Apologies for the prolonged silence. Between travel, personal events, deadlines, and still more travel … this planned hiatus has gone a bit longer than, well, planned – certainly longer than we in the River Road Universe had intended.
SO, when last we left Middle Valley and the banks of the Chickotee:
- Efforts around construction of rocker Mick Righteous’ memorial went from zero to sixty as Mayor Charlotte, alongside Bernie, editor of the Chickotee River Dispatch, embarked on a door-knocking campaign to raise money for a statue built in his likeness. But what started as an exercise in government transparency ends with Bernie agreeing to write a puff piece about, Carson, one of the biggest donors to the cause – and the love interest of Bernie’s ex, Elyse.
- Lindy, on-board his super-yacht, finally pulled into town from Liechtenstein just in time to rescue Mercury from the toxic dullness of small-town life. Caring for her mother Bitsy McMurtry, the queen of drama – now all but mentally recovered from the fire that destroyed her historic family’s riverside mansion – had become arduous at best, as had living in her mother’s hotel. Above all else, though, Mercury missed her husband, her work and Lindy’s return brings with it a sense of normalcy – at least for the moment.
- As cub-reporter John investigates the mystery of the body parts, Sheriff Paul confesses that it was he who had killed Mick. Later, he comes clean to Bernie, as well. When Bernie confronts John about what he knows, John resigns from the Dispatch – without a plan.
- Shockwaves continue to bleed (no pun intended) into Bitsy’s “One Righteous Night” bash held on Lindy’s yacht as the well-heeled locals raise money for the memorial. With Cassie pressed into catering her murdered husband’s fund raiser, the gala provided fodder for gossip with Sheriff Paul being led away in handcuffs – and raised more questions than it answered.
Meet the characters at Who’s Who on River Road and read it from the beginning in the One-Stop Archive.
Check out our merch here – buy a shirt, a mug, a phone case, or a water bottle!
And, of course, stay tuned!