A Change in Altitude Read Free Page A

last beer out of this one, Bob.”
    â€œI hate to tell you, but with a new baby in the house, your life will be anything but settled,” Olivia said. “Have you and Maggie found a place to live yet?”
    He scowled. “No, and I don’t want to talk about it.”
    â€œMaybe you don’t have a packrat.” Bob, having finished his burger and drained the beer, pushed his empty plate and glass away. “Maybe you have a ghost. What house did you buy again?”
    â€œIt belonged to a woman named Gilroy. She was moving to Florida to live with her daughter.”
    He nodded. “That’s the old McCutcheon place. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it didn’t have a ghost. They say old man McCutcheon murdered his wife when she tried to run off with a traveling insurance salesman, and buried her body in the back garden. Of course, they never found the body, but could be she’s haunting the place. A woman would like fancy earrings and such.”
    â€œOh, shut up, Bob. Save the tall tales for the tourists.” She didn’t believe in ghosts. “I’m just losing things because I’m stressed. I’ll have to be more careful.”
    â€œDon’t go scaring her with your ghost stories, Bob.” Jameso hefted the empty beer keg to his shoulder. “I have to change this out. Be right back.”
    As he exited out the back, the front door to the saloon opened and a woman and a girl entered. The woman was of medium height and thin, with dark brown hair falling well past her shoulders. The girl—her daughter, most likely—also had dark hair, worn in two braids on either side of her heart-shaped face. “Can I help you?” Olivia asked.
    The woman looked around the almost-empty bar, then finally rested her gaze on Olivia. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked exhausted. “I’m looking for a man named Jay Clarkson,” she said. “Have you heard of him?”
    Olivia shook her head. “I don’t know anyone by that name.” She turned to Bob. “Sound familiar to you?”
    Bob shook his head. “No, and I know everybody. What do you want with this Clarkson fellow?”
    She and the girl were already backing toward the door, like wild animals frightened by the questions. “Don’t go,” Olivia said. “Maybe we can help you.”
    Jameso emerged from the back room with a fresh keg and Olivia turned to him. “Jameso, do you know—?”
    But he was staring at the woman, his face the color of copy paper. “Sharon!” He lowered the keg.
    â€œJay!” She took a few steps toward him, then stopped. Jameso was frozen in place. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” she asked.
    â€œSure. Of course.” He shoved both hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “I’m just surprised. I thought you were in Vermont.”
    The woman pressed her lips together and took a deep breath, nostrils pinching, then flaring. “I’ve left Joe.” She glanced at the girl, who had hung back, though she kept making furtive glances in Jameso’s direction. “It’s a long story. Jay, I’m just so glad to see you. I’ve been asking around town and no one knew you. I—”
    â€œJay?” Olivia said.
    â€œIt’s Jameso now,” he said, his voice strained. “Jameso Clark.”
    â€œYou changed your name?” Sharon asked.
    He put one hand on the bar, leaning on it. “It’s a long story.”
    The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “I have all the time in the world. Why don’t you tell me?”
    â€œYeah.” Olivia copied the woman’s pose. “Why don’t you tell us?”

Chapter 2
    â€œE verything is going to be fine. You don’t have to worry about anything.” Barb shifted her Escalade into second gear as she cruised down the steep hill into town.
    â€œLiar.” Maggie rested her hands