New Year Same Hopes & Dreams

Wow!  It's a new year already, seems like 2012 flew by too fast. Let's see what happened to me last year.

I went back to school & got all B's in my classes.
My girls are doing great in school, with little to no problems.
I got a part-time job as a receptionist with NCE Home Decor. The are a new bath & kitchen design showroom in Concord. I worked a couple of months, then two weeks before Christmas I was told I wouldn't be needed until the showroom was done and open to the public. The showroom is being built from the ground up. I saw a few things that didn't make any sense at all. But Hey I got a job after 6 years as a stay at home parent, not gonna complain.
Over all 2012 was a good year. I'm gonna make it I know I will I gave everything to God & will keep doing so. My health depends on it.

Happy New Year!  I'm gonna take 2013 by storm!

Putting Out the Fire

Here's the Story Synopsis and the first chapter for a story I wrote for my Mystery & Detective Literature online class.  The teacher liked it. I hope you do too.

PUTTING OUT THE FIRE

They were known as the four musketeers by everyone in the small town. The two sisters and two brothers lived next door to each other and were inseparable. There was nothing special about them except the uncanny way of knowing when somebody needed help with something and they always found a way to help. Cassie's job at the newspaper as a researcher didn't hurt either.

When Cassie had linked several illegal activities and went to the sheriff. Her life was put in danger. After her house was broken into and Cassie was brutally attacked she never went anywhere alone. One or both of the brothers would be with her. She wasn't scared but she was angry. One night as the four went to dinner her world was shattered. Cassie suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Andy and Charlene helped her into Andy's car while Bobby got into hers. A few minutes later a car came racing out of control and slammed into her car killing Bobby instantly, when both cars erupted into a ball of flames.

Cassie can't remember that night. Now she's back to help her sister raise her kids in their old home. Making a living as a private detective from her home office. Andy sends the cold case to her asking for help. Bo LaMont is back in town. He still has it in for Cassie and he may have killed Bobby. Can they find the proof they need to put him away? Or will the fires of the past erupt again?

Chapter 1

Cassie Williams opened the door to her office and sighed. “Another day of going over cold case files.” She thought to herself. “Wonder what they have for me today.” She was surprised to see an empty desk except for a FedEx package an inch or so thick. Charlene her sister and secretary set a note on top. Setting the breakfast sandwiches and coffee on the side table, she called out Charlene's name.

“Hey girl. Ya I know one case. Must be pretty important though. FedEx dropped it off and I had to sign for it. Thanks for grabbing coffee and breakfast this morning.”

“No worries. How's my little niece and nephew doing this morning.?”

“They will be fine just not feeling well. They are sleeping in the spare office right now. They should be fine in an hour or so. Long enough for you to open your package. Do you know who sent it?”

Smirking at her sister “um ya I can read it from over here. I haven't checked yet I just walked in.? Why didn't you just open and read it?” She asked her older sibling and stuck out her tongue.

“Because it was addressed to the private detective in the family not the secretary.” They both laughed as Charlene picked up the package.

Her attitude changed instantly, “His name is on the return address.” Charlene dropped the package as Cassie jumped up and rushed tho the desk.

“What?” Both women stared at the package wearily. Cassie picked up the package and read the return address to herself. Andy Carlson in bold black letters jumped at her. Sighing she carefully picked it up and opened it sliding the contents onto the desk without touching it. Charlene gasped as a picture of their past slid out of the inside folder. The four people in the picture looked so young. “He wants me to look into this cold case.” Cassie sat down hard in her desk chair. “But why me & why now?”

Charlene picked up the note from the top of the folder. “Cassie you are the only one I trust with this case and you know why. Bobby was my brother and your friend. We all were. Call me if you need any help with the leg work I know you don't get out much since the accident. With Love Andy” She almost missed the p.s. under his name in small print, “I miss my best friend.” A card with his number was clipped to the note. Sheriff Andy Carlson, Oakley, California.

Charlene grabbed it out of her hands. “Sheriff? Seriously? That's great.” She looked at her sister with apprehension. “Cassie what are you gonna do?” Charlene's faked response registered in Cassie's ears.

“Oakley? He's back in town? How did he know I don't leave the house much?” She looked at her sisters face, as she realized how he knew. Charlene Thomaston, what have you done? How many people have you told?”

Charlene looked sheepishly at her younger sister. “Only Andy knows. He was our best friend. Hell he was practically your boyfriend until the accident and we left. He asks about you every time I see him. He even drives by the house checking on us.”

Cassie's response shocked her sister. “I knew it was him. Somehow I knew it was Andy watching the house late at night.” She sobered quickly as she looked at the picture again. “He's right ya know. It's time to find out what really happened.” Charlene's concerned look spoke volumes. “Don't worry I'm not leaving again. I'm staying right here with you and the kids. But I'm not calling him.”

Charlene let out her breath. “Good we need you with us. Besides.” she said as she turned to walk out. “You need to teach Tracy self defense. I'll teach her how to be a lady.” She laughed at her sisters gasp of surprise.

“I'll get you for that one Char Char.” The use of her childhood taunt made Charlene pause at the door. The smile on her younger sisters face showed she would.

Cassie sat at her desk and looked warily at the file in front of her. Images of the accident flashed through her mind. The last something she had kept to herself. Someone else had been there but she was never sure who it was. She saw the other driver.

Taking a deep breath she opened the file. Newspaper clippings of her car with a body draped in white lay near by, greeted her already misting eyes. Her body on the gurney in the back of an ambulance near by. A lone figure in the background caught her eye. Setting it aside she picked up other newspaper clippings of the accident.

Bobby's body was badly burned when the car caught fire. But mercifully he had died on impact. The coroner had found no smoke in his lungs. Cassie let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Reading on she noticed something strange. Bobby had alcohol in his system, way below the legal limit but enough to show on a tox screen. Cassie thought back to the night of her nightmares. All the 4 had to drink were root beer before they left the diner. She couldn't remember if anybody came to the table except the waitress. What was her name? Oh ya Nora, little miss prissy herself. She was professional while they were there, but as they left she made a comment about Cassie. “You're a slut and you always will be.”

Cassie looked straight at her and said, “You don't know me or what I am capable of. Back off and stay away from me and my family.” Nora's eyes grew in fear and she walked away. When asked what that was about by her sister. She shrugged. “I have no idea.”

Cassie came back to the present and looked at the accident photo again. Yes, there was a lone figure in the background. At closer inspection she realized it was Nora, nobody else had that distinctive coat, her face contorted in horror as she stared at Bobby's lifeless body under the sheet.

What was she doing there? She thought. Might be hard to find out since Nora moved away not long after the accident.

Cassie brought out a clean wire bound notebook and started taking notes. How could Bobby have alcohol in his system? None of them had been near a bar or anywhere alcohol was served. They had only gone to the diner and Pete's theater. Neither served alcohol. Closing her eyes Cassie walked herself through that day.

Cassie and Charlene woke up and started the day as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary, wait she had an uneasy feeling as she stood on the front porch . Slowly Cassie looked around her again. She noticed a car across the street and down a bit watching her slowly walk to her gate. When she started walking down the sidewalk toward it she put her head down never moving her eyes from the vehicle. When she got close enough to read the license plate it turned on and left squealing its tires. She knew the driver but wasn't quite sure where yet. Then she heard Andy calling to her, “Hey Cass, What's up? You walked passed my gate. I thought you were coming over. Where's Char char? Did you see who was racing down the road at this hour?”

Cassie swiftly turned around. “Sorry guess I was lost in thought. Don't let my sister hear you call her that.” She laughed as she shivered. “No I didn't see his face.”

The rest of the day was uneventful just four teens hanging out together. Then they went to the diner for dinner. Everyone had there usual root beers, burgers and fries, along with desert. When they got ready to leave Cassie felt lightheaded. She had forgotten getting sick before the accident that's why Bobby was in her truck. Andy and Charlene were helping Cassie into his car.

Cassie caught sight of the car that had been watching her house appear out of nowhere then hit Bobby as he closed the door. His body was flung to the passenger side of the car. The other driver had jumped out as his car hit Bobby. Cassie saw him over the cars and everyone ran to help Bobby. Screams filled the air as chaos swirled around them. People came out of the diner to see what happened. Shouts of call 911 filled the air. Cassie stopped in her tracks as she saw the other driver quickly limp away. “Stop him she started screaming. Stop him he just tried to kill Bobby!” The other driver heard her and she gasped when he looked at her, Bo LaMont.

“Charlene!” She screamed for her sister as she started jotting down what happened that night. She finally remembered everything. Tears were streaming down her face as her sister ran in the room. “Bo, Char, it was Bo LaMont. He did this. He killed Bobby to get at me. It's my fault Bobby's dead.” Charlene held her sister as a man stood in the doorway. “You have to call Andy. I can't tell him it's my fault.”

She nodded at him. “He's here sis. You talk to him. I called him right after we got the package.”

Cassie laid her head on the desk hiding her face. “Cassie” Andy spoke softly. “Please look at me.”

Cassie raised her head but wouldn't look up. Andy turned her chair toward him and lifted her chin. The scars were barely noticeable now. “Listen to me. I will never believe it was your fault. I didn't then and I don't now.” He kissed her scarred cheek and pulled her into a bear hug, an Andy hug as they called it back then. She sighed and put her arms around his waist. “Cass. We need to talk. Bo resurfaced. He was at the diner last night. He tried to change his looks but there is no mistaking the LaMont blue eyes. Will you help me catch him? This time there will be no stopping us.” She tensed up in his arms and pulled away. “First I wanna know why do you blame yourself and why did you leave after Bobby's funeral?”

Cassie went to stand by the window. As she parted the curtain and looked out. “I don't wanna remember anymore. Not just now. Bo was after me I found proof of his illegal activities. He wanted to shut me up. “

Andy grew angry at her words. “He's the one who assaulted you before the accident? The one who was watching you and broke into the house? Why didn't you tell us? Dammit Cassie answer me!”

“Yes Andy to all of the above.” She turned and looked him in the face. “Bo did all of it. I didn't realize it until just now. When I hit my head and blacked out I forgot. Sorry OK.”

Andy calmed down and took a closer look at his best friend. “I'll help you find out what happened Cassie. We go back to the beginning, together.” She was scared of him and he didn't know why. But he would find out. They would be close again. Closer if Andy had anything to say about it.  

What to do when Life's Journey sucks

What do I do now that my life's journey has gone down the drain? Im hoping to keep my head above water, but im not sure how. Most of the advice Ive gotten does not feel right or even seem right to me in the long run. So I have started to make myself lists & keeping some of the advice in mind.
I'm trying to think possitivly & keeping positive people around me. Trying is my key word these days. I am trying every day to get by & keep my sanity. My girls are a big reason why I am trying. I hope & pray I dont stop trying. God willing I will get thru this. I am hoping my coping skills will kick in.