The Alpine Recluse Read Online Free PDF Page B

faculties. Or at least as many as she ever had. I suppose it’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard, especially as people in general live longer.”
    Elsie, whose family owned a farm run by her grandson Ellsworth, had contacted Vida earlier in the year about writing a column that would appeal to the older generation. Vida had rejected the suggestion, insisting that there wasn’t room on her page. That was true enough, but we could squeeze it in elsewhere if we had to, and Elsie had recently stepped up her campaign to become a regular
Advocate
contributor. For free, of course.
    “We might find room on the editorial page,” I said. My weekly piece filled less than two columns. Letters to the editor took up another column or so, depending on who wanted to nail me to the wall. The rest of the page featured whichever spokesperson had the time to put together an article about the community college, the public schools, the park service, the timber industry, the local churches, or any other general-interest topic.
    Vida looked resigned. “Well. I suppose I’ll have to call Elsie back and tell her we’ll try it. When we have space.”
    I nodded. “It might work out. Can she write?”
    Vida shrugged. “She taught in grade school eons ago. She must be at least literate.”
    “Okay.” I saw Milo coming into the newsroom. “Go ahead. Here comes the sheriff.”
    Vida moved only enough to let Milo enter my office. If he had something to say that was worth delivering in person, it must be important. My House & Home editor wouldn’t miss it for the world.
    I looked up at Milo with an inquisitive expression. He didn’t sit, but stood looming over my desk, his long face grim.
    “Doc Dewey had to ship Tim’s corpse over to the medical examiner in Everett early this morning,” Milo said in a tired voice. “Doc couldn’t handle the autopsy on . . . what was left. For once, the Snohomish County MEs weren’t real busy, so we didn’t have to wait in line.” He stopped, removed his regulation hat, and ran a hand through his graying sandy hair. I sensed that he was stalling, that he hated to say what was going to come next. But he forged ahead. “Tim died before the fire started.”
    Milo stopped again. Vida, who was standing just behind him, looked impatient. “Well?” she said.
    The sheriff kept his eyes fixed on me. “Cause of death was a blow to the head. It looks like we may be talking about a homicide.”

THREE
    E VEN V IDA WAS shaken by Milo’s bombshell. “Does Tiffany know?” she asked in astonishment.
    Milo shrugged. “That’s up to Doc Dewey. He’s got her at the hospital, making sure the baby’s okay. Her folks are there, too. I’ll tell Beth when I go back to headquarters. She’s tough. She came to work despite Tim’s death. She said it’d be too hard to find a sub on short notice.”
    “Very brave.” Vida glanced at her wristwatch. “I have an appointment with Dot and Durwood at eleven. Goodness, it’s a quarter to now. I wonder if they’re home. I must call.” She dashed out to her desk.
    I wished Milo would stop looming. “How was Tim killed?” I asked.
    “Blunt instrument,” the sheriff replied. “The ME’s findings aren’t complete. He may not know—if he
can
know—what it was until later today.”
    I frowned. “Robbery?”
    “Could be. Classic setup. The house is dark, burglar figures nobody’s home. Maybe somebody who knew the Raffertys and their schedule breaks in, Tim wakes up, they get into it, and Tim gets his skull smashed in.” Milo fiddled with the collar of his regulation tan shirt. I noticed that he was already beginning to sweat under his arms. It was supposed to hit ninety by afternoon.
    “Where was the body found?”
    “In the bedroom,” the sheriff replied. “This is going to be hard to reconstruct with so much of the house burned. We’re calling in somebody from the state to help figure out how the fire was started. Assuming it was done to cover up the