Read Online Double Blind by D. P. Lyle - Free Book Online Page A

headed out into the waning daylight.
    *
    Alyss’ Aspen Creek Inn sat 200 feet above the valley floor and a mile east of town. Pressed against a grove of white barked aspens, it possessed a 180-degree view across a rolling, flower-dusted meadow. Aspen Creek tumbled down the sloping terrain a hundred feet from the house on its way to join Gold Creek near town.
    After carrying the groceries in, Shelby headed to her room to listen to her new CD while Sam and Alyss put away the perishables, dressed and stuffed the hens with a hazelnut-cornbread mixture, then retreated to the front porch, each with a cup of herbal tea. Sam curled into one corner of a wooden swing that hung by two shiny new chains, while Alyss sat in a weathered ladder back rocker.
    The sun hung near the jagged peaks to the west and bathed the porch with its final blush. Its warming rays gilded the roses that filled the front yard and added diamond-like sparkles to the churning waters of Aspen Creek.
    Sam inhaled the clean, crisp air. “This place is fabulous,” she said. “You really picked a winner.”
    “I had my doubts at first,” Alyss said. “But, the longer I’ve been here the more I love it.”
    “I can see why. Your inn, the town, the mountains. It’s all so perfect. Not like home.”
    “That’s because Mercer’s Corner isn’t fit for habitation,” Alyss teased. “Except for snakes and scorpions.”
    Sam laughed. “That’s true.”
    Shelby came out the door, dressed in shorts, tee shirt, and tennis shoes, her green Elmo backpack slung over one shoulder. A Macintosh iPod hung from a black cord around her neck and headphones covered her ears. Her head bobbed back and forth and she sang, woefully out of tune, with the music that spilled around the ear pads.
    Finally, Sam thought. For the first time since Sam had gotten there, Shelby looked like a normal teenager, not some LA raver. Except for the Sesame Street hair clips that is.
    “Where are you going?” Alyss asked.
    Shelby slipped the headphones from her ears. “For a walk.”
    “Don’t go too far,” Alyss said. “There’s a murderer on the lose, in case you forgot.”
    “Mom, you worry too much. I’m not going far. You said you wanted me to get out of my room more.”
    “OK.” Alyss held her hands up, palms out in surrender. “Just stay within sight of the house. It’s easy to get turned around and lost up here.”
    Shelby rolled her eyes. “Want me to drop bread crumbs?”
    Alyss frowned. “No. I just want you to be careful.”
    “I will. I’ll stay near the creek.” Shelby reseated the headphones, ending further conversation, bounced down the porch steps, and headed around the inn toward the forest.
    “See what I mean?” Alyss said.
    “She’s a teenager. I seem to remember arguing with my mom, too.”
    Alyss sighed. “Maybe I’m just too sensitive. Too judgmental.”
    “That’s what moms are supposed to be, isn’t it?” Sam said. When Alyss didn’t respond, Sam continued. “Besides, you’re a little off balance right now. The divorce, the move, Shelby testing your limits. This murder.”
    “Maybe.” Alyss finished her tea and placed the cup on the porch beside her. “You know me, Sam. I’m like you. Simple, practical. I don’t believe in much. Sun, rain, seasons, the laws of physics. The things that aren’t subject to interpretation. Then, of course, there’s happiness, joy, promises. But, those beliefs evaporated the day Dan waltzed in, packed a bag, and said he was leaving. For Tiffany.”
    “I know it’s tough. But, you’ll survive.”
    “It’s what they’re doing to Shelby that I can’t stand. I don’t even know her anymore. She’s seventeen for Christ’s sake.” She massaged her temples. “They bought her a new BMW convertible. She’s not doing well in school, rebelling against everything, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she was using drugs. And they reward her. Does that make sense?” Alyss rocked forward, resting her elbows on