Murder at Jade Cove (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Dianne Harman Read Free Book Online Page B

windows were broken
out before I ever went there and there’s a big hole in the roof. When I was
there many years ago I remembered that even though it’s not on Jeff Black’s
property, you can see the shack he used as an office as well as his ranch house
from the vantage point of the abandoned shack. I thought it would be a good
idea for me to go hide out in the old shack and see if I could get a photo of a
spotted owl on his property.”
    “Can anyone get on the BLM
property?” Kelly asked. “I kind of remember seeing a “No Trespassing” sign on
it.”
    “Yeah, well, there may be.
Anyway, I had a telephoto lens on my camera that’s also equipped with an
infrared attachment so I can take photos at night. Believe me, if an owl had
come, I was ready, but I didn’t see anything. It was a full moon when I was
there. I stayed awake at night watching for an owl and slept during the day. I
was out there for two days and nights. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the proof
I needed and the hotel and spa were approved. Best thing that ever happened to
the spotted owls was when Jeff Black was killed. Sure hope whoever’s going to
take over that land now that he’s dead won’t try to build on it. I have some
people coming in a couple of days who are really good bird watchers. They can
see birds that no one else can and I’m hoping they can get a picture of one on
his property. I understand that whoever inherits the property won’t have to get
approval again to build a hotel and spa, but if I can get a photograph of a
spotted owl on that property, I can probably get the Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Department to back me up and stop any future construction.”
    “Wow! I had no idea that
if something like the spotted owl is on the endangered species list, a loss of
its habitat might stop something from being built,” Kelly said. “I’ll bet a lot
of people haven’t been very happy when that happened.”
    “I look at it this way.
Someone has to look out for our wild animals and creatures. They can’t speak
for themselves. I consider it to be my life’s work to see what I can do to help
them. Make no mistake, Kelly, that hotel and spa will never be built on that
property.”
    Kelly stood up. “Thanks,
Bonnie. I’ve taken up enough of your time and you mentioned you had a meeting
you had to get to. I really appreciate you sharing all this information with
me.”
    Bonnie walked her to the
door. “I know you can’t do anything about that property, but I hope you
understand just how critical it is to the spotted owls. How would you like it
if someone threatened to tear down your home and you couldn’t speak up?”
    Kelly paused for a moment
and looked at her. “I wouldn’t like it, Bonnie. I wouldn’t like it at all.”
    As soon as Rebel saw Kelly
approaching the minivan, he got in the back seat and laid down, his job of
watching and waiting for her safe return over for the moment. “Thanks, boy.
Wow, Bonnie may be a nut case, but she sure makes a pretty good argument for
protecting the spotted owls. Who knew? Not me. Time to go home, big guy.”
    Bonnie stood at the window
watching Kelly get into her van. When she saw Kelly drive around the corner,
Bonnie walked up the stairs and went into her bedroom. She slid her closet door
open and reached behind a heavy coat hanging at the far end of it. She removed
a cloth bag from a hanger and unzipped it.
    “It’s okay, Big Eyes,”
Bonnie said.” No one will ever find you. You know you’ll always be safe with me
because I love you more than anything in the world.” She stroked the stuffed
spotted owl and then put her arms around it’s nearly one and a half foot tall
body. “That mean old Jeff Black is dead and I’m glad. He was the only one who
could hurt us. I told you about how he found me out at the old shack next to
his property. He saw me shoot you several years ago and he threatened to tell
everyone that I killed a spotted owl. He even took a photograph of me