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A SEASON OF STORIES

Peabody Mansion Mysteries

And So It Begins . . .

Leanna Lindquist, DTM

To develop my mystery writing skills, and hopefully entertain you, I will write one installment of a serial

novel beginning with this issue and bringing the story to its conclusion in June. A serial novel is a work
of fiction that is published in sequential pieces called installments. A Tale of Two Cities was originally
a serialized novel. My writing is a work in progress. Your constructive feedback is welcome. leanna.
lindquist@gmail.com

Penny Harris and Laura Lewis turned off With effort she pushed the creaky gates open.
Mockingbird Lane onto a barely visible road Laura returned to the car, glad to be back

covered with downed limbs and frosty leaves. in its warmth as she rubbed her cold hands
Ahead of them between two old concrete pillars together. Penny drove at a snail’s pace, gripping
was an ornate iron gate covered in moss. “There the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned
it is,” Laura declared. Penny stopped the car in white. The driveway led through a canopy of

front of the gate. trees that block most of the sky. Dappled daylight
“Now what do we do?” blurted Penny. cast long shadows everywhere. After what seemed
She opened the car door and walked over like an eternity, but was likely only a minute, they
to the imposing gate; inhaling the brisk fall air pulled into a clearing. There stood the imposing

as she tossed limbs out of her way. With great Peabody Mansion. Penny stopped the car when
flourish Laura pulled a large skeleton key from it came into full view and they both stared in
her purse. “This better work,” she thought as she astonishment.
inserted the key into the rusty lock. The sun was “You have got to be kidding me. This looks

already going down and it would be dark soon. like Disney’s Haunted House. Laura Lewis, is this
There were no streetlights this far out of town. another one of your hair brained ideas? How can
She fumbled with the key for a few moments our Club meet here?”
until she heard a click and felt the bolt give way. “Penny don’t get your panties in a twist. You

24 ONE COMMUNITY