Return To Cobb Mountain (Cobb Mt Mystery Series Book 2) Read online

  Kat sighed and leaned her head back and closed her eyes, and once again reminisced how exciting their courtship had been. How playful they were with each other. Then sadly thought about how quickly everything settled down to routine.

  It wasn’t anyone’s fault, really. It just happened. But there were no surprises anymore. There were the daily phone calls at break time, weekly Friday night dates, Sunday breakfasts at Auntie’s; with Ron usually showing up briefly in his uniform, and an occasional long Saturday together. With Ron’s rotating schedule and her heavy case loads there was just no opportunity for spontaneity. She missed it.

  Ron finished pumping the gas and climbed into his SUV. He leaned over and brushed the hair from Kat’s forehead and kissed it gently. “I love you, Kat,” he said smiling into her eyes.

  The old familiar tingle ran up her spine. There was no doubt how they felt for each other. She just needed to free up her life so they could get back to the business of being in love.

  As Ron’s SUV wound its way around Soda Bay Road they passed the cherry blossom orchard where they had their first picnic. It was in full bloom again; and as the ‘pink snow’ blew gently across the road Ron reached over and squeezed Kat’s hand. She knew he was reminiscing as well.

  Zino’s Ristorante was crowed as usual, but their favorite table on the deck was waiting. Kat loved the way Zino and Jan made them feel special. There was always a red rose on their table, and this time there was also a bottle of sparkling Lake County wine being chilled in a bucket on a stand next to the table.

  Kat groaned silently, because there was something else added too. The table was larger and her mom, sister, Uncle Lenny and Auntie were all there waiting. They had the entire deck to themselves. She knew the stage had been set for setting the wedding date.

  Kat was subconsciously holding her breath as a beaming Ron pulled out the chair for her to sit, and he took his place next to her putting his hand on hers.

  Kat felt all eyes on her. Not just from the table, but the entire restaurant seemed to be in on it; and peering out through the windows waiting for her response.

  After a long moment Kat finally took in a breath; and when she exhaled along with nitrogen came words. Lots of words. Words just started pouring out of her fast and non stop- not giving anyone a chance to interrupt.

  Kat started with her day at work including in her dialog the most minute and nonconsequential events down to the tiniest detail. As she went into detail about the coffee maker’s malfunction which caused everyone in the office to, one by one, trek across the street to the Lower Lake Coffee Shop, her family stared at her with stunned expressions. Angel was actually frozen with her water glass in the air midway to her lips- which were gaped open.

  However, no one was more stunned than Kat herself. She felt as if she was having an out of body experience and looking down at herself without even the tiniest bit of self control. She wanted to stop talking- she really did! But she couldn’t. She wanted to run out of the restaurant; but again- she couldn’t. She wanted to tell everyone to just back off and leave her alone; and that she would set a date if and when she felt like it. But she couldn’t do that either. All she seemed to be able to do was to drone on and on about work.

  Kat looked at Ron and although she could see the pain and disappointment on his face it had no effect on her ability to do anything but ramble on about work. She leaned towards him and earnestly began pouring out the details of an ongoing case, thankful at least that she was able to omit the most private and legally protected details.

  “… so this old man- really old not just a ‘senior citizen’ I’m talking very old, saw this younger man who was down and out in front of a shopping center with a ‘Will Work For Food’ sign and felt sorry for him and offered to let him temporarily stay with him if he would do odd jobs around the house in exchange for room and board. This old man really does need help, since his wife died recently and he is alone. All alone except for his grandson who lives out of the area. The old man lives way out off Morgan Valley Road. Very isolated. And neither the old man nor his grandson had heard of the American Disabilities Act that makes it possible for people in his situation to get subsidies to get help in the home- you know In Home Support Services.

  “So one can sort of understand why he would bring a stranger into his home. But instead of helping out; the younger man terrorized the old man, stole his money, ate all his food and had non stop round the clock parties. The old man couldn’t call for help, because the guy pulled the phone cord out of the wall; and he also had parked an old clunker in the driveway- blocking the old man’s car. So the poor old man couldn’t even drive to get help. Finally when his grandson couldn’t reach him by phone he came to check on him. The younger thug met the grandson at the door and chased him off; but the grandson went to the closest neighbor about five miles away and they came back with the neighbor’s brother and they quietly pushed the clunker out of the way, snuck in and helped the old man into his car and the grandson drove him directly to our office. Well, in no time two sheriff deputies accompanied the old man and his grandson back to the man’s home and served the thug with an eviction notice along with a restraining order. They gave the thug five minutes to take what ever he wanted of his belonging and get out! He was told anything left behind the old man could dispose of as he saw fit, but the thug was never allowed to return.

  “Well, even though he had been rescued and I had helped his grandson with the paper work to get his grandfather on the In Home Support Service program; and gave them a list of providers to interview- well it was such a horrible ordeal for the old man who was so distraught and despondent over of being terrorized in his own home, that he continued to feel helpless; so much so that he sank into a deep depression. So then I helped his IHSS caregiver and grandson to get him admitted into the retreat for depression up on Cobb Mountain for a short time. He is back at home now and very happy. And now that he has an IHSS provider to help him, he will be able to stay in his home safely for a very long time.

  “That is just one of the cases I’ve worked on. So you see my job is very important…. You can see why I’m so busy…. I help a lot of people. I just don’t have time to do anything else…. Really.” Kat finally ran out of words. The silence left in the wake of her words, was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Kat sat there wishing the deck would open up and swallow her.

  Suddenly Ron’s cell phone rang causing Kat to jump. He excused himself and left to answer it. A few minutes later an ashen Zino delivered a message from Ron that he had been called to duty.

  Kat studied the table cloth for the remainder of the evening. Not even realizing that her mother had ordered for her. Spurts of uncomfortable conversation emitted from her family as they tried to fill the silence. Finally Kat found herself being led down the stairs off the deck to the lower parking lot and to her mother’s car where it had been hidden along with Lenny’s car to ensure her surprise. Everything had been well planned out.

  Everything that is, except how Kat would feel about being trapped into setting a wedding date.

  Uncle Lenny opened the passenger door, helped Kat inside and buckled her seat belt. Kat flashed back to when she was a little girl and how many times her uncle secured her in her mother’s car, before allowing her Mom to drive off. She loved her family, and she knew they loved her. And they probably thought they were just helping her over a case of cold feet. But she feared the damage caused by tonight would be far more painful than forgetting to buckle up.

  Auntie placed Kat’s untouched meal which had been packed up in a take out box on Kat’s lap and kissed her forehead gently before closing the door.

  Without a word Caroline started the engine and pulled up the long driveway to the road carefully going over the speed bumps as if carrying fragile cargo, and then eased slowly out onto Soda Bay Road. The ride home was silent as well. Even the usual chatty Angel was quiet from the backseat.

  Kat felt the weight of the world on her as she asc
ended the same staircase that she bounced down just a couple hours earlier. She crumpled on top of her bed and pulled up the family heirloom handmade quilt with the classic interlocking wedding ring design from the foot of her bed and let the tears flow.

  Soon her mom was sitting next to her on the bed, silently rubbing her back for a few minutes. Then she surprised Kat by saying, “This might be for the best, Kathryn.” For the first time, Caroline put into words what Kat already suspected. She spoke of her apprehension of the fast courtship and to Kat’s marrying a police officer. And then she said that she felt quite certain that Kat’s hesitation to set a date was a sure sign that she wasn’t ready for this marriage. “I know- even I had gotten caught up in the excitement of wedding planning,” Caroline admitted, “but it is probably best to put this whole marriage thing on hold for awhile.” She patted a whimpering Kat on the back again, and left the room, leaving the door a jar.

  Kat wondered if her mother was right. She had been dragging her feet about setting a date. Maybe she really wasn’t ready to marry Ron. “But then why does it hurt so much?” she sobbed into her pillow.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The Orient Express

  Not wanting to face her mom and sister Kat dropped a note on the kitchen table and left quietly out the kitchen door. Tossing her back pack on the passenger seat she got into her new Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder and crept slowly down the gravel driveway.

  She couldn’t talk to her family right now. She couldn’t even face them. She just couldn’t bare their sympathetic looks. And most of all she didn’t want to go through the day pretending everything was going to be fine. How could it be?

  Kat steered her little sports car around Soda Bay Road towards Lakeport, but turned left onto a side road just before coming to the cherry orchard; taking it through the tiny little village of Finely and to the highway.

  Kat had no particular destination in mind… but she wished she could take a slow boat to China! Suddenly she thought of a place to hide out for the weekend.

  Even before she looked at her watch she knew it was too early, and would need to find somewhere to go- something to do, to pass the hours until she could check into the Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast Resort.

  Not knowing where to go, but needing a cup of coffee Kat pulled off the freeway at what locals called ‘Hamburger Hill’ in Lakeport and ordered through a drive-thru.

  “Large coffee- black.” was all Kat wanted to have to say to anyone this morning.

  Coffee in hand, Kat pulled back onto the freeway and headed back in the direction she came. She just had time for a couple sips before needing to place the hot coffee in the cup holder to free up her hands for the drive up Highway 175 as she headed for the Hopland Grade.

  Her little Eclipse handled the winding road easily, but driving it failed to give Kat the joy it usually did. Nothing could make her happy today.

  Kat pulled over on the wide spot at the top and maneuvering the little car to face west, she prepared to watch the sun rise. “Guess I’m getting my mental health day after all,” Kat said into her coffee cup. “One day too late! Should have taken it before my nervous breakdown of last night.”

  Kat spent that Saturday hidden out at the Featherbed Railroad B & B Resort, in the cupola of the Caboose called the Orient Express with a bag of Cheetos, which was her favorite comfort food and reading Emma, which was her favorite Jane Austen novel. Even though Austen herself described Emma as "a heroine whom no one but myself will much like," Kat loved Emma. Emma had been endowed with enough charm to see her through her most egregious behavior. How Kat envied her that quality right now.

  She grimaced at the thought of her outrageous display of bad behavior at Zino’s!

  “Badly done Kathryn! Badly done!” Kat quoted Mr. Knightly from the book, as she put the book down and climbed down the ladder of the cupola.

  Kat needed to get some air, and stepped out onto the deck. It was a beautiful evening so she decided to walk the grounds and stretch her legs, but went back inside to grab her cell phone first. It hadn’t rung all day. But she was hoping.

  That night Kat tossed and turned despite the comfy featherbed beneath her, and woke before sun-up and climbed up to the cupola to watch for it with a cup of coffee she brewed in the tiny kitchenette. The aroma of fresh baked bread drifted into her caboose reminding her that she had skipped dinner.

  Kat stayed for breakfast and then took the long drive around the lake to her home, knowing her mother and sister would be at Auntie’s for their traditional Sunday break-fast. She couldn’t help wondering if Ron would join them. But she knew the answer. He still hadn’t called.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Mrs. Lombardi

  Monday finally came around, and Kat was happy to be back at work. She needed the fast pace of the office to get her mind off her Friday night blunder. She worked diligently through the morning on her inbox which was stacked to the rim. Even so her inner clock knew when it was break time. She knew it was time for her phone to ring and for Ron’s happy voice to be on the line telling her it was time to take a break and time for her to tell him how much she loved him. She knew the phone would not ring.

  She kept working afraid that if she didn’t she would break down and cry. She didn’t want to go to the lunch room and have to face her fellow office worker’s questioning faces. They were accustomed to her floating in after a five minute phone call from Ron.

  Kat was startled when the phone did ring. “Hello,” she answered it hopefully, forgetting the usual office greeting.

  “Hello? Is this the social services office?” a confused female voice asked.

  Kat cleared her throat trying to regain her composure and replied, “Yes. Uh… Sorry. Lake County Social Services, this is Kathryn, how may I help you?” Out of habit, she picked up her pen and glanced down at the caller ID, and saw that the call was coming from a pay phone.

  The female caller said she wanted to report elder abuse. She said she wished to remain anonymous, but insisted that some-one needed to investigate a Mrs. Lombardi who lived on Cobb Mountain. The caller then became hysterical and said, “I think Mrs. Lombardi is in trouble. They won’t let anyone see her. Not her friends. Not even her family. I think she is missing! I think they’ve done something horrid to her!” After giving an address the caller hung up.

  Kat sat for a moment stunned into reality, and then after jotting down notes from the call, she quickly went to find her supervisor who although was concerned, wasn’t as disturbed as Kat. Kay patted Kat‘s arm and said in a demeaning manner, “You are going to get calls like this several times a year, Kathryn. Most of them turn out to be either a hoax or a nosey neighbor listening to gossip. But it will be good experience for you to take this case. Take your break, and then follow up on it.”

  Even though the call shook Kat up, she welcomed the distraction. And with this to talk about in the lunch room, no one seemed to notice the missed call from Ron. And when Kat slipped into silence it was assumed she was deep in thought about the new case.

  After her break, and with a lot of effort, Kat pushed her personal life out of her mind as she went online to do a search for the name. She found two addresses in Lake County. Neither was the one the caller gave. She searched a reverse directory for the address the caller had given, and found the phone to indeed be listed to that of a Lombardi. A Guido Lombardi.

  Kat packed up her briefcase, filled it with every form she could think of that might possibly be needed and headed for the county vehicle; she didn’t often get to drive it, as she spent most of her days in the office. It would be good to get out.

  Kat pulled out onto Main Street and as she waited at the light, a sheriff patrol car faced her on the opposite side of the light. Kat held her breath wondering if it was Ron. But as they passed each other she saw that it wasn’t, and felt both disappointment and relief.

  Kat tried to keep her mind on business as she drove up Glasgow Grade, but she couldn’t ignore the painful lump she felt
each time she swallowed. She had passed Siegler Canyon Road even though it may have been quicker, deciding instead to head to Kit’s Corner, and take Red Hills Road up the mountain.

  A quarter mile section of that road was lined with wild Scotch Brooms, and this time of year they would be in full bloom. She could use being surrounded by the cheerful yellow and the soothing fragrant blossoms.

  When she reached the bend on Red Hills Road, Kat pushed the buttons and low-ered all the windows and slowed to a crawl keeping one eye on the rear view mirror ever ready to speed up if it became necessary.

  Kat breathed in the wonderfully intox-icating sweet fragrance of the wild Scotch Brooms. It was like aroma therapy for her. She longed to pull over and park for awhile, but there was no time for such luxuries. Kat made a left at the end of Red Hills Road and headed up Highway 175 towards Cobb Moun-tain. With each turn in the road the trees seemed to grow taller and thicker. She had left the windows down and enjoyed the warm pine filled mountain air.

  Kat pulled off the highway onto Salmina and waved at a couple who were tending their garden behind an ornate fence with passion flower vines crawling up it.

  Kat veered left onto Diener Drive, which was a bumpy and dusty dirt road. She slowed her pace. She minded neither the rough road nor the slow ride. She always enjoyed Lake County’s backroads; and she was rehearsing in her mind what she would say when she arrived at the house.

  Kat had to admit she was nervous. Not really afraid, but definitely nervous. She kept her eyes on the mileage as it counted off the distance from the highway to the address that she had mapped out on the internet. It was very close. She put her blinker on and prepared to turn, even though there were no other cars on the road.

  Kat’s hopes for a ‘surprise visit’ were soon dashed when, next to the address and a sign that said “Vista Montagna” was a tall electric wrought iron gate. She pulled up to it, and reached out her window and pushed the call button. A voice soon demanded to know her purpose for calling. Kat identified herself and held up her ID, not knowing if there was a hidden camera or not. After a moment the gate opened. Although the driveway was paved and in good condition, she rolled up the windows before proceeding up the mountain, thinking that perhaps there would be large dogs.