Murder in the Devil's Cauldron by Kate Ryan Page A
Authors: Kate Ryan
Tags: Suspense, Suspense fiction, Murder, Photography, Minnesota, murder mystery, Suspense & Thriller, cabin, murderer, Hiking, con man, ojibway, con artists, con games, murder madness thriller, north shore, murdery mystery, devils cauldron, grand marais, naniboujou, cove point lodge, edmund fitzgerald, lutsen, dreamcatcher, artists point, judge magney state park, enchantment river, temperance river, minnesota state park, tettegouche state park, baptism river, split rock state park, gooseberry falls, embarass minnesota, minnesota iron range, duluth minnesota, voyageurs, lake superior, superior hiking trail, highway 61, tofte
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high above the river. She knelt
near the edged and looked over. From here she could see where the
river split and where it fell into the Devil's Cauldron, as well as
the part that continued down to the lake. If she brought her camera
back late in the day, she'd be able to get a great shot from
here.
As she knelt on the cliff, several people
came out onto the rocks to look at the Devil's Cauldron, but no one
looked up. As Starr watched, she realized she was practically
invisible to the people below her. She grinned. She'd be able to
get her pictures and no one would interrupt and ask what she was
taking pictures of. It was the first question people asked and the
one hardest for her to explain. Plus, they always seemed to ask
when she was trying to concentrate the most and the idea of being
invisible for this shot was very appealing.
She checked her watch before leaving. She
wanted to see how long it would take to get back to the Lodge. That
way, she could stay until the last minute and still not be
late.
Fortunately, the rest of the path down was
easier to see and, although Starr had to watch for uneven tree
roots, she was at the bottom in no time at all. She checked the
time again and was pleased to see it hadn't taken nearly as long as
she'd expected. Even better, she'd be back at the Lodge with time
to spare.
* * * * *
Chapter 21
Fowler finally managed to convince Diana that
she should keep the lunch date she had scheduled weeks earlier. She
had begun meandering aimlessly around the house after breakfast,
first convinced she should keep it and then determined to
reschedule it for after the honeymoon. It had taken acres of
patience and persuasion on his part to convince her to keep it. He
had had to hide his growing impatience as she blithered about, but
finally she made her reluctant way to the car.
Then, just as he thought she was finally
gone, Fowler heard the front door close, followed by the Diana's
heels clattering back up the front staircase. He had been halfway
to the closet, but now returned to the easy chair near the rear
window and sat down again, picking up the paper just as she burst
into the room.
"Forgot my glasses." She came over to the
table by the window that overlooked the back garden and picked up
the reading glasses she had left next to her coffee cup. She
stuffed them into her purse, kissed him quickly on the cheek and
headed back out of the room. She hesitated at the door, looking at
him uncertainly.
"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" she
asked.
"What I want isn't at the store," he said,
waggling his eyebrows in his best Groucho Marx impression.
She grinned. "If I didn't have that
appointment…." Her voice died away and her expression suggested she
was again thinking of canceling it.
He smiled and waved a hand at her. "Go. Go.
You'll have fun and I'll still be here when you get back."
She crossed the room quickly and kissed him
passionately. "I do love you, you know."
"I know. Love you, too," he said and patted
her behind.
She pulled away reluctantly and then was
gone, the sound of heels clacking on marble diminishing as she
went.
Fowler crossed to the window that overlooked
the front of the house and looked down, waiting. He felt, rather
than heard a pause and then the front door closed. He stood to one
side, watching impassively as Diana came out of the house and got
into her car. He waited for the car to pull away, but it didn't
move. It would be just like her to change her plans and screw up
his afternoon, he thought.
He crossed his fingers behind his back as he
waiting, standing perfectly still as he looked down at the car. He
didn't want even the slightest movement to give him away and make
her change her mind. This was probably the only chance he was going
to get to search the house before they left.
"Come on, dammit," he muttered as the car sat
on the circular driveway like a blob of bright red blood. It seemed
like forever, but finally the car rolled
near the edged and looked over. From here she could see where the
river split and where it fell into the Devil's Cauldron, as well as
the part that continued down to the lake. If she brought her camera
back late in the day, she'd be able to get a great shot from
here.
As she knelt on the cliff, several people
came out onto the rocks to look at the Devil's Cauldron, but no one
looked up. As Starr watched, she realized she was practically
invisible to the people below her. She grinned. She'd be able to
get her pictures and no one would interrupt and ask what she was
taking pictures of. It was the first question people asked and the
one hardest for her to explain. Plus, they always seemed to ask
when she was trying to concentrate the most and the idea of being
invisible for this shot was very appealing.
She checked her watch before leaving. She
wanted to see how long it would take to get back to the Lodge. That
way, she could stay until the last minute and still not be
late.
Fortunately, the rest of the path down was
easier to see and, although Starr had to watch for uneven tree
roots, she was at the bottom in no time at all. She checked the
time again and was pleased to see it hadn't taken nearly as long as
she'd expected. Even better, she'd be back at the Lodge with time
to spare.
* * * * *
Chapter 21
Fowler finally managed to convince Diana that
she should keep the lunch date she had scheduled weeks earlier. She
had begun meandering aimlessly around the house after breakfast,
first convinced she should keep it and then determined to
reschedule it for after the honeymoon. It had taken acres of
patience and persuasion on his part to convince her to keep it. He
had had to hide his growing impatience as she blithered about, but
finally she made her reluctant way to the car.
Then, just as he thought she was finally
gone, Fowler heard the front door close, followed by the Diana's
heels clattering back up the front staircase. He had been halfway
to the closet, but now returned to the easy chair near the rear
window and sat down again, picking up the paper just as she burst
into the room.
"Forgot my glasses." She came over to the
table by the window that overlooked the back garden and picked up
the reading glasses she had left next to her coffee cup. She
stuffed them into her purse, kissed him quickly on the cheek and
headed back out of the room. She hesitated at the door, looking at
him uncertainly.
"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" she
asked.
"What I want isn't at the store," he said,
waggling his eyebrows in his best Groucho Marx impression.
She grinned. "If I didn't have that
appointment…." Her voice died away and her expression suggested she
was again thinking of canceling it.
He smiled and waved a hand at her. "Go. Go.
You'll have fun and I'll still be here when you get back."
She crossed the room quickly and kissed him
passionately. "I do love you, you know."
"I know. Love you, too," he said and patted
her behind.
She pulled away reluctantly and then was
gone, the sound of heels clacking on marble diminishing as she
went.
Fowler crossed to the window that overlooked
the front of the house and looked down, waiting. He felt, rather
than heard a pause and then the front door closed. He stood to one
side, watching impassively as Diana came out of the house and got
into her car. He waited for the car to pull away, but it didn't
move. It would be just like her to change her plans and screw up
his afternoon, he thought.
He crossed his fingers behind his back as he
waiting, standing perfectly still as he looked down at the car. He
didn't want even the slightest movement to give him away and make
her change her mind. This was probably the only chance he was going
to get to search the house before they left.
"Come on, dammit," he muttered as the car sat
on the circular driveway like a blob of bright red blood. It seemed
like forever, but finally the car rolled
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