In September 1974, three female high school students went to a local lake for a swim, but only two returned home. The third woman disappeared and was later found dead. Her death was initially ruled an accident, until the efforts of one stubborn young detective revealed that the girl was murdered. As the community struggled with grief, the investigation ground to a halt and the case files were put in a box and relegated to the shelves of open-unresolved crimes. But more than forty years later, the same detective, no longer young but equally stubborn, stumbles on a seemingly insignificant clue that gives him a final shot at identifying the perpetrator. This story was first published in the New Grace News. Please visit www.NewGraceNews.com for more short stories.

Colleen, abandoned at birth, finds solace in episodes of the Donna Reed Show while being raised in foster homes during the early 1960's. Colleen grows up to become a governess for the children of a wealthy couple, is introduced to a powerful businessman, and they are wed. Throughout her marriage, she identifies with Donna Reed and tries to be the perfect wife. The inability to have children and the ensuing divorce lead Colleen to self-discovery.

A bloody crime scene. A missing collection of rare coins worth over $20 million. And the DNA evidence points to a former Army Ranger, who has been dead for over four years... These are the clues Detective Richard Trotter is stuck with after the disappearance of Woodrow Reed, a retired wealthy investor, and his wife Cynthia, from their mansion. The forensic scientists conclude that most of the blood in the house came from Cynthia. When Woodrow is found alive in a remote area in the mountains, he confirms that his wife was killed in the house by masked assailants, who then kidnapped him and stole the coin collection. As the police is trying to find the remote mountain location where Woodrow was held captive, Trotter is looking into the background of the Army Ranger whose DNA was found at the crime scene. Meanwhile, the FBI monitors international black markets for signs that the stolen coins are being offered for sale. It turns out a few of them were ... several months before they were taken. --------- I have been plotting this short story for a while, and decided to write it specifically for the #Wattys2016. Hope you enjoy!