Dark on Fire: Miller's Pointe Mystery Series, #1

By Candice Jeneé

"You're safe. We're safe. You don't have to save anyone. I recognized the placating words immediately. Counselors had been telling me that since I was a child, after the fire, after I already saved someone. And, after someone told me I wasn't worth saving myself." 

 

Calliope Walden didn't understand the terrorizing notes she received when she was seven; and she doesn't understand them now that they've started again. Shortly after the notes began again, her grandparents died in a fire eerily similar to the one that took her parents two decades ago. Now, she is forced to face a past she's never fully dealt with, and a future she's unsure of.

Along with her younger sister and cousin, she's desperately seeking answers in a town where people aren't always as they appear. Finding friends on her suspect list and a handsome rancher who just may be her undoing, can she stop the madness before she loses anyone else?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Candice Jeneé
• Release date: Dec 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9780984855544

Candice Jeneé

Candice Jeneé is a retired LMFT, mom, business owner, author, and chronic illness warrior. She owns Soul Cadence Creative, a creative education and publishing business. She loves a good story, especially when romance and suspense collide. That’s why she writes what she loves.     Candice is the author of a handful of books, including the Miller’s Pointe Series and the devotional You’re Not Alone: Bible stories and prayers for pregnancy and early motherhood.  She’s a believer in rhythm over balance and fulfillment and creativity in motherhood and chronic illness.        Candice lives in WA with her husband, two littles, and their cat, Pumpkin Pie. (Ironically, Candice isn’t a fan of pumpkin pie the food.) She is a lover of elephants, the ocean, and rainy days.

Book preview

Dark on Fire

Miller's Pointe Romantic Mysteries & Suspense Book 1

Candice Jeneé

©️Candice Jeneé

Soul Cadence Creative

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance or similarities to any event or anyone, living or dead, is merely coincidence and not the author’s intention.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored for retrieval, or transmitted by any means without express permission of the author. Please address any inquiries to Candice Jeneé at Soul Cadence Creative.

Soul Cadence Creative

  Everett, WA, 98201

Cover Design: BY THE BROOKE DESIGNS

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

To my lovely husband, Michael. Thank you for encouraging me to keep pressing on.

To my momma for always being the first to read what I write.

Prologue

My mom told me music is a life force. And, that the reason God gave us music is because it’s the closest we can get to directly touching Him. At least, that’s what she wrote in her journal. I still have it, all these years later, charred and tattered, like the condition they left the house.

     The two of them were quite literally fire and gasoline - and I don't know who was more scared of whom. I’m told when things were good, they were really good; but obviously the bad days were even worse. All I have left of those days are her journal and his guitar.

     I don’t remember much of my parents. Nothing really. Just what I've been told and what I've read in her words.

Because of them, I’ve known since I was little, I wanted to sing and play music, to share that magic she wrote about with the world.

     But, it’s not practical, so I’m mostly teaching music and music therapy instead. To me, it seems the second best way to keep music in my life. Especially if the Christmas and summer tours lead to nothing.

     Music is my unrelenting passion. It’s what consumes me day after day. So, my plan is to continue all the study that’s gone before of how music impacts people - from a scientific, educational, and emotional standpoint. How can we use it to heal ourselves when our reserves expire, and we find our minds fragmenting? And, I will teach it to others, so they can keep that life force alive.

    Persephone, my sister, she gets it. But, no one else seems to grasp it. They ask me why wouldn’t I study something normal, something practical? Music is not a good, life sustaining career choice, even if it’s dressed up as teaching.

    Yet, here I am, knowing Guinevere and Daniel would understand. Music was what brought them together, what soothed the burned moments, and what prolonged their lives.

     Just as it does for everyone who encounters it. Music is a life force.

     Music is my life force.

Chapter One

I’ve been watching you. I know what you did. You will face retribution.

I turned the paper over in my hand, wondering how this person kept finding my hotel. I suppose it could have been easy enough. Then again, not even my sister knew where I was at the moment. Whoever was responsible, I thought this nightmare was behind me. Apparently, they were just waiting for a new opportunity.

I read the note again.

I’ve been watching you. I know what you did. You will face retribution.

Even when I was a kid, these notes never made sense. Someone thought I’d done something, even at a young age, before I understood anything about the world. Something that required retribution in trial by fire.

I was so lost in my thoughts, the music around me faded. I barely recognized I was backstage—or the audience beyond the curtain—and almost forgot about why I was there. I didn’t even notice the stage manager coming up behind me.

Walden, you’re up! I didn’t look up.

Walden! You’re up! he yelled in my ear.

I jumped. Sorry, I didn’t hear you.

I grabbed my guitar, pain shooting through my wrists and fingers. I ignored it and headed for the stage. None of this felt like it used to, even just days ago; still, I looked over the crowd, trying to ready myself for my set.

For a moment, it felt as if my fingers didn’t remember how to play, that my voice would refuse to cooperate. But, as soon as the band started the music, muscle memory took over. Even with pain in my wrists and fingers, the song became an entity of its own, just as it always did.

This was my song, the song that laid bare the deepest parts of my soul, in a way no one ever really noticed. Yet, everyone seemed to connect to it, and it was over all too soon. The audience was on their feet before the last note even rang out.

***

Ever since the fall, everyone has had a touch of evil inside of them. I’m not sure if it’s there at birth or if it’s developed over time, but it’s in all of us. I know because I’ve had to come face to face with the evil inside me, and inside Shiloh and Persephone - the two greatest people I know. And, I’ve discovered that evil even touched my grandparents in their lives, and I’m afraid to jump into the abyss of that, unsure of how deep it goes…

Hey, what’re you working on? I didn’t even register Tarryn’s voice as I focused on my writing.

The show was long over, and everyone had settled in on the bus for the next stop. Since we were only about an hour away, we wouldn’t be too late this time around.

Calliope, she said louder, causing me to jump. Man, what’s going on with you lately?

I don’t know. I’ve just been a little… off. I lied. I knew exactly what had been going on lately. Since just before my grandparents’ deaths, it was like all I knew were the nightmares. They woke me in the dead of night, so sleep was not only minimal, but also unrestful.

A little off? You can say that again. I don’t know how the rest of the tour will go if you keep this up. I heard Aaron talking about kicking you off the tour. That wouldn’t be good for any future you’re hoping to have in music. She stated, matter-of-factly.

I won’t be finishing out the tour, anyway. I already let the promoters and leads know. I have to go back to the Island for my Grandparents’ funeral and will reading, then I’ll be staying for a while with Perse and Shi. We want to make sure to get the place in order. I don’t know when I’ll be ready to take to the stage again. I shrugged.

I knew I should care about the tour if I planned to come back and try to continue my rise in music. But lately, I couldn’t bring myself to care about that. Or teaching. Or anything else I was supposed to care about.

I wished I could tell Tarryn more about what had been going on. We always signed on to the same tours together, and over the last couple years, she’d become a great friend. Yet, there was still so much I felt I needed to hold back from her, especially lately.

So much had been going wrong in my life. It was like anything that should matter wouldn’t matter again until the dark cloud that had settled over me had been cleared. From the notes to the nightmares to the mysterious lingering illness to my grandparents’ death. It was enough to make anyone stop caring.

Oh, man, I didn’t even think about that. I’m sorry again for your loss. I hope you do come back, though. She paused, voice going quiet to continue, you have a gift, you know. Your song writing, your voice. It’s all a gift. Don’t let that go. Tarryn gave me a quick but tight side hug.

Thanks. I’ll try not to. Right now, I just don’t know what the future holds once we get our farm, though. None of us wants to lose it. We each have a few ideas of what to do with the land and stuff, so, I honestly don’t know what the plan is.

Tarryn nodded. We settled in and spent the rest of the bus ride in silence. Tarryn reviewed her song lyrics while I stared out the window at the passing darkness.

Saying our goodbyes, we each went to our separate rooms for the night. I settled in for what would undoubtedly be another long night, just praying for the sweet light of morning.

***

The flames rose in the darkness. The house almost seemed like a cartoon - twisted and warped. I desperately searched for water, finding none, even though we’re so near the shore. I heard screams, realizing they were rising from me, and from Persephone. Persephone! Where was Persephone?

I shot up, shaking away the horror.

    Darkness and eerie quiet surrounded me as I sat in bed. The nightmares had become more frequent just before my grandparents’ deaths. These were followed shortly by the notes again. Just like all the other times the nightmares came, insomnia was close behind. And the nightmares and insomnia were always worse when I was on tour.

    I never liked the sleep disturbances anywhere, but it was always worse when I was alone and away from home. Wherever home happened to be. In a hotel like this, though, it was always the worst.

I looked at the clock. 3am. Witching hour. My mind fought a losing battle with itself. If I slept, I’d surely face more nightmares. If I didn’t sleep - mood disturbance and possibly hallucinations. Not to mention the all over, excruciating body pain in my joints and muscles. The doctors still didn’t have a clear answer for that, but   I knew the nightmares and insomnia always made it worse.

     What do I do now? I asked, almost certain the darkness would answer me back.

      More than anything, I wished my sister or cousin were with me at that moment. Instead, I was completely alone, surrounded by darkness and silence.

      I felt so unsure that I’d be able to do the last two shows on the tour I’d agreed to stay for. All three of us girls were expected for our grandparents’ funeral and will reading next week. And, as much as I wished they were with me at that moment, the three of us hadn’t been in the same place all together for a few years.

   Thoughts of my younger sister Persephone and my cousin Shiloh stilled my anxious thoughts. Shiloh with her calm demeanor and Persephone with her fearless tenacity. The two were so different in many ways, but they were two of my favorite people. Before I could fight it, I was dozing again.

Fire. Darkness. Cold. Screams. Burning. My mind was a jumbled mess, unable to make sense of what was playing out before me. The flames and screams grew, enveloping me. I was paralyzed, unable to escape the heat racing toward me. Unable to find the water I knew was nearby.

     RIIINNNGGG! A fire alarm. It’s ringing in my ears, telling me to get away. No. Not a fire alarm. My alarm.

     I woke with a start, the early rays of sun having already given way to the mid-morning gleam. I groaned, flinging my arm over my eyes and willing the sun to recede for a while.

Chapter Two

Once I finally greeted the day, I decided to complete the show that night, but wouldn’t stay past that. After the way the gig went the night before and then the nightmares, I wasn’t ready to keep pushing myself.

I woke to a message from my latest lab work and request for follow up.

Hi, Calliope, looks like almost everything was normal. There was a question regarding a few issues that were borderline, so your doctor will talk more about that. Please call us to set up a follow-up appointment.

I clicked end, not ready to set up the next appointment just yet. This would have usually been something I’d have talked to Persephone or Shiloh about, but this really didn’t seem like the time.

And, as close as I was to Tarryn, she was just starting to experience traction with her music. No need to weigh her down with my own personal issues. All of this made for a lonely experience on the road. One I was ready to let go of