A Fool's Journey Read online

  A Fool’s Journey

  A Marketville Mystery

  Judy Penz Sheluk

  Contents

  Also by Judy Penz Sheluk

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Acknowledgments

  Author’s Note

  About the Author

  Praise for A Fool’s Journey

  “A missing man, a case gone cold, and a trail potholed with lies, A Fool’s Journey is a classic mystery with a twist. It needs a determined detective who won’t give up or give in. Whip-smart and with a heart for adventure, Calamity Barnstable is on the case, and is certainly nobody’s fool.” — Laura Benedict, author of The Stranger Inside

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  “A compelling page-turning mystery you won’t want to miss.” — Rick Mofina, USA Today bestselling author of The Lying House

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  “A well-crafted mystery with fabulous characters and a series of twists and turns that keep you hooked until the end.” — Mike Martin, award-winning author of the Sgt. Windflower mystery series

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  “A tightly woven plot with engaging dialogue and visually descriptive narrative that captured the essence of the story. I look forward to more exciting exploits with Callie and her friends.” — Dru Ann Love, Dru’s Book Musings

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  “BRILLIANT! A compelling journey to find answers to a twenty-year old missing person case uncovering secrets, suspicions, and tattoos. Well-written with fascinating details and rich characters—only a ‘fool’ would miss this one! — Kathleen Costa, Reviewer, Kings River Life

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  “In Callie, Sheluk has created a competent, conscientious protagonist—the kind of super-responsible person her clients can entrust their secrets to. She’s not deeply reflective, she’s a doer. The story doesn’t get bogged down in any emotional swamps but moves steadily forward, sure-footedly crossing the murky waters of people’s hidden lives.” — Victoria Weisfeld, Reviewer, Crime Fiction Lover.

  Praise For The Marketville Mysteries

  Skeletons in the Attic (#1)

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  “A smartly constructed mystery in the good old-fashioned and highly readable sense.” — Jack Batten, The Toronto Star

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  “Callie’s plight grabs the reader from the get-go and, as the plot twists and twists again, you follow her with heart in mouth. Is there any way for this to end well? Yes, there is, and you won’t see it coming!”— Catriona McPherson, award-winning author of The Reek of Red Herrings

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  “A thought-provoking, haunting tale of decades old deception.” — Annette Dashofy, USA Today bestselling author of the Zoe Chambers mystery series

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  Past & Present (#2)

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  “A tense, emotionally gripping, multifaceted mystery that serves both as a perfect continuation of Callie's life story and as a fine stand-alone read for newcomers.” — Midwest Book Review

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  “A well-crafted story that keeps readers engaged as history blends into the present.” — Debra H. Goldstein, award-winning author of the Sarah Blair mystery series

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  “Sheluk nails it with this intriguing mystery that stitches together an investigation into the past with people’s lives in the present—including that of protagonist Callie Barnstable. Treat yourself to a new present-day read—you won’t be disappointed.” — Edith Maxwell, author of the Agatha-nominated Quaker Midwife Mysteries

  Praise for The Glass Dolphin Mysteries

  The Hanged Man’s Noose (#1)

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  “A thoroughly engaging debut mystery… well-plotted, well-paced and just plain well done!” — Elizabeth J. Duncan, award-winning author, the Penny Brannigan and Shakespeare in the Catskills mystery series

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  “A small town with a dark past, its inhabitants full of secrets, a ruthless developer, and an intrepid reporter with secrets of her own come together to create a can’t-put-down-read.” — Vicki Delany, bestselling author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series

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  “Compelling characters with hidden connections and a good, old-fashioned amateur sleuth getting in over her head.” — James M. Jackson, author of the Seamus McCree mystery series

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  A Hole in One (#2)

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  “What fun! A twisty tale chock full of clues and red herrings, antiques and secrets, and relationships that aren’t what they seem.” — Jane K. Cleland, award-winning author, Josie Prescott Antiques mysteries and Mastering Plot Twists

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  “A bang-up mystery! Two friends, two murders, secret pasts, and a touch of romance. Who could ask for more?” — Lea Wait, USA Today bestselling author, Shadows Antique Print and Mainely Needlepoint mystery series

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  “A well-constructed, well-paced mystery tale grounded in an eclectic cast of characters…a puzzling murder set against a believable portrait of village life...and a fun read that is perfectly paced.” Jim Napier for The Ottawa Review of Books

  Also by Judy Penz Sheluk

  NOVELS

  Glass Dolphin Mysteries

  The Hanged Man’s Noose

  A Hole in One

  Marketville Mysteries

  Skeletons in the Attic

  Past & Present

  A Fool’s Journey

  SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

  The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense (Editor)

  Live Free or Tri

  Unhappy Endings

  SHORT STORIES

  Plan D (The Whole She-Bang 2)

  Live Free or Die (World Enough and Crime)

  Beautiful Killer (Flash and Bang)

  Saturdays with Bronwyn (The Whole She-Bang 3)

  Goulaigans (The Whole She-Bang 3)

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, and events described herein are products of the author’s imagination, or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  A Fool’s Journey: A Marketville Mystery #3

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  Copyright © 2019 Judy Penz Sheluk

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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  Edited by Ti Locke

  Proofread by Victoria Gladwish, Gladwish on Demand


  Cover Design by Hunter Martin

  Published by Superior Shores Press

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  ISBN Trade Paperback: 978-1-989495-06-3

  ISBN Kindle: 978-1-989495-07-0

  ISBN ePub: 978-1-989495-09-4

  ISBN Kobo: 978-1-989495-08-7

  * * *

  First Edition: August 2019

  In memory of Nestor “Sam” Sametz

  1

  I stared at Leith Hampton, déjà vu enveloping me. It had been fifteen months since the first time I’d sat in the law office of Hampton & Associates. An unexpected connection had brought me back to learn of another inheritance. And once again, there were strings attached. What can I say? In my life, nothing is ever as simple as it seems on the surface.

  This time, I’d inherited $365,000 from my great-grandmother, Olivia Marie Rosemount Osgoode. I’d met her for the first time a few weeks earlier while attempting to sift through the life and times of Anneliese Prei.

  I liked Olivia, though I’m not sure I knew her long enough or well enough to claim the emotion I felt for her was love. It was hard to forgive someone who, along with her son, Corbin, and his wife, Yvette—I prefer not to think of them as my grandparents—had disowned my seventeen-year-old mother when she became pregnant with me. My father went to his grave despising anyone who bore the Osgoode name, and a lot of his bitterness had been passed on to me. I wondered what he’d think, now that I was the primary beneficiary of her last will and testament. I suspect his personal code of ethics might have led him to refuse the money. I’m not quite as principled.

  “You said there was a condition,” I said, and waited for one of Leith’s well-practiced courtroom sighs.

  He nodded, the theatrical sigh coming on the heels of the nod. “Olivia was fascinated by Past & Present Investigations. Fascinated and proud. She began to worry that a significant sum of money might decrease your need, and ultimately your desire, to find another case.”

  “So she found one for me?”

  Leith nodded again. “I’ll admit I wasn’t completely on board with the idea, but Olivia was a stubborn woman, and no amount of discussion was going to dissuade her.”

  Stubborn I could understand. I’d inherited the same trait from my father, apparently burrowed deep into my DNA. I turned my attention back to Leith, who was still talking.

  “Of course, you’re free to decline, in which case your inheritance will revert to Corbin Osgoode.”

  I thought about my grandfather’s fury at the reading of the will and suppressed a smile. “I wouldn’t dream of declining, and not just because of the money. Tell me about the case.”

  The case, Leith informed me, was the story of Brandon Colbeck, a twenty-year-old college student who left home in March 2000 to “find himself.” He was never heard from again.

  “The family is, understandably, still looking for answers,” Leith said. “Did Brandon come into harm’s way? Or did he simply decide to disappear and start a new life? His mother, a woman by the name of Lorna Colbeck-Westlake, admits, albeit reluctantly, that there had been some harsh words spoken by her husband, Michael Westlake, after Brandon dropped out of college. However, both insist that they never wanted Brandon to leave home. Rather, he’d been given some ‘tough love’ choices in the hope that it would provide motivation. It was a popular strategy, back in the day. It may still be, in some circles.”

  He slid a thin leather briefcase across the mahogany boardroom table. “The little that Olivia accumulated is in here. I will warn you, there’s not much to go on. A couple of newspaper clippings, one that is dated four years ago, another quite recent. Barely enough to bother with, and yet…” Leith spread his arms out, palms upward, and shrugged.

  I was getting used to going on not much. What I wasn’t used to was having my great-grandmother getting involved, especially from the grave. “I’ll admit I don’t know a lot about our family, but the name Brandon Colbeck means nothing to me. Are we related?”

  “Brandon’s great-grandmother is Eleanor Colbeck, a friend of Olivia’s at the Cedar County Retirement Residence. A year ago, Eleanor was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment or MCI. I’m told it’s a condition that doesn’t get better, only worse, and the decline can be rapid. Eleanor was close to her grandson and six weeks ago, she received a telephone call from a man claiming to be Brandon Colbeck. He said he missed her and wanted to come home, but didn’t have the funds available to travel.”

  “Let me guess, he asked her for money.”

  “Not in so many words, though he did mention a friend in a similar situation whose father had used a wire service like Western Union. The family reported the call to the police, who determined it was a scam, one of many that targets the elderly. Nonetheless, Eleanor remains convinced that the call came from her grandson, based on the fact that he’d called her Nana Ellie.”

  Eleanor Colbeck. Now that name rang a bell, though I wasn’t sure why. “The name sounds familiar.”

  “Eleanor contributed to several community-based charitable initiatives, long before you moved to Marketville. Cedar County Retirement is far from inexpensive and Eleanor has been living there for the past decade. As her condition worsens, medical expenses increase.”

  “Where I know her name from probably isn’t important,” I said, knowing that I’d keep digging until I remembered or discovered the truth. I tapped my fingers against the briefcase. “You say there’s not much in here. Am I expected to find out where Brandon went and what happened to him? Or am I to determine the call was a fake? Does the family approve of my getting involved? What’s the bottom line?”

  Leith leaned back and smiled for the first time. “Olivia may have been old, but when it came to legalities, she was on top of her game. The family is willing to assist you in whatever way possible. I have signed affidavits from Lorna Colbeck-Westlake, her husband, Michael Westlake, Brandon’s stepsister, Jeanine Westlake, as well as Eleanor Colbeck, granting Past & Present Investigations carte blanche to do whatever is necessary to find Brandon. They are also willing to sit down with you at any time, though from what I gather, they know little, if anything, beyond what’s already been reported.”

  “What about written permission to post relevant material on the Past & Present website or on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram?”

  “Inside the briefcase you’ll find a notarized document to cover exactly that concern, signed by each member of the family. As for the bottom line, in order to inherit you must make a reasonable investigative effort over the next three months. After that, you’re free to walk away without further obligation.”

  Three months. I wanted to solve it in two.

  2

  I left Hampton & Associates with a briefcase firmly tucked under my arm. I hustled my way down Bay Street to Union Station, hoping to catch the noon GO train leaving for Marketville. I had planned to spend a few hours in Toronto, checking out the Royal Ontario Museum and the tony shops of Yorkville before grabbing dinner at one of the many restaurants on the way to the GO. Now all I could think about was getting home. I needed to develop a plan.

  I managed to reach Union with three minutes to spare and sprinted up the stairs to Platform Twelve, breathless by the time I reached the top tiered “Quiet Zone” of the train, and grateful for the silence it afforded. I found an empty seat, sat down, and got to work. The trip to Marketville would take just over an hour, and I didn’t intend to waste a minute of it.

  Leith had warned me that there wasn’t much to go on and there wasn’t. The manila folder, neatly labeled “BRANDON COLBECK,” contained two carefully clipped articles from the Marketville Post, and some handwritten notes by Olivia Osgoode. Still, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of my great-grandmother investigating a cold case at the age of ninety-one. Maybe we shared more than stubbornness in our DNA.

  I unfolded the first clipping, smoothing out the creases. It was dated Thursday, March 19, 2015.

  “Brandon Colbeck Still Missing 15 Yea
rs after Disappearance” the headline stated. A color photograph of a young man in his late teens or early twenties took up a quarter of the page. He appeared to be standing on a dock, ripples of blue water behind him, though the photo had been cropped close to focus on Brandon’s smiling face. It was a nice face, free of guile, with full lips, warm brown eyes, and a well-proportioned nose. His hair was blowing in the breeze, wavy copper with glints of gold. He looked happy. I set about reading the story for the first time, knowing it would have piqued my interest had I lived in Marketville at the time it was published. The byline, “Jenny Lynn Simcoe, with files from G.G. Pietrangelo,” piqued my curiosity all the more. I’d met Gloria Grace during my investigation into my mother’s disappearance. She’d left the Marketville Post a dozen years ago to start her own photographic studio. How much did she remember about this cold case? I made a mental note to find out and turned my attention back to the article.