Shangri-La: The Dead Bone Chronicles

By John LaJoie

Does the legendary tale of Shangri-La, truly exist? Inheriting her father’s company many years ago, Alexandra Greenwood yearns for adventure. With her husband William conducting a new treaty with the twelve world consortium and her children off to college, Alexandra uncovers a secret left behind by her father that may hold answers to her family’s legacy. Seeking out a brother she never knew existed, Alexandra teams up with James Richard, a rugged, arrogant man who knows her past. Together, they stand to unlock the whereabouts of the eight powerful shards that will lead them to Shangri-La. On the run from Rodrigo Escobar, a powerful and deadly assassin in charge of the largest crime syndicate of South America, the two set out crossing several continents in a showdown to unlock the secrets of humanities evolution and the battle against a madman and his forces to avoid world domination. Little do they know, something more sinister, much darker and malicious lays in wait for their return.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781794744714

Book preview

Shangri-La

Also by Author John LaJoie

DARK ANGEL SERIES

Futures Light, the awakening

Darkness Follows, a woman scorned

Forever’s Journey, into the unknown

Titanic Dreams, unlocking the past

Bodies of Deception, the final fury of Angel

EMERGENCE – Cross over

THE ENDEAVOUR SERIES

Enterprising Endeavour, Distant Shores

Enterprising Endeavour, Scorpius Rising

Enterprising Endeavour, Mark of Defiance

Enterprising Endeavour, Descendants

Enterprising Endeavour, Illusions of Time

Enterprising Endeavour, The Olympian Stronghold

Heart out of Time

THE DEAD BONE CHRONICLES

Shangri-La

Find out more about the author at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-John-LaJoie/105965029465767

Shangri-La

Shangri-La is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A Lulu Paperback Original Author Edition

Copyright  2021 by John LaJoie

All rights reserved.

This book was published by Lulu Publications.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

Lulu Softcover edition First Edition: December 2021

ISBN 978-1-7947-4471-4

Printed in the United States of America

CHAPTER 1

January 2064

Gazing in from the hallway door, William Greenwood gave the secondary bedroom one last look, ensuring nothing was left behind. Satisfied, he closed the door and reached down to retrieve the last box of keepsakes from the floor. Walking towards the stairs, he proceeded down to the lower level of the island beach house owned by his former in-laws.

At the bottom, William paused for a moment allowing his eyes to dart across the empty living room. Recalling the gentle memories of those who called this their home for the last twelve years, it was a sad sight to take in remembering all the good times they had together as a family.

John and Angela Joliea, two of the most intriguing people he ever had the pleasure of working alongside over the years, were soon becoming a faded memory. Larger than life, their humble beginning of meeting as classmates in high school led to a marriage filled with many plot twists and turns over the span of their lifestyles. In their later years, they would become one of the most prolific and highly influential couples the world had come to know over the last century.

And somewhere amid their hectic lives, their daughter, Alexandra, his future wife, was born. Unlike any woman he had ever met before, she held the spirit of striking boldness and longed for adventure, much to the surprise of her parents. 

No longer given the title of commander serving under the leadership of Angela onboard the starship Avalerion, Will was granted active status by becoming her replacement following the Great War. In the trials of those dark days, they brought out the best in each other, which served to better his standings in the fleet.

As for Angela’s husband, John, who commanded the starship Phoenix and later rose to become Admiral to the Earth defense initiative, their lives were connected forever. It wasn’t until a freak merging of two parallel timelines did William have the chance to finally meet the man who was much larger than life when you met him. Because of the man’s ambition to reach for the stars, William decided from an early age that he wanted to share in the same dream one day.

Following the war, William found the courage to ask for Alexandra’s hand in marriage from her parents after the two had dated for two years. The children that came afterward, gave him time to balance his work duties and family life. And now, too, they had grown up leaving the Greenwoods to ponder what was in store for the future. Setting the box beside the others stacked by the front door, he went in search of his wife to check to see if she needed any help.

Alexandra sat on the floor of her parent’s room at their island home of Koh Samui. Holding back the tears with a photo in her hand, the closing trip to pack up the remaining items of her parents was painful. Going through the assorted digital images found in one of the boxes retrieved from the closet, the memories they held were as numerous as she remembered.

The one she gazed upon was taken twelve years ago during the last summer before her mother had passed. The fond memory captured during a skiing trip to Aspin, Colorado, brought a smile to her face when her family met with her parents for a week. Comfortably lodged at one of the ski resorts, the photo displayed her entire clan sitting in front of one of the large fireplaces in the hotel entrance. The adventures they had taken over the years were enormous, as was the love she felt in her heart recalling those times.

Hearing her husband's approach, she placed the photo back into the box along with the pile on the floor and put them back into the box, closing the lid. It was then she heard him tap on the door. Turning to look up, she mustered a broken smile in his direction.

So you finished with the guest room, she asked.

Yeah, the last of the boxes are downstairs by the door, ready for pickup.

Coming into the room, Will caught sight of a book on the nightstand beside the bed. Going over to retrieve it, he made his way over to Alexandra's side and sat down, handing it over to her.

My father’s journal, she answered, taking it into her hands and leafing through the pages.  I bet the stories he kept in here would be of interest to the museum.

William didn’t respond but reached out with his arm and placed it around her side to comfort his wife. Alexandra laid her head down on his shoulder, letting out a sigh.

I miss them so terribly, she added.

Same here, he replied. I still can’t believe they are no longer with us. It seems just like yesterday that you, I, and the kids visited them at the last Fourth of July together.

Yes, she answered, turning to him. I had hoped they would have stuck around long enough to see the kids graduate high school and head off to college. But, it seems, it was never meant to be.

William kissed her cheek. I’m sure they look down at us from time to time.

Alexandra smiled. You know Mr. Greenwood. You truly know how to cheer up a woman, don’t you?

Chuckling, William smiled. It’s one of my specialties reserved just for you.

Embracing in a brief kiss, William got to his feet and reached down for his wife’s hands, helping her up, and retrieved the box from the floor but not before discovering a photo that had slipped beneath it.

You missed one, he said, picking it up, and gazed at the image of his father in law who was much younger, holding a child in his arms.

You? he asked, turning to his wife.

Alexandra pulled the image from his hand and looked it over carefully.

That’s not me, she said, puzzled before turning it over to read the writing.

That’s odd, she stammered.

What is?

Well, it says the name of my father and the initials of J.T. dated 2013.

Anyone that you know?

Nothing comes to mind, Alexandra answered, turning the image over to view the child's features. Probably the son of someone that he knew.

There came a chime from William’s watch signaling the approach of the shuttlecraft coming in to pick them up.

Where did the time go, he mused. Ready then?

Yes, I guess that’s the last of it, Alexandra answered, surveying the room one last time. Holding the journal in her hand, Alexandra turned to Will and added, I think I’m going to hold onto this for a while.

Nodding, the two retreated downstairs, where they greeted the shuttle crew who met them at the door and offered their assistance to bring onboard the boxes for their return home to Texas.

  CHAPTER 2

Six months had passed since that miserable day. Alexandra opened her eyes slowly to see the sun streaming in from the eastern windows to fill the bedroom with its warming light. Giving a stretch under the covers, she rubbed her eyes, turning to note the time on the bedside clock. It was coming up on nine-thirty, much later than she wanted to sleep.

Such was the choice she faced taking on early retirement from her teaching position at the end of last semester. Her husband left on assignment three weeks ago to return to the Debari system to sign a new treaty, and her children, grown and out of the house, made for a lonely time in her life.

At least during those times so many years ago when they were alive, Alexandra had her parents spend time with her children when they would visit. But becoming the sole heir of her father’s company, she chose to remove herself from Xandow Industries except for taking part with the board of trustees to protect her father's investment.

Staring up at the ceiling, Alexandra had no idea what to do with herself these days as she ruled out another trip to visit Dallas for some shopping. Though she spent more than enough time within her circle of friends, it was a Monday morning, and most of them were already at their jobs. Retired at the age of thirty-nine, the exciting life she had expected to live had fallen into becoming mundane, to say the least, she pondered.

Will had offered for her to come along on his trip, but she felt her place at home would be best just in case the children needed anything. Xavier was in his last year at the University of Maryland, finishing his law degree. She had hopes that one day he would take it upon himself to take over her father’s business at Xandow. But they respected his wishes to follow his own path. As for Daniela, she was studying abroad in Europe for her second year in college.

She turned to view the latest postcard sent to her while visiting the Eiffel Tower. Due to their busy lives, Alexandra hoped to see the city one day with her husband. Maybe after this last trip, they would take a much-needed vacation, just the two of them.

Pulling the covers back, she put on her housecoat and made her way to the kitchen to make something to eat. Looking inside the refrigerator, she scanned over the leftovers from the days prior and settled on a bagel and some orange juice.

After she leaned up against the counter as the bagel heated in the toaster, the sound of the neighbor’s dog barking next door caused her to go to the window to investigate. Drawing back the curtain, she shook her head, viewing the dog at the base of the elm tree barking upwards at a squirrel that took refuge on the lower branch.

Hearing the toaster pop, she went to the counter and spread coconut butter over the two halves. Picking the slices up along with a glass of juice, Alexandra retreated into the master bedroom. Turning on the radio for some music, she began to change clothes.

Deciding to go for a jog, she stripped down and changed clothes between bites of the bagel until it was gone. Tying her long dark hair back behind her head with a tie, she began looking for her Bluetooth earbuds to connect to her phone. When she didn’t find them in the top drawer of her dresser, she began opening up all the drawers and wondered if William had taken them along with him on his journey. Frustrated, she began gazing around the room and decided to look in one last place.

Opening the drawer to the nightstand, she rummaged through the stack of papers and found a backup set still in their case. Unfortunately, this meant she would have to charge them for thirty minutes before starting her run. In that instant, her eyes just happen to notice her father’s journal. Deciding to browse through it while waiting, she pulled it out and closed the drawer.

Seeing an open outlet near her desk, she opened the package of earbuds and plugged them into the charger. Returning to the edge of the bed, Alexandra placed the oversized pillows up against the bed railing and laid down on them. Turning the journal over, she skimmed around looking for something of interest but decided to start at the beginning.

In the hours that passed, Alexandra found out many things about her father she had never known. There she saw notes written of his spiritual journey of newfound faith that took him to the four corners of the world. From the two American continents to the far east, Europe to New Zealand, this daughter found new respect and admiration for the man who touched the lives of thousands. A world-class traveler, he spoke many more languages than she could imagine anyone to hold.

There were many tales with a dash of humor sprinkled throughout the entries. More than once, Alexandra found herself smiling as the voice of her father echoed within her mind. She could almost feel his presence at that moment. As if he sat beside his daughter, telling the view of the world from his perspective.

Just before lunchtime, she decided to stop and return to the kitchen for something to drink. Throwing her legs over the bed, she haphazardly placed the journal on the edge of the desk as she stood up. Observing her error, Alexandra watched the journal hit the floor as the last pages' contents spilled out along with a thick envelope.

Intrigued, she knelt beside the bed, gathered the entries, and placed them back into the journal. Lifting the envelope, she turned it over and noted a faded piece of tape had broken free from the secured flap in place. Postmarked and addressed to her father a year before his death, she did not recognize the return address from Oakland, California, and could find no name. 

Emptying the contents onto the bed, Alexandra was intrigued at what she might discover. There were a few handwritten letters from a woman named Jane addressed to her father, but it was the pictures she came across that caused her to gasp.

In them, she recognized her father again holding onto a child at a playground. The young boy wasn’t much older than seven, but she did see something in the child’s eyes. The rest of the images seem to be a progression of the boy as he grew into his late teens. On the back of the last photo, which shows the boy at his high school graduation, again she found the initials of J.T.

Puzzled, she could have sworn she had seen that boy's face before, but where? Suddenly, it came to her. Standing up from the floor, she hurried downstairs to the basement to investigate a hunch that she had.

At the bottom of the stairs across from the washing machine, she went directly over to the corner storage shelves and began searching for the photo box her father had kept of the family. But there was one, in particular, one that held the photo of an unfamiliar child she had seen back on the island.

It took some time during her search to find the small box. Seeing it at the bottom of the stack, she removed it and ran back upstairs to her room, where she dumped the contents on the opposite side of the bed. Spreading them all over, she finally retrieved the photo she was looking for and compared it to the one she found earlier from the other pile.

There was no doubt now; the child was the same. The more she stared at the two photos, she grew with the feeling her father had some connection with the boy. Reaching for the letters, she debated if she should read them or not. Driven to investigate, she undid the small ribbon that held the letters and began with the first one when Alexandra was only four.

My dearest John,

It’s been over three months since we last spoke, and I thought I would give you an update on James. He pulled through surgery for his tonsillitis and is on his third bowl of ice cream in the other room. I don’t know where that boy puts it away as skinny as he is. We are doing well now that we’ve settled in here in California. I’m into my seventh month now at the Lexi Corporation, working on the last version of crypto-polymer technology to use at future moon bases. No doubt, given your request to use onboard your fleet of new ships, there are certain channels that you will need to go through before an approval can be granted.

As Alexandra continued to read, the rest talked about the woman’s profession and the idle chatter between friends. As she picked up the subsequent letter followed by another, she quickly noted that Jane had always made sure to speak about her son during his trials of adolescents and asked for his advice. 

By the time Alexandra finished breezing through the last, she had placed the letters back into the envelope along with the photos. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she still was no closer to finding out what the connection was between her father and this woman.

Could they have been lovers at one time in the past? Was she someone who might have been friends with her father or possibly worked for him at some point? Each question brought out another as she gathered the other photos and placed them back into the box.

At that moment, she spotted a small envelope addressed to her father from Fortaleza, South America. There was no return address, but she noted somebody had opened it. Reaching inside, Alexandra retrieved a note along with a minor rusted key. Closely examining it, there were no markings except for the number of treinta y dos.

Relying on her Spanish from years gone by, she did the math in her head and concluded that the number was 32. With little to go on, she unfolded the paper that came with the key and began reading. The note seemed written in haste, making it difficult to decipher, but she reread the words after translating them to a piece of paper and pen taken from the nightstand.

Sir,

After accepting your generous offer towards my grants over the last two years, I can say with confidence, I have found that the claims are valid after all.  Peripillán was never a person but a place. It’s imperative that you reach out to me at your earliest convenience to meet. I have two years of study left before my Visa runs out. I will use the time wisely to complete my doctorate while staying in Maceió. If I’m out of town, or if anything should happen to me, the enclosed key will allow you to uncover my compiled research. It is currently being held in a lockbox at the Piscina bank near the Vila Mandacaru. But be careful. The black legion squad is growing again and doesn’t care about running foreigners out of town. Give mom my best.

James

Alexandra placed the note down and held the key in her hand, tightening her grip around it as she got up and walked over to the window. Something felt wrong about all this, yet she couldn’t put her finger on it. Well, not yet anyway.

With her mind still processing what she had read from the last sentence, it seemed to be farfetched that she had some type of connection with this boy named James. At no time did either of her parents bring up the notion that her father was involved with someone else before their marriage. Though she reeled with the idea, she put it aside in her thoughts. Seeing the gentle winds sway at the trees out front of the house, she decided she needed some fresh air. Turning about, she went for her earbuds and headed downstairs to start her run.

Later that evening, after returning from the store, Alexandra made dinner and retired for the night following her bath. Entering the bedroom, she caught the sight of a flash notification coming from the nearby computer. Sitting down at the desk, she activated the security clearance and waited for the incoming video call.  Seeing the Consortium memo, her face lit up, seeing the communication had come from William. The message had required seven days to arrive.

Hey honey, just checking in with you. It’s Tuesday the eighth, and we're nearly twelve hours from entering the wormhole, so I thought I’d send you this subspace message in hopes it will arrive before your weekend starts. But you never know these days, given the spotty transmission. Maybe one day we will find a way to broadcast live.

Alexandra chuckled as she pulled one leg under the other as she settled in.

Not much is happening in the meantime. Ship operations are running fairly smooth, and today I found out that some of the crew have turned over one of the shuttle bays into a volleyball court to pass the time. One of these days, he said, shaking his head, the designers of the next starships might not be so inflexible and come up with a deck for activities. As for now, I just wanted to check in to know how you are doing.  Love you bunches, baby. I’m counting the days until we're together again. Bye.

Closing down the message, Alexandra sat there for a moment pondering her husband’s words. It seemed like forever since they had a date night. Letting out a sigh, she knew in a matter of months he would be back. In the meantime, she turned to view the journal sitting beside the bed.

Going across the room, she retrieved the envelope from inside and sat back down at the desk. Flipping it over to reveal the address in California, she opened up the portal to the intranet and began her search for this mysterious woman from her father’s world.

As the night wore on, Alexandra went and poured herself a cup of coffee and sat back down on the last search. She was nowhere closer to finding this woman until she got the idea of checking the Xandow site to see if she may have worked at her father’s business at one time. It was a long shot, but Alexandra was running out of options. She logged into her active account and instructed the computer to search through human resources and find active and inactive personnel rosters.

Opening up a search bar on the screen, she gazed over to the open letter beside her cup and keyed in both a name and date. The list was extensive and exhausting as she began going through pages of personal data. She never knew there were so many females with the name Jane as she tried different combinations of dates. When nothing came up, she sat back in the chair, sipping at her coffee. Alexandra began to speculate whether she could be following a cold trail going about this.

Then an idea came to her. Sitting up, she began the search again under the benefits policies folders using the name of Jane and James. As the computer compiled the information, she took another sip from her cup and placed it back down on the desk. With three policies returning, she slowly began examining them one by one.

The first was Jane Sumac, 49, who worked in the bioengineering operations out of India. She had come under a Visa to the United States to work at Xandow for a brief period during the late nineteen nineties. As she read the file deeper, she came to find out Sumac was, at the time, married with three children. Out of the three, one was named Jymes. Hardly an accurate representation of the name she was seeking.

Given that her father was pretty uptight during that period of his life, she hardly considered he would be one to interfere in someone else’s marriage. Not giving it another thought, she closed the file and opened the next.

Jane Discon was a possible choice, given the names were in order. She worked at her father’s London office in accounting. She had a child, wait, no twin boys at the time of her employment. James and Joseph. The time was correct, and everything added up except for the two boys. Returning to the bed, she opened the box of photos to make sure that she had not overlooked the name of Joseph on any of them. Turning them over, she searched through each one, but the child was the same in each.

Going back to the desk, feeling frustrated, she closed the file and opened the last one as she reached out for her drink and turned back to the text. Jane Richard, 33, out of Brighton, Michigan, out of all places. The name captured Alexandra’s attention as her eyes grew wide. Maybe this was the lead she was looking for as she set the cup back down and began scanning over the information. The more she read, the larger her smile grew.

  CHAPTER 3

Alexandra printed off the information and shut down the computer screen. Retrieving the copy sent to the printer, she walked back to the bed with the papers in hand and drew back the covers as she slipped underneath. Pulling out her reading glasses from the drawer, she settled in and began her study of the woman.

Jane Marie Richards (Clowe)

DOB: September 10, 1969, Three Rivers, MI

Address: 1123 SW Green Street, San Diego, CA

Occupation: Aerospace Engineer, Quantum Engineering

Prior Education: Greenburg College, University of Michigan, Cal-Tech, Diestrum Institute

SAT Score: 1592

Employment: National Space Administration, Aerodyne Industries, Globey Aerospace, Xandow Industries, Sierra Corporation

Marital Status: Widow

Husband: Franklin C Clowe DOB: July 31, 1952, Deceased: Feb 4, 2055

Children: James Thomas Richards DOB: December 18, N.A. (Father: Confidential), Steven William Roe (Father: Tony R. Roe) DOB: March 3, 1992, Sealed December 18, 2023, J.J.

Alexandra laid there for a moment gazing at the lack of the birthdate of James. The man could be younger or much older than she could imagine. It was purely speculation on her part, but why was the father's name kept from the public records? Noting the woman’s address, Alexandra decided that she had to find out more about the woman's connection with her father. Why were his initials so prominently displayed at the end of the records?

Placing the papers back down on the desk, Alexandra turned off the light and laid there looking up at the ceiling with her arms folded behind her head. Many questions were left unanswered, but knowing the woman was alive gave her reason to uncover the truth in the following days. Closing her eyes, she rolled over onto her side and fell asleep.

By the end of the following weekend, Alexandra had enough information to make her way to the boarding gates at the airport. Deciding to make this trip a weekend excursion, she handed over her boarding pass to the flight attendant and boarded the jet for California.

Alexandra stared out the window at the falling drizzle as the plane pulled away from the gate slowly. She was filled with trepidation throughout the morning about what she would find out once she arrived at her destination. Even remotely, was it possible that she had a stepbrother out there? The question weighed heavy on her thoughts as the scram engines of the Harrow songbird lifted into the sky.

When the jetliner touched down outside San Diego, Alexandra smiled, seeing the sun again after enduring the last week of rain back in Texas. Watching as the passengers disembarked from their seats, she stood up to pull down her carryon from the overhead compartments and made her way down the aisle to the concourse.

Standing in the main complex now, she brushed the hair away from her eyes, trying to get her bearings. Looking about, she began making her way downstairs to the car rental desk to secure her waiting vehicle. The airport was bustling today, given the number of business travelers and families moving about the place.

After signing off for the Mercedes Bends, she was escorted by one of the employees out to the parking garage to pick out her model. Finding a sporty chrisom-colored EL-800, she acknowledged her choice and was handed a set of keys to the car.

The humid air smelled like diesel fuel, and the constant noise of the nearby jets taking off and car horns of the distant traffic only added to her quickness to enter the car and start up the engine. Switching on the air conditioner, she pulled out her phone and entered the address of where this Jane lived into the navigation computer.

When the onboard computer signaled the location on the overhead map, Alexandra eased the car out of the stall and headed out of the garage into the outdoors. Feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, she lowered the windows down just a bit to allow the wind to stimulate her senses.

Deciding to drive in manual mode for a while, she was unwavering to the promise that cars could guide themselves without the need for human correction. She recalled many years ago, actually thirty-two to be exact, when the entire continental highway road system was converted over. The new plane-parker nodes embedded throughout the roads made driving even safer.

Receiving data from each vehicle, the information was uploaded to a massive number of servers somewhere on the east coast, which allowed traffic to flow at an increased rate. Days of traffic jams and unexpected accidents were now a thing of the past. It took nearly twenty years to perfect the system. But the casualties you only heard about in the news these days were ones involving only the manual mode used mainly in the cities.

Taking the wheel, she merged into the traffic lane and started her journey heading for the city eighteen miles away, watching as the land opened up with its many miles of tall trees and rolling hills.

As the traffic lessens on the interstate, Alexandra switched over to automatic drive mode while she reached over to her bag and pulled out a bottle of water. Viewing the coordinates on the map, she would arrive at her destination in twenty minutes.

Feeling a bit uneasy with the notion of intruding into the woman’s life without so much as a phone call made, Alexandra felt many things, but most of all, she was owed an explanation.

By twelve-thirty, she switched the driving mode back to manual as she slowed in front of the two-story home that sat on the corner. Checking the address on the mailbox, she set the shifter into park and sighed. Feeling her heart racing, she stared at the house for some time.

The Victorian home sat on a two-acre lot with pine trees jutting up from behind the roofline. The lawn was well-taken care of, as were the rose bushes that lined the picket fence. Alexandra was nervous as hell, but that didn’t stop her as she reached down for the door handle and opened the door.

Here we go, she said softly to herself.

Stepping outside, she closed the door behind her and walked around the front of the car. Nearby, the sound of a lawnmower could be heard along with the occasional car that passed by this quaint neighborhood. Taking the sidewalk, she approached the stairs, walked right up to the door, and rang the doorbell.

As she stood there waiting for a response, she turned to view the older bio-fueled Lexis parked in the driveway. It belonged to someone. Someone, she hoped, was this Jane.

Hearing a noise coming from behind the door, she directed her attention back to the screen door to watch a young girl slowly approach and glance out the door. Alexandra put on a smile as she waited nervously.

Can I help you? the girl asked.

Yes, I’m looking for Jane Richards Clowe. Is she home?

The girl gave Alexandra a look over as she slowly opened the door. Sizing her up, Alexandra imagined the girl was somewhere in her late teens. Possibly a relative?

That’s my grandmother, she said. Hold on. She’s in the kitchen.

Closing the door, the girl ran off as Alexandra could feel her heart almost ready to explode. Gathering her composure the best she could, she eyes the long hallway inside behind the curtains until a much older woman appeared.

When she arrived at the door, she opened it slowly as Alexandra felt the brush of cool air from the inside air conditioner.

May I help you? the woman asked.

Yes. I’m sorry to intrude, but are you, Jane Richards?

The woman’s stern face looked Alexandra over with unease.

Jane Clowe. I haven’t been a Richards in over two decades. What do you want?

The woman looked down at Alexandra, making her feel vulnerable for a moment by her hardened stare.

Well, my name is Alexandra Greenwood. I was wondering if we could talk. I have some questions I would like to ask you.

The woman frowned as she gazed out to view the car Alexandra had driven to her place.

I’m afraid I’m very swamped at the moment. Maybe next time, you’ll do us a favor and call ahead. But I’m warning you, if you’re selling anything, are one of those misguided cretins wanting me to save me one way or another, I have no time to debate. Now, good day.

Scolded, Alexandra watched as the woman began to close the door. She had to act fast.

Please, I believe you might have known my father from many years ago. John Joliea?

The woman stopped as her eyes flickered for a moment as she stared into Alexandra’s eyes. There was a moment of quiet between the two before the woman eased the door back open and spoke.

John was your father? the woman asked, puzzled at Alexandra’s statement.

Yes.

The woman thought for a moment. Where is your father now, she asked.

Alexandra knew this question might be brought up, so she did the best she could to hide her sorrow. She tried hard these days not to think about the man who changed her life and set her on a course for a world beyond imagination.

He’s no longer with us anymore. He died last year.

I’m sorry to hear that, the woman responded softly, being taken by the news that caught her off guard. Your father was a great man and a wonderful person.

Thank you, Alexandra replied. Is there somewhere where you and I can talk? I have many questions I’m hoping you might be able to answer.

The woman offered a brief smile before replying. I imagine you might. I wondered if one day, you and I would finally meet. Won’t you please come in?

Then you know who I am?

Oh my dear, the woman said, standing back as she opened the door further, allowing Alexandra to step inside. More than you know.

CHAPTER 4

Alexandra sat at the dinner nook beside the open doors to the back patio, watching her host finish brewing the tea to pour two cups. Returning to the table, Alexandra took her cup and thanked the woman for her generosity. Taking a seat across from her, Jane passed out the napkins she held and asked if she would like a warm buttery scone.

Yes, please, Alexandra replied, taking one from the plate. Taking a bite, she smiled at the flavor as she placed it back down on the table and washed the bread down with her tea. These are amazing.

Why, thank you, dear, Jane smiled. They’re a family tradition handed down to me by my grandmother. God rest her soul.

I’ve tried these before many years ago, but they always seemed to lack a certain taste to them and extremely dry and flaky. But these are moist. What’s your secret?

Jane laughed. Cream. That’s the secret. Most places use buttermilk, whereas I use heavy cream, slightly chilled and turned. It seems to add to the flavor by not becoming overly tangy.

Well, the taste is surely divine.

Jane smiled as she drank from her cup and placed it back on the table as her eyes fell upon Alexandra. As the two looked upon one another, Jane ended the silence that had fallen between the two of them.

My dear, I have to ask you something important. Did your father ever mention me before his death?

Until a few months ago, Alexandra never knew the woman had even existed. She wondered, though, if ever her father mentioned Jane to her mom during their marriage. The question began to weigh heavy on her thoughts.

I’m afraid not. Well, not until the day. I only found out after going through his journal when I came across your letters and photos.

Alexandra reached into her purse and pulled out the journal, and placed it