tables, and chairs between the two wide
sets of windows. Then she’d stood back
to look over her pretty handiwork,
becoming mesmerized by the sun’s rays
as it ran its long fingers across her
couches’ bright cushions. That day she’d
been content and happy that she’d
moved to this quaint little town.
A short month later, with all her new
friends watching, she’d put up the sign
that read Oasis by the Sea, proudly
opening her doors to business. The
bookstore had soon become a popular
hangout for the town’s residents and its
abundant tourists, where they could
purchase homemade food, coffee,
desserts, and of course, books. Many
tourists returned year after year to visit
the peaceful, isolated little town.
What the tourists didn’t know or even
suspect was that Oasis had a long, dark
history of unsolved murders and
unexplained disappearances—which had
been concealed from the public over the
years. End House had been the scene for
many of these horrific events. Only
recently had Linda been made aware of
this fact by a close personal friend, who
also happened to be a reporter
researching the house. Too terrified to
pursue this matter any further, he was
afraid not only of the house, but also of
the town and its reclusive inhabitants, not
knowing if the sheriff or the long-time
residents were behind these events. He’d
warned her not to ask too many
questions; but to either leave it alone or
leave town altogether.
She thought about Oasis and its
creepy inhabitants. This made her think
about Todd again. He was the only one
who had the enviable position of
belonging to both social groups. He was
able to enjoy the company of her close
friends, while at the same time he was
able to conduct business with the elite of
the community and attend their very
private parties. He was the only person in
town who was able to cross the fine
line between the disparate social
groups.
Todd had to be the key that could
help unlock all the hidden mysteries in
town. She also feared that he played
a very important role in the town’s
questionable politics and history,
along with the sheriff and the original
residents.
Not only was Todd powerful in
town, he was also very wealthy. His
office building was by far the largest
one on Main Street. The green-tinted
glass structure spanned a whole block
adjacent to the beach’s walkway. His
investment company occupied all four
floors, containing the offices for his
many employees. Linda believed that
Todd’s company was too big for such
a small town, and its ultra modern
glass structure did not blend well with
the countrified look of the other stores
along Main Street.
In contrast, right across from
Todd’s building was the picturesque
town park. Its tree-lined paths offered
residents and its many visitors:
benches for daydreaming and for
gazing out at views of the sundrenched beach and ocean, or at the
park’s large gazebo with its colorful
trellis of flowers.
The grassy park was bordered on
one end by the beach’s walkway and
on the opposite end by Edward and
Tom’s hardware store. The next store
was Oasis Rentals, where Shirley
conducted her business while delving
into everyone’s personal life. Her
neighbor was Louise’s Dress Up,
which offered an extensive line of
lingerie, hats, shoes, bags, and
anything else the wealthy woman
might
require.
Louise
catered
exclusively to the elite of Oasis, but
had never been asked to socialize
with them. That had to be the reason