Mountain Ice (David Dean Mysteries)

"'Dear Sister Rachael, it is with a sad heart that I'm compelled to inform you of the passing of the soul of my beloved wife, your sister, Annie. My beautiful bride labored to the end, administrating to the fallen and the flu stricken souls of our town until she too, fell to the scourge of this most dreaded disease. It is with tears in my eyes that I pen this note, my only solace that I will shortly be one in heaven with this woman I loved more than life itself. Respectfully yours in God, Rev. Joshua Martin.'"

She looked up. "The note was undated and if there was a return address or an envelope, it was lost over the years."

Effie Quincy sniffed as she pulled her chair next to Dean. "It always makes me cry when I hear that letter. Aunt Rachael lived with us when we were young. She used to talk of Annie all the time, tell us how brave her sister was, how she and the Reverend administered to the sick, and those women."

"What 'women?'" Dean asked.

"The sinners," Claire growled. "'The women of the night,' if you must know. Apparently this town was cluttered with them and my great-aunt and her husband had a thankless life mission to attend to the trash. I'm sure she caught that dreadful disease from one of them and it killed her. The family pleaded with her to return to the civilization of Boston, but she wouldn't listen."

"She was answering to a higher power," Effie added.

"My brother is writing a book about Annie's life and her sacrifices," Claire said.

"Saint Among Sinners it's called. It's nearly finished." Effie announced with obvious pride.

"Wasn't it difficult to write, knowing so little about what really happened?" Dean asked.

"No. Not at all. Edward heard the stories from father who heard them from Grandfather Quincy who took copious notes. He was Congressman Quincy. Father was a man of the cloth too, just like Edward, and Reverend Martin. Our family has a long tradition of self-sacrifice and charity."

"That's nice," said Fred O'Connor, who had zero tradition, at least as far has Dean had learned in the fifteen years he'd lived with the old man. Hell, the man changed his history like he changed his shorts.

Effie beamed. "Edward is saying the book is 'based on the life of Annie Quincy Martin' just so he can take some liberties with the inconsequential details that have been lost in time. That's why we were so excited to come out here, to visit where it really happened!"

"That book of your brother's ought to be a big seller here in Ouray," Fred said. "This town sure likes its history. You'll be wanting to spend lots of time at the library and museum. They're real helpful folks at both places. I promised to donate this here ink well and pen that came from the box of Annie's stuff." He held the items out for her examination.