Hiding In The Dark
An Ellie Lynn Moore Mystery
Sava Mathou
Copyright © 2020 Sava Mathou
All rights reserved
First Edition
Fulton Books, Inc.
Meadville, PA
Published by Fulton Books 2020
ISBN 978-1-64654-029-7 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-64654-030-3 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
Table of Contents
This book is dedicated to Kym Rapier (friend/family), Ann Nord (mother), Tracy Schultz (sister), Danielle Baranski (sister), Rochelle Nord (sister), Alissa Runsat (sister/Bestie/fabulous), Lily Yamamoto (superstar), Elise Buffalo (fellow goddess), Samantha (Binnie) Talks Different (friend/sister/spooner), Janet LeDuc (Fave Aunt), Gina O’Connell (fellow Cher fan/friend), Rebecca Webber-Pollock (friend/makes me laugh), Chick Kennedy (bingo buddy/sister), Debbie Nichols (big heart), Gisele Noble-Lamper (smart cookie), April Mitzie Webber (sassy pants), Melissa Brune’ (amazing inside and out), Phyllis Townsend-McCuller (awesome), Sherry Gigous (extraordinary writer), Christine Rodgers (a great person), Vernisha Coleman (just love her), Terri Hamilton (such kindness), and Kendra Buffalo (sister from another mister).
You are some of the strongest and bravest women, that I am so proud to know. I love you all! Thank you!
Thank you to my son’s, Chad and Alex Gibbons (twin son’s.) I am proud to say that I am your dad and you are my son’s. I love you both so much! You have turned into amazing young men!
Thank you to my partner, David Donaldson. I appreciate your love and support. Thank you!
Sava
Prologue
At fifty-five, Ellie needed some adventure. This is the story of a vibrant and tough Montana-bred woman who wanted to shake up her life.
Ms. Ellie had always been a lady of leisure. However, in her waning years, she longed for some adventure. She was now fifty-five years old, and she wanted some excitement in her life. Her children were grown and had moved onto their own lives. They had little time in their busy lives to get home and visit their lonely old mother. She didn’t blame or hold a grudge against them. It was only natural they want to build a career and start families of their own. Besides, they came home for every holiday. She got to be surrounded by their love, and in many ways, she felt blessed. If she told them she was lonely, they would drop what they doing and head right home to her side. Ms. Ellie didn’t feel right, asking them to drop what they were doing just because she was lonely. She would find a new path in her life to keep her busy. Besides, she had been planning a new career for a while.
Janet, her daughter, was now living in Missoula with her family. She had graduated from the University of Montana–Missoula with a degree in law and was now a successful lawyer. Just like her father, her job kept her quite busy, and she thrived on it. Her husband, Dave, was also a lawyer who moved to Montana from somewhere on the East Coast. Ellie couldn’t remember exactly where as Dave never spoke about his family very much. He had had a falling out with his father some years ago and decided to move West to escape the family turmoil. He made Janet very happy and was a good man. It brought a thoughtful smile to her lips, knowing that her daughter was happy and building a life with Dave. Now if she would just have some grandchildren, then all would be right in the world.
John Jr. also had gone into law and had moved to Billings shortly after law school. He had been recruited by a local oil and gas company right out of law school. He now handled the real estate aspects on the firm’s oil and gas leases. He seemed to be doing well but didn’t talk much about work or his life to his mother. She never had a doubt that John Jr. didn’t love her as his mother, but he had always been quiet. He wasn’t secretive about his work or life. It was just in his nature not to talk much.
John Jr. always said that he spoke so much for a living that when it came to his private life that he just didn’t have much say. Ellie worried about him because she never quite knew what was happening in his life. He always told her what was going on if she asked. However, as he got older, she began to feel like she was intruding.
Ms. Ellie began to think of her husband. He had passed on a few years back. The passing left her with a grief that she thought she would never be able to work through. Over time, the pain lessened, but the longing had always remained. John had always been a supportive and loving husband. When so many of her friend’s husbands were off, cheating with their secretaries or mistresses. John had always remained faithful.
He was a good man, she thought. A blush rising her in cheeks.
Never once during their thirty-five years of marriage had he even given her an inkling that he looked at another woman. His friends would tease him that the sun rose and set on his wife. As far as John Sr. was concerned, that was exactly right. John would see the problems and situations that arose among his friends for the infidelities they had.