Murder in the Devil's Cauldron (60 page)

“But it kinda looks to me like it was this
Fowler fella who put her in the river. And it kinda looks to me
like you’re the one who kept her out of the Devil’s Cauldron.” He
stopped walking and looked Starr straight in the eyes. “Wouldn’t
you say that’s about right?”

Starr nodded. “I guess.”

“Hah. Guess nothing. If Fae says that’s what
happened, then there’s no guest about it.”

Starr stared at him. She had never met anyone
like Charlie’s dad before.

“Besides,” he added. “Charlie’s going to have
all kinds of stories when she goes back to school, which she’ll be
pretty happy about. So as long as she’s okay, I’d say everything
worked out just fine. Wouldn’t you say?”

“I guess.”

“You guess? Or do you know?”

Starr considered his words. She had never
thought about it like that before, but it made sense.

She grinned. “I know things worked out just
fine.”

Mr. Running Bear returned her grin and
continued down the path to the cabins.

“So it’s okay for Charlie to be my friend?”
she asked as they rounded the bend. The blue dreamcatcher waved to
her from the porch of her cabin.

“Oh ya,” he said. “I’d say that was very
okay. Besides, Charlie’d be pretty upset if you didn’t want to
spend time with her anymore just because of some greedy bastard who
was too damn lazy to work for what he wanted.”

Starr was about to retort when she saw his
eyes smiling at her. She smiled back. Even though she didn't
completely understand, the undertone of anger in his voice made
Starr think that he must love Charlie a lot.

Starr wished her father cared about her even
half as much. She knew her mother never would, but it would be nice
if her dad did. Even if it was just a little bit.

She considered that as they walked. She could
tell Mr. Running Bear liked her. Maybe since her dad wasn't around,
she could pretend Mr. Running Bear was her uncle. That would still
be pretty neat.

Starr stopped when they got to her cabin.
“Would you like me to come help you with Charlie?” she asked.

“I’d say you helped enough today.” Zach
shifted Charlie slightly. She snorted again and snuggled into his
shoulder. “It’s been a long day and my guess is you could use a
little sleep, too.”

He turned sideways. "Reach into my jacket
pocket."

Starr flashed him a suspicious glance, then
reached in and pulled out a bottle of marmalade jam.

“Maybe that’ll help.”

Starr’s face lit up. “Oh, thank you, Mr.
Running Bear. It will help a lot.”

He smiled. “Sleep tight. We’ll see you in the
morning for a nice big breakfast. Okay?”

“Very much okay,” Starr replied.

She wanted to cry and shout for joy all at
the same time, but finally the joy won and she gave him a brilliant
smile.

“Thank you for saving my Charlotte,” he
said.

Starr saw with amazement that he looked as if
he was going to cry. Instead, he simply turned and continued on to
his cabin. Starr watched until he vanished behind the dripping pine
trees.

Starr turned and stared at the blue
dreamcatcher twisting and turning in the breeze.

She thought about the day she had first seen
Storm Point. The amazing cliffs and the lake that went on forever.
A sudden glee threatened to overwhelm her and she wrapped her arms
around herself and danced around and around in a little circle.

Then she stepped up onto the porch and
stroked the dreamcatcher with her finger, wondering if this was a
dream. But the yarn and feathers and beads didn't vanish and Starr
smiled.

She was home. This time to stay.

After notes

There really is a Devil's Cauldron. The real
one is called the Devil's Kettle and is located in the Judge Magney
State Park near Grand Marais, Minnesota. I was hiking there several
years ago and got the idea for this novel. (Most people who write
mystery, suspense, and thrillers have as their first thought, "what
a great place to commit murder.") This novel is the result of the
inspiration I got that day.

While the Enchantment River State Park is
entirely fictional, it is an amalgamation of several of the
spectacular Minnesota State Parks, including Judge Magney,
Temperance, Gooseberry, Cascade, Split Rock and Tettegouche.

Ruby Cove
is a fictional town, but is
based on a number of towns in Northern Minnesota. It is named after
my grandmother.
Nelson
was my grandfather's original name
when he emigrated to Minnesota from Norway.
Norcroft
was the
name of a fabulous writer's retreat for women in Lutsen where I
spent two wonderful weeks writing and learning how to be a
real
writer.
Embarrass
, Minnesota is a real town.
Just a bump in the road, but my grandmother taught there in the
1920's and it's one of the coldest spots in Minnesota after
International Falls.
Cove Point Inn
and
Naniboujou
are real and are as described.

Ollie Bakken
was a real person. I went
to high school with him and he truly was a great hockey goalie. He
died much too young and the inclusion of his name in this novel is
my tribute to a great guy and fabulous goalie.

The accident I saddled Fae with in this story
was based on my real accident. I was also in a head-on collision
and spent several weeks in the hospital and over a year recovering.
I started this novel while I was in ICU. It's the story I've always
wanted to write and the accident made it possible.

The shipwrecks I mention are real. While most
people have heard of the Edmund Fitzgerald which went down in 1975,
there have been scores of other less famous wrecks, especially
along the coastline where this book takes place. Storm Point got
its name from a location north of Split Rock where a number of
ships went down. I don't know why there isn't really a place called
Storm Point there, but there should be.

Artist's Point
really does exist and
is even more amazing than I've described. Words sometimes
aren't
enough.

For history buffs

Northern Minnesota and the Iron Range are not
only gorgeous, but have a rich history. A huge number of immigrants
settled there from Norway, Sweden, and Finland to name just a few.
The Voyageurs were real and the State Park and Monument are well
worth seeing. I'll be blogging about this at
http://www.Kate-Ryan-Novels.com
and
http://www.Devils-Cauldron.com
.
If you Google this, you'll find a ton of articles and pictures.
Also, check out Lake Superior Magazine (
http://www.LakeSuperior.com
).

For photography fiends

If you haven't shot the North Shore
(especially in late October), you've missed a photo subject that
rivals Yellowstone and Yosemite. It gets a tad chilly in late
October/early November, but just bring lots of warm clothes. It's
worth it!

Finally - although I now live in Northern
California (weather, doncha know), I grew up in Minnesota and have
spent countless hours on the North Shore. My grandparents were
immigrants who lived in Duluth and I'm still in love with the area.
If it weren't for the cold, the snow, blizzards, tornados and
Minnesota State Bird (the mosquito), I'd probably still be
there.

Did you enjoy the story? If so, connect with
me at
http://www.kate-ryan-novels.com
.

You can also find out more about me at:

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kateryansuspense

Murder in the Devil's Cauldron is the first
of three planned novels featuring Starr, Charlie and Fae. Be on the
look-out for the next one, "The Secret of Castle Danger".