Black Widow Valley: Miss Fortune World: The Mary-Alice Files, #6

By Frankie Bow

Young men have been disappearing in Black Valley, New York--which now has the misfortune of being known as "Black Widow Valley." As it happens, Mary-Alice Arceneaux has a personal connection with the tiny community, and is called in to help. Mary-Alice is thrilled to be a part of the investigation--but by the time she arrives at the forbidding Kilmer House where she will spend the night, she realizes she may be in over her head. 

This modern retelling of Lost Man's Lane takes the action from the sultry bayous of Southwest Louisiana to upstate New York's remote Black Valley. Mary-Alice is challenged to keep her wits about her when she gets herself invited to stay in the forbidding old mansion that appears to hold the key to a string of unspeakable crimes. Fortunately (or not), Sinful's Sheriff Robert E. Lee is on the case too! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: J&R Fan Fiction
• Release date: Aug 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386813095

Frankie Bow

Frankie Bow teaches at a public university and writes two mystery series: The Professor Molly Mysteries, and licensed works in the Miss Fortune World. Unlike Professor Molly, Frankie is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, and a perfectly nice office chair. She thinks if life can’t be fair, at least it can be entertaining. From the author: Thank you for taking the time to read this book. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends and posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated. Sign up for Island Confidential, Frankie's mystery newsletter, at subscribepage.com/ProfessorMolly

Book preview

Chapter One

MARY-ALICE ARCENEAUX was relaxing on her back porch with a glass of iced tea and a brand-new murder mystery. A cool breeze from the bayou caressed her cheek, and every so often a fishing party drifted by in a flat-bottomed pirogue. Her new mosquito repellent was working, and she thought she couldn’t imagine a more perfect afternoon.

And then she heard a knock on the door.

She got up to answer it, a little annoyed at being interrupted, but curious who her visitor might turn out to be.

Sheriff Lee, she exclaimed, genuinely surprised to see him at her door. To what do I owe this great pleasure? Please, come in and let me get you a glass of tea.

Mary-Alice did not know the precise age of Robert E. Lee, the semi-retired sheriff of Sinful, Louisiana. But he was certainly older than Mary-Alice, and Mary-Alice herself was on the sweet side of seventy.

Why thank you kindly, Miss Mary-Alice. Lee removed his campaign hat and followed her into the kitchen. There’s a matter of some urgency I wish to discuss with you, if I may.

Mary-Alice fixed Sheriff Lee a glass of iced tea and a plate of icebox cake, then joined him at the kitchen table.

Now Miss Mary-Alice, I am reluctant to involve you in this affair, but I have been most urgently asked to approach you. I shall be brief. Do you happen to be acquainted with a lady named Althea Kilmer?

No, Mary-Alice said, wonderingly.

You may know her as Althea Burroughs.

Althea? Why, yes. We were in school together, and the best of friends. But I don’t believe Althea and I have spoken in years. No, decades.

Even all these years later, the mention of Althea Burroughs provoked a pang of envy. Althea had been pretty and vivacious, with bouncing blonde curls and fetching dimples. Upon leaving school, Althea had married a kind and wealthy man, honeymooned in Europe, and had moved into a grand mansion somewhere up north.

Mary-Alice had married Joe Arceneaux, who was neither wealthy nor kind, and spent her entire life in the bayous. 

There had been no quarrel or falling-out; the two friends had simply drifted apart.

Dear Althea! Mary-Alice exclaimed. Is she doing well?

Well, now, I didn’t mean to get your hopes up, Miss Mary-Alice. Her husband passed several years ago, and she followed him soon after. Only her three children remain.

Oh dear, Mary-Alice fretted. When we left school we swore we would always stay in touch and visit each other every year. And of course we didn’t, and now it’s too late. But Sheriff, where are her children now?

Up in New York.

New York, Mary-Alice gasped. I knew Althea had gone up north, but I never imagined she was in New York!

Now, this is not New York City, mind. The place in question is what they call upstate. Miss Mary-Alice, have you ever heard of a place called Black Valley?

Why no, I haven’t.

And you may count yourself fortunate as far as I’m concerned. Lee picked up a napkin and dabbed tea from his white moustache. Miserable place. They call it Black Widow Valley, for reasons I’ll explain shortly. But it’s where your friend’s husband’s people are from, and it’s where her children live to this day.

I see, Mary-Alice said. And Sheriff Lee, did you come by simply to tell me of my friend’s passing?

Well, now, don’t rush me, Miss Mary-Alice. It seems this remote area has been the scene of something quite peculiar. During the last five years, four young men have disappeared there, and no one knows how or why.

Oh, dear. How terrible for the families of those poor young men.

It surely is. They’ve been awfully eager to get to the bottom of this. Well, it seems someone got the idea to do some research into all the residents of Black Valley, and they dug up this connection back to you.

Hoping I might have been in touch with Dear Althea, and could give you some clue, Mary-Alice said sadly.  But instead, you’re the one who told me of her passing. I am dreadfully sorry, Sheriff Lee. I can’t provide any assistance in this matter.

Sheriff Lee chuckled.

The fact is, you can be of great assistance. This case has not been solved, Miss Mary-Alice, and as you know, the police can’t run roughshod into folks’ houses looking for things without a warrant and such. Not even in New York.

So what is it they’re asking, exactly?

I’m asking you to arrange a stay with your friends’ children. It should be no trouble at all for them. They live in a mansion with servants and big limousines and all that kind of thing, or so I hear. It should be no trouble at all for you.

I’m sorry, Sheriff, are you asking me to spy on my friend’s children?

Not at all, Miss Mary-Alice. I’m simply asking you to make a social visit, and use your normal powers of observation. And in doing so you may help to right a great wrong. Now you’ll want to write for an invitation right away. I’ve brought you the names of the children, and the mailing address.

Why Sheriff, I haven’t said I’d do it.

So you haven’t. Well, I do understand. I suppose it was a lot to ask.

Sheriff Lee made as if to leave.

Wait a moment, Sheriff. I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. Here, let me refill your tea.

Chapter Two

THE NEXT MORNING, MARY-Alice met her friends Ida Belle, Gertie, and Fortune for breakfast at Francine’s Diner and told them all about Sheriff Lee’s visit.

So you’ll do it? Ida Belle asked, sounding both deeply interested and a little envious. Ida Belle was the founder of the Sinful Ladies’ Society, and accustomed to being involved in everything important that happened in town.

I believe I will do it, Ida Belle. I’ve already mailed a note to them, inviting myself over for a stay. I suppose I’m rather committed.

What did Lee tell you about the case? Gertie asked excitedly.

Well, I’ll tell you, Mary-Alice replied, with a furtive glance around the restaurant. But Sheriff Lee did ask me to be discreet. Now, up there in this little town called Black Valley, up in New York State, it seems four young men have gone missing. The first was a young college man, traveling on his summer vacation. One day they found his backpack in the woods, but they never found him. Well, people sort of forgot about it eventually, but then a couple drove through on vacation, and during their time there, the husband disappeared.

What was the wife doing? Fortune asked. Those things are usually the spouse, aren’t they?

Fortune was the youngest and the most worldly of Mary-Alice’s friends in Sinful. She was also the only Yankee, and consequently quite blunt and outspoken.

I believe they never found the husband, nor any evidence the wife had anything to do with it. And then there was another young man, come to visit his aunt and uncle. He walked out of the front door and never came back. They said it was as if the road had swallowed him and closed again.

If that happened here, I think everyone would just assume it was gators, Gertie said.

They don’t have gators in New York, Ida Belle retorted.

That’s why I said if it happened here, Ida Belle, Gertie shot back. Now, what do the police think?

"They did call in the police from across the river, but they were never able to find anything. And Black Valley’s started