A Change in Altitude by Cindy Myers Page A

whole new strain on things.”
    â€œThe town owns half interest in a gold mine,” Maggie explained to Sharon.
    â€œAnd the other half is owned by a man I was once involved with,” Lucille said. “Much to my regret.”
    â€œWe received a press release last week about an engineering report that showed the presence of high-grade gold ore in the mine,” Maggie said. “I’ve been waiting for someone on the council to say something. In fact, I was planning to call you tomorrow.”
    â€œThe report shows a high probability of ore that’s only accessible with a lot of expensive equipment we can’t afford. Investing in all that would be another big gamble, with no guarantee of a payoff.”
    â€œSo what’s going to happen with the mine?” Maggie asked.
    â€œI don’t know. Gerald is insisting we put up half the money for the improvements, per the partnership agreement.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “This is strictly off the record, but he says if we don’t comply, he’ll sue.”
    â€œCan he do that?” Sharon asked.
    â€œReggie, our lawyer, says he can. He could bankrupt us.”
    â€œBut what good would that do him?” Maggie asked.
    â€œAllow him to buy us out cheap? Though I have a feeling his real motivation is revenge.” She paused while Danielle delivered a glass of tea, then glanced at Sharon. “The man dumped me—after he swindled the town out of a lot of money. And now he has the nerve to act the part of the wounded lover.” She squeezed lemon into her tea, a seed flying across the table and striking the window.
    â€œWhat are you going to do?” Maggie asked.
    â€œI don’t know. I need to find a way to bring more money into the town. Know any successful businesses we can invite to town—preferably ones that will generate big tax revenues? Factories? Giant tourist attractions?”
    â€œI’d hate to see anything like that spoil the town,” Sharon said. “Eureka looks like something off a movie set. It’s so perfect.”
    Lucille froze. “That’s it.” She dropped her teaspoon and retrieved her tote bag from beside her chair.
    â€œWhat is it?” Maggie asked. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œNothing’s wrong.” She pawed through the papers in her tote bag and pulled out a glossy flyer. She shoved aside the salt and pepper shakers and spread the flyer out in front of them. “This is from the Colorado Film Commission, inviting towns to submit an invitation to filmmakers to make a movie in their town.”
    Sharon tilted her head to read the brochure. “Tell us ten reasons your town would make the perfect movie set,” she read.
    â€œEureka would be the great setting for a western or a period piece,” Maggie said.
    â€œOr one of those postapocalyptic stories, where civilization is destroyed and people have to revert to doing things the pioneer way,” Sharon said. Joe had loved those stories; he had a whole wall of books like that.
    â€œI’m going to send in our application today,” Lucille said. “A movie might be just what we need to keep the wolf from the door. Or Gerald Pershing off our backs.”

Chapter 6
    â€œY ou don’t really believe in ghosts, do you?” Alina huddled with Lucas Theriot in a back corner of the school library. They were supposed to be working on a social studies project on space exploration, but Lucas had brought up the subject of haunted houses.
    â€œI’m not saying I believe in ghosts,” he said. “But it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that humans might leave behind some sort of energy field if they succumb to sudden death. Whether that’s the same as an otherworldly spirit would be interesting to investigate.”
    She couldn’t decide if Lucas was the smartest kid she’d ever met or just the geekiest. He was certainly the