Valley of the Lost Read Online Free PDF Page B

crowd. Cooks and bartenders and wait staff who are too wired after work to go home to bed. They usually go to someone’s house, or have a private party in the back after the bars close.”
    “Trouble?”
    “No. When the bars let out, the staff are generally stone cold sober. There are exceptions, but I haven’t heard of the people from Tthe Bishop being among them.”
    They reached the steps of the police station. The red and white maple leaf flag hung limply in the warm, humid air. “What about Ashley?”
    An image leapt into Smith’s head of the tiny pale girl, laid out on the steel autopsy table, under the harsh, unforgiving white lights while Doctor Shirley Lee prepared to open her up. “You might ask Dawn,” Smith said, referring to Constable Dawn Solway, who, on her own initiative, did a lot of work with the kids who drifted into Trafalgar. Seeking a pot-soaked, neo-hippie paradise and finding sky-high rents, expensive food, and not much in the way of affordable accommodation. And attentive police.
    “Good idea.” He tossed his coffee cup into the trash bin at the foot of the steps. “Thanks, Molly. You’ve been a help.” He took the stairs two at a time. She crushed her own cup in one hand. But she hadn’t finished the drink, and chocolate splashed onto her yellow T-shirt. She swore under her breath. She hadn’t wanted hot chocolate anyway, and now she was wearing it. She looked at her watch. Not much more than an hour to go home, change into uniform and get back to town in time for her shift. And she’d been left without a lift. She lived about 12 kilometers outside of town, obviously too far to walk. Her parents’ store, Mid-Kootenay Adventure Vacations, was located on Front Street, only a couple of blocks from the police station. She set off down the hill toward town. The sun was hot on her face, but black clouds, heavy with rain, were gathering behind Koola Glacier.
    Bloody John Winters.
    ***
    Lucky looked up as her daughter staggered in. Moonlight’s short hair was plastered to her scalp and the yellow T-shirt clung to the girl’s generous curves.
    “Raining?” Lucky said.
    “No, Mom. It was so hot I went for a swim in the fucking river.”
    Lucky turned back to the baby in her arms. Miller’s dark blue eyes were open wide and he waved pudgy fists in the air. “Mind your language.” Lucky said.
    “Fuck. There, I said it. Now he’s contaminated for life.” Moonlight kicked off her shoes. “I need a car. Dad was not pleased at having to give me a lift.”
    “I thought you were with John Winters.”
    “Fuck him too.” Moonlight stomped out of the kitchen.
    Lucky stroked the baby’s soft cheek. Miller looked back at her, and Lucky thought she might have seen the trace of a smile.
    Angry footsteps pounded up the stairs and down the hall.
    Moonlight. Molly. Her poor Moonlight.
    “I might as well retire for all the time I’m spending at the store.” Andy came through the door. “Tell your daughter that adult children should be living on their own. I was in the middle of signing up a big group for a family-reunion weekend kayaking trip when Molly marched in demanding that I lend her the car. As that would have left me stranded, I hurried through with the family.”
    “Did they sign up?”
    “Thankfully, yes.”
    “You’ve found someone to replace Duncan as tour guide then?”
    “You know Jeff who fills in now and again for that company up the valley? He’s been looking for regular work. I think he’ll do. Now all I need is someone to look after the books.” He glared at his wife, the office manager. “And to be left alone to run my company.”
    “I have been,” Lucky said, “away from work for precisely six hours. Quite understandably the entire business has collapsed into ruins in my absence, but one must make accommodations. Suppose I died suddenly, what would you do then?”
    “Don’t joke, Lucky.” Andy rummaged through the cupboards. “Ah, there you are.” He