. “Before the infamous cave-in. It’s taken some work, but we’ve been able to locate the original gold vein.” He turns to smile at Kat when he says this and gives her a wink.

“You’re a mineralogist,” Sam says to Kat, thinking out loud. “You helped them trace it.”

Kat hangs her head in shame. “They lied to me,” she says without looking up. “It was never supposed to be like this.”

“Your whole fight against the permits was to keep my uncle from finding this place,” Kevin says, his voice rising. “You’re all trespassing, and I’ll bet digging here like this is illegal too.”

Chuckling, Anthony shakes his head. Lightning strobes through the cave, adding to the nightmarish scene. “Preventing your uncle from discovering this cave might have been my original goal.” He pauses as the mountain around them vibrates with rolling thunder. “But now I’ve had a much better opportunity dropped in my lap.”

Sam can’t see a way out. The three grown men can easily overpower them even without the weapon. No one knows they’re there. She thinks about the radio in her backpack and wonders if it’ll work inside the cave or if she can even get to it.

“What are you going to do?” Ally’s voice is barely more than a whisper and is tinged with hysteria.

Sam moves her arm from Ally’s and wraps it around her friend’s shoulders as Kevin edges farther in front of them. Although bigger than either Sam or Ally, Kevin still looks small in comparison to the other men.

Anthony smirks. “When Bill Clark’s own niece and nephew are killed in a tragic accident on his property, he’ll not only lose the permits but I bet it won’t take long before he’s more than willing to sell Hollow Inn.”

A cold fist of fear settles in Sam’s stomach. He means it. He’s going to kill them and use their deaths to get control of the rights to the mine.

“Are you crazy?” Kat shrieks. Stepping back in front of Anthony she bravely squares off with him. “They’re just kids!”

Anthony moves with lightning speed, ripping the shovel from Kat’s hands and throwing it aside. He then raises the gun so that it’s mere inches from her chest. “I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself.”

Kat wipes at a tear and takes a wobbly step away from the weapon. “Matt, you can’t let this happen!”

Matt looks awkwardly back and forth between Kat and Anthony, obviously conflicted. “Yeah, I dunno, Anthony. I’m all for getting rich, but murdering a bunch of kids wasn’t part of the deal.”

“The deal was and always has been about doing whatever it takes to get the gold. Millions of dollars’ worth of gold,” Anthony barks. “Since Kat wants out, maybe an extra ten percent will help soothe your moral objections.”

Matt takes only a minute to wrestle with his conscience. “Fifteen percent and I’ll do whatever you want.”

Betrayed, Kat’s shoulders sag. A sob escapes before she turns away from Matt.

Grunting once, Anthony shifts slightly to look at both men. “Done. That includes you too, Curt.”

Curt only nods in response but takes a step closer to Anthony to show his solidarity. It’s obvious by his long hair, scruffy beard, and soiled clothes that Curt hasn’t spent much time outside the caves recently. His eyes have a wild look that makes Sam think of gold fever. She’s read about it several times and knows it can make people do things they’d never normally consider.

Engrossed in her observations, Sam almost misses the subtle motion in front of her. Kevin has moved his left hand behind his back and is slowly counting down with his fingers. Sam’s muscles tense in anticipation.

“Oh, man,” Kevin says with exaggeration while waving his right hand in the air. “That was way too easy, Matt. You should have asked for twenty percent.”

Matt frowns, and Anthony sees it, recoiling slightly at the reaction. It’s a brief distraction but it’s all Kevin needs.

Sam shoves Ally to the ground while Kevin lunges in the other direction, toward the shovel. A shot rings out and rock chips fly off the wall of the cavern some twenty feet behind where they were just standing.

Scrambling for the darker recesses of the cave, Sam looks back. Kevin is standing up, swinging the shovel at Anthony’s arm at the same time. The older man is turning toward Kevin but doesn’t finish the pivot in time. The shovel crashes into Anthony’s forearm and the gun goes flying. Before he can recover, Kat lunges for his legs, successfully knocking Anthony to the ground.

Matt and Curt don’t move immediately, standing instead in stunned silence. Kevin doesn’t need any prompting. Still gripping the shovel, he runs toward Sam and Ally.

Back on her feet, Sam slips the backpack from her shoulder as the three of them run. They can’t see very well. Kevin dropped the flashlight during the scuffle, and the light from the lanterns don’t reach this far. She only knows that they have to get away from the three men, and they’re between them and the entrance to the cave. If they can find the tunnels, maybe they can hide long enough for help to get there. If the radio works.

Sam trips and then stumbles forward. Putting her hands out, she falls against a rock wall. It’s a dead end.

“We’re trapped!” Ally cries. Turning, she presses up against the wall and looks back the way they’ve come. They haven’t gone far. It’ll only be a matter of minutes before Anthony finds them.

Sam desperately snatches the radio from her bag, her breath catching when she can’t figure out right away where the power button is. Finally there’s a brief hiss of static, and a red light glows softly. At the same time, a flashlight snaps on near the front of the cave and begins sweeping the space in front of them.

“Uncle Bill!” Sam gasps into the radio. “Uncle Bill we’re in trouble.” She’s answered by a persistent static. Straining to see Kevin and Ally’s faces huddled close to her own, she tries not to cry. “It isn’t working.”

“There’s nothing your Uncle Bill can do for you now,” Anthony mocks.

A beam of light lands on Sam’s face, and she squints into it, wondering if it’s going to be the last thing she sees.

“I can’t imagine it’s possible to have a good explanation for any of this,” a voice says.

The light disappears from Sam’s face, and she blinks rapidly to refocus on where the new voice came from. She recognized the clipped speech, and as Anthony turns the light on the tall man at the mouth of the cave, his identity is confirmed.

Mr. Appleton expertly pulls back the rack on the dropped handgun he picked up, chambering a bullet. He calmly points it at Anthony. “Because it certainly sounded like you were threatening these children.”

19.  RECONCILIATION

“If Bill doesn’t want to press charges against you for trespassing, there isn’t any reason for me to take you into custody at this time,” the sheriff states, looking grimly at Kat.

Sam grips her large mug of hot chocolate, taking comfort from the warmth it transfers to her hands. They’ve been back at Hollow Inn for nearly an hour now, but she’s still cold.

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Clark,” Kat says.

Tori pulls her sister closer to her and sniffs loudly. The two are leaning against the counter in the bright kitchen since all the seats at the small table are taken. “I can’t say I’m sorry enough times.” Tori’s voice is thick with emotion.

“You couldn’t have known what was really going on,” Beth answers as she moves around the room, refilling everyone’s coffee. “We understand why you took this job, Tori. You’ve been a wonderful employee, and you were only trying to get your sister back.”

“I never got the care package,” Kat says to her sister. “After I found Bailey, Anthony wouldn’t let me leave the house. When you first came looking for me, he threatened to hurt you if I told you anything. By the time I’d realized what was really going on, I felt like I didn’t have a way out. I had no idea you were here at Hollow Inn.”

“The important thing is you’re safe now,” Tori says. “Do you mind if I take her down to my cabin to get cleaned up?” she asks Beth.

“Of course I don’t mind,” Beth answers. “I know you’re probably eager to get back home, Tori, but you’re both welcome to stay as long as you’d like. I need to get dinner started soon, but you’re welcome to join us. Our other guests arrived during all the excitement, and I’m afraid I’m already neglecting them.”

It took over an hour for her uncle to reach them in the cave after Sam had managed to get him on the radio. It was another hour after that before the sheriff and two of his deputies arrived. Meanwhile, the rest of the county police force rounded up the remaining people at Anthony’s house.

Their ordeal is finally over, but just like the storm’s passing, it’s going to take some time to clean up the mess it’s left behind.

The sheriff tips his hat at Sam’s aunt and uncle. He follows Tori and Kat as they leave, and there’s a moment of awkward silence after the front door closes. Bill looks around the table at Kevin, Sam, Ally, and then finally at Mr. Appleton, who’s standing as far away as possible while still being in the same room. It’s been a very long afternoon of hiking through the storm, coping with the face-off in the cave, and then the endless interviews with the sheriff.

Sighing deeply, Bill runs his hands over first his face and then through his damp hair. “I only have one question,” he finally says as he turns to Mr. Appleton. “How does an author come to be so adept at handling a firearm?”

Mr. Appleton smiles in response and then starts to laugh. The tension broken, everyone joins in until he puts a hand up for silence. “It’s actually a rather boring explanation, I’m afraid. While researching one of my crime novels, I took a crash course on weaponry and investigative techniques used by crime-scene investigators. While it’s come in handy with several scenes in my books, I must say I never intended to put any of the skills to use.”

“We’re just thankful you were also caught out in the same storm and heard the gunshot,” Beth says with sincerity.

“I’ll admit there might have been more than luck involved,” Mr. Appleton confesses. “My curiosity was also piqued by your neighbors and the elusive ‘Kat.’ It wasn’t the first time my wanderings led me closer to the property line than I should have been.”

“Speaking of which.” Bill clears his throat before settling a decidedly more serious gaze on the three teens. “I know you all well enough not to accept the simple version of your story. Your aunt and I are aware you knew about Tori’s connection to Kat,” he says to Sam. “And that your questions in town uncovered the history between our two properties and the mine. Please don’t tell me this wretched gold mine once again led you to put your lives in danger.”

Sam swallows hard. “Honest, Uncle Bill, after Aunt Beth asked us to stop snooping, we didn’t plan on getting more involved. We decided to help Kevin find the hot springs, just for fun, and then tell you right away if we uncovered anything else about Anthony Stepson while we were looking. We had no idea that the gold mine was involved.”

Kevin nods in affirmation. Pulling the two sheets of old journal paper from his jeans pocket, he spreads them out on the table.

“That’s old Shawn Hollow’s will!” Beth exclaims.

Kevin turns the paper over. “It’s hard to see, but there’s a map drawn on the back of it. That’s how we found Christopher’s Pool, the missing landmark.” Pushing the elusive journal entry toward his uncle, he grins. “I found this inside Christopher’s picture down in the cabin.”

Bill reads the journal entry before handing it to Beth and then holds the map up to the light to study it. “Well, I’ll be. You’re right.”

Sam is hopeful that they might not be in too much trouble after all. “After we were in the caves and realized what Anthony was doing there, it all made sense. Shawn Hollow was trying to hide the other entrance to the mine.”

“Now that you know about it, maybe you can safely mine the gold and add the cave onto your tour,” Ally suggests. “Hot springs can be a huge tourist attraction.”

Bill and Beth look at each solemnly before coming to a silent agreement. “We won’t be mining any gold,” Bill declares. “We’re going to honor Shawn’s wishes, as well as the final resting place of the unfortunate men who died there.”

Beth nods. “Once we have those tunnels safely blocked off though, I don’t see why we can’t explore opening up the hot springs to visitors. It’s actually quite a good idea!”

“Thank you, Kevin,” Bill says, turning to the young man seated beside him. “For discovering Christopher’s Pool and for acting so bravely in the cave. I hate to think what might have happened if you hadn’t been there.”

Kevin blushes under the praise but then looks sideways at Sam. “Thanks, Uncle Bill, but it wasn’t just me. Sam’s the one who found the map and figured out what it meant. The three of us found the cave together.”

Sam smiles at her cousin, surprised by his generosity. But her happiness doesn’t last long.

“Come on, girls,” Aunt Beth huffs. Standing, she motions for them to follow her. “Time to call and explain all this to your parents.”

20.  ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

“You’re never going to catch a fish if you don’t listen to me.”

Sam continues baiting her hook and then casts the line without acknowledging Kevin’s statement. He’s way too much like her brother. “I know how to fish,” she mumbles.

The sound of splashing behind the boat draws their attention, and Ally’s head appears above the bow. “Any luck?”

“Not with you scaring the fish away,” Kevin complains before using one of the oars to splash her.

Squealing, Ally drops back into the water. “Come on, Sam!” she calls while doing the backstroke. “It’s gorgeous out here.”

Sam laughs as she watches Ally do some impromptu water ballet. Unlike the day before, the water is now as smooth as glass. If possible, the storm seemed to further cleanse the air, and the sky is such a bright blue that it’s almost blinding. An eagle circles slowly above the far shore, doing its own form of fishing.

“Woo-hoo!” Kevin hoots while tugging on his taut line. After a brief struggle, he hauls up a decent-sized rainbow trout. “That’s how you do it!”

Sam’s cheeks flush as she reels in her untouched bait. Who wants to waste time fishing when the water’s so nice anyway? Dropping her pole into the bottom of the boat, she stands on the wooden bench and does a perfect dive.

“Seven point five,” Kevin calls when she surfaces. “With a point taken off for excessive splash at the end.”

Ally swims over to where Sam is treading water. “He really ought to get wet,” she whispers.

Sam grins crookedly in agreement. “It might be the only way we can finally get that red shirt washed.” Unlike the girls, who came prepared in their swimsuits, Kevin is still wearing his jeans and T-shirt.

They wait until Kevin’s released the trout and then dive below the surface, quietly resurfacing as close to the boat as possible, one on either side. Much to Sam’s delight, Kevin leans over to wash his hands on the side Sam has chosen. Bracing her feet against the boat, she clamps onto his wrists while at the same time shouting, “Now, Ally!”

While it’s an average-sized boat, it’s lightweight. It doesn’t take much for Ally to tip it a little. That’s all Sam needs. After a brief struggle, Kevin ends up in the lake with a huge splash.

“Five points!” Sam gurgles, choking on a mouthful of water. “Your form could use some work.”

Ally swims around to regroup with Sam, and they laugh loudly at Kevin’s grand antics. Sputtering, he flails around for an exaggerated amount of time before setting his sights on Sam.

Instead of humor however, his face is darkened by a scowl. “I have my phone in my pocket!”

Sam’s heart drops into her stomach. Not again! “Oh my gosh, Kevin!” Sam is close to tears. “I’m sorry! We were just messing around. I didn’t think you’d have your phone out here!”

Instead of the expected tirade, Kevin throws his head back and begins to howl with laughter. “You should see your face!” he sputters, close to tears now too. “Priceless! Of course I don’t have my phone!”

Sam wants to be mad, but she’s always been someone who can take as much as she dishes out. Laughing along with her cousin, she’s thankful they aren’t actually reliving the past. Instead, they’re having fun together.

“What did your dad say when you called him?” Ally asks Kevin when they begin to lazily tread water under the intense, afternoon sun.

“Once Uncle Bill explained everything to him, we had a good conversation.” Kevin smiles with pride. “Especially after I told him I’m officially being hired as the new caretaker for the rest of the summer.”

Sam and Ally exchange a knowing look. They’d suspected that might happen after Tori announced at dinner the night before that she and Kat would be going home as soon as a replacement could be found for her.

“That’s great, Kevin!” Ally says. “It’ll be really good experience for your résumé.”

“Yeah, and my dad even used words like ‘encouraged’ and ‘proud.’” Kevin’s smile wavers. “I didn’t think that would ever happen again.”

“Why not?” Sam interjects, reaching out to push good-naturedly at his shoulder. “We would have never figured things out without you, and Anthony might have succeeded in getting the inn shut down.”

Kevin meets Sam’s gaze and tilts his head slightly at her. “Cuz, are you giving me a compliment?”

Sam promptly splashes him in the face. “Just be thankful your dad was so positive about our little adventure. I wish my mom was. It took Aunt’s Beth intervention to keep us here for the rest of the week, plus five minutes of my begging to allow me to go on our next camping trip.” Sam turns to Ally, who’s begun to swim circles around them. “The most frustrating part is that I really did try to stay out of trouble this time. How could we have known the two mysteries of the hot springs and gold mine were connected?”

Ally pauses next to Kevin. “You should really go visit the Wolfs sometime this summer. Maybe we can work together again on another mystery!”

Sam laughs at the suggestion but then smiles encouragingly at Kevin. “Ally’s right. I know Hunter would love to spend some time with you, and maybe our parents could get together too.”

Looking first at Sam and then Ally, Kevin gives them both his infamous, lopsided grin. “I don’t know. Hanging out with you guys is kinda dangerous. Who knows what you’ll be up to next?”

THE END

Did you enjoy Return to Hollow Inn? Be sure to read ALL of The Samantha Wolf Mysteries!

LINK TO SERIES PAGE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tara Ellis, an Amazon bestselling author, lives in a small rural town in Washington State set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She enjoys the quiet lifestyle with her two kids and several dogs. Tara was a firefighter/EMT, and worked in the medical field for many years, before committing herself to writing young adult and middle grade novels full-time.

Visit her author page on Amazon to find all of her books!

amazon.com/author/taraellis