Halloween in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries Book 6) Read Online Free PDF Page B

should go to the seniors who are granted that honor, and for another, it seems a little silly. We aren’t kids anymore.”
    “That’s what I thought, too. I’m glad you agree. I know Jane is planning to bring it up at this week’s meeting, but it seems like everyone I’ve spoken to so far is against it. Jane can be very persuasive, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t end up getting a few members of the committee to go along with her plan.”
    Doreen began unloading her cart as she moved to the front of the line.
    “I’m sure the committee will veto the idea,” Tj assured Doreen. “Besides, we wouldn’t have time to hold elections even if everyone loved the idea.”
    “I think Jane wanted to hand out ballots at the welcome-back reception.”
    “I’ll talk to Jane,” Tj offered as Doreen completed her transaction and the clerk began to ring Tj up. “I don’t know if it will do any good, but she might drop the idea if I can get her to see how awkward the whole thing would be for everyone.”
    “Okay, great. Let me know how it goes.”
    Tj watched Doreen walk away as she dug into her bag for her credit card. Halloween certainly had become an expensive holiday. She couldn’t believe Ashley’s mask cost more than Gracie’s dress. The thing was made of rubber, not titanium, for heaven’s sake.

Chapter 4
     
     
    Tj felt a sense of contentment as she turned onto the resort road. Her dad had displayed scarecrows and hay bales at the entrance and the staff had hung white lights in the aspen trees that lined the drive. It looked like a Halloween village all decked out to greet the many visitors who frequented the resort each fall as the hillsides turned red and yellow with fall color.
    The interior of the resort was likewise decorated for the upcoming holiday. Tj had personally helped to decorate it, as well as the restaurant, early in the month. Maggie’s Hideaway was the largest resort on Paradise Lake. It featured a lodge with mountain-themed rooms, one- and two-bedroom cabins that hugged the lakeshore, and a seasonal campground. The resort also featured a full-service marina, horseback riding, an ice cream parlor, bike and ski rentals, and a two-pump gas station.
    Tj and her family lived in a large private residence on the edge of the resort, providing them a degree of privacy while affording them the resources of the resort as a whole.
    “Stop the car,” Gracie screamed as Tj turned into the driveway to their home from the resort road.
    “What’s wrong?” Tj slammed on the brakes.
    “I saw something.”
    “Like what?”
    “A dog. I think it was a dog. It ran under that big bush when you turned the corner.”
    Tj looked around. She didn’t see anything. “It’s almost dark. It was probably a coyote.”
    “It wasn’t a coyote. You have to go look.”
    Tj sighed. She was willing to bet a week’s pay Gracie had seen a coyote, or maybe even a raccoon. The chances that there was a stray dog this far from town were remote, but Tj knew Gracie wasn’t going to let it go until she checked it out.
    “You wait in the car in case it was a coyote,” Tj cautioned. Living at Paradise Lake, Tj was used to sharing her space with a lot of different types of wild animals, including bears and cougars, but the highest incidence of animal-to-people injuries seemed to come from the overly domesticated coyotes that roamed the area and weren’t in the least afraid of people.
    Tj pulled all the way over to the side of the road, just in case another vehicle came in their direction. She took a flashlight from her glove box and opened the driver’s side door, then slid out onto the narrow private road and made her way over to the large shrub Gracie had pointed to. If it was a coyote it would most likely take off once she shone the light in its eyes. If it was a bear she was going to need to tread lightly. And if it was a cougar…well, Tj didn’t want to think about that. Luckily, cougar sightings in