byWhen Detective Haley Hamilton entered the Stone River Convention Center, she recognized a familiar figure slumped on a bench near the door. “Mr. Reynolds,” she said, approaching the gray-haired man whose face was buried in his hands, “someone called our office to report a robbery.”
Rising, Walter Reynolds flicked several flakes of dandruff from a black frockcoat that looked more appropriate for the 18th than the 21st century. “Detective Hamilton,” he said, his voice wavering, “I can’t believe this is happening today of all days.”
“Just calm down now,” said Haley, “and tell me what ‘this’ is.”
“As you know, we culminated the Stone River Summer Festival today with the annual presentation of ‘Beyond the River,’ our Founders Day drama.”
A lifelong resident of Stone River, Haley had grown
