The Violet Shadow

By G.J. Gardner

After previously saving the world from financial terrorists, Scarlet and Boris team up again. When Scarlet receives a desperate call for help from her aunt, Scarlet and Boris race against the clock, following a complicated trail of clues to save her aunt from disaster.

• Language: English
• Publisher: G.J. Gardner
• Release date: Sep 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005153434

Book preview

The Violet Shadow

G.J. Gardner

Published by G.J. Gardner at Smashwords

Copyright 2020 G.J. Gardner

Note: Scarlet and Boris live in a world without COVID-19

Being home on a Tuesday felt very odd Scarlet thought, as she poured herself another cup of coffee. Scarlet had put in so many extra hours at work on computer projects this last month, and she had consequently gotten so crabby and irritable, she had been ordered to take this week off to rest and recuperate. This Tuesday morning she was curling up on her sofa, spending a lazy couple of hours studying needlework magazines. Choosing a new project was always so delicious; carefully weighing the many factors such an enjoyable process. Would it be different enough in color, style and subject matter that it wouldn’t feel like doing a previous project over again? If the project was for someone else, would the finished item match their interest, their style and their color scheme?

Scarlet paused and looked at the counted cross-stitch sampler hung over the sofa. Her Grandma Rose had made this when Scarlet was a girl. Grandma Rose had a special talent for choosing the right project for the person, and for adding her own personalized touches. A red-haired girl peeked around the numeral 9, the age Scarlet had been when Rose had given her this sampler. Curled up on top of the letter M was a big orange cat, Scarlet’s pet Marmalade. Leaning against the letter B was a baseball glove and a bat, Scarlet had been playing in the neighborhood baseball league that summer. The letter R had a climbing rose bush clinging to it with flowers that were various shades of red – that was Rose’s signature on every sampler. Whenever Scarlet looked at this sampler she was reminded that Grandma Rose had made it just for her.

Scarlet then turned her gaze out of the window to enjoy the maple tree in the front yard, leaves shining a brilliant red in the October sun. She picked up a magazine again, pondering all the perplexities of choosing a project when her phone rang. The caller ID announced Aunt Violet. Her Aunt Violet never called unless it was an emergency or a disaster.

With trepidation she picked up the receiver and said Hello setting the magazine aside. Scarlet, I need your help, and I need it right away. Can you drive up to the farm today? Violet sounded like she was in a panic; she was usually such a calm, unflappable person that Scarlet was immediately concerned.

I’ll be glad to drive up and give you my help, but could you give me an idea what this is about, so I can come prepared to do some good?

Well, Mama always told me that if I needed money for something really, really important I should look for it in her old cedar chest. I need that money now for something really, really important; but it isn’t in the cedar chest, and I need your help to find it. I’ve looked everywhere I can think of; I absolutely have to have that money by Friday morning! Violet sounded in total despair.

How much money are we talking about? Scarlet asked. I could loan you some to tide you over until we find the money.

I don’t want your charity, Violet said crisply, I want your help. Mama never said how much it was; she just said it was enough to cover almost any emergency. I’ll see you in a couple of hours. Violet hung up abruptly.

Scarlet ran her fingers through her shoulder-length red hair, pulling the natural curls temporarily straight. Finding things that are lost…private investigators were supposed to be good at that, and she knew one such investigator who owed her a favor. After all, the work the two of them had done saved the international banking system.

She walked over to her desk and surveyed the piles of technical papers and stacks of computer journals. Now where did I put his business card? Scarlet muttered to herself. I never expected I’d need to call him, and certainly not so soon after we worked together. She searched through her desk and finally found the card – Boris Freyczech, Private Investigator (Freyczech rhymes with paycheck he had told her) and a phone number.

She picked up the phone to call him, and then hestitated. What was there to tell him? That her grandmother had misplaced some family valuables and her aunt was very concerned about finding them. This was pretty small stuff compared to the international terrorism and espionage cases he usually took on. He might just laugh and turn her down, but then again, maybe he wouldn’t.

Scarlet took a deep breath, and dialed the phone number on the card. After two rings, a voice with a trace of Eastern European accent answered. Freyczech investigations, Boris Freyczech here, the voice said.

Hello Boris, this is Scarlet Ravelle.

Scarlet, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call? He sounded pleasantly surprised.

Scarlet hesitated momentarily, then started talking. I need your help in finding some missing stuff, uh, missing valuables that my Aunt Violet needs to find, because she needs it right now, and she thought she knew where it was, but when she went to get it, it wasn’t there, but she thinks it has to be somewhere on her farm someplace, and she absolutely has to have it by Friday morning. Scarlet stopped, feeling like a fool for nervously babbling.

"Locating family treasure. That