The Other Side of Lone Mountain

Chapter Two

Paul followed Mandy to her little one bedroom cottage just a fifteen minutes ride from the station. They stopped in front of a little fairytale cottage surrounded by a white picket fence. Paul parked directly behind Mandy. The gate had a beautiful archway covered with red climbing roses. There were rose bushes along the fence and in front close to the house. Paul also noticed how manicured the lawn looked. The whole scene before his eyes was picture perfect. Somehow he expected to see a more rustic style house.

Upon reaching the door Mandy opened it and invited Paul in. “Mr. Covington” - “Please, call me Paul.”

“Paul, in that case you must call me Mandy. How would you like a beer while I get dinner ready?”

“Sure, only if you’re going to join me” he replied as he followed her into the kitchen. She reached into the refrigerator and pulled out two beers, opened one for herself and handed the other to Paul. She then pulled a casserole from the refrigerator, turned on the oven and placed the casserole inside. She then turned to Paul, “Excuse me while I change out of my uniform. Make yourself comfortable in the meantime.”

He noted that unlike the outside of the house, the interior reflected more of the woman he imagined Mandy to be. The kitchen was New England style, quaint and quite large, as was most New England rooms and very organized. The walls sported country motif of country gray/blue. There was a large bow window over the kitchen sink through which you could look out into the back yard. On the sill were a number of Chia herbs. The entire kitchen was set up for maximum efficiency with lots of counter space and work stations. There was a door at one end of the kitchen that Paul imagined had to be the pantry. At the other end was another door that led to the laundry and storage rooms. In the center of the kitchen was a nice oak table with four matching chairs. Paul took his beer and walked into the living room.

The living room reflected simplicity and style. The couch was the longest one Paul had ever seen. It was a deep burgundy velvet with gold trim and had dark tooled mahogany wood running down the front of the arms. It had a matching love seat and an overstuffed matching chair. The windows were treated with cris-cross deep burgundy drapes tied back to show off a panel of pure white Irish lace. The floor was covered with a double thick white longhaired carpet that made you feel like you were walking on a cloud. The wallpaper was a light eggshell with a darker eggshell brocade design. On one wall there was a beautiful Dali print. On the east wall of the room was a large beautiful fireplace of dark tooled Mahogany with brass fireplace tools. The base of the fireplace was of white marble. In front of the fireplace lay a thick dark burgundy rug. He looked at the pictures on the mantle over the fireplace and saw several pictures of Mandy at different ages. There was one of her and two people he imagined had to be her parents. There was another of Mandy and a young man. They looked very happy in the picture. He wondered if that was a brother or boyfriend. In front of the wall directly facing the couch, there was a large screen television and an entire entertainment center all in dark mahogany. He walked into the adjoining room to find that it was a multi-purpose room. This room was done in soft pastels, very feminine but not fussy. It also was very organized and stylish. On one wall was a sewing machine with all the sewing paraphernalia, everything organized and in it’s place. The opposite wall was set up like an office with a computer in the center, a filing cabinet on one side and a table with printer, scanner, fax machine and small copier on the other. Once again, everything was very organized. Paul was getting to know this woman who looked fragile but in truth showed a lot of strength and character. She was a very classy lady, Paul thought to himself as he walked back into the living room.

A few minutes later Mandy appeared in the living room wearing blue jeans and a loose T-shirt. She had let her hair out and it cascaded down her back in thick curls, framing her small face, making her look even smaller and more fragile. “This feels better.” she said as she shook her head sending her hair flying all around her head. Paul turnsed around and was amazed at her beauty. “You look gorgeous!” he exclaimed.

“Thanks!”

“I hope you don’t mind that I started a fire in the fireplace. I thought it would take the chill out of the house” said Paul.

“I’m glad you did, saves me the trouble” she replied. The food should be ready. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.” They headed for the kitchen with Mandy leading the way.

As Mandy started setting the table she handed Paul a bottle of Piesporter Michelsberg wine and an opener. “Here, you can earn your keep by opening this” she laughed. She set the casserole on the table along with a green salad and a plate of warm dinner rolls.

“Everything smells very good”, said Paul as he sat down.

“I hope it tastes as good as you say it smells.” she replied.

After a few bites of the chicken casserole, Paul said, “While you were changing I was looking at the pictures you have on the mantel. You were a cute kid. I saw a picture of you and your parents. Are they still alive?”

My mother owns Sarah’s Bed & Breakfast a few streets from here.”

“You said your mother, what about your father?” asked Paul. Paul watched as her face took on a sad melancholy look. Suddenly her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. “I’m sorry”, he said, “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“That’s quite all right, it’s just that my dad died about three years ago and I haven’t quite gotten over it.”

“If you don’t want to talk about it its okay.”
“No, really, I don’t mind. It might do me good to talk about it. I haven’t been able to talk to anyone about it. Maybe it’s time. My dad was a rescue worker with the fire department. One night as we were having dinner the telephone rang. It was the station. A child was missing on the mountain. The story was that a family had been hiking on the mountain and their sixteen-year-old son had strayed from the campsite and was lost. The couple had searched for an hour without any success and decided to contact the Sheriff’s Office. They were afraid they wouldn’t find him before the forecasted storm hit. The skies had already started to look stormy. The clouds were gathering, dark and foreboding and the winds had already picked up. My father didn’t even finish his dinner. He came over to me, ruffled my hair and kissed the top of my head the way he had done since I was a little girl. He then went over to my mom, kissed her and told her that he would be back as soon as they found the boy. He grabbed his coat and said, “I love you both, see you soon.” as he walked out the door. That was the last time we saw him alive.” By now her tears were flowing freely and Paul watched as she swiped at them with the back of her hand. He didn’t say anything, just watched as she regained her composure.

After a couple of minutes Mandy said, “I’m sorry; I don’t usually lose it like that.” She then returned to her story. “The next morning we heard that the boy had been found. It seemed he had slipped and fallen into a ravine. He struck his head on some rocks when he fell. He was dead when they found him. It was ruled an accident. We were also told that my dad didn’t come down from the mountain with the rest of the search team. He was now missing. A search team was sent back up the mountain to search for him. Several hours passed during which time my mother and I prayed and attempted to keep each other comforted while waiting for news of my father. Finally that dreaded knock came at the door. We knew the news was not good, but we were not prepared for what we were told. They had found my dad, a quarter of mile from where the boy was found. They said it looked like he missed his footing in the dark and fell over a cliff. They ruled his death accidental as well.”

“You don’t sound like you’re convinced that his death was an accident, why?” asked Paul.
“You’re right, my dad was an experienced hiker and he knew those mountains better than he knew this town. Further more, he was a very cautious man. I will never believe that his death was accidental, I just can’t prove it.

As Paul sat there listening to Mandy talk about her father and watching the pain on her face, he suddenly felt a strong desire to hold her and comfort her. He wanted to protect her from ever being hurt again. This was a new feeling for him. He couldn’t understand where these feelings were coming from. He’d had other relationships and one time he even thought he was in love, but he never had the feelings he was experiencing tonight. “Mandy, I’m so sorry for your loss. I know how painful that must have been for you.”

Mandy looked at him and he had to catch his breath. Even now she was breathtaking to look at. Finally Mandy spoke, “I’m sorry for going on an on about myself. I can’t believe I told a complete stranger, things I’ve never shared with anyone else, not even my best friend. Thanks for listening. After all, you came here seeking my help. So, now tell me how I can help you.”

“I didn’t really mind. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger. I’m glad you feel comfortable enough with me to share your intimate feelings.”

“It’s strange because I have never done that before. But as I said, enough about me, what can I do for you?”

While he listened to Mandy talk about her dad he thought of Mark, his partner and best friend who was now missing. Could she help him find Mark? He sure hoped so.