Blodgett Canyon
by
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When she arrived at the Silos, she was the only one there. Even the ice fishermen had enough sense to stay home when it’s forty below. Looking across the frozen lake, she saw the accident scene cordoned off with orange traffic cones and yellow police tape. Against her better judgment, she left the warmth of her vehicle and headed out. This time, a hooded parka and winter boots would protect her from the elements.
Three hundred yards from the shoreline, she stood on the periphery of the barricaded accident scene. The ice had reclaimed itself except for a few jagged chunks. Without the fluorescent cones and tape, no one would know this place had claimed a life a few days ago.
“Why did this have to happen? What am I going to do without you, Leon? I have so many questions, and you’re not here to answer any of them.” The bitter wind encircled the snow around her, and she tightened the hood around her face. “I’ll take good care of Patches. She made it, thanks to you.”
Wiping the tears with her gloved hand, she reached underneath her parka and pulled out a single red rose. Holding the stem of the delicate flower with both hands, she looked up into the white abyss of winter. She knelt down, placed the rose on the snow, and walked away.
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About the Book
While ice fishing one morning at Montana’s Canyon Ferry Lake, Leon Banes vanishes into the lake’s frigid waters, leaving behind his beloved border collie, Patches. The dog is injured, but alive. When Leon’s fiancée, Becky Wilkes, comes upon the scene, Patches is still clinging to life, but Becky realizes the awful truth: Leon is gone.
Patches recovers, but Becky is another matter, especially when she discovers that Leon was not who she thought he was. His electronic files offer no clues about his past or his present, and a picture of him in his high school yearbook is labeled with a name other than Leon. Though Becky never wanted to pry into Leon’s personal life, she didn’t imagine him deceiving her as to his true identity.
Feeling betrayed and confused, Becky decides to launch her own investigation into Leon’s past. She finds an unconventional assistant in famed Montana artist Jesse Warren, who comes to her aid as she relentlessly searches for the truth. As the facts unfold, Becky realizes she has placed herself and others in grave danger, but she can’t stop now. Will Becky and Jesse learn the disturbing truth about Leon Banes, or will his secrets destroy them?
About the Author
For fifteen years, O. Gary and Debra A. Lauer raised a border collie mix they found as a puppy and named Patches. This novel is a tribute to the cherished memory of their special companion and their loving relationship. They currently live in Idaho.