Day From Night

Day From Night

A Dan Allex mystery

Second Edition

Published by Dan Allex mysteries

Copyright 2014

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction, and all names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

Mark Twain

Prologue

The waves were topped with foam caps that were illuminated by a full moon. Not just a full moon, but a blue moon. Later the significance would come back to haunt him along with the events of those days and nights in October that would change his life forever.

He paused to look out over the lake and take in the eery shadows that were playing tag with the silver reflections that danced across the waves. As he stared at the distant shore, it wasn’t the reflections that caught his eye, but their absence that appeared as a black form far away, rising and falling in a silent, hypnotic rhythm of the rolling swells. It could be a log, a boat or part of a dock. Whatever it was, it looked like it was moving toward him. His first thought was to walk away, but when he tried he couldn’t. Struggling to move made no difference. He wanted to go, but couldn’t persuade his legs to initiate the action.

It wasn’t long before the dark form of a canoe became identifiable. It was a dark green, almost black shell with wooden accents that were stained a brown oaken tint. The body of the craft was formed by wooden slats that were fused together and covered with paint. The seats were woven from rawhide and gave the craft an ancient look. It was empty except for two handmade wooden paddles that were tinted to match the trim. The design and appearance were timeless and there was a reason for that-a reason he wouldn’t discover until much later.

He found myself climbing into the inviting canoe that paused and waited for him on the sandy shore. With each stroke of the paddle, he moved effortlessly through the waves toward a brilliant moon that was highlighting his route across the lake with a path of soft reflections.

The paddling soon became tiring to the point that a rest was needed. Carefully he lowered himself to the ribbed bottom of the canoe, closed his eyes, and surrendered to the deep slumber that quickly engulfed him.

Part One

Chapter 1

Dave’s dream was a reoccurring one that would visit with no regularity. Sometimes the small details would change, but it always included a canoe ride at night. This time sleeping in the bottom of the shell was a new twist that made sense to him while the episode was unfolding. While drifting in and out of sleep his was aware of a bone chilling cold that gradually came over him and intensified to the point that Dave felt bound by it and unable to move.

Dreaming about sleep within a dream adds one too many dimensions for him. It was refreshing when he awoke from the canoe and only had one to deal with. His trip over the waters had taken him toward the moon until it set and was slowly replaced by a faint glow of daylight that started from below the horizon. The shore was only visible as the canoe rocked, and then the light slowly crept higher in the sky. As Dave struggled to come out of a coma-like trance an encouraging voice was calling his name.

Chapter 2

Two weeks earlier...

Las Vegas was good to them. They had their family and friends with them, a new part-time job, and enough excitement to keep things interesting. Their private investigation company, Eye of the Owl, was starting slowly, but already had two small casinos that hired them to help with some internal security issues. The casino work paid the expenses and had gotten them the exposure they were hoping for.

The first six months had some mundane investigations that consisted of several Who is doing what with whom and where? They anticipated some of those cases and were prepared to take them in stride even though they weren’t their favorites.

Their agency had some high powered skills that centered around ex-FBI agent Jim Roberts, part-time pharmacist and amateur sleuth, Willard Olson, and Dave Johnson, former Sheriff of Lake County, Minnesota. His son, Mike, the dentist also was trying desperately to spend more time on investigations and less time in his dental office. If was an uphill battle for him because Dave’s wife, Jan and Mike’s wife, Peggy, preferred the safer, more reliable income of his chosen profession. Gina Christiansen was their secretary that upgraded the office with her looks, and she had the smarts to go with them.

Jim, Willard, and Dave had been on several mystery solving adventures and did some consulting business after they retired. It was a good fit for the three of them to form the agency and so far it had been running smoothly.

Gina had the front desk this morning and looked much more put together than Dave did. She had her long blonde hair in the usual ponytail and a form fitting cotton dress that accentuated her figure. She toned the outfit down by wearing a light sweater and a pair of Buddy Holly glasses. The poor kid really did need the glasses, but why she choose that style...

Getting up early is a habit of Dave, but waking up slowly is too. He was hanging out in the conference room giving special attention to the coffee, donuts, and the LV Review Journal, when a prospective customer came barging through their door.

Gina was startled by the door opening so quickly and the menacing form that was instantly in front of her.

My name is Earl Gustafson, and I hope I didn’t scare you when I blew through the door. You have to excuse me honey, I got this idea in my head and it’s been driving me fast and crazy.

Have a seat Mr. Gustafson. My name is Gina. Can I get you some coffee and a donut before we start chatting about what brings you in this morning?

Why sure! That would be perfect. I plum forgot breakfast this morning, and I can always take some coffee.

As Gina rose and turned toward the conference room, Earl got himself an eyeful. He decided he liked this place much more than he thought he would. Wow! What a looker, he thought.

Earl decided she was even better from the front view as Gina came back in with his breakfast.

Sensing Earl’s fascination, Gina said, So, tell me Mr. Gustafson, what you’re thinking about and how we can help you.

Realizing that those were more than likely two different things, Gina smiled as Earl tried to focus.

Honey, I want you folks to help me find my gold mine!

Chapter 3

While Earl was explaining the purpose of his visit to Eye of the Owl, a Mercedes SUV was parked in the strip mall across the street with two unsavory characters listening to the radio and watching the agency entrance.

Dave listened to Earl’s story even though at first he had written him off as a crack-pot. The story was very detailed and as the old man rattled on his story started to sound legitimate.

Earl’s family had an acreage outside of Searchlight, Nevada, that had been their’s since the mid 1800’s. The old homestead was started on the edge of what was later the location of several small gold mines through the 1800’s and into the early 1900’s. The family mine was never a stellar producer, but it did give up enough low grade ore and some nuggets. They managed to eke out a living, but could never afford enough equipment or technology to really make it pay off. The old man still lived on the family homestead that was next to the old abandon mine.

As the story went on, Dave realized that it was not the original mine that needed finding, but it was one that Earl’s dad had won in a poker game at the back room of Binion’s Horseshoe in the early 1950’s. He had a hand written bill of sale and a description of the location of the mine. Earl explained that his dad and he had wondered for years around the area where they thought the mine was, but could never find it. Earl had given up the search some time ago, but lately had renewed interest when gold prices had hit a new all-time high. It was this morning when he turned on his T.V. to see the even higher gold price, it ignited Earl’s enthusiasm so much that it had propelled him into town and launched him through their agency door.

I saw your sign on Horizon when I drove by a couple of months ago. After watch’n gold prices go up and up it started me think’n and this morning dammit, I couldn’t sit around and think about it no more. It just kinda took hold of me and I came into town to see what kind of investigations you folks do. If you ain’t interested in a help’n me I at least got a look at that little beauty out front, plus the coffee and donuts are good!

Dave laughed as he weighed the pros and cons of this potential client’s case. The door to the conference room was open and Gina overheard Earl’s comment.

She smiled to herself and thought, At least I got billing over the coffee and donuts.

Gina didn’t mind the attention. It was something that was hard for her to avoid. She was hoping this job would allow her to use some of her Criminology and Forensic schooling. Her aunt had worked at the FBI headquarters in Salt Lake, Utah, and that was how she got ex-agent Jim Roberts’ attention when she applied for the job at the Eye of the Owl agency. Jim had worked at the SLC office for years and knew her aunt and she was a devoted, industrious employee. When Gina talked about her aunt at the SLC office Jim made the connection and hired her on the spot. Her background check came through spotless, so Gina was the perfect choice.

As she buffed her nails and listened to the conversation between Dave and Earl, she thought the case sounded interesting. Whether Dave and his partners would think so was another thing. Earl was explaining the general location of the lost mine, and as Gina listened she brought up Google Earth on her computer and zeroed in on the area the old man was talking about. She wasn’t any geologist, but from a quick google fly over it looked like there were hundreds of potential sites. She thought it had all the attributes of a needle in a haystack search.

Gina was right.

Chapter 4

Willard Olson was still adjusting to Las Vegas living. He had been Dave’s neighbor and closet friend at German Lake for years. When Dave retired from the Lake County Sheriff’s job and sold his lake home, it got Willard thinking about where he wanted to spend his retirement years. Dave’s son, Mike, had always liked the Las Vegas area and no one was surprised when he announced his decision to move his family to Nevada so he could join a thriving dental practice.

After visiting Dave and his wife, Jan, in Vegas, Willard had decided that the winters there were a real plus, but the summers could be pretty hot. He thought that a condo in L.V. where he could spend most of the winter and visit when he wanted during the other months would be the answer. He wasn’t a golfer, but he liked the area around the Legacy golf course in Henderson. His two bedroom, two bath condo overlooked the eleventh tee and was right off of Green Valley Parkway, a major North-South street. He was close to the airport, the Eye of the Owl agency, and shopping. Who know’s, he may even take up golf.

The condo faced north with a view of the west from his kitchen and deck. Willard watched an early-morning foursome struggle to get their drives out over the strip of rough that divided the tee from the fairway. He had to laugh as he heard them breaking the morning quiet with an occasional curse as three out of four of their drives hit the rough. Willard thought that if he did take up golf he wouldn’t have to buy any balls because the rough below his condo should be full of them.

It was Monday toward the end of September, which was still too hot for him to be in town, but Willard had wanted to help with the setup and opening of the new detective business. Monday was meeting day when Jim, Dave, himself and Dave’s son, Mike, would meet at the agency to talk about business and do some planning. They usually went out for lunch or would order in and eat in the conference room while discussing the company’s clients or how to get some.

As he was finishing the third cup of coffee his cell phone rang and the display told him it was Helen Ostrander, his girlfriend from Minnesota, checking in.

Helen, baby-how you doing?

Missing you, Will. That’s how I’m doing. I’m afraid that you went to Vegas early for the agency setup, and first thing you know it will be winter and you won’t come back to Minnesota until Spring.

Well, come out and visit, Helen. You haven’t seen my condo, and I could use some help decorating it.

Well, the thought did occur to me, but I wanted to make sure you had room for me and hadn’t hooked up for some gorgeous showgirl.

Funny, Helen. You’d better come out her and make sure I haven’t.

Let me check at work today and I’ll see how this weekend works. I’ll come out there and gush all over you to make sure you won’t be thinking about showgirls.

Helen, I’m not going to try and change your mind. It sounds like a wonderful idea-coming out here and the gushing too!

Call you tonight to let you know what the boss says. Love yah.

Same here. Talk to you tonight.

As Willard signed off and focused his attention to the tee box, a young lady with brightly colored spandex shorts and a tiny hot weather top was bending over and teeing up her ball.

Three things came to mind, yes he missed Helen. He should definitely start golfing, and God bless whoever invented spandex!

Later in the morning Willard drove south on GVP to Horizon and took a right toward the Eye of the Owl office. He was early, but had ran out of things to do in the condo, so headed out. As he was approaching the agency, he noticed Earl’s rusted out F-150 with blue smoke trailing it exit the parking lot and go east on Horizon. As Willard waited to make a left into the parking lot, he saw a black Mercedes SUV leaving the strip mall parking lot across the street in a hurry that also went east on Horizon. He got a good look at the two driving as they sped by him while he was still waiting for the left turn. They had darker complexions, maybe Hispanic or Middle Eastern. They both looked angry or maybe just ornery. He couldn’t help think they appeared to be following the pickup and it’s trail of blue smoke. Maybe they were from the EPA?

Chapter 5

Dave’s son, Mike, looked at his morning schedule and then decided that one