Last Flight from Flagstaff (Choices: Story Two)

By Beth Carpenter

A year ago, Donna lost a special man. Now his daughter, Kristen, needs her help. Kristen is getting married, but upsetting information casts doubt on her intended groom. She hires Donna to investigate.

Donna arrives in Flagstaff to find a fiasco of missing money and messy books. As if that weren’t complicated enough, she finds herself attracted to the groom’s uncle. Throw in a sweet old dog and a pushy wedding planner, and Donna has her hands full. Can she clear Kristen’s fiancé and save the wedding with her own heart intact?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beth Carpenter
• Release date: Aug 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476418179

Beth Carpenter

Beth Carpenter grew up on a farm reading everything she could get her hands on, from cereal boxes to the encyclopedia. Saturday visits to the library were the highlight of her week. Due to motion sickness, she couldn't read on the school bus so she made up her own stories instead. She still consumes books like popcorn and loves to create happy endings for her imaginary friends. She believes dogs, books, and laughter are key to happiness. And dark chocolate. And love. 

Book preview

Last Flight from Flagstaff

(Choices: Story Two)

By Beth Carpenter

Smashwords Edition

Copyright Beth Carpenter 2012

Chapter 1

Do you need anything else before I go?

Donna looked up at her assistant, hovering in the doorway. Of course not, Sandra. Go on home to that beautiful baby girl of yours.

Sandra’s face lit up. Did I show you the latest video? Sandra pulled out her phone, bringing up the video to show Donna. See, she’s trying to roll over. She can get halfway, but then she loses momentum and rolls back. She’s like a turtle on its back.

She is adorable, Donna said.

"Speaking of daughters, when does Rachel get home from college?

Donna sighed. Not until August, and then only for a week. She’s going to take some summer classes and get a part-time job there.

That’s a shame. Well, I’ll see you in the morning. Don’t work too hard.

Donna picked up the pile of folders she had been sorting. She didn’t fool Sandra or herself; the sorting was just an excuse to avoid going home to her empty house. When Mark left her, she had insisted on keeping their family home, but now its emptiness mocked her. The big house was always neat and clean and silent, just like her life.

It wasn’t as though she hadn’t tried. Friends were always setting her up with someone perfect for you. Donna would dutifully go out with them, always hoping for a connection, but while they were all perfectly pleasant men, she never seemed to feel that spark. Maybe she was just too picky.

Donna’s mouth tightened as she filed the last folder, pushing the heavy file drawer closed and locking it. Work was not without its worries either. They had just finished their busy tax season last week, but business was down this year. Two of their best clients had gone bankrupt. Another client, a golfing buddy of her ex-husband’s best friend, had moved to another accounting firm. He didn’t say why, but it was clear he was no longer comfortable doing business with Donna.

Up to this point, Donna and her partner were still operating, but if the economy didn’t pick up soon they wouldn’t have enough business to support two professionals. In fact, her partner, Susan, had recently received an inheritance from her grandfather and had hinted that she might want to buy Donna out. So far, Donna had managed to avoid the discussion; the business was the only thing keeping her sane.

A ringing telephone made Donna jump. Caller ID said K. Meredith. Donna blinked. Kristen Meredith? Hers was possibly the last name Donna expected to see. She and Kristen had spent an emotional few days together in Las Vegas a year ago, but hadn’t contacted one another since. She picked up the phone. Hello?

May I speak to Donna Zimmer, please?

This is Donna.

Donna! This is Kristen. Ross’s daughter? I hope you remember me?

Of course I remember you, Kristen. How are you?

I’m great, actually. I’m engaged. Matt and I are getting married on Saturday, Kristen said, her voice sounding more tentative than her words.

Donna was mystified at the reason Kristen would call to share this news with her. It was true that she had helped Kristen through a difficult time, but they were not exactly close friends. Besides, the timing was odd. If Kristen wanted Donna to know about the wedding, wouldn’t she either send an invitation to the wedding or an announcement after? Why call less than a week before the wedding? Congratulations, Kristen. I hope you will be very happy.

Thank you. We will be, but there is one problem. There is this complication with my dad’s business and I really need to get it squared away before the wedding. It’s a long story, but there is a problem with missing payments. You’re an accountant, right? At least that is what your card says.

Yes, Donna said slowly. What is it you need exactly, Kristen?

I need for you to come here and go through the books of this company and sort everything out. That is the sort of thing you do, right?

Not exactly, Donna temporized. I’m not a forensic accountant. I do more tax accounting and bookkeeping for small companies. Besides, I thought Ross had sold his company.

He did, but one of the parts was an apartment complex which was sold with payments. Owner financing I think it is called. Now the payments are messed up so they might sort of bounce back or something. It is a huge mess and I need to get it straightened out, but with planning for the wedding and everything I don’t have time to chase it down.

Small parallel lines formed between Donna’s eyebrows. You must have your own accountants, Kristen. Why do you need me?

I do, but I’m not getting a clear answer. I need someone from outside to figure it out. Look, Donna, you were straight with me when my Dad died and I trust you. I’ll pay you for your time and expenses and everything. Will you come?

Work was slow now that the April 15th tax deadline had passed, and with a daughter in college, Donna could certainly use the extra money. She thought of the empty evenings stretching out in front of her. Why not get away from everything for a while?

Okay, Kristen, I’ll do it. I’ll book a flight and let you know when I’ll be arriving. You can fill me in on the details and sign a work contract once I arrive. You are still in Flagstaff, right?

Right. I had my travel agent book you a flight for 10:00 tomorrow morning. I’ll have her send the details to the email address on your business card, okay?

Donna raised an eyebrow. I guess I can make that. You were pretty sure I’d accept, weren’t you?

My dad always said that if you act confident, people will usually come around to your way of thinking. I guess it must work. You accepted his proposal, after all, Kristen said.

I guess I did at that, Donna admitted.

Kristen laughed. It’s a refundable ticket, but I was pretty sure you wouldn’t let me down. Oh and Donna, I’m telling everyone you are an old friend of the family coming in for the wedding festivities, so pack for that, okay? See you tomorrow. Bye.

Donna set the phone gently into its cradle. This sounded like a real hornet’s nest. Missing money, untrustworthy accounting - did she really want to get involved? That last statement about posing as a friend of the family sounded rather cloak-and-dagger. What was she getting herself into?

Donna opened her top desk drawer and removed a plain gold wedding ring, rolling it back and forth between her thumb and forefinger. Ross was a darling. She had only known him briefly, but he gave her a lesson about what life and love could be. Sometimes she wondered if true love was an illusion, but then she would remember Ross. Donna decided she would do whatever she could to help his daughter.

***

Kristen let out her breath as she ended the call. That went better than she expected. She had not been nearly as confident about Donna’s acceptance as she let on. She set her phone on the oak desk and paced back and forth across the polished wood floor in her father’s study.

What a fiasco this whole thing was turning out to be. Dad always made it look so easy to run a business. Now she didn’t know who to trust or what was going on. Maybe she should have turned over the whole thing to lawyers and managers and gone back to Africa. At least there, she felt competent and productive, knowing her work on a clean water project was helping people. Except, of course, if she had gone back to Africa she wouldn’t have met Matt.

The thought of Matt made Kristen smile in spite of her worry. Matt was everything she wanted in a man. He was funny and sweet, and when those soft brown eyes looked her up and down while he smiled that half-smile, her insides turned into hot fudge. They hadn’t known each other long, but it was clear to them both that they belonged together. Within three months, they were engaged.

Now the accountants were saying there were some irregularities. What did that mean anyway? She couldn’t let it get in the way of their wedding. It was probably just some sort of accounting error or misunderstanding or something. She had been cleaning receipts and papers out of an old billfold when she came across the business card, Donna Zimmer, CPA. It seemed like the answer to a prayer. Donna could straighten it out, and in a few days, Kristen would become Mrs. Matthew Arlyn.

***

The twin-engine plane swayed as a gust of wind caught at its wings. Donna gazed out the window at the dark green forest below. The deep green, interrupted here and there with groves of aspen trees just leafing out and occasional grassy meadows, spread across the hills. A few patches of snow were still visible even now that it was almost May.

A quiver of excitement ran through Donna. This was Ross’s hometown, where he and Cindy had lived their life together. Flagstaff. The name brought images of Route 66 nostalgia, quaint tourist traps and old-fashioned diners to serve the people driving to the golden land of California. Now Donna was heading the other direction. The line of the old song ran through her head, Get your kicks on Route 66. The flight attendant’s voice came over the speaker. Please return your seats and tray tables to their full, upright positions. We will be landing shortly.

A small bump and they were on the runway. The plane slowed to a crawl, taxiing toward the terminal. The door of the plane folded down to create a stairway. Donna descended with the other passengers, squinting in the bright sunlight. A breeze brought a whiff of pine as she collected her carryon bag from gate check and walked toward the small, handsome terminal building.

Donna was the first in line at the rental car desk. Kristen’s travel agent had reserved a car for her. Here are the keys to your Jeep Cherokee, Ms. Zimmer. It is parked in spot eighteen in the lot just outside those doors. Enjoy your stay in Flagstaff.

A jeep? Donna wondered just exactly what sort of driving she would be expected to do on this assignment. At the same time, she was excited. The jeep somehow seemed to go with the wild-west atmosphere of the place. By this time, luggage was pouring onto the carousel, and Donna was able to collect her suitcase quickly.

Outside, Donna could see how tall the ponderosa pines were, dwarfing the single-story terminal. She had known that Flagstaff was higher in the mountains than the rest of Arizona, almost 7000 feet according to the fun facts on the rental car map, but she hadn’t expected this towering forest. The trees were so tall and spreading that the forest floor was relatively open, revealing occasional lichen-covered boulders. She had always pictured Arizona as a desert, with saguaro cactus and howling coyotes. Flagstaff looked more like Donna’s images of Colorado or even Washington.

The rental car lot was just off the end of the terminal. A blue jeep awaited her. It was spacious inside, with all the latest gadgets. She pulled up the GPS and typed in the address that Kristen’s travel agent had given her. A woman’s voice with an Australian accent instructed her to make a right turn. All right, Sheila, Donna said aloud, Here we go.

Chapter 2

After navigating Donna through a few highway mergers and exits, the GPS directed her past a golf course and into a neighborhood of large houses. Tall pines created buffers between the spacious lots around the homes. The landscaping around the houses seemed to be mostly natural forest, supplemented with plantings of native and decorative vegetation. Soon Donna saw the street number she was looking for and turned into a circular drive in front of a stone and wood house. She parked the jeep behind a black Mercedes SUV.

She climbed out of the jeep and approached between the stacked-stone pillars of the large front porch. The house, although fairly new, had the look and feel of a classic Craftsman bungalow. Heavy wooden brackets curved from the tops of the pillars, supporting the porch roof. The oak front door was surrounded by stained glass