The 45th Parallel Read online

  “We must celebrate the end of winter and the return of new life,” she said.

  Greg stared into her glowing eyes as she moved closer to him.

  “Who are you?” Greg muttered.

  “Mmmmmm, you are so warm,” she said as she reached out and touched Greg’s chest. Her hand felt cool against his skin, but the instant she made contact, Greg felt an intense desire for her.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” Before he could say anything else, she leaned forward and kissed him. Her lips parted and her tongue slipped into his mouth. Greg slid his hands over her cool, perfect body and they lay down on Greg’s robe.

  The woman mounted him and he slid easily into her. She began to move rhythmically, and Greg dropped his head back and let out a low moan. As Greg came to climax, he looked into her beautiful face. She leaned forward and locked her mouth over his. After a minute, she pulled away suddenly.

  “That’s enough for now,” she said. “You could be useful.” She slid off him and backed away back toward the vines.

  “Where…” Greg’s voice trailed off weakly.

  The woman vanished as quickly as she had appeared. Greg lay still, unable to move, for what seemed like hours. Eventually he was able to roll to his side and struggle to his feet. He wrapped the robe around himself and stumbled back toward his house. Upon reaching the back porch, he dragged himself up the steps into the back bedroom and collapsed on the bed.

  Chapter Ten

  It was only six in the morning, but Kat could not get back to sleep. She didn’t like the fact a man she had just met was appearing in her dreams. Kat could feel her control slipping. I need to get a grip. Kat was scheduled to work the closing shift at Muldoon’s tonight. If she could get a long bike ride this morning, maybe she could sleep through the night tonight without waking from nightmares. The Grand Traverse Lighthouse was about eight to ten miles from Aunt Mary’s house, one way. That should do the trick.

  Kat washed up and put on her biking pants, a long sleeve shirt, and light jacket. She crept quietly down the stairs trying not to wake Aunt Mary. She grabbed her bike helmet which was hanging on a coat rack by the front door. She unchained her bike from Mary’s porch and carried it down the steps to the sidewalk.

  The sun was just starting to come up, bathing the town in a soft morning light. Kat loved the early morning. It was a time of new beginnings and it meant an end to the nightly dreams. She hopped on her bike and rode down Aunt Mary’s street and headed toward North West Bayshore Drive. A long portion of the ride would be along West Grand Traverse Bay right on the water. As Kat pedaled through town, she saw Rose Fellow walking her dog down Main St. She waved at Rose, but Rose only stopped and stared at Kat. Her tousled red hair and white puffy face looked harsh in the early morning light. She watched Kat go by with her small dark eyes without returning her wave. It must be hard to be born without a personality. She immediately felt guilty for thinking that when she remembered Rose was the one who found Crowley’s body.

  As she rode along the bay, she passed a group of people getting ready to bike. Aunt Mary kept telling Kat she needed to join a biking club, so she wasn’t riding alone. Kat, however, enjoyed the solitude. She thought riding with a large group would break her concentration. Kat was looking forward to getting to the lighthouse long before it opened to tourists.

  The Grand Traverse Lighthouse was constructed in the mid-1800s. The original light station, which was painted white with a bright red roof, stood, dutifully marking the way for vessels traveling from the Manitou Passage to the Straits of Mackinac. Kat wheeled her bike into a bike rack and took a big drink of water. She walked past the lighthouse, her legs wobbly from the long ride, toward Lake Michigan. How desolate this must have been for the families who lived in that house.

  When Kat reached the beach, she stopped to take in the scenery. The beach was strewn with large rocks and boulders left behind by receding glaciers giving it a wild, rugged beauty. She looked out toward the horizon and noticed some dark clouds coming in from the north. Strange, the forecast was clear today. It was very difficult to predict the weather there. The storms off the lake rolled in fast.

  She felt something on her leg and reached down to swat it. There must have been twenty black flies crawling there. They were usually bad in May and June, but Kat hadn’t noticed any when she first came down to the beach. Suddenly there were hundreds of them swarming all around her. She waved her arms around and started jogging back toward the lighthouse. The wind picked up and the temperature suddenly dropped. Once Kat got past the lighthouse toward the edge of the nearby woods, she looked down at her legs and the flies were gone.

  The storm clouds were now directly overhead. How could they have come in so fast? Kat heard branches snapping in the dark trees beyond. Then she heard a low, deep, growl. She froze and stared into the shadowy woods. Only a very large animal could have made a growl like that. Kat took two slow steps back toward her bike. Then she heard more snapping of twigs as the animal moved closer to the edge of the trees.

  Don’t panic, it’s probably just a dog. If I move slowly, it will leave me alone. Kat took several more steps back toward her bike. She heard the animal take a few more steps with her. Now she could see a dark shape at the edge of the woods. It was much too large to be a dog. Kat heard there were wolves and black bears up here, but had never seen any before. She was just a few steps from her bike when the large black animal stepped out of the trees. Kat saw its eyes first. They were dull and black. At first Kat thought it was a bear because of its size, but it had a long muzzle and pointed ears like a wolf. Its eyes locked on Kat, and its lips curled back in a snarl, revealing a mouth full of long sharp fangs.

  A gust of cold air blew past Kat carrying with it a strong odor of decay. Kat wondered if the smell was coming from the animal or from something it killed in the woods. She reached around, grabbed her bike, jumped on, and started to pedal as fast as she could. Panic was rising up in her throat as she realized she would not be able to out run an animal that size. She could hear its claws scrapping against the gravel behind her. It was making low guttural noises that almost sounded like laughing.

  She got just past the perimeter of the park when she hit a patch of loose gravel. Her bike skidded sideways, went over, and dragged her underneath it. Her head bounced along the ground unprotected as she had not had time to put the helmet back on. Maybe I will get knocked out, and won’t feel the animal ripping me apart. She opened her eyes and could see it stalking toward her; its horrible mouth open and stretched wide. Its eyes were not the eyes of an animal. There was something intelligent and knowing in its stare. She closed her eyes and waited in terror, when she heard the first biker call out.

  “We can take a break up here at the lighthouse.”

  She opened her eyes to see a man riding toward her. She glanced behind her and the animal was gone.

  “Hey, are you all right? Steve, get your first aid kit. Someone has had an accident.”

  Kat closed her eyes again and wondered what in the world had just happened.

  “Miss? Can you hear me?”

  “Yes,” she answered. “Did you see that large black animal?”

  Kat saw two of the bikers exchanging glances. “No…we haven’t seen any animals.”

  “It was a wolf, I think, but it was big and black like a bear.”

  “Black bears and wolves usually steer clear of people. Why weren’t you wearing a helmet? I see one lying on the ground back there.”

  “I saw the animal and jumped on my bike before I could get it on,” she said.

  “Can you sit up?” the man asked.

  “Yes, I just feel a little dizzy.”

  “I think you smacked your head pretty hard. Is there someone we can call for you?”

  “No…I think I can make it back…if I sit for a minute.”

  “Why don’t you let one of us ride back with you, just in case?”

  “I can ride back with you,” a woma
n standing next to the man said. She was attractive with large brown eyes and spiky blonde hair. Kat wondered if that was the way her hair normally looked or if it was from wearing the bike helmet. “My name is Lisa.”

  “I’m Kat. Thank you, Lisa.”

  “Your knee is pretty torn up. Are you sure you will be able to ride?” the man asked.

  “I’ll be okay” Kat was starting to feel foolish with all these people standing around staring at her. She just wanted to get out of there. Kat slowly stood up with the help of the man standing next to Lisa.

  “I think we should walk the bikes at first, just to make sure you are all right,” Lisa said.

  Someone picked up Kat’s bike and retrieved her helmet. She and Lisa began to walk their bikes. When the rest of the bike group was out of site, Kat started to feel better.

  “I think I can ride now, Lisa.”

  Lisa slipped her helmet back on. “You know, you really shouldn’t ride by yourself. We meet down by the bakery Monday through Saturday at six-thirty in the morning if you ever want to join us,” Lisa said.

  “After this morning, I think I will take you up on that,” Kat said as they mounted their bikes and rode slowly back to Northport.

  Chapter Eleven

  Greg awoke to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He sat up quickly, felt a nauseating wave of dizziness, and fell back in the bed.

  “What time is it?” he muttered. He glanced at the clock. It was almost noon. The cell phone rang again. Greg slowly rolled to his side then put his feet on the floor and sat up. He reached over on the nightstand and fumbled for the phone.

  “Hello,” he croaked.

  “Where are you?” Cindy, an employee from the winery, asked.

  “I must have had too much wine last night. I’m not feeling very well,” Greg said.

  “You said you would be here at nine. I was beginning to worry,” Cindy said.

  “Funny…I can’t remember anything past dinner last night.”

  “I don’t think that’s funny!” Cindy said. “I don’t even want to know what you were doing, or with whom you were doing it, but you need to pull yourself together and get in here. Robert West from the bank is coming by to talk to you about the line of credit.”

  “Is that something John set up?”

  “Don’t know, but he will be here in an hour. I’ll make some coffee.” With that, Cindy hung up.

  Greg sat on the edge of the bed holding his head in his hands and trying to remember what happened the night before. This didn’t feel like a normal hangover. He didn’t have a headache or feel sick to his stomach. He was completely exhausted with no memory beyond walking into the vineyard last night. Maybe something had gone wrong with his ritual. What could possibly have gone wrong? He had been doing that ritual for years.

  Greg struggled to his feet and shuffled to the shower. It took him three times longer than it usually did to get cleaned up and ready for work. Every ten minutes he had to stop and rest. He felt only slightly better once he ate breakfast.

  Greg often walked to work, but not today. He got in his black pick-up truck and drove the short distance to the winery. Why would West want to talk to me about the line of credit, and since when did he start making business calls on Saturday? John took care of the financial side and let Greg focus on the winemaking.

  Greg entered the winery through the back door, which opened into the blending room downstairs. The winery had once been an old barn built into a hillside. Greg loved that they had kept the fieldstone foundation from the original barn. Although the outside retained its old charm, the inside was very modern.

  Greg pulled himself up the stairs to the tasting room, which was already full of people. Greg moaned softly to himself and went back to his office. He sunk down into a chair and wondered if anyone would notice if he put his head down on his desk and took a nap.

  “You look like hell,” Helene said from the doorway.

  “I feel like hell too,” Greg replied. “You, on the other hand, look beautiful.”

  “I brought you some coffee,” Helene said. Ignoring his last comment, she handed him a steaming cup. “I have switched hours with Cindy so I have the day off. I just stopped by to pick up my check.”

  “Thank you,” he said as he took the cup from her hands. “You picked a good day to be off. It looks like it is going to be busy, based on the crowd in the tasting room.”

  “It is a holiday weekend.”

  “Oh God, I forgot Monday is Memorial Day,” Greg groaned.

  “I thought you liked the holiday weekend crowds, more people, more sales.”

  “I do. I’m just wiped out today.”

  “I also came in to let you know I saw Robert West pulling in. Do you want me to send him back to your office when he comes in?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “No, you don’t,” Helene said as she smiled sympathetically. “I better go before Cindy changes her mind and ropes me into working.” Helene turned and went back out to the tasting room.

  Greg took a deep breath and tried to pull himself together. He didn’t like to deal with West. There was something phony about him. West was very active in local organizations from the GLCG to the local food bank, but Greg always felt West had some agenda other than the good of the community.

  “Hello Mr. Tilmas,” Robert West said as he stepped into Greg’s office.

  “Hi Robert, please have a seat,” Greg said as he motioned to a chair. “Cindy mentioned you wanted to talk about our line of credit.” Greg thought he could get right to the point and speed up the meeting.

  “I need updated financials to renew your line of credit.”

  “Martine is not here today, but I will ask her to send them to you.” Greg was sure West had not come out here to let him know they needed updated financials. Surely he could have done that over the phone and saved himself a trip.

  West reached over and picked up a picture on Greg’s desk. It was a picture of Greg as a boy standing next to his grandfather in front of a vineyard. “Is this a picture of your grandfather?” West asked.

  Greg was getting annoyed. He wished West would get to the real point of the meeting and get out. “Yes, it is.”

  “What part of California did you say you came from?” West asked.

  “I didn’t.”

  “I used to do a lot of business with a family winery in California,” West continued. “What was their name?” West looked deep in thought. “Ah yes…the Lethe family. Are you familiar with them?” Robert West smiled as he watched the blood drain from Greg’s face.

  “The name does not sound familiar,” Greg said in a strained voice.

  “The last time I spoke with them, they were very upset,” West continued cheerfully. “It seems one of their winemakers died in a boating accident. They never found his body. It must have washed out to sea,” West said as he reached over, put Greg’s picture back on his desk, and leaned back in his chair. “Not many people know this, but the Lethes make…special wine.”

  “Why are you telling me this West?”

  “The Lethe family is very…proprietary about their wine making tradition. I shudder to think what they will do if one of their winemaker’s walked away with their family secrets.” West leaned forward. “Once you become a vintner for the Lethe family, you are their vintner for life.”

  “What do you want, West?”

  “Some wine, of course,” West smiled, “Some special wine.”

  “I can’t do that anymore.”

  “That is an art you never forget, Mr. Tilmas. For my first order, I would like a case of Ecstasy wine and a bottle of Deadly Nightshade.”

  “What the hell are you going to do with that?”

  “That, Mr. Tilmas, is none of your concern.”

  Chapter Twelve

  When Kat got back to the house, she was thankful Mary was already at the shop. She didn’t want to explain to her aunt why she was all cut up. She didn’t want Aunt Mary to worry about her mental
health. Kat showered and cleaned up her wounds. Her elbow, knee, and hip were torn up from her slide along the gravel, as were her bike pants. Kat sighed as she tossed her pants into the trash. They were her favorite pair. Kat put on some white jean shorts and a black tank top and went down into the kitchen to make some coffee and toast. As Kat was eating her breakfast, Anna called to see if she wanted to meet her and Helene at the beach. Anna said they would bring a cooler of drinks, and Kat offered to pick up some sandwiches from the deli.

  After breakfast, Kat cleaned the bathrooms and packed a bag for the beach. She was supposed to meet her cousins at twelve-thirty. Kat grabbed her beach bag and walked to the deli to get some sandwiches. Since she was walking right by Dora’s bookstore, Kat thought she might as well pop in and pick up a book.

  Dora looked up and smiled as Kat came in the store. “Hello Kat, it’s nice to see you.”

  “Hello Dora. I’m on my way down to the beach, so I thought I would get a book.”

  “Have you met my employee, Barb Gillen?”

  “No I haven’t.” Kat reached out to a petite girl standing next to Dora. She was probably Kat’s age but she did not look well. She was very pale with dark circles under her eyes. Barb accepted Kat’s hand and gave her a limp hand shake. “Nice to meet you Barb,” Kat said. Barb smiled weakly.

  “Let me know if you need any help,” Dora said. As Kat was digging through the books, she heard Dora tell Barb to go home and get some rest. Kat found a mystery that sounded interesting and brought it up to the register.

  “I noticed you with John Warren the other morning. It’s a shame what happened to his parents.” Dora said as she rang up the purchase.

  “Yes…it is sad,” Kat replied.

  “Do you know John was even a suspect? I guess that’s part of police procedure. Check on all family members first.”

  Kat didn’t know quite how to respond. It never crossed her mind John could have had anything to do with his parents’ disappearance.

  “They never recovered the bodies.” Dora handed Kat her book and smiled sweetly. “Enjoy the book.”