Shadows of Lake Élan

By Mary A. Olito

Lea Adler, without conscious consideration of what may lie ahead, makes an irrational life change when stress and circumstances become unbearable.
She finds herself a different person discovering challenges and tranquility, entangled with mysterious messages that lead to deceit and murder.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499052374

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

D ark clouds from the storm began to separate into patches of blue. Bright streams from the emerging sun was shining into her car; a comforting warmth spread across her arm as it rested on the window. The entire car began to warm quickly. After driving for over eight hours, it was easy to become mesmerized by sign after sign along the interstate. The warmth was making her feel sleepy as well. It had been a long time since she had driven on this road. Rolling the window down several inches allowed cool air in to help keep her awake. Beyond the clouds shadow, an almost spring like briskness blew in, circulating through the car, quickly taking the place of any warmth that had filtered in. Her shoulder-length hair whipped in swirls around her head. The sudden chill made her feel more alert.

She thought it strange there was very little traffic. Seemed odd for a Tuesday, or Wednesday? Completely unsure of what day it was, she still could not think of any reason for the lack of traffic. She knew it had to be midafternoon—by the position of the sun. The clock in her car wasn’t working, her watch was packed in one of the bags, and her cell phone was misplaced, so she could not confirm the time. Not that time was important; she just needed to get there before dark. She had been battling tiredness for several hours, not just from the long drive but from the whole month. She was exhausted from the culmination of uncontrollable events that had taken over her life: personal loss; escaping her demanding, life-consuming career in the city; and making the final decision to move and completely change her future.

The stress of it all caused a tense tightening in the back of her neck. Rubbing it did no good. She attempted to reach under the pile of bags filling the entire passenger side of the car. She groped for her purse between the bags and finally got hold of it.

As she pulled it toward her, a domino effect of the piled bags on the passenger seat happened, and they began to collapse on each other, rolling onto her. With a strong tug, she was able to pull the purse free and drop it quickly on her lap.

The bags were now covering her right shoulder, weighing heavily. She tried as hard as she could to give them a shove back toward the passenger window. As she pushed, one bag rolled over her, causing it to fall between her and the steering wheel. Again, with determination, she pushed with all her might on the bags, her lips squeezed together as though it would give her more strength. The bags finally settled securely in the passenger seat and away from her. She pushed them down again to ensure they would not roll on her again.

Her concentration had been entirely on shifting the bags that she didn’t notice the car had drifted into the oncoming lane. After feeling the car sway, she abruptly became aware and felt sudden panic coming on. Her heart raced as she quickly grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, guiding the car back to the lane she was supposed to be in. She found herself very grateful that the traffic was sparse today and no one was in the oncoming lane.

It took a few miles before she could calm down. Her head was now pounding, and her neck felt tighter than ever. She fumbled to open the purse that was still on her lap. Digging around inside it, she felt for the small aspirin bottle. She placed the bottle in the hand that was steering the car, and then she tossed her purse on top of the pile of bags. She gave the purse a good push into the bag to ensure it would not roll off. Steering with her forearms, she struggled with the difficult lid. Finally it popped off after she applied as much pressure as she could with her thumbs. She was not sure where the lid flew off to, but at this point, she really didn’t care. When she bought the small bottle, she thought it would be perfect for traveling, not realizing how hard it would be to open while driving.

She peeled off the protective foil with her teeth, finally able to get to the aspirin. Taking out three, she placed the little bottle in her ashtray where normally she kept gum and loose change. She wanted to keep it close by in case she needed it again.

She then tossed them into her mouth all at once and gulped them down with water that she kept handy in her cup holder. It still took another fifteen minutes before she noticed the pounding pain beginning to let up. Those fifteen minutes on the interstate seemed like hours.

Trying to relax her neck muscles, she tried a breathing exercise her friend had taught her: inhaling deeply then holding her breath for five seconds. Through pursed lips, she exhaled slowly. Repeating this several times, she felt it was helping somewhat, but it also seemed like she had inhaled too many times. She felt lightheaded, and the sleepy feeling she had been fighting earlier had returned. She tried shaking her head and patting her cheeks to stimulate awareness. It would work only for moments at a time.

Fixated on the road, each mile seemed to drag by. The repeated sight of broken lines on the interstate was almost hypnotic. As road weary as she was, her mind began to wander. She discovered, before getting completely out of the city, that the radio in the car didn’t work. She had packed away all but two CDs, which she became bored with after the first four hours.

There was also a problem with the heater. It would heat enough to take the chill out of the car, then it would shut off. The sun was still warming the car, so at this time it wasn’t that much of a problem.

A quick flash of a small silver car flew past her. He seemed to come from out of nowhere. It startled her enough to bring her out of her brain fog. The shining silver car soon disappeared out of sight. It flew by so fast she couldn’t make out what kind of car it was, other than being small.

The elevation began to rise slightly, and the interstate was no longer straight. It now had a gentle curve with a slight winding through small clusters of pine trees. Somehow she got a second wind and was now more conscious of her surroundings. She noticed she was driving a little below the speed limit. The way her luck had been, she didn’t want to get a ticket for driving too slow!

The driver of the small car was definitely driving faster than the posted speed limit. She increased her speed but was also glad she didn’t have to stress about being in a hurry. The tension in her neck was finally letting up.

The beautiful scenery helped as well. Some of the surroundings were looking familiar, bringing back warm memories of family trips when she was young. The flat road began to rise into sloping green hills with tall mountains in the distance. A sign indicated that the turnoff to the mountain highway was not far ahead. She was looking forward to reaching her final destination.

Bright colorful lights were flashing in the distance ahead. She checked her speed. It was definitely a police car with someone pulled over. As she drew closer, she could see it was the little car that had sped past her. She drove by slowly to get a better look and saw that it was one of those small expensive sports cars.

The man inside was talking, waving his arms around, obviously trying to create excuses for his behavior. The perfectly arranged, uniformed officer did not look impressed as he continued to write the ticket. He was well built and tall. And with his flat-brimmed hat, he appeared like a giant next to the little car. She snorted while snickering as she passed them and was very grateful it was not her getting the ticket and also grateful that the officer had not seen her swerving all over the road several miles back!

The next road sign said ten miles to the turnoff that would take her up the mountain and to the cabin, her restful sanctuary and her new life change. At that moment, she had no idea how much change there will be in her new life.

A familiar reminder that she was driving in the right direction was an old barn. Faded by time and crumbling with deterioration, the original red color had washed out and is now almost gray. Pine trees surrounded the property, obviously planted to frame the land to show ownership. Old rotted wood leans where a large gate to the entrance of this aged farm used to be. Rubble is all that is left of a home for a family and livelihood of long ago. In a way, it was sad, but it also gave her peace and a comforting feeling that she was going home.

Ahead is the sign she had been watching for. It indicated that the turnoff she had been looking for is only one more mile away. The relief of getting closer to the cabin her great-aunt had left her seemed to perk up her energy. She was feeling excited to finally be close.

Anxious to get there, she sat up straight, stretching out her sore muscles, back and bottom, all aching due to the hurried packing and the long drive. Eagerly she watched each sign shortening the distance of the one-mile turnoff.

Three quarters of a mile, half a mile, one-quarter mile … There it was! The motion of the steering wheel turning onto the off ramp seemed to glide the car and her exhausted spirit peacefully toward her final destination.

After the past grueling weeks, she was looking forward to lying down on the soft bed she had remembered climbing into as a child. She would happily drive another fifty miles to the small mountain town, and another four miles along the lake, to her cabin—her new home. Her tiredness turned into exuberance.

Coming to a slow stop at the end of the turnoff, there were two signs. One said Mountain Highway, the other said Lake Élan Perdu, 50 miles ahead. A car was coming down the mountain. It stayed on the highway, passing her, heading toward a larger town in a valley south of her destination. She looked both ways, seeing no other traffic, then pulled out onto the highway. As she began her drive up the mountain, a strange sensation quivered through her body. An uneasy feeling came over her; she was suddenly unsure about her radical life change. Was she doing the right thing? She had enough saved to be comfortable for a little over four years, but then what? She would have to cross that bridge when she got to it. No turning back now.

The mountain grade began to rise. The car seemed sluggish; she shifted into second gear to see if that would help. The engine wined with strain then it popped into the lower gear. She held her breath till the noise was over and the car was driving smoothly. Now she could stop worrying about the car dying. At least that was what she was telling herself. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, she continued up the road.

Too many years have passed since she had taken the time to visit her great-aunt. She was like a grandmother to her. Her own grandmother passed away when her mother was a teenager, which made Aunt Kathleen a second mother to her as well. She wished she had visited her more often and had gone to see her in the hospital after the accident. They did talk on the phone, but it was far too little.

Her mother had begged her to take a few days to see her aunt after the car accident. She thought it would be better to visit Aunt Kathleen after she was released and back home in her cabin. She should be fine and would be able to go home in a few days. That’s what the nurse told her over the phone. She would have been able to take a little time off when her aunt was better and home. She sent a large bouquet of all of Aunt Kathleen’s favorite flowers and a note promising she would be up to visit her soon.

Her mother told Lea that her Aunt Kathleen enjoyed the flowers very much and smiled when she read the card. She wasn’t able to talk to her aunt when she called; her Aunt was out for X-ray or some sort of test. Everyone was shocked to see her develop complications and die so suddenly. Complications? she questioned. Really, what does that mean anyway? No one seemed to be able to answer her questions. Just one of those things, something that can happen after an accident like hers.

Her mother told her how everyone in town loved her aunt, and they all drove down the mountain to see her in the hospital. It comforted her to know she was going to live in a town where people are capable of caring for each other. She was eager to get to know them all and hoped they would like her as much as they did Aunt Kathleen.

The bright sun was flashing through the tall trees like a strobe light across her face. Intermittent, quick blinding rays of light burst into her eyes, making it hard to see the road. She hadn’t needed sunglasses until now. A large rubber band kept them securely held to the sun visor above her head. There was still no traffic. But remembering what had happened earlier, she was more cautious about controlling the car, especially on a mountain road.

She slowed her driving to almost a stop then reached up to pull the sunglasses down. They were caught in the rubber band. Pulling at it a little harder, it snapped, stinging her fingers. She took a second to rub them to ease the smarting pain. Then slipped on the sun glasses and continued on her way.

The air was getting cooler. She reached to turn the heater on. It clicked, moaned a weird sound, and then quit. Oh, great, she thought, frustrated at all the things going wrong with her car. She did get a good deal on the car, but now she was realizing why it was such a good deal!

She missed her little convertible but knew it would not be practical to be driven on the roads around the lake. Only something with four wheel drive could take the bumps and rocks. Not that she was an expert mountain driver by any means—she just wanted to be prepared. With all the hectic things going on at the time, she didn’t think to have all the necessary luxuries checked, which is out of character for her. She now realizes that a working car heater is a necessity, especially for winters in the mountains. This had never been a problem for her in the past because all the cars she had ever owned worked!

The sun was beginning to set behind the tall mountains. She thought it would be a few more hours before it would become dark, but she was still worried. It was a little scary to drive the four-mile dirt road in the dark—alone—even if it was a familiar forest. She was used to having street lights, and she hadn’t considered that the road may be covered in snow. Also, she had not taken into account the natural growth of the thickening forest over the last ten years, making it appear denser and creating a much eerier drive.

The cabin had been closed up since her death. She expected it to be cold and a little dirty, but she was prepared to deal with it and was anxious to get settled in. Most of her things were in storage. Some of it will be shipped to the small family-run store in town, which is also the only post office for over fifty miles. Once she decides if this move will work for her, she’ll go back to the city to get the rest of her things.

An old, weathered Forest Service sign has been a marker for her for as long as she could remember. She knew when she saw it that home was getting closer. The broadening forest was becoming thicker, and the smell of pine permeated the crisp air. Several varieties of pine trees dotted the landscape—some very tall trees and many smaller pines half their size. On the trunks of a few of the taller, wider trees was blackened evidence of a fire from years past, well before the shorter trees had begun to grow.

Around a few more bends, she remembered there is a ranch. Each curve had a different kind of beauty. Tall pines crowded up to the winding road. Cold, large boulders along the mountain side peered through the thickness. The road was carved, fitting the curves of the mountain terrain. Some sections of the road went through separated areas where that part of the mountain had grown apart over thousands of years, creating two separate hills. In some areas, the ridge of the mountain side was up to ten feet above the road, exposing a dark, rich soil.

Along that side of the road, on top of its ridge, a large pine tree clung to the edge. Its thick snakelike roots exposed by the slow eroding of soil seemed to wrap itself back into the earth as though hanging on for dear life. Throughout the open spaces, between the clusters of forest, deciduous trees of some sort poked their leafless stick branches through the pines. The coming spring will show her what kind of trees they are as their new leaves begin to grow, creating a wall of dense trees. Delicate clusters of ferns were growing under the shadowy umbrella of the pines covering the ground.

Parts of the carved-out road were cut through solid rock, exhibiting different layers of earthen colors, showing you the story of its ancient history. Nature’s artistry of jagged edges and layered cracks, weathered by time and changing seasons, was an exhilarating view. One overhanging boulder stuck out farther than the rest. It appeared to be pushing itself out of the earth’s soil, announcing its bold presence but not yet ready to roll. She passed a few areas where deep cuts into the side of the mountain, carved by time and weather, were embedded with round rocks smoothed by the flow of rushing water, spilling its way through a culvert under the road to the river below.

Since it was still very cold, the waterfall was only a trickle of what it will be when spring releases its melting snow. These wondrous visions made her feel lucky to be able to experience this as part of the beginning of her new life.

She noticed lines in the sky crossing over the road that appeared to be power lines. Some of the lines were attached to tall trees, and the ones on actual poles were hidden by the widespread fans of pine branches. The power lines were the first sign of civilized life in the mountains.

The roads began to slope downward, entering the valley where the ranch is located. Paying attention to the scenery made the time climbing up the mountain go by quickly. She was surprised to be this close to the valley. She knew the road would once again incline after passing the ranch. A small sign on the side of the road announced to visitors they were now entering Fertile Valley. The name of the valley was strange to her, but her aunt said it was named that over one hundred years ago.

The thick dark green forest separated widely, opening to a deep valley with beautiful pastures on both sides of the highway. Being in the city for so long, she could appreciate the calm life and breathtaking scenery. At the other end of this valley is the residence of the family that owns the farm. The pastures were plowed, ready for the first season of hay, reminding her of the pleasing and sweet smell of fresh cut hay. Cows and horses were foraging across the pasture, which was framed by several inches of snow.

She was getting closer to the buildings she had spotted after first dipping into the valley. A large log-formed gate was the entrance to ranch. Farther back, she could make out what seemed to be a large two-story home. A barn and some sort of large warehouse-looking building were behind the home. She couldn’t quite make out what was all back there. Beyond all of these were different kinds of trees. The bark color was different for each section of trees. Too early for blooms—but must be some sort of fruit trees. She was curious to see what kind of fruit they would bear.

As she got closer to the ranch, she could see someone a ways back on a small road leading to the ranch house. He was running toward a wide gate. He stopped to swing it open, riding it until it stopped at the other side. His heavy coat caught on the latch. Pulling it free from the gate, the young man continued to run toward the highway. An old black truck with a huge flat bed and something written on the driver’s door was coming down the steep grade of the mountain. It was slowing down, preparing to turn on the ranch road.

An older man was driving. He gave a salute to her from under a worn gray cowboy hat. Then turning the well-used truck onto the small road, he stopped to let the young man inside the passenger side of the truck. She waved back, noticing the name on the truck, Bakers Ranch. It made her giggle. Her mind went to seeing large buttered homemade biscuits hanging from the bare trees in the back of the property … Now she knew she was tired and hungry!

As she continued up the inclining mountain, the car again seemed sluggish. A shift to first gear seemed to adjust it comfortably to the grade without moaning or popping. This was a relief; maybe there was hope for the car after all! The sun was completely behind the mountain. With no more glare, she took the sunglasses off. She tried to slip them back under the rubber band on the visor but couldn’t quite do it with one hand. She threw them on top of the bags where her purse was settled into the indentation she had created with the last smack down of the bags to stay in place. She figured she wouldn’t need them till the next day or so.

The higher the elevation rose, the cooler it got. Snow covered the ground and weighed down the long branches of the tall pines. It was beautiful, but she was getting cold. Now shivering, she decided to turn the heater on. She reached out and turned the knob to High. Nothing happened. She tried again and again. Frustrated, she wacked it as hard as she could. A clunking noise began. It made a winding sound then finally kicked in. The car warmed quickly and stayed on for a few miles then, as it did before, quit. She again returned to the heater-thumping ritual.

Ahead was a sign that indicated a fork in the road. This meant she was close to the small town. The fork split, one way going to town, where she would be driving, and the other way going to the back side of the lake. She remembered Aunt Kathleen telling her there were several cabins on that side. But it’s not a true road; only hiking trails were at the end of it. Just before the hiking trails were two good-sized camping areas. The first cabin on that side of the fork was about two miles back from the beginning of the fork in the road, and now it was only a mile to town.

She was getting very excited. She was almost home and would get there before it was totally dark. Driving past this divided road, heading to town, she saw where someone had built a tall snowman, complete with a large straw hat and a bright red scarf wrapped around its neck. The headlights shone on him, reflecting sparkles of twinkling light. The friendly snow man looked like it was waving a welcoming hello to anyone entering town.

A small, one lane dirt road is on her left. At the edge of the road was a beautifully carved sign stating US Forest Service. It looked new, all on natural wood, and framed with stripped clean logs about ten to twelve inches in diameter. And about fifty yards up the dirt road was a ranger station. It looked like the road lead farther back but she couldn’t tell for sure.

As she passed this road, she felt a chill; she was cold, but this was a different sort of shiver. A deep shiver caused goose bumps to rise on her arms. Must be from excitement, she thought. Or could it be an omen?

Farther up the highway, on her right, she spotted a house. It was dark and appeared empty. A For Sale sign was out front. Next to the sign was a large bare bush. She wondered if it might be a rose bush. It made her remember the rose bushes her aunt had planted at the cabin. Her great-aunt Kathleen loved many flowers, but roses were her favorite. She figured they would be dead after a year with no one to care for them.

Just beyond the empty house was a long wall of tall evergreens, separating the empty house from another building. It looked like a professional building, all gray and plain. The setting sun distorted the building’s true color. It could be an office building or a medical clinic; it was difficult to make out the sign. The road next to the professional building was too shadowed to see how far it went.

More trees filled both sides of the street. As the road curved, a glow of what appeared to be neon lighting reflected from under the eaves of The Little Store. This is the only store in town and for miles around. It was closed for the evening. She thought it was cute and rustic. More buildings were on both sides of the road yet not too close to each other. She didn’t remember the town. Being so young then and an annoyed teen later, the visits were to see Aunt Kathleen only and play in the lake’s cold water. There were a few vague memories of the buildings, but nothing that stood out in her mind.

The entire area was dotted with big beautiful pine trees covered with snow. The heavy snow bent the branches till they touched the ground. The deep snow blended with the branches, making them appear as one. She couldn’t wait to see the sun sparkling off the snow in the morning.

She spotted a garage next to the hardware store. That was a good site; her good deal car would need a lot of work, and soon! The Café Élan was next to the garage but separated by another street. She could see people still inside. Hunger gnarled at her stomach, but all she wanted to do was get to the cabin and lie down. And she wasn’t comfortable meeting new people right now.

Ahead on the left was a building with log siding. It also looked more official than the other country-looking buildings. It must be the sheriff’s office. She knew it was on the corner of the road where she would be turning, but she couldn’t see the sign. The heater now refused to work no matter how much pounding she did; it was getting very cold. Once she turns, there is another four miles down the dirt road to the cabin. Her tiredness was getting the best of her now. She thought it might be a struggle to keep as alert as she needed to be to drive the last four miles.

The shadows along the road due to the thickness of the trees made it seem darker than it was. She hoped she would get there before it became completely dark. A memory of when she was young, driving that road to visit Aunt Kathleen, popped in her head. The shadows created by the darkness of the forest were very spooky! She remembered closing her eyes all the way to Aunt Kathleen’s cabin. Trying to stay positive, she convinced herself she would get used to it. But not this night!

As she began to make the turn, a cottage on her right caught her eye. It was filled with whimsy and character. Whirly gigs and yard gnomes were peeking out of the snow. Carved wood boarders framed the windows and door. Over a foot of piled snow clung to the sides of the fence, making it all look very decorated, like a frosted cake. It had so much woodsy charm, and … it reminded her how hungry she was. She was looking forward to visiting that little shop. It had to be filled with eclectic items and oddities.

Slowly she made the turn. Looking ahead at the long dark road, she was feeling a little anxious. The snow-covered road had not been driven on for some time. There were no tracks to follow. Uncertain what lay beneath the snow, she had to drive at a slow pace. Ruts in the road could create bouncing, something else could go wrong with the car, or, worse yet, something could fall off and she’d never find it! The tires made crisp crunching sounds as they rolled across what appeared to be undriven snow. It was hard to follow because the blanket of snow covering the road hid the edges of it and there was no way to tell if there was a rock or a ditch.

She noticed some vague ripples on top of the snow—they seemed to swirl with the curve of the opening of the trees. Possibly someone had driven this road a storm or two ago. And the tracks were filled with new snow from those storms, leaving a whisper of a trail. Some areas were smooth, completely covering the ripples, then to be seen again a few yards ahead. She followed the fine imprints, praying she would stay in the middle of the road. There was no possible way she could think of sleep now; her eyes were large, watching for any movement or changes in the snow’s shapes. She gripped the steering wheel tightly.

The darkening shadows distorted her vision. She turned the headlights on bright to get a better view. It helped until driving another fifty yards, then suddenly the headlights dimmed. She grumbled, Damn car. She decided to keep a fair pace just to get through it and also hoped not to get stuck in any hidden ruts under the snow.

She reminded herself it wouldn’t be much longer and a big soft bed is waiting … There’s nothing out there to be afraid of … But somehow, the more she thought about it, the longer the drive seemed. What did I do? Fear became overwhelming the darker it got. Leaving everything behind—my job, my life, my little convertible! Then it dawned on her the only thing she would really miss was her little car. And she had no real life to speak of.

The sun was completely gone; the sky was darkening quickly. She tried to stay calm. It’s only shadows of branches along the road, in the dark, swaying from a gentle breeze. Her neck began to hurt from tension again. OK, OK, she told herself as she took a deep breath. I’m going to love it here. It’s going to be wonderful. She continued chanting this to herself all the way to the cabin.

Her cabin is the only one on this side of the lake. She never knew why it was the only one and really never thought about it. Deeper into the forest, on the cabin’s side of the lake, were a few Forestry cabins. Aunt Kathleen said they were rarely used. The other side of the lake had two camping areas. She could see lights coming from several homes along the shore. The road began to narrow—she knew the cabin was close.

Finally! There it is! She sighed—a breath of relief—and parked the car next to the cabin to be closer to the deck. The back of the cabin had a wide area with a few trees. It looked almost parklike. The front of the cabin was full of trees and faced the lake. Climbing out of the car, her feet sank into the snow up to her ankles. She grabbed as many things as she could, locked the door, and then struggled to carry them to the deck. The center of the stepping stones was mostly clear of snow. Quickly she hopped from one stone to the next until she reached the steps of the deck.

The steps, needing paint, led to a spacious deck. She dragged the heavy bags up the steps, plopping them down in front of the door to dig for the cabin keys in her purse. She started to feel emotional and her eyes began to tear up.

As she dug through her purse looking for the keys, she surveyed the cabin in its entirety, trying to hold back tears. It wasn’t as small as she remembered. Her face felt tight and eyes began to burn; her emotions were rising. She justified her feelings due to tiredness. As she glanced around, it was becoming very dark. Even though she felt uncomfortable because there were no street lights, the black sky illuminated the stars. The stars were so bright and beautiful.

In the city, stars were a rare sight. The cold air made her shiver. There’s plenty of time to admire the stars another evening. She needed to get inside. The keys were not in her purse. She began to feel frantic. Did she leave them at her apartment? She then remembered placing the keys in her jeans pocket. She groaned with relief. Sliding the key into the lock and hearing the click, she went limp, grateful that the key worked. She scooped up the bags and shoved them through the door, closed it, and locked it behind her. She was done for the evening and had no plans to go back to the car, in the dark, for any reason. While locking the door, her eyes scanned around the room; a warm tingle went through her, an unexplained comfort. The room was filled with childhood memories, recalling a happier time.

A horseshoe with hooks, the one her father had made for her aunt when she and Uncle Ned had built the cabin, was hung next to the door. She placed the keys on one of the hooks