I feel like starting a new story. Just for fun, and anyone can chime in. I will attempt to make it a mystery with lots of twists and turns. Perhaps I can write some humor. Oh here goes and once again forgive my spelling and typos. Anyone is welcome to chime in.

It was a bleak winter day in Moose County, 400 miles from anywhere. A large silver Mercedes Sedan pulled up in front of the Art Center on Trevellyan Road. The car door opened and a woman stepped out, clad in a fur coat, black boots, and a bright red, brimmed hat of wool. A jaunty feather was proudly perched on one side of the hat. A black feather, that had just a bit of curl to the tip. She shut the car door and looked around. She looked down the long lonely stretch of country road and saw no cars, traveling east or west.
She began pacing back and forth, frequently gazing at her diamond watch that glittered just beyond her coat sleeve. A car approached from the east, slowed down, and pulled into the Art Center parking lot. A man stepped out, tall, middle aged with a shock of gray hair. He approached the silver Mercedes and said, Mrs. Lambert I presume. Hello, my name is Thornton Haggis. He held out his right hand to shake her gloved one.

Oh gosh, it is Zoe Lambert, and the book was NOT Danish Modern but Read Backwards. This over 40 syndrome is the pits.

Anne, great job! Zoe Lambert from the first book! What could she want with Qwill? I can't remember her storyline from the first novel. The only things I remember are the Press Club, Koko's first owner getting murdered, and of course, meeting Koko.

Qwill made arrangements to meet Zoe Lambert, a very attractive widow from his past, that evening for dinner at the McIntosh Inn. Chef Wingo was back after a trip down below, and he was an inventive chef. He thought about calling Arch Riker and asking if he had any idea what Zoe Lambert was doing in Moose County, but did not. He would just show up and find out. He wondered if she had heard of his fortune and wanted money for her art gallery. She had inherited, he presumed the gallery, after her husband Earl had been killed in a plot mastermined by Koko's previous owner, Mountclements. While he remembered Zoe to be a magnificently attractive woman, that had been over a decade ago. She could have changed her hair, gained weight or any number of things. He needed to get this off his mind, so he got in his car and drove to Gary's to have breakfast. He had recently discovered a gastronomic delight called a "morning sunrise" Gary invented. It was a fried egg, with montery jack cheese, a sausage patty, on a roll. When you bit into it, the runny part of the yoke ooozed out a bit. It was probably the singularly worst breakfast for one's heart you could eat, but he thought, just one or two a year would not be to bad. He put some paper towels in his coat pocket, remembering that Gary charged for more than one napkin, and the egg ooze sometimes ended up on his mustache.

While eating his "morning sunrise" , Qwill had to admit to himself, he had avoided breakfast at Lois' Lunchonette for fear of running into Zoe Lambert before he had time to think through her possible reasons for contacting him after all these years. When he he had known her "down below", she had been involved in an affair with Montclemens, the silent partner in her husband art gallery. She herself was a talented artist. She blamed her affair on trying to protect her husband from Montclemens. It was sorted to say the least. To complicate matters, a local college professor, a woman, a sculptor was enamored with Zoe, as well. It seemed to be a strange relationship. Of all the people from his past, Zoe was probably one of the highest on his list of never wanting to see again. It must be the fact that she needs money he thought. Or is man hunting maybe, he mused.

Qwilleran opened his copy of the Moose County Something and scanned the headlines. At the bottom of the front page was an announcement. Zoe Lambert, prominent artist to manage Art Center for the month of January, it read. Qwilleran felt he was a hard person to surprise. AFter being a reporter in big cities for years, he thought he had seen it all. But Zoe Lambert in Moose County shocked him. As he read the article his mustache seemed to tingle, and he pounded it with his paper towel he had brought from home and whiped a bit of egg. He remembered Zoe to be one of the bored aristocricy and very sophisticated. To sophisticated for hunting caps and plaid shirts. But perhaps she had changed, mellowed as she aged. He remembered her murdered husband Earl, her paintings and the time he visited her to comfort her after Earl's death. The article gave no real information, and he was inordinately inquisitive by nature. He was not fond of board meetings, but did try to attend as many as he could. He had missed the quarterly board meeting of the art center the past fall. Had they arranged this and he was not aware? The board minutes were sent in the mail, but he had put off reading them. They seemed so routine. The most interesting thing that ususally happened, was the decision to plant more flowers out front. One time a lively discussion had ensued about whether to use vanilla air freshner which was said to be calming or citrus which was supposed to elicit excitement. Qwilleran got up from breakfast and told the waitress to tell Gary Pratt when he came in, that he was suing the Black Bear Cafe and it's owner for clogging heart arteries. She laughed and said, Oh Mr. Q, I will tell him. Qwilleran decided to phone Thornton Haggis. He arrived back at his condo in the Willows and Koko greeted him with a Yowwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Zoe Lambert unlocked the Art Center door, went into the manager's office and closed the door without seeing anyone. She picked up the phone and dialed a long distance number. She was talking in hushed tones to someone when Mildred Riker walked into the office without knocking. Oh, I did not know anyone was in here, Mildred said with an apologetic tone. Zoe said goodbye and hung up the phone. May I help you she said. Mildred said, I am Mildred Riker, I am on the Art Center Board of Directors and I wanted to welcome you today. I already plugged in the coffee pot and I made these banana walnut muffins and candied ginger topped coffee cake for a welcome for you. Oh goodness, Zoe said, thank you, but I don't drink caffine and I don't eat breakfast. Do you happen to have some mineral water to drink here? Well, no Mildred said, backing out of the room. Let me know if I can do anything to help you settle in. Thank you errr Mrs. or Ms Riker? Call me Mildred. Yes of course and you call me Zoe. Zoe turned her full gaze on Mildred and looked up and down at the rather plumb woman, nice to meet you and thank you for the errrrr muffins.

Qwill took a mid morning bike ride to clear his head. He was facing a Qwill pen deadline at noon the next day. He had taken notes on lake sailing. He had interviewed members of the Mooseville recreational sailing club. But he filed the notes away, thinking that winter was not the best time for a sailing column. He had an interview scheduled at the new group home for mentally challenged adults which the K fund had given matching money to build. It was built on Trevelyn Road, and he had no desire to go near the art center today. He would find out what Zoe was doing in Moose county soon enough. There had to be a story behind her taking a temporary job 400 miles north of everywhere. He arrived back home and fed the cats their noon repast. He drove to Pickax and lunched at Lois'. He had a turkey sandwich with fries and a slice of apple pie. He sat with Junior Goodwinter, who was eating alone when he arrived. Junior was full of conversation about the upcoming arrival of his new baby. Qwill, Junior asked, "What do you think about me finally trading in my old Jag for a family minivan. With the new baby coming, and all the repairs the Jag needed, I felt it was time. Jodi had been wanting me to do it for years. It was my last piece of my grandmother, and I was reluctant. You know she bought it for a graduation presnet for me.

Anne, in Lived High, Qwill learned Zoe Lambert had sold her gallery and moved to CA. So he would probably not ask her about her gallery, but ask her about CA. You could have him remember that fact in his thoughts and then ask her when they have dinner, maybe. Just a thought.

Anne, I cannot wait to find out what Zoe wants! This is a very interesting storyline and I look forward to reading more.