Infinite Chain

Who was Cassandra Timmerman?
It was hard to accept, but Mallory’s Aunt Cass was a channel for two spiritual entities. Mallory found the key to the padlock on desk drawer and discovered Cassie’s “special project,” thousands of pages of channeled material. This was the reason Cass bought a computer when she was 74.

As she sorts through Cassie’s papers, Mallory looks through an antique photo album and sees a photo of Cass, her brother Eliot (Mallory’s father,) and another woman. On reading the back, she learns that this is Cassie’s older sister Penelope. Cass had never mentioned having a sister. Temple offers to look for Penelope online, telling Mallory she could have cousins she’s never met.

While Mallory is in Haven, an arsonist burns her store in Prairie Hill. Sacred Space was a store for the spiritually minded, providing not only inspirational books for all faiths, but candles and incense, yoga supplies, prayer beads, and meditation cushions. The primary suspect was a recently hired clerk who was openly hostile toward the merchandise and staff.

Jordan Fogarty, one of the real estate agents showing Mallory properties for a new store, suggests the fire could be connected to her aunt’s death. She calls the detective investigating the fire, and shows him the last entry in Cassie’s last journal, which proves Jessica Archer did not jump from the bridge in Haven. Lt. Stapleton wants to read all the journals. Mallory calls Iris, the assistant director of the library in Haven and one of Cassie’s staunch allies. Iris agrees to collect the journals and meet Mallory halfway between Haven and Prairie Hill. They meet at a diner and Iris tells her she was followed. Mallory calls Stapleton who has her apartment watched.

Mallory returns to Haven to finish her aunt’s affairs. The library is vandalized, the electronics and plumbing destroyed, and books stolen. A few days later, there is a book burning in a church parking lot. Is there a connection between the person who killed Cass and the destruction in the library?

In Prairie Hill, Fogarty finds the perfect place for her to reopen the book store. He tries to hide the deep feelings he has for her. His two daughters apply for jobs at the store and encourage Mallory to spend time with their father. They want him to move on after the death of their mother, but Mallory doesn’t want another needy man.

Temple researches Mallory’s family and finds that Aunt Penelope is still alive. Why didn’t Cass ever say she had a sister? Iris tells Mallory she has lived for all these years without Penelope and her daughter, why would she need them now?