Cobb Mt Mystery: Konocti Caves Part 1

Cobb Mt Mystery.

Konocti Caves.

DeCanti, Kit.

I want to give special thanks to both my grandsons, and all my nephews for giving me a peek into their minds and hearts. They see everything (and live life) as a game to conquer. I was able to draw from their zeal for life and fun; which helped my protagonist as he battled situations that no child should ever have to- and not let it beat him down.

Thank you also to my sisters Kay, Sandy, Donna, and brother Phil; and the long hot California summers- which provided the time and backdrop for many mysteries to invent and solve; and which instilled in me a love of mysteries.

I also need to thank my daughter Angela Kay Woodall and good friends Sue Garcia and Judy Mason for their expertise and long hours in editing this book.

I'm very thankful to the readers who waited patiently (or not) for a sequel to Secret On Cobb Mountain and Return To Cobb Mountain. I hope they, and you, won't be disappointed with this latest addition to the Cobb Mountain Series.

And last but not least, a big THANK YOU to my husband, soul mate and Captain Oh My Captain, Tony, who loves and encourages me at every turn of the road.

Thank you to the following businesses and locations for allowing me the privilege of using their names in the content of this book:.

Cactus Grill Restaurant~ Clearlake, CA.

Children's Museum Of Art and Science (CMAS) Lake Co, CA Clearlake Cinema~ Clearlake, CA Clear Lake B & B, Lakeport, CA.

Dr. Betat, Lakeport, CA Guido's Pizzeria~ Kelsyville, CA Historical Society of Lake County.

Jellystone Campground On Cobb Mountain Karl's Corner ~Clearlake Oaks, CA Main Street Bar and Grill ~ Clearlake, CA Mountain High Coffee & Books~ Cobb, CA.

Magoon's North Jewelers~ Lakeport, CA Planetarium ~ Kelsyville, CA.

Record Bee ~ Lakeport CA School House Museum Lower Lake, CA Serendipity Art & Boutique~ Lucerne, CA.

Shannon Ridge Winery, Clearlake Oaks, CA Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Lakeport, CA Zino's Ristorante ~ Kelsyville, CA.

Dedicated to my grandsons, Keenan and Jakob.

and Children's Museum of Art and Science.

(CMAS).

KONOCTI CAVES.

Prologue.

The small boy could hear his name being called frantically as he stood motionless at the end of the pier looking out over the fiery waters; while the sun slowly slipped behind the sleeping giant. Mount Konocti.

The child shuddered as he thought about how close he had come to falling down the cave. A sense of dread filled him and he closed his eyes as he felt the vibration of heavy steps falling on the pier coming closer. As much as he wished it was his old foster mother, he knew in the pit of his stomach that it wasn't.

The young boy also knew it was futile to try and escape. There was no escaping what was in store for him- nor for the list of boys in his notebook.

Tears ran down his face as he dropped the notebook he had been clutching; and watched it disappear forever into the muddy water below.

A large hand gripped the young boy's shoulder causing his head to jerk up and his eyes to open wide to the view of the huge mountain that had once held him spellbound; but that would now hold him permanently in one of her deep cold caves. Konocti Caves.

CHAPTER ONE.

Little Jimmy.

Twelve months earlier...

Young Jimmy Muldoon stood anxiously at the large window that overlooked a pier stretching out over the agitated waters of Clear Lake. In the distance a huge giant rose out of the water. This giant was what had Little Jimmy so excited. He was looking forward to a special outing with his friend Ron Simmons. He hoped Ron hadn't forgotten.

"He'll come," Jimmy murmured, as if trying to rea.s.sure himself. He could never totally bring himself to believe that someone as cool as Ron Simmons really liked him. Ron was a local sheriff deputy; and was always coming up with new and interesting places to explore. And Jimmy loved exploring more than anything. Today they were heading up to his favorite place in the world- Mt Konocti.

Little Jimmy, as most people called him, had spent hours studying the mountain and walking the trails and climbing through the secret caves in his mind. Today he would finally get to actually walk on its trails; and find out for himself if the rumors and stories about hidden caves were true.

Hanging around Little Jimmy's neck were the binoculars that Ron had given him for their outing to the Heron Festival at Clear Lake Park. He lifted them to his eyes and stared spellbound at the huge mountain.

Jimmy had been obsessed with volcanos ever since he could remember. The earliest foster family that he could remember living with had a view of Mt. Konocti from his bedroom window. He would lie on his bed and gaze at it for hours letting his mind walk up and down it, when he was put in his room on timeouts for bad behavior. He missed the view when he was sent to another foster family; but he certainly didn't miss those foster parents. Just thinking of them caused Jimmy to shudder. The next family was a bit better. But they too, soon tired of his 'shenanigans' as they called his over active behavior, and sent him away.

A look of sadness crossed the innocent face as he thought about the many failed foster arrangements he had been in. Jimmy had long lost count of how many times he had been s.h.i.+pped here then- there; uprooted, changed schools, left friends.h.i.+ps before they could really be established. He was the perpetual 'new kid in school'. Jimmy had stopped wondering what it would be like to have a real family. He knew that would never happen.

This foster home, here with Mrs. Capra was the closest he had ever come to feeling like he belonged somewhere. But even so he distrusted her. He couldn't give his heart to her. Couldn't put real faith in her; or feel really secure that she too would not tire of him and send him away. In his ten short years he had learned that you couldn't count on anyone but yourself. Even so Mrs. Capra did seem to genuinely care about him- even though young Jimmy stressed her patience to the breaking point more times than he could count. After a short timeout she would hug him and rea.s.sure him of her love. She even seemed to blame herself for her lack of patience and energy more than she blamed him.

Mrs. Capra was old and couldn't keep up with Jimmy's high energy- partly due to his unrelenting curiosity of the world around him and partly because of being hyper active with attention deficit. A label that had closed many a door to the child. So far Mrs. Capra had not closed the door of her home to him- nor the door to her heart. But Jimmy knew it was short lived. Deep down he knew at some point he would be tossed aside again; and he knew it would be his fault. He was ready for the inevitable... She would be waiting at the table with the familiar cookies and milk and her smile would not be able to hide the fact that he would be leaving. His bag would already be packed and before he could choke down the cookies a county car would pull up.

Little Jimmy's back straightened. He was strong. He was a survivor. He would be ready. He would survive.

As he gazed out the window, staring now only at the air, Jimmy drifted back to a time when he arrived at a large facility.

It was evening. The lights were turned off almost as soon as he and his small bag of belongings were unceremoniously deposited onto a cot in the center of a gymnasium filled with rows of children lying on similar cots. As he sat there numb and forlorn a child a few rows over started to cry. Soon another child started sobbing. In the bed next to him a child was trying to m.u.f.fle his sobs in his pillow. It wasn't long before the gymnasium was filled with wailing children- young voices crying out for parents that would not come.

It was then and there that Little Jimmy determined in his heart that he would somehow save these kids. He went from one crying child to the next comforting them. Soon he was joined by an older boy named Timmy.

Jimmy and Timmy ended up whispering way into the night; and bonding over the sleeping children that they had just comforted. Although the two boys had just met and only had a few hours together in that dark gymnasium they became fast friends. Timmy was Jimmy's first real friend. They made a pack that they would always keep in touch no matter where they ended up.

Timmy was s.h.i.+pped out the next day before they could say goodbye.

That was when Jimmy had started his list. Before he was s.h.i.+pped out to a local foster home, he made sure he had the name of each child from that center and left each little face with a promise that he would always be their friend and that he would stay in touch with them and find them someday. Since that day his list had grown long. Very long.

Little Jimmy spent a hefty percentage of his allowance on stamps, cards and stationary. Most evenings before he went to bed he wrote a letter, not knowing if the letters ever reached the child he sent it too. The only place he knew to send them was to an address he had copied off a file he held on his lap in that gymnasium. The foster agency that handled his case. He had met all the boys on his list at various facilities run by the same agency.

The hum of an engine pulled Little Jimmy's attention back to the present. To the day at hand; and his excitement returned as he spotted Ron's SUV pulling up to the house.

Jimmy ran shrieking to his foster mom, "Mrs. Capra he's here! He's here! Ron's here! Can I leave? Can we go now?" Laughing as she stuck a bag of snacks in his backpack Mrs. Capra hugged Jimmy and then watched from the window as he bounded down the walk way to the waiting SUV.

The elderly woman was relieved that Ron's recent marriage didn't prevent his frequent outings with Jimmy. She had been worried because she was well aware of Jimmy's abandonment issues. She knew how much he looked forward to Ron's visits; and also how anxious Jimmy became while waiting- wondering if Ron would really show up.

Mrs. Capra also saw the look of nervous expectation each time Jimmy came home from school. She had stopped waiting for him with cookies and milk because she could tell that it triggered something unpleasant from his past. Instead, she had begun waiting for him in her front garden where he would happily drop his backpack and join her. While she taught the boy how to pull weeds, thin vegetables and dead head flowers, Little Jimmy told her about his day. It was a routine they both looked forward to.

Having established this common ground, Mrs. Capra had something to build on. Besides working together in their home garden, they began touring various gardens around the county. She enjoyed driving the orchard lined roads in the spring with all the blossoms and the multi colored vineyards in the fall. Jimmy was more interested in learning the different gardening techniques.

Mrs. Capra was very thankful to live in a county full of gardeners willing to take the time to share their knowledge. Little Jimmy ate it up! He just couldn't get enough of organic and self sustaining gardening; and in no time at all he was the teacher and she the student.

As Ron's SUV backed out of the drive, Mrs. Capra gave one last wave and sank into a nearby chair. Heaving a deep sigh, and without thinking she reached for the locket that always hung from her neck; opening it she smiled wistfully at the photo smiling back at her.

Having lost her husband before they could have children of her own Mrs. Capra had raised more than a dozen foster kids over the years; and had loved them all. She still received cards and letters from most of them; and was proud of the hundred percent success rate of her kids finding their way in life. A few even earned scholars.h.i.+ps; and went on to college, and the professional world. Whether professional or blue collar- Mrs. Capra was proud of them all. They had all beaten the fifty/fifty odds of becoming homeless that foster children face.

A frown fell upon her usually cheerful face. "So far..." she muttered. Mrs. Capra was worried about Little Jimmy. "Why did he have to come to me at this time? So late in my life," the woman murmured out loud. She knew her patience was not what it used to be- let alone her energy. It was impossible for her to keep up with Jimmy- whose energy was endless. She loved that about him; and could see beyond the labels he came with. She knew Jimmy had more potential than any child she had raised. She just needed to find a way to help him channel his energy in a productive way. A sigh escaped her lips again as she drifted off to sleep, despite the dirty breakfast dishes waiting on the kitchen table. Lately it seemed like she was tired all the time; and couldn't sit down without falling asleep.

Ron put his SUV into third gear as he started up Glasgow Grade heading out of Lower Lake, overtaking and pa.s.sing a gravel truck; then waited for the 'Whoop!' from Little Jimmy he knew it would bring. This time it was followed by "Hemi!" causing Ron to laugh. He loved how much Jimmy enjoyed riding in his SUV. He slowed and made a right turn on Point Lakeview Road towards Jago Bay and settled back for the dissertation that he knew was about to ensue. Sure enough Little Jimmy started giving the history of the mine as they pa.s.sed it on the left; and pointing out geological markings, which led to a bubbling forth of newly acquired information about the lake and volcano.

"We are driving on the rim of the crater!" He exclaimed barely able to contain himself. "I read that the entire lake is the crater of the volcano! I used to think it was the mountain; but the peaks were formed by lava... the crater is the lake..." Jimmy's voice trailed off as they turned the corner and caught a glimpse of the lake. He stared at it for a few minutes giving Ron a moment to interject: "So Jimmy, I stopped Magoon's Jewelry Store the other day; and the owner showed me a huge Lake County Diamond- about five to six thousand karats. The guy who sold it to him said he had ran off the road in a storm around here somewhere; and when the tow truck driver pulled him out of the ditch the diamond was laying in the gutter. He grabbed it up and when he took a good look at it later he could see that it had been sheered off smooth. He tried to find the place again- but couldn't. But somewhere around here is a huge Lake County Diamond vein."

"Whoa!" Jimmy exclaimed. "No Way! Six thousand karats- that's about the size of a football!" he said and kept his eyes glued to the red hill bank; while spewing facts about the semi precious gemstone Lake County was famous for.

Even though this route was longer, Ron had taken it because he knew it would inspire good conversation, and bring him and Jimmy closer. He was proud of how close they had become already and how much Jimmy trusted him. It had taken some time and effort but it had been worth it.

Ron pulled over just before the Soda Bay Road stop sign, in the Rivieras and a hush came over the two and they looked up at the mountain where they would soon be walking. Both the little boy and the bigger boy, reached for their binoculars at the same time.

Ron was surprised at the excitement he felt and decided to ditch his plan to follow Soda Bay Road around the lake to take Gaddy Lane into Kelseyville. Instead he turned left and headed towards the highway. He saw the grateful look on Jimmy's face and was glad he did. As he pulled off Highway twenty-nine onto Main Street in Kelseyville Jimmy's excitement increased as did his conversation. When they pa.s.sed the high school and turned right on Konocti Road Jimmy's voice raised an octave with excitement.

As Ron's SUV wound its way up the volcanic mountain Little Jimmy could barely contain himself. He rattled off a long list of questions about the many legends and rumors of the mountain- answering most of the questions himself, as Ron laughed.

Ron had always thoroughly enjoyed Jimmy's enthusiasm. But even more so lately due to the fact that he and Kat, his wife of about a year, had made the decision to try and adopt the boy.

Kat Simmons was a Lake County Social Worker and had researched Little Jimmy's background. She was already very fond of Little Jimmy but after reading the report she was amazed at his resilience; and her desire to adopt him with her husband Ron grew stronger and more urgent.

Jimmy Muldoon was the result of two junkies coming together over their common addictions. They dropped the newborn off at a firehouse before disappearing back into the night of their world. It was not known if they had given their real names; but Jimmy Muldoon was the name put on his birth certificate and his parents were listed as James and Jessica Muldoon.

Little Jimmy had spent the first few months in a hospital as doctors treated him for an addiction that he was born with, along with other problems resulting from the mother being malnourish during pregnancy. Though full term, Jimmy was an under weight baby and had always been small for his age. Nurses had started calling him Little Jimmy from the start.

After the long stay in the hospital there had been no fewer than eight foster homes by the time Little Jimmy was walking. Running is more appropriate. His attention deficit hyper activity became apparent early on as he ran from one thing to another. "Like a little wind up toy- he just runs until he finally falls," one foster mother had remarked trying to explain his many visits to the ER.

Few foster mothers were willing to put out the effort to keep up with Jimmy, so the number of foster homes multiplied by the time he started school. He was eight when he landed in Mrs. Capra's home where he had been for almost two years. The longest he had been in one place his entire ten years of life.

Mrs. Capra was probably the most loved and respected foster mother in the county. Kat was going to drop in on her that morning.

Kat already knew her from the Children's Museum of Art and Science. Mrs. Capra and her foster children were regulars there. Since Kat had been a volunteer at CMAS she had spoken with Mrs. Capra a few times.

Kat chuckled as she recalled the first time she saw Mrs. Capra chasing Little Jimmy at CMAS. "He's a handful for her, that's for sure!" Kat chuckled again.

Besides knowing her from the museum, Mrs. Capra was also a guest at Ron and Kat's wedding last year; since Little Jimmy was the ring barer. And of course Ron had gotten to know Mrs. Capra very well since he became Little Jimmy's friend through a county program for fatherless boys.

Kat and Ron had been especially worried about Mrs. Capra being able to continue caring for the child ever since their wedding. Mrs. Capra had been more than just tired that day. She was exhausted and Little Jimmy was obviously getting to be too much for her.

Kat and Ron were not the only ones who were aware of Mrs. Capra failing health; others had made mention of the fact that she couldn't keep up the pace much longer.

"She must be worried sick about what will happen to Little Jimmy," thought Kat. She wanted to get closer to Mrs. Capra not only because she knew she needed to remain in Jimmy's life; but also she wanted to get an idea of how open she would be to the planned adoption. For it to go smoothly and for Little Jimmy's best interest Mrs. Capra needed to be agreeable to the adoption.

Mrs. Capra was still asleep when Kat rang her bell, and it took a couple moments for her to gather her wits and get to the door. While waiting, Kat admired her garden. Most people had flower gardens in the front and kept their vegetable garden in the back yard. But Mrs. Capra had both flowers and vegetables in her neat and pretty front yard. Kat liked it and started thinking of perhaps doing the same in the side yard next to their driveway. "The deer would probably..."

Kat's thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Capra's voice, "h.e.l.lo, may I help you... oh Kat! What a pleasant surprise!" Mrs. Capra seemed genuinely happy to see Kat and invited her in. "Would you like coffee, or perhaps some tea? Come into my kitchen and let's get caught up!" she called over her shoulder already heading towards the little kitchen. Kat smiled as she noticed the daisies everywhere. Kat, too loved daisies, but Mrs. Capra perhaps overdid it. Besides the daisy curtains with matching tablecloth, daisy dishtowels hung from the fridge, daisy pot holders hung from the oven, and a daisy canister set lined the counter. There was even a daisy floor mat spread out on the floor in front of the sink.

"Oh Dear!" Mrs. Capra exclaimed as she noticed the daisy breakfast dishes still on the table. "I forgot about these- I should have saved my reputation and entertained you in the living room," she laughed as she gathered up the dishes and put them in the sink. Then wiping off the daisy placemat and centering the vase of daisies she added, "Now which will it be... coffee or tea?"

Noticing the tea pot on the stove already on warm Kat responded, "Tea would be great, thank you."

"Oh good- I love tea," Mrs. Capra said cheerfully, as she busied herself with making the tea and setting pretty daisy teacup on saucers which she carried to the table on a daisy tray. "My boys always send me daisy gifts," she chuckled sensing Kat's thoughts. That's the problem when you love something; you soon get an abundance of it!"

"Well, if these are all gifts from your foster children, it just shows how much you are loved! That is wonderful! And I know you deserve all the love they have for you," Kat said warmly and meant it.

"Now, Kat, what brings you to my little house?" Mrs. Capra asked as she sat down.

Caught off guard Kat forgot how she had planned to work into the conversation and stammered a bit as she replied, "I ... ah... well I thought since you and I were both home alone this Sat.u.r.day morning that it would be nice for us to visit a bit while the boys are off climbing mountains and exploring caves." Kat added regaining her composure then added, "They sure have fun together, don't they?" She studied Mrs. Capra's smiling face, and noticed the smile lessening a bit before venturing on, "Ron just can't seem to get enough of Little Jimmy. When he comes back from one of their adventures he talks for days about the fun they had!"

Mrs. Capra's expression changed and she got up and asked, "Would you like some cookies?" Kat realized that she should have eased into the subject of Jimmy a little slower. She remembered that she had planned on talking about the children's museum a bit and how she missed volun-teering there as much as she used to. But it was too late to back peddle now.

Mrs. Capra returned to the table and set a plate of cookies in front of Kat and apologized that they weren't homemade. The subject had been changed so Kat thanked Mrs. Capra for the cookies and took one even though she really didn't like gingersnaps; and chewed while wondering how to get back to talking about Jimmy. Mrs. Capra beat her to it.

"So what is it that you are really here for? What are you wanting to discuss, Mrs. Simmons?" she asked formally. "Are you thinking that I am too old to be Jimmy's foster mom?"

"Mrs. Capra- No. Certainly not...." Realizing that Mrs. Capra thought she was there on official business Kat rushed on, "It's Sat.u.r.day. I'm not working today- this is just a friendly visit!" The last thing Kat wanted was to put her on the defense. But Mrs. Capra was not easily convinced.

"I know there has been talk; and people are even speculating on Little Jimmy's next foster home- but let me a.s.sure you I have no intention of retiring anytime soon. Besides it would be the worse possible thing for Little Jimmy to have to change homes again!" A tear sprang to her eye and she turned her face and as she said, "Poor little guy; he's been shoved around t00 much already. He needs to put down some roots so he can start feeling secure." Then she sat up straight and looked Kat directly in the eyes and said firmly, "I won't let go of my boy with out a fight! Do you hear?"

Kat was stunned. This didn't go at all the way she had thought it would. She knew that Mrs. Capra was a wonderful foster mother and was attached to her foster children; but Kat had no idea that the foster mother really thought of herself as their 'mom'. She sat there sipping her tea wondering what to say next. Mrs. Capra was obviously not going to help ease the situation.

Finally Kat broke the silence with, "I can appreciate how attached you are to Little Jimmy- to all your boys. You really take the time and trouble to get to know them and their needs; and put them first. And it's a testament to that fact by your success with them all. You are a prize. Really a treasure. And Jimmy is so blessed to have been placed with you..." Kat took a breath and bravely continued saying what she felt needed to be said, "But we all know... we all recognize just how trying Little Jimmy is. It takes a lot of energy just to keep up with him in a conversation, let alone with all his running around." Kat locked eyes with Mrs. Capra, "Jane- may I call you Jane? Jane, it's obvious that it has taken its toll on you. Yes, Little Jimmy needs you... he needs you in his life. He doesn't necessarily need it to be you trying to keep up with his active lifestyle. All this running around after him is going to...." Kat lowered her voice and her eyes, "shorten the time he has with you." She looked back up at the small woman who seemed to have shrunk in the few seconds Kat took her eyes off her. The two women sat quietly sipping tea for a few moments. Mrs. Capra finally broke the silence.

"You're right... I know you are right." She heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back in her chair; and reached for a hanky from her pocket. She dabbed her eyes and crossed her hands on her lap in defeat, "I didn't want to admit that. I've known it for some time, but just couldn't face it... Now what?" her eyes darting around the room before landing back on Kat's face. She sat up straight and then said almost too firmly, "Now that it's been said- now what? I can't take it back. It's been said...." she heaved another sigh and then, "Little Jimmy is fragile- I know you might not see it, but I do. He tries to seem so tough, so strong... but he's just a kid. A kid that has been subjected to more rejection than a dozen kids combined. He is still struggling to trust me... To trust that I won't send him away too. I see it in his face each time he gets off the bus. If I'm not out working in the garden he freezes fearing that I've abandoned him. What is he going to do... how will he feel if I tell him he has to go somewhere else?" Her sweet eyes filled with tears again.

"That's what I came over for... That's what I want to talk to you about. Well actually no- I didn't want to talk about it yet, I just wanted to visit with you and get to know you better... And for you to get to know me. Mrs. Capra, for sometime now Ron and I have been discussing adoption. Specifically adopting Little Jimmy." Kat paused to let this resonate with the elderly foster mother. Perhaps that was a mistake. Perhaps it was also a mistake to return to the formal and more powerful t.i.tle of 'Mrs. Capra', because the tears stopped and the woman stood up, which made her tiny frame tower over Kat; who sat there stunned by the transformation.

"Now you wait a minute, Missy!" Mrs. Capra said indignantly, "If you think you can come over and get me to admit that I'm old and sweet talk me into giving up my Little Jimmy when he needs me the most, you are mistaken. I will not give up without a fight, and believe me you have not fought until you've fought an Italian woman over her child! No one is going to take Little Jimmy from me! Not you- Not anyone!"